Type I
HUNT Class Escort
Destroyer order from Yarrow SB on 11th April
1938 under the 1939 War Programme
and laid down as Job Number J1837 on 12th
December 1939. She was launched on 5th
September 1940 as the 2nd RN warship to
carry this name, that previously used
for a WW1 minesweeper. Build was completed
on 29th December 1940 adopted by
the County of Rutland after a National
Savings WARSHIP WEEK Campaign in March
1942.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ENGLISH
CHANNEL 1942-44 - NORTH SEA 1941-45 -
NORMANDY 1944
H e r a
l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Red, a
lozenge Gold charged with a fret Red
surmounted by an annulet Black.
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 0
December
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service in 21st Destroyer Flotilla.
12th
Build completion date and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion took passage to work-up at
Portland.
1 9 4 1
January
Passage from Portland to join Flotilla at
Sheerness for coastal convoy escort and
patrol
in North Sea. North Sea Convoy escort and
patrol duties in continuation.
February
Detached for escort of military convoy in
Irish Sea.
6th
Deployed with HM Destroyers BROADWATER,
ATHERSTONE and KEPPEL as escort for
military Convoy WS 6A during passage from
Avonmouth to Clyde.
9th
Remained with Local Escort for WS5A during
passage in NW Approaches.
12th
Detached from WS6A with HMS ATHERSTONE and
HMS KEPPEL.
Passage to resume North Sea Convoy escort
and patrol duties with Flotilla.
March
Flotilla duties in continuation.
to
(For details of activities in defence of
East Coast convoys see THREE CORVETTES by
December
N Monsarrat and THE BATTLE FOR THE EAST COAST by JP Foynes.).
1 9 4 2
January
Flotilla duties in North Sea in continuation
February
12th
Detached for duty with 16th Destroyer
Flotilla and ships of 21sst Flotilla to
intercept
German battleships GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST
making passage eastwards from
Brest to Wilhelmshaven (Operation CEREBUS).
(For full details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett, and
Naval Staff History).
Resumed normal convoy defence duty.
March
Flotilla duties in continuation.
17th
Drove off attack by E-Boats off Lowestoft
with other escorts.
April
Flotilla duties in North Sea and Channel
continued.
to
June
July
26th
During interception of enemy coastal convoy
sank Trawlers VP202 and VF203 off
Cherbourg
Under air attack and had 3 casualties with
damage sustained
August
Resumed Channel and North Sea duty after
repair of action damage.
September
Flotilla duty in continuation.
October
13th
Deployed with HM Escort Destroyers QUORN,
ALBRIGHTON, GLAISDALE, ESKDALE
and two MTB Flotillas as Senior Officer
Force A to intercept raider KOMET which was
attempting to pass westwards through English
Channel with escorting E-Boats.
Raider set ablaze and later sunk by MTB 236.
(See BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by Peter
Scott for full details).
November
Flotilla escort and patrol duty in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 3
January
Flotilla escort and patrol duty in
continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January
Flotilla escort and patrol duty in
continuation.
to
April
May
Nominated for duty with Force G in support
of planned allied landings in Normandy
(Operation NEPTUNE).
Took part in preliminary exercises for
NEPTUNE (Exercise FABIUS)
June
Took up station in Solent for escort duty.
4th
Operation delayed for 24 hours.
5th
Escorted Assault Convoy G2 with HM Escort
Destroyer PYTCHLEY and three Motor
Launches.
(Note: Convoy comprised 18th Fleet
Minesweeping Flotilla with Danlayers and
part of 150th
BYMS Minesweeping Flotilla.
6th
Arrived off GOLD Beach before H-Hour.
(For details of Operation NEPTUNE see Naval
Staff History, LANDINGS IN NORMANDY
June 1944, OPERATION NEPTUNE by K Edwards
and D DAY SHIPS by J de Winser.).
7th
Deployed with ships of Force G in Eastern
Task Force area. and provided naval gunfire
support as required.
Transferred to Portsmouth on completion of
Assault Phase and continued escort of
Build-up
convoys and carried out interception patrols
off beach head to prevent incursions by
enemy
surface craft and submersibles against
shipping.
July
NEPTUNE duties in continuation.
August
Resumed coastal convoy escort duty and
patrols with 21st Flotilla.
September
Flotilla duties in continuation.
to
October
November
1st
Detached with HM Escort Destroyer GARTH to
escort HM Monitors EREBUS and
ROBERTS during passage to Walcheren Island
for bombardment of enemy positions.
(Operation INFATUATE).
December
Deployed for coastal convoy escort and A/S
patrols in North Sea and Channel.
1 9 4 5
January
Flotilla patrol and escort duty in
continuation.
to
(Note: During this period SCHNORKEL fitted
submarines were concentrating attacks on
April
convoy assembly and dispersion points. As a
result additional escorts were deployed in
Channel and southern North Sea.
Atlantic convoys were re-routed through
Channel after air threat from French bases
had
been removed.
Additional military convoys were also active
in Nore Command to Dutch ports.
See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith.)
May
Escorted Minesweepers to Cuxhaven after VE
Day.
Joined Harwich Escort Force for deployment
in support of occupation troops and convoys.
June
Deployed for support of re-occupation
operations.
P o s t W a r N
o t e s
HMS
COTTESMORE was transferred
to the Portsmouth Local Flotilla in August
1945. She was {aid-off and reduced
to Reserve status in February 1946 at Devonport
and
remained there until placed on the Sales
List in 1956. After a nine month refit
at Cowes she was renamed IBRAHIM EL AWAL.
The ship remained in the Egyptian
Navy under two other names MOHAMED ALJ EL
KEBIR and PORT SAID. She was used as
a training ship until 1972 when scrapped.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS COTTESMORE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
06/12/40
|
08/12/40
|
OB
255
|
10/12/40
|
10/12/40
|
31/10/42
|
31/10/42
|
CW
130
|
01/11/42
|
01/11/42
|
01/11/42
|
01/11/42
|
CE
128
|
02/11/42
|
02/11/42
|
11/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
CW
148
|
12/01/43
|
12/01/43
|
12/01/43
|
12/01/43
|
CE
146
|
13/01/43
|
13/01/43
|
24/03/43
|
24/03/43
|
CW
165
|
25/03/43
|
25/03/43
|
25/03/43
|
25/03/43
|
CE
163
|
26/03/43
|
26/03/43
|
12/05/43
|
12/05/43
|
CE
175
|
13/05/43
|
13/05/43
|
14/05/43
|
14/05/43
|
CW
178
|
15/05/43
|
15/05/43
|
15/05/43
|
15/05/43
|
CE
176
|
16/05/43
|
16/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
22/05/43
|
PW
342
|
23/05/43
|
23/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
25/05/43
|
WP
344
|
26/05/43
|
26/05/43
|
28/05/43
|
28/05/43
|
CE
179
|
29/05/43
|
29/05/43
|
01/07/43
|
01/07/43
|
CW
190
|
02/07/43
|
02/07/43
|
02/07/43
|
02/07/43
|
CE
188
|
03/07/43
|
03/07/43
|
13/07/43
|
13/07/43
|
CW
193
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
CE
191
|
15/07/43
|
15/07/43
|
18/08/43
|
18/08/43
|
CW
202
|
19/08/43
|
19/08/43
|
19/08/43
|
19/08/43
|
CE
200
|
20/08/43
|
20/08/43
|
31/08/43
|
31/08/43
|
CW
205
|
01/09/43
|
01/09/43
|
01/09/43
|
01/09/43
|
CE
203
|
02/09/43
|
02/09/43
|
12/09/43
|
12/09/43
|
CW
208
|
13/09/43
|
13/09/43
|
15/09/43
|
15/09/43
|
CW
209
|
16/09/43
|
16/09/43
|
22/10/43
|
22/10/43
|
CW
218
|
23/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
CE
216
|
24/10/43
|
24/10/43
|
25/12/43
|
25/12/43
|
CW
234
|
26/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
26/12/43
|
CE
232
|
27/12/43
|
27/12/43
|
07/03/44
|
07/03/44
|
CE
250
|
08/03/44
|
08/03/44
|
15/04/44
|
15/04/44
|
CW
262
|
16/04/44
|
16/04/44
|
16/04/44
|
16/04/44
|
CE
260
|
17/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
10/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
TAM
014
|
13/12/44
|
13/12/44
|
14/12/44
|
14/12/44
|
TAM
018
|
16/12/44
|
16/12/44
|
15/12/44
|
15/12/44
|
ATM
013
|
16/12/44
|
16/12/44
|
17/12/44
|
17/12/44
|
TAM
021
|
18/12/44
|
18/12/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)