EGRET-Class
Sloop ordered from Denny at Dumbarton
under 1936 Estimates on 5th March
1937. This ship was laid down on 16th
June
1937 and intended to be named HERON
but when selected for use as an
unarmed Survey
Ship in New Zealand waters the name
was changed to one more suitable for
this
duty. She was launched as HMS AUCKLAND
by Mrs W Denny on 30th June 1938 as
the
second RN ship to carry the name,
previously borne by a frigate built at
Bombay
in 1840. However because of the
deterioration of the international
situation it
was necessary to change this
requirement and she was completed as a
fully armed
EGRET Class Sloop on 16th November
1938 and sailed to relieve HM Sloop
LONDONDERRY at Simonstown in January
1939.
B
a t t l
e H o n o
u r s
CHINA 1856-60 - ATLANTIC 1939 - NORWAY 1940 - GREECE
1941 - CRETE 1941 - LIBYA 1941
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge
On a Field barry
wavy Blue and
White a Kiwi proper.
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
3rd
Deployed for interception of commerce
raiders and blockade runners in the
South
Atlantic
based at Simonstown.
October
Transferred to West Africa Command for
convoy defence.
Deployed at Freetown, Sierra Leone.
November
Nominated for escort duty in Home
waters after refit at Portsmouth.
Took passage to UK as part of escort
for Convoy SLF9.
December
Under refit at Portsmouth.
1
9 4 0
January
On completion of post refit trials
joined Rosyth Escort Force and
deployed for defence of North
to
Sea convoys.
March
April
Detached for duty with Home Fleet
after German invasion of Norway.
8th
Deployed with Fleet units off Norway
to supplement AA defence during the
allied
landings
in
Norway.
14th
Embarked Royal Marines with supporting
army artillery and searchlight units
for passage to
Andalsnes with HM Sloops BLACK SWAN,
FLAMINGO and BITTERN.
(Operation PRIMROSE).
Sailed for Norway on completion but
delayed by weather.
15th
Embarked Captain M M Denny RN at
Invergordon for passage.
17th
Landed PRIMROSE Party as Alesund
21st
Under continuous air attacks during
passage up fjord to Namsos to relieve
HM Destroyer
NUBIAN as AA Guardship.
Arrived without damage.
22nd
Embarked troops from French liner
VILLE D'ANGERS at Namsos for transfer
to shore.
24th
Passage to UK to re-ammunition and
escorted HM Cruiser
CURACOA
with HM Cruisers
GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD.
26th
Return passage to Andalsnes for AA
Guardship duties.
27th
Under heavy and sustained air attacks
and took passage to UK
to
replenish ammunition.
29th
Passage to Andalsnes to relieve HM
Sloop FLEETWOOD as AA Guardship.
30th
Deployed as AA Guardship at Andalsnes.
May
1st
Assisted in evacuation of troops from
Andalsnes with HM Cruisers BIRMINGHAM,
CALCUTTA, HM Destroyers INGLEFIELD and
MASHONA.
Under heavy and sustained air attacks.
3rd
Last warship to leave port after
embarking 240 men to UK.
(For full details of the disastrous
naval operations off Norway see NARVIK
by D
Macintyre, CARRIER GLORIOUS by J
Winton and Naval Staff History (HMSO,
2001).)
10th
Transferred to Mediterranean for
convoy defence in Red Sea.
Took passage to Alexandria via Malta.
On arrival sent to Bombay for refit
June
Under refit in HM Dockyard.
Pennant Number for visual signalling
changed to U61.
July
On completion of post refit trials
took passage to Join Red Sea Escort
Force at Aden.
August
Nominated for support of military
operations in East Africa.
13th
Bombarded Italian troop positions W of
Berbera with HM Destroyer KIMBERLEY.
15th
Joined HM Cruisers HOBART, CALEDON,
CERES, CARLISLE, HM Destroyers
KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, HM Sloop
SHOREHAM, HM Australian Sloop
PARRAMATTA, three Armed Merchant
Cruisers and a hospital ship for
evacuation of
Berbera.
(Note: Over 7,000 troops and
civilians were taken by these ships to
Aden.)
September
Deployed on convoy escort duty in Red
Sea and approaches to Aden.
October
Red Sea convoy defence in
continuation.
20th
In action with HMS KIMBERLEY against
Italian destroyer attacking Convoy
BN(?) in
Red Sea.
November
Convoy escort duty with Red Sea Force
in continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 1
January
Passage to Bombay for routine docking
and refit
February
Under refit in Bombay.
March
On completion of post refit trials
resumed convoy defence with Red Sea
Force at Aden.
Nominated for transfer to
Mediterranean for convoy defence.
April
Passage to Alexandria.
8th
Joined Mediterranean Fleet for convoy
escort in Eastern Mediterranean.
23rd
At Port Rafti, Greece with HM Sloop
GRIMSBY. 400 personnel evacuated.
Escorted Convoy AG13 (3 troopships).
Under air attacks in Kaso Straits.
26th
Assisted in evacuation of allied
troops from Greece.
(Operation DEMON - For details see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
C Barnett and Naval Staff History
(2001).)
May
Deployed for defence of reinforcement
convoys to Crete.
30th
Assisted in evacuation of troops from
Crete and defence of convoys.
June
On completion resumed convoys defence
in Eastern Mediterranean.
18th
Joined Inshore Squadron with HM Sloops
PARRAMATTA (RAN) and FLAMINGO for
support of military operations and
defence of supply convoys to Tobruk.
24th
Deployed for transfer of reinforcement
troops to Crete with HM Cruiser ABDIEL
and HM
Sloop FLAMINGO.
(See BATTLE OF THE WINE DARK SEA by L
Lind and Naval Staff History).
Sunk in dive bombing air attack by
German aircraft in position 32.15N
24.30E, 20
miles ENE of Tobruk during convoy
defence.
162 survivors rescued by HMAS
PARRAMATTA.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
AUCKLAND
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17/11/39
|
17/11/39
|
SL
009F
|
29/11/39
|
29/11/39
|
|
08/01/40
|
08/01/40
|
FS
0067
|
09/01/40
|
09/01/40
|
|
12/01/40
|
12/01/40
|
FS
0070
|
13/01/40
|
13/01/40
|
|
21/01/40
|
21/01/40
|
FS
0078
|
22/01/40
|
22/01/40
|
|
23/01/40
|
23/01/40
|
FN
0079
|
24/01/40
|
24/01/40
|
|
24/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
FS
0128
|
26/03/40
|
26/03/40
|
|
24/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
MT
037
|
24/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
|
29/03/40
|
29/03/40
|
TM
035
|
30/04/40
|
30/04/40
|
|
01/04/40
|
01/04/40
|
FS
0135
|
03/04/40
|
03/04/40
|
|
01/04/40
|
01/04/40
|
MT
042
|
01/04/40
|
01/04/40
|
|
08/04/40
|
08/04/40
|
MT
047
|
09/04/40
|
09/04/40
|
|
09/04/40
|
09/04/40
|
FS
0141
|
11/04/40
|
11/04/40
|
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
FS
0169
|
14/05/40
|
14/05/40
|
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
MT
067
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
|
17/07/40
|
30/07/40
|
BN
002
|
03/08/40
|
05/08/40
|
|
05/09/40
|
08/09/40
|
BS
004
|
12/09/40
|
13/09/40
|
|
30/08/40
|
12/09/40
|
WS
002A
|
14/09/40
|
14/09/40
|
|
10/09/40
|
19/09/40
|
BN
005
|
22/09/40
|
26/09/40
|
|
20/09/40
|
23/09/40
|
BS
005
|
28/09/40
|
28/09/40
|
|
23/09/40
|
04/10/40
|
BN
006
|
09/10/40
|
11/10/40
|
|
05/10/40
|
11/10/40
|
BS
006
|
13/10/40
|
13/10/40
|
|
10/10/40
|
16/10/40
|
BN
007
|
23/10/40
|
26/10/40
|
|
20/10/40
|
unknown
|
BS
007
|
28/10/40
|
28/10/40
|
|
29/10/40
|
12/11/40
|
WS
003
|
16/11/40
|
16/11/40
|
|
12/11/40
|
unknown
|
BS
008A
|
16/11/40
|
16/11/40
|
|
18/11/40
|
18/11/40
|
BN
009
|
22/11/40
|
25/11/40
|
|
19/11/40
|
23/11/40
|
BS
009
|
26/11/40
|
26/11/40
|
|
27/11/40
|
03/12/40
|
BN
010
|
07/12/40
|
10/12/40
|
|
04/12/40
|
unknown
|
BS
010
|
12/12/40
|
11/12/40
|
|
18/12/40
|
18/12/40
|
BN
011
|
22/12/40
|
25/12/40
|
|
19/12/40
|
22/12/40
|
BS
011
|
27/12/40
|
27/12/40
|
|
29/12/40
|
29/12/40
|
BN
011B
|
01/01/41
|
04/01/41
|
|
01/01/41
|
02/01/41
|
SW
004A
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
|
27/02/41
|
28/02/41
|
SW
005A
|
04/03/41
|
04/03/41
|
|
10/03/41
|
10/03/41
|
BN
019
|
unknown
|
17/03/41
|
|
17/03/41
|
17/03/41
|
BN
020
|
21/03/41
|
25/03/41
|
|
18/03/41
|
21/03/41
|
BS
020
|
25/03/41
|
26/03/41
|
|
20/03/41
|
31/03/41
|
BN
022
|
07/04/41
|
07/04/41
|
|
13/04/41
|
13/04/41
|
ASF
025
|
15/04/41
|
15/04/41
|
|
06/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
AN
030
|
09/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
|
09/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
AS
030/1
|
12/05/41
|
12/05/41
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
