1
9 4 1
June
Carried
out
builder's trials. Polish personnel joined
ship
17th
- Carried
out Acceptance Trials. Accepted into
service with Polish
naval personnel. Transferred to Polish
Navy and renamed ORP KUJAWIAK
18th
- Under
attack by German aircraft whilst on
passage from Tyne to Scapa Flow to work-up
for
operational service with ships of Home
Fleet (Note: Fire
from aircraft hit 4in Ready-Use ammunition
which exploded causing one fatal
casualty.)
19th
- At Dundee for repair and to land
casualty.
Sailed for
Scapa Flow from Dundee.
20th
- Arrived
at Scapa Flow. When ready for work-up,
carried out work-up exercises
with ships of Home Fleet
July
11th
- Deployed
with HM Destroyer LIGHTING and Polish
sister ship ORP KRAKOWIAK
12th
- Detached from HMS NELSON with escort
and returned to Scapa Flow.
13th
- Resumed
working-up at Scapa Flow.
23rd
- Sailed
for Plymouth from Scapa Flow on completion
of work-up
25th
- Joined
15th Destroyer Flotilla based at Plymouth
for local convoy escort and Flotilla
duties.
August
to September
Deployed
at
Plymouth for Flotilla duties in
continuation. (Note:
Including Local Escort in SW Approaches
and support for local operations in
English Channel.)
October
23rd
- Deployed
with Polish destroyer ORP KRAKOWIAK for
escort of inward Convoy SL89 during
final stage of passage in Irish Sea from
Freetown into Liverpool.
25th
- Detached
from SL89 with escort on arrival and took
passage to Plymouth
November
24th
- Deployed
with HM Destroyer BEVERLEY as escort for
HM Battleship RESOLUTION during passage
from Plymouth to Scapa Flow to join Home
Fleet.
27th
- Detached
on arrival at Scapa Flow and took passage
to Plymouth.
December
Nominated
for
loan service with Home Fleet for planned
amphibious operation.
15th
- Passage
from Plymouth to Scapa Flow
16th
- Called
at Greenock on passage and escorted HM
Landing Ships, Infantry PRINCESS CHARLOTTE
and PRINS ALBERT during passage from Clyde
to Scapa Flow.
17th
- Arrived
at Scapa Flow for Operation ANKLET with HM
LSI PRINS ALBERT. (Note:
HM LS PRINCESS CHARLOTTE returned to
Greenock on 16th with defects). Took
part in preparatory exercises for ANKLET.
22nd
- Sailed from Scapa Flow as part of
Force J to carry out landings on Lofoten
Islands.
Other ships in Force J included: HM
Cruiser ARETHUSA, HM Fleet Destroyers
SOMALI, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, Polish
escort destroyer ORP KRAKOWIAK, HM Escort
Destroyers WHEATLAND, LAMERTON,
HM Norwegian corvettes ACANTHUS and
EGLANTINE, HM Fleet
Minesweepers SPEEDWELL, HARRIER, and
HALCYON, HM Survey Ship SCOTT, RFA
BLACK RANGER, RFA GREY RANGER, HM LSI
PRINS ALBERT,
PRINCESS CHARLOTTE, auxiliary ship GUDRUN
MAERSK, and HM Tug
JAUNTY departed Scapa Flow. HMS SCOTT was
deployed as a
Navigational Ship and HM Submarine SEALION
had been
stationed in landing area as a Marker.
(For full
details see THE WATERY MAZE by B Fergusson
and Naval Staff History.)
26th
- Carried
out search of Vestfjord during which two
Norwegian trawlers were captured and the
German auxiliary warship GEIER (V5904) was
boarded by a party from HMS ASHANTI.
Although
damaged, tow of this vessel was attempted
but later abandoned when air attacks
began. (Note:
The primary objective of ANKLET was to
obtain information about the ENIGMA coding
machine. One was taken from GEIER with the
associated wheels and documentation
was taken from GEIER for delivery to
Bletchley Park. For details see
ENIGMA by H Sebag-Montefiore.)
27th
- Operation
abandoned because of lack of air cover at
Kirkfjord, Lofotens. Sustained
slight damage from near miss during air
attacks
28th
- Passage to Scapa Flow with ships of
Force J.
1
9 4 2
January
4th
- Deployed
with ORP KRAKOWIAK as escort for HM LSI
PRINCESS CHARLOTTE and PRINS
ALBERT during passage from Scapa Flow to
Clyde.
5th
- Detached
on arrival with ORP KRAKOWIAK and both
ships took passage to Plymouth.
8th
- Resumed Flotilla duties at Plymouth.
February
to May
Deployed
for
Flotilla duties at Plymouth,
June
Nominated
for
loan service with Home Fleet for escort of
planned Malta Relief convoy (Operation
HARPOON).
6th
- Joined military Convoy WS19S in NW
Approaches as part of Ocean Escort for
passage to Gibraltar.
(Note: Home
Fleet ships deployed with WS19S included
HM Cruisers LIVERPOOL, KENYA, HM
Destroyers ONSLOW, ICARUS, BEDOUIN and
Polish destroyer ORP KUJAWIAK).
12th
- Joined
HM Cruiser CAIRO, HM Destroyers BEDOUIN,
MARNE, MATCHLESS, PARTRIDGE, ITHURIEL,
BLANKNEY, MIDDLETON and ORP KUJAWIAK, HM
Minesweepers HEBE, SPEEDY,
HYTHE and RYE as Force X at Gibraltar for
escort of convoy for passage to Malta
through
Sicilian Narrows.
14th
- Under
heavy and sustained air attacks during
which HMS LIVERPOOL was damaged and had
to return to Gibraltar.
15th
- Under sustained air attacks and in
action with Italian warships attempting
to
intercept and attack the convoy.
(For details
see THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D
MacIntyre, ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY and MALTA CONVOYS by R
Woodman.)
16th
- Sustained
major structural damage forward after
detonating a mine whilst entering Grand
Harbour,
Malta with the two mercantiles which
survived passage of HARPOON.
Ship
sank before successful tow could be
achieved.
S p e c
i a l N o t e
The name
OAKLEY was reintroduced when it was given to
another HUNT Class destroyer
intended to be named TICKHAM on launch in
1942.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of ORP
KUJAWIAK
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy
No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
05/10/41
|
23/10/41
|
SL
089
|
24/10/41
|
26/10/41
|
26/03/42
|
26/03/42
|
WP
132
|
28/03/42
|
28/03/42
|
26/05/42
|
26/05/42
|
PW
161
|
28/05/42
|
28/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
29/05/42
|
WP
163
|
31/05/42
|
31/05/42
|
31/05/42
|
31/05/42
|
PW
164
|
02/06/42
|
02/06/42
|
12/06/42
|
12/06/42
|
HARPOON
|
16/06/42
|
16/06/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)