E-Class Fleet Destroyer
ordered from
Swan Hunter at Wallsend
under 1931 Programme on 1st
November 1932 and laid down on 4th March
1933. The ship was
launched on 29th May 1934 as the 8th RN ship
to carry
the name,
introduced in 1695 and previously borne by
a destroyer built in 1897 and sold in 1921.
Ships of this Class ware designed
for use as minelayers and could easily be
converted to that role from Fleet
duties. Her build completed on 2nd November
1934 and she commissioned for
service in the Home Fleet with the 5th
Destroyer Flotilla four days later.
Before the outbreak of war the ship spent
some periods on detached service in
the Mediterranean because of the Abyssinian
crisis and an outbreak of fire in a Boiler
Room resulted in two months repair
during October 1937. Although she was
intended for use as a Boys training ship
in 1939 this was not implemented because of
a lack of personnel. She attended
the Review of the Reserve Fleet in August
1939. In 1943 this destroyer was
transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and
renamed HMCS GATINEAU.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
DESIRAOE 1806 - GUADALOUPE
1808 - MARTINIQUE
1809 -
DUNKIRK 1940
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a figure of Mercury Gold
M o t t o
Celeriter:
‘ I strike quickly’
D e t a
i l s o f W a
r
S e r v i c e a s H
M S E X P R E S S
(for more ship
information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search)
1
9 3 9
September
Converted
for minelaying
duties at Portsmouth
and war complement joined.
7th - Worked up for operation as a minelayer.
9th - Passage to Immingham
to take-up war station. Embarked mines.
10th - Laid minefield in Heligoland
Bight with sister destroyer HMS ESK
(Operation AA).
12th - Laid further minefield with HMS ESK in Heligoland
Bight (Operation QQ).
October
Minelay
operations off Dutch coast
suspended.
Paravanes
fitted.
November
17th - Deployed for minelay
in East Coast Barrier (Operation RG).
29th - Completed Operation RG.
December
12th - Joined 20th Destroyer Flotilla on formation. Based at
Harwich with mines to be embarked at Immingham.
15th - Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayer PRINCESS
VICTORIA during minelay
in the East Coast Barrier off
Harwich (Operation OF). HM Destroyers ESK, BRAZEN and BOREAS deployed to
provide cover.
22nd - Escorted HMS PRINCESS VICTORIA for second part
of Operation GF with HM Destroyers ESK,
CODRINGTON and BRAZEN.
1
9 4 0
January
Deployed
with Flotilla at Harwich.
February
9th - Escorted HMS PRINCESS VICTORIA during lay of
dummy mines along East Coast Barrier (Operation
LD2 and LD3).
12th - Operations LD2 and LD3 completed.
18th - Escorted HM Auxiliary Minelayer TEVIOT BANK
during lay of Deep minefield in Galloper
area
(Operation DML8).
March
3rd - Laid minefield near Horns Reef, Heligoland
Bight with HM Destroyers ESK, IMPULSIVE and ICARUS
(Operation IE1).
5th - Deployed for anti-submarine patrol in Moray
Firth area.
21st
- Escorted HMS TEVIOT BANK and HMS PRINCESS
VICTORIA during laying
of deep field
in
Moray Firth with Flotilla
(Operation PA4).
22nd - Damaged in collision with trawler and taken in
hand at Hartlepool
for repair.
April
Under repair.
24th
- On completion rejoined Flotilla.
27th - Nominated with HMS ESK and HMS INTREPID to
extend Vast Fjord minefield. Narrow
gauge mine rails and
H2/VHI mine units to be used.
28th - Changed mine rails and embarked mines at Immingham
for Operation ZMB.
30th - Rejoined Home Fleet when Operation ZMB
cancelled.
Returned
to Immingham to
revert to broad gauge
rails.
May
6th - Returned to Scapa Flow for minelaying
duty off Norway. Operation cancelled for lack of air cover.
10th - Laid minefield in Heligoland
Bight (Operation ZMC). On arrival in Humber escorted HMS PRINCESS VICTORIA
during laying of
minefield off
Dutch
coast (Operation CBX1).
12th - Laid Shallow minefields in East Coast Barrier
with HM Destroyers ESK and INTREPID (Operation
BS3).
14th - Continued East Coast Barrier minelay
(Operation BS4).
16th - Deployed with Flotilla to laid minefield off
Dutch coast (Operation CBX3).
(Note:
In July
1940 this claimed sinking of three German
minesweepers.).
18th - Joined HMS PRINCESS VICTORIA with Flotilla to
continue East Coast Barrier lay (Operation BS5).
Escorted
PRINCESS VICTORIA to south
of Humber on return passage. After HMS PRINCESS VICTORIA hit a mine and sank off
estuary, remained in area to warn shipping of new mine danger.
21st
- East Coast Barrier minelaying
continued
with Flotilla (Operation BS series - Operation
BS6.)
23rd - Operation BS7.
25th
- Operation BS8
27th - Operation BS9 (excluding HMS IMPULSIVE). Despatched to assist in Dunkirk evacuation (Operation DYNAMO). Passage
to Dover.
29th - Towed French destroyer JAGUAR to Dover.
30th
- Wore flag of Admiral Hyde-Walker and carried
1,431 troops to
Dover during two trips.
31st - Made three more trips to Dunkirk. Under
attack by German aircraft and sustained
serious damage. (Note: In
all
carried 3,491 troops to Dover. See BEF SHIPS by J de Winser
and Naval Staff History (HMSO-2002).)
June
2nd - Under repair.
15th - Rejoined Flotilla on completion.
16th - Escorted HMS TEVIOT BANK, HM Coastal Minelayer
PLOVER and ships of Flotilla during East
Coast Barrier minelaying
Operation (Operation BS15).
29th - Deployed for East Coast Barrier minelay
(Operation BS19).
July
2nd - Deployed for East Coast Barrier minelay
(Operation BS20).
11th - Deployed for East Coast Barrier minelay
(Operation BS23).
17th - Laid experimental field with HMS IMPULSIVE to
test operation of MK XX mine. (Operation
BS24).
18th
- Repeated Operation BS24 (Operation BS25).
21st
- Laid minefield in Galloper area with
Flotilla, except HMS IVANHOE
(Operation BS26).
27th
- Continuation lay of BS26 with Flotilla
,except
HMS IVANHOE (Operation BS28).
August
2nd
- Laid extension of East Coast Barrier with
HMS PLOVER, Dutch
minelayer VAN DER ZAAN and HM Destroyers ESK, ICARUS, INTREPID and IMPULSIVE
(Operation BS30).
6th - Laid minefield off Belgian coast with ships of
Flotilla escorted by MTB's
(Operation CBX4).
9th
- Laid anti-invasion minefield in Straits of
Dover with ships of
Flotilla (Operation MP(a)).
11th
- Continuation of anti-invasion Minefield
(Operation MP(b)).
27th
- Escorted HMS TEVIOT BANK for lay in East
Coast Barrier with HMS
ESK and HMS
ICARUS
(Operation BS35).
31st
- With Senior Officer of 20th Flotilla
embarked sailed with HM
Destroyers IVANHOE,
INTREPID,
ICARUS and ESK for minelaying
off
Belgian coast (Operation CBX5). After enemy report, CinC
Nore ordered ships
to
engage after jettison of mines. Entered German minefield and exploded mine in position
53.25N 3-48E.
Forward
structure completely destroyed.
HMS
IVANHOE went alongside and
was disabled after detonating another mine
Ship
able to make sternway under
own power until taken in tow by HM Destroyer
KELVIN.
Tow
fouled and re-established by
HM Destroyer JUPITER until tugs arrived to
complete
towing operation to
Hull. (Note: 57 of ships company were lost and
a further 9 were captured and
became POW.
Captain
J Bickford (Captain D20) died later in
hospital and was buried
at sea.
See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and
Naval Staff History (MINING). HMS ESK
sank
and HMS IVANHOE had to be scuttled following
this disastrous operation
which claimed nearly 300 lives.
The
subsequent Board of Inquiry
at Hull concluded that it was unavoidable.
See
THE BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST
(1939 -1945) by JP Foynes.)
September
3rd
- Arrived at Hull in tow. Tow
to Chatham for repair
including rebuilding forward structure.
October to
December
Under
repair by HM Dockyard, Chatham.
1
9 4 1
January to
August
Under repair.
September
Re-commissioned
and carried out post refit trials.
October
3rd - Refit completion date. Passage to
Scapa Flow to rejoined Home Fleet and
allocated for service with Force Z in Singapore.
25th - Sailed from Clyde as escort for HM Battleship
PRINCE OF WALES with HMS ELECTRA.
November
5th - At Freetown.
18th - Sailed from Capetown.
28th
- Arrived at Colombo after calls at Mauritius
and Gan for fuel.
29th - Joined by HM Battlecruiser
REPULSE and HM Destroyers ENCOUNTER and
JUPITER.
Took
passage from Colombo to
Singapore with ships of Force Z.
December
3rd
- Arrived at Singapore.
8th - Sailed from Singapore to attack Japanese
warships reported off Kota Baru.
10th - In action with Japanese aircraft during attacks
on Force Z in Gulf of Thailand. Took
part in rescue of 1,000
survivors from HMS REPULSE and HMS PRINCE OF
WALES.
(For
details see WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO) and THE HUNTING OF FORCE Z by R Hough).
11th - Returned to Singapore and deployed on local
convoy defence.
24th - Carried out lay of 18 ground mines in
approaches to Penang.
1
9 4 2
January
Deployed
with China Force at Singapore for escort of
convoys.
February
6th - Fire in boiler room caused damage to services.
Repair
undertaken
at Singapore. (Note: This repair prevented deployment with allied
fleet in Java Sea.
See
above references.)
On completion continued convoy defence
work until capture of Singapore. Escorted evacuation convoy SU1 to Fremantle with HM
Australian Destroyers NIZAM and VAMPIRE.
March
Transferred
to East Indies Fleet based in Ceylon. (Note:
During
this period ship operated despite condition of
the Boiler Room due to earlier
fire
damage
which was not completely repaired).
Nominated
for completion of
repair in South Africa.
April
Passage
to Simonstown.
Taken
in hand by HM Dockyard, Simonstown
for repair and refit.
May
Under repair.
June
26th
- On completion resumed
duties with
Eastern Fleet.
27th - Joined 12th Destroyer Flotilla for Indian Ocean
convoy defence
and screening duty.
July to
August
Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.
September
Nominated
for support of planned landings to complete
occupation of
Madagascar.
10th - Escorted HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS during
final phase of allied occupation of Madagascar
(Operation STREAM).
On
release
from STREAM resumed Flotilla convoy defence
duties
October to
December
Indian Ocean deployment in continuation.
1
9 4 3
January
Indian Ocean deployment in continuation. Nominated
for
return to UK.
Future deployment after refit under consideration.
February
Passage to Liverpool from Simonstown
for refit.
March
Paid
off and prepared for refit in commercial
shipyard. Nominated
for
transfer to Royal Canadian Navy on completion.
12th - Taken in hand for refit.
April to
May
Under refit.
June
2nd - Refit completion date.
3rd - Transferred to RCN and re-commissioned as HMCS
GATINEAU for convoy defence
duties.
15th - Formally presented to Canada as a gift.
S
e r v i
c e a s H M C
S G A T I N E A U
Took
passage for work-up.
July
On
completion of work-up joined 2nd Canadian
Escort Group for Atlantic
convoy defence.
August
Deployed
in NW Approaches for convoy defence
with Group.
(For
details of weapons and tactics used in Battle
of the Atlantic see
U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC
(HMSO), SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann
and THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D MacIntyre.)
September
Deployed
with HM Destroyer ICARUS, HM Frigate LAGAN,
three corvettes and
a trawler as
escort
for convoy ON202 during Atlantic passage.
Merged
with convoy ONS18 on
Admiralty diversion to avoid U-Boat attacks.
(Note:
Combined escort then also
included HM Destroyers ESCAPADE, KEPPEL and ST
CROIX
(RCN), HM Frigates TOWEY
and ITCHEN, eight Corvettes and a trawler
from
Escort Groups B3 and C9 of
ONS18.)
19th
- Under attacks by LEUTHEN U-Boat Group during
which HMS LAGAN was
damaged beyond
economic
repair by an acoustic homing torpedo (T5).
20th
- HMCS ST CROIX and HMS ITCHEN were sunk as
well as major damage to
HMS
ESCAPADE
after accidental explosion of mortar bombs
from the HEDGEHOG
mounting.
(Note:
For details see HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR Volume 2
by C Blair.)
October to
December
Atlantic deployment with Group in continuation.
1
9 4 4
January to
February
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
March
Deployed
with HM Destroyer ICARUS, HM Canadian
Destroyer CHAUDIERE, HM Canadian
Frigate ST CATHERINES, HM Canadian Corvettes
FENNEL, CHILLIWACK and HM Corvette
KENILWORTH CASTLE in support of passage of
Convoy HX280.
4th - Convoy under threat of attack by U-Boats. After radio
transmissions intercepted by HMS ICARUS
obtained ASDIC contact and began submarine
search operation with ships of Support Group.
5th - Search operation continued with depth charge and
HEDGEHOG attacks by ships of the escort
and
Support Group.
6th
- U774 surfaced after being dived for over 24
hours. HMCS
CHILLIWACK and HMCS FENNEL attempted to board
submarine but whaler capsized. Took part
in
rescue of whalers
crew and survivors from U744 which
scuttled.
Submarine
sank in position 52.01N 22.37W. 40 of her crew
survived.
April
Atlantic deployment in continuation.
May
Transferred
to 11th Escort Group based at Londonderry for
support of the
planned allied
landings
in Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).
June
Transferred
to Plymouth for anti-submarine operations in
Bay of Biscay
and English Channel.
26th - In action with E-Boats off Selsey
Bill in defence
of coastal convoy. On release
from NEPTUNE resumed Atlantic convoy defence
with
Group.
July
Atlantic convoy escort in continuation. Nominated
for refit in Canada
and took passage to Halifax.
August
3rd - Taken in hand for refit at Halifax.
September
to December
Under refit.
1
9 4 5
January
Under refit.
February
Post refit
trials.
16th - On completion prepared for return passage to UK
for work-up.
Passage
to Tobermory.
March
On completion of work-up deployed on convoy defence
in UK coastal waters. (Note:
Increased U-Boat attacks were being carried
out by SCHNORKEL fitted submarines in UK
coastal
waters and Atlantic convoys were re-routed via
English Channel after
removal
of air threat from French airfields. See HOLD
THE NARROW SEAS by P
Smith.)
April
Coastal convoy defence in
continuation.
May
Returned
to Canada after VE Day.
June
Deployed
locally based at Halifax.
July
11th - Taken in hand for repair at Halifax.
19th
- Resumed duties at Halifax.
August
Transferred
to Esquimault on
West coast of
Canada.
P
o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMCS
GATINEAU was paid off on 10th January 1946 and
placed
in Reserve at Esquimault.
The ship was put on the
Disposal List in April 1947 and sold to
Capital Iron and Steel Metals,
Victoria, British Columbia. She was scuttled
in 1956 at Royston,
BC for use as part of a breakwater.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS EXPRESS
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
03/10/39
|
03/10/39
|
BC 008/1
|
04/10/39
|
04/10/39
|
05/10/39
|
05/10/39
|
BC 007R
|
08/10/39
|
08/10/39
|
09/10/39
|
09/10/39
|
BC 010F
|
11/10/39
|
11/10/39
|
11/10/39
|
11/10/39
|
BC 010FR
|
12/10/39
|
12/10/39
|
22/10/39
|
22/10/39
|
BC 012/1
|
24/10/39
|
24/10/39
|
25/10/39
|
25/10/39
|
BC 011R
|
28/10/39
|
28/10/39
|
30/10/39
|
30/10/39
|
BC 013/1
|
01/11/39
|
01/11/39
|
01/11/39
|
01/11/39
|
BC 012R
|
03/11/39
|
03/11/39
|
07/11/39
|
07/11/39
|
BC 014/1
|
09/11/39
|
09/11/39
|
22/12/41
|
03/01/42
|
BM 009B
|
06/01/42
|
06/01/42
|
19/01/42
|
24/01/42
|
BM 011
|
29/01/42
|
29/01/42
|
12/02/42
|
12/02/42
|
SJ 001
|
21/02/42
|
05/03/42
|
25/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
C 004
|
26/02/42
|
26/02/42
|
01/03/42
|
01/03/42
|
SU 001
|
03/03/42
|
15/03/42
|
10/01/43
|
20/01/43
|
MC 003
|
23/01/43
|
23/01/43
|
25/01/43
|
25/01/43
|
CF 011
|
27/01/43
|
27/01/43
|
30/01/43
|
30/01/43
|
CF 011A
|
11/02/43
|
11/02/43
|
14/02/43
|
14/02/43
|
CF 011B
|
25/02/43
|
25/02/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
as HMCS GATINEAU
|
|
|
|
|
|
to be added
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)