Type I HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer ordered on
11th
April 1939
from Alexander Stephen at Govan,
Glasgow
as part of the 1939 Programme with 9
other Type I. She was laid down as Admiralty
Job No.1472 on
27th
July
1939,
the
same day as sister ship HMS TYNEDALE in this
shipyard. She was
launched
on 16th
July 1940
as the first RN ship to bear the name of
the Buckinghamshire fox-hunt. Build
was completed on 28th
February 1941.
Following
a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign
in February 1942 the ship was adopted
by the civil community
of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire.
B
a t t l e H o n o u r s
NORTH
SEA 1941-43 -
SICILY
1943 -
SALERNO
1943
- MEDITERRANEAN
1943 -
SOUTH
FRANCE
1944 - AEGEAN 1944 - ADRIATIC 1944
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
On
a Field, Red within a stirrup a
primrose Gold.
D
e t a i l
s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
(for more
ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search)
1 9 4 1
February
Contractors trials and commissioning.
28th
Build completion and Acceptance Trials.
March
Prepared for passage for working-up.
Worked-up for operational service.
April
Joined Rosyth Local Escort for North Sea
convoy defence and patrol duties.
May
North Sea convoy defence in continuation.
5th
Whilst at Hull during air raid sustained
slight splinter damage.
(Note: This superficial damage was the only
sustained during war service.)
June
North Sea convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 2
Rosyth Escort force deployment in North Sea
for convoy escort and patrol.
Nominated for foreign service in
Mediterranean.
1 9 4 3
January
Deployed in North Sea.
February
Withdrawn from Rosyth Command and prepared
for foreign Service.
March
16th
Joined joint military convoy WS28 to Middle
East and MCF28 to North Africa in
Clyde with HM Destroyers BADSWORTH, DOUGLAS,
EGGESFORD and
GOATHLAND, Polish ORP KRAKOWIAK, HM Sloops
WOODPECKER and
WREN for escort during Atlantic passage.
21st
Detached with KMF28 Section and took passage
to Gibraltar as escort.
24th
Deployed with 60th Destroyer Division based
at Gibraltar for convoy defence in
western Mediterranean.
April
Mediterranean convoy defence in
continuation.
to
(Note: During May destroyers in
Mediterranean were also deployed to
establish
May
blockade of Cape Bon area to intercept craft evacuating enemy personnel.
from North Africa (Operation RETRIBUTION).
June
Deployed with HM Destroyers LAFOREY,
LOOKOUT, LOYAL, JERVIS, TARTAR
and NUBIAN as screen for HM Cruisers AURORA,
PENELOPE, ORION,
NEWFOUNDLAND and EURYALUS which provided
cover for British landings on
Pantellaria (Operation CORKSCREW).
July
Nominated for convoy escort and support
during allied landings in Sicily and joined
Support Force East with ships of Division.
7th
Deployed with Escort Group W as escort for
Convoy SB5 from Sfax.
10th
Arrived at BARK WEST beachhead with SB5 and
deployed for naval gunfire support
and patrol during landings by XXX Corps SW
of Syracuse.
(For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett and
Naval Staff History
Deployed for convoy defence, patrol and
support during build-up.
August
Based in Malta and nominated for escort and
support of planned Allied landings
at Salerno
September
8th
Escorted convoy to assault area (Operation
AVALANCHE. See above references).
9th
Deployed for escort duties in support of
allied landings.
Later released from AVALANCHE
for convoy escort in central Mediterranean
with ships
of Division.
October
Convoy escort in central Mediterranean
with ships of Division in continuation.
to
Supported shore operations in Adriatic.
December
1 9 4 4
January
Adriatic and central Mediterranean deployment in continuation.
to
Nominated for support of planned landings in
South Frame, under US command.
June
July
Prepared for planned operation.
August
Took passage to Naples to join US warships
for convoy escort.
13th
Sailed from Naples as escort for SM2 Convoy
during passage to the Assembly Area
with HM Destroyers ALDENHAM, BLACKMORE,
BEAUFORT, BELVOIR,
EGGESFORD, LAUDERDALE and Greek destroyer
PINDOS.
(Operation DRAGOON. See INVASION OF THE
SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO)
and the above references.)
15th
Arrived at Assembly Area.
Passage to Assault Area.
22nd
Released from DRAGOON and reverted to RN
control.
Took passage to Malta to resume duties with
Division.
September
Deployed in Aegean in support of
reoccupation of islands.
Carried out patrols to intercept evacuation
craft and any Italian warships.
24th
Engaged ex-Italian torpedo boats TA37, TA38
and TA39 in Straits of Otranto.
(Note: This was an inconclusive encounter.)
October
Support of shore operations in Greece and
Adriatic in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January
Under refit at Alexandria.
February
Took passage to Malta to resume duties on
completion of post refit trials.
to
Resumed Support and convoy escort duties
with Division in Adriatic.
May
June
Passage to Gibraltar for refit.
5th
Taken in hand for refit.
17th
On completion carried out post refit trials.
Retained at Gibraltar.
August
Deployed at Gibraltar on VJ Day.
P o s t W a
r
N o t e s
HMS WHADDON took
passage to UK from Gibraltar on 29th
September 1945. The ship was Paid-Off at
Devonport and
destored. After being reduced to Reserve
status this destroyer was laid up in
the Reserve Fleet at
Plymouth. She remained there until 1954 when
transferred to Cardiff in tow and placed on
the
Disposal List in 1958. During the
following year she was sold to BISCO for
demolition by Shipbreaking Industries
and arrived at the Breakers yard in Faslane
during April 1959.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS WHADDON
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
15/03/43
|
15/03/43
|
KMF
011
|
23/03/43
|
23/03/43
|
05/04/43
|
05/04/43
|
TE
020A
|
unknown
|
08/04/43
|
07/04/43
|
07/04/43
|
TE
020B
|
08/04/43
|
08/04/43
|
10/04/43
|
10/04/43
|
MKS
011
|
14/04/43
|
16/04/43
|
09/05/43
|
09/05/43
|
ET 020
|
10/05/43
|
14/05/43
|
28/07/43
|
05/08/43
|
GUS
011
|
06/08/43
|
26/08/43
|
14/12/43
|
14/12/43
|
NV
011A
|
15/12/43
|
15/12/43
|
04/03/44
|
04/03/44
|
VN 025
|
05/03/44
|
05/03/44
|
24/03/44
|
24/03/44
|
VN 029
|
25/03/44
|
25/03/44
|
03/04/44
|
03/04/44
|
VN 031
|
04/04/44
|
04/04/44
|
13/04/44
|
13/04/44
|
VN 033
|
14/04/44
|
14/04/44
|
14/04/44
|
14/04/44
|
VN 027
|
15/04/44
|
15/03/44
|
12/05/44
|
12/05/44
|
VN 039
|
12/05/44
|
13/05/44
|
22/05/44
|
22/05/44
|
VN 041
|
23/05/44
|
23/05/44
|
13/08/44
|
13/08/44
|
SM
002A
|
15/08/44
|
15/08/44
|
19/08/44
|
19/08/44
|
SRM
003
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)