Ex USS SATTERLEE (Type A - BELMONT Class) built by Newport
News Shipbuilding. This ship was laid down on 10th July 1918 and launched on 21st December 1918. Commissioned on 22nd December 1919 for service in
the US Navy she was held in Reserve in 1939. The ship transferred to the RN
under the Lend Lease Agreement on 8th
October 1940 and commissioned at Halifax,
NS Canada.
Like other Ex US Navy destroyers that were transferred in 1940, her name was
common to two towns in the USA
and to one in County Durham.
It had previously been used for a Trawler hired during WW1.
B a t t l e H o n o u r
ATLANTIC 1941
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a bell
White charged with a hurt,
thereon a
mullet also White.
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 0
October
8th Commissioned as HMS
BELMONT at Halifax.
Prepared for
Atlantic passage.
15th Took passage for
Devonport with call at St Johns,
Newfoundland.
28th Taken in hand for
Stage 1 modifications to suit RN deployment.
(Note: These
included removal of mainmast and shortening of foremast.
The three after
funnels were also shortened and the after 3in and 4in guns were replaced
by a 12pdr
British HA gun in X position.
Two of the
torpedo tube mountings aft were also removed and British type Depth
Charge Throwers
were installed.
November Nominated for Atlantic
convoy defence after work-up.
25th During post refit
trials further defects delayed planned start of work-up.
December Repair work in
continuation.
1 9 4 1
January Post repair sea trials
and prepared for work-up.
During passage to
Scapa Flow defects were repaired at Milford Haven.
5th Arrived at Scapa
Flow for work-up with Home Fleet.
February Completion of Work-up
delayed by defects
March Joined Western
Approaches for service
22nd Damaged in collision
in Irish Sea.
Taken in hand for
repair in Liverpool shipyard.
April Under repair.
to (Note: Radar Type
286M with fixed aerial was fitted during this period.
July This was an RAF
equipment modified for naval use and this Type was first to be fitted
in small
warships.
For details of
its use and limitations see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse which details
development and
use of radar by the Royal Navy.)
August On completion of repair
carried out post repair trials.
20th Joined 3rd Escort
Group based in Liverpool for Atlantic convoy defence.
September Deployed for Atlantic
convoy defence with Group.
(Note: For
details of the deployment of U- Boats see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO) and
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blaire.
For details of
weapons and tactics see SEEK AND STRIKE by W. Hackmann and
THE BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by D Macintyre.)
October Part of escort for
Convoy ON24 with ships of Group.
November Nominated for transfer to St. Johns for Local Escort duty.
30th Took passage to join Newfoundland Escort Force.
December Deployed at St Johns and escorted Halifax -UK convoy with
Polish destroyer ORP GARLAND
in western Atlantic.
1 9 4 2
January Newfoundland Escort Force service in continuation.
31st During escort of
return troop convoy NA2 hit by torpedo from U82 off Halifax.
Sank with the
loss of entire ship's company in position 42.02N 57-18W.
See HITLER'S
U-BOAT WAR.
(Note: The
Casualty List was published on 1st August 1942.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
BELMONT
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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05/02/41
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05/02/41
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OG 052
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09/02/41
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21/02/41
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10/08/41
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22/08/41
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HX 144
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27/08/41
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30/08/41
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01/09/41
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04/09/41
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ON 012
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07/09/41
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14/09/41
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29/08/41
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08/09/41
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HX 147
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11/09/41
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12/09/41
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30/08/41
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12/09/41
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SC 042
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unknown
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20/09/41
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17/09/41
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18/09/41
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ON 017
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21/09/41
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29/09/41
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11/09/41
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22/09/41
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SC 044
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28/09/41
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30/09/41
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09/10/41
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15/10/41
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TC 014
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17/10/41
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17/10/41
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28/10/41
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08/11/41
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HX 157
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11/11/41
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13/11/41
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21/12/41
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02/01/42
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HX 166
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03/01/42
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05/01/42
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08/01/42
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08/01/42
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CT 009
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09/01/42
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15/01/42
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30/01/42
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30/01/42
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NA 002
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31/01/42
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08/02/42
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(Note on Convoys)
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