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Ex USS
RINGOLD (Type C -
ANNAPOLIS Class) built by Union Iron Works
at San Francisco and laid down on
20th October 1917. She was launched on 14th
April 1918 and commissioned for
service in the USN on 14th November that
year. The ship was transferred to the
Royal Navy under the US/UK Lend/Lease
Agreement of 3rd September 1940 and
handed over at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 26th
November 1940. Her name, which is
common to two towns in USA and one in
Nottinghamshire had twice been used for
an RN ship having been introduced in 1695
for a 3rd Rate. It was last used by a
HUNT-Class minesweeper built in 1918 and
sold in 1928. This
destroyer was appropriately adopted by the
civil community of Newark after a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in March 1942,.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
VELEZ
MALAGA 1704 - LAGOS 1759 - ATLANTIC
1941-42 - NORTH SEA 1943-44
H e r a
l d i
c D a ta
Badge:
On a Field Blue, a Cormorant Gold, in his
beak an eel Silver.
M o t t
o
Deo
Fretus Erumpe:
'Trust in
God and sally forth'
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
November
Pre-acceptance trials and passage to Halifax
26th
Formally transferred to RN.
Renamed HMS NEWARK when commissioned for
service.
December
Took passage to St Johns Newfoundland with
sister destroyer HMS NEWMARKET
Sustained damage in collision with HMS
NEWMARKET during transit.
(Note: Both ships required repair before
making Atlantic passage.)
5th
Taken in hand for repair at St Johns.
1 9 4 1
January
29th
On completion of repair sailed from St Johns
for UK.
February
Disabled in heavy weather had to be towed
back to St Johns.
On completion of repair work took passage to
Devonport.
March
9th
Taken in hand for refit and modification to
suit RN deployment by HM Dockyard Devonport.
(Note: Changes made included removal of
mainmast and shortening of foremast, the
removal of after 3in and 4in guns and
replacement by 12pdr RN HA gun.
After torpedo tubes were removed and British
Depth Charge Throwers were
fitted.
RN ASDIC equipment was also fitted.)
April
10th
Damaged in collision with HM Destroyer
VOLUNTEER at Devonport before completion of
dockyard work.
Repair arranged at Belfast and took passage.
18th
Arrived at Belfast for hull structure
repair.
May
5th
Sustained damage during air raid at Belfast.
June
Completion of repair delayed by disruption
of work in shipyard caused by air raid
damage.
July
Under repair.
Nominated for service with 1st Minelaying
Squadron at Kyle of Lochalsh.
August
Carried out post repair trials on completion
of shipyard work..
15th
Commenced operational service with 17th
Destroyer Division at Kyle of Lochalsh.
22nd
Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayer AGAMEMNON
during minelay in Northern Barrage.
(Operation SN22B).
25th
Escorted HM Minelayer ADVENTURE, HM
Auxiliary Minelayers PORT QUEBEC,
MENESTHEUS and SOUTHERN PRINCE with HM
Destroyers CHARLESTOWN and
CASTLETON for minelay in Northern Barrage
between the Faroes and Iceland.
(Operation SN70A)
September
4th
Escort HM Auxiliary Minelayer PORT QUEBEC
during minelay in Northern Barrage.
(Operation SN23A.)
16th
Escorted HM PORT QUEBEC for further minelay in Northern Barrage.
(Operation SN23B).
Detached for escort of military convoy and
took passage to Clyde.
October
1st
Joined military convoy WS12 in Clyde with HM
Destroyers BADSWORTH, LANCASTER,
BRADFORD and BRIGHTON as Local Escort
during passage in NW Approaches.
3rd
Detached with same destroyers and took
passage to Clyde.
Resumed duties with Squadron.
22nd
Escorted HMS PORT QUEBEC for further minelay in Northern Barrage. (Operation SN24C).
November
9th
Escorted HIS PORT QUEBEC and HMS MENESTHEUS with
HMS CHARLESTOWN and
HMS BRIGHTON during minelay in Northern
Barrage between Faroes and Iceland.
(Operation SN83B).
19th
Escorted HMS MENESTHEUS during minelay in
Northern Barrage (Operation SN25A).
Nominated for detached service for escort of
military convoy.
December
9th
Joined military Convoy WS14 in Clyde for
Local Escort in the NW Approaches with HM
Destroyers BEVERLEY, CROOME, LANCASTER,
SHERWOOD, WESTCOTT,
WITHERINGTON and HM AA Ship ULSTER QUEEN.
12th
Detached with Local Escort and resumed
Squadron duties.
1 9 4 2
January
3rd
Escorted HMS AGAMEMNON during Northern
Barrage minelay in Butt of Lewis.
(Operation SN26A).
February
2nd
Escorted HM Minelayer ADVENTURE, HM
Auxiliary Minelayers PORT QUEBEC,
MENESTHEUS, SOUTHERN PRINCE and AGAMEMNON
with HM Destroyers
LANCASTER and WELLS for minelay to extend
and reinforce section of East Coast Barrier
north of Aberdeen. (Operation SN17) .
(Note: Destroyers forced to return to
harbour due to weather conditions.)
9th
Escorted HMS AGAMEMNON and HMS MENESTHEUS
with sister TOWN-Class
destroyers HMS LANCASTER and HMS ST MARY'S
during minelay in Denmark Strait
(Operation SN5B) .
15th
Under refit.
March
Under refit.
to
April
May
Carried out post refit trials and prepared
for work-up at Tobermory.
Resumed Squadron duties at Kyle of Lochalsh
on completion.
June
1st
Escorted HM Minelaying Cruiser ADVENTURE, HM
Auxiliary Minelayers AGAMEMNON
and MENESTHEUS with HM Destroyer ST MARY'S
during minelay in Denmark Strait
(Operation SN72).
11th
Escorted HMS ADVENTURE, HMS MENESTHEUS, HMS
AGAMEMNON, HMS
SOUTHERN PRINCE with HM Destroyers BRIGHTON,
CASTLETON, WEL1S and HM
Minesweeper SCOTT for lay of a deep
anti-submarine minefield in Faroes Bank area
(Operation SN3B).
(Note: HMS SCOTT was deployed as a
specialist Survey Ship to ensure the precise
location
of this field to deny use of area by U-Boats
entering Atlantic.
July
31st
Escorted HMS ADVENTURE, HMS AGAMEMNON, HMS
MENESTHEUS. HMS
SOUTHERN PRINCE and HMS PORT QUEBEC for
minelay in Northern Barrage between
Faroes and Iceland with HMS BRIGHTON, HMS
CASTLETON, HMS LANCASTER and
HMS SCOTT (Operation SN82).
(Note: See above for use of HMS SCOTT.)
August
19th
Escorted same ships as for SN82 for minelay
in Denmark Strait with H M Destroyers
BRIGHTON, CASTLETON and CHARLESTOWN (Operation SN73).
20th
During escort for minelay rescued 52
survivors from U464 which had been scuttled
by crew
after damage by air attack. See U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp.
(Note: U464 was one of a series of ten Type
XIV U-Boat Tankers.)
September
2nd
Escorted same ships as for SN73 for minelay
in Denmark Strait with HM Destroyers
BRIGHTON, CHARLESTOWN,
LANCASTER and HM Minesweeper
SCOTT
(Operation SN89 - See above Note re HMS
SCOTT).
16th
Escorted HMS ADVENTURE, HMS AGAMEMNON and
HMS MENESTHEUS with HMS
CHARLESTOWN for minelay in Faroes area of
Northern Barrage
(Operation SN65A).
On completion took passage to Tyne for refit
and further modifications to suit RN service
as
convoy escort.
October
Under refit
to
(Note: This was Stage 2 of conversion
included:
December
Replacement of Bridge structure by improved
design.
Installation of surface warning Radar Type
271 and combined warning radar Type
291 (See RADAR AT SEA by D House.)
Removal of forward torpedo tubes and
replacement by RN triple mounting.
Replacement of beam gun mountings by 20mm
Oerlikon guns.
1 9 4 3
January
Post refit trials.
On completion of work-up detached for escort
of Gibraltar route convoys.
February
Atlantic convoy defence on UK-Gibraltar
route in continuation.
March
Resumed Squadron duties at Kyle of Lochalsh.
21st
Escorted HMS AGAMEMNON, HMS MENESTHEUS and
HMS PORT
QUEBEC
during lay of a Deep minefield in Northern
Barrage off Iceland with HMS CHARLESTOWN
(Operation SN90A)
April
Deployed at Kyle of Lochalsh.
May
5th
Escorted HMS AGAMEMNON and HMS PORT QUEBEC during lay of minefield to the east
of Iceland in Northern Barrage with HMS
CASTLETON, HMS ST MARY'S and HMS SCOTT.
Encountered exceptional weather conditions.
(Operations SN111A - See above Note re HMS
SCOTT.)
26th
Escorted HMS AGAMEMNON, HMS MENESTHEUS and
HMS PORT QUEBEC during lay
of modified Mk1 Mines in an experimental
field off Isle of Lewis with HMS CASTLETON
and
HMS SCOTT for navigational accuracy
(Operation SN123B).
June
11th
Escorted same ships as SN123B in further lay
of modified mines off Lewis.
(Operation SN123C).
July
Under refit at Cardiff
to
August
September
On completion of post refit trials resumed
Squadron duties at Kyle of Lochalsh.
4th
Escorted HMS AGAMEMNON, HMS MENESTHEUS and
HMS PORT
QUEBEC during
minelay SE of Iceland in position west of
Northern Barrage with HMS SCOTT for
navigational
purposes. (Operation SN222B).
October
On disbandment of 1st Minelaying Squadron
transferred to Rosyth Escort Force.
(Note: For full details of all minelaying
operations see The Naval Staff History
(Mining) which
also gives details of materiel used.)
November
Deployed for convoy escort of East Coast
convoys. Based at Rosyth.
to
December
1 9 4 4
East Coast convoy defence in continuation.
(Note: Not deployed for escort or support of
allied landings in Normandy.
(Operation NEPTUNE. - See LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO).)
1 9 4 5
January
Withdrawn from operational service for use
as an Air Target Ship.
to
(Note: Conversion included removal of
armament and ship was used for training of
aircrew
June
in attacks on shipping.)
Deployed for service as an Air Target Ship.
July
Withdrawn from training use and Paid-off.
De-stored and reduced to Reserve status.
P o s
t W a r
N o t e s
HMS NEWARK was placed on the Disposal List after VJ Day
and sold to P & W MacLellan
Ltd on 18th July
1947. She was towed to the breakers yard at
Bo'ness
near Edinburgh later that year for
demolition.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS NEWARK
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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06/09/41
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06/09/41
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DS
011
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09/09/41
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09/09/41
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09/09/41
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09/09/41
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SD
011
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13/09/41
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13/09/41
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30/10/41
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30/10/41
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CT
005
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02/11/41
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08/11/41
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25/10/41
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02/11/41
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CARGO
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04/11/41
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04/11/41
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27/11/41
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27/11/41
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DS
017
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30/11/41
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29/11/41
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04/12/41
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04/12/41
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SD
017
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07/12/41
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06/12/41
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17/01/42
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17/01/42
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DS
020
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20/01/42
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20/01/42
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21/01/42
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21/01/42
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SD
020
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23/01/42
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23/01/42
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12/06/42
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12/06/42
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DS
028
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14/06/42
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14/06/42
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15/06/42
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15/06/42
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SD
028
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17/06/42
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17/06/42
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02/08/42
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06/08/42
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AT
019
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07/08/42
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07/08/42
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10/08/42
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10/08/42
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TA
019
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11/08/42
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16/08/42
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19/10/42
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03/01/43
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KX
003
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11/01/43
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25/10/42
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03/01/43
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03/01/43
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KX
008
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13/01/43
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21/01/43
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14/01/43
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15/01/43
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MKS
005X
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17/01/43
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25/01/43
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(Note
on Convoys)
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