B
a t t l
e H o n o u r
NORMANDY
1944
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a field Blue a dolphin embowed
White pierced
through
the sides with two fishing spears in saltire
Gold.
S
u m m
a r y 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 3 9
August Deployed
for survey of St Lewis
Inlet, Labrador Canada.
Recalled to take up
war station and took passage to UK with
call at Halifax
September
3rd Arrived
at
Dover for surveying duties in
connection Channel Mine Barrage.
Deployed to lay
marker buoys between Goodwin to minelaying
by HM
Minelayer ADVENTURE
HM Auxiliary
Minelayers HAMPTON and SHEPPERTON
(Operations GR, DM, HW, FE
and
RG)
(Note: The Auxiliary
Minelayers were Cross Channel this
specific use before outbreak of war.)
October
Transferred
to Faeroes to carry out
survey in anticipation of use of Scaale
Fjord as a
refuelling base
for
Atlantic convoy escorts.
During survey work
ordered to Scapa Flow for priority
requirement.
November
Carried out investigation of tidal
movements prior to improvement of
defences against submarine
entry
following the sinking of HM Battleship
ROYAL OAK on 14th October.
December
Scapa Flow
deployment in continuation.
On completion transferred for
duties in North
Sea.
January
Deployed off UK East Coast for
survey duties including:
to
Establishment
of diversions from Swept Channel because
of wrecks
October.
Provision of markers
during minelay
in Galloper area
(Operation
DML - Part of East Coast Mine Barrier
See reference)
Selection
of positions for the erection of sea
defence towers in Thames Estuary as part
of
Anti-Invasion measures.
(Note:
This involved extensive use of shore
parties for setting-up of
triangulation
points.)
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes
changed to J84 (May 1940.)
November
Under
refit in West India Docks, London
to
December
1
9 4 0
January
Deployed off UK East Coast for
survey duties including:
to
Establishment
of diversions from Swept Channel because
of wrecks
October.
Provision of markers
during minelay
in Galloper area
(Operation
DML - Part of East Coast Mine Barrier
See reference)
Selection
of positions for the erection of sea
defence towers in Thames Estuary as part
of
Anti-Invasion measures.
(Note:
This involved extensive use of shore
parties for setting-up of
triangulation
points.)
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes
changed to J84 (May 1940.)
November
Under
refit in West India Docks, London
to
December
1
9 4 1
Deployed
for survey and marking duties in North
Sea and for convoy
escort as required.
Sustained
damage by collision in fog with tanker
DOMAX and under repair
at Aberdeen
for one
month.
After
completion deployed off UK West coast to
carry out survey in Kilbrannon
Sound
prior to its
use as an Anti-submarine Exercise
area for Western Approaches and Home
Fleet
warships.
1 9 4
2 t o 1 9 4 3
Deployed
in Home Waters for survey duties,
marking of specific areas
prior to minesweeping
operations or
for Home Fleet requirements.
1 9 4 4
January
Home
Waters
survey and marking in continuation.
to
(Note: During this
period extensive amphibious training
exercises were carried out in
March
preparation for the
planned allied landings in Normandy.
(Operation
NEPTUNE - For details of naval
activities prior to assault
landings
including
exercises and the execution of the
attacks see
OPERATION NEPTUNE
by
K Edwards, LANDINGS IN NORMANDY (HMSO)
and D-DAY SHIPS by
J de Winser
for information about all mercantiles
and warships taking part.))
April
Nominated
for survey duties with HM Survey Ship
SCOTT for support of
operations off French
to
coast including clearance
of entrance channels to ports after
re-occupation
May.
Took part in
preparatory exercises requiring survey
assistance.
June
Nominated for
retention as Reserve minesweeper
during assault phase and to relieve HMS
SCOTT
for maintenance and leave after initial
landings had been
completed.
Home
waters survey duties in continuation.
July
Relieved HMS SCOTT off Beach
Head
Deployed
for survey
duties to enable clearance of entrance
to port of
Cherbourg after capture.
August
Carried out
surveys in Seine estuary prior
to clearance of entrances to Le Havre
to
and Dieppe.
September
October
Deployed for survey and marking of
entrance to Ostend and south bank
of Scheldt.
November
Transferred to Terneuzen
to carry out survey of Scheldt entrance
to allow clearance for passage of
shipping
to and from Antwerp.
December
Scheldt clearance survey duties in
continuation.
1 9
4 5
January
Scheldt
survey duties in continuation.
to
Nominated for testing of radio
navigational equipment being developed
by the DECCA Company for
February
mercantile use.
(Note: This system had
been used by the RN since 1944 and had
revolutionised ship navigation
especially in
bad weather.
Its Naval
Identity was Outfit QM).
March
Deployed for testing of
DECCA Navigator
System.
to
Local surveys were carried
out in North Sea
and off Dutch coast during this
period.
May
June
DECCA
testing and
surveys to assist in mine
clearance in North Sea.
to
(Note: Extensive mine clearance
operations
were carried out in areas known
to be infested with
August
allied and enemy air and sea minelaying
operations.
Groups of
all sizes of minesweeper were deployed
with specialist survey capability
provided
by this
type of ship
to ensure accurate positioning of
markers used to indicate areas which
had
been cleared..)
P
o s
t W a r N o t e
s
HMS
FRANKLIN continued deployment
in Home waters including assistance
during mine clearance operations as
well
as post war survey requirements. The
ship remained in
service until 1955 when Paid-off and
reduced to Reserve
status.
She was placed on the Disposal List in
1956 and sold to
BISCO for demolition by Clayton and
Davie at Dunston.
where she
arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard
during
February that year.
