RIVER-Class Frigate ordered on 11th
February 1941 under the 1940 War
Programme
from
Fleming & Ferguson at Paisley.
The ship was laid down on 16th May 1941 as Job
No 1418 (Yard No 579) and launched
on 19th March 1942. Build was completed on 6th
August 1942 and
the ship was adopted by the
civil community of Mountain Ash, Glamorgan,
Wales after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings
campaign in March 1942.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1942-44
- NORTH AFRICA 1942
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
Contractors Trials and commissioned for service.
6th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
On completion of trials and storing took passage
to Tobermory.
September
Passage to join Western Approaches Command for
deployment in escort of Atlantic convoys
on completion of work-up for operational
service.
Part of escort for military convoy MKF1 taking
troops for the landings in North Africa.
October
Nominated for escort of military convoy to
Gibraltar in preparation for planned allied
landings
in North Africa (Operation TORCH).
26th
Sailed from Clyde with HM Cutter HARTLAND as
part of escort for military convoy MKF1
during passage to Gibraltar (Operation TORCH).
November
Detached from MKF1 on arrival and deployed at
Gibraltar for escort and support during
TORCH.
(Note: See Naval Staff History, RELUCTANT
ENEMIES by W Tute, and ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and for
information about all mercantiles and
warships BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.
December
Gibraltar deployment in continuation
1
9 4 3
January
Nominated for return to UK
Passage to resume Atlantic convoy defence.
February
Joined 44th Escort Group for North Atlantic
convoy escort.
Part of escort for Tanker Convoy UC1 from
Caribbean to UK.
March
Atlantic convoy defence with Group in
continuation
to
Nominated for operations in Bay of Biscay with
40th Escort Group.
June
July
Joined 40th Escort Group.
August
23rd
Deployed with Group in joint anti-submarine
operations off Spanish coast.
(Note: The objective was to deny use of these
waters by U-Boats on passage to
and from Atlantic
Ships of 5th Escort Group were also involved and
HM
Cruiser
BERMUDA
provided cover against surface attack from
German ships.)
(Operation PERCUSSION).
25th
Under attack by radio controlled Hs 293 Glider
Bombs.
28th
Relieved by ships of 1st Support Group
September
Part of escort with ships of 40th Escort Group
for outward joint convoy SL136/MKS24
during passage to Gibraltar.
October
Atlantic convoy defence in continuation on
UK-Gibraltar route.
November
14th
Deployed with Group for escort of outward joint
convoy SL 139/MKS30 to Gibraltar.
15th
Assembly of SCHILL Group U-Boats of SCHILL
sighted by air
reconnaissance.
18th
Attacked and rammed U333 which managed to escape
and return to harbour.
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.
December
Continued convoy escort deployment after repair.
1
9 4 4
January
Deployed on escort of UK-Gibraltar route convoys
as Senior Officers ship of 40th Escort
to
Group.
November
December
Transferred in
continuation to 3rd Escort Group.
1
9 4 5
January
Continued deployment as Senior Officer of 3rd
Escort Group and was deployed in Home
to
waters.
August
P
o s t W a
r N o t e s
HMS
EXE was Paid-off after VJ-Day and after
de-storing was reduced to Reserve status. She
was laid-up in Reserve until 1956 when
placed on the Disposal List. Sold to BISCO for
demolition by T W Ward and
arrived in tow at the breaker’s yard in Preston,
Lancashire on 20th September
1956.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS EXE
by
Don Kindell
This
convoy list has not been cross-checked with the
text above
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy
No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19/09/42
|
22/09/42
|
ON
132
|
24/09/42
|
08/10/42
|
|
26/10/42
|
26/10/42
|
KMF
001
|
07/11/42
|
08/11/42
|
|
14/11/42
|
14/11/42
|
MKF
001Y
|
20/11/42
|
20/11/42
|
|
27/11/42
|
27/11/42
|
KMF
004
|
06/12/42
|
06/12/42
|
|
10/12/42
|
12/12/42
|
MKF
004
|
18/12/42
|
18/12/42
|
|
26/12/42
|
26/12/42
|
KMF
006
|
03/01/43
|
03/01/43
|
|
08/02/43
|
08/02/43
|
KMF
009
|
09/02/43
|
16/02/43
|
|
15/02/43
|
15/02/43
|
UC
001
|
06/03/43
|
06/03/43
|
|
20/03/43
|
20/03/43
|
CU
001
|
01/04/43
|
01/04/43
|
|
16/04/43
|
20/04/43
|
KMF
013
|
23/04/43
|
23/04/43
|
|
24/04/43
|
24/04/43
|
MKF
013
|
02/05/43
|
02/05/43
|
|
19/05/43
|
25/05/43
|
KMF
015
|
28/05/43
|
27/05/43
|
|
28/05/43
|
28/05/43
|
MKF
015
|
05/06/43
|
05/06/43
|
|
20/06/43
|
20/06/43
|
KMS
018A
|
29/06/43
|
29/06/43
|
|
02/07/43
|
02/07/43
|
RS
005
|
08/07/43
|
08/07/43
|
|
13/07/43
|
19/07/43
|
OS
051
|
23/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
|
07/08/43
|
07/08/43
|
OSS
052
|
14/08/43
|
12/08/43
|
|
13/08/43
|
18/08/43
|
CF
013A
|
22/08/43
|
24/08/43
|
|
03/09/43
|
03/09/43
|
SL
136
|
14/09/43
|
14/09/43
|
|
14/09/43
|
14/09/43
|
SL
136MK
|
25/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
|
27/10/43
|
28/10/43
|
OS
057KM
|
09/11/43
|
09/11/43
|
|
09/11/43
|
09/11/43
|
KMS
031G
|
10/11/43
|
10/11/43
|
|
13/11/43
|
13/11/43
|
MKS
030G
|
16/11/43
|
16/11/43
|
|
16/11/43
|
16/11/43
|
SL
139MK
|
26/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
|
15/12/43
|
16/12/43
|
OS
062KM
|
02/01/44
|
02/01/44
|
|
02/01/44
|
02/01/44
|
KMS
036G
|
03/01/44
|
03/01/44
|
|
06/01/44
|
06/01/44
|
SL
144MK
|
18/01/44
|
18/01/44
|
|
24/01/44
|
25/01/44
|
OS
066KM
|
05/02/44
|
05/02/44
|
|
06/02/44
|
06/02/44
|
KMS
040G
|
07/02/44
|
07/02/44
|
|
11/02/44
|
11/02/44
|
MKS
039G
|
12/02/44
|
12/02/44
|
|
12/02/44
|
12/02/44
|
SL
148MK
|
24/02/44
|
24/02/44
|
|
03/03/44
|
03/03/44
|
OS
070KM
|
15/03/44
|
15/03/44
|
|
15/03/44
|
15/03/44
|
KMS
044G
|
17/03/44
|
17/03/44
|
|
22/03/44
|
22/03/44
|
MKS
043G
|
23/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
|
23/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
SL
152MK
|
03/04/44
|
04/04/44
|
|
12/04/44
|
12/04/44
|
OS
074KM
|
23/04/44
|
23/04/44
|
|
23/04/44
|
23/04/44
|
KMS
048G
|
25/04/44
|
25/04/44
|
|
01/05/44
|
01/05/44
|
MKS
047G
|
03/05/44
|
03/05/44
|
|
03/05/44
|
03/05/44
|
SL
156MK
|
13/05/44
|
13/05/44
|
|
22/05/44
|
22/05/44
|
OS
078KM
|
04/06/44
|
04/06/44
|
|
05/06/44
|
05/06/44
|
KMS
052G
|
06/06/44
|
06/06/44
|
|
09/06/44
|
09/06/44
|
MKS
051G
|
10/06/44
|
10/06/44
|
|
10/06/44
|
10/06/44
|
LTS
023
|
17/06/44
|
17/06/44
|
|
10/06/44
|
10/06/44
|
SL
160MK
|
21/06/44
|
21/06/44
|
|
01/07/44
|
02/07/44
|
OS
082KM
|
11/07/44
|
11/07/44
|
|
12/07/44
|
12/07/44
|
KMS
056G
|
13/07/44
|
13/07/44
|
|
20/07/44
|
20/07/44
|
MKS
055G
|
21/07/44
|
21/07/44
|
|
21/07/44
|
21/07/44
|
SL
164MK
|
31/07/44
|
02/08/44
|
|
28/09/44
|
29/09/44
|
ON
256
|
07/10/44
|
12/10/44
|
|
10/10/44
|
15/10/44
|
HX
313
|
24/10/44
|
24/10/44
|
|
03/11/44
|
05/11/44
|
ON
264
|
15/11/44
|
21/11/44
|
|
19/11/44
|
26/11/44
|
HX
321
|
05/12/44
|
05/12/44
|
|
14/12/44
|
16/12/44
|
ON
272
|
26/12/44
|
01/01/45
|
|
29/12/44
|
03/01/45
|
HX
329
|
12/01/45
|
12/01/45
|
|
22/01/45
|
23/01/45
|
ON
280
|
04/02/45
|
09/02/45
|
|
07/02/45
|
13/02/45
|
HX
337
|
21/02/45
|
21/02/45
|
|
02/03/45
|
03/03/45
|
ON
288
|
14/03/45
|
19/03/45
|
|
19/03/45
|
24/03/45
|
HX
345
|
02/04/45
|
02/04/45
|
|
11/04/45
|
12/04/45
|
ONS
047
|
27/04/45
|
30/04/45
|
|
29/04/45
|
04/05/45
|
HX
353
|
15/05/45
|
15/05/45
|
|
21/05/45
|
21/05/45
|
ONS
051
|
01/06/45
|
04/06/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
