HALCYON-Class
Minesweeper ordered from HM
Dockyard Devonport on 2nd March
1936 with propulsion
machinery
to be supplied by JS White, Cowes..
The ship was laid down on 27th April
1936 and launched on 28th
October 1936. She was the 8th
RN warship to carry this name which
had been introduced for a 40 Gun ship
taken
as Prize in 1794 and renamed BLONDE in
1804 The last
to carry the name was a 5th Rate
in 1873
. Build was
completed on 23rd October 1937
and this ship was adopted by the
civil
community of Hemsworth Urban
District
in the West
Riding of Yorkshire after a WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign in
March
1942.
B a
t t l
e H o n o u r s
ST
LUCIA
1796 -
EGYPT
1801 -
DUNKIRK 1940 - ARCTIC
1941-42 - MALTA
CONVOYS 1942 - SICILY
1943
H e
r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Red a two handled
Drinking
Cup.
M o
t t o
'En
Attendante'
M a
n n i
n g D i
v i s i
o n
Devonport
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
July
Deployed with HM Fleet Minesweepers
BRAMBLE, BRITOMART, HAZARD, SEAGULL
SHARPSHOOTER and SPEEDY in 1st
Minesweeping Flotilla.
August
Carried out minesweeping trial in Lyme Bay
with ships of Flotilla..
(Note: This field had been specially laid
to establish minesweeping capabilities.
50 mines were swept.)
Took passage to War Station with Flotilla
at Scapa Flow.
September
Deployed with Flotilla for minesweeping
operations to ensure clear passage for
Home Fleet ships in and out of Fleet
anchorage.
October
Scapa Flow deployment in continuation.
14th
Transferred to Clyde and cleared British
deep anti-submarine mine field off
Gourock.
(Note: Home Fleet units were moved to
Clyde area after the sinking of HM
Battleship ROYAL OAK at anchor in Scapa
Flow by a torpedo from U47
which penetrated the anchorage.)
November
Resumed North Sea Service to ensure
passages through East Coast Mine
Barrier were kept clear of mines.
(Note: Extensive enemy minelaying using
magnetic mines was being carried
out in North Sea. See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C Barnett.)
December
Transferred to Stornoway for Atlantic
convoy escort duties with Flotilla
1 9 4 0
January
Returned to Scapa Flow for Fleet duties.
February
Home Fleet mine clearance duties in
continuation.
March
Nominated for transfer on loan to the
newly 6th Minesweeping Flotilla and took
passage
to Dover to join Flotilla as Senior
Officer’s ship.
April
Deployed at Dover for minesweeping Dover
Command and duty as Flagship for Flag
Officer Dover and Senior Officer of
Flotilla.
(Note: Other sister ships in the Flotilla
were HALCYON, HUSSAR and SPEEDWELL.
May
Deployment at Dover in continuation.
28th
Nominated for support of evacuation of
allied troops from Dunkirk.
(Operation DYNAMO)
Sailed for La Panne.
29th
On arrival during dive bombing attacks on
beaches embarked 66 troops including
stretcher cases.
Took passage back to Dover.
Ordered to Dunkirk harbour to embark
Captain Bush for duty off the beaches as
Senior Officer
(Afloat).
Sailed from Dover
After arrival came under attacks by three
He111 aircraft without damage.
Embarked survivors from ss CRESTED EAGLE
which had been sunk in an earlier air
raid.
30th
Embarked Rear Admiral WF Wake-Walker from
HM Destroyer ESK who was relieving
Captain Bush as SO Afloat at Dunkirk.
Returned to beaches and embarked more
troops.
(Note: SNO (Afloat) later transferred to
HM Destroyer KEITH.)
Took return passage to Dover with 633
troops.
31st
Sailed from Dover for further support of
evacuation
Under fire from shore batteries at La
Panne and move further to the West.
Came under direct dive bombing by four
aircraft which caused significant damage
by near
misses
and
some minor casualties.
One aircraft was shot down by AA fire from
ship.
Lord Gort, CinC BEF embarked from yacht
and more troops embarked from beaches.
(Note: Pennant Number for visual
signalling purposes changed to J24 as part
of total
revision for all RN ships of these
identities.)
Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to J82 as part of changes
in all RN warships.
June
1st
Lord Gort disembarked for transfer.
Took passage from Dunkirk to return to
Dover with 365 troops.
On arrival 28 of ships company were taken
to hospital and troops landed
Ship withdrawn from DYNAMO and repair
arranged at Portsmouth.
Took passage to Portsmouth
5th
Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard.
10th
On completion resumed service with 1st
Flotilla and took passage to Scapa Flow
July
Deployed with Flotilla for Home Fleet
minesweeping duties based at Scapa Flow
to
Nominate for refit at Leith
October
November
Passage from Scapa Flow to Leith
15th
Taken hand at commercial shipyard in
Leith.
December
Under refit
1 9 4 1
January
Under refit
February
Carried out harbour trials
3rd
Shipyard work completed
8th
Sustained structural damage to stem in
collision.
9th
Under repair by HM Dockyard Rosyth.
22nd
Resumed Flotilla duties on completion.
Passage to Harwich
March
Deployed with HM Fleet Minesweepers
BRAMBLE, BRITOMART and SHARPSHOOTER
at Harwich for mine clearance operations
between the Thames Estuary and Portsmouth
(Note: HMS BRAMBLE was hit by bomb during
air raid at Harwich.)
April
Under repair.
May
On completion rejoined Flotilla which had
been transferred to Western Approaches
Command
for convoy escort and based at Stornoway.
(Note: This change was made in view of the
shortage of escorts caused by the losses
and
damage during 1940 during evacuation
operations and the increase in threat of
U-Boat
attacks on convoys after bases in French
ports became available. See HITLER’S
U-BOAT
WAR by C Blair and U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO).)
June
Atlantic convoy defence with 3rd Escort
Group and Irish Sea Escort Force
to
in continuation.
August
(Note: During periods when not required
for escort these minesweeper were deployed
for
minesweeping in Western Approaches.)
September
Nominated for detached service in North
Russia.
(Note: Three HALCYON Class Fleet
Minesweepers had been transferred to North
Russia
in August for minesweeping and convoy
escort in the White Sea based at Archangel.).
16th
Under repair in Belfast commercial
shipyard..
(Note: Ship may have not have been
‘Articised’. To be confirmed
October
Under repair
November
9th
On completion took passage to Iceland to
join Russian Convoy as part of escort for
passage
to Murmansk
27th
Sailed from Hvalfjord, Iceland with HM Fleet
Minesweepers SHARPSHOOTER and HAZARD
as escort for PQ 5.
December
1st
HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD joined escort
7th
Detached from PQ5 with HMS SHEFFIELD and
HMS HAZARD.
Passage to Archangel.
29th
Deployed with HM Fleet Minesweepers
BRAMBLE, LEDA, SPEEDY and two trawlers for
escort of outward Convoy QP4 during
passage from Archangel.
1 9 4 2
January
5th
Detached from QP4 with HMS BRAMBLE and
took independent passage to UK
(Note: QP4 dispersed on 9th and took
independent passage to ICELAND.)
Resumed Flotilla duties in NW Approaches
February
Nominated for refit and took passage to
Humber.
9th
Taken in hand for refit at Immingham in
commercial shipyard.
(Note: ‘Articisation’ to be confirmed.)
March
Nominated for further detached service in
North Russia.
11th
On completion of shipyard work carried out
post refit trials.
Took passage to Iceland to join escort of
Convoy PQ14 during passage from Iceland to
Murmansk.
April
5th
Sailed from Iceland with HMS SPEEDY as
part of escort for PQ14.
12th
Sustained significant damage during
passage in ice.
Withdrawn from service for repair and took
passage to Humber
(Note: 18 mercantiles in convoy were also
forced to return due to ice damage.)
May
Under repair
25th
Carried out post repair trials and resumed
Flotilla duties.
Nominated for foreign service
Passage to Clyde to join military convoy
June
6th
Joined Convoy WS19S in NW Approaches as
part of Ocean Escort for passage to
Gibraltar.
(Note: Home Fleet ships deployed with
WS19S included HM Cruisers LIVERPOOL,
KENYA, HM Destroyers ONSLOW, ICARUS,
BEDOUIN, HM Escort
Destroyer BADSWORTH and Polish destroyer
ORP KUJAWIAK).
12th
Joined HM
Cruiser
CAIRO, HM Destroyers BEDOUIN,
MARNE, MATCHLESS,
PARTRIDGE,
ITHURIEL, BLANKNEY, MIDDLETON , HM
Escort Destroyer
BADSWORTH and ORP KUJAWIAK, HM
Minesweepers SPEEDY, HYTHE
and RYE
as Force X at Gibraltar
for escort of convoy for passage to Malta
.
through Sicilian Narrows.
14th
Under heavy and sustained air attacks
during which HMS LIVERPOOL was damaged
and had to return to Gibraltar.
15th
In action with Italian warships attempting
to intercept and attack convoy.
(For details see THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre,
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and MALTA
CONVOYS by R
Woodman.)
Sustained slight damage during engagement
with Italian cruiser.
16th
Sustained major structural damage forward
after detonating a mine whilst entering
Grand Harbour, Malta with the two
mercantiles which survived passage of
HARPOON,
17th
Under repair by HM Dockyard, Malta
July
On completion of repair commenced
minesweeping duties with Flotilla based
in Malta.
August
Deployed with HM Fleet Minesweepers
SPEEDY, HYTHE and RYE in support
of passage of PEDESTAL Convoy during
passage into Malta from Gibraltar.
13th
Assisted damaged tanker OHIO into Malta.
September
Malta deployment with Flotilla in
continuation.
to
October
1
9 4 3
November
22nd
Sunk off Bari, Italy after detonating
mine laid by U453 earlier in the month.
Bulkhead in Boiler Room demolished by two
explosions.
Ship capsized and sank very quickly. 35 of
ship’s company were killed and of the
72 survivors, 36 were injured.
Addendum
Link
to
www.halcyon-class.co.uk
by
Bill Burn