Type III HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Hawthorn Leslie at Newcastle on 27th April 1940 under the 1940 War Emergency Programme and laid down as Job No 4247 on 22nd February 1941. She was launched on 15th January 1942 as the first RN ship to carry this name. Build was completed on 23rd August 1942. After a successful WARSHIP WEEK in February 1942 this ship was adopted by the civil community of Reigate and Horley in Surrey.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

NORTH SEA 1942 - NORTH AFRICA 1942

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

Badge: On a Field Green, a battleaxe Gold and a hunting horn White in saltire.

 

 

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 2

 

August                   Contractor's sea trials and commissioning

                23rd        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                                On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa Flow to work-up for operational

                                service.

 

September              Worked-up with ships of Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.

                                On completion deployed on North Sea convoy defence.

                                (For details of North Sea convoy defence see THREE CORVETTES by N Monsarrat,

                                THE BATTLE FOR THE NARROW SEAS by P Scott) and the BATTLE OF THE EAST

                                COAST by J P Foynes.)

 

October                   Under repair in Thames shipyard.

                                Nominated for service in Mediterranean.

                                Passage to Gibraltar as part of escort of UK - Gibraltar convoy.

 

November

                2nd          On arrival at Gibraltar joined Destroyer Division 58.

                                Deployed in support of allied landings in North Africa

                                (Operation TORCH - For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett.

                                the Naval Staff History).

                                Carried out Inshore Escort duties.

 

December               Inshore convoy defence in continuation.

                11th        Deployed as part of escort of Convoy MKF4 with HM Destroyer WISHART.

                                Torpedoed by U443 60 miles west of Oran in position 35.55N 01.50W.

                                Two hits, one forward and one aft.

                                Sank by the stem in 4 minutes.

                                8 officers and 86 ratings survived and were rescued by HMS WISHART.

                                89 of the ship's company were lost. 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS BLEAN

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

(Note on Convoys)