SHOREHAM-Class Sloop ordered under the 1929 Programme from HM Dockyard on 23rd September 1929 and laid down on 19th December of that year. The ship was launched by the Countess of Darnley on 22nd November 1930 as the 5th RN warship to carry the name, introduced in 1694 for a 5th Rate and last used for the Prize SHOREHAM taken in 1746. This sloop was completed on 2nd November 1931 for service in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. She remained in the Persian Gulf until going to Malta to be re-armed in 1938. On completion she returned to the Persian Gulf. This ship had a very remarkable record of foreign service and did not return to Home waters until July 1946 when she was Paid Off. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 this Sloop was adopted by the civil community of Shoreham, West Sussex.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

CARTAGENA 1741 - SICILY 1943 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943 - BURMA 1944-45

 

H e r a l d i c   D at a

Badge: On a Field Silver, a Lion rampant, facing to the right Blue.

 

M o t t o

'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 3 9

 

September             Under refit at Bombay.

                                On completion resumed Persian Gulf patrol duty and contraband control.

 

October                  Persian Gulf deployment in continuation.

to

December

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Deployed in Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.

to

February

 

March                    Under refit at Bombay.

 

April                       On completion deployed for convoy defence in Indian Ocean.

                                Joined Convoy US 2 in Indian Ocean for passage to Aden.

                                (Note: This convoy was taking ANZAC troops to Middle East.

 

May                        Deployed in Red Sea for convoy defence.

                                Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to U 32.

 

June                        Red Sea deployment in continuation.

                23rd        Sank Italian submarine EVANGELISTA TORRICELLI in surface gun engagement

                                with HM Destroyers KANDAHAR and KINGSTON.

 

July                         Red Sea and Indian Ocean convoy defence duty.

 

August

                15th        Joined HM Cruisers CALEDON, HOBART, CERES and CARLISLE, HM

                                Destroyers KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, HM Australian Sloop PARRAMATTA

                                and HM Sloop AUCKLAND, HM Armed Boarding Vessels CHAKDINA, CHAKALA,

                                LAOMEDON and the Hospital Ship VITA for evacuation of Barbara.

                                (Note: Over 7,000 people ware embarked In these ships.)

 

September

                3rd          Intercepted mercantile EVROS.

 

October                  Under refit at Bombay.

to

November

 

December              On completion carried out post refit trials before resuming convoy defence duties

                                in Red Sea and Indian Ocean.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Red Sea and Indian Ocean convoy defence in continuation.

to

February

 

March

                23rd        Intercepted German freighter ODER near Perim when attempting to take passage from Italian.

                                Somali land after British advance in East Africa.

                                (Note: Ship scuttled on approach.

 

April                       Under refit in Bombay.

to                            On completion pf post refit trials deployed in Persian Gulf.

May

 

June                        Persian Gulf duties in continuation.

to

July

 

August                  Nominated for support of operations in Iraq.

                25th        Deployed in support of British military operations in Iraq at Abadan

                                (Operation COUNTENANCE)

                                Sank Persian Gunboat PALANG.

                                (Note: These operations were intended to secure the supply route from Persia for sending

                                goods to USSR and made necessary by unrest in the region.)

 

September             Persian Gulf deployment in continuation.

 

October                  Nominated for service in Red Sea and took passage to Suez.

 

November              Deployed at Suez as AA Guardship.

 

December              Suez deployment in continuation.

                                Nominated for return to East Indies for convoy defence duties.

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Passage to Colombo to resume convoy escort duties.

 

February                Deployed in Indian Ocean for defence of convoys.

                                (Note: Evacuation of Singapore had greatly increased work load on escorts.)

 

March                    Transferred to Eastern Fleet on formation

to                            Indian Ocean convoy defence in continuation

July

 

August                  Nominated for refit

                26th        Rescued survivors from mercantile in Indian Ocean after aircraft reported sighting

 

September             Passage to Bombay for refit.

 

October                  Under refit.

to

December

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Under refit

to                            Nominated for transfer to Mediterranean

February

 

March                    On completion of post refit trials took passage to Alexandria.

 

April                       Deployed in eastern Mediterranean for convoy defence and patrol duties.

to

May

 

June                        Eastern Mediterranean convoy defence and patrol in continuation.

                                (Note: Through convoys of MKS series from Egypt to Gibraltar were commenced in June and

                                escorted by ships from Alexandria.)

                                Nominated for support of planned allied landings in Sicily and allocated for escort of assault

                                convoy (Operation HUSKY)

                                Took part in preparatory exercises for HUSKY.

 

July

                3rd          Sailed from Port Said as part of escort for military convoy MWS36 during passage to assault

                                area in Sicily.

                                (Note: MWS convoys were designated during 1940 for convoys to Malta from Egypt .)

                10th        Detached from MWS36 on arrival at BARK Beachhead.

                                (For details of HUSKY see Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by

                                C Barnett and INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser,)

                                On release from HUSKY support resumed convoy defence duties based at Alexandria

 

August

                3rd          Sailed from Alexandria HM Fleet Minesweepers WHITEHAVEN, HYTHE, ROMNEY, RYE,

                                HM Australian Corvettes GAWLER, IPSWICH, LISMORE and MARYBOROUGH as escort

                                during passage to Gibraltar (Operation COCKADE).

                13th        Damaged Fleet Minesweeper HMS SPEEDY joined convoy for passage to Gibraltar.

                                Under air attacks near Alboran by over 30 He111 torpedo bombers during which two were shot

                                down by the escort.

                                Two mercantiles were hit and taken in tow.

                14th        HMS RYE and HMS HYTHE detached from escort after tows had been transferred to tugs.

                15th        Detached from MKS21

                                Returned to Alexandria

                                (Note: Ship may have escorted a through convoy to eastern Mediterranean.)

 

September             On release from Mediterranean Fleet took passage to resume convoy defence duty in Indian

                                Ocean.

 

 

October                  Deployed for convoy defence on west coast of India.

                                Escorted Convoy BM71 of 14 ships during passage from Colombo to Bombay with HM Fleet

                                Minesweeper CARNATIC (RIN) and HM Trawler BARODA (RIN).

                20th        Under submarine attack in position 11.49N 74 54E in Calicut area.

                                Tanker BRITISH PURPOSE was hit by torpedo and sustained damage forward.

                                (Note: This mercantile was able to steam and took passage to Cochin for repair.

                                Submarine was not detected during subsequent anti-submarine operations which may have

                                been carried out by a German U-Boat of the MONSUM Group which had been specifically

                                deployed for attacks on mercantile traffic in Indian Ocean.

                                This attack is not recorded in HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR Vol 2 by C Blair but is referred

                                to in WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) and included in BRITISH VESSELS LOST OR DAMAGED

                                AT SEA 1939-45 (HMSO).)

 

November              Deployed for convoy defence in Bay of Bengal.

to

December

 

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Military convoy defence in Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

to

February.

 

March                    Passage to Capetown for refit.

 

April                       Under refit in HM Dockyard Simonstown.

to

May

 

June                        On completion of post refit trials took passage to Trincomalee to rejoin Eastern Fleet for

                                convoy defence duties.

 

July                         Deployed for convoy defence on east coast of India.

to

November

 

December              Nominated for support of planned military operations in Burma.

 

1 9 4 5

 

January

                2nd         Deployed in support of landings at Akyab with HM Australian Destroyers NAPIER and

                                NEPAL, two Landing Craft (Infantry and Motor Launches (Operation LIGHTNING).

                                (Note: 1000 men of 3rd Commando Brigade ware landed.)

 

February                On release from LIGHTNING resumed convoy defence duties.

 

March                    Convoy defence in Bay of Bengal in continuation.

to                            Nominated for refit in Durban.

April                       Took passage to Durban.

 

 

May                        Under refit in Durban.

to

June

 

July                         On completion of post refit trials took passage to resume convoy defence duties.

 

August                  Rejoined Eastern Fleet.

 

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS SHOREHAM was retained in the Eastern Fleet after VJ Day and required to remain on Station for service in the Persian Gulf.  She prepared for this duty at Bombay in October 1945 and then carried out the peace-time patrol and visits duties in the Gulf for a year. The ship was ordered back to UK in 1946 and arrived at Devonport to Pay Off in September. Placed on the Disposal List and sold for use as a mercantlie. She was renamed JORGE FEL JOVEN but does not appear to have been used as a merchant ship and was sold for breaking-up at Zeebrugge where she arrived in November 1946.

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS SHOREHAM

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above 

(Note on Convoys)