Allied Warships

HMS Cottesmore (L 78)

Escort destroyer of the Hunt (Type I) class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeEscort destroyer
ClassHunt (Type I) 
PennantL 78 
Built byYarrow Shipbuilders Ltd. (Scotstoun, Scotland) 
Ordered11 Apr 1939 
Laid down12 Dec 1939 
Launched5 Sep 1940 
Commissioned29 Dec 1940 
End service 
History

Named after a Hunt in Rutland, the smallest English county.
Second ship with this name in the Royal Navy.

Battle Honours: North Sea 1941-1945, English Channel 1942-1944 and Normandy 1944.

Sold to the Egyptian Navy on 17 September 1950 and renamed Ibrahim El-Awal.
Renamed Mohamed Ali-El-Kebir in 1951.
Became the Israeli Haifa in 1956.

 

Commands listed for HMS Cottesmore (L 78)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt. John Charles Anthony Ingram, RN11 Dec 194028 Jan 1943
2Lt. William Donough O'Brien, DSC, RN28 Jan 194314 Nov 1944
3T/A/Lt.Cdr. Adrian Charles Cuthbert Seligman, DSC, RNR14 Nov 194430 Aug 1945
4Cdr. John Pringle, RN30 Aug 1945late 1945

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Notable events involving Cottesmore include:


17 Jan 1941
HMS Nelson (Capt. G.J.A. Miles, RN, flying the flag of A/Adm. J.C. Tovey, CB, DSO, RN) conducted 16" and AA gunnery exercises off Scapa Flow. She was most likely escorted by the destroyers HMS Eclipse (Lt.Cdr. I.T. Clark, RN), OF Ouragan (Kpt.mar. (Lt.Cdr.) Tadeusz Gorazdowski) and the escort destroyer HMS Cottesmore (Lt.Cdr. J.C.A. Ingram, RN). (1)

5 Feb 1941
Around 1115A/5, the destroyer HMAS Nizam (Lt.Cdr. M.J. Clark, RAN) departed Scapa Flow for Greenock.

At the same time the destroyer HMS Keppel (?) and the escort destroyers HMS Atherstone (Lt.Cdr. R.F. Jenks, RN) and HMS Cottesmore (Lt.Cdr. J.C.A. Ingram, RN) departed Scapa Flow for Londonderry. (2)

9 Feb 1941

Convoy WS 6A.

This convoy departed U.K. waters on 9 February 1941 and arrived at Freetown on 1 March 1941.

The convoy was formed at in position from three sections of troopships / transports coming from Avonmouth, Liverpool and the Clyde.

The convoy was made up of the following troopships / transports; Almanzora (British, 15551 GRT, built 1914), Ascanius (British, 10048 GRT, built 1910), Bellerophon (British, 9019 GRT, built 1906), Bergensfjord (Norwegian, 11015 GRT, built 1913), Burdwan (British, 6069 GRT, built 1928), Cape Horn (British, 5643 GRT, built 1929), City of Athens (British, 6558 GRT, built 1923), City of Corinth (British, 5318 GRT, built 1918), City of Hankow (British, 7360 GRT, built 1915), City of Pittsburg (British, 7377 GRT, built 1922), Consuelo (British, 4847 GRT, built 1937), Dalesman (British, 6343 GRT, built 1940), Highland Brigade (British, 14134 GRT, built 1929), Kina II (British, 9823 GRT, built 1939), Leopoldville (Belgian, 11509 GRT, built 1929), Llandaff Castle (British, 10799 GRT, built 1926), Llangibby Castle (British, 11951 GRT, built 1929), Logician (British, 5993 GRT, built 1928), Masheer (British, 7911 GRT, built 1925), Manchester Citizen (British, 5343 GRT, built 1925), Mataroa (British, 12390 GRT, built 1922), Nova Scotia (British, 6796 GRT, built 1926), Opawa (British, 10354 GRT, built 1931), Port Alma (British, 8400 GRT, built 1928), Rangitata (British, 16737 GRT, built 1929), Ruahine (British, 10832 GRT, built 1909), Salween (British, 7063 GRT, built 1937), Scythia (British, 19761 GRT, built 1920) and Thysville (Belgian, 8351 GRT, built 1922).

Escort was initially provided by the light cruisers HMS Birmingham (Capt. A.C.G. Madden, RN), HMS Phoebe (Capt. G. Grantham, RN), armed merchant cruiser HMS Cathay (A/Capt.(Retd.) C.M. Merewether, RN), destroyers HMAS Napier (Capt. S.H.T. Arliss, RN), HMAS Nizam (Lt.Cdr. M.J. Clark, RAN), HMCS Ottawa (Cdr. E.R. Mainguy, RCN), HMCS Restigouche (Cdr. H.N. Lay, OBE, RN), HMCS St. Laurent (Lt. H.S. Rayner, RCN), HMCS Skeena (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Hibbard, RCN), HMS Legion (Cdr. R.F. Jessel, RN), Piorun (Cdr. E.J.S. Plawski), ORP Garland (Lt.Cdr. K.F. Namiesniowski, ORP), HMS Keppel (?), HMS Broadwater (Lt.Cdr. C.L.de H. Bell, RD, RNR) and the escort destroyers HMS Atherstone (Lt.Cdr. R.F. Jenks, RN) and HMS Cottesmore (Lt.Cdr. J.C.A. Ingram, RN).

Information on this convoy is difficult to find but it appears that most of the A/S escort parted company with the convoy in the early evening of 12 February (according to the logbook of HMS Birmingham) and then proceeded as follows; HMAS Napier and HMAS Nizam to Scapa Flow passing north of Rockall, HMS Keppel, HMS Atherstone and HMS Cottesmore to Londonderry, HMCS Ottawa, HMS Restigouche, HMCS St. Laurent and HMCS Skeena through area 52°N to 53°N, 23°W to 20°W and then to Greenock through position 55°N, 15°W, HMS Legion, HMS Broadwater, ORP Piorun and ORP Garland through position 57°N, 19°W and then to Greenock while passing north of Rockall. All groups were to conduct A/S sweeps on their way back.

Shortly before noon on the 15th the battleship HMS Rodney (Capt. F.H.G. Dalrymple-Hamilton, RN) was sighted which was to join the convoy.

Shortly after Rodney joined HMS Phoebe parted company with the convoy to fuel at Gibraltar.

HMS Rodney remained with the convoy until 1700/16. She then set course to join convoy HX 108.

The battlecruiser HMS Renown (Capt R.R. McGrigor, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral J.F. Somerville, KCB, DSO, RN) and aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN) joined the convoy at 1000/17. They remained with the convoy until 1030/21 when they were relieved by HMS Malaya (Capt. A.F.E. Palliser, DSC, RN).

HMS Phoebe rejoined the convoy shortly before noon on 23 February 1941.

Shortly after noon on 25 February 1941 the destroyers HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN) and HMS Forester (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Tancock, DSC and Bar, RN) joined the convoy.

At 2030/25 the armed yacht HMS Surprise (Capt.(Retd.) E.C. Stubbs, RN) also joined.

Around 0900/27 the sloop HMS Milford (Cdr.(Retd.) the Hon. V.M. Wyndham-Quin, RN) and the destroyers HMS Vidette (Lt. E.N. Walmsley, RN) and HMS Wishart (Cdr. E.T. Cooper, RN) joined the escort of the convoy.

On February 28th, HMS Malaya parted company with the convoy to proceed to Freetown taking the destroyers HMS Faulknor and HMS Forester with her. Also on this day the destroyers HMS Encounter (Lt.Cdr. E.V.St J. Morgan, RN) and HMS Isis (Cdr. C.S.B. Swinley, DSC, RN) joined the escort of the convoy.

At 1226A/1, a Walrus aircraft from HMS Birmingham force landed on the water 95° from position 09°25'N, 16°39'W. Birmingham searched for the aircraft rejoining the convoy for the night not having found the aircraft. A new search was not possible without first fuelling at Freetown.

Shortly before arrival at Freetown on 2 March 1941 the corvettes HMS Calendula (Lt.Cdr. A.D. Bruford, RNVR) and HMS Clematis (Cdr. Y.M. Cleeves, DSC, RD, RNR) joined. (3)

6 Mar 1941
Around 1205A/6, HMS London (Capt. R.M. Servaes, CBE, RN) departed Sheerness for Scapa Flow to commence a work-up period there. She was escorted by the escort destroyers HMS Garth (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Dyke, RN) and HMS Cottesmore (Lt.Cdr. J.C.A. Ingram, RN).

Around 0845A/7, the destroyer HMS Mashona (Cdr. W.H. Selby, RN) joined company.

Around 0950A/7, the destroyer HMS Matabele (Cdr. R.St.V. Sherbrooke, DSO, RN) joined company.

Around 1005A/7, HMS Garth and HMS Cottesmore parted companay.

HMS London, HMS Mashona and HMS Matabele arrived at Scapa Flow around 1530A/7. (4)

10 Oct 1941
HMS Una (Lt. D.S.R. Martin, RN) departed Sheerness for Holy Loch. She was escorted by HMS Cottesmore (Lt.Cdr. J.C.A. Ingram, RN) towards Dungeness.

From Dungeness she proceeded unescorted to Lizard Head where she joined HMS Cutty Sark (Cdr.(Retd.) R.H. Mack, RN) for onward passage to Holy Loch. (5)

22 Oct 1941
HMS H 31 (Lt. F.B. Gibbs, RN) departed Sheerness for Rothesay. She was escorted until 2120 hours by HMS Cottesmore (Lt.Cdr. J.C.A. Ingram, RN).

At 0745/25 H 31 made rendez-vous with HMS La Capricieuse (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Dobson, RNR) for onwards passage to Rothesay under escort. (6)

10 Aug 1944
Around 1315B/10, HMS Frobisher (Capt. J.F.W. Mudford, RN) weighed anchor and departed the operations area for the Chatham Dockyard. She is being towed by the tug HMRT Restive.

Around 1530B/10, the escort destroyers HMS Cottesmore (Lt. W.D. O'Brien, DSC, RN) and ORP Krakowiak (Kmdr.ppor. (Cdr.) W. Maracewicz, ORP) joined as escorts.

Around 1945B/10, HMS Cottesmore parted company.

Around 2145B/10, the frigate HMS Hotham (A/Lt.Cdr. S. Ayles, RNR) joined.

They arrived off Sheerness around 0650B/12.

HMS Frobisher proceeded to the Chatham Dockyard in the evening. (7)

Sources

  1. ADM 53/114758
  2. ADM 199/399 + Report of proceedings of HMAS Nizam for February 1941
  3. ADM 199/1136
  4. ADM 53/114553
  5. ADM 173/17103
  6. ADM 173/16734
  7. ADM 53/119466

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


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