Modified
BLACK SWAN-Class ordered from
Harrow's of Scotstoun,
Glasgow in 1940 Build Programme
on 23rd March 1941 and laid down on 18th
May 1942. The ship was launched on
25th February 1943 by Mrs Mitchell. She
was the fifth RN warship to carry the
name dating from 1808 and previously
used for a destroyer built in 1910 and
sold in 1921. She had been adopted by
the civil community of the Rural
District of Kettering, Northamptonshire
in March 1942 following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign.
Build was completed .on
26th June 1943.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
BASQUE ROADS 1809 - ATLANTIC 1943-44 - NORMANDY 1944
- BURMA
1944-45
H e r
a l d i
c D a
t a
Badge: On a Field
White,
a
Redpole
Proper upon a branch of a tree also
Proper
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 3
June
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service in 7th Escort Group.
26th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials
July
On completion of trials and storing took
passage to Tobermory to commence Work-up
for
operational service.
Carried out work-up at Tobermory
Passage to Scapa Flow to complete
work-up with ships of Home Fleet.
August
On completion took passage to Greenock
Joined
Group based at Greenock for convoy
escort and support in Atlantic.
September
Detached
for service at Gibraltar for convoy
escort and support in Mediterranean
and
Atlantic.
October
Deployment
at Gibraltar in continuation
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Nominated for return to 7th Escort
Group.
February
Passage
to UK to rejoin Group and deployed on
convoy defence in Home waters.
March
Deployed
in NW Approaches and UK coastal waters
for convoy defence.
to
April
May
Nominated for duty with Support Force G
during Assault Phase of planned allied
landings
in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).
For details of naval activities before
and during landings see OPERATION
NEPTUNE by
K Edwards and
LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY
June 1944 (HMSO).
3rd
Took part in Final
Rehearsal for NEPTUNE landings with
ships of Force G
4th
Took
part in Exercise FABIUS at Hayling
Island with ships and craft of Forces G,
J and G.
See references.
18th
Took part in
Defence exercise off Brighton with
Forces S, G and J.
21st
Preparation for NEPTUNE.
June
Passage to Solent.
Nominated for escort of Assault Convoy
G5 to Gold beach head
HM Trawler BOMBARDIER joined
5th
Passage
through swept channel with Convoy.
6th
On
arrival at Lowering position detached
and returned to Portsmouth to join HM
Sloop
STORK and HM Escort
Destroyer EGLINTON in 116th Escort Group
for defence
of follow-up
convoys.
27th
On termination of NEPTUNE deployed for
Channel convoy escort and patrol.
July
Nominated for duty in Eastern Fleet on
completion of refit.
5th
Passage to Clyde
6th
Taken in hand for refit in Clyde
commercial shipyard
August
Under refit
September
On
completion of post refit trials took
passage for work-up.
Passage to join military convoy in
Clyde
on completion of work-up.
October
1st
Sailed from Clyde as part of escort for
Convoy KMF35 during passage to Port
Said.
11th
At Gibraltar and joined escort of Convoy
KMS65 during passage in Mediterranean to
Port
Said.
21st
Arrived at Port Said and detached from
KMS65.
Canal transit and passage in Red Sea.
November
Passage in Indian Ocean
6th
Joined Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee.
Transferred to East Indies Fleet of
formation when some Eastern Fleet ships
transferred to
British Pacific Fleet
December
Deployed for convoy defence.
Prepared for support of planned landings
in Burma.
(For details of Eastern Fleet activities
see OPERATION PACIFIC BY E Gray, THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton and WAR WITH
JAPAN (HMSO).)
1 9 4 5
January
Joined Task Force 64 for support of
landings in Burma
16th
Provided gunfire support with
Bombardment Force during landings by
British 4th and
Indian 71st Brigade in northern part of
Ramree Island (Operation MATADOR).
(Note: Bombardment Force included HM
Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, HM Cruiser
PHOEBE, HM Destroyers PATHFINDER, RAIDER
and RAPID, HM Sloops
FLAMINGO and KISTNA (RIN).)
Transferred to British Pacific Fleet and
Took passage to Sydney.
February
Passage in Indian Ocean
17th
On arrival at Sydney required refit
prior to operational service with BPF.
Refit arranged at Auckland, New Zealand
by HM Dockyard.
March
Passage to Auckland.
April
Under refit
to
June
July
On completion of post refit trials took
passage to Sydney for BPF service.
August
Passage to forward operational base at
Manus, Admiralty Islands.
P
o s t W a r N o
t e s
HMS
REDPOLE
reverted to RN control after arrival and
was deployed with the British Pacific
Fleet at Hong Kong for support of
repatriation operations. She remained in
the
Pacific until returning to UK in 1946 to
Pay off into Reserve at Harwich. Three
years later the ship was brought forward
for duty as Navigation Training Ship
attached to HMS DRYAD at Portsmouth and
re-commissioned. Her armament was
removed during an extensive refit
including fitting of a tripod mast and
providing facilities for practical
instruction of Junior officers in
navigation. On 12th July 1957 she was
involved in a collision with the Gosport
Ferry VADNE
causing one fatality and badly
damaged the Ferry. In 1958. The ship was
withdrawn from her training role to Pay
off and was remained in Reserve
until 1960. She was sold to BISCO
on 11th November 1960 for demolition by
J A
White and arrived in tow at the
breaker’s yard at St Davids
on 20th November that
year.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
REDPOLE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/08/43
|
09/08/43
|
OS
053KM
|
17/08/43
|
17/08/43
|
05/09/43
|
05/09/43
|
KMS
026G
|
17/09/43
|
18/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
MKS
025G
|
01/10/43
|
08/10/43
|
26/09/43
|
02/10/43
|
KMS
028G
|
06/10/43
|
07/10/43
|
15/12/43
|
01/01/44
|
OS
062KM
|
01/01/44
|
02/01/44
|
03/02/44
|
15/02/44
|
MKF
028A
|
16/02/44
|
20/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
09/03/44
|
MKF
029
|
16/03/44
|
16/03/44
|
15/03/44
|
16/03/44
|
ON
228
|
unknown
|
01/04/44
|
01/10/44
|
01/10/44
|
KMF
035
|
11/10/44
|
11/10/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)