One
of
two Prototypes intended to
determine the design of
post 1918 RN destroyers.
Designed and and
built by John
I Thornycroft
at Woolston,
Southampton under the
1924-25 Programme and
commissioned on 5 May
1927. This
ship had been under
Dockyard Control since
August 1936 and was
re-commissioned
in February 1939 for
duty with the Torpedo
School HMS VERNON. She was
adopted by the Hinckley,
Leicestershire after a
successful WARSHIP WEEK in
February 1942
B
a t t
l e H
o n o u r s
MARTINIQUE
1762 - DROITS
DE
L'HOMME action 1797* -
COPENHAGEN
1801 - BELLE POULE
action
1806* - BELGIAN
COAST
1914-16 -
ATLANTIC 1939–43 -
NORWAY
1940 - ARCTIC
1942 - MALTA
CONVOYS 1942 - NORTH
AFRICA 1942-43
(*
Single Ship Actions)
H
e r a l d i
c
D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Red, an
Amazon’s head Gold.
M
o t t
o
Audaciter:
'Boldly'
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
3rd
Deployed with
18th Destroyer Flotilla on
Convoy escort and A/S
patrol duties in
English
Channel
and SW Approaches based at
Plymouth.
October
Convoy
defence and A/S duties in
continuation.
to
(For
details of anti-submarine
and escort policy between
September 1939
and March 1940
December
see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett
and Naval Staff History.)
1
9 4 0
January
Deployed in SW Approaches
17th
Joined inward Convoy
HG15F during passage from
Gibraltar as escort.
22nd
Detached from HG15F on
arrival
at Liverpool.
February
Deployed for convoy
defence in Channel and SW
Approaches in
continuation.
to
March
April
8th
Transferred
to Home Fleet for A/S
defence of convoys during
operations off Norway.
27th
Deployed with HM
Destroyers AFRIDI and
AMAZON for escort of
supply convoy to Norway
and
under air attacks on
arrival at destination
landing from only two
mercantiles was possible.
28th
Under further air
attacks during escort of
return convoy.
See
Naval Staff History –2000)
29th
Carried out attacks on
submarine.
(Note:
This was not successful.
See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P
Kemp.)
May
Norwegian
support and escort in
continuation.
(For
details of naval
operations in Norway see
above references, NARVIK
by D. Macintyre,
CARRIER
GLORIOUS by J. Winton and
THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by
Adams.)
27th
Escorted damaged
destroyer HMS ESKIMO from
Harstad to Home waters
with HM Destroyer
VOLUNTEER
and HM Sloop FLEETWOOD.
Pennant
Number changed to I39 to
conform with changes to
identities for
all Fleet units.
June
Norwegian
evacuation convoys escort
(Operation ALPHABET)
10th
Transferred to D16 based
at Harwich.
Deployed
for East Coast convoy
defence and anti-invasion
patrol.
July
Harwich
deployment in
continuation.
August
Transferred
to 12th Destroyer Flotilla
at Belfast for convoy
escort
duty in Western Approaches
Command.
September
Atlantic escort duty in
continuation with
Flotilla.
to
October
November
Transferred to 3rd Escort
Group for Atlantic convoy
defence. Deployed with
Group in Atlantic.
December
Deployment with Group for
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
1
9 4 1
January
Deployed
for defence of
UK - Iceland convoys.
Escorted
Armed Merchant Cruiser on
passage to Northern Patrol
station.
Taken
in hand for refit in
Glasgow commercial
shipyard.
February
Under refit.
March
Rejoined
Group on completion and
deployed in Atlantic
convoy defence
based in Iceland.
(For
details of Atlantic Convoy
defence see BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by D
Maclntyre,
THE
U BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO) and ESCORT
COMMANDER by P Gretton)
April
Iceland
deployment with Group for
escort of convoys in North
Atlantic
continued
(Note:
Group included HM
Destroyers BULLDOG and
AMAZON, three FLOWER
Class corvettes
and
three Trawlers to resume
convoy defence deployment
in 3rd Escort
Group.
May
Took
passage with Group from
Iceland as escort for HM
Armed Merchant
Cruiser RANPURA and
four
freighters to join Convoy
OB 318 and relieve ships
of 7th Escort
Group as escort during mid
Atlantic
passage.
7th
Relief of 7th
Escort Group delayed to
improve defence of OB381
from known threat of
U-Boat
attacks.
Both
Groups formed escort for
OB318.
Under
torpedo attack by U94
during which two
mercantiles were sunk.
Carried
out attacks on U94 with HM
Destroyer BULLDOG and HM
Sloop
ROCHESTER of 7th
Escort
Group.
(Note:
The four hour attacks
damaged U94 which had to
abort planned
second attack.)
Sustained
damage to steering gear
and rigged sail until
defect repaired.
See
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair.
8th
Rejoined
Group in escort for OB318.
9th
Further
U-Boat attacks on convoy
by U110 and U201. Two
mercantiles were sunk.
Remained
with convoy during
anti-submarine operations
by HM Destroyers
BULLDOG and
BROADWAY
during which Ul10 was
taken in tow but sank
later.
See
HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair and U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp for
details.
Embarked
rescued survivors and U110
prisoners from HM Corvette
AUBRETIA,
Resumed
OB318 escort with two
other corvettes and two
trawlers.
Taken
in hand for repair on
return to Iceland.
June
Rejoined
EG3 on completion.
July
NW
Approaches convoy defence
in continuation
to
August
September
Escorted Convoy SCW(?).
October
Escorted
Convoys ON24 and SCA8 (?).
November
Escorted Convoy ON31.
December
Atlantic convoy defence
duty in continuation.
Nominated
for refit
1
9 4 2
January
Under
refit in Liverpool
commercial shipyard.
to
March
April
On
completion deployed with
Home Fleet for defence of
Russian convoys.
(For
full details of all
Russian Convoy operations
see CONVOYS TO
RUSSIA by R. Ruegg,
CONVOY
! by P. Kemp, ARCTIC
CONVOYS by R Woodman and
RUSSIAN CONVOYS
by
B. Schoefield).
Nominated
for Ocean Escort of
Russian Convoy PQ14 and
returning QP11
(Note:
Distant cover was to be
provided for this convoy
and returning
QP10 by major units of
Home Fleet )
12th
Joined PQ14 as Ocean
Escort with HM Destroyers
BEAGLE, BEVERLEY, BULLDOG.
HM
Corvettes CAMPANULA,
OXLIP, SAXIFRAGE,
SNOWFLAKE and three
trawlers.
(Note:
HM Cruiser EDINBURGH was
on passage to Murmansk to
collect
cargo of gold, bullion.)
(Note
two of the trawlers did
not complete passage to
Kola.).
17th
Eastern Local Escort
joined.
19th
Arrived at Murmansk with
PQ14
For
details of the eventful
passage see above
references.
(Note:
German destroyers HERMANN
SCHOEMANN, Z24 and Z25
failed to make
contact
28th
Sailed from Murmansk as
Ocean Escort for QP11 with
HM Destroyers FORESTER and
FORESIGHT and
same
ships as arrived with
PQ14.
29th
Under threat of
submarine attacks.
30th
HM Cruiser EDINBURGH
joined convoy after
embarking gold bullion at
Murmansk.
Under
attacks by U88 and U 456.
HMS
EDINBURGH hit by torpedo
from U456 and sustained
serious damage.
with
HMS BULLDOG, HMS BEAGLE
and BEVERLEY
May
1st
Under
air attacks and later
attacks by German
destroyer HERMANN
SCHOEMANN,
Z24 and Z2 sent to
attack
HMS EDINBURGH
In
action against German
ships with HMS EDINBURGH
and destroyers of
Close Escort.
(Note:
HMS EDINBURGH sustained
further significant damage
from return
fire from enemy
destroyers.
Ship
sustained damage to
steering gear with several
casualties
including her Captain who
was subsequently
awarded
the DSC.
HMS
EDINBURGH detached and
took passage to Murmansk
with HMS FORESTER
and HMS
FORESIGHT.
(Note:
HMS EDINBURGH was
subjected to further
attacks by the German
destroyers and had to be
abandoned
and sunk on 2nd May. See
references for details.)
3rd
Detached from
QP11 with HMS BEVERLEY and
took passage to land
wounded in Iceland.
Passage
to Clyde for repair.
June
Under
repair in Clyde shipyard.
July
On
completion Joined Greenock
Escort Force for Atlantic
convoy defence.
Escorted
convoy to Halifax.
August
Detached
for duty with Home Fleet
for Malta Convoy WS21
(Operation
PEDESTAL).
For
details see PEDESTAL by P.
Smith, Naval Staff
History, ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY,
THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D.
Macintyre and
MALTA
CONVOYS
by R Woodman.
10th
Escorted HM Aircraft
Carrier FURIOUS during
aircraft delivery to Malta
concurrent with
PEDESTAL
(Operation BELLOWS).
11th
Escorted HM Tug JAUNTY
to join Refuelling Group
(Force R) which was with
PEDESTAL ships.
(Note:
HMS JAUNTY had rescued
some of survivors from HMS
EAGLE on
board.)
13th
Deployed with HM
Destroyers ANTELOPE,
WISHART, WESTCOTT and
ZETLAND for
escort
of HMS INDOMITABLE and HM
Destroyer ITHURIEL during
passage to
Gibraltar.
(Note:
These two ships were
returning to Gibraltar for
repair after damage during
air attacks
on
PEDESTAL convoy.)
16th
Passage to Scapa Flow.
September
9th
Part of
escort for tankers
deployed to establish a
fuelling base for
replenishment of escorts
for
Convoys
PQ18 and returning QP14.
and re-supply Norwegian
meteorological
station.
(Note:
HM Destroyers ECLIPSE,
BULLDOG, ECHO and VENOMOUS
were also involved.)
Passage
from Lowe Sound to joined
escort for return Convoy
QP 14 on
completion.
October
Deployed
for escort of convoys to
Gibraltar for North
African landings.
(Operation TORCH)
November
Deployed at Gibraltar for
support of TORCH convoy
defence.
8th
Deployed for
escort of assault convoy
to Oran.
Returned
to UK on release from
TORCH duties.
For
details of allied
operations in TORCH see
Naval Staff History,
ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE
CLOSELY and RELUCTANT
ENEMIES by N. Tute).
December
Nominated for refit and
took passage to UK
Under
refit in commercial
shipyard at Troon.
1
9 4 3
January
Under refit
to
March.
April
Joined
Western Approaches Command
on completion and deployed
on
Atlantic convoy defence.
Nominated
for convoy defence based
at Freetown
May
Passage
to Gibraltar,
June
Deployed
at Gibraltar
Nominated
for escort of military
Convoy WS31 during passage
to Freetown.
26th
Joined WS31 with HM
Destroyers BLACKMORE,
BULLDOG and FOXHOUND as
relief for
Home
Fleet ships which had
formed escort from Clyde.
July
4th
Detached from
WD31 on arrival at
Freetown and commenced
duties with Freetown
Escort
Force
for
convoy escort and patrol.
August
Freetown
deployment in
continuation.
to
September
October
Passage
to UK for refit.
November
Under refit at Rosyth.
Hull
condition found
unsatisfactory for ocean
escort duty
Allocated
for use as air target
ship.
December
Deployed as Target Ship.
(Note:
Air Target ships were
stationed at specific
sites in coastal
waters, clear of convoy
routes
and
used for training of
aircrew in warships
recognition and procedures
for attacks on
shipping.
They were used for Fleet
Air arm and RAF training.)
1
9 4 4
Target
Ship duty in continuation.
Withdrawn
from duty in December.
1
9 4 5
January
Used
for structural tests by
Naval Constructive
Research Establishment
at Rosyth
to
April
May
Placed
on Disposal List.
P
o s
t
W a r
N o t e s
HMS
AMAZON
remained in use for
underwater explosion
trials until 1948 when
placed on Sales
List. She was sold to
BISCO
for demolition by West of
Scotland Shipbuilder and
arrived at the Breaker’s
yard at Troon,
Ayrshire on 6th October
that year. This name was
carried forward in April
1971 when given to a Type
21
Frigate built
at Woolston
Southampton
as First of Class for a
new design warship. This
Class had been designed by
Vosper-Thornycroft
in conjunction
with Yarrow Shipbuilders
and has a direct
relationship with the
arrangements
made for the previous HMS
AMAZON in 1924.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS
AMAZON
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
07/09/39
|
07/09/39
|
OA
001
|
09/09/39
|
unknown
|
11/09/39
|
11/09/39
|
OA
003
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
17/09/39
|
17/09/39
|
OA
006
|
20/09/39
|
unknown
|
23/09/39
|
23/09/39
|
OA
009
|
26/09/39
|
26/09/39
|
19/09/39
|
27/09/39
|
HXF
001
|
29/09/39
|
29/09/39
|
15/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
OA
020G
|
18/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
17/10/39
|
18/10/39
|
OG
003
|
18/10/39
|
26/10/39
|
02/12/39
|
04/12/39
|
OA
045G
|
05/12/39
|
05/12/39
|
05/12/39
|
05/12/39
|
OG
009
|
06/12/39
|
11/12/39
|
18/12/39
|
21/12/39
|
OA
055G
|
21/12/39
|
21/12/39
|
26/12/39
|
26/12/39
|
OA
060G
|
28/12/39
|
28/12/39
|
04/01/40
|
06/01/40
|
OA
066
|
08/01/40
|
08/01/40
|
13/01/40
|
17/01/40
|
HG
015F
|
22/01/40
|
22/01/40
|
23/01/40
|
23/01/40
|
OA
078GF
|
25/01/40
|
26/01/40
|
03/02/40
|
03/02/40
|
OA
085G
|
06/02/40
|
06/02/40
|
01/03/40
|
12/03/40
|
SL
022F
|
15/03/40
|
15/03/40
|
16/03/40
|
16/03/40
|
OA
111
|
18/03/40
|
19/03/40
|
21/03/40
|
22/03/40
|
OA
114
|
23/03/40
|
24/03/40
|
13/03/40
|
25/03/40
|
HX
027
|
27/03/40
|
28/03/40
|
11/04/40
|
11/04/40
|
NP
001
|
15/04/40
|
15/04/40
|
24/04/40
|
24/04/40
|
TM
001/1
|
27/04/40
|
27/04/40
|
26/06/40
|
26/06/40
|
FS
0205
|
28/06/40
|
28/06/40
|
23/07/40
|
29/07/40
|
TC
006
|
01/08/40
|
01/08/40
|
03/09/40
|
05/09/40
|
OG
042
|
08/09/40
|
16/09/40
|
21/09/40
|
03/10/40
|
HX
075
|
07/10/40
|
07/10/40
|
24/10/40
|
26/10/40
|
OB
234
|
28/10/40
|
30/10/40
|
12/10/40
|
31/10/40
|
SL
051
|
31/10/40
|
31/10/40
|
08/11/40
|
08/11/40
|
OB
240
|
11/11/40
|
13/11/40
|
28/11/40
|
18/12/40
|
SL
057S
|
22/12/40
|
22/12/40
|
30/12/40
|
30/12/40
|
OB
267
|
02/01/41
|
02/01/41
|
15/12/40
|
05/01/41
|
SL
059S
|
07/01/41
|
07/01/41
|
13/04/41
|
14/04/41
|
OB
310
|
18/04/41
|
18/04/41
|
23/04/41
|
27/04/41
|
OB
314
|
29/04/41
|
30/04/41
|
20/04/41
|
02/05/41
|
HX
122
|
04/05/41
|
08/05/41
|
02/05/41
|
07/05/41
|
OB
318
|
10/05/41
|
10/05/41
|
30/04/41
|
12/05/41
|
HX
124
|
14/05/41
|
20/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
21/05/41
|
SC
031
|
24/05/41
|
30/05/41
|
11/07/41
|
11/07/41
|
OB
345
|
16/07/41
|
26/07/41
|
06/07/41
|
17/07/41
|
HX
137
|
17/07/41
|
22/07/41
|
27/07/41
|
30/07/41
|
ON
002
|
02/08/41
|
08/08/41
|
22/07/41
|
03/08/41
|
HX
140
|
unknown
|
06/08/41
|
22/07/41
|
03/08/41
|
SC
038
|
07/08/41
|
08/08/41
|
15/08/41
|
16/08/41
|
ON
007
|
18/08/41
|
25/08/41
|
10/08/41
|
22/08/41
|
HX
144
|
28/08/41
|
30/08/41
|
01/09/41
|
04/09/41
|
ON
012
|
07/09/41
|
14/09/41
|
29/08/41
|
08/09/41
|
HX
147
|
11/09/41
|
12/09/41
|
17/09/41
|
19/09/41
|
ON
017
|
21/09/41
|
29/09/41
|
11/09/41
|
22/09/41
|
SC
044
|
27/09/41
|
30/09/41
|
08/10/41
|
08/10/41
|
ON
024
|
13/10/41
|
15/10/41
|
05/10/41
|
17/10/41
|
SC
048
|
21/10/41
|
22/10/41
|
28/10/41
|
30/10/41
|
ON
031
|
04/11/41
|
15/11/41
|
28/10/41
|
06/11/41
|
HX
157
|
12/11/41
|
13/11/41
|
19/11/41
|
21/11/41
|
ON
038
|
26/11/41
|
30/11/41
|
16/11/41
|
28/11/41
|
SC
055
|
03/12/41
|
05/12/41
|
26/03/42
|
12/04/42
|
PQ
014
|
19/04/42
|
19/04/42
|
28/04/42
|
28/04/42
|
QP
011
|
07/05/42
|
07/05/42
|
21/07/42
|
23/07/42
|
NA
013
|
28/07/42
|
28/07/42
|
02/09/42
|
unknown
|
PQ
018
|
unknown
|
21/09/42
|
13/09/42
|
unknown
|
QP
014
|
unknown
|
26/09/42
|
26/10/42
|
04/11/42
|
KMF
001
|
06/11/42
|
08/11/42
|
14/11/42
|
14/11/42
|
MKF
001Y
|
20/11/42
|
20/11/42
|
18/06/43
|
26/06/43
|
KMF
017
|
27/06/43
|
27/06/43
|
13/07/43
|
13/07/43
|
SL
133
|
25/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
31/07/43
|
04/08/43
|
MKF
020
|
09/08/43
|
11/08/43
|
01/09/43
|
01/09/43
|
DS
044
|
03/09/43
|
03/09/43
|
04/09/43
|
04/09/43
|
SD
044
|
07/09/43
|
07/09/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)