Flotilla
Leader for A-Class Destroyers
ordered from Swan Hunter,
Wallsend on Tyne under the 1927
Programme on 6th March 1928. The
ship was laid down on 20th June
1929 and launched on 8th August
1929
as the first RN ship to be
given this name, which was
introduced to commemorate the
centenary of the Battle of
Navarino in 1827.
Admiral Sir Edward Codrington
(1770-1851) who was captain of HMS
ORION at the Battle of Trafalgar
had also been in command of the
allied Fleet at Navarino. A
village in Gloucestershire also
has this
name. Build of this destroyer was
completed on 4th June 1930 and she
later served in the Mediterranean
and
Home Fleets. In 1938 she was
refitted after a period in Reserve
at Devonport and re-commissioned
on
completion in August 1939.
Notes on Flotilla Leaders
This
ship was larger than the
others of the Class and had an
additional 4.7in gun fitted
between the two
funnels. Her
bridge structure was larger in
order to provide
the additional accommodation
required for the Flotilla Staff.
Otherwise the
internal arrangements were similar
to the other of the A-Class.
Her
displacement was 2,012 tons
with an overall length of
323 feet, beam
of 324 feet and draught of 19 ft.
Turbine machinery of 34,000 Shaft
Horsepower gave a speed of 37.74
knots on trials In February 1930.
Some smaller weapons were fitted
for
use against aircraft. The ship had
two quadruple 21in torpedo tube
mountings and for attacks on
submarines
was fitted with four depth charge
Chutes and two Throwers.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
NORWAY
1940 - DUNKIRK
1940
H
e r a
l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On
a Field Silver, a Lion passant
Red.
M
o t t o
Vultus in
hosten: 'Facing the enemy'
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
August
Post refit trials and
commissioning.
War station nominated as Leader of
19th Destroyer Flotilla.
To be part of Nore Command
Passage to Sheerness
September
Passage to Dover for Channel
patrol and convoy defence.
4th
Began escort of convoys taking
British Expeditionary Force to
France.
October
English Channel deployment in
continuation.
November
Transferred to Harwich.
(Note: Various Home Fleet
destroyers detached from duty at
Scapa Plow and three
Polish destroyers, ORP BLYSKAWICA,
ORP GROM and ORP BURZA were
deployed at Harwich because of a
perceived threat of German attack
on the Low
Countries although this never
materialised. In addition the
Increase in enemy activity
in Nore Command by aircraft and
surface ships made necessary
increased patrol and
convoy defence.
December
Resumed deployment at Dover.
4th
Embarked HM King George VI at
Dover for passage to Boulogne for
a visit to the British
Expeditionary Force in France.
10th
Embarked HM King George VI at
Boulogne for return to Dover after
visit.
22nd
Augmented escort for HM Auxiliary
Minelayer PRINCESS VICTORIA during
minelay in Dover Barrage with HM
Destroyers ESK, EXPRESS and
BRAZEN.
(Operation GF - See Naval Staff
History (Mining).).
1
9 4 0
January
4th
Embarked Winston Churchill (First
Lord of the Admiralty) for visit
to France.
February
Nominated as Capt (D)'s ship In
1st Destroyer Flotilla based at
Harwich in place of
HMS GRENVILLE which had been lost
on 19th January 1940.
5th
Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain, Winston Churchill and
military leaders taken
from Dover to Boulogne for war
council meeting in Paris.
Took passage to Chatham for refit.
March
6th
On completion Joined Flotilla at
Harwich for convoy defence and
patrol duties in
North Sea.
April
Transferred for detached service
with Hone Fleet after German
invasion of Norway
7th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
GRIFFIN, JUPITER, ELECTRA,
ESCAPADE,
BRAZEN, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, ESKIMO
and KIMBERLEY as screen for HM
Battleships RAMILLIES, VALIANT,
REPULSE and French cruiser EMIL
BERTIN
during Fleet deployment to cover
planned operations off Norway.
(Operation RUPERT/R4 – This was to
lay minefields off Norway to
prevent passage
of German ships carrying iron ore
and was overtaken by the sudden
invasion of
Norway and Denmark on 8th April.)
9th
Under air attacks whilst with
Fleet.
Detached to refuel at Sullom Voe.
14th
Deployed with HM Destroyers ACASTA
and ARDENT as screen for HM
Battleship
VALIANT and HM Cruiser VINDICTIVE
as escort for military convoy NP1
taking
troops and stores for landings in
Norway.
28th
Embarked Admiral of the Fleet, the
Earl of Cork and Orrery and French
General Bethouart
for reconnaissance of Narvik area
prior to planned assault by allied
troops.
Bombarded enemy gun positions.
For details of the disastrous
operations off Norway see NARVIK
by D Macintyre, THE
DOOMED EXPEDITION by J Adams,
CARRIER GLORIOUS by J Winton and
Naval
Staff History (HMSO-2001)
May
Released from Home Fleet
deployment off Norway.
10th
Took passage to Dover for support
of evacuation of allied personnel
from Belgium
and the Netherlands.
(Note: The 530 mile passage to Dover
from Scapa Flow was completed in
23 hours.)
11th
After refuelling deployed for
patrol and support off Dutch and
Belgian coast.
13th
Embarked Members of the Dutch
Royal Family at Ijmuiden to take
refuge in UK.
(Operation J).
(Note: HM Queen Juliana took
passage in HMS HEREWARD).
15th
Deployed at Harwich for patrol and
support of military operations.
27th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
GRENADE, JAGUAR and JAVELIN as
Force A for
patrol to intercept German surface
craft attempting to attack allied
ships.
Transferred to Dover Command for
evacuation of BEF troops
(Operation DYNAMO)
28th
Embarked 866 troops for return
passage.
Rescued survivors of ss ABUKIR
with HM Destroyers GRENADE and
ANTHONY
Landed troops at Dover
29th
On second trip embarked 766 troops
and returned to Dover.
30th
On third trip embarked 799 troops
and returned to Dover.
31st
On fourth trip embarked 909 troops
and too passage for further
embarkation.
Landed 440 troops at Dover.
June
1st
Returned for sixth trip and
embarked 746 troops for return to
Dover
2nd
Embarked 878 troops for return to
Dover.
(Note: For details see BEF SHIPS
by J de Winser, NINE DAYS AT
DUNKIRK by
A Divine and the Naval Staff
History (HMSO- 2002)
Despite sustained air attacks this
ship was one of the few destroyers
that remained
without major damage and was able
to continue support duties after
completion of
DYNAMO.)
3rd
Deployed at Dover for patrol in
Channel and support of military
durlng evacuations from
French Channel ports
12th
Deployed as Senior Naval Officer
(Afloat) during troop evacuation
from Le Havre.
Passage to St Valerie in
continuation (Operation CYCLE –
See BEF SHIPS.)
Returned to Portsmouth.
(Note: In all had 11,000 allied
troops and civilians were
evacuated during CYCLE).
15th
Support of military evacuation
from French ports and interception
patrol in Channel and
North Sea in continuation.
July
Deployed for convoy defence and
patrol in English Channel, based
at Dover.
27th
During Boiler Clean period at
Dover alongside HM Depot Ship
SANDHURST in Submarine
Basin damaged by air attack.
Bomb fell alongside and broke back
of ship, which sank.
Only 3 men were wounded.
(Note: Wreck still evident in
1947.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
CODRINGTON
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
04/04/40
|
06/04/40
|
HN
024
|
07/04/40
|
07/04/40
|
11/04/40
|
13/04/40
|
NP
001
|
15/04/40
|
15/04/40
|
24/04/40
|
24/04/40
|
FP
002
|
27/04/40
|
27/04/40
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)