INSECT-Class
River Gunboat ordered from Lobnitz and
launched on 12th April 1916 as the 1st RN
ship to carry the name. After
completion 1917 she was deployed in the
Mediterranean where she supported army
operations and carried out patrol duties. In
1919 she began service on the
China Station and joined the Yangtse
Flotilla to protect British shipping and
British nationals during an emergency. The
ship was damaged by Japanese
artillery after the Japanese invasion of
China in 1938.
B
a t
t l e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN
1940-41 -
LIBYA 1940-41
H
e r
a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field White, a Ladybird proper.
M
o t t o
Ne sperne Fortuna : ' Do not throw away
your luck
'
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
with the Yangtse Flotilla.
to
Nominated for service
In the Mediterranean
December
1
9 4 0
January
Took
passage to Mediterranean.
to
On arrival deployed
for
bombardment of enemy positions on North
African coast.
July
August
23rd Carried
out bombardment of Bardia harbour with HM
Australian Destroyer
WATERHEN
September
Deployed for gunfire support of 8th
Army advance towards Tobruk.
to
November
December
9th Deployed
with HM Monitor TERROR and HM
River Gunboats APHIS and GNAT
as
Force A
.
Bombarded
Tobruk in
support of ANZAC troops
.
Took
passage
to Alexandria.
1
9 4 1
January
21st
Deployed
with HMS TERROR, HMS APHIS, HM Australian
Destroyers STUART,
VOYAGER
and VAMPIRE for support of ANZAC Brigade
in final assault on
Tobruk.
February
Nominated
for support of commando
raid on Castellorizo.
Joined HM
Destroyers HEREWARD and DECOY.
5th
Landed troops and deployed for gunfire
support.
(Note:
This requirement for this operation
was ill-judged and its execution
proved
unsatisfactory)
March
Resumed
service in support of army
operations.
April
Deployed
in support of 8th Army
withdrawal operations.
15th
Bombarded Gazala
18th
Bombarded enemy positions near
Sollum.
May
Support
duties in continuation.
12th
Came
under German dive bombing attacks during
air raid on Tobruk harbour.
Sustained major
damage and sank.
Wreck only
partially submerged.
(Casualty
List - note
on casualties)
(Note:
Some of the guns on the hulk were used
by army
personnel for defence
during
air raids).
Post War Notes.
This
name was reintroduced in 1950 when given to
the China
Navigation Company's mercantile ss WUSUEH
which was requisitioned at Hong Kong. This
ship was then used as the RN Headquarters
Ship at Sasebo, Japan during the
Korean War. She paid off in 1953 after the
armistice and was returned to her
former owners.