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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2003

HMS WALLACE (L 64) - Shakespeare-class Flotilla Leader including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Broke, sister-ship (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

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SHAKESPEARE-Class Flotilla Leader ordered from Thornycroft at Woolston in April 1917 and laid down in August 1918. She was launched on 26th October 1918 as the 1st RN ship to carry the name and remained at Woolston for completion in February 1919. Her sister ships HMS KEPPEL and HMS BROKE were completed in Royal Dockyards. After acceptance she served in the Baltic during operations in support of countries under threat of invasion by the Soviet army, and later with the 1st Destroyer Flotilla Atlantic Fleet before being put in Reserve as part of the post-war economic measures. In 1938 she was selected for conversion into an Anti-Aircraft Escort and taken in hand by HM Dockyard Devonport. On completion of trials and modifications she was deployed in Home waters and took up her war station at Rosyth after the outbreak of war in September 1939. (See General Information). Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in May 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of the county of West Lothian, Scotland. Her build cost was £275,000.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

NORTH SEA 1941-45 - SICILY 1943

 

H e r a l d i c  D a t a

Badge: On a field Red, a Lion rampant Silver

 

M o t t o

Pro Patria: 'For the Fatherland'

 

 

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 Rosyth Escort Force for convoy defence and patrol in North Sea

to                            For details of naval activities in this period see ENGAGE THE

December              ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and Naval Staff History.

                                (Note: East Coast Convoys were subject to increasing air attacks

                                and extensive minelaying, including magnetic mines took place

                                with immediate and dramatic consequences. See BATTLE

                                FOR THE EAST COAST by J P Foynes).

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  East coast convoy defence in continuation.

to                            (Note: Did not take part in evacuation from Dunkirk

May                        (Operation DYNAMO).

 

June                        In action against German minelayers off Lowestoft.

 

July                         East coast convoy escort in continuation.

to

 December

 

1 9 4 1

 

January

                6th          Deployed as escort for Convoy FS95 in North Sea and under

                                air attacks by Ju88 and Do17 aircraft two of which were destroyed

                                by ships of the escort.

 

February                East Coast convoy escort in continuation.

to                            Nominated for refit

May

 

June                        Under refit

to                            Fire control radar Type 285 for AA main armament and Surface

July                         warning radar Type 271 fitted. Type 286 Radar a modified RAF

                                air surface radar may have been fitted since September 1939.

                                (For details of development and use of radar by RN see RADAR

                                AT SEA by D Howse.)

 

August                  Resumed East Coast convoy escort duties on completion of trials.

 

September             East coast convoy escort in continuation

to

 December

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  East coast convoy escort in continuation.

to

February

 

March

                14th        In action against E –Boat attacks during escort of Convoy FN55

                                with HM Destroyers PYTCHLEY and HOLDERNESS.

 

April                       Detached for temporary duty with Home Fleet and escorted

                                mercantiles which had escaped from Swedish ports and were on

                                passage to UK in North Sea (Operation PERFORMANCE)

 

May                        Resumed North Sea convoy escort duties.

 

June                        East coast convoy escort in continuation

to

December

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  East coast convoy escort in continuation.

to                            Nominated for detached service in support of allied landings in

May                        Sicily (Operation HUSKY)

 

June

                                Passage to Clyde to join escort for joint military convoy WS31/KMF17

                21st         Deployed with HM Destroyers ARROW, BLANKNEY, BRECON,

                                BLENCATHRA, BRISSENDEN. HAMBLEDON, LEDBURY, MENDIP,

                                VICEROY, WITHERINGTON and WOOLSTON as escort during

                                Atlantic passage.

                26th        Remained as escort for ships of KMF17 when ships in WS31 detached

                                for passage to Freetown escorted by destroyers from Gibraltar.

                                Took passage to Gibraltar with escort.

 

July                         Deployed for escort of assault and build-up convoys to Sicilian

                                beach heads (Operation HUSKY).

                7th          Sailed from Bone as part of escort for military Convoy KMS18.

                9th          Detached from KMF18 to refuel.

                10th        Joined Escort Group V to provide AA defence in BARK West

                                beach head area.

                                Sustained damage in air attacks.

                                (For details see BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.

                                also ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and

                                Naval Staff History)

 

August                  On release from HUSKY took passage to UK to resume East Coast

                                convoy escort duties.

 

September             East coast convoy escort in continuation.

to                            Note: By this time ship had been fitted with radio telephone

December              equipment for communication with other escorting ships

                                and aircraft. Some ships also carried special radio equipment

                                with trained operators for interception of German radio

                                traffic.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  East coast convoy defence in continuation.

to                            Note: This ship was not deployed for defence of convoys to Normandy

December              beach heads. For details of naval activities before and during and

                                Operation NEPTUNE See above references and LANDINGS IN

                                NORMANDY, June 1944 HMSO)

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  East coast convoy escort duties in continued.

to February           Nominated for withdrawal from operational service.

                                Paid-off and destored.

 

March                    Placed on Disposal List.

                20th        Sold to Clayton and Davie for demolition at Dunston.

                27th        Arrived in tow at breaker’s yard

 

S p e c i a l   N o t e

 

HMS WALLACE spent most of her war service escorting North Sea convoys and like others deployed for this essential service received little publicity. Enemy attacks by E-Boats and aircraft were never relaxed. In addition coastal waters presented many additional dangers when convoys were diverted from recognised swept channels to avoid new minefields. Despite these and the ever changing weather conditions in the area the regular flow of traffic was maintained and the majority of ships in convoy arrived safely. Another of the unsung heroines of the East Coast.

 

 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of  HMS WALLACE

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

 

 

 

 

 

12/09/39

12/09/39

FS 0004

14/09/39

14/09/39

26/10/39

26/10/39

FS 0027

28/10/39

28/10/39

01/11/39

01/11/39

FS 0030

03/11/39

03/11/39

11/11/39

11/11/39

FS 0035

13/11/39

13/11/39

17/11/39

17/11/39

FS 0038

19/11/39

19/11/39

15/11/39

17/11/39

HN 002

18/11/39

18/11/39

11/12/39

11/12/39

FS 0053

12/12/39

12/12/39

26/02/40

26/02/40

FS 0106

28/02/40

28/02/40

04/03/40

04/03/40

FS 0112

06/03/40

06/03/40

17/03/40

17/03/40

FS 0123

19/03/40

19/03/40

20/03/40

20/03/40

FN 0125

22/03/40

22/03/40

25/03/40

25/03/40

FS 0129

27/03/40

27/03/40

02/04/40

02/04/40

FS 0136

04/04/40

04/04/40

14/04/40

14/04/40

FS 0146

16/04/40

16/04/40

21/04/40

21/04/40

FS 0152

23/04/40

23/04/40

01/05/40

01/05/40

FS 0159

03/05/40

03/05/40

20/05/40

20/05/40

FS 0175

22/05/40

22/05/40

28/05/40

28/05/40

FS 0182

30/05/40

30/05/40

31/05/40

31/05/40

FN 0185

02/06/40

02/06/40

03/06/40

03/06/40

FS 0187

05/06/40

05/06/40

06/06/40

06/06/40

FN 0190

08/06/40

08/06/40

14/06/40

14/06/40

FS 0195

16/06/40

16/06/40

17/06/40

17/06/40

FN 0198A

18/06/40

18/06/40

22/06/40

22/06/40

FS 0202

24/06/40

24/06/40

25/06/40

25/06/40

FN 0205

27/06/40

27/06/40

02/07/40

02/07/40

FN 0211

04/07/40

04/07/40

11/07/40

11/07/40

FS 0219

12/07/40

12/07/40

14/07/40

14/07/40

FN 0222

16/07/40

16/07/40

18/07/40

18/07/40

FS 0225

19/07/40

19/07/40

24/07/40

24/07/40

FS 0231

26/07/40

26/07/40

06/09/40

06/09/40

FS 0274

07/09/40

07/09/40

11/09/40

11/09/40

FN 0278

13/09/40

13/09/40

15/09/40

15/09/40

FS 0282

16/09/40

16/09/40

18/09/40

18/09/40

FN 0284

20/09/40

20/09/40

22/09/40

22/09/40

FN 0288

24/09/40

24/09/40

02/10/40

02/10/40

FS 0298

04/10/40

04/10/40

05/10/40

05/10/40

FN 0300

07/10/40

07/10/40

13/10/40

13/10/40

FS 0308

17/10/40

17/10/40

17/10/40

17/10/40

FS 0312

19/10/40

19/10/40

20/10/40

20/10/40

FN 0315

21/10/40

21/10/40

26/10/40

26/10/40

FS 0320

28/10/40

28/10/40

29/10/40

29/10/40

FN 0322

31/10/40

31/10/40

03/11/40

03/11/40

FS 0327

05/11/40

05/11/40

06/11/40

06/11/40

FN 0328

08/11/40

08/11/40

08/11/40

09/11/40

FN 0329

10/11/40

10/11/40

15/11/40

15/11/40

FS 0336

17/11/40

17/11/40

18/11/40

18/11/40

FN 0337

20/11/40

20/11/40

23/11/40

23/11/40

FS 0343

25/11/40

25/11/40

26/11/40

26/11/40

FN 0343

28/11/40

28/11/40

06/12/40

06/12/40

FS 0354

08/12/40

08/12/40

09/12/40

09/12/40

FN 0355

11/12/40

11/12/40

19/12/40

19/12/40

FS 0364

22/12/40

22/12/40

27/12/40

27/12/40

FS 0372

29/12/40

29/12/40

04/01/41

04/01/41

FS 0379

06/01/41

06/01/41

15/01/41

15/01/41

FS 0389

17/01/41

17/01/41

23/01/41

23/01/41

FS 0395

26/01/41

26/01/41

28/01/41

28/01/41

FN 0394

30/01/41

30/01/41

18/11/41

18/11/41

EN 008

20/11/41

21/11/41

28/06/43

28/06/43

MKF 017

30/06/43

30/06/43

13/06/43

02/07/43

UGS 010

06/07/43

10/07/43

28/06/43

07/07/43

KMF 018

10/07/43

11/07/43

22/07/43

22/07/43

GUS 010X

25/07/43

13/08/43

26/07/43

29/07/43

MKS 019Y

29/07/43

31/07/43

31/07/43

31/07/43

MKF 020

04/08/43

11/08/43

31/07/43

31/07/43

MKS 020

04/08/43

10/08/43

 

 

 

 

 

 (Note on Convoys)
 

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