Type
II HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer built by
Vickers Armstrong, Tyne under 1939 War
Emergency Programme on 20th December 1939 as
Job No J4207. The ship laid down
on 10th April 1940 and launched on 10th
April 1941 as the 1st RN ship to carry
the name, that of a Derbyshire fox-hunt. Her
build was completed on 5th October
1941. Following a successful WARSHIP
WEEK National Savings campaign in March 1942
this ship was adopted by
Stockton on Tees, Durham..
B a t
t l e Ho n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1941 - LIBYA 1942 - SIRTE 1942 -
MEDITERRANEAN 1942 - MALTA
CONVOYS 1942 - SICILY 1943 - AEGEAN 1943
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Red within
a horseshoe inverted,
a
whelk , shell 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 1
October
Contractors trials.
Nominated for foreign service on completion.
5th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials
Passage to Scapa Flow on completion of
trials and storing.
Worked-up for operational service with ships
of Home Fleet
November
Took passage to
Freetown for Local Defence duties on completion of work-up.
Deployed at Freetown
December
18th
Joined military Convoy WS14 with HM
Destroyer BRILLIANT as Local Escort during
passage
into Freetown.
19th
HM Destroyers VANSITTART and WILD SWAN
joined to supplement Local Escort.
21st
Detached from WS14 on arrival at Freetown
25th
Joined WS14 on departure from Freetown and
Ocean Escort with HM Battleship RAMILLIES,
HM Destroyer BEAUFORT and HM Sloop
BRIDGEWATER.
1 9
4 2
January
4th
Detached from WS14 off Capetown on relief by
HM Armed Merchant Cruiser DERBYSHIRE.
Independent passage in Indian Ocean to join
Flotilla at Alexandria.
February
Passage in Red Sea
6th
Joined 5th Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean
Fleet at Alexandria. for convoy defence,
patrol
and Mediterranean Fleet duties..
9th
Escorted damaged Destroyer HMS FARNDALE to
Alexandria.
12th
Part of Close Escort to Malta Relief Convoy
MW9.
Sustained and heavy air attacks forced
convoy to return to Egypt.
No merchant ship survived.
For details see Naval Staff History, MALTA
CONVOYS by R Woodman and THE BATTLE
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by D Macintyre.
March
Deployed for support of Tobruk garrison.
21st
Deployed as part of Close Escort for Malta
Relief Convoy MW10 (Operation MG1).
Subjected to heavy attacks from aircraft and
E-Boats.
Took part in 2nd Battle of Sirte when
Italian major units threatened MW10.
(For details of operations in Eastern Mediterranean see Naval Staff Battle Summary 1832,
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli
Barnett and above references.)
25th
Escorted damaged supply ship HMS BRECONSHIRE
into Marsaxlokk Bay.
(Note: This ship was later sunk by air
attack).
April
Returned to Alexandria for Tobruk convoy
defence and support of garrison.
May
Tobruk support and convoy defence in
continuation.
27th
Detached from Convoy AT47 with HMS
Destroyers HERO and ERIDGE to carry out anti
Submarine operations after aircraft sighting
of submarine east of Sollum.
Contact established after two hour search
and submarine forced to surface by depth
charge
attacks
and engaged by surface fire which forced
dive..
28th
Contact maintained and forcing submarine to
resurfaced and scuttle in position 32.42N,
24.53 E.
All 47 of crew were rescued
For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.
June
12th
Deployed as part of Close Escort for Malta
Relief Convoy MW11
to (Operation
VIGOROUS).
16th
(Editor's Note: check
The
Supply of Malta by Arnold
Hague for details.)
After attacks by aircraft and E-
Boats (at night) with surface threat by
Italian Fleet major units
operation abandoned and convoy returned to
Alexandria.
(Note: For details of this disastrous
operations during which conflicting
instructions were
given
by CinC ashore see ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY and above references.
Three destroyers and
a cruiser were
lost in this Operation).
July
Resumed Flotilla duties for local convoy
defence and support of land operations.
to
Carried cut bombardment of enemy positions
at Mersa Matruh
August
September
Took part in failed attempt to carry out
assault landings at Tobruk (Operation
AGREEMENT).
(See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and
MASSACRE AT TOBRUK by Peter C.
Smith).
October
Carried out two diversionary operations in
support of Army advance.
(Operations LIGHTFOOT and SUPERCHARGE - See
OFFICIAL MILITARY
HISTORY, MEDITERRANEAN (HMSO)
30th
Took part in the anti-submarine operations
against U559 with HM Destroyers PAKENHAM,
DULVERTON and PETARD with aircraft of 47
Squadron, RAF.
Attempt to recover equipment by boarding
party failed when submarine sank in position
32.30N,
33.00E, north east Port Said.
(Note: This was a most significant event
since before the submarine sank, associated
documentation
for an ENIGMA Cypher Machine was recovered
at the loss of two lives.
Awards of the George Cross were made
posthumously to these two courageous men and
a
George Medal to a NAAFI Canteen Assistant
who assisted in the work .
For details see BREAKING THE ENIGMA by D
Kahn.)
November
Deployed for defence of convoys between
Alexandria and Tobruk
17th
Deployed with HM Destroyers ALDENHAM,
BEAUFORT, CROOME. DULVERTON,
EXMOOR, BELVOIR, HURSLEY, TETCOTT and Greek
PINDOS as Close Escort for Malta
relief Convoy MW13 (Operation STONEAGE).
18th
Under air attack during which HM Cruiser
ARETHUSA was torpedoed and returned in tow
to
Alexandria.
19th
Detached from MW13 on arrival in Malta and
returned to Alexandria with the other ships
of
Close Escort.
21st
Arrived at Port Said after series of
unsuccessful air attacks on passage.
28th
Deployed for Operation RUMBLE BUMBLE
(Note: Details to be investigated.)
December
Coastal convoy defence in continuation.
25th
At Alexandria for Xmas period.
1 9
4 3
January
Deployment on convoy defence in Eastern and
Central Mediterranean continued
to
April
May
Deployed to intercept escaping enemy troops
from Tunisia and Algeria.
(Operation
RETRIBUTION).
June
Resumed convoy defence duty.
July
Transferred to 22nd Destroyer Flotilla as
Senior Officer's ship.
Prepared for support of planned allied
landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)
Joined Support Force East for Sicilian
Landings as part of Escort Group R.
(For details of HUSKY see Naval Staff
History and for information about all ships
involved
BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)
Passage to Port Said
5th
Sailed from Port Said with escort for
military Convoy MWF36
7th
Detached from MWF36 and took return passage
to Port Said
9th
Delayed and intended deployment with MWF37
not implemented.
Later deployed with escort of Follow-up
convoy.
On arrival provided naval gunfire support
and carried out patrols in defence of
mercantile
anchorage off the British beachheads..
August
Based at
Malta and
deployed for support of HUSKY and escort of
convoys in Eastern
Mediterranean
September
Convoy defence in continuation.
15th
Detached from escort of military convoy
MKS24 in Eastern Mediterranean and
transferred to
assist
in
defence of
Aegean
Islands.
Passage to Haifa.
(Note: Following the Italian surrender
German troops were known to be wanting to
replace the
Italian Garrison and British Troops were
being landed to prevent any invasion
attempt.
See WAR IN THE AEGEAN by P Smith and E Gray)
16th
Joined HM Escort Destroyer CROOME, and both
ships embarked 300 troops for passage to
Leros.
17th
Landed infantry at Leros.
On completion deployed with Fleet units in
support of shore operations in Aegean area.
October
Aegean defence role in continuation.
19th
Provided naval gunfire support bombardment
at Kos with HM Destroyers FURY and
BEAUFORT.
Hit by return fire from shore which killed
one of ship’s company and injured three
others.
20th
Returned to
Alexandria
with HM Cruiser PHOEBE.
21st
Passage to Leros with HM Destroyers JERVIS
and PATHFINDER.
22nd
Searched for invasion craft at Port Vathi
and Port Atkl with Greek Escort Destroyer
ADRIAS.
During diversionary operation south of Leros
with HHelMS ADRIAS ran into new minefield
East
of Kalymnos Island.
After ADRIAS was damaged by mine ship closed
to investigate
and struck another
mine.
Ship broke in two sections which broke ship
in half and started serious fire.
Within
three minutes
forward section had sunk and stern
followed 15 minutes later in position
36.59N, 27.06E.
113 of ship's company were lost and 85
survivors taken to Turkish waters
where British
ships
took refuge during daylight.
Those rescued later returned to
Alexandria
in allied warships.
(For details of Aegean operations in 1943
see above reference and ENGAGE THE ENEMY
MORE CLOSELY).
(Note: Casualty List was published on 6th
August 1945.)
Addenda
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS
HURWORTH
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
03/02/42
|
03/02/42
|
AT 025/M
|
05/02/42
|
05/02/42
|
08/02/42
|
08/02/42
|
AT 026/M
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
17/02/42
|
17/02/42
|
AT 028/M
|
18/02/42
|
18/02/42
|
23/02/42
|
23/02/42
|
AT 030/M
|
25/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
25/02/42
|
TA 023/M
|
27/02/42
|
27/02/42
|
02/03/42
|
02/03/42
|
AT 032/M
|
04/03/42
|
04/03/42
|
04/03/42
|
04/03/42
|
TA 025/M
|
06/03/42
|
06/03/42
|
16/04/42
|
16/04/42
|
AT 039/M
|
18/04/42
|
18/04/42
|
18/04/42
|
18/04/42
|
TA 035/M
|
19/04/42
|
19/04/42
|
27/04/42
|
27/04/42
|
AT 042/M
|
28/04/42
|
28/04/42
|
28/04/42
|
29/04/42
|
TA 038/M
|
30/04/42
|
30/04/42
|
30/04/42
|
30/04/42
|
TA 039/M
|
02/05/42
|
02/05/42
|
13/05/42
|
13/05/42
|
AT 045/M
|
15/05/42
|
15/05/42
|
15/05/42
|
15/05/42
|
TA 041/M
|
17/05/42
|
unknown
|
18/05/42
|
18/05/42
|
AT 046/M
|
21/05/42
|
21/05/42
|
25/05/42
|
25/05/42
|
AT 047/M
|
27/05/42
|
unknown
|
28/05/42
|
28/05/42
|
TA 045/M
|
30/05/42
|
30/05/42
|
03/06/42
|
03/06/42
|
AT 048/M
|
05/06/42
|
05/06/42
|
11/06/42
|
11/06/42
|
MW 011
|
16/06/42
|
16/06/42
|
06/12/42
|
06/12/42
|
MW 015
|
10/12/42
|
09/12/42
|
07/12/42
|
07/12/42
|
ME 011
|
11/12/42
|
11/12/42
|
09/12/42
|
11/12/42
|
MW 016
|
12/12/42
|
12/12/42
|
17/12/42
|
17/12/42
|
ME 012
|
20/12/42
|
20/12/42
|
28/12/42
|
28/12/42
|
MW 018
|
02/01/43
|
02/01/43
|
07/01/43
|
07/01/43
|
MW 019
|
11/01/43
|
11/01/43
|
13/01/43
|
13/01/43
|
ME 015
|
18/01/43
|
18/01/43
|
14/04/43
|
14/04/43
|
ME 023
|
unknown
|
20/04/43
|
29/04/43
|
29/04/43
|
MW 027
|
unknown
|
04/05/43
|
08/06/43
|
14/06/43
|
GTX 002
|
unknown
|
19/06/43
|
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
|
03/08/43
|
07/08/43
|
MWF 039
|
10/08/43
|
10/08/43
|
06/08/43
|
30/08/43
|
UGS 014
|
01/09/43
|
02/09/43
|
30/08/43
|
30/08/43
|
GUS 014
|
01/09/43
|
26/09/43
|
20/09/43
|
20/09/43
|
XIF 001
|
24/09/43
|
24/09/43
|
17/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
MKF 024
|
29/09/43
|
07/10/43
|
06/10/43
|
06/10/43
|
XIF 002
|
09/10/43
|
09/10/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
Link
to
www.hmshurworth.co.uk
by Carl
& Alan