Naval History Homepage and Site Search

 

 

SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2004

HMS ARDENT (H 41) -  A-class Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Achates, sister ship (Navy Photos/Mark Teadham, click to enlarge)

return to Contents List 
 

A-Class Fleet destroyer ordered on 6th March 1928 from Scotts at Greenock and laid down on 30th July that year. She was launched on 26th June 1929 as the 7th RN ship to carry the  name, introduced in 1764 and last borne by a destroyer sunk at the Battle of Jutland in May  1916. Build was completed on 14th March 1930.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

TOULON 1793 - CAMPERDOWN 1797 - COPENHAGEN 1801 - BUENOS AIRES 1807 - BLACK SEA 1854-55 - JUTLAND 1916 - ATLANTIC 1940 - NORWAY 1940 - SCHARNHORST action 1940 - FALKLAND ISLANDS 1982*

(* Awarded to 8th Ship.)

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Black, a Cresset, Silver with flames proper.

 

M o t t o

'Through Fire and Water'

 

 

D e t a i l s   of   S e r v i c e

 

1 9 3 0

March                    Contractors Trials

                14th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                                On completion took passage to Chatham to complete storing and for commissioning.

                23rd        Commissioned for service with 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet.

 

April                       Deployed for work-up in Home waters.

                                No 4 gun mounting found defective and returned to Chatham fir it to be replaced.

 

May                        Under repair.

                19th        Took passage to join Flotilla in Malta.

 

June                        Deployed with Flotilla for exercises and took part in Fleet visits programme.

to

September

 

October                  Flotilla deployment in question due to recurrence of defects.

                31st         Returned to Malta for repair by HM Dockyard.

 

November              Awaiting repair and survey at Malta.

 

December

                1st           Taken in hand for survey and investigation.

 

1 9 3 1

 

January                  Complement reduced and under repair.

to                            Paid-off and reduced to Reserve status.

September

 

October                  Nominated for recommissioning for service in 3rd Flotilla.

 

November

                4th          Re-commissioned and commenced work-up.

December              On completion resumed Flotilla duties.

 

1 9 3 2    t o    1 9 3 3

 

                                Deployed with Flotilla in Mediterranean and took part in Fleet

                                Exercise and Visits Programmes as well as Flotilla exercises

                                and independent visits. Joined in combined exercises with

                                Home Fleet in Gibraltar area during Spring of each year.

 

1 9 3 4

 

January                  Passage to UK to Pay-off and refit.

 

February                Paid-off and recommissioned for service in 3rd Destroyer Flotilla,

                                Mediterranean Fleet.

 

March                    On completion of refit worked-up in Home waters before taking passage

to                            to rejoin Flotilla in Malta.

July

 

August                  Deployed with Flotilla and took part in Fleet Exercises.

to

December

 

1 9 3 5

 

                                Mediterranean deployment with Flotilla in continuation.

                                (Note: Ships of Mediterranean Fleet attended Coronation Review

                                in Spithead during June 1935.)

 

1 9 3 6

 

January                  Flotilla duties in continuation including Fleet and Flotilla exercises

to                            and visits.

August                  (Note: Italian military operations in Abyssinia and the outbreak of

                                the Spanish civil war increased RN activities and ships of the

                                Mediterranean Fleet were kept at an increased state of readiness.)

 

September

                8th          Deployed for Non-Intervention patrols off Spanish coast and provided

                                assistance to British citizens with other ships of the Flotilla..

 

October                  Western Mediterranean patrol and assistance in continuation

                17th        Returned to Malta.

 

November              Flotilla exercises based in Malta

                29th        Resumed Spanish coast patrol including humanitarian aid to refugees.

 

December              Western Mediterranean patrol and assistance duties in continuation.

 

1 9 3 7

 

January                  Patrol duties and Flotilla exercises in continuation

to                            (Note: During this period was deployed as Senior Naval Officer’s ship

February                at Barcelona.)

 

March                    Passage to UK to Pay-off and for Long Refit.

                14th        Paid-off and taken in hand by HM Dockyard, Sheerness.

 

April                       Under refit.

to                            (Note: Work undertaken included installation of anti-submarine detection

December              equipment (ASDIC/(Sonar).)

 

 

1 9 3 8

 

January                  Under refit at Sheerness.

to                            Nominated for service with Devonport Local Flotilla.

March                    (Note: HM Destroyers CODRINGTON, ACHATES and ARDENT of

                                this Class and the older destroyer HMS BROKE were also part

                                of this Flotilla. The A-Class destroyers had been part of the

                                3rd Destroyer Flotilla in Malta with this ship.)

 

April                       Post refit harbour trials.

                                Recommissioned with reduced complement for service in Plymouth Command.

                20th        Refit completion and commenced sea trials

 

May                        On completion of trials worked-up for operational duties and joined Local

                                Flotilla at Plymouth.

 

June                        Plymouth Command duties for Training and as Emergency Destroyer.

to

August

 

September

                24th        Complement increased to War standard because of Munich crisis.

                                Prepared for war service.

 

October

                11th        Complement reduced and resume Local Flotilla duties.

                17th        Taken in hand for docking and essential repairs by HM Dockyard, Devonport.

 

November             

                15th        Resumed duties in Local Flotilla on completion of dockyard work.

 

December              Deployed for Boys Training at Devonport and Emergency duty with Flotilla.

 

1 9 3 9

 

January                  Training duties in continuation including visits to coastal ports in SW England

to                            to Torquay and Dartmouth.).

June

 

July                         At Devonport under dockyard repair.

 

August                  War Station with 18th Destroyer Flotilla for convoy defence and anti-submarine

                                patrol in Channel allocated.

                23rd        Full complement joined and prepared for war service.

 

 

D e t a i l s   of   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)

 

 

September             Joined Flotilla at Portland for convoy defence.

                                (Note: Escorts were provided for first troop convoys to France)

                                Deployed in SW Approaches and Channel.

 

October                  Transferred to Western Approaches Command.

to                            (Note: CinC Western Approaches was based at Plymouth in 1939

December              but later transferred to Liverpool.

                                For details of naval activities in Home waters during 1939 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY

                                MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and Naval Staff History.)

 

1 9 4 0

 

January                  Passage to Liverpool for convoy duties in Western Approaches.

                                Deployed in Irish Sea and SW Approaches.

                30th        During patrol west of Ushant responded to urgent call from HM Sloop

                                FOWEY escorting convoy in which tanker ss VACLITE had been sunk

                                by U-Boat attack. Carried out hunt with HM Destroyer WHITSHED,

                                French destroyer VALMY, HM Sloop FOWEY and SUNDERLAND

                                aircraft of 228 Squadron, RAF Coastal Command.

                30th        U55 forced to surface and briefly engaged aircraft which attacked the

                                the submarine which then scuttled. 41 of submarine crew were rescued

                                by HMS FOWEY and HMS WHITSHED.

                                (For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and HITLER’S

                                U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)

                31st         Joined escort for HM Cruiser AJAX with HMS WHITSHED for passage

                                into Plymouth on return from action again German battleship GRAF

                                SPEE in December 1939.

 

February                Western Approaches deployment in continuation.

 

March                    Deployed for escort of convoys between Clyde and Norway

 

April                       Transferred to Home Fleet after German invasion of Norway for convoy escort.

                14th        Deployed with HMS CODRINGTON and HMS ACHATES as part of escort

                                for military convoy NP1 during passage to Norway with troops for planned

                                landings at Narvik (Operation RUPERT/R4)

                                (For details see Naval Staff History NAVAL OPERATIONS OF THE

                                CAMPAIGN IN NORWAY (HMSO), CARRIER GLORIOUS by John

                                Winton, THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by J Adams and NARVIK by

                                D Macintyre.)

                18th        On release from NP1 deployed for convoy defence and Norway operations.

 

May

                4th          Damaged underwater Dome for Sonar Outfit and returned to UK

                6th          Taken in hand for replacement of Dome.

                18th        On completion resumed operational duties.

                22nd       Escorted troopship ULSTER PRINCE taking military units to Faeroes to

                                replace Royal Marines landed in April (Operation VALENTINE)

                29th        Redeployed for support of Norwegian operations.

                31st         Deployed with HM Destroyers ACASTA, ACHERON, HIGHLANDER

                                and DIANA as escort for HM Aircraft Carriers ARK ROYAL and

                                GLORIOUS during passage from Clyde to Norwegian coast for air

                                operations in support of evacuation of allied forces from Norway

                                Operation ALPHABET).

 

June                        Deployed as escort for HMS ARK ROYAL and HMS GLORIOUS

                                during air operations with return to Harstad for refuelling.

                8th          Detached from HMS ARK ROYAL and joined HM Destroyer ACASTA

                                for escort of HMS GLORIOUS during return passage to Scapa Flow.

                                Under fire from German battleships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU.

                                Laid protective smoke screen to hide British units and engaged enemy ships

                                with main armament of 4.7in guns which was ineffective at range of targets

                                Carried out torpedo attack concurrently despite return fire from battleship’s

                                secondary 5.9in armament. One hit was later made by 4.7in fire and second

                                torpedo attack was made without success. Ship hit repeatedly by enemy fire

                                and capsized with the loss of ten officers and 142 ratings. Sank in position

                                68.45N 4.30E. The only two survivors were rescued by a German seaplane

                                and made Prisoners of War.

                                (For details see above references.)

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS ARDENT

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

 

 

 

 

 

19/09/39

20/09/39

OA 007

22/09/39

22/09/39

25/09/39

25/09/39

OA 010

28/09/39

28/09/39

07/10/39

09/10/39

OA 017

11/10/39

11/10/39

21/10/39

21/10/39

OA 023

23/10/39

26/10/39

31/10/39

01/11/39

OA 028G

02/11/39

03/11/39

02/11/39

02/11/39

OA 029

07/11/39

07/11/39

03/11/39

03/11/39

OG 005

07/11/39

09/11/39

14/11/39

15/11/39

OA 035

19/11/39

19/11/39

08/11/39

19/11/39

HXF 008

21/11/39

21/11/39

22/11/39

22/11/39

OA 039

24/11/39

unknown

16/11/39

02/12/39

SL 009

02/12/39

02/12/39

06/12/39

06/12/39

OA 048

08/12/39

09/12/39

04/12/39

16/12/39

HX 011

18/12/39

18/12/39

20/12/39

20/12/39

OA 057

21/12/39

23/12/39

27/12/39

29/12/39

OA 061

30/12/39

30/12/39

19/12/39

02/01/40

SL 013F

03/01/40

03/01/40

11/01/40

13/01/40

OA 070G

14/01/40

14/01/40

01/04/40

01/04/40

OA 121

04/04/40

04/04/40

11/04/40

13/04/40

NP 001

15/04/40

15/04/40

12/05/40

20/05/40

TC 004

21/05/40

21/05/40

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

back to Contents List
or Naval-History.Net

revised 27/7/11
further editing and formatting is required


 

if any ads offend, please contact Naval-History.Net