INSECT-Class River
Gunboat ordered from Barclay Curie and
launched on 3rd December 1915 as the 4th
RN ship to carry the name, introduced for a
wooden gunboat in 1856. It was
previously used by a coastal destroyer
renamed TB8 in 1908. After WW1 she joined
the Yangtse Flotilla at Shanghai where she
provided a British presence to
provide protection to British flagged
shipping and British nationals in case of
an emergency.
B
a t t l e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN
1940-45 - LIBYA 1941
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field a gnat
gold.
M
o t t o
Minitus
acumine:
Protected by a sting or
Furnished with wit.
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 3 9
September
Nominated
for conversion for minesweeping
duties.
to
Taken in hand
for conversion to new role.
December
1
9 4 0
January
Took
passage to
Mediterranean.
to
On arrival deployed
for bombardment of enemy positions on North
African coast
November
and
minesweeping in eastern Mediterranean.
December
Deployed for support of 8th Army
advance towards Tobruk.
9th Deployed
with HM Monitor TERROR, HM River Gunboats
APHIS and
LADYBIRD for support
of attack on Tobruk by ANZAC troops as Force
A.
17th
Took
passage to Alexandria.
1
9 4
1
January
Support
and minesweeping duties in Eastern
Mediterranean continued.
to
March
April
Deployed in support of
military withdrawal operations.
9th
Carried out
bombardments at Bomba and Gazala with
HMS APHIS.
13th
Bombarded enemy positions near Sollum.
May
Support
duties in continuation.
June
Deployed off North
African coast for bombardment duties.
21st
Torpedoed by U79 north of Bardia in
position 32.08N 25.22E.
Sustained
major damaged
July
Towed to Alexandria.
to
Found beyond
economic repair for use in support of
military operations.
December
1
9 4 2 t o
1 9 4 3
Beached off
Alexandria and used as AA Guardship
1
9 4 4
After
enemy forces were cleared from North Africa
withdrawn from service
and
placed on the
Disposal List.
1
9 4 5
Sold
for
breaking-up at Alexandria.