Ex USS CONNER (Type D - LEEDS-Class) built by Cramp and launched on 21st August 1917. Build completion date was 12th January 1918 and in 1939 the ship was held in Reserve. Transferred under Lease Lend Agreement in 1940 and commissioned at Halifax into the RN on 23rd October that year.  Ships of this Class differed from the other TOWNS in respect of hull design, machinery configuration using 3 shafts, only three funnels and armament. She was the 1st RN warship to carry this name and was adopted by the civil community of Wisbech, Cambridgeshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942. In common with other TOWN Class ships the name was shared by a city in Yorkshire and also a town in Maine, USA.

 

B a t t l e  H o n o u r

 

NORTH SEA   1941-45

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue,  a fleece Gold with blue band thereon a mullet 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                 Prepared for transfer to RN.

                23rd        Commissioned into RN service as HMS LEEDS.

 

November              Passage to UK with call at St Johns.

                                Arrive din Plymouth.

                17th        Taken in hand for refit and modifications to suit RN use for convoy escort.

                                (Note: In this case the most unusual arrangement, especially relating to propulsion machinery

                                considered out date when ship was built, made refit very necessary. This situation also

                                applied to HMS LUDLOW.)

 

December              Under refit

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Under refit

to                            (Note: Modified RAF Radar (Naval Type 286M) was fitted.

February                For details of development and use of radar by RN see RADAR AT SEA by D Howse)

                                Nominated for convoy escort in North Sea.

 

March

                2nd         Carried out post refit harbour and sea trials.

                                On completion prepared for operational service and took passage to North Sea.

                                (Note: Work-up for operational service to be confirmed.)

 

April                       Deployed on East Coast convoy escort

to

December

 

1 9 4 2    t o    1 9 4 4

 

                                East Coast convoy escort in continuation when serviceable.

                                (Notes: This ship had an abysmal record for unreliability.

                                Contemporary records show she was rarely operational for more than four consecutive

                                weeks at a time.

                                Bridge structure was modified and Radar Type 271 was fitted whilst under repair

.                               Some sources indicate deployment on escort for convoys to Normandy during allied

                                landings (Operation NEPTUNE). This is not supported by the Naval Staff History

                                LANDINGS IN NORMANDY June 1944 and no Battle Honour was awarded).

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  East Coast convoy escort in continuation.

to

February

 

March                    Increasing defect load made deployment questionable.

 

April                       Withdrawn from service.

                10th        Paid off at Grangemouth and de-stored

                                Placed on Disposal List. 

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS LEEDS was sold to BISCO on 4th March 1947 for demolition by T W Ward at Grays, Essex.  She arrived  in tow at the breaker’s yard  on 19th January 1949.

 

---

 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of  HMS LEEDS

by Don Kindell

 

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

(Note on Convoys)