Ex-USS
CLAXTON (Type B - CALDWELL-Class) built by
Mare
Island Navy Yard. The ship was laid down on
25th April 1918 and launched on 15th January
1919- Commissioned on 13th September 1919 for
US naval
service she was held in Reserve in 1939. The
ship transferred to the RN under
the UK/US Lend Lease Agreement on 26th
November 1940 and commissioned into the RN as
HMS SALISBURY on 5th December 1940 at Halifax
in Canada. This
name was common to three communities in the
USA
and the city in Wiltshire. It was first
introduced into the RN for a 4th Rate
in 1698 and last used for a 4th Rate in 1814.
Following a successful
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in
March 1942 she was most
appropriately adopted by the civil community
of Salisbury,
Wiltshire.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1941-43
H e r a
l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field per fess wavy Blue
and White, in base a
bar wavy
also Blue, three torches Gold enflamed
proper charged with hurt thereon a mullet
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 to RN control. Passage to Halifax
manned by USN.
December
5th
- Commissioned as HMS SALISBURY at Halifax and
prepared for Atlantic
passage.
Sailed
for
Plymouth with call at St Johns Newfoundland.
1
9 4 1
January
9th
- Arrived at Plymouth.
Taken in hand for refit and modifications by HM
Dockyard Devonport to suit RN duty as an
escort. Nominated for service in 2nd Escort
Group, Western Approaches Command.
February
Under
refit.
March
On completion of post refit trials carried out work-up
for operational service in SW Approaches.
Passage to join Group for Atlantic convoy
defence.
April
to July
Deployed
for convoy defence in NW Approaches.
Transferred to 4th Escort Group in continuation.
August
Atlantic
convoy escort with Group in continuation.
September
Part
of escort for Convoy ON19 with ships of Group.
Nominated
for refit to carry out
further modifications to suit RN deployment as
an escort.
October
Refit
arranged at Rosyth.
26th
- Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard,
Rosyth.
November
to December
Under
refit.
1
9 4 2
January
to February
Under
refit.
March
Resumed
Atlantic convoy defence duties on completion
of post refit
trials.
Nominated
for
Local Escort of military convoys to Gibraltar.
April
15th
- Joined military convoy WS18 in Clyde with HM
Destroyers
BADSWORTH, GEORGETOWN, LANCASTER, LAUDERDALE,
BOADICEA, and VOLUNTEER for Local Escort for
initial part of passage in
NW Approaches to Freetown. (Note: Ocean escort
was provided by HM Cruisers FROBISHER, GAMBIA
with
HM Destroyer TETCOTT and
Dutch destroyer VAN GALEN.)
22nd
- Detached from WS18 and took return passage
to join Home Fleet
escort for US Aircraft Carrier USS WASP during
passage to UK after Malta aircraft
delivery. (Operation
CALENDAR - See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
by C. Barnett, BATTLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN by
D. Macintyre and Naval Staff History.)
May
3rd
- Deployed with HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM
Destroyers ECHO,
INTREPID, GEORGETOWN, US
Destroyers USS LANG and USS STERETT as escort
for USS WASP during passage to Gibraltar for
delivery of aircraft to Malta. (Operation
BOWERY - See above references. Note: These
ships were detached from Home Fleet for
this operation.)
8th
- Escort joined by HM Aircraft Carrier EAGLE,
HM Cruiser CHARYBDIS,
HM Destroyers VIDETTE,
PARTRIDGE, ITHURIEL, WESTCOTT, WISHART,
WRESTLER and ANTELOPE for passage in western
Mediterranean during aircraft delivery.
Deployed as part of Force W.
10th
- Passage to UK with Home Fleet ships to
resume convoy escort
duties.
15th
- Resumed convoy defence deployment for WS
Series military
convoys.
31st
- Joined military convoy WS19P in Irish Sea
with HM Destroyers
BUXTON and MANSFIELD as Local Escort during
passage to Clyde from Liverpool.
June
1st
- Detached from WS 19P on arrival in Clyde
17th
- Deployed with HM Cruiser DELHI, HM
Destroyers BOADICEA, KEPPEL,
LEAMINGTON and ST ALBANS as
escort for rms QUEEN ELIZABETH during passage
in NW Approaches and detached when the
mercantile proceeded
independently.
Returned
to
Clyde with ships of escort.
21st
- Joined military convoy WS20 in Clyde with HM
Destroyers
GEORGETOWN, BOADICEA, RIPLEY, BEAGLE, ST
ALBANS, VIDETTE and WOLVERINE as Local Escort
for passage in
NW Approaches.
24th
- Detached from Local Escort with HMS
GEORGETOWN and returned to
Clyde
July
29th
- Joined military convoy WS21 in Clyde as part
of Local Escort
during passage in NW Approaches with HM
Destroyers BRAMHAM, WILTON, BICESTER, KEPPEL
and LAMERTON. (Note: HM Armed Merchant Cruiser
RANPURA, HM Destroyers CATTERICK, LEDBURY and
PETARD provided Ocean Escort during Atlantic
passage
to Freetown.)
31st
- HMS LAMERTON detached and returned to Clyde
after collision.
August
2nd
- Remained with WS21 as Local Escort when HMS
BRAMHAM and HMS WILTON
detached.
4th
- Detached from WS21 with remaining ships of
Local escort.
Nominated
for loan to Royal
Canadian Navy for service in Western Atlantic
Local Escort Force (WLEF) based at Halifax.
S
e r v i c e a s H M
C S S A L I S B U R Y
September
Passage
to Halifax to join WLEF.
October
Deployed
with RCN ships for convoy defence off Canadian
seaboard.
November
Convoy
defence in continuation with RCN.
27th
- Taken in hand for repair to boilers at
Charlestown, South
Carolina.
December
Under
repair.
1
9 4 3
January
Carried
out post refit trials on completion of
dockyard work.
Resumed
convoy escort duties
with RCN ships.
21st
- Diverted to assist HM Destroyer CALDWELL
(sister ship) which was
disabled in the western Atlantic after major
weather damage.
Forced to return to Halifax due to storm conditions.
February
Deployed
in Canadian Escort Unit W with HM Destroyer
MONTGOMERY (sister
ship) for defence of
convoys between St. Johns and Halifax.
March
Convoy
escort with Unit W in continuation.
April
4th
- Taken in hand for repair at Boston Navy
Yard.
May
Under
repair.
June
Carried
out post repair trials.
12th
- Resumed convoy escort duties with WLEF at
Halifax.
July
to November
WLEF
convoy escort in western Atlantic in
continuation.
December
Nominated
for withdrawal from operational use due to
high incidence of
defects.
10th
- Paid-off at Halifax. (Note: Ship's company
transferred to new US built
CAPTAIN-Class Frigate RUPERT.)
1
9 4 4
January
to February
Laid
up at Halifax. Offer of return to US Navy not
accepted.
March
Laid
up at Halifax
22nd
- Placed on Disposal List and remained at
Halifax.
April
Awaiting
sale for breaking-up. (Assumed)
May
to September
Awaiting
sale for breaking-up.
October
21st
- Sold to Boston Steel Corporation for
demolition.
November
to December
Awaiting
tow to shipbreaker.
1
9 4 5
January
to March
Awaiting
tow to shipbreaker.
April
21st
- Arrived in tow at Baltimore.
P o s t W a r N o t e s
This
name was carried forward in
1953 when given to a Type 61 Aircraft
Direction Frigate launched by HM Dockyard
Devonport on 25th June. She was the
prototype for this new class of ship and
served in the Fleet until May 1980 when
placed in Reserve. The ship was used
for harbour training at Devonport until 1984
when put on the Disposal List in
1984.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
SALISBURY
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
17/03/41
|
18/03/41
|
OG
056
|
21/03/41
|
02/04/41
|
01/03/41
|
21/03/41
|
SL
067
|
26/03/41
|
26/03/41
|
02/04/41
|
03/04/41
|
OB
305
|
06/04/41
|
06/04/41
|
24/03/41
|
06/04/41
|
HG
057
|
09/04/41
|
11/04/41
|
23/03/41
|
15/04/41
|
SL
069
|
16/04/41
|
unknown
|
07/05/41
|
08/05/41
|
OB
319
|
12/05/41
|
13/05/41
|
30/04/41
|
15/05/41
|
HX
124
|
20/05/41
|
20/05/41
|
22/05/41
|
23/05/41
|
OB
326
|
26/05/41
|
29/05/41
|
16/05/41
|
27/05/41
|
HX
127
|
unknown
|
02/06/41
|
04/06/41
|
05/06/41
|
OG
064
|
08/06/41
|
18/06/41
|
17/05/41
|
09/06/41
|
SL
075
|
12/06/41
|
13/06/41
|
06/06/41
|
17/06/41
|
HX
131
|
19/06/41
|
23/06/41
|
20/06/41
|
04/07/41
|
HX
134
|
09/07/41
|
09/07/41
|
20/06/41
|
04/07/41
|
SC
035
|
09/07/41
|
09/07/41
|
16/07/41
|
18/07/41
|
OB
347
|
22/07/41
|
31/07/41
|
21/07/41
|
26/07/41
|
TC
012
|
29/07/41
|
29/07/41
|
06/08/41
|
08/08/41
|
ON
004
|
12/08/41
|
18/08/41
|
01/08/41
|
12/08/41
|
HX
142
|
14/08/41
|
18/08/41
|
20/08/41
|
20/08/41
|
ON
009
|
25/08/41
|
25/08/41
|
16/08/41
|
26/08/41
|
HX
145
|
30/08/41
|
31/08/41
|
07/09/41
|
09/09/41
|
ON
014
|
11/09/41
|
14/09/41
|
30/08/41
|
16/09/41
|
SC
042
|
20/09/41
|
20/09/41
|
21/09/41
|
22/09/41
|
ON
019
|
27/09/41
|
07/10/41
|
22/09/41
|
01/10/41
|
HX
151
|
04/10/41
|
07/10/41
|
14/10/41
|
14/10/41
|
ON
026
|
20/10/41
|
29/10/41
|
11/10/41
|
23/10/41
|
SC
049
|
24/10/41
|
27/10/41
|
05/07/42
|
21/07/42
|
SL
115
|
25/07/42
|
26/07/42
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
and
as HMCS SALISBURY
|
|
|
|
|
|
08/10/42
|
11/10/42
|
HX
211
|
13/10/42
|
24/10/42
|
03/10/42
|
18/10/42
|
ON
136
|
23/10/42
|
26/10/42
|
11/01/43
|
25/01/43
|
ON
160
|
28/01/43
|
04/02/43
|
30/01/43
|
06/02/43
|
HX
225
|
09/02/43
|
13/02/43
|
13/02/43
|
21/02/43
|
SC
120
|
23/02/43
|
05/03/43
|
11/02/43
|
23/02/43
|
ON
166
|
unknown
|
03/03/43
|
14/02/43
|
24/02/43
|
ON
167
|
25/02/43
|
08/03/43
|
22/02/43
|
09/03/43
|
ON
169
|
12/03/43
|
21/03/43
|
14/03/43
|
21/03/43
|
SC
123
|
24/03/43
|
03/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
04/04/43
|
XB
042
|
07/04/43
|
06/04/43
|
08/07/43
|
08/07/43
|
SC
136
|
13/07/43
|
23/07/43
|
03/07/43
|
15/07/43
|
ONS
012
|
18/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
18/07/43
|
XB
064
|
20/07/43
|
20/07/43
|
21/08/43
|
21/08/43
|
SC
140
|
25/08/43
|
05/09/43
|
20/08/43
|
29/08/43
|
ONS
016
|
01/09/43
|
01/09/43
|
28/09/43
|
30/09/43
|
HX
259
|
02/10/43
|
13/10/43
|
18/10/43
|
21/10/43
|
HX
262
|
24/10/43
|
02/11/43
|
18/10/43
|
28/10/43
|
ON
207
|
31/10/43
|
04/11/43
|
31/10/43
|
02/11/43
|
HX
264
|
05/11/43
|
17/11/43
|
31/10/43
|
10/11/43
|
ON
209
|
12/11/43
|
17/11/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
|