Modified BLACK SWAN-Class Sloop ordered from Yarrow's at Scotstoun under 1940 Build Programme on 13th April 1940. The ship was
laid down on 31st October 1941 and launched on 25th August
by Mrs White as
the 1st RN ship to carry the name.
Build was completed on 12th January 1943. An
anti-submarine
ahead throwing
mortar (HEDGEHOG) and a centimetric surface warning radar, Type 272
as well as a standard fire
control radar,
Type 285, were fitted during build. After a successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 the ship had been adopted by
the civil community of Hornsea,
then in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
SICILY 1943 - ATLANTIC 1943-44 - NORMANDY 1944 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1944
- ARCTIC 1944 - OKINAWA 1945
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field White, a Whimbrel
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 4 3
January
Contractor's trials and commissioned for service
12th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
Nominated for service in 2nd Escort Group, Western Approaches Command.
Passage to Tobermory on completion of trials and storing.
February On
completion of work-up for operational service at Tobermory joined Group at
Liverpool
for defence of
Atlantic convoys.
March Deployed
with Group for defence of North Atlantic convoys.
Part of escort for Convoys outward Convoy ON170 and inward Convoy SC123.
(Note: For details of dates of departure and arrival for all convoys see ALLIED
CONVOY
SYSTEM by A Hague.)
April
Transferred for escort of OS Series Convoys to West Africa and return SL series
convoys to
Liverpool.
Deployed for escort of outward Convoy OS46 and return convoy SL129 to Liverpool.
May Under
refit in Clyde shipyard
June On
completion of post refit trials joined 7th Escort Group baaed at Greenock for
escort of
convoys on
UK - Gibraltar route.
Part of escort for military convoy to Gibraltar.
Nominated for support of allied landings In Sicily.
(Operation HUSKY: For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett.
Naval Staff History and for information about all mercantiles and warships
involved BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
July
Deployed for escort for military convoy to Gibraltar.
10th Joined
Support Force East for escort and support of Sicily landings.
August Resumed
Atlantic convoy escort duties.
September Deployed for
escort of convoy from Gibraltar to USA and returned with Convoy UT1/
(Note: Convoy comprised troopships and tankers on passage to Liverpool.
October Escorted
UK-Gibraltar convoy followed by convoy from Gibraltar to Canada
November On return
from Canada taken in hand for refit in commercial shipyard at Hartlepool.
December Under refit.
1 9 4 4
January Under
refit.
February On
completion of post refit trials joined 2nd Escort Group.
(Note: The Group was deployed in the Support role to ensure the safe passage of
Atlantic convoys.
For details of development of new weapons and tactics see SEEK AND STRIKE
by
W Hackmann and RELENTLESS PURSUIT by D E C Weymss).
March
Transferred with ships of EG2 to provide A/S defence of Russian Convoys.
(For details of all Russian convoys see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, CONVOY!
by
P Kemp, ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman and THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B
Schoefield.)
29th Joined Russian Convoy JW58 in support role with HM Sloops STARLING,
WILD GOOSE,
MAGPIE ,WREN, HM Destroyers BEAGLE, BOADICEA, KEPPEL and WALKER
(Note: HM Cruiser DIADEM and 11 Home Fleet destroyers were also employed.
The convoy also included the US Navy Cruiser MILWAUKEE on passage for transfer
to
the Soviet Navy.
Distant cover was available by Home Fleet ships concurrently carrying out
Operation
TUNGSTEN, air attacks on German battleship TIRPITZ - See references,)
April
4th Detached
from JW58 on arrival at Kola Inlet.
(Note: During passage several unsuccessful attempts were made by U-Boats.
No
mercantiles were lost or damaged and three u-Boats were sunk.
See
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR and above references.)
7th Joined
escort for returning Convoy RA58 with Group.
(Note: Other ships deployed were HM Escort Carriers ACTIVITY ,TRACKER
HM Destroyers
IMPULSIVE, OBEDIENT, ORIBI, SCORPION and two corvettes.
14th Detached
from RA59 on arrival at Loch Ewe after uninterrupted passage.
16th Under
weather repair damage in Liverpool.
May On
completion of repair Rejoined Group for operations in support role against
assemblies of
U-Boats threatening passage of convoys in NW Approaches.
5th Deployed
with Group and HMS TRACKER to carry out attacks on submarines located by D/F
‘fixes' and air sightings. See SEEK
AND STRIKE and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
(Note: U473 was sunk during these operations. See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.).
25th Deployed
in SW Approaches with ships of Group to deny access to Channel area by
U-Boats
Nominated for support of planned Allied landings in Normandy.
Allocated for service Force G for escort of Build-up Convoy in 113th(?) Escort
Group
(Operation NEPTUNE - For details of naval activities before and during landings
see
LANDINGS IN NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO) , OPERATION NEPTUNE by K
Edwards and D-DAY SHIPS by J de Winser.).
June Passage
to Bristol Channel to join HM Sloop HART, HM Destroyer BLENCATHRA, HM
Frigates WHITTAKER and WALDEGRAVE as escort for Convoy EBP2 .
(Note: HM Frigates SPRAGGE and STOCKHAM of 112 Escort Group were also deployed.
Convoy consisted of five Personnel ships carrying pre-loaded US Army Build-
up
Division to Western Task Force
area.
4th
Operation postponed 24 hours.
6th Joined
EPB2 with ship of 112th and 113th Escort Groups in
Bristol Channel.
7th Passage
to Solent as escort for EBP2.
8th Detached
from EBP2 on arrival off beach head and took passage to
Plymouth.
Deployed in Channel
27th Retained
in Channel for escort and anti-submarine patrol duties on termination of
NEPTUNE.
July Channel
deployment in continuation.
to
August
September Under repair at
Sheerness.
October On
completion redeployed in Western Approaches for escort and support duty.
Nominated for service with British Pacific Fleet after refit.
November Taken in hand
for refit at Newport, South Wales and prepared for Pacific service.
December Under refit.
14th On
completion of post refit trials worked up in Home waters.
1 9 4 5
January Work-up in
continuation.
18th Took
passage to Malta for further work up and exercises with other frigates going
to
Far East.
February Carried out
work-up exercises with ships of Mediterranean Fleet in Malta.
21st Took
passage to join British Pacific Fleet with calls at
Colombo and Sydney.
March On passage
April Arrived
at British Forward Base in Manus ,
Admiralty Islands.
Nominated for duty with Fleet Train.
May
Joined Fleet Train to provide AA defence.
Deployed for AA defence in replenishment area ,
(Note: British Task Force 57 were carrying out attacks on Sakishima Gunto Group
airfields.
For
details see OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray, THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by
J Winton, WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) and TASK FORCE 57 by P Smith.)
June Fleet
Train AA defence in continuation until end of Sakishima operations by TF57.
July Remained
with Replenishment Group when BPF operations began off Formosa and in
off
Japan.
August
13th Returned
to Sydney with Fleet Train when British Pacific Fleet operations by
re-designated
British Task Force 37 off Japan
were terminated.
20th Deployed
under RN control and passage to Hong Kong for support of repatriation
operations
and defence of British Flagged ships in Chinese waters.
P o s
t W a r
N o t e s
HMS
WHIMBREL
remained in the Far East for defence of trade until the end of 1946. The ship
then returned to UK to Pay-off into Reserve at Harwich. S was laid up in the Sheerness Division of the Reserve Fleet until being placed
on the Disposal List. Sold to Egypt in November 1949 she was renamed EL MALEK
FAROUK and began service in the Egyptian Navy. Renamed TARIQ in 1954 when King
Farouk was deposed this Sloop was still in use in 1990 as a training and
accommodation ship. Possible purchase for return to UK was reported in recent
years but this had not been concluded in 2004.
Addenda
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
WHIMBREL
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
03/03/43
|
03/03/43
|
ON 170
|
15/03/43
|
20/03/43
|
14/03/43
|
21/03/43
|
SC 123
|
01/04/43
|
03/04/43
|
15/04/43
|
16/04/43
|
OS 046KM
|
24/04/43
|
24/04/43
|
24/04/43
|
24/04/43
|
OS 046
|
03/05/43
|
03/05/43
|
11/05/43
|
11/05/43
|
SL 129
|
24/05/43
|
23/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
SL 129MK
|
29/05/43
|
01/06/43
|
28/06/43
|
28/06/43
|
KMF 018
|
07/07/43
|
11/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
GUS 010
|
22/07/43
|
09/08/43
|
18/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
MKS 018
|
22/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
21/08/43
|
21/08/43
|
UT 001
|
04/09/43
|
04/09/43
|
17/09/43
|
17/09/43
|
OS 055KM
|
27/09/43
|
28/09/43
|
04/10/43
|
04/10/43
|
MKS 026G
|
05/10/43
|
05/10/43
|
05/10/43
|
05/10/43
|
SL 137MK
|
17/10/43
|
17/10/43
|
24/10/43
|
25/10/43
|
ON 208
|
31/10/43
|
07/11/43
|
24/10/43
|
02/11/43
|
HX 263
|
05/11/43
|
08/11/43
|
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
|
14/02/44
|
18/02/44
|
ON 224
|
20/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
13/03/44
|
17/03/44
|
ONS 031
|
19/03/44
|
30/03/44
|
27/03/44
|
29/03/44
|
JW 058
|
04/04/44
|
04/04/44
|
07/04/44
|
07/04/44
|
RA 058
|
14/04/44
|
14/04/44
|
07/07/44
|
07/07/44
|
ECM 025
|
08/07/44
|
08/07/44
|
14/10/44
|
15/10/44
|
ONS 034
|
17/10/44
|
01/11/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)
HMS WHIMBREL (1942-1949) BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC PROJECT
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
by Rod Puddock
The HMS WHIMBREL (1942-1949) Battle of the Atlantic Memorial
project is currently dormant after failed attempts to negotiate a sale from
the Egyptian (Mubarak) government. In due course it is hoped to reopen
negotiations with the new regime.
Meanwhile the naval architect and archivist for the project
Rod Pudduck who surveyed the ship in 2005 holds a collection of technical
information which it is hoped can be used one day to conserve the ship and
restore her to her 1940s RN condition. A specification has been completed
however much more technical information will be needed to supplement
presently available drawings and photographs. Can you fill any gaps?
In particular any photos of the interior of WHIMBREL or any
of the class could be helpful. Snaps of crew members can show background
detail such as mess kit and domestic articles, engine room controls, bridge
detail etc. Whilst the Egyptian Navy has made few major changes to the ship,
little of the original communications and radar equipment has survived hence
any information about the WT, Transmitting Station and RDF rooms would
therefore be extremely valuable. All information however slight would be
welcome. For example, who remembers when the original western approaches
blue and white camouflage paint scheme was changed? What was the colour of
the deck coverings in the crews galley and passageways? What colours were
used for hand-wheels in the engine room? What bright work was kept
polished?
In addition to collecting technical material Rod is writing
the history of the ship. E-mail contributions have been gratefully received
from all round the world. from ex-crew and family members with direct
knowledge of HMS Whimbrel and also from other Black Swan sister ships. He
has interviewed several of the wartime crew members, now of course all very
old gentlemen, but all with pin-sharp memories that greatly will help make
the history of the ship more "alive". Rod intends to include as much
as possible of the human experiences in the book. By this means, even if we
are not successful in bringing the ship home at least there will be a
published record of the very valuable contribution of U29 and her class to
the Battle of the Atlantic with special references and a tribute to the
young men who served in these ships.
If you think you can help, please contact Rod at
rodshome@dsl.pipex.com,
or send by post to:
Rod Pudduck, Jones House, Jones Hill, Bradford-on-Avon,
Wiltshire BA15 2EE.
All offered material will be carefully handled & returned if
required, with the appreciation of the project and acknowledgement where
possible will be included in the book.