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ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY A B 36 SHIPS

30)BOREAS (DESTROYER)



Photo. en.wikipedia.org 



Completed: 1930


Displacement: 1,360 tons


Length: 323 ft


Beam: 32,3 ft


Draught: 12,2 ft


Propulsion: 2 shafts; geared steam turbines, 3 oil fired boilers, 34,000 hp (25.4 MW), 380 tons oil fuel. 


Armament: 4 × 4.7 inch (120 mm) guns, 2 × 2-pounder anti-aircraft, 8 × 21 inch (530 mm) torpedo tubes 


Speed: 35 kts 


Complement: 138 


Fate: Loaned to Greece 1944 renamed Salamis. 


While based Freetown from April 41 to May 43, HMS Boreas helped by HMS Petunia and another Destroyer took part in the rescue of 1360 survivors from British Empress of Canada sunk  13/03/43 by Italian submarine  Da Vinci in position 01º 13’S 09º 57’W. 


On 22/May/41 HMS Boreas along with British Merchant Batna rescued 83  survivors from British Rodney Star sunk 16/May by U-105 in pos. 05º 08’N 19º 05’W after six days and landed at Takoradi on 23 May. 


On 11/Aug/42 HMS Boreas rescued 15 men in the boat First Mate of Norweegian Merchant Mirlo sunk that same day  by U-130 on pos 06º 04’N 26º 53’W. they were landed at Freetown 23/May.


HMS BOREAS IN ACTION SOUTH ATLANTIC.   By www.naval-history.net
April 1941

Deployed as escort for HM Armed Merchant Cruiser COMORIN and ss GLENARTNEY with HM Canadian Destroyer ASSINIBOINE during passage to Gibraltar from Clyde (Note: HMCS ASSINIBOINE was damaged in a collision on 5th)


11th - Arrived at Gibraltar and taken in hand for repair of defects.


21st - Took passage to Freetown on completion.


28th - Joined Flotilla on arrival at Freetown. (Note: HMS DUNCAN was retained in South Atlantic Command until July)

May


Deployed at Freetown for Local Escort duties with Flotilla.


6th - Deployed with HM Destroyer HIGHLANDER as Local Escort for military convoy WS8A during passage into Freetown.


9th - Detached from WS8A on arrival at Freetown.


14th - Deployed with HM Destroyer WISHART as Local escort for WS8A on departure from Freetown for Cape of Good Hope.


15th - Detached from WS8A and returned to Freetown with HMS WISHART (Note: HM Cruiser MAURITIUS provided Ocean Escort)


June  1941

Freetown deployment in continuation.


2nd - Joined military convoy WS8B with HMS DUNCAN as Local Escort during passage into Freetown.


4th - Detached from WS8B with Local Escort on arrival.


6th - Joined WS8B on departure from Freetown with HM Destroyers DUNCAN and HIGHLANDER as Local Escort during passage in Freetown area. (Note: HM Cruiser EXETER continued duty as Ocean Escort during passage to Aden.)


8th - Detached from WS8B with Local Escort for return to Freetown.


13th - Joined HM Destroyers VANSITTART and WILD SWAN with HM Destroyer BRILLIANT, VELOX and HIGHLANDER as Local Escort of military convoy WS9A into Freetown.


18th - Detached from WS9B with Local Escort on arrival.


20th - Joined WS9A with HM Destroyers VANSITTART VELOX and WILD SWAN as Local Escort during passage in Freetown area.


22nd - Detached from WS9A with Local Escort for return to Freetown. (Note: HM Cruiser BIRMINGHAM provided Ocean Escort during passage in Atlantic until July 2nd.)


July  1941

16th - Joined military convoy WS9B with HM Destroyers BRILLIANT, VELOX and VANSITTART as Local Escort during passage in Freetown area.


18th - Detached from WS9B with Local Escort for return to Freetown. (Note: HM Cruiser GALATEA provided Ocean Escort during passage to Cape of Good Hope.)


August  1941

Part of escort for Freetown – Gibraltar convoy.


10th - Deployed with escort of convoy HG70 for passage to UK (Note: Several attempts were made by U-Boats to attack this convoy but these were all frustrated by air and surface escort – For details see HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR, Volume 1 by C Blair.)


24th - Detached from HG70 to carry out search for survivors off the coast of Portugal. Rescued five survivors from British steamer ALVA , sunk on 19th, four from British freighter ALDERGOVE sunk on 23rd, four from British tug EMPIRE OAK sunk on 22nd and five from Norwegian freighter SPIND sunk on 23rd). (Note: In view of the failure of attacks on HG70 the ships were either independents or from another convoy.) Took passage to land survivors at Gibraltar.


25th - Landed passengers and sailed for UK for refit


September 1941

Passage to South Shields.


19th - Taken in hand for refit by commercial shipyard at Middle Dock..


October to December 1941

Under refit


1 9 4 2


January

Completed post refit trials


5th - Passage to Greenock to resume Atlantic convoy defence duties with Flotilla at Freetown.


8th - Nominated for escort of military convoy during passage to Freetown


12th - Deployed with HM Armed Merchant Cruisers ASCANIA and CHESHIRE, Dutch AA Cruiser, HEEMSKERK, Polish Destroyer ORP GARLAND, HM Destroyers NORMAN, VANSITTART and VIMY as Ocean Escort for military convoy WS15 during passage from Clyde to Freetown.


17th - HM Battleship RESOLUTION joined as Ocean Escort)


25th - Detached from Ocean Escort of WS15 on arrival at Freetown and resumed Local convoy defence with Flotilla.


February 1942

Freetown deployment in continuation.


26th - Joined military convoy WS16 with HM Destroyers BRILLIANT and WILD SWAN as Local Escort during passage into Freetown


March 1942

1st - Detached from WS16 with Local Escort on arrival.


April 1942

Freetown deployment in continuation.


26th - Joined military convoy WS18 with HM Destroyer WILD SWAN and HM Corvette PETUNIA as Local Escort for passage into Freetown.


29th - Detached from WS18 with Local Escort on arrival.


May 1942

3rd - Joined WS18 with HM Destroyer WIVERN as Local Escort for passage in Freetown area.


4th - Detached from WS18 with Local Escort for return to Freetown. (Note: Ocean Escort was provided by HM Cruiser GAMBIA for passage to Cape of Good Hope.)


20th - Joined military convoy WS19 escorted by HMS VELOX with HM Destroyer WILD SWAN for Local Escort during passage into Freetown.


22nd - Detached from WS19 with Local Escort on arrival.


26th - Joined HM Destroyer VELOX as Local Escort from Freetown for WS19.


28th - Detached from WS19 with HMS VELOX and for return to Freetown. (Note: HM Cruiser MAURITIUS, HM Destroyer HURSLEY and HM Sloop MILFORD provided Ocean Escort for passage to Cape of Good Hope.)


June 1942

Freetown deployment in continuation.


30th - Joined military convoy WS20 with HM Destroyer to supplement Local Escort into Freetown by HM Destroyers BLACKMORE and BRILLIANT.


July 1942

2nd - Detached from WS20 with Local Escort on arrival.


6th - Joined WS20 with HM Destroyer VELOX as Local Escort during passage in Freetown area.


8th - Detached with HMS VELOX and returned to Freetown. (Note: HM Battleship MALAYA provided Ocean Escort to Cape of Good Hope.)


August 

2nd - Joined military convoy WS21P as Local Escort during passage from Freetown. (Note: Ocean Escort was provided by HM Cruiser ORION, HM Destroyer NEPAL and Dutch Destroyer TJERK HIDDES which had been with convoy since leaving UK.)


6th - Detached from WS21P and returned to Freetown.


September

Freetown deployment in continuation.
October
Nominated for service in Eastern Mediterranean. Took passage from Freetown via Cape of Good Hope (Note: May have been part of escort for convoy for all or part of passage. but NOT with a WS military convoy.)

1 9 4 3


January

Deployed as escort for convoy to Malta and took passage to Gibraltar for convoy defence with 13th Destroyer Flotilla.

February

Deployed briefly at Gibraltar before passage to Freetown to resume Atlantic and Local convoy defence with 18th Flotilla.


March

Deployed at Freetown for Flotilla duties.

April

Freetown deployment in continuation.


26th - Joined military convoy WS29A for Local Escort during passage into Freetown in place of HM Destroyers ANTHONY and BRISSENDEN. (Note: HM Destroyer LEWES remained with convoy).


May

Called at Casablanca and Dakar with WS29A


4th - Detached from WS29A with HMS LEWES on arrival.


6th - Joined military convoy WS29 with HM Destroyers WITCH, MALCOLM, RAPID and WOLVERINE as Local Escort during passage from Freetown. (Note: WS29 had arrived at Freetown on 28th April and been joined by WS29A for onward passage to Indian Ocean. HM Cruiser NEWCASTLE provided Ocean Escort for passage to Cape of Good Hope.)


8th - Detached from WS29 with HMS WITCH and returned to Freetown. Nominated for transfer to Gibraltar for defence of convoys during build-up for planned allied landings in Sicily


June

Passage to Gibraltar

July

Deployed for convoy defence at Gibraltar (Note: It may be assumed that as no Battle Honour SICILY was awarded this ship was not part of escort for the assault or build-up convoys during Operation HUSKY.)

 

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