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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2005

HMS TAY (K 232) - River-class Frigate
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Tavy, sister-ship (Navy Photos/Bob Hanley, click to enlarge) return to Contents List   
 

RIVER-class Frigate ordered in the 1940 War Programme on 11th February 1941 from Fairfield SB off Govan. The ship was laid down on 10th September 1941 and was launched on 18th March 1942 as the  3rd RN ship to carry the name, introduced in 1813 far a Sloop built at Butlers Hard and last used in 1876 for for a Gunboat sold in 1920. The ship was completed on 5th August 1942 and was fitted with reciprocating propulsion machinery. She had been adopted by the civil community of Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in May 1942.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC 1942-43

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

No details are given in the official Record of Heraldic Crests,

but as this name had been used previously this may have been

an oversight.

 

 

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 2

 

July                         Contractors trials.

 

August                  Commissioned for service in Western Approaches Command.

                5th          Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials

                                On completion of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory.

 

September             Joined 7th Group on completion of work-up for operational service.

                                (Note: Group comprised  M Destroyers CHESTERFIELD, RIPLEY, HM Frigate SWALE

                                and five FLOWER Class Corvettes.

 

October                  Deployed with Group in NW Approaches for convoy defence.

                                (Note: During this period Group escorted Convoy SC103 with no loss of any ship.)

 

November              Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation.

                                (Note: During this period Group escorted Convoy HX216 with no lose of any ship.)

 

December              Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation.

                                (Note: During this period Group escorted Convoy ON153 with loss of four ships.)

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation.

                                (Note: During this period Group escorted Convoy SC117 with no lose of any ship.)

                                For details of Atlantic convoy defence and U-Boat deployments see U-BOAT IN THE

                                ATLANTIC (HMSO), THE BATTLE GP THE ATLANTIC by D McIntyre , SEEK

                                AND STRIKE by W Hackmann and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)

 

February                Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation.

                                (Note: During this period Group escorted Convoy SC120 and Convoy ON164 both of

                                which arrived without loss of any mercantile.)

 

March                    Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation.

                                (Note: During this period Group escorted Convoy ON173 with no loss of any ship.)

 

April                       Deployed with HM Destroyer VIDETTE, HM Corvettes SUNFLOWER, SNOWFLAKE,

                                LOOSESTRIFE and PINK as escort for Convoy HX231 of sixty one ships.

                4th          Convoy sighted by U530 which reported details of number of ships end course.

                5th          Under attacks by reinforced LOHENHERTZ Group of U-Boats.

                6th          Carried out depth charges attack on U306 which was unsuccessful.

                                (Note: Ship was wrongly credited with sinking of U635 actually destroyed by an RAF

                                LIBERATOR aircraft on 5th.

                                Aircraft also sank U632

                                See U-B0ATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)

                7th          Escort supplemented by ships of 4th Support Group and U-Boats withdrew.

                                (Note: Support Group comprising HM Destroyers ICARUS, INGLEFIELD, ECLIPSE,

                                and FURY had sailed from Iceland. See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair)

                                Joined Convoy ONS5 with HM Destroyers DUNCAN, VIDETTE and Corvettes,.

                28th        Convoy comprising 43 ships ain and reported by U630 of STAR U-Boat Group.

                29th        Under attacks by STAR Group.

                                Carried  out anti-submarine operations on U532 in defence of convoy.

                30th        Escort reinforced by HM Destroyers ORIBI, OFFA, IMPULSIVE, PENN and PANTHER

                                of 3rd Support Group.

                                HMS ORIBI joined escort..

                                (Note: Air cover also provided.)

                                U-Boat operations and convoy dispersed due to appalling weather conditions.

 

May

                1st           After refuelling from tanker BRITISH LAW took part in reforming ships of convoy.

                                Additional four destroyers of 3rd Support Group joined escort.

                                (Note: For details of departure of escorts to refuel see HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR.

                                Weather conditions had previously precluded any attempt to refuel.).

                4th          Under attack by U-Boats of FINK and AMSEL Groups.

                to            Remained with convoy.

                5th          (Note: Five U-Boats were sunk during defence of ONS5 by other escorts but 13 mercantiles

                                were sunk.

                                This operation was one of the most prolonged of the period.

                                See above references.)

                16th        Part of escort for Convoy SC130 with HMS DUNCAN, HMS VIDETTE, HM Canadian

                                Corvette KITCHENER and four corvettes of 7th Escort Group.

                                (Note: Convoy comprised thirty nine mercantiles.)

                17th        HM Frigates JED, WEAR, SPEY and HM Cutter SENNEN of 1st Support Group joined SC130

                                to reinforce escort.

                18th        Attacks by DONAU and ODER U-Boat Groups driven off by escort and LIBERATOR aircraft

                                from Iceland. See above references.

                19lh         Carried out attack on U952 which was badly damaged and had to return to France.

                20th        U-Boat operations ceased.

                                (Note: Post war assessments record four U-Boats were sunk with no survivors including Peter

                                Donitz, son of the German Admiral.).

 

June                        Nominated for service in Eastern Fleet.

                                Prepared for foreign service..

 

July

                20th        Joined joint military convoy WS32/KMF20 in Clyde with HM Destroyer BEAGLE, HM

                                Frigates DERG and KALE as part of Ocean Escort during passage to Freetown.

                25th        Ships of Convoy KMF20 detached with HM Sloops EGRET, PELICAN, HM Frigates JED and

                                ROTHER as escort during passage to Gibraltar with HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS

                                (Note: HMS CHARYBDIS had joined on 20th July.)

                                HM Destroyer DOUGLAS and HM Frigate NESS joined W32 for Local Escort into Freetown.

                28th        Detached on arrival at Freetown.

 

August

                5th          Joined WS32 with HMS DERG and HMS KALE as escort during passage to Cape Town..

                17th        Detached from WS32 on arrival at Cape Town..

                                Made independent passage to Kilindini for Indian Ocean convoy defence.

 

September             Deployed in Indian Ocean for convoy defence

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.

to

July

 

August                  Deployed with HM Cutter BANFF for anti submarine operation to find U859 known to be

                                carrying out attack in Indian Ocean.

                                (Note: U859 was later sunk by HM Submarine TRENCHANT. See U-BOATS

                                DESTROYED.)

 

September             Convoy defence in Indian Ocean in continuation.

to                            Eastern Fleet ships moved to Trincomalee in this period but Escorts were based in

December              Kilindini for coastal convoys to Aden and South Africa.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Deployed for convoy defence in Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.

to                            (Note: Eastern Fleet re-designated East Indies Fleet.

July                         Escorts were also deployed in support of military operations off coast of Burma, the

                                occupation of Ramree Island and the re-occupation of Rangoon.

                                This ship is not listed in records of Burma coast operations and was not

                                awarded a Battle Honour BURMA 1944-45.

                                It is therefore assumed that her deployment as escort for Indian Ocean mercantile

                                convoys continued.)

 

August                  Prepared for escort of military convoys to Malaya (Operation ZIPPER)

                                (Note: This was delayed until September by US insistence and problems s relating to the

                                release of long serving SEAC personnel under the PYTHON Scheme)

                                Ship was part of the East Indies Fleet on VJ Day.

 

Po a t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS TAY was retained at Singapore after re-occupation and deployed to support the repatriation of prisoners of war and allied nationals captured by the Japanese in Java and Sumatra. Ships of the Escort Force also supported military operations in the Ditch East Indies. After release from these duties she returned to UK and was Paid-off at Harwich where she reduced to Reserve status in 1947. After being refitted at Chatham in 1950 she returned to Reserve end later was laid-up at West Hartlepool. Placed en the Disposal List in 1956 as part of the reduction of the Reserve Fleet the ship was sold to BISCO for demolition by Shipbreaking Industries Ltd. and arrived at the breakers yard near Rosyth under tow on 26th September 1956.

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS TAY

by Don Kindell

This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above

Date convoy sailed

Joined convoy as escort

Convoy No.

Left convoy

Date convoy arrived

 

 

 

 

 

19/09/42

01/10/42

SC 102

03/10/42

06/10/42

26/10/42

26/10/42

KMF 001

08/11/42

08/11/42

26/11/42

26/11/42

KMS 004G

07/12/42

12/12/42

03/12/42

08/12/42

MKS 003X

19/12/42

19/12/42

04/01/43

05/01/43

ON 159

08/01/43

20/01/43

27/12/42

09/01/43

SC 115

15/01/43

15/01/43

01/02/43

02/02/43

ON 164

13/02/43

19/02/43

13/02/43

20/02/43

SC 120

05/03/43

05/03/43

13/03/43

14/03/43

ON 173

24/03/43

29/03/43

25/03/43

31/03/43

HX 231

09/04/43

10/04/43

21/04/43

22/04/43

ONS 005

07/05/43

12/05/43

11/05/43

15/05/43

SC 130

25/05/43

26/05/43

08/06/43

09/06/43

ONS 010

23/06/43

27/06/43

27/06/43

01/07/43

SC 135

10/07/43

11/07/43

19/07/43

19/07/43

KMF 020

25/07/43

28/07/43

17/09/43

18/09/43

DK 001

28/09/43

28/09/43

30/09/43

30/09/43

DKA 001

09/10/43

09/10/43

18/10/43

18/10/43

AB 017

27/10/43

27/10/43

28/10/43

28/10/43

BA 052

05/11/43

05/11/43

11/11/43

11/11/43

AKD 006

29/11/43

29/11/43

01/03/44

01/03/44

CM 049B

14/03/44

14/03/44

27/03/44

27/03/44

AB 035A

01/04/44

01/04/44

10/04/44

10/04/44

PA 075

17/04/44

17/04/44

19/04/44

19/04/44

AB 038A

25/04/44

25/04/44

03/05/44

03/05/44

BA 069A

09/05/44

09/05/44

27/05/44

27/05/44

AB 040A

31/05/44

01/06/44

05/06/44

05/06/44

PB 080

07/06/44

07/06/44

07/06/44

07/06/44

BA 071

13/06/44

13/06/44

23/06/44

27/06/44

PA 080

30/06/44

01/07/44

04/07/44

04/07/44

AB 042A

10/07/44

10/07/44

29/07/44

29/07/44

BA 076

06/08/44

06/08/44

09/08/44

09/08/44

AB 043

14/08/44

14/08/44

21/08/44

21/08/44

BA 077

26/08/44

26/08/44

29/08/44

29/08/44

AB 044

04/09/44

04/09/44

06/09/44

06/09/44

BA 078

16/09/44

16/09/44

15/09/44

15/09/44

ABF 004

20/09/44

20/09/44

27/09/44

27/09/44

BAF 005

02/10/44

02/10/44

09/11/44

09/11/44

ABF 005A

14/11/44

14/11/44

01/12/44

01/12/44

AJ 006/2

05/12/44

05/12/44

11/12/44

11/12/44

JA 001/2

17/12/44

17/12/44

31/01/45

31/01/45

MKS 080G

31/01/45

07/02/45

24/02/45

01/03/45

MKS 085G

03/03/45

03/03/45

(Note on Convoys)

 

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