GRIMSBY-Class
Sloop
ordered from HM Dockyard Devonport
under the 1931 Programme on 1st Nov.
1932 and laid down on 23rd January
1932. The ship was launched by Mrs
Forbes on
19th July 1933 as the 2nd RN
ship to carry the name. previously
used
by a WW1 trawler. Build was completed
on 17tn May 1934. After commissioning
at
Devonport she visited Grimsby
and Mablethorpe
before taking passage to Hong Kong
where minesweeping
equipment was fitted. All her pre-war
service was east of Suez and she was
recalled
to UK for convoy defence duties after
the outbreak of WW2.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
GREECE 1941
- CRETE 1941 - LIBYA 1941
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Silver
a Boar’s
head Black.
M
o t t o
Premia post ardus:
'Rewards
come after toil'
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 3 9
September
Deployed in Persian Gulf
Transferred to Home waters after
outbreak of war and took passage to
UK.
October
On arrival deployed with Rosyth Escort
Force for East coast convoy defence.
( Note: Installation of two twin 4in
HA mountings was not carried out due
to a
chronic need
for
these weapons to be fitted in other
Escorts)
November
East coast deployment in continuation.
to
(For details of naval activities in
North Sea, see THE BATTLE OF THE EAST
COAST by
December
J P Foynes and Naval Staff History.).
1
9 4 0
January
East coast deployment in continuation.
to
Nominated for refit.
March
April
Taken in hand for refit at commercial
shipyard in Leith.
May
Refit terminated to meet urgent need
for escorts in Mediterranean Fleet
See Naval Staff History (HMSO, 2001)
Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to U16.
20th
Sailed from Devonport to Join Fleet at
Alexandria.
31st
On arrival transferred to Red Sea
Escort Force for convoy defence.
June
Joined Red Sea Escort Force and
provided defence for convoys between
Aden and Suez.
July
Red Sea deployment in continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 1
January
Convoy defence in Red Sea in
continuation.
February
11th
Joined military convoy WS5A as escort
during Red
Sea
passage with HM Cruiser CALEDON,
HM Sloops FLAMINGO and INDUS (RIN).
13th
Detached from WS5A and returned to
Aden.
(Note: This convoy was taking troop
reinforcements to Egypt and had a
strong escort when
within range of Italian air bases in
Somaliland.)
March
Joined Fleet at Alexandria for convoy
defence in Eastern Mediterranean.
Deployed
for escort of military convoys to
Greek ports.
April
Eastern Mediterranean duties in
continuation.
22nd
Assisted with evacuation of Allied
troops from Greece (Operation DEMON).
27th
Towed mercantile as SCOTTISH PRINCE to
Suds Bay after this mercantile had
been damaged
in air attacks
north of
Crete.
30th
Took over tow of damaged HM Auxiliary
GLENEARN from HM Destroyer GRIFFIN and
took ship to Alexandria.
(For details of Greek evacuation, see
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C
Barnett
and Naval Staff History (HMSO – 2001).
May
Deployed on support of military
operations at Tobruk and defence of
ships engaged
in supply
of
stores and transport of personnel to
garrison.
25th
Sank north of Tobruk in position
32.30N 24.30E after air attacks during
support of Tobruk
garrison.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
GRIMSBY
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
30/09/39
|
30/09/39
|
BLUE
003
|
11/10/39
|
11/10/39
|
28/10/39
|
28/10/39
|
FS
0028
|
30/10/39
|
30/10/39
|
13/11/39
|
13/11/39
|
FS
0036
|
15/11/39
|
15/11/39
|
26/11/39
|
26/11/39
|
FN
0042
|
28/11/39
|
28/11/39
|
30/11/39
|
30/11/39
|
FS
0045
|
01/12/39
|
01/12/39
|
23/12/39
|
23/12/39
|
FS
0058
|
24/12/39
|
24/12/39
|
26/12/39
|
26/12/39
|
FN
0059
|
28/12/39
|
28/12/39
|
03/01/40
|
03/01/40
|
FS
0063
|
05/01/40
|
05/01/40
|
26/01/40
|
26/01/40
|
FS
0082
|
28/01/40
|
28/01/40
|
03/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
FS
0086
|
05/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
05/02/40
|
FS
0088
|
07/02/40
|
07/02/40
|
25/02/40
|
25/02/40
|
FS
0105
|
27/02/40
|
27/02/40
|
03/03/40
|
03/03/40
|
FS
0111
|
05/03/40
|
05/03/40
|
03/03/40
|
03/03/40
|
MT
022
|
03/03/40
|
03/03/40
|
10/03/40
|
10/03/40
|
FS
0118
|
12/03/40
|
12/03/40
|
07/05/40
|
07/05/40
|
FS
0165
|
09/05/40
|
09/05/40
|
07/05/40
|
07/05/40
|
MT
065
|
07/05/40
|
07/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
MT
067
|
12/05/40
|
12/05/40
|
14/05/40
|
14/05/40
|
FS
0170
|
16/05/40
|
16/05/40
|
07/07/40
|
07/07/40
|
BS
001
|
10/07/40
|
10/07/40
|
23/06/40
|
10/07/40
|
BN
001
|
12/07/40
|
12/07/40
|
31/07/40
|
31/07/40
|
BS
002
|
03/08/40
|
09/08/40
|
11/08/40
|
11/08/40
|
BS
002A
|
17/08/40
|
17/08/40
|
10/08/40
|
21/08/40
|
BN
003
|
23/08/40
|
23/08/40
|
01/09/40
|
01/09/40
|
BS
003A
|
03/09/40
|
06/09/40
|
05/09/40
|
05/09/40
|
BS
004
|
08/09/40
|
13/09/40
|
20/09/40
|
20/09/40
|
BS
005
|
23/09/40
|
28/09/40
|
10/09/40
|
23/09/40
|
BN
005
|
26/09/40
|
26/09/40
|
05/10/40
|
05/10/40
|
BS
006
|
11/10/40
|
13/10/40
|
23/09/40
|
09/10/40
|
BN
006
|
11/10/40
|
11/10/40
|
20/10/40
|
21/10/40
|
BS
007
|
24/10/40
|
28/10/40
|
10/10/40
|
23/10/40
|
BN
007
|
26/10/40
|
26/10/40
|
04/11/40
|
05/11/40
|
BS
008
|
unknown
|
12/11/40
|
19/11/40
|
19/11/40
|
BS
009
|
unknown
|
26/11/40
|
12/11/40
|
21/11/40
|
BN
008A
|
23/11/40
|
23/11/40
|
23/11/40
|
27/11/40
|
BN
009A
|
28/11/40
|
28/11/40
|
04/12/40
|
04/12/40
|
BS
010
|
unknown
|
11/12/40
|
27/11/40
|
07/12/40
|
BN
010
|
10/12/40
|
10/12/40
|
19/12/40
|
19/12/40
|
BS
011
|
22/12/40
|
27/12/40
|
18/12/40
|
22/12/40
|
BN
011
|
25/12/40
|
25/12/40
|
03/01/41
|
04/01/41
|
BS
012
|
unknown
|
11/01/41
|
27/12/40
|
06/01/41
|
BN
012
|
09/01/41
|
09/01/41
|
10/01/41
|
10/01/41
|
BS
012B
|
13/01/41
|
13/01/41
|
19/01/41
|
20/01/41
|
BS
013
|
unknown
|
27/01/41
|
25/01/41
|
25/01/41
|
BS
013A
|
unknown
|
01/02/41
|
01/02/41
|
02/02/41
|
BSF
001
|
06/02/41
|
07/02/41
|
11/02/41
|
14/02/41
|
BSF
001A
|
unknown
|
22/02/41
|
17/02/41
|
17/02/41
|
BN
016
|
20/02/41
|
20/02/41
|
18/03/41
|
18/03/41
|
AS
020/1
|
20/03/42
|
22/03/41
|
06/05/41
|
06/05/41
|
AN
030
|
09/05/41
|
09/05/41
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)