ORP Kujawiak, Type II sister-ship  (Navy Photos , click to enlarge)

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Type II HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from J S White at Cowes IoW under 1939 War Programme on 20th December 1939 with sister destroyer HM SOUTHWOLD. The ship was laid down on 29th July 1940 and launched on 12th August 1941, the first RN ship to carry the name of the fox-hunt in Devonshire. Build was completed on 11th December 1941. In March 1942 after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign sea was adopted by the civil Community of Williton and Watchet in Somerset.

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

LIBYA 1942 - MEDITERRANEAN 1942 - SICILY 1943 - SALERNO 1943 - AEGEAN 1943-44 - ANZIO 1941 - ADRIATIC 1944

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field White, within an annulet murrey,

a demi unicorn erased Black.

D e t a i l s   o f   W a r   S e r v i c e

1 9 4 1

December              Contractors trials and commissioned for service

                11th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                                On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow

                16th        Deployed at Scapa Flow to work-up for operational service with ships of Home Fleet.

                23rd        Sustained damage in collision with HM Corvette HEARTSEASE and work-up suspended.

1 9 4 2

January                  Under repair in Clyde commercial shipyard

                                Transferred to Southampton to complete repair work.

February                Under repair at Southampton in commercial shipyard.

March                    Carried out post repair trials.

                9th          Passage to Scapa Flow to resume work-up.

April                       Nominated for service in Mediterranean on completion of work-up.

                                Took passage to Clyde to join military convoy WS18.

                15th        Joined Dutch destroyer VAN GALEN, HM Cruisers FROBISHER and GAMBIA in the Clyde

                                Assembly point for Ocean Escort of WS18 during passage to Freetown.
                29th        Detached from WS18 on arrival at Freetown.

May

                3rd          Rejoined WS18 on departure from Freetown with HMS GAMBIA and HM Seaplane Carrier

                                ALBATROSS as Ocean Escort to Capetown.

                15th        Detached from WS18 and took independent passage in Indian Ocean.

                                (Note: HM Depot Ship HECLA which was in WS18 was damaged by a mine off

                                Cape of Good Hops and had to be towed to Simonstown by HMS GAMBIA.

June                        Passage in Red Sea to Alexandria from Aden.

                                On arrival joined 9th Destroyer Flotilla.

                10th        Deployed for support of Tobruk garrison with sister ship HMS GROVE.

                12th        Sailed from Tobruk with HMS GROVE.

                                Rescued 79 survivors from HMS GROVE which was sunk by torpedo from U77 in Gulf of

                                Sollum.

                                See WARSHIP LOSSES IN WW2 by P Kemp.

                16th        Under heavy air attack assisting defence of ships returning to Alexandria after failure of

                                passage of Malta relief convoy (Operation VIGOROUS – See Naval Staff History for details.)

                                (Note: For details of this disastrous operation see Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THE ENEMY

                                MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett. THE BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D.

                                Macintyre and MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman.

July                         Deployed for convoy escort and patrol off Palestine and Syria during military operations

                                against Vichy French in Syria.

                                (Operation EXPORTER. See RELUCTANT ENEMIES by A Marder.)

August

                4th          Joined HM Destroyers SIKH and ZULU in anti-submarine operation SW of Haifa.

                                (Note: These ships were engaged in hunt for U372 which had been reported by

                                WELLINGTON aircraft of 231 Squadron RAF after a radar contact.)

                                Took part in depth charts attacks on submarine that was forced to surface.

                                Crew abandoned U372 which scuttled and sank in position 32.28N 34.37E.

                                (Note: Shared credit for this sinking, See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Keep.)

                                16 German Navy personnel end a Lebanese civilian were rescued.

September             Transferred to Aden with HM Destroyer HERO for convoy defence in Red Sea

October                  Resumed Flotilla duties at Alexandria for escort and patrol duties in Eastern Mediterranean.

November              Eastern Mediterranean deployment with Flotilla based at Alexandria in continuation/

                17th        Joined Convoy MW13 with HM Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, BELVOIR, CROOME,

                                EXMOOR, DULVERTON, HURSLEY, HURWORTH and Greek HUNT Class destroyer

                                PINDOS as Close Escort for passage to Malta in place of HM Destroyers JAVELIN, JERVIS,

                                KELVIN, PAKENHAM, PETARD and PALADIN which returned to Alexandria

.                               (Note: HM Cruiser EURYALUS remained with MW13 (Operation STONEAGE.

                                This was the first relief convoy from Alexandria since he disastrous VIGOROUS

                                CONVOY.)

                18th        Fleet units joined to provide Distant Cover.

                                Under air attacks of Derna during which HM Cruiser ARETHUSA was torpedoed and had to

                                return to Alexandria under tow by HMS PETARD.

                20th        Detached on arrival of MW13 in Malta.

                                Return passage to Alexandria with destroyers of Close Escort.

December

                1st           Joined HMS Destroyers ALDENHAM, BELVOIR, CROOME, EXMOOR, HURSLEY and Greek

                                PINDOS as escort for Convoy MW14 during passage to Malta.

                                (Operation PORTCULLIS/MH1.)

                2nd         HM Cruiser ORION, HM Destroyers PAKENHAM., PETARD and Greek destroyer VASILISSA

                                OLGA joined to provide additional cover.

                4th          HM Cruisers CLEOPATRA, DIDO and EURYALUS, HM Destroyers JAVELIN, JERVIS,

                                KELVIN and NUBIAN of Force K based in Malta joined MW14.

                5th          Detached with other escorts on arrival of MW14 in Malta.

                                Passage to join 22nd Destroyer Flotilla based at Algiers for convoy defence and support

                                duties in central Mediterranean.

1 9 4 3

January                  Mediterranean Flotilla deployment in continuation.

                                Escorted HM Cruiser ORION from Malta to Alexandria during cover for passage of a Malta

                                relief convoy.

February

                1st           Rescued survivors from HM Minelaying Cruiser WELSHMAN after its sinking off Sollum by
                                U617 east of Tobruk. See above references.)

March                    Deployed in eastern and central Mediterranean on patrol and escort duty.

to                            Nominated for escort duties and support of planned allied landings in Sicily.

May                        (Operation HUSKY)

June                        Transferred to Malta In continuation and prepared for HUSKY landings.

July                        Joined Support Force East for Sicily landings. See above references.

                               Deployed as part of Escort Group Q and took passage to Alexandria.

                3rd          Sailed from Alexandria as part of escort for assault Convoy MWS26.

                6th          Carried out anti-submarine operations in defence of MWS26.

                                Detached from MWS26 and took passage to Benghazi

                8th          Part of escort of ships from Benghazi during passage to join follow-up convoy MWF36

                10th        Escorted Landing Ship HMS ULSTER MONARCH to ACID beachhead.

                                Provided naval gunfire support at Augusta.

                                Deployed for patrol to intercept any attempt by enemy surface craft to interfere with landings

                                and    for AA defence.

                13th        In action with E-Boats off Sicily In defence of shipping.

August                  Supported of operations In Sicily and convoy escort in central Mediterranean.

to

September             Joined Task Force 85 (Northern Attack Force) for Salerno landings

                                (Operation AVALANCHE. For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, Naval

                                Staff History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser for information about all ships

                                involved.)

                9th          Assisted in defence of shipping off beaches and convoy escort.

October                  Transferred to Alexandria for convoy escort and support of operations in the Aegean islands

to                            after surrender of Italian Government.

November              Took part in interception of craft carrying German troops. Transferred to 22nd Destroyer

                                Flotilla based in Malta.

December              Flotilla deployment in Central Mediterranean in continuation for convoy escort and patrol.

                                Nominated for support of allied landing at Anzio.

1 9 4 4

January                  Joined Northern Attack Force (Peter) at Naples for support of planned allied landings at Anzio

                                (Operation SHINGLE)

                                Passage to Naples.

                                See above references for details

                21st         Deployed under overall US Navy command and sailed from Naples as part of Force X

                22nd       Provided naval gunfire support during initial assault landings.

February                Transferred to Adriatic for convoy escort and support of military operations.

to                            Bombarded Milos with HM Cruiser AURORA and HM Destroyer TYRIAN.

August

September             Provided naval gunfire support and convoy escort during re-occupation of Aegean islands.

                                Deployed to intercept craft evacuating personnel and stores.

October                  Deployed in Adriatic and off coast of Greece during allied re-occupation.

to                            Provided naval support to military operations (Operation MANNA).)

December              (Note: See Military Staff History for Mediterranean Area.)

1 9 4 5

January                  Deployment for support of military operations in Greece and Albania continued.

to

March

April                       Deployed off Italian coast to assist military operations.

                                Slightly damaged during bombardment of Genoa with HM Destroyer MARNE.

                                Nominated for return to UK for refit.

May                        Passage to UK.

                                Nominated for service In Indian Ocean after refit at Gibraltar.

June                        Passage to Gibraltar.

                5th          Taken In for refit by HM Dockyard.

July                         Under refit.

P o s t   W a r    N o t e s

Planned deployment was cancelled after VJ Day and on end of refit ship returned to UK to be Paid-off. Reduced to Reserve status at Portsmouth in January 1946 the upper deck equipment was preserved in 1953. Transferred to lay-up at Penarth in 1953 she was later towed to Gibraltar. The ship was put on the Disposal List in 1955 and taken to Barrow-in Furness under tow for de-equipping. She was sold to BISCO for demolition by T W Ward in August and arrived at the breaker’s yard in Milford Haven on 24th September that year .

Addendum

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS TETCOTT

by Don Kindell

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

(Note on Convoys)