U-Class
Fleet Destroyer ordered under a War Emergency
Programme in April 1941 from Cammell
Laird at Birkenhead.
The ship was laid down on 14th March 1942 as Build
Number 1103 and launched on 22nd April 1943 as the
2nd RN warship to carry this name introduced in
1779. It was last used by a WW1 destroyer built in
1917 and lost after a collision in October 1918.
Build completion date was 23rd December 1923.
Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign during March 1942 she had been
'adopted' by the civil community of Leigh,
Lancashire.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
MARTINIQUE
1794 - EGYPT 1801 - MARTINIQUE 1809
- ARCTIC 1944 - NORMANDY
1944
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Barry wavy of ten White and Blue, a
ram's head affronte
Black in front of a stake erect inflamed.
D
e t a i l s o f W a
r S e r v i
c e
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information,
go
to
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and
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1
9 4 3
December
Contractor's sea trials and commissioning.
23rd Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
1
9 4 4
January
On completion of trials and storing took passage
to Scapa Flow to
work-up with ships
of Home Fleet.
Joined 25th Destroyer Flotilla for screening
duties of major Hone Fleet ships and
patrol in
NW Approaches.
February
Home Fleet duties with Flotilla in continuation.
to
March
April
Nominated for escort of inward Russian convoy.
Detached and made independent passage to Kola
Inlet with HM Cruiser DIADEM, HM
Escort Carriers ACTIVITY, FENCER, HM Destroyers
BEAGLE, BOADICEA,
INCONSTANT,
KEPPEL, MARNE,
MATCHLESS, METEOR, MILNE, MUSKETEER,
VERULAM, VIRAGO, WALKER, WESTCOTT,
WHITEHALL and
WRESTLER.
23rd Arrived at
Kola Inlet.
28th Joined return
Convoy RA59 with above ships, HM Corvette LOTUS
and HM Canadian
Frigates CAPE BRETON,
GROU, OUTREMONT and WASKESIU as Ocean Escort.
30th Under attack
DONNER group of U-Boats.
May
3rd Detached from
RA59 with HMS DIADEM, HMS FENCER, HM Destroyers
BOADICEA,
VERULAM,
VIRAGO, WALKER and
WHITEHALL after a hazardous passage due to
weather and enemy
activities.
(For details of all Russian Convoy operations
see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg,
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman,
THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield
and
CONVOY
! by
P Kemp.
Rejoined Flotilla at Scapa
Flow.
Nominated with ships of Flotilla for transfer to
Force G during allied invasion
of Normandy
(Operation NEPTUNE).
(For details of naval activities prior to and
during landings and of major ships
see LANDINGS
IN NORMANDY JUNE 1944 (HMSO) and OPERATION
NEPTUNE by K.
Edwards).
Took part in preliminary exercises with ships of
Force G.
June
Joined HM Destroyers JERVIS, CATTISTOCK,
PYTCHLEY, COTTESMORE and the Polish
ORP
KRAKOWIAK in Force G
with ships of Flotilla
3rd At Spithead
in Assembly area.
4th Operation
delayed 24 hours.
5th Joined Convoy
G9 with HM Destroyers URANIA and JERVIS as
escort during
passage through swept channel.
(Note: Convoy comprised H M Landing Ship,
Headquarters BULOLO ( Flagship Force G ),
HM Frigate NITH (HQ Ship Assault Group G1), Four
Landing Ships, Infantry,
two Landing Craft Infantry, 3 Motor
Launches and 3 miscellaneous craft)
6th After arrival
Provided naval gunfire support for landings on
GOLD Beach.
7th
Deployed on support of landings and for patrols
in Eastern Task Force area for interception of
surface craft and submarines attempting to
attack shipping.
July
On release from NEPTUNE remained in Channel area
for patrol and convoy duty.
(Note: Destroyers carried cut attacks on
evacuation craft.)
August
Nominated for transfer to Pacific with Flotilla
after refit.
Rejoined Home Fleet for Flotilla screening and
patrol duties.
September
Home Fleet deployment in continuation.
to
Nominated for refit before foreign service
October
November
Taken in hand for refit in Thames commercial
shipyard
December
Under refit.
1
9 4 5
January
Under refit.
February
Post refit trials.
March
On completion took passage to join Flotilla for
Pacific Fleet duties.
April
Passage to Mediterranean
May
On arrival at Sydney prepared for service with
Flotilla in Task Force 57 of US Navy 5th
Fleet.
(Note: Pennant Number changed to D24 to conform
with US Navy identification for destroyers.
June
Joined Flotilla for service in Task Force 57 of
US 3rd Fleet for screening duties and support of
attacks on Japanese
mainland.
(Note: BPF ships were carrying out maintenance
and repair after completion of a
series of air
attacks and bombardments on Sakishima
Gunto with 5th
Fleet.
(Operation ICEBERG TWO)..)
BPF ships had been transferred to US 3rd Fleet
as Task Force 37 after changes in structure of
US Navy command in Pacific.
(Note: For details of British contribution to
Pacific operations see TF 57 by P.
Smith, THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton, OPERATION PACIFIC
by E Gray, Naval
Staff
History
and WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes
changed to D24 to suit the U S Navy identity
for destroyers.
Carried out
preparatory exercises in preparation for joint
US/RN operations.
(Note: US Navy signalling and manoeuvring
procedures and methods were adopted by
RN
ships deployed in Pacific area.
28th Sailed
from Sydney with HM Destroyers GRENVILLE,
UNDINE, URANIA, URSA,
URCHIN, UNDAUNTED. QUIBERON, QUICKMATCH, QUALITY
and QUADRANT as
re-designated 4th Destroyer Flotilla
Deployed as part of screen for major units of
Task Force 37.
(Note: Task Force 37 also included:
HM Battleship KING GEORGE V.
HM Aircraft Carriers
FORMIDABLE.
VICTORIOUS and IMPLACABLE
HM Cruisers NEWFOUNDLAND, BLACK PRINCE,
EURYALUS, ACHILLES.
UGANDA and
GAMBIA.
HM Destroyers TROUBRIDGE, TENACIOUS. TERMAGANT,
TERPSICHORE
and TEAZER.(24th Destroyer Flotilla.)
July
During passage to Manus
carried cut exercises in preparation for joint
operations with US
Navy off Japanese mainland islands.
4th
Replenished with fuel at Forward RN base at Manus,
Admiralty Islands.
6th
Took passage from Manus
to operational area off Japan.
Deployed with destroyers of Task Force 37 as
screen H M Battleship KING GEORGE V, HM,
Aircraft Carriers FORMIDABLE and VICTORIOUS, HM
Cruisers NEWFOUNDLAND,
ACHILLES
(RNZN), UGANDA (RCN), EURYALUS, GAMBIA (RNZN)
and BLACK
PRINCE.
(Note: HMS IMPLACABLE detached after defects and
rejoined Task Force later.)
13th
Replenished from Task Force 112 Logistics Group
up with TF37 ships.
17th On
completion of replenishment and discussions with
US Navy 3rd Fleet,
deployed
with
screen for TF37during combined RN/USN air
attacks on Tokyo and Yokohama.
(Note: HMS IMPLACABLE had rejoined from Manus.
British air operations here restricted to
secondary targets as part of US
Navy policy to limit RN involvement. See above
references.).
19th Sailed
from operational area to replenish from Task
Force 112.
20th
Replenished with BPF ships after delay due to
Typhoon threat.
HMS INDEFATIGABLE joined Task Force 37- See above
references.
(Note: Indications of shortages of fuel from
British tankers became evident.)
23rd
Destroyers topped-up fuel from battleships to
ensure full
availability for future
operations off Japan.
24th TF37
screen deployment during operations in
continuation..
(Note: British attacks were again restricted.
See above.)
27th
Replenished
from British Logistics Group Task Force 112.
(Note: Fuel supply situation becoming critical
to future deployment of TF37.)
28th
Resumed screening duties during air attacks on
secondary targets.
Detached with HMS KING GEORGE V, HM Destroyers
UNDINE and URANIA
for bombardment
of shore targets with
US Task Group TF34.5 and designated
Task Unit 37-1-2
29th
During passage to bombardment area collided in
fog with HMS URANIA but able to
resume screening duties.
Carried out bombardment of works and aircraft
factories near Hamamatsu,
Honshu
30th
Rejoined Task Force 37 ships with Task Unit
37-1-2 and resumed
screening during
air operations
31st
Replenished with ships of TF 37
August
2nd
Deployed for screening duties during passage to
resume air operations.
4th
Refuelled from major warships as
operational period extended.
6th
TF37 ships Replenished from British Logistics
Group.
7th
Refuelled from major ships.
9th
Part of destroyer screen for TF37 major ships
during combined carrier attacks by
RN and USN with US TF38 on shipping and shore
targets in N. Honshu and Hokkaido.
11th
Withdrawn
from operational area with ships of TF37 because
of lack of fuel from
British Fleet Train tankers. See above
references.
(Note: RN ships retained as Token Force joined
Task Force 38 as Task Group 38.5
comprising:
HM Battleship KING GEORGE V. HM
Aircraft. Carrier INDEFATIGABLE
HM Cruisers GAMBIA and NEWFOUNDLAND.
HM Destroyers BARFLEUR, WAKEFUL, WRANGLER,
TROUBRIDGE,
TERMAGANT, TENACIOUS,
TERPSICHORE and
TEAZER. HM Australian
Destroyers
NAPIER
17th
Reverted to RN control during return passage to
Sydney.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS
ULYSSES reverted to RN control after VJ and was
deployed in Pacific area and Far East with BPF
until return to UK with Flotilla in early
1946.She was reduced to Reserve status after
arrival at Plymouth in March that year. The ship
re-commissioned in December 1951 for service
with the Local Flotilla and in 1953 was selected
for 'Limited Conversion' to a Type 15
Anti-Submarine Frigate. On completion she
re-commissioned for service in the 6tn Frigate
Squadron and took part in GRAPPLE Nuclear Tests
at Christmas Island in the Pacific during 1958.
Later that year she was involved in collision
with sister ship HMS UNDINE off Ushant.
When repaired she was deployed for training duty
at Plymouth until reduced to Reserve in December
1900. Before being placed on Disposal List in
1963 ship was hulked for use as a store
for refitting ships until 1969 and sold to
Davies and Cann for
breaking-up at Plymouth in October 1969.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS ULYSSES
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked with
the text above
|
|
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|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
28/04/44
|
28/04/44
|
RA
059
|
03/05/44
|
06/05/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|