1
9 3 9
September
Deployed
as Leader of 11th Destroyer Flotilla at
Plymouth
for convoy defence and
anti-submarine
patrol in English
Channel
and SW Approaches.
(Note:
Other ships in Flotilla were HM
Destroyers
VANQUISHER, VANSITTART, VIMY,
WALKER,
WARWICK,
WHIRLWIND
and WINCHELSEA.)
11th
During escort of Convoy OB3 in SW
Approaches with HM Destroyer WINCHELSEA
detached
to assist HM
Destroyers WALKER and VANSITTART which
had
collided and sustained both
damage and
casualties.
October
Atlantic convoy defence in SW
Approaches in continuation with
Flotilla.
(For
details of naval activities in Home
waters during 1939 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett,
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR and Naval Staff
History.
1
9 4 0
January
Atlantic
and SW Approaches convoy
defence in continuation.
February
24th
Escorted Inward Convoy HG 19 from Gibraltar
during passage in SW
Approaches to Liverpool
with H M
Sloops BIDEFORD, LEITH,
HM Destroyers WALPOLE and
WINCHELSEA.
27th
Detached from HG19 in Irish
Sea..
March
Plymouth
convoy defence deployment in
continuation
to
April
May
(Note:
Western Approaches Command headquarters
transferred
to Liverpool
during this period
and ships in
Command were based in Liverpool.)
24th
Transferred to Dover
Command for support of military
operations in Channel.
26th
Took part in evacuation of troops from Dunkirk
(Operation DYNAMO)
Passage to Beach
head and embarked 581 troops for return
passage to Dover,
27th
Passage to Dunkirk
to embark troops.
28th
Ship damaged in collision with HM
Destroyer MONTROSE off Dunkirk
and grounded
(Note:
Propellers damaged and ship withdrawn
from service
for repair.
Docked and taken
in hand for repair to propellers..
(Note:
Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes changed
to I70.)
June
On completion of repair
resumed service in Dover Command and
deployed for evacuation of
allied troops
and civilians from Brest
(Operation CYCLE)
(Note: One
source records ship also deployed at La
Pallice. To
be confirmed
For details of
evacuation operations at Dunkirk
and other French Cannel ports see BEF
SHIPS by
J de S
Winser
and Naval Staff History (HMSO-2002
)
July
Transferred to
16th Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich for
convoy defence and
patrol
North
Sea
and
Channel.
(Note:
Other ships in this Flotilla included HM
Destroyers
WALPOLE, WHITSHED and
WORCESTER.)
August
Deployed
on convoy defence and anti-invasion
patrols.
(For details of North
Sea convoy defence see THREE
CORVETTES by N Monsarrat,
HOLD
THE NARROW
SEA
by P Smith, THE BATTLE
OF THE NARROW
SEAS
by P Scott and THE
BATTLE
OF THE EAST
COAST
by JP Foynes.)
September
Flotilla
deployment for North Sea convoy defence and interception patrol against E-Boata
in
to
December
continuation.
1
9 4 1
Deployment at Harwich for North
Sea
convoy defence continued
throughout the year apart from
a refit
during which an RAF radar outfit
modified for naval use was fitted to
give
warning of
the approach
of aircraft. Fire control radar Type 285
for the main armament was also
installed..
For details of development and use of
radar by the RN see RADAR AT SEA
by D House.
Additional Close range weapons were
provided to improve defence against air
attacks.
(Note:
Further research is required to provide
more details of 1941 deployment)
1
9 4 2
January
Flotilla
duties for Convoy defence and patrol in
continuation.
February
12th
Took part in Flotilla exercises with HM
Destroyers WHITSHED
and WALPOLE
of 16th
Destroyer Flotilla
and HM Destroyers CAMPBELL,
VIVACIOUS and WORCESTER
of 21st
Flotilla.
Diverted
to intercept German warships
SCHARNHORST, GNEISENAU and PRINZ EUGEN
that were on
passage through English
Channel
from Brest
to Wilhelmshaven.
Carried
out unsuccessful torpedo attacks and
under heavy fire from enemy snipe and
attacks from
aircraft.
(For
details see THE CHANNEL DASH by T
Robertson and above references.
Resumed East coast
duties after return to Harwich.
March
North
Sea
and Channel Convoy defence
in continuation.
Nominated
for conversion to Short Range Escort
April
Under
conversion
to
(Note: Radar Type 271 was fitted to
provide warning of surface attacks and
also for navigational
August
use.
See above
reference and V AND
W DESTROYERS by A Preston
for details.)
September
On
completion of trials and work-up
detached for duty with Hone Fleet
Deployed
as part of screen for HM Battleships
ANSON and DUKE OF YORK,
HM Cruiser
JAMAICA
with HM Destroyers BRAMHAM,
KEPPEL and MONTROSE to provide Distant
Cover
for Russian Convoy JW18, returning
Convoy OP14 from Kola Inlet and
operation to
support
allied garrison at Spitsbergen
(Operation GEARBOX)
(For details of all Russian Convoy
operations see ARCTIC CONVOYS by R
Woodman,
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield,
CONVOY! by P
Kemp and
CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA
by R. A. Ruegg).
October
Resumed
Flotilla duties at Harwich after release
from Home Fleet. Flotilla duties for North
Sea
November
Convoy defence duties in
continuation at Harwich.
to
December
1
9 4 3
January
Convoy
defence and patrol from Harwich in
continuation with Flotilla.
to
February
March
7th
In action against E-Boats attacking
convoy near Sunk Lightship with MTB's
17, 20 and 21 of
Light
Coastal Forces.
April
Convoy
defence and patrol based at Harwich in
continuation.
to
May
June
Flotilla duties at Harwich in
continuation.
22nd
Towed abandoned and grounded WALRUS
aircraft from Gunfleet
Sands to Harwich.
(Note: This
aircraft had been carrying out Air-Sea
Rescue
duties and had run cut
of fuel.
See
THE BATTLE OF THE EAST
COAST.)
July
Flotilla duties at Harwich in
continuation.
to
September
October
Escorted
forth Sea Convoy FN160 with HM
Destroyers PYTCHLEY, WORCESIER,
EGLINTON
and CAMPBELL.
27th
Drove off series of attacks on convoy
off Cromer by German Torpedo Boats with
HMS
PYTCHLEY, HMS
WORCESTER, Motor Gunboats and Motor
Launches of
Coastal Forces.
November
Convoy
defence in continuation.
to
Detached for escort of coastal convoys
in
Channel.
December
1
9 4 4
January
Deployed in SW Approaches for
coastal convoy defence.
5th
In action with other escorts against
E-Boats attacking Convoy WP457 off Mounts
Bay.
(Note: Two
mercantiles
and HM
Trawler WALLASEA were lost in this
engagement.)
February
Resumed
duties based at Harwich.
March
North
Sea
convoy defence and
interception patrol duties in
continuation.
April
Nominated
for duty in support of planned allied
landings in Normandy
(Operation NEPTUNE).
to
(For details of activities prior to and
during the allied landing see LANDINGS
IN NORMANDY,
May
June
1944 (HMSO)
and OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards.
North
Sea
convoy defence and patrol in
continuation.
June
3rd
Joined HM Destroyer SOUTHDOWN, HM
Corvettes POTENTILLA and VERVAIN to
form
Escort
Group 102 with 2 Motor Launches.
4th
Operation delayed by 24 hours.
5th
Passage to Thames
estuary to
meet Convoy ETM2.
(Note:
Convoy comprised 25 MT ships and four
others taking
Pre-Loaded British Build-up
Division
to Eastern Task
Force area.)
6th
Escorted Convoy ETM2
with
Group and HM Corvettes POPPY and
STATICE to Spithead.
7th
Passage to beach head through swept
channel with Convoy.
8th
After arrival took passage to return
to Thames Estuary.
9th
Deployed with Group for escort of
Build-up convoys in accordance with
pre-arranged plan
for Build-up.
On
release from NEPTUNE
resumed Flotilla duties at Harwich
for- North Sea
convoys.
July
Harwich deployment in
continuation
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Deployed
in North
Sea
and Channel for convoy defence and
patrol.
to
(Note: During this period Atlantic
convoys were re-routed through English Channel as the
April
threat
of air attacks had beer, removed by the
loss of air bases in western France.
Extensive
attacks by E-Boats, submersibles and
minelaying were being made.
See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and HOLD
THE NARROW
SEA).
May
Deployed in support of operations to
re-occupy ports in Norway.
16th
Escorted minesweepers with HM Destroyer
VICEROY during clearance operations
before entry
into Trondheim.
June
Deployed
in Nore Command.