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
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
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)