Ex USS SWASEY (Type A - BELMONT-Class) built by
Bethlehem Steel Squantum.
The ship
was laid down on 27th August 1918 and
launched on 7th Way 1919. Commissioned on
31st July 1919 for service in the US
Navy, she was held in Reserve in 1939. The
ship transferred to the RN under the
Lend Lease Agreement on 26th November 1940
and commissioned at Halifax, NS
Canada. Like others of this Class she was
given a name common to a town in North
Carolina, USA and a
village in Northants. It had not been
previously used for an RN ship. After a
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February
1942 she was adopted by the civil community
of Wells by the Sea, Norfolk.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1941-43 -
BISCAY
1943
H e r
a l d i c
D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a demi
griffin
erased White,
holding
in the paws a
trident
Gold and charged on
the wing
with
a hurt
thereon
a mullet also 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 0
November
Prepared for transfer and passage to Halifax.
26th
Transferred to RN and commissioned as HMS
ROCKINGHAM.
December
Passage to Devonport with call at St Johns,
Newfoundland.
22nd
Arrived at Devonport and taken in hand for
refit.
1
9 4 1
January
Under refit and modification by HM Dockyard,
Devonport to suit RN deployment.
Work included:
Mainmast removed and foremast shortened.
Size of after three funnels reduced
After 3in and 4in guns mountings removed and
British 12pdr HA gun fitted in
X-position.
After set of US Navy torpedo tubes and
British type Depth Charge Throwers fitted.
RN design ASDIC recorders fitted to US Navy
Sonar equipment.
February
Allocated for service with 8th Escort Group.
2nd
On completion of refit carried out post
refit trials.
March
Joined Group for Local Escort of Atlantic
convoys in NW Approaches.
25th
Joined military convoy WS7 during passage in
NW Approaches with HM Cruiser CAIRO,
HM Destroyers VICEROY, WINCHELSEA, ST CLAIR,
ECLIPSE, FOXHOUND and
French destroyer LEOPARD for Local Escort
during passage in NW Approaches.
26th
Detached from WS7 with HMS CAIRO, HMS
VICEROY, HMS WINCHELSEA and
French LEOPARD
for return passage to
Clyde.
April
Convoy defence duties with Group in
continuation.
Increased defect load made further refit
necessary.
May
Refit arranged at Southampton and took
passage.
14th
Taken in hand for refit and repair by
commercial shipyard.
June
Under refit
to
Stage 2 modifications to suit RN use carried
out including
July
Installation of 20mm Oerlikon weapons.
Removal of forward set of torpedo tubes and
British triple mountings fitted in
centre-line
position abaft funnels
(Note: Some modifications were not carried
out.
August
Carried out post refit trials.
21st
Refit completed and carried cut sea trials
On completion resumed duty with Group for
convoy defence.
September
13th
Part of escort for Convoy OG74 during
passage to Gibraltar.
October
Joined 1st Escort Group based at Londonderry
for Atlantic Convoy defence
November
Atlantic deployment with Group in
continuation
(For details of tactics and weapons used see
SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann
December
Nominated for detached duty as part of
escort for troop convoys.
24th
Part of escort for military Convoy CT8
during passage UK tofrom Canada
1
9 4 2
January
Part of escort for troop Convoy NA1 during
passage to UK
Part of escort for Convoy CT10 to Canada.
February
Passage to Bermuda for escort of HM Armed
Merchant Cruiser AUSONIA from Halifax.
Return passage to UK with escort for Convoy
NA4.
March
23rd
Joined military convoy WS 17 in Clyde for
Local Escort in NW Approaches with HM
Destroyers NEWPORT, BADSWORTH, BEVERLEY,
KEPPEL, LEAMINGTON,
VOLUNTEER, ANTELOPE
and
BOADICEA.
27th
Detached from WS17 with HMS BOADICEA and
returned to Clyde.
April
Rejoined 1st Escort Group for Atlantic trade
convoy defence.
May
Deployment with Group in continuation.
Part of escort for Convoy ONS16 with ships
of Group.
June
Nominated for refit and took passage to
London.
23rd
Under refit at commercial shipyard.
(Note: Work done included completion of
Stage 2 modifications. See above.
Radar Type 271 for surface warning and
combined warning Type 286 were
installed.
July
Under refit.
to
October
November
Post refit trials.
On completion of sea trials took passage to
work-up at Tobermory.
Rejoined Group on completion of work-up and
resumed Atlantic deployment.
Part of escort for Convoy MKF1 to Gibraltar.
December
Return passage as escort for convoy to UK.
1
9 4 3
January
Atlantic convoy escort with Group in
continuation.
to
July
August
Nominated for use as an Air Target Ship.
Withdrawn from Atlantic service and taken in
hand for refit and conversion in a
Belfast
shipyard.
September
Under refit
to
November
December
On completion of refit took passage to
Tobermory to work-up for service.
1 9
4 4
January
Allocated for duty based at Rosyth for use
as a target for aircrew training.
11th
Passage
to join Rosyth Command.
Took up station of east coast of Scotland.
February
Air Target Ship deployment in continuation.
to
August
September
27th
During deployment for training of aircrew
detonated mine in position 30 miles SE
of Aberdeen in position 56-74N, 01.30 W.
Sustained serious damage and taken in tow
but had to be abandoned.
One member of
ships company
lost his life.
Sank in position 56.29N, 00.57W.
(Note: The mine was probably part of British
East Coast Barrier.)
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS ROCKINGHAM
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
10/02/41
|
04/03/41
|
SL
065
|
08/03/41
|
08/03/41
|
12/04/41
|
15/04/41
|
OB
309
|
19/04/41
|
19/04/41
|
06/04/41
|
18/04/41
|
HX
119A
|
22/04/41
|
22/04/41
|
26/04/41
|
26/04/41
|
OG
060
|
30/04/41
|
10/05/41
|
09/04/41
|
30/04/41
|
SL
071
|
02/05/41
|
04/05/41
|
12/09/41
|
13/09/41
|
OG
074
|
27/09/41
|
23/09/41
|
02/10/41
|
06/10/41
|
HG
074
|
12/10/41
|
18/10/41
|
20/10/41
|
22/10/41
|
ON
028
|
25/10/41
|
03/11/41
|
17/10/41
|
31/10/41
|
SC
050
|
01/11/41
|
04/11/41
|
10/11/41
|
10/11/41
|
ON
035
|
15/11/41
|
27/11/41
|
13/11/41
|
18/11/41
|
ON
036
|
20/11/41
|
25/11/41
|
08/11/41
|
19/11/41
|
HX
159
|
23/11/41
|
23/11/41
|
30/11/41
|
01/12/41
|
OS
013
|
11/12/41
|
20/12/41
|
30/11/41
|
13/12/41
|
SL
094
|
13/12/41
|
30/12/41
|
23/12/41
|
24/12/41
|
CT
008
|
01/01/42
|
01/01/42
|
09/01/42
|
10/01/42
|
NA
001
|
19/01/42
|
19/01/42
|
03/02/42
|
03/02/42
|
CT
010
|
12/02/42
|
12/02/42
|
01/03/42
|
01/03/42
|
NA
004
|
08/03/42
|
08/03/42
|
14/03/42
|
19/03/42
|
TA
012
|
unknown
|
25/03/42
|
26/04/42
|
29/04/42
|
HX
187
|
07/05/42
|
08/05/42
|
19/05/42
|
20/05/42
|
ON
096
|
02/06/42
|
07/06/42
|
07/06/42
|
10/06/42
|
HX
193
|
17/06/42
|
19/06/42
|
14/11/42
|
18/11/42
|
MKF
001Y
|
20/11/42
|
20/11/42
|
23/01/43
|
23/01/43
|
ON
162
|
03/02/43
|
11/02/43
|
03/02/43
|
10/02/43
|
SC
119
|
21/02/43
|
22/02/43
|
04/03/43
|
09/03/43
|
ON
171
|
19/03/43
|
23/03/43
|
18/03/43
|
24/03/43
|
HX
230
|
30/03/43
|
02/04/43
|
12/04/43
|
13/04/43
|
ON
178
|
25/04/43
|
02/05/43
|
24/04/43
|
02/05/43
|
HX
236
|
07/05/43
|
09/05/43
|
24/05/43
|
25/05/43
|
ON
186
|
02/06/43
|
07/06/43
|
07/06/43
|
12/06/43
|
HX
243
|
20/06/43
|
21/06/43
|
04/07/43
|
11/07/43
|
OS
051KM
|
11/07/43
|
13/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
MKS
018G
|
26/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
26/07/43
|
SL
133MK
|
03/08/43
|
05/08/43
|
11/02/45
|
11/02/45
|
BG
515
|
13/02/45
|
13/02/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|