Ca-Class
Fleet Destroyer ordered with 11th Emergency
Flotilla from Cammell
Laird of Birkenhead on 16th February 1942 and
to be named HMS PIQUE. In August 1942 the
contract was transferred to J. S. White,
Cowes and the name was changed when
the Flotilla nomenclature was altered so that
all eight ships had names beginning with
Ca. She was laid down on 12th May 1943
and launched on 25th July 1944 as the 6th RN
warship to carry the name CARYSFORT.
It had previously been used for a cruiser sold
in 1931 and was introduced in 1767. Following
the loss of HM Destroyer SOMALI in 1942 this
new destroyer was adopted by the civil
community of Aberdeenshire in replacement.
Completion Date was 10th February 1945.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
SYRIA
1840 - SUEZ CANAL 1882 - SUAKIN
1884-85 - BELGIAN COAST 1916
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Red, out of a ducal coronet gold,
an
ostrich head Silver in his beak a key Gold.
M
o t t o
Manus haec inimica tyrannis :
‘This hand is deadly to tyrants’
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 5
February Contractor's
sea trials and commissioned
for service in 6th Destroyer Flotilla, Home
Fleet.
10th
Build completion and
commenced Acceptance Trials
On completion of trials and storing took
passage to Scapa
Flow.
March
Worked-up with Home Fleet at Scapa
Flow.
On completion joined 6th Destroyer Flotilla in
Home Fleet.
April
Deployed with Flotilla in NW Approaches and
North Sea for Home Fleet screening and patrol
duties.
May
4th
Part of Home Fleet screen for HM Escort
Carriers SEARCHER, QUEEN and TRUMPETER
with HM Cruisers NORFOLK and DIADEM, HM
Destroyers OPPORTUNE, SAVAGE,
SCOURGE and ZAMBESI
during air attacks on German shipping west of
Narvik.
Depot Ship BLACK WATCH, submarine U711 and a
trawler were sunk .
(Operation JUDGEMENT)..
(For details of Home Fleet operations off
Norway in 1945 see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett and
CONVOY! by P Kemp).
6th
Part of screen for HMS SEARCHER and HMS
TRUMPETER with HM Cruiser NORFOLK and
HM Destroyers ZAMBESI,
OBEDIENT, OPPORTUNE and ORWELL to provide
cover for
passage
of British warships to Copenhagen through Skagerrak.
(Note: The Home Fleet ships included HM
Cruisers DIDO and BIRMINGHAM with destroyer
screen that later accepted surrender of German
cruisers PRINZ EUGEN
and NURNBERG
in the Danish capital (Operation CLEAVER).
June
Deployed with Home Fleet in support of
Military re-occupation.
July
Nominated for service with Flotilla in British
Pacific Fleet.
Prepared for foreign service.
P
o s t W a r N o
t e s
HMS CARYSFORT Paid-off and was placed in Reserve
after VJ Day. In
January 1951 she was selected with others in
the Ca-Class for modernisation. On completion
in 1956 she re-commissioned and apart from
refit periods, remained in the Active Fleet
until February 1969 when she was placed in
Reserve. After being placed on the Disposal
List she was sold on 20th October 1970 to BISCO
for demolition by J Cashmore.
She arrived in tow at the breakers yard
in Newport on 15th November that year.