Allied Warships

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13 Dec 1941
Around 1230A/13, the battleship HMS Duke of York (Capt. C.H.J. Harcourt, CBE, RN), with Prime Minister Churchill and staff on board, departed Greenock for Annapolis, Maryland, USA. She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, DSO, RN), HMS Foresight (Cdr. J.S.C. Salter, RN) and HMS Matabele (Cdr. A.C. Stanford, DSC, RN).

Due to the bad weather conditions in the North Atlantic it was decided to proceed via the Azores. So the group first proceeded to the Irish Sea.

On the 14th speed had to be much reduced due to the bad weather conditions as otherwise the destroyers could not keep up. This was the same for the 15th.

On the 16th weather improved but due to the bad swell the destroyers still had trouble to keep up.

On the 17th the weather again deteriorated and around mid morning HMS Foresight had to heave to due to defects to her steering engine. She was able to catch up soon afterwards.

Shortly after 1800N/17, the destroyers were detached to fuel at the Azores after they had been relieved by HMS Highlander (Cdr. S. Boucher, RN), HMS Harvester (Lt.Cdr. M. Thornton, DSC, RN) and HMS Lightning (Cdr. R.G. Stewart, RN) coming from the Azores.

Late in the afternoon of 20 December 1941 the destroyers parted company to proceed to Bermuda and HMS Duke of York proceeded unescorted until she was joined late in the afternoon of the following day by the American destroyers USS Warrington (Lt.Cdr. H.R. Demarest, USN), USS Trippe (Lt.Cdr. R.L. Campbell, Jr., USN) and USS Bristol (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Wood, USN) which remained with her until the battleship arrived in Chesapeake Bay in the afternoon of 22 December 1941. The battleship then proceeded to the Norfolk Navy Yard where the passengers were disembarked to attend the Arcadia Conference. (1)

Sources

  1. ADM 53/114155

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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