GRIMSBY-Class
Sloop ordered from HM Dockyard Devonport under the 1931 Programme on 1st Nov.
1932 and laid down on 23rd January 1932. The ship was launched by Mrs Forbes on
19th July 1933 as the 2nd RN
ship to carry the name. previously used
by a WW1 trawler. Build was completed on 17tn May 1934. After commissioning at
Devonport she visited Grimsby and Mablethorpe
before taking passage to Hong Kong where minesweeping
equipment was fitted. All her pre-war service was east of Suez and she was recalled
to UK for convoy defence duties after the outbreak of WW2.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
GREECE 1941 - CRETE 1941 - LIBYA 1941
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Silver a
Boar’s head Black.
M o t t o
Premia post ardus:
'Rewards come after toil'
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 3 9
September Deployed in
Persian Gulf
Transferred to Home waters after outbreak of war and took passage to UK.
October On
arrival deployed with Rosyth Escort Force for East coast convoy defence.
(
Note: Installation of two twin 4in HA mountings was not carried out due to a
chronic need
for
these weapons to be fitted in other Escorts)
November East coast
deployment in continuation.
to (For
details of naval activities in North Sea, see THE BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST by
December J P Foynes
and Naval Staff History.).
1 9 4 0
January East
coast deployment in continuation.
to
Nominated for refit.
March
April Taken
in hand for refit at commercial shipyard in Leith.
May Refit
terminated to meet urgent need for escorts in Mediterranean Fleet
See Naval Staff History (HMSO, 2001)
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to U16.
20th Sailed
from Devonport to Join Fleet at Alexandria.
31st On
arrival transferred to Red Sea Escort Force for convoy defence.
June Joined
Red Sea Escort Force and provided defence for convoys between Aden and Suez.
July Red
Sea deployment in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 1
January Convoy
defence in Red Sea in continuation.
February
11th Joined
military convoy WS5A as escort during Red
Sea
passage with HM Cruiser CALEDON,
HM
Sloops FLAMINGO and INDUS (RIN).
13th Detached from WS5A and
returned to
Aden.
(Note: This convoy was taking troop reinforcements to Egypt and had a strong
escort when
within range of Italian air bases in Somaliland.)
March Joined
Fleet at Alexandria for convoy defence in Eastern Mediterranean.
Deployed for escort of
military convoys to Greek ports.
April
Eastern Mediterranean duties in continuation.
22nd
Assisted with evacuation of Allied troops from Greece (Operation DEMON).
27th Towed
mercantile as SCOTTISH PRINCE to Suds Bay after this mercantile had been damaged
in
air attacks
north of
Crete.
30th Took
over tow of damaged HM Auxiliary GLENEARN from HM Destroyer GRIFFIN and
took ship to Alexandria.
(For details of Greek evacuation, see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett
and Naval Staff History (HMSO – 2001).
May
Deployed on support of military operations at Tobruk and defence of ships
engaged in
supply
of
stores and transport of personnel to garrison.
25th Sank
north of Tobruk in position 32.30N 24.30E after air attacks during support of
Tobruk
garrison.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
GRIMSBY
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
30/09/39
|
30/09/39
|
BLUE 003
|
11/10/39
|
11/10/39
|
28/10/39
|
28/10/39
|
FS 0028
|
30/10/39
|
30/10/39
|
13/11/39
|
13/11/39
|
FS 0036
|
15/11/39
|
15/11/39
|
26/11/39
|
26/11/39
|
FN 0042
|
28/11/39
|
28/11/39
|
30/11/39
|
30/11/39
|
FS 0045
|
01/12/39
|
01/12/39
|
23/12/39
|
23/12/39
|
FS 0058
|
24/12/39
|
24/12/39
|
26/12/39
|
26/12/39
|
FN 0059
|
28/12/39
|
28/12/39
|
03/01/40
|
03/01/40
|
FS 0063
|
05/01/40
|
05/01/40
|
26/01/40
|
26/01/40
|
FS 0082
|
28/01/40
|
28/01/40
|
03/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
FS 0086
|
05/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
FS 0088
|
07/02/40
|
07/02/40
|
25/02/40
|
25/02/40
|
FS 0105
|
27/02/40
|
27/02/40
|
03/03/40
|
03/03/40
|
FS 0111
|
05/03/40
|
05/03/40
|
03/03/40
|
03/03/40
|
MT 022
|
03/03/40
|
03/03/40
|
10/03/40
|
10/03/40
|
FS 0118
|
12/03/40
|
12/03/40
|
07/05/40
|
07/05/40
|
FS 0165
|
09/05/40
|
09/05/40
|
07/05/40
|
07/05/40
|
MT 065
|
07/05/40
|
07/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
MT 067
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
14/05/40
|
14/05/40
|
FS 0170
|
16/05/40
|
16/05/40
|
07/07/40
|
07/07/40
|
BS 001
|
10/07/40
|
10/07/40
|
23/06/40
|
10/07/40
|
BN 001
|
12/07/40
|
12/07/40
|
31/07/40
|
31/07/40
|
BS 002
|
03/08/40
|
09/08/40
|
11/08/40
|
11/08/40
|
BS 002A
|
17/08/40
|
17/08/40
|
10/08/40
|
21/08/40
|
BN 003
|
23/08/40
|
23/08/40
|
01/09/40
|
01/09/40
|
BS 003A
|
03/09/40
|
06/09/40
|
05/09/40
|
05/09/40
|
BS 004
|
08/09/40
|
13/09/40
|
20/09/40
|
20/09/40
|
BS 005
|
23/09/40
|
28/09/40
|
10/09/40
|
23/09/40
|
BN 005
|
26/09/40
|
26/09/40
|
05/10/40
|
05/10/40
|
BS 006
|
11/10/40
|
13/10/40
|
23/09/40
|
09/10/40
|
BN 006
|
11/10/40
|
11/10/40
|
20/10/40
|
21/10/40
|
BS 007
|
24/10/40
|
28/10/40
|
10/10/40
|
23/10/40
|
BN 007
|
26/10/40
|
26/10/40
|
04/11/40
|
05/11/40
|
BS 008
|
unknown
|
12/11/40
|
19/11/40
|
19/11/40
|
BS 009
|
unknown
|
26/11/40
|
12/11/40
|
21/11/40
|
BN 008A
|
23/11/40
|
23/11/40
|
23/11/40
|
27/11/40
|
BN 009A
|
28/11/40
|
28/11/40
|
04/12/40
|
04/12/40
|
BS 010
|
unknown
|
11/12/40
|
27/11/40
|
07/12/40
|
BN 010
|
10/12/40
|
10/12/40
|
19/12/40
|
19/12/40
|
BS 011
|
22/12/40
|
27/12/40
|
18/12/40
|
22/12/40
|
BN 011
|
25/12/40
|
25/12/40
|
03/01/41
|
04/01/41
|
BS 012
|
unknown
|
11/01/41
|
27/12/40
|
06/01/41
|
BN 012
|
09/01/41
|
09/01/41
|
10/01/41
|
10/01/41
|
BS 012B
|
13/01/41
|
13/01/41
|
19/01/41
|
20/01/41
|
BS 013
|
unknown
|
27/01/41
|
25/01/41
|
25/01/41
|
BS 013A
|
unknown
|
01/02/41
|
01/02/41
|
02/02/41
|
BSF 001
|
06/02/41
|
07/02/41
|
11/02/41
|
14/02/41
|
BSF 001A
|
unknown
|
22/02/41
|
17/02/41
|
17/02/41
|
BN 016
|
20/02/41
|
20/02/41
|
18/03/41
|
18/03/41
|
AS 020/1
|
20/03/42
|
22/03/41
|
06/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
AN 030
|
09/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)