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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2005

HMS ROCKINGHAM (G 58) - ex-US Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

HMS Churchill, Type A sister-ship (Navy Photos/Mike Pocock, click to enlarge)

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Ex USS SWASEY (Type A - BELMONT-Class) built by Bethlehem Steel Squantum. The ship was laid down on 27th August 1918 and launched on 7th Way 1919. Commissioned on 31st July 1919 for service in the US Navy, she was held in Reserve in 1939. The ship transferred to the RN under the Lend Lease Agreement on 26th November 1940 and commissioned at Halifax, NS Canada. Like others of this Class she was given a name common to a town in North Carolina, USA and a village in Northants. It had not been previously used for an RN ship. After a WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Wells by the Sea, Norfolk.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC 1941-43 - BISCAY  1943

 

H e r a l d i c  D a t a

Badge: On a Field Blue, a demi griffin erased White,

holding in the paws a trident Gold and charged on the wing

with a hurt thereon a mullet also White.

 

 

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

 

November              Prepared for transfer and passage to Halifax.

                26th        Transferred to RN and commissioned as HMS ROCKINGHAM.

 

December              Passage to Devonport with call at St Johns, Newfoundland.

                22nd       Arrived at Devonport and taken in hand for refit.

 

1 9 4 1

 

January                  Under refit and modification by HM Dockyard, Devonport to suit RN deployment.

                                Work included:

                                Mainmast removed and foremast shortened.

                                Size of after three funnels reduced

                                After 3in and 4in guns mountings removed and British 12pdr HA gun fitted in

                                X-position.

                                After set of US Navy torpedo tubes and British type Depth Charge Throwers fitted.

                                RN design ASDIC recorders fitted to US Navy Sonar equipment.

                               

February                Allocated for service with 8th Escort Group.

                2nd         On completion of refit carried out post refit trials.

 

March                    Joined Group for Local Escort of Atlantic convoys in NW Approaches.

                25th        Joined military convoy WS7 during passage in NW Approaches with HM Cruiser CAIRO,

                                HM Destroyers VICEROY, WINCHELSEA, ST CLAIR, ECLIPSE, FOXHOUND and

                                French destroyer LEOPARD for Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches.

                26th        Detached from WS7 with HMS CAIRO, HMS VICEROY, HMS WINCHELSEA and

                                French LEOPARD for return passage to Clyde.

 

April                       Convoy defence duties with Group in continuation.

                                Increased defect load made further refit necessary.

 

May                        Refit arranged at Southampton and took passage.

                14th        Taken in hand for refit and repair by commercial shipyard.

 

June                        Under refit

to                            Stage 2 modifications to suit RN use carried out including

July                         Installation of 20mm Oerlikon weapons.

                                Removal of forward set of torpedo tubes and British triple mountings fitted in centre-line

                                position abaft funnels

                                (Note: Some modifications were not carried out.

 

August                  Carried out post refit trials.

                21st         Refit completed and carried cut sea trials

                                On completion resumed duty with Group for convoy defence.

 

September

                13th        Part of escort for Convoy OG74 during passage to Gibraltar.

 

October                  Joined 1st Escort Group based at Londonderry for Atlantic Convoy defence

 

November              Atlantic deployment with Group in continuation

                                (For details of tactics and weapons used see SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann

 

December              Nominated for detached duty as part of escort for troop convoys.

                24th        Part of escort for military Convoy CT8 during passage UK tofrom Canada

 

1 9 4 2

 

January                  Part of escort for troop Convoy NA1 during passage to UK

                                Part of escort for Convoy CT10 to Canada.

 

February                Passage to Bermuda for escort of HM Armed Merchant Cruiser AUSONIA from Halifax.

                                Return passage to UK with escort for Convoy NA4.

 

March

                23rd        Joined military convoy WS 17 in Clyde for Local Escort in NW Approaches with HM

                                Destroyers NEWPORT, BADSWORTH, BEVERLEY, KEPPEL, LEAMINGTON,

                                VOLUNTEER, ANTELOPE and BOADICEA.

                27th        Detached from WS17 with HMS BOADICEA and returned to Clyde.

 

April                       Rejoined 1st Escort Group for Atlantic trade convoy defence.

 

May                        Deployment with Group in continuation.

                                Part of escort for Convoy ONS16 with ships of Group.

 

June                        Nominated for refit and took passage to London.

                23rd        Under refit at commercial shipyard.

                                (Note: Work done included completion of Stage 2 modifications. See above.

                                Radar Type 271 for surface warning and combined warning Type 286 were installed.

 

July                         Under refit.

to

October

 

November              Post refit trials.

                                On completion of sea trials took passage to work-up at Tobermory.

                                Rejoined Group on completion of work-up and resumed Atlantic deployment.

                                Part of escort for Convoy MKF1 to Gibraltar.

 

December              Return passage as escort for convoy to UK.

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Atlantic convoy escort with Group in continuation.

to

July

 

August                  Nominated for use as an Air Target Ship.

                                Withdrawn from Atlantic service and taken in hand for refit and conversion in a Belfast

                                shipyard.

 

September             Under refit

to

November

 

December              On completion of refit took passage to Tobermory to work-up for service.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Allocated for duty based at Rosyth for use as a target for aircrew training.

                11th        Passage to join Rosyth Command.

                                Took up station of east coast of Scotland.

 

February                Air Target Ship deployment in continuation.

to

August

 

September

                27th        During deployment for training of aircrew detonated mine in position 30 miles SE

                                of Aberdeen in position 56-74N, 01.30 W.

                                Sustained serious damage and taken in tow but had to be abandoned.

                                One member of ships company lost his life.

                                Sank in position 56.29N, 00.57W.

                                (Note: The mine was probably part of British East Coast Barrier.)

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS ROCKINGHAM

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

 

 

 

 

 

10/02/41

04/03/41

SL 065

08/03/41

08/03/41

12/04/41

15/04/41

OB 309

19/04/41

19/04/41

06/04/41

18/04/41

HX 119A

22/04/41

22/04/41

26/04/41

26/04/41

OG 060

30/04/41

10/05/41

09/04/41

30/04/41

SL 071

02/05/41

04/05/41

12/09/41

13/09/41

OG 074

27/09/41

23/09/41

02/10/41

06/10/41

HG 074

12/10/41

18/10/41

20/10/41

22/10/41

ON 028

25/10/41

03/11/41

17/10/41

31/10/41

SC 050

01/11/41

04/11/41

10/11/41

10/11/41

ON 035

15/11/41

27/11/41

13/11/41

18/11/41

ON 036

20/11/41

25/11/41

08/11/41

19/11/41

HX 159

23/11/41

23/11/41

30/11/41

01/12/41

OS 013

11/12/41

20/12/41

30/11/41

13/12/41

SL 094

13/12/41

30/12/41

23/12/41

24/12/41

CT 008

01/01/42

01/01/42

09/01/42

10/01/42

NA 001

19/01/42

19/01/42

03/02/42

03/02/42

CT 010

12/02/42

12/02/42

01/03/42

01/03/42

NA 004

08/03/42

08/03/42

14/03/42

19/03/42

TA 012

unknown

25/03/42

26/04/42

29/04/42

HX 187

07/05/42

08/05/42

19/05/42

20/05/42

ON 096

02/06/42

07/06/42

07/06/42

10/06/42

HX 193

17/06/42

19/06/42

14/11/42

18/11/42

MKF 001Y

20/11/42

20/11/42

23/01/43

23/01/43

ON 162

03/02/43

11/02/43

03/02/43

10/02/43

SC 119

21/02/43

22/02/43

04/03/43

09/03/43

ON 171

19/03/43

23/03/43

18/03/43

24/03/43

HX 230

30/03/43

02/04/43

12/04/43

13/04/43

ON 178

25/04/43

02/05/43

24/04/43

02/05/43

HX 236

07/05/43

09/05/43

24/05/43

25/05/43

ON 186

02/06/43

07/06/43

07/06/43

12/06/43

HX 243

20/06/43

21/06/43

04/07/43

11/07/43

OS 051KM

11/07/43

13/07/43

23/07/43

23/07/43

MKS 018G

26/07/43

26/07/43

26/07/43

26/07/43

SL 133MK

03/08/43

05/08/43

11/02/45

11/02/45

BG 515

13/02/45

13/02/45

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 15/8/11
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