RIVER-Class
Frigate ordered on 11th February 1941 under the 1940 War Programme from Smith's Dock SB at Middlesbrough . The ship was laid down on 18th July 1941 and
launched on 18th December 1941as the 2nd RN warship to carry the name,
introduced in 1814. This ship was adopted by the civil Community of
Letchworth, Hertfordshire in March 1942 following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign. Build was completed on 19th May 1942.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1942-44 - NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 -
BURMA 1944-45
H e r
a l d i c D a
t a
Badge: On a Field party per fess Blue and Green divided by
wavelets
Blue and Gold, In chief, six pearls Silver, beneath a
salmon Silver.
Motto
Mack Sicker: 'Make sure'
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
May
Contractor's trials and commissioning.
19th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On
completion of trials and storing took passage
to Tobermory.
June Joined
Western Approaches Command for convoy defence on completion of work-up for
operational service..
16th
Deployed with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, WILD SWAN and Polish Destroyer ORP
KRAKOWIAK in
Bay of Biscay to assist escort of
Convoy HG84 under attack from a
Group of
U-Boats.
During defence of HG84 under attack by German Glider Bombs which-hit
and later sank
HMS WILD SWAN. (For details see WILD SWAN by P Smith).
July
Joined escort for Convoy OS53.
11th Under
attack by HAI Group of U-Boats.
Shared credit for sinking U136 with HM Sloop PELICAN and Free French Destroyer
LEOPARD in
position 36.45N 22.52W. There were no survivors.
(For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
August Atlantic
Convoy defence in continuation
to
September
October Deployed
for escort of military convoys to Gibraltar for landings in North Africa
November Deployed for
escort of assault convoy to Algiers with HM Destroyers WISHART and
VELOX.
7th Stood
by US troopship THOMAS STONE which had been disabled after being hit by a
torpedo: See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair for details.
(Note: Nationality of the assumed submarine has not been established.)
800 troops were disembarked into landing craft to complete passage.
8th
Escorted troopship with same two destroyers during tow by tug to Algiers.
Detached to carry cut rescue work after landing craft required assistance.
800 troops were embarked for passage to Algiers.
9th
Arrived at Algiers with HMS VELOX and HMS WISHART as escort for damaged
troopship THOMAS
STONE during tow.
(Note: Troopship was found Beyond Economic Repair).
December Deployed in
western Mediterranean for convoy defence and support
Military convoy escort and support of landings (Operation TORCH).
1 9 4 3
January Deployed
in Western Mediterranean for convoy defence and support.
February Resumed
Atlantic convoy defence duties.
to
March
April Joined
HM Sloop PELICAN, HM Cutter SENNEN, HM Frigates JED and WEAR
when 1st Escort Group was reformed.
Deployed in Support role for North Atlantic convoy defence.
May On
orders of CinC Western Approaches sent with 1st Escort Group from St Johns to
support the Escorts of
Convoy ONS5 under attacks by combined SPECHT and AMSEL
Groups of U-Boats.
6th Took
part in search for U438 after radar detection by PELICAN.
(Note: This submarine was later sunk by HMS PELICAN and HMS JED).
13th
Deployed with Group in support of passage of Convoys ONS7 and SC130.
19th Drove
off U92 which was maintaining contact with Convoy ONS130 with HMS JED.
(For details of Atlantic convoy defence operations see THE BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by D
Macintyre, U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO), U-BOAT
KILLER by D Macintyre and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
June
Deployment with 1st Escort Group in continuation.
to
July
August
Took part in anti-submarine sweeps in SW Approaches and Bay of Biscay for the
support of combined RN/RAF operations
(Operations MUSKETRY and SEASLUG)
(See CONFLICT OVER THE BAY by N Franks).
September
Deployment for A/S sweeps in continuation
Joined escort for military convoy KMF24 to
Gibraltar.
October
Resumed convoy defence and support duties in Atlantic.
November
Deployed with Group for support and escort of Atlantic convoys.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Group deployment in continuation.
February
Joined HM Frigates ROTHER, FINDHORN and LOSSIE of 10th Support Group for duty in
Support role in Atlantic.
17th Deployed with ships of 10th Escort Group in support of passage of
Convoy ONS29 against
attacks by HAI Groups of U- Boats in SW
Approaches.
Air support was provided by HM Escort Carrier
STRIKER.
18th Sank U 406 during defence of convoy.
(Note: Some survivors including radar
specialists were rescued.
See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)
19th Sank U386 from which there were some survivors. See above reference.
(For details see above references and U-BOATS
DESTROYED.)
March Atlantic deployment in continuation..
to (For details of tactical and weapon developments
during the Battle of the Atlantic see SEEK
April AND STRIKE by W Hackmann and RADAR AT SEA by D
Hawse).
May Nominated for duty with Eastern Fleet after refit.
June Under refit and preparation for foreign service
to Passage to Ceylon.
November
December
Deployed for convoy defence and support of military operations in Burma.
. (For details of Indian Ocean operation see
OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray, THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO).)
1 9 4 5
January Eastern Fleet deployment in continuation.
16th Took part in escort of assault convoys for landings on northern
shore Ramree Is, off Akyab
(Operation MATADOR)
24th Joined Task Force for landings on Cheduba Island with HM Frigate
WEAR.
Part of escort for passage (Operation SANKEY).
(For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by Corelli Barnett).
February
24th Deployed as escort for HM Escort Carriers EMPRESS and AMEER, HM
Cruiser KENYA with
HM Destroyers VIRAGO, VIGILANT, VOLAGE, HM
Frigates SWALE., PLYM and
TRENT during air reconnaissance of Malaya and
Sumatra and attacks on enemy shipping.
(Operation STAGEY).
March Deployed on convoy defence and support in Bay of
Bengal.
to
June
July Preparation for landings in Malaya (Operation
ZIPPER).
(Note: This operation was delayed at the
insistence of the US Government and did not take
place till after VJ Day. See above references.).
August
Part of escort for assault convoys during passage to landings area
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS SPEY returned to UK after the surrender of Japanese forces
in Singapore and Paid-off into Reserve. She was laid up initially at Dartmouth and later moved to
Devonport. The ship was sold to Egypt in November 1948 and renamed RASHEED. After a refit in a Plymouth commercial
shipyard she joined the Royal Egyptian Navy in 1950 and was still in service in
the early 1970's.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
SPEY
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 |
|
|
|
|
|
09/06/42
|
16/06/42
|
HG 084
|
17/06/42
|
20/06/42 |
04/06/42
|
18/06/42
|
SL 112
|
21/06/42
|
23/06/42 |
01/07/42
|
02/07/42
|
OS 033
|
20/07/42
|
20/07/42 |
25/07/42
|
25/07/42
|
SL 117
|
15/08/42
|
15/08/42 |
19/09/42
|
22/09/42
|
ON 132
|
24/09/42
|
08/10/42 |
26/10/42
|
26/10/42
|
KMF 001
|
07/11/42
|
08/11/42 |
14/11/42
|
14/11/42
|
MKS 001A
|
unknown |
16/11/42 |
21/11/42
|
21/11/42
|
MKS 001Y
|
30/11/42
|
30/11/42 |
11/12/42
|
16/12/42
|
MKF 004Y
|
24/12/42
|
24/12/42 |
07/01/43
|
08/01/43
|
KMS 007G
|
18/01/43
|
21/01/43 |
19/01/43
|
23/01/43
|
MKS 006
|
01/02/43
|
01/02/43 |
14/02/43
|
15/02/43
|
OS 043
|
04/03/43
|
04/03/43 |
12/03/43
|
12/03/43
|
SL 126
|
02/04/43
|
01/04/43 |
16/04/43
|
24/04/43
|
SC 127
|
25/04/43
|
03/05/43 |
13/04/43
|
26/04/43
|
ONS 004
|
28/04/43
|
05/05/43 |
21/04/43
|
06/05/43
|
ONS 005
|
08/05/43
|
12/05/43 |
29/04/43
|
09/05/43
|
ONS 006
|
10/05/43
|
17/05/43 |
02/05/43
|
10/05/43
|
SC 129
|
18/05/43
|
21/05/43 |
11/05/43
|
19/05/43
|
SC 130
|
22/05/43
|
26/05/43 |
31/05/43
|
09/06/43
|
HX 242
|
12/06/43
|
15/06/43 |
08/06/43
|
12/06/43
|
ONS 010
|
18/06/43
|
27/06/43 |
27/06/43
|
01/07/43
|
SC 135
|
04/07/43
|
11/07/43 |
15/09/43
|
15/09/43
|
KMF 024
|
22/09/43
|
29/09/43 |
17/09/43
|
28/09/43
|
MKF 024
|
06/10/43
|
07/10/43 |
19/09/42
|
01/10/43
|
SC 102
|
03/10/42
|
06/10/42 |
16/10/43
|
16/10/43
|
KMF 025
|
25/10/43
|
30/10/43 |
17/10/43
|
27/10/43
|
MKF 025
|
04/11/43
|
04/11/43 |
15/11/43
|
17/11/43
|
KMF 026
|
26/11/43
|
30/11/43 |
17/11/43
|
30/11/43
|
MKF 026
|
09/12/43
|
09/12/43 |
22/01/44
|
03/02/44
|
HX 276
|
05/02/44
|
07/02/44 |
07/02/44
|
10/02/44
|
ON 223
|
11/02/44
|
24/02/44 |
05/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
HX 278
|
17/02/44
|
20/02/44 |
12/02/44
|
17/02/44
|
ONS 029
|
19/02/44
|
29/02/44 |
14/02/44
|
17/02/44
|
ON 224
|
18/02/44
|
02/03/44 |
03/03/44
|
03/03/44
|
KMF 029A
|
17/03/44
|
17/03/44 |
28/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
AJ 002/2
|
04/04/44
|
04/04/44 |
25/06/44
|
25/06/44
|
RK 002
|
12/07/44
|
12/07/44 |
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)