Ex
USS SHUBRICK (Type A -
BELMONT-Class) built by Bethlehem Steel, Squantun.
The ship was laid down on 3rd June 1918 and
launched on 31st December
19l8. Commissioned on 3rd July 1919 for US
Navy she was held in
Reserve in 1939. The ship was transferred to
the RN under UK/US Land Lease
Agreement signed on 3rd September and
commissioned at Halifax on 26th November
that year for
RN service. Like others of this Class she
was given a name common to three
towns in UK and six in the USA. It had
not been previously used for an RN
ship. After a WARSHIP WEEK National Seville
campaign February 1942 this
destroyer was adopted by the civil community
of Repton,
in Derbyshire.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r
ATLANTIC
1941-42
H e r a
l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field barry
wavy of six White and Blue in front of a
trident erect
Red entwined by a serpent nosed
proper, a hurt
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
November
Prepared for transfer and passage to Halifax.
26th
Transferred to Royal Navy and commissioned as
HMS RIPLEY
December
Passage to Plymouth with call at St Johns,
Newfoundland.
27th
Arrived at Plymouth and taken in hand for
refit by HM Dockyard Devonport.
1 9 4 1
January
Under refit and modification to suit RN
deployment as a convoy escort.
(Note: Work included:
Removal of mainmast and shortening of
foremast.
Reducing size of after three funnels.
Removal of after 3in and 4in guns mountings
and fit of British 12pdr HA gun
in X-position.
Removal of after set of torpedo tubes.
Fitting of British type Depth Charge Throwers.
Installation of some RN design ASDIC
equipment.
February
Allocated for service with 5th Escort Group.
13th
During post refit trials involved in collision
with sister destroyer HMS BURWELL and
trawler NOIRE DAME DE FRANCE. Taken in hand
for repair.
March
3rd
On completion of repair deployed in search for
a blockade runner in SW approaches.
When detached took passage to join Group for
Atlantic convoy escort.
April
Deployed as part of escort for Convoy OB308
during passage in NW Approaches.
(Note: OB series of convoys was renamed ON
series later in 1941.)
May
Deployment for Atlantic convey defence in
continuation.
25th
Detached to join Home Fleet ships in search
for German battleship BISMARCK.
On release resumed convoy defence duties with
Group.
June
Atlantic convoy escort in NW Approaches
continued.
to
July
August
Passage to Canada,
14th
Deployed at Argentia Bay, Newfoundland for
guardship duties with RN and US Navy warships
during Atlantic Charter Meeting by Prime
Minister Winston Churchill and US President
Franklin
D Roosevelt on HM Battleship PRINCE OF WALES
On release deployed as part of escort for
military convoy TC12B during passage to
Clyde..
September
Nominated for refit.
4th
During passage in North Sea to Middlesbrough
ran aground at Flamborough Head..
Sustained structural damage and towed to
Grimsby for temporary repair.
8th
Under repair in commercial shipyard.
15th
Took passage from Grimsby to Middlesbrough.
October
Under refit.
to
(Note: Work carried out probably included
installation of Naval Radar Type 286M, an Ex
RAF
December
Air-Surface Vessel radar modified to suit RN
use with fixed aerial.
See RADAR AT SEA by D Hawse for details of
development and use of radar in RN.)
1 9 4 2
January
Under refit.
to
February
March
Carried out post-refit trials.
15th
On completion took passage from Middlesbrough
to Tobermory for work-up.
23rd
Resumed Atlantic convoy escort in NW
Approaches after shortened work-up.
April
Atlantic convoy escort in continuation.
to
(Note: Convoys escorted by Group included SC86
and ON107.)
May
For details of dates of convoys see ALLIED
CONVOY SYSTEM IN WW2 by A Hague.)
June
21st
Part of Local Escort for military convoy WS20
from Clyde in NW Approaches.
(Note: Other ships in Local Escort ware HM
Destroyers GEORGETOWN, SALISBURY,
BEAGLE, ST ALBANS, VIDETTE, WOLVERINE and
VANSITTART.)
25th
Detached from WS20 with HMS BOADICEA and
returned to Clyde.
July
Atlantic convoy escort with Group in
continuation.
August
Transferred to British 7th Escort Group
(Note: Other ships in Group were HM Destroyer
FIREDRAKE, HM Corvettes SUNFLOWER,
LOOSESTRIFE and PINK
.
Deployed as part of escort of Convoy ONS117 to
Canada with Group.
September
Deployed for convoy defence In Caribbean.
(Note: RN warships were deployed to support US
Navy anti-submarine operations against
German submarines concentrating attacks in
this area. See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR
by C Blair and U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO).
On release from service in Caribbean
deployment took passage to Halifax.
(Note: Service in Caribbean had proved
unsatisfactory due to poor operational
availability.
This was common to many TOWN Class
destroyers.)
October
After arrival in Newfoundland deployed with
escort for Convoy SC103 during passage to
Liverpool.
14th
On arrival taken in hand in Holyhead for
temporary repair of defects.
November
Under permanent repair and refit at Liverpool.
in commercial shipyard.
(Note: The work included:
Stage 2 of modifications to suit RN deployment
for convoy defence
Fit of surface warning radar Type 271.
Replacement of Type 286M by improved variant
type 266P.
Replacement of forward beam torpedo tube
Buntings by Triple RN mounting.
Fit of Oerlikon 20mm AA guns in place of 4in
beam mountings.
Installation of HF Direction Finding Outfit
using mainmast for aerial
December
Under refit.
1 9 4 3
January
Under refit
to
April
May
Allocated to Orkney and Shetland Command on
completion of refit.
Carried out post-refit trials and took passage
to Tobermory for work-up.
June
Worked-up for operational service.
Deployed for Local Escort in NW Approaches and
North Sea.
July
25th
Detached for service with Home Fleet.
26th
Deployed with Home Fleet units during
offensive sweep of coast of Norway.
(Operation GOVERNOR. This was a diversionary
operation during allied landings
in Sicily (Operation HUSKY - See ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
C Barnett and Naval Staff History
August
Resumed coastal convoy escort including troop
convoy to Faeroes.
September
Deployed for coastal convoy defence in NW
Approaches.
to
November
December
Nominated for reduction to Reserve status and
withdrawn from operational service.
1 9 4 4
January
Passage to Tyne.
4th
Arrived in Tyne and Paid-off.
De-stored and commenced reduction to Reserve.
February
Accepted into Reserve.
March
Laid-up in Tyne.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January
Placed on Disposal List
to
February
March
20th
Sold to T W Young for demolition at
Sunderland.
April
14th
Arrived in tow at breaker’s yard.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS RIPLEY
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
06/04/41
|
06/04/41
|
OB
308
|
11/04/41
|
13/04/41
|
31/03/41
|
13/04/41
|
HX
118
|
18/04/41
|
18/04/41
|
09/05/41
|
10/05/41
|
HP
|
12/05/41
|
24/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
18/05/41
|
HX
125A
|
unknown
|
22/05/41
|
28/05/41
|
28/05/41
|
OB
327
|
29/05/41
|
01/06/41
|
20/05/41
|
03/06/41
|
HX
128
|
06/06/41
|
06/06/41
|
16/06/41
|
16/06/41
|
OB
335
|
24/06/41
|
02/07/41
|
16/06/41
|
27/06/41
|
HX
133
|
29/06/41
|
03/07/41
|
02/07/41
|
08/07/41
|
OB
341A
|
15/07/41
|
18/07/41
|
21/07/41
|
23/07/41
|
TC
012
|
26/07/41
|
29/07/41
|
11/08/41
|
unknown
|
ON
006
|
24/08/41
|
24/08/41
|
26/08/41
|
27/08/41
|
TC
012B
|
01/09/41
|
01/09/41
|
23/06/42
|
24/06/42
|
ON
106
|
03/07/42
|
08/07/42
|
12/07/42
|
18/07/42
|
HX
198
|
22/07/42
|
23/07/42
|
31/07/42
|
02/08/42
|
ON
117
|
10/08/42
|
15/08/42
|
19/08/42
|
19/08/42
|
HA
004
|
28/08/42
|
28/08/42
|
02/09/42
|
02/09/42
|
AH
003
|
10/09/42
|
10/09/42
|
17/09/42
|
20/09/42
|
HX
208
|
23/09/42
|
02/10/42
|
18/09/42
|
27/09/42
|
ON
131
|
02/10/42
|
04/10/42
|
26/09/42
|
03/10/42
|
SC
103
|
13/10/42
|
14/10/42
|
31/10/42
|
02/11/42
|
ON
142
|
02/11/42
|
21/11/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|