Allied Warships

HMS Clare (I 14)

Destroyer of the Town class

HMS Clare as seen in Plymouth Sound in October 1941 upon completion of her reconstruction to long range escort.
World Ship Photo Library photograph with thanks to Jan Visser.

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Town
Pennant	I 14
Built by	Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. (Newport News, Virginia, U.S.A.)
Ordered
Laid down	20 Aug 1918
Launched	14 Feb 1920
Commissioned	9 Sep 1940
End service	Mar 1947
History	USS Abel P. Upshur decommissioned and transferred in the destroyer-land bases exchange to Great Britain, at Halifax, Nova Scotia, 9 September 1940. From 1940 to 1944, as HMS Clare, she escorted convoys in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. In the early hours of 21 February 1941 she collided with the motor vessel Petertown and was out of action, undergoing repairs, until October 1941. During 1942 and 1943 Clare took part in the Invasions of North Africa and Sicily. In May 1944 she became an aircraft target ship in the Western Approaches Command. In August 1945 she was reduced to reserve at Greenock, Scotland, and later berthed at Barrow, England, awaiting disposal. She was scrapped in 1945.
Former name	USS Abel P. Upshur (DD 193)

Commands listed for HMS Clare (I 14)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Lt.Cdr. (retired) Clive Gwinner, RN	9 Sep 1940	early 1941

2	Lt.Cdr. Leopold Hewetson Landman, RN	21 Aug 1941	22 Dec 1942
3	Lt.Cdr. John Parker Stewart, DSC, RNR	22 Dec 1942	Jun 1943
4	Lt.Cdr. Gilbert Shaw Grant, RNR	Jun 1943	late 1943

5	T/Lt. Duncan MacDonald, RNR	9 May 1944	late 1944
6	T/Lt. David Sugden Thorp, DSC, RNVR	late 1944	10 Apr 1945
7	T/Lt. James Allen Anderson, RNVR	10 Apr 1945	1 May 1945
8	T/A/Lt.Cdr. Patrick Arthur Tritton, RNVR	May 1945	mid 1945

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Notable events involving Clare include:

16 Nov 1940
The British merchant Planter is torpedoed and sunk about 30 miles north-northwest of Bloody Foreland in position 55°38'N, 08°28'W by German U-boat U-137. HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. C. Gwinner, RN) later picks up 60 survivors.

6 Nov 1941
HrMs O 9 (Lt. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. L.H. Landman, RN), HMS Hartland (Lt.Cdr. G.P. Billot, RNR), HMS Ibis (Lt.Cdr. H.M. Darell-Brown, RN) and HMS Sunflower (Lt.Cdr. J.T. Jones, RD, RNR). (1)

13 Aug 1942
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.R. Drummond, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. L.H. Landman, RN) and HMS Cowdray (Lt.Cdr. C.W. North, RN). (2)

20 Aug 1942
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.R. Drummond, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Walney (Lt.Cdr. P.C. Meyrick, RN), HMS Aberdeen (Lt. S.G. Rivers-Smith, RN), HMS Enchantress (Lt.Cdr. A.E.T. Christie, OBE, RN), HMS Hartland (Lt.Cdr. G.P. Billot, RNR) and HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. L.H. Landman, RN). (2)

21 Nov 1942
HMS Clare picks up 56 survivors from the Panamanian merchant Buchanan that was torpedoed and sunk on 12 November 1942 in the North Atlantic in position 52°06'N, 25°54'W by German U-boat U-224.

21 Jan 1943
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Test (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.B. Collinson, RD, RN), HMS Fishguard (Lt.Cdr. H.L. Pryse, RNR), HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, DSC, RD, RNR) and HMS Banff (Lt. P. Brett, RNR). (3)

22 Jan 1943
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Dahlia (T/Lt. M.S. Work, RNR), HMS Wallflower (Lt. G.R. Greaves, RNR), HMS Rockingham (Lt.Cdr. N.W. Duck, DSC, RD, RNR), HMS Watchman (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Rodgers, RN), HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, DSC, RNR) and HMS Viscount (Lt.Cdr. J.V. Waterhouse, DSO, RN). (3)

25 Feb 1943

Convoy WS 27 / KMF 10A

This combined convoy was formed off Orsay Island on 25 February 1943.

It was made up of the following troopships / transports; Almanzora (British, 15551 GRT, built 1914). Antenor (British, 11174 GRT, built 1925), Batory (Polish, 14287 GRT, built 1936), Boissevain (Dutch, 14134 GRT, built 1937), Capetown Castle (British, 27002 GRT, built 1938), Christiaan Huygens (Dutch, 16287 GRT, built 1927), Circassia (British, 11136 GRT, built 1937), Franconia (British, 20175 GRT, built 1923), Letitia (British, 13475 GRT, built 1925), Nieuw Holland (Dutch, 11066 GRT, built 1927), Strathaird (British, 22281 GRT, built 1932) and Strathmore (British, 23428 GRT, built 1935).

The convoy was escorted by the battleship HMS Malaya (Capt. J.W.A. Waller, RN), destroyers HMS Quail (Lt.Cdr. R.F. Jenks, RN), HMS Queenborough (Cdr. E.P. Hinton, DSO and Bar, MVO, RN), HMS Raider (Lt.Cdr. K.W. Michell, RN), HMS Wolverine (Lt. I.M. Clegg, RN), HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, DSC, RNR), sloops HMS Egret (Cdr. C.R.S. Farquhar, RN), HMS Erne (Lt.Cdr. E.D.J. Abbot, DSC, RN), HMS Fishguard (Lt.Cdr. H.L. Pryse, RNR) and the frigate HMS Test (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.B. Collinson, RD, RN).

At 1300/1, HMS Queensborough and HMS Wolverine were detached from the combined convoy to fuel at Casablanca.

At 1900/1, the destroyer HMS Quadrant (Lt.Cdr. W.H. Farrington, RN) joined the combined convoy.

At 1100/2, the convoy split up; Convoy WS 27 continued to Freetown and Convoy KMF 10A set course to enter the Mediterranean and proceed to Oran / Algiers.

Convoy KMF 10A.

Convoy KMF 10A was made up of the troopships / transports; Batory, Boissevain, Circassia, Franconia, Nieuw Holland and Letitia, escorted by HMS Egret, HMS Erne, HMS Fishguard, HMS Test and HMS Clare.

On 3 March, while transiting the Gibraltar Strait, HMS Clare was detached to Gibraltar and the convoy was joined by the escort destroyers HMS Farndale (Cdr. D.P. Trentham, RN), HMS Haydon (Lt. R.C. Watkin, RN), HMS Oakley (Lt.Cdr. T.A. Pack-Beresford, RN), HMS Puckeridge (Lt. J.C. Cartwright, DSC, RN) and HMS Zetland (Lt. J.V. Wilkinson, RN) coming from Gibraltar.

The troopships Franconia and Letitia were detached and arrived at Oran on 4 March escorted by HMS Farndale, HMS Haydon, HMS Oakley and HMS Puckeridge. The escort destroyers departed Oran again later the same day to form an separate A/S force that was to operate near the remainder of the convoy during it's passage to Algiers.

The remainder of the convoy arrived at Algiers on March, 5th escorted by HMS Egret, HMS Erne, HMS Fishguard, HMS Test and HMS Zetland.

Convoy WS 20.

Convoy WS 20 was made up of the troopships / transports; Almanzora, Antenor, Capetown Castle, Christiaan Huygens, Strathaird and Strathmore, escorted by HMS Malaya, HMS Quadrant, HMS Quail and HMS Raider.

At 0030/3, HMS Queensborough and HMS Wolverine rejoined the convoy.

Between 1033 and 1125/3, HMS Raidar was fuelled by HMS Malaya followed by HMS Wolverine between 1156 and 1215/3.

At 1115/4, HMS Quadrant parted company with the convoy to fuel at Bathurst.

At 1800/5, the troopship Almanzore parted company with the convoy to proceed to Dakar escorted by HMS Quail.

At 1110/7, HMS Quail rejoined the convoy.

The convoy arrived safely at Freetown in the morning of March, 8th.

27 Mar 1943
HMS H 44 (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Keppel (Lt.Cdr. R.B.S. Tennant, RN), HMS Bergamot (Lt. R.T. Horan, RNR), HMS Erne (Lt.Cdr. E.D.J. Abbot, DSC, RN) and HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, DSC, RD, RNR). (4)

28 Mar 1943
HMS H 44 (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Erne (Lt.Cdr. E.D.J. Abbot, DSC, RN), HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, DSC, RD, RNR), HMCS Shediac (Lt. J.O. Every-Clayton, RCNR), HMCS St. Laurent (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Stephen, OBE, DSC, RCNR), HMCS Kenogami (T/Lt. J.L. Percy, RCNVR) and HMCS Battleford (T/Lt. F.A. Beck, RCNVR). (4)

10 May 1943
HMS Upstart (Lt. P.C. Chapman, DSC and Bar, RN) conducted A/S exercises in Lough Foyle with HMS Trent (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.G. Rankin, DSC, RNR), HMS Test (Lt.Cdr.(retired) F.B. Collinson, RD, RNR), HMS Teviot (Cdr. T. Taylor, DSC, RN), HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, DSC, RD, RNR), HMS Bergamot (Lt. R.T. Horan, RNR) and HMS Bryony (T/Lt. T. Hand, RNR). (5)

18 May 1943
HMS H 33 (Lt. J.A. Spender, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, DSC, RD, RNR). (6)

19 Jun 1943
HMS P 511 (Lt. C.W. Taylor, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Fishguard (Lt.Cdr. H.L. Pryse, RNR), HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, DSC, RD, RNR or Lt.Cdr. G.S. Grant, RNR), HMS Pennyworth (Lt. O.G. Stuart, RCNVR), HMS Winchelsea (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Gregorie, RD, RNR), HMS Highlander (Cdr. E.C.L. Day, RN), HMS Asphodel (Lt. H.P. Carse, DSC, RNVR) and HMS Clover (Lt. P.H. Grieves, RNR). (7)

20 Jun 1943
HMS P 511 (Lt. C.W. Taylor, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Berry (Lt.Cdr. G.V. Legassick, RD, RNR), HMS Highlander (Cdr. E.C.L. Day, RN), HMS Winchelsea (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Gregorie, RD, RNR), HMS Fishguard (Lt.Cdr. H.L. Pryse, RNR) and HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, DSC, RD, RNR or Lt.Cdr. G.S. Grant, RNR). (7)

21 Jun 1943
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.A.R. Troup, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Fishguard (Lt.Cdr. H.L. Pryse, RNR), HMS Clare (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Stewart, DSC, RD, RNR or Lt.Cdr. G.S. Grant, RNR), HMS Poppy (T/Lt. D.R.C. Onslow, RNR) and HMS Test (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.B. Collinson, RD, RNR). (8)

13 Aug 1944
HMS Safari (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) J.R.G. Harvey, RN) conducted attack exercises for the C.O.Q.C. (Commanding Officers Qualifying Course) in the Clyde area during which HMS Clare (T/Lt. D. MacDonald, RNR) served as target. (9)

14 Aug 1944
HMS Safari (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) J.R.G. Harvey, RN) conducted attack exercises for the C.O.Q.C. (Commanding Officers Qualifying Course) in the Clyde area during which HMS Clare (T/Lt. D. MacDonald, RNR) served as target. (9)

15 Aug 1944
HMS Safari (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) J.R.G. Harvey, RN) conducted attack exercises for the C.O.Q.C. (Commanding Officers Qualifying Course) in the Clyde area during which HMS Clare (T/Lt. D. MacDonald, RNR) served as target. (9)