Type II
HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from
Swan Hunter at Wallsend
in December
1939 under the 1939 War Emergency Programme.
The ship was laid down as Job No
4196 on 12th June 1940. The ship was launched
on 28th April 1941 as the 2nd RN
warship to carry the name which was first used
for a Prize (SAN JOSEF) captured
in 1800. She was completed on 11th December
1941 and was adopted by Abingdon,
Berkshire after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in February
1942.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
GUT OF
GIBRALTAR 1801 - DIEPPE 1942 - ENGLISH
CHANNEL 1942 - NORTH
AFRICA 1942-43 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943 - SICILY
1943 - SALERNO 1943 - AEGEAN
1943 - SOUTH FRANCE 1944
H e
r a l d i
c D
a t a
Badge: On a Field per
fess wavy
Red and Blue. a
chess Rook Gold in front of
two
hunting
horns in saltire
White.
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 4 1
December
Contractor's trials and commissioned for
service in 1st Destroyer Flotilla
11th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials
On completion of trials and storing took
passage to Scapa Flow
1 9 4 2
January
Work up at Scapa Flow with ships of Home
Fleet.
9th
Reinforced screen for ships of 1st
Minelaying Squadron during lay of
section of East Coast
Barrier with HM Escort
Destroyer CHIDDINGFOLD.
For details of all minelaying operations see
Naval Staff History (Mining).
February
Deployed for convoy defence and patrol in NW
Approaches.
March
Joined 1st Destroyer Flotilla at Portsmouth
for coastal convoy escort and patrol
in
Channel
and
North Sea.
April
Channel and North Sea duties in
continuation.
to
Nominated for escort and support of planned
amphibious operation.
June
(Operation JUBILEE)
July
Converted for use as HQ and Fighter
Direction Ship in Dieppe Raid.
August
Took part in JUBILEE preparatory exercises
18th
Embarked
Military Force Contenders and acted as
Command Ship.
to
(See Naval Staff History and THE WATERY MAZE
by B Fergusson.)
21st
Under heavy air attacks and fired on by
shore batteries.
Sustained some damage.
Escorted surviving Landing Craft to
Portsmouth on completion.
September
Resumed convoy defence and patrol duties
with Flotilla.
Detached for interception of enemy coastal
convoys and support of operations by
Light
Coastal
Forces.
October
Nominated for escort and support of allied
landings in North Africa.
Deployed as part of escort for military
convoy to Gibraltar.
November
Deployed at Gibraltar.
Joined Central Task Force for allied
landings (Operation TORCH).
(For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY, Naval Staff History
and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de
Winser,).
7th
Deployed for support and escort duties
during assault.
December
Deployed for convoy defence and patrol in
western Mediterranean and Atlantic.
1 9 4 3
January
Convoy defence and patrol deployment in
continuation
to
February
March
Deployed in Mediterranean and Joined convoy
MKF10A when on passage.
to
Joined 59 Destroyer Division for defence of
convoys supporting Allied operations
April
in North Africa and anti-submarine patrol.
May
Deployed for interception of craft
evacuating enemy personnel from Cape Bon.
(Operation RETRIBUTION).
June
Nominated for escort and support of allied
landings in Sicily.
July
Joined Support Force East for landings
(Operation HUSKY - See above references).
Escorted convoys and carried out defensive
patrols off beaches.
Transferred to 48 Escort Group for convoy
defence and patrol duties in Central
Mediterranean area.
August
Nominated for escort duty with Carrier
Support Force (Task Force 88) during allied
landings at
Salerno (Operation AVALANCHE - See above
references).
September
Joined
Group (TF88, as screen for HM Cruisers
EURYALUS, CHARYBDIS and SCYLLA, HM Escort
Carriers BATTLER, HUNTER, STALKER and Light
Fleet Carrier UNICORN with HM Escort
Destroyers CLEVELAND, HOLCOMBE, ATHERSTONE,
LIDDESDALE. FARNDALE,
Polish destroyers KRAKOWIAK
and SLAZAK.
9th
Deployed with Group off Beaches during
assault landings.
to
Under air and E-Boat attacks.
16th
On release from AVALANCHE Joined 50 Escort
Group based at Algiers for defence of
Follow-up convoys for military operations on
mainland of Italy.
October
Convoy defence with Group in continuation.
November
Joined HM Escort Destroyers ATHERSTONE,
CATTERICK, CLEVELAND, HAYDON,
FARNDALE,
LIDDESDALE,
Polish KRAKOWIAK and SLAZAK in Mediterranean
HUNT-Flotilla based in Malta for convoy
defence.
December
Convoy defence in central and western
Mediterranean in continuation.
10th
Part of escort of military convoy KMS34 with
H M Escort Destroyers TYNEDALE,
HOLCOMBE, US destroyers NIBLACK, BENSON and
WAINWRIGHT.
12th
Under submarine attack by U223 and U593 in
Bay of Bougie.
Following sinking of HM Escort Destroyer
TYNEDALE by torpedo from U593 took part
in anti-submarine hunt with other escorts.
During this operation HMS HOLCOMBE was
torpedoed and sunk by the same
U-Boat.
13th
Search operation maintained with US
destroyers.
Shared credit with USS WAINWRIGHT for
sinking U593 in position 37.38N 05.58E.
See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
1 9 4 4
January
Transferred to 18th Destroyer Flotilla based
in Malta.
to
Deployed for escort and patrol duties In
Central Mediterranean. June Nominated for
escort
July
duty under US command during landings in
South of France.
(Operation DRAGOON - For details see
INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO)
and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY).
August
Passage to Oran to join convoy.
11th
Part of escort for Convoy AMI with HM Escort
Destroyers CATTERICK, CLEVELAND, US
minesweepers STAFF, SWIFT and THREAT.
15th
Arrived in Assault area.
On release from DRAGOON reverted to RN
control and resumed duties with Flotilla.
September
Deployed for patrol and convoy defence in
Central Mediterranean and Adriatic.
24th
Part of British Aegean Force with HM Escort
Destroyers BRECON, CATTERICK, ZETLAND,
CLEVELAND, LIDDESDALE, Greek THEMISTOCLES,
KRITI, PINDOS, KANARIS and
MIAOULIS.
Embarked troops for re-occupation of Islands
in Aegean.
October
Deployed for interception of craft
evacuating German personnel from islands in
Aegean.
Carried out naval gunfire support and landed
of troops.
On termination of defence operations took
passage to UK.
November
Nominated for service in Eastern Fleet after
refit.
December
Passage to Mediterranean for refit at
Ferryville, Tunisia.
1 9 4 5
January
Under refit for foreign service.
to
Passage to Malta
March
April
Taken in hand for further refit and repair
in Malta.
May
Passage to UK on completion of refit.
11th
Arrived at Chatham to give leave.
June
Took passage via Mediterranean to join
14th Destroyer Flotilla, Eastern Fleet at
Trincomalee.
July On
arrival prepared for support of landings in
Malaya (Operation ZIPPER).
Pennant
Number for visual signalling purposes
changed to D56 to conform with US
Navy
identification system for destroyers.
August
Not deployed for support of Operation
ZIPPER.
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMS CALPE
served with the Flotilla in the Indian Ocean
until November 1946 when she took passage to
UK to Pay-off and reduce to
Reserve status. She was laid up at Sheerness
on 17th
January 1946 and transferred to Portsmouth in
1947. Later she went to Harwich
and was transferred on loan to Denmark during
1952. Renamed ROLFE KRAKE this
ship was sold to Denmark after 9 years on loan
and deployed on the Active List
until October 1966 when she was sold for
breaking up locally.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS CALPE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
12/12/42
|
31/12/42
|
UGS 003
|
01/01/43
|
01/01/43
|
19/01/43
|
20/01/43
|
MKS 006
|
21/01/43
|
01/02/43
|
17/02/43
|
18/02/43
|
MKF 009
|
19/02/43
|
24/02/43
|
26/02/43
|
06/03/43
|
KMS 010G
|
08/03/43
|
11/03/43
|
06/03/43
|
08/03/43
|
MKF 010A
|
09/03/43
|
14/03/42
|
24/04/43
|
25/04/43
|
MKF 013
|
02/05/43
|
02/05/43
|
18/06/43
|
27/06/43
|
XTG 002
|
unknown
|
29/06/43
|
29/06/43
|
29/06/43
|
MKS 016A
|
06/07/43
|
09/07/43
|
24/06/43
|
05/07/43
|
KMS 018B
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
MKF 018
|
17/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
KMF 019Y
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
26/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
MKS 019Y
|
31/07/43
|
31/07/43
|
20/08/43
|
21/08/43
|
GUS 013
|
29/08/43
|
14/09/43
|
25/10/43
|
13/11/43
|
UGS 022
|
16/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
12/01/44
|
12/01/44
|
SNF 012
|
16/01/44
|
16/01/44
|
16/01/44
|
16/01/44
|
NSF 013
|
19/01/44
|
19/01/44
|
20/01/44
|
20/01/44
|
SNF 013
|
22/01/44
|
22/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
25/01/44
|
KMF 028
|
29/01/44
|
29/01/44
|
24/02/44
|
24/02/44
|
GUS 032
|
27/02/44
|
23/03/44
|
11/03/44
|
12/03/44
|
XIF 011
|
15/03/44
|
16/03/44
|
16/03/44
|
16/03/44
|
IXF 011
|
18/03/44
|
21/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
NSF 018
|
27/03/44
|
27/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
SNF 018
|
31/03/44
|
31/03/44
|
15/04/44
|
15/04/44
|
XIF 013
|
unknown
|
20/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
unknown
|
IXF 013
|
unknown
|
25/04/44
|
29/04/44
|
29/04/44
|
XIF 014
|
03/05/44
|
04/05/44
|
04/05/44
|
04/05/44
|
SNF 021
|
07/05/44
|
07/05/44
|
06/06/44
|
06/06/44
|
NSF 024
|
09/06/44
|
09/06/44
|
10/06/44
|
10/06/44
|
SNF 024
|
13/06/44
|
13/06/44
|
11/06/44
|
19/06/44
|
KMF 032
|
24/06/44
|
24/06/44
|
28/06/44
|
unknown
|
XIF 017
|
unknown
|
02/07/44
|
04/07/44
|
unknown
|
IXF 017
|
unknown
|
08/07/44
|
12/07/44
|
13/07/44
|
XIF 018
|
18/07/44
|
18/07/44
|
28/07/44
|
31/07/44
|
MKF 033
|
01/08/44
|
11/08/44
|
10/08/44
|
10/08/44
|
AM 001
|
15/08/44
|
15/08/44
|
24/08/44
|
01/09/44
|
KMF 034
|
07/09/44
|
07/09/44
|
10/09/44
|
11/09/44
|
XIF 021
|
15/09/44
|
15/09/44
|
16/09/44
|
16/09/44
|
IXF 021
|
20/09/44
|
20/09/44
|
10/10/44
|
10/10/44
|
MKF 035
|
15/10/44
|
21/10/44
|
20/10/44
|
27/10/44
|
KMF 035A
|
31/10/44
|
31/10/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)