Flotilla
Leader for E-Class Fleet destroyers ordered on 1st November 1932 under the 1931 Build Programme
from HM Dockyard, Portsmouth with propulsion machinery provided by Fairfield at Govan, Glasgow. The ship was laid down in No 8
Dry dock on 15th May 1933 and floated out on 30th January 1934, prior to a
formal naming ceremony the
next day. She was the third major RN warship to carry the name, introduced in
1854 for a 2nd Rate screw ship
later used as a training ship until sold in 1905. It was last borne by a
battleship launched in 1901 and scrapped in
1920. This name commemorates the name of Viscount Exmouth formerly Admiral
Edward Pellew. Three other
ships, two of which were vessels hired during WW1 also carried this name. Build of this Flotilla Leader was
completed on 9th November 1934.
B a t t l e H
o n o u r s
BALTIC 1854-55 - BELGIAN COAST 1914 - DARDANELLES 1915 - ATLANTIC 1939
H e r a l d i c
D a t a
Badge: On a
Field Red, a lion passant Gold.
M o t t o:
Deo Adjuvante: 'By God’s help'
Manning Division: Portsmouth
D e t a i l s
o f P r e - W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 3 4
November Contractors trials
9th Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
11th Commissioned for service as Leader of 5th Destroyer
Flotilla, Home Fleet
(Note:
Other destroyers of Flotilla ships were:
HM Destroyers ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE,
ECHO, ENCOUNTER,
ELECTRA, ESCORT, EXPRESS and ESK.)
December On completion of storing and work-up joined ships of
Flotilla in Home Fleet.
1 9 3 5
January
Deployed for Flotilla duties in Home Fleet including Spring
cruise exercise programme.
to July
Nominated for service in Mediterranean after outbreak of war
between Italy and
Abyssinia.
August
Passage to Mediterranean for detached service with Flotilla in
Mediterranean Fleet.
September Deployed with Flotilla in Mediterranean and took part in
Fleet and Flotilla exercises.
to
September
October
4th Taken in hand for refit at Alexandria.
November Under refit
to
December
1 9 3 6
January
Post refit harbour trials
5th Refit completion and commenced sea trials.
On completion resumed duty as Leader of Flotilla
in Mediterranean Fleet.
February Flotilla duties in Mediterranean in continuation.
March
Detached service in Mediterranean terminated and took passage to
return to Home Fleet
with ships of Flotilla.
April Resumed Home Fleet duties with Flotilla after Leave
period
May
Deployed with Flotilla in Home Fleet and took part in Fleet and
Flotilla exercises.
to July
August
Nominated for Non Intervention Patrol duties following outbreak
of civil war in Spain.
September Deployed for patrol off Spanish coast to prevent illegal
transfer of goods to Spain by
to
October merchant shipping and for protection of British flagged
ships.
(Note: The Flotilla Leader and other ships of
Flotilla carried out this duty as arranged
by Captain (D) who was in command of this ship.)
November Nominated for refit by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth and
released from patrol duties.
17th Taken in hand for refit at Portsmouth.
December Under refit
1 9 3 7
January
19th Resumed Home Fleet duties with Flotilla on
completion of trials.
Nominated for patrol duty of Spanish coast.
February Patrol duties with Flotilla in continuation
to March
April Released from patrol duties and resumed Home Fleet
service in Home
waters.
May
Prepared for attendance at Coronation Review.
20th Took part in Coronation Review by HM King George VI
at Spithead.
June Deployed with Flotilla in Home waters for Home Fleet
exercise and
to
September visits programme
October
Detached for duty in Mediterranean for non-intervention patrols
in the
to
December western Mediterranean.
1 9 3 8
January
Mediterranean deployment in continuation.
February Resumed Home Fleet duties with Flotilla
March
Deployed in Home waters for Home Fleet exercises and visits.
to August
September Prepared for war service during Munich emergency
deployments of Home Fleet.
October
Home waters deployment with Flotilla.
November
21st Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.
December Under refit.
1 9 3 9
January
16th Carried out post refit trials on completion of
dockyard work.
Passage to Mediterranean to resume Flotilla
duties.
February Deployed in Mediterranean.
to
March (Note: This period included the annual joint Fleet
exercised with ships
of Home and Mediterranean Fleets and ship
remained based at
Gibraltar on completion.)
May
Resumed Flotilla duties in Home Fleet and took part in Fleet
exercise
to July
and visits programme.
April Nominated for reduction of complement and took
passage to Portsmouth.
28th Complement reduced and ship transferred for training
duties and local
flotilla duty based at Portsmouth.
May
Deployed at Portsmouth.
to July
(Note: Ship was still part of Home Fleet for overall
administration in agreement
with CinC Portsmouth.)
War Station nominated as Leader of 12th
Destroyer Flotilla, Home
Fleet.)
August
2nd Full complement re-established and ship prepared for
war service as part
of Reserve Fleet Portsmouth.
Took up war station with Home Fleet and deployed
for screening of major
warships.
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)
September Deployed with Flotilla in Home Fleet
3rd (Note: Other ships in Flotilla were HM Destroyers
ELECTRA, ECLIPSE,
ENCOUNTER, ESCAPADE and ESCORT.)
October
Home Fleet Flotilla deployment in continuation.
to
November
December Transferred to Western Approaches Command for convoy
defence and
patrol in NW Approaches and North Sea.
1 9 4 0
January
Convoy defence duties in continuation.
21st Hit by torpedo fired by U22 sank quickly in
position 58.18N 05.25W
with loss of 189 lives. There were no survivors.
(Note: In 1942 the training ship was
commissioned as a depot ship using
this name and resumed her earlier role in 1945
as WORCESTER.)
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
This name was reintroduced in
November 1955 when given to a Type 14 Frigate built by J S White at Cowes. That ship
was sold for demolition in 1979.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
EXMOUTH
by Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above
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|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
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05/09/39
|
06/09/39
|
RED 1
|
11/09/39
|
27/09/39
|
27/09/39
|
27/09/39
|
BC 006/1
|
29/09/39
|
29/09/39
|
29/09/39
|
29/09/39
|
BC 005R
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
09/10/39
|
09/10/39
|
BC 010/1
|
11/10/39
|
11/10/39
|
12/10/39
|
12/10/39
|
BC 009R
|
14/10/39
|
14/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
16/10/39
|
BC 011/1
|
17/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
29/12/39
|
29/12/39
|
ON 006/1
|
01/01/40
|
01/01/40
|
01/01/40
|
01/01/40
|
HN 006
|
04/01/40
|
04/01/40
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)