Type
III HUNT
Class Escort Destroyer ordered from J S
White of Cowes on 19th July 1940
under the 1940 War Emergency Programme and
laid down on 25th March 1941. The ship was
launched on 11th July 1942 and build
was completed on 7th
December that year. This destroyer was
‘adopted’ by the civil community of Deben
and Woodbridge, Suffolk
following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign in February 1942.
B a t t l e H
o n o u r s
ENGLISH
CHANNEL
1942 - NORTH AFRICA
1943 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943 - SICILY 1943 -
AEGEAN
1943 - NORTH SEA 1945
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On
a field Green a stork’s head erased White
holding
in the beak a sprig of oak Gold.
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 2
December
Contractors trials and commissioned for
service in 22nd Destroyer Flotilla.
(Note: Flotilla was deployed in western Mediterranean)
7th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials
On completion of trials and storing took
passage to Scapa Flow to work-up for
operational service with ships of the Home
Fleet at Scapa Flow.
(Note: Whilst on passage was deployed as
part of escort for Channel convoy.
Award of Battle Honour suggests the ship was
involved in defence
against enemy attack, possibly during
transit of Dover
Strait. To be
further investigated.
For details of naval activities in Home
waters in 1942-43 see ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett. HOLD
THE NARROW SEA by
P Smith and Naval Staff History.)
1
9 4 3
January
Deployed at Scapa Flow for working-up
13th
Took part in major Home Fleet exercise with
HM Destroyers WALPOLE and LEDBURY
during work-up.
On completion of work-up took passage to Gibraltar
to join Flotilla for convoy defence and
patrol based at Gibraltar.
(Note: Following allied landings in
North Africa military build-up was maintained
by sea and extensive escort of convoys was
essential.
For details of operations in the
Mediterranean in 1943-44 see THE BATTLE FOR
THE
MEDITERRANEAN
by D MacIntyre and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY.
February
17th
Sank Italian submarine ASTERIA off Bougie
with HM Escort Destroyer WHEATLAND
20th
Despatched from Algiers to carry out
anti-submarine search with HM Escort
Destroyers
WHEATLAND, LAMERTON and BICESTER.
(Note: Submarine had been detected by shore
radar.)
Carried out joint search operations lasting
three days
23rd
U443 located during persistent searches by
the three ships and sunk by depth charges
attacks.
in position 26.35N, 11.56E off
Algiers.
There were no survivors from U443.
March
Deployment on Mediterranean convoy defence
in continuation.
4th
Attacked U83 of Cartagena.
(Note: This submarine was later sighted on
the surface by an RAF aircraft which
then attacked and sank it by depth charges..
April
Convoy escort and patrol in continuation.
May
Carried out interception patrols to prevent
evacuation of German troops from Cape
Bon area (Operation RETRIBUTION - See above
references and Naval Staff History.)
June
Preparation for Sicilian landing and convoy
defence duties (Operation HUSKY).
(For details of HUSKY see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY, BRITISH
INVASION FLEETS and Naval Staff History).
July
Transferred to eastern Mediterranean for
escort of assault convoys to Sicily.
Deployed as part of Escort Group R
5th
Escorted Assault Convoy MWF36 from Port Said
during passage to beach head.
7th
Escorted Follow-up Convoy MWF37.
13th
Deployed at Syracuse after detaching from
MWF37.
Provided anti-submarine and AA protection in
beach head area.
August
Central Mediterranean deployment in
continuation.
23rd
During
escort of military Convoy MKF22 after
obtaining contact by sonar carried
out two depth charge attacks on U548 south
of Pantellaria.
Joined by Greek destroyer PINDOS which
carried out further attack which forced
submarine to surface.
Engaged submarine and then made ramming
attack sinking U548 in position
36.25N, 12.39E.
Sustained serious damage to bow structure
and propeller shafts which disabled
Taken in tow to Malta
by PINDOS.
September
Under temporary repair by HM Dockyard, Malta
to enable permanent repair in
Gibraltar.
(Note: This damage to hull structure was
such that her value future service
was
put
in doubt and her overall operational
capabilities became suspect).
October
Passage to Gibraltar
November
Under repair in HM Dockyard, Gibraltar
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Under repair
to
August
September
Carried out post repair trials and prepared
for operational service.
18th
On completion allocated for service with
59th Destroyer Division in Malta.
Took passage to Malta
for convoy escort and patrol in eastern
Mediterranean
October
Deployed in support of military operations
to re-occupy Aegean Islands.
Carried out patrols to intercept craft
evacuating German troops.
November
Continued support duties during allied
re-occupation of Greek mainland.
December
5th
Provided naval gunfire support by
bombardment of Greek Communist positions
near
Piraeus during allied military operations
until 9th December.
1
9 4 5
January
Deployed in support of military operations
off Greek and Albanian coasts.
February
Transferred to Home waters to supplement
coastal convoy defence against attacks by
German Schnorkel1-fitted submarines.
Took passage to Sheerness to join the 21st
Destroyer Flotilla.
March
Joined Flotilla and deployed on defence of
coastal convoys and patrol duty in Nore
to
Command
April
Nominated for refit in commercial shipyard
and took passage to Southampton
May
Under refit at Southampton
to
August
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMS
EASTON paid off and was reduced to Reserve
on 29th October 1945 after post
refit trials had been completed.
In 1946 she was brought forward for service
in the 3rd Escort Group at
Portsmouth. However, during
service, a series of defects made her
operational availability unacceptable and
the ship was withdrawn from
service in November 1947. During a later
refit in 1949 whilst in Reserve her
structural condition was found
to be beyond economic repair and all work
was stopped. After being de-equipped
this destroyer was used as
a training hulk at Rosyth until 1952 when
placed on the Disposal List. Sold to
BISCO on 4th December that year
for demolition by Metal Industries she was
towed to the Breakers Yard at
Charlestown near Rosyth on 15th January
1953.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
EASTON
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/02/43
|
09/02/43
|
KMF
009
|
16/02/43
|
16/02/43
|
06/02/43
|
18/02/43
|
KMS
009G
|
20/02/43
|
20/02/43
|
25/02/43
|
25/02/43
|
ET
012
|
27/02/43
|
02/03/43
|
14/04/43
|
14/04/43
|
ME
023
|
unknown
|
20/04/43
|
29/04/43
|
29/04/43
|
MW
027
|
unknown
|
04/05/43
|
17/05/43
|
22/05/43
|
KMS
014X
|
26/05/43
|
26/05/43
|
31/05/43
|
10/06/43
|
KMS
015
|
14/06/43
|
14/06/43
|
24/06/43
|
24/06/43
|
MKS
016
|
29/06/43
|
29/06/43
|
05/07/43
|
05/07/43
|
MWF
036
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
MWF
037
|
13/07/43
|
13/07/43
|
13/07/43
|
13/07/43
|
MEF
037
|
17/07/43
|
17/07/43
|
20/07/43
|
20/07/43
|
MWF
038
|
24/07/43
|
24/07/43
|
24/07/43
|
24/07/43
|
MEF
038
|
28/07/43
|
28/07/43
|
03/08/43
|
03/08/43
|
MWF
039
|
07/08/43
|
10/08/43
|
24/11/44
|
24/11/44
|
XIF
025
|
28/11/44
|
28/11/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)