U-Class Fleet Destroyer ordered from Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow on
12th June 1941 under the 1941 War Emergency
Programme. The ship was laid down on 28th March
1942 as Yard Number 831and launched on 8th March
1943 as the 5th RN ship to carry the name,
introduced in 1797. It was previously used for a
submarine transferred to the Polish Navy in 1941
and renamed SOKOL. Build completion date for
this destroyer was 24th September 1943. After a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in March 1942 the ship had been adopted
by the civil community of Ilford, Essex, now in
the Greater London Borough of Redbridge.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
EGYPT
1801 - ANZIO 1944 - MEDITERRANEAN
1944 - NORMANDY 1944 - ADRIATIC
1944 - OKINAWA 1945
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field barry
wavy of eight White and Blue
a hedgehog Proper.
M
o t t o
Armatus
de defendum :
'Armed to defend'.
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 4 3
September Contractors
trials and commissioning for service with 25th
Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet.
24th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
October On
completion of trials and storing took passage to
Scapa Flow to work-up with ships of
Home Fleet.
Nominated for service in Mediterranean.
Carried out work-up based at Scapa Flow.
November Prepared
for foreign service and took passage to join
Fleet in Mediterranean.
December Joined
Mediterranean Fleet
Nominated for support of planned allied landings
at Anzio (Operation
SHINGLE)
25th
Deployed in Malta.
1
9 4 4
January
Passage to Naples to joined
Northern Attack Force for support of landing
of 1st British Infantry
Division at Anzio.
20th
Sailed
from Naples with Assault Force.
21st
Deployed for support during landings.
(For details of operations at Anzio see ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett and Naval
Staff History).
25th
Deployed with HM Destroyers JERVIS, JANUS,
LAFOREY, LOYAL, INGLEFIELD,
TENACIOUS
and KEMPENFELT, HM
Escort Destroyers BEAUFORT, BRECON,
TETCOTT and WILTON as
screen
for HM Cruisers ORION,
SPARTAN, HM Anti-Aircraft
Ship ULSTER QUEEN
February Support
of military operations, convoy escort and patrol
off west, coast of Italy.
March
10th
Despatched to join HM Destroyers BRECON, EXMOOR,
BLENCATHRA and BLANKNEY in
search for U450 SE of Anzio.
After
concentrated depth charge attacks the submarine
was forced to the surface and then
scuttled
51 survivors were rescued.
(Note: US destroyer USS MADISON also took pert,
Sinking of U45O credited to the four HUNT Class
Destroyers and USS MADISON..
See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair and U-BOATS
DESTROYED By P Kemp)
April
Support of military operations and patrol duty
off west coast of Italy.
in continuation.
May Nominated
for service in Force G during allied invasion of
Normandy with ships of
Flotilla
(Operation
NEPTUNE).
Passage to UK to rejoin Home Fleet at Scapa
Flow.
18th
Carried cut bombardment exercises before joining
Force G in Eastern Task Force.
(Note: Other destroyers in Force G
destroyers were:
HM Destroyers GRENVILLE, URSA, ULSTER,
UNDAUNTED, JERVIS,
UNDINE. HM
Escort Destroyers
PYTCHLEY, CATTISTOCK, COTTESMORE
and Polish ORP KRAKOWIAK.
30th
Arrived at Greenock for Operation NEPTUNE.
(For details of activities prior to and during
Normandy landings see LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, June 1944
(HMSO) and OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards).
June
3rd
Part of escort for Convoy G14 to Solent with HM
Destroyer ULSTER.
(Note: Convoy comprised HM Cruisers BELFAST and
DIADEM of Bombarding Force E
which was to provide support for landings on
JUNO Beachhead).
4th
Operation NEPTUNE postponed for 24 hours.
5th
Passage from Solent with Convoy G14
.
6th
On arrival joined ships of Force G off GOLD Beachhead.
9th
Deployed with Eastern Task Force for patrol and
support duty.
25th
On release from NEPTUNE nominated for return to
Mediterranean.
July
Prepared for foreign service.
Took passage to Mediterranean .
Deployed for support of military operations.
August
Nominated for support of
military operations in Adriatic.
Passage to Adriatic.
(For details of Adriatic
operations see THE LAST DESTROYER by K. Mason,
ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by
Corelli Barnett and WAR IN THE
MEDITERRANEAN
(HMSO).
September
4th Deployed with HM Destroyers UNDINE, LOYAL and KIMBERLEY, HM River
Gunboats APHIS and
SCARAB for bombardment of Rimini Area.
Nominated
for duty in Eastern Fleet after return to UK for
refit and to prepare
for
further foreign
service.
Passage
to UK.
October Taken
in hand for refit at Leith commercial shipyard
to
Prepared for service with Eastern Fleet.
November
(Note: Re-assigned for service in British
Pacific Fleet on formation with Flotilla.)
December
On completion of post refit trials took passage
to Trincomalee.
1 9 4 5
January
Arrived at Trincomalee after. delay for repair
at Aden on passage.
Joined Flotilla in British Pacific Fleet
Nominated for detached service with ships
of Eastern Fleet for escort of Replenishment
Group (Force 69) during planned air attacks on
oil installations at Palembang by aircraft
carriers
of British Pacific Fleet during passage to
Sydney for service with US Navy.
(Operation MERIDIAN),
13th
Took part in Rehearsal for MERIDIAN.
15th
Deployed with RFA ECHODALE, RFA WAVE KING and
RFA EMPIRE SALVAGE during
replenishment of BPF ships (Force 63) prior to
first air operations (MERIDIAN ONE)
16th
On completion remained as escort for Force 69
with HM Cruiser CEYLON.
(Note: RFA Tanker ARNDALE joined in
replenishment area after passage from
Fremantle).
26th
Replenishment Group met ships of Force 63 for
second refuelling period prior to continuing
air attacks (MERIDIAN TWO).
(For details of MERIDIAN see THE FORGOTTEN FLEET
by J Winton, OPERATION
PACIFIC
by E Gray and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
27th
Returned to Trincomalee as escort for Force 69.
February
Deployed at Trincomalee to await arrival of HM
Aircraft Carrier FORMIDABLE on passage
from UK to join BPF.
22nd
Joined HMS FORMIDABLE as escort with HM
Destroyer NAPIER (RAN) for passage from
Colombo to Sydney with call at Fremantle.
March
10th
Arrived at Sydney with HMS FORMIDABLE and
prepared for service with BPF in joint
operations with US Navy in SW Pacific.
(Note: Pennant Number for visual signalling
changed to D28 to conform with US Navy
identification for destroyers.
Carried out exercises in Australian waters
including use of new signalling procedures.
24th
Sailed
from Sydney as escort for HMS FORMIDABLE with HM
Destroyer URSA during
passage to Manus.
30th
Arrived at Manus, Admiralty Islands.
(Note: Manus was Forward Base for BPF)..
7th
On arrival at Manus future deployment undecided
by internal US wrangling.
See above references.
Under repair in
dry-dock
(Note:
Allocated for service with 5th US Fleet as part
of Task Force 57 which comprised
HM Battleships KING GEORGE V, HOWE, HM Aircraft
Carriers INDOMITABLE,
VICTORIOUS,
ILLUSTRIOUS and
INDEFATIGABLE, HM Cruisers SWIFTSURE,
GAMBIA (RNZN), BLACK PRINCE,
ARGONAUT, EURYALUS, HM
Destroyers
GRENVILLE, ULSTER, URANIA, UNDAUNTED, UNDINE,
URSA,
QUICKMATCH, QUIBERON, QUEENBOROUGH, KEMPENFELT,
WHIRLWIND
and WAGER.
April
Sailed from Manus after docking to join ships of
BPF deployed as Task Force 57 in attacks on
Sakishima Gunto
Island Group with US Navy Task Groups.
(Operation ICEBERG ONE – See THE FORGOTTEN FLEET
by J Winton, OPERATION
PACIFIC by E
Gray and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO)
8th
Arrived in Area COOTIE with HM Cruiser UGANDA
(RCN) and HM Destroyer URSA.
Deployed with escort for the British Fleet Train
(Task Force 112) to await return of BPF
to replenishment area.
9th
Joined BPF destroyer screen on arrival for
replenishment.
11th
Deployed with TF57 for attacks on Formosa.
to
(Operation ICEBERG OOLONG) - Special operation to
neutralise airfields.
13th
See above references).
16th
Deployed with TF57 In continuation of attacks on
Sakishima Gunto
after refuelling.
to
(Note: HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS had
joined TF57).
21st
(Operation ICEBERG ONE).
23rd
At Leyte with TF57 for
repair and maintenance.
May
1st
Part of screen for ships of TF57 to operational
area for continuation of attacks
on Sakishima Gunto (Operation ICEBERG TWO).
(Note: Force 57 comprised:
HM Battleships KING GEORGE V V
and HOWE, HM Aircraft Carriers
INDOMITABLE, INDEFATIGABLE, FORMIDABLE,
VICTORIOUS, HM Cruisers
SWIFTSURE, UGANDA (RCN), GAMBIA (RNZN),
EURYALUS. BLACK PRINCE
with HM Destroyers GRENVILLE, URSA,
UNDINE, UNDAUNTED,
URANIA,
QUILLIAM, QUIBERON, QUALITY, QUICKMATCH,
QUEENBOROUGH,
KEMPENFELT, WHIRLWIND, WESSEX and URCHIN.
4th After
arrival in area detached with ships of 25th
Destroyer Flotilla to screen HMS KING
GEORGE V, HMS HOWE, HMS SWIFTSURE, HMS BLACK
PRINCE, HMS EURYALUS,
HMNZS GAMBIA and HMCS UGANDA during bombardment
of airfields on Miyako
Shima.
(Note: During this bombardment the aircraft
carriers of TF57 came under sustained bombing
including KAMIKAZE aircraft.
Operation
curtailed and Force returned to rejoin aircraft
carriers).
See above references for details of KAMIKAZE
attacks on carriers).
5th
Deployment with screen for Task Force in
continuation.
to
For details Including collision between HMS
INDOMITABLE and HMS QUILLIAM see
25th
above references and Naval Staff History).
26th
Passage to Sydney with BPF ships via Manus.
(Note: HMS KING GEORGE V with HM Destroyers
TROUBRIDGE, TENACIOUS and
TERMAGANT detached for passage to Guam).
June
9th
Arrived at
Sydney for rest and recuperation period.
(Note: Ships of BPF were transferred to US 3rd
Fleet during this period after a reorganisation
of US Navy command structure in Pacific. They
were redesigned as Task
Force 37).
28th
Sailed with Task Force 37 from Sydney for Manus.
(Note: Task Force 37 comprised: -
HM Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM Aircraft
Carriers FORMIDABLE,
VICTORIOUS IMPLACABLE, HM Cruisers NEWFOUNDLAND,
ACHILLES
(RNZN), UGANDA (RCN). EURYALUS, GAMBIA (RNZN)
and BLACK PRINCE
with HM Destroyers QUIBERON, QUADRANT, QUALITY,
QUICKMATCH,
TROUBRIDGE, TENACIOUS, TERMAGANT, TEAZER,
TERPSICHORE,
GRENVILLE, UNDAUNTED, URANIA, URCHIN, UNDINE and
ULYSSES.
HM Aircraft Carrier INDEFATIGABLE was delayed by
defects.
July
4th
Arrived at Manus with BPF.
6th
Sailed for operational area off Japan with TF37.
(Note: HMS IMPLACABLE detached because of
machinery defect and joined later).
17th
Part of Task Group 37.1.2 as escort for TF37
carriers during combined attacks on targets
in
Tokyo and Yokohama area (Operation OLYMPIC -
Initial Phase).
18th
Deployment with screen for major
ships of Task Force 37 in continuation off
Japan.
to
(Note: HMS INDEFATIGABLE joined TF37 in
refuelling area with HM Destroyers
28th
WAKEFUL,
WRANGLER and BARFLEUR
on 20th July)
See
above references.).
August
1st
Deployment off Japan with 3rd US Fleet In
continuation for series of joint RN/USN air
attacks and bombardment of targets in North Honshu
and Hokkaido.
12th
Withdrawn from forward area with BPF ships
because of lack of fuel from tankers of British
Fleet Train. See above references.
(Note: Some ships of Task Force 37 were retained
as a Token Force and deployed as Task
Group 38.5. See references.)
Deployed with HMS GRENVILLE as escort for HMS
FORMIDABLE during return passage to
Sydney with call
at Manus.
28th
Arrived at Sydney
and reverted to RN control.
P o s t W a r No t e s
HMS URCHIN was deployed the Flotilla in the far East as part of the
British Pacific Fleet based at Hong Kong until
released from foreign service in 1946. On
arrival in UK the ship Paid-off at Harwich and
was initially
laid-up in Reserve there until 1952 when
transferred to Chatham. She was selected for
conversion to an Anti-Submarine Frigate and
towed to the Clyde for this work in a commercial
shipyard. On completion in June 1954 the ship
re-commissioned for service in the 3rd Training
Squadron in which she served for two years
before returning to Reserve. After a refit at
Devonport in 1959 this ship was converted for
use as a sea training ship for cadets at
Dartmouth and re-commissioned in August that
year to serve in the Dartmouth Training
Squadron. Paid-off in 1964 she was placed on the
Disposal List. Before sale for breaking-up her
stern structure was removed and fitted in sister
ship HMS ULSTER during 1966.. The hulk was later
towed to Troon
where she arrived
in August 1967 for demolition.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS URCHIN
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
16/12/43
|
17/12/43
|
KMF
027
|
24/12/43
|
30/12/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|