Allied Warships

HMS Grenville (ii) (R 97)

Destroyer of the U class

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	U
Pennant	R 97
Mod	Flotilla leader
Built by	Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. (Wallsend-on-Tyne, U.K.): Wallsend
Ordered	12 Jun 1941
Laid down	1 Nov 1941
Launched	12 Oct 1942
Commissioned	27 May 1943
End service
History	Reconstructed as Type 15 frigate during 1953-1954. Scrapped at Rochester in 1983.

Commands listed for HMS Grenville (ii) (R 97)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Lt.Cdr. Roger Percival Hill, DSO, RN	27 Apr 1943	28 Jan 1944
2	Capt. Harold Pitcairn Henderson, RN	28 Jan 1944	Jun 1945
3	Capt. Richard George Onslow, DSO, RN	Jun 1945	27 Aug 1945
4	Capt. Harold Pitcairn Henderson, RN	27 Aug 1945	mid 1946

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Notable events involving Grenville (ii) include:

17 Jun 1943
During the morning, HMS Truant (Lt.Cdr. J.G. Hopkins, RN), carries out A/S exercises with HMIS Narbada (Lt.Cdr. A.W. Beeton, RIN) and HMS Newark (Lt.Cdr. D.F. Townsend, RN).

During the afternoon A/S exercises were carried out with HMS Grenville (Lt.Cdr. R.P. Hill, DSO, RN) and HMS Obedient (Lt.Cdr. H. Unwin, DSC and Bar, RN). (1)

18 Jun 1943
HMS Upstart (Lt. P.C. Chapman, DSC and Bar, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Scapa Flow with HMS Grenville (Lt.Cdr. R.P. Hill, DSO, RN) and HMS Savage (Cdr. R.C. Gordon, DSO, RN), HMS Hayling. (T/Lt. G.B. Christie, RNR) and HMS Bootle (Lt. A. Ecclestone, RN). (2)

19 Jun 1943
During the morning, HMS Truant (Lt.Cdr. J.G. Hopkins, RN), carries out A/S exercises with HMS Grenville (Lt.Cdr. R.P. Hill, DSO, RN) and HMS Obedient (Lt.Cdr. H. Unwin, DSC and Bar, RN).

During the afternoon A/S exercises were carried out with HMS Savage (Cdr. R.C. Gordon, DSO, RN) and HMS Roebuck (Cdr. J.T. Lean, DSO, RN). (1)

22 Jun 1943
During the morning, HMS Truant (Lt.Cdr. J.G. Hopkins, RN), carries out A/S exercises with HMS Grenville (Lt.Cdr. R.P. Hill, DSO, RN) and HMIS Narbada (Lt.Cdr. A.W. Beeton, RIN).

During the afternoon A/S exercises were carried out with HMS Milne (Capt. I.M.R. Campbell, DSO, RN) and HMS Musketeer (Cdr. E.N.V. Currey, DSC, RN). (1)

25 Jun 1943
During the morning, HMS Truant (Lt.Cdr. J.G. Hopkins, RN), carries out A/S exercises with HMS Grenville (Lt.Cdr. R.P. Hill, DSO, RN) and HMS Savage (Cdr. R.C. Gordon, DSO, RN).

During the afternoon A/S exercises were carried out with local small craft. (1)

23 Aug 1943
On the 23th August 1943 the 40th Escort Group (Cdr. Dallison), consisting of the sloops HMS Landguard, HMS Bideford, HMS Hastings and the frigates HMS Exe, HMS Moyola and HMS Waveney were deployed on a U-boat hunt off Cape Ortegal. The whole operation was covered by the British light cruiser HMS Bermuda.

On the 25th August the Canadian 5th Support Group (Cdr. Tweed), consisting of the British frigates HMS Nene, HMS Tweed and the Canadian corvettes HMCS Calgary, HMCS Edmundston and HMCS Snowberry were deployed to relieve the 40th Escort Group. While this was in progress the ships were attacked at 1415 hrs by 14 Dornier Do-217's and 7 Ju-88's. with the new German weapon, the Henschel Glider Bombs, (the "Hs293 A-1"). Designed by the German Professor Herbert Wagner. HMS Landguard and HMS Bideford were the first of the Allied and R.N. ships to be attacked and damaged by them. This being the first time of their being brought into action against Allied ships. Several sailors were injured on HMS Bideford and one sailor was killed.

Another two days later on the 27th August 1943 the Canadian 5th Support group was relieved by the 1st Support group (Cdr. Brewer) consisting of the sloops HMS Pelican, HMS Egret and the frigates HMS Jed, HMS Rother, HMS Spey and HMS Evenlode. Also the covering cruiser HMS Bermuda was relieved by the Canadian destroyer HMCS Athabaskan and the British destroyer HMS Grenville. These ships were also attacked by the Germans. This time with 18 Dornier Do-217?s also carrying Henschel Glider Bombs. HMCS Athabaskan was heavily damaged and HMS Egret was sunk with the loss of 194 of her crew. After this loss the U-boat hunt was blown off.

15 May 1944
HMS Voracious (Lt. F.D.G. Challis, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at/off Scapa Flow with HMS Grenville (Capt. H.P. Henderson, RN), HMS Urchin (Lt.Cdr. J.T.B. Birch, DSO, DSC, RN) and HMS Undine (Cdr. T.C. Robinson, RN). (3)

16 May 1944
HMS Voracious (Lt. F.D.G. Challis, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at/off Scapa Flow with HMS Urchin (Lt.Cdr. J.T.B. Birch, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Nubian (Lt.Cdr. T.A. Pack-Beresford, RN) and HMS Grenville (Capt. H.P. Henderson, RN). (3)

30 Aug 1944
At HMS Malaya (Capt. E.W. Bush, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN) departed Portsmouth to bombard the island of Cézembre off Saint-Malo, France.

She was escorted by the destoyers HMS Grenville (Capt. H.P. Henderson, RN) and HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. R.C. Biggs, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN).

The island was bombarded between 1119 and 1442/30. Malaya reported aving obtained hits on both battery positions and on the barracks. Course was then set to return to Portsmouth where they arrived around 0700/1.

The garrison on the island surrendered on 2 September 1944. (4)

25 Jun 1945
HMS Vox (Lt. W.E.I. Littlejohn, DSC, RANVR) conducted A/S exercises off Sydney with HMS Undine (Cdr. T.C. Robinson, RN), HMS Ulysses, HMS Urania (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Alliston, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Grenville (Capt. R.G. Onslow, DSO, RN), HMCS Undaunted (Lt.Cdr. C.E.R. Sharp, RN) and HMS Urchin (Lt.Cdr. A.F. Harkness, DSC, OBE, RD, RNR). (5)