Type
III HUNT Class Escort Destroyer ordered from
Vickers-Armstrong,, Barrow under
the 1940 War Programme on
23rd August 1940 with sister ship HMS
PENYLAN. She was laid down as Job No.
3989 on 29th August 1941. The ship
was launched on 13th June 1942 as the first
RN ship to carry the name, that of
a Yorkshire fox-hunt. Build was completed
on 4th November 1942 and after her
Acceptance Trials she was prepared for
service with the 5th Destroyer Flotilla
based at Alexandria. Following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in January 1942 this
ship was adopted by the civil community of
Luton Rural District, Bedfordshire.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
SICILY
1943 - AEGEAN 1943 - ATLANTIC 1944* -
ENGLISH CHANNEL 1944*
(*
See Text.)
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue, issuant from rock, Black,
a
hurst of oaks,
proper.
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
October
Contractors Trials and commissioning.
Nominated for service in 5th Destroyer
Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet.
November
4th
Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
On completion of trials and calibrations,
prepared for foreign service
December
Nominated for escort of military convoy in
Atlantic during passage from Clyde to
Durban.
Passage to Clyde to join Convoy WS25 as
Ocean Escort.
18th
Sailed from Clyde as Ocean Escort for WS25
with HM Destroyer QUILLIAM and HM Armed
Merchant Cruisers CARNARVON CASTLE and
CHESHIRE.
(Note: Local Escort during passage in NW
Approaches was provided by HM Destroyers
BADSWORTH, HAYDON and WOLVERINE until 24th.)
27th
HM Destroyer ILEX joined Ocean Escort.
30th
Local escort for passage into Freetown
provided by HM Corvette CROCUS and WOODRUFF.
31st
Detached from WS25 with Escort on arrival at
Freetown.
(Note: Detached from WS25 during passage to
refuel in the Azores and the rejoined WS25.)
1 9 4 3
January
3rd
Joined WS25 with HMS QUILLIAM, HMS CHESHIRE
as Ocean Escort.
4th
HM Armed Merchant Cruiser ALCANTARA joined
Ocean Escort.
9th
HMS ALCANTARA detached from Ocean Escort.
16th
HM Destroyer EXPRESS joined Ocean Escort
during passage in Indian Ocean.
18th
Detached from WS25 on arrival and Durban and
took independent passage to Red Sea.
Nominated for convoy escort duties in
Eastern Mediterranean
February
Eastern Mediterranean deployment with
Flotilla in continuation.
to
April
(Note: During this period the 8th Army was
advancing into Cyrenaica and
support convoys were providing assistance to
the military campaign.
May
Took part in the interception of craft
evacuating enemy personnel from North
Africa.
For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by C Barnett and
Naval Staff History (Operation RETRIBUTION.)
June
Deployed in central Mediterranean for convoy
defence and patrol with ships of Flotilla.
(Note: No record of participation in attack
on Pantellaria can be traced,
(Operation CORKSCREW.)
Nominated with ships of Flotilla for escort
duties during planned allied landings in
Sicily.
(Operation HUSKY)
July
Prepared for escort of assault convoys
(Note: Convoys were assembled in Algeria and
at Alexandria as well as other ports in
the Mediterranean and escorted to the
assault beaches.
See Naval Staff History.
10th
Part of escort for HUSKY assault convoy.
Present at landings and then deployed for
escort of follow-up convoys.
August
Released from HUSKY and took passage to
Alexandria to resume Flotilla duties in
Eastern Mediterranean.
Convoy defence and patrol duties in
continuation.
(Note: In this period convoys were being
passed through the Mediterranean and ships
based at Alexandria were deployed for escort
to central Mediterranean.
September
Deployed with Flotilla for defence and
support of military shore operations in
Aegean following the surrender of Italian
garrison. Escorted cruisers based at
Alexandria and carried troops and stores.
(For details see WAR IN THE AEGEAN by P
Smith and E Walker. and Naval Staff History.
October
Detached for patrol based at Limassol,
Cyprus, to intercept craft taking German
troops to
replace Italian garrisons in Aegean Islands.
3rd
Deployed for interception patrol based in
Cyprus.
6th
Carried out patrol with Greek destroyer
MIAOULIS (Ex sister ship HMS MODBURY)
8th
Deployed for daytime offensive sweep with
MIAOULIS covered by US Army aircraft.
(Operation CREDENTIAL)
9th
Escorted HM Cruiser CARLISLE with HM
Destroyer PANTHER during interception
operation.
Under sustained air attacks in Scarpanto
Strait during which HMS PANTHER
was sunk and HMS CARLISLE badly damaged.
Took HMS CARLISLE in tow for return passage
to Alexandria.
20th
Deployed for support of military operations.
27th
Under air attacks SE of Casteloriso during
passage to Cos.
November
Aegean support in continuation.
9th
Carried out search for invasion craft.
11th
Bombarded Kalymos harbour with HM Destroyer
PETARD and Polish destroyer ORP
KRAKOWIAK.
On completion during return passage came
under air attack by He213 Glider bombs
launched from aircraft in position 36.23N
25.62E.
Hit aft by one of the weapons which failed
to exploding but caused extensive damage.
Steering gear failed and main engines used
to steer ship until flooding
of gearing room prevented further use of
propulsion machinery.
Taken in tow by HMS PETARD to Turkish
coastal waters for temporary repair.
15th
Taken in tow by HM Destroyer BLENCATHRA on
completion.
Passage to Alexandria lasting five days.
December
1st
Under repair at Alexandria to enable passage
to UK for survey and to enable a
decision on future action.
Awaiting tow at Alexandria.
1 9 4 4
January
At Alexandria.
February
10th
Passage to UK as part of return military
convoy MKS40 from Mediterranean.
March
Arrived in UK with KMS40
(Note: The award for two Battle Honours
dated 1944, for service in the Atlantic
and English Channel has not been researched
but is recorded in three
standard references. This suggests an
engagement with submarines,
surface ships or aircraft during passage
with
MKS40 which was under
U-Boat attack on 1st March and /or later
during passage in
in English Channel.)
April
Awaiting survey and decision on future
deployment
May
Paid-off and reduced to Reserve status.
June
Passage to Hartlepool for lay-up.
7th
Laid-up in Category B (to be refitted before
service.)
July
Laid-up at Hartlepool.
to
August
August
(not included)
to
December
1 9 4 5
(not included)
P
o s t W a r N o t e
s
HMS
ROCKWOOD was placed on the Disposal List in
1946 and sold to BISCO for
demolition. The
ship was taken in tow to Gateshead for
breaking-up by J J King in August 1946.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
ROCKWOOD
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
01/03/43
|
01/03/43
|
MW
022
|
06/03/43
|
06/03/43
|
14/04/43
|
14/04/43
|
ME
023
|
unknown
|
20/04/43
|
29/04/43
|
29/04/43
|
MW
027
|
unknown
|
04/05/43
|
31/05/43
|
08/06/43
|
KMS
015
|
14/06/43
|
14/06/43
|
05/07/43
|
05/07/43
|
MWF
036
|
10/07/43
|
10/07/43
|
10/08/43
|
10/08/43
|
GUS
012
|
20/08/43
|
06/09/43
|
06/08/43
|
23/08/43
|
UGS
014
|
30/08/43
|
02/09/43
|
30/08/43
|
05/09/43
|
KMS
024
|
10/09/43
|
10/09/43
|
17/09/43
|
18/09/43
|
MKF
024
|
23/09/43
|
07/10/43
|
15/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
KMF
024
|
29/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
09/02/44
|
10/02/44
|
MKS
040
|
21/02/44
|
21/02/44
|
21/02/44
|
21/02/44
|
MKS
040G
|
22/02/44
|
22/02/44
|
22/02/44
|
22/02/44
|
SL
149MK
|
02/03/44
|
07/03/44
|
04/04/44
|
04/04/44
|
CE
257
|
05/04/44
|
05/04/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)