| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | ASW Trawler |
| Class | [No specific class] |
| Pennant | FY 176 |
| Built by | Smiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | |
| Launched | 6 Aug 1936 |
| Commissioned | Nov 1939 |
| End service | |
| History | Completed in September 1936. In March 1942 she was lent to the U.S. Navy, but still manned by a British crew, to assist the American`s newly formed anti-submarine forces. In October 1942 she was returned to R.N. control and in December Hertfordshire was transferred to South African waters to combat the growing U-boat threat in this area. From February 6-12th 1943 she was docked in the Selborne dry dock at simonstown, South Africa and spent the rest of the war escorting convoys around the South African coast. In 1945 Hertfordshire returned to U.K. waters. She was sold later in 1945. |
Commands listed for HMS Hertfordshire (FY 176)
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.
| Commander | From | To | ||
| 1 | Cdr. (retired) John Allen Shuter, RN | 15 Nov 1939 | 23 Jan 1940 | |
| 2 | T/Lt. Elkan Maurice Green, SANF(V) | 17 Mar 1944 | ||
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Notable events involving Hertfordshire include:
8 Feb 1940
HMS H 32 (Lt. M.D. Wanklyn, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Topaze (Lt.Cdr. J.N. Hambly, MBE, RN) and HMS Hertfordshire (Skr. A.H. Sandford, RNR). (1)
16 Mar 1940
HMS H 32 (Lt. M.D. Wanklyn, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Hertfordshire (Skr. A.H. Sandford, RNR) and HMS Olvina (Lt.Cdr. C.G. Cuthbertson, RNR). (2)
28 Jun 1940
HrMs O 9 (Lt. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Camellia (Lt.Cdr. E.M. Mackay, RNR) and HMS Hertfordshire (Skr. A.H. Sandford, RNR). (3)
29 Jun 1940
HrMs O 9 (Lt. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Hertfordshire (Skr. A.H. Sandford, RNR). (3)
5 Jul 1940
HrMs O 9 (Lt. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Hertfordshire (Skr. A.H. Sandford, RNR). (3)
11 Aug 1940
During a heavy air raid on Weymouth and Portland the ship was in Admiralty floating dock (AFD19) which was holed and strained. The Hertfordshire (Cdr. J.A. Shater, (retired), RN) suffered some splinter damage. (4)
11 Apr 1942
HMS Hertfordshire (Cdr. J.A. Shater, (retired), RN) picks up 24 survivors from the American tanker Harry F. Sinclair, Jr. that was torpedoed and damaged by German U-boat U-203 7 nautical miles south of Cape Lookout in position 34°25'N, 76°30'W.
15 Apr 1942
HMS Hertfordshire (Cdr. J.A. Shater, RN) picks up 9 survivors from the British merchant Rio Blanco that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-160 about 60 nautical miles east of Cape Hatteras in position 35°16'N, 74°18'W on 1 April.
2 Jul 1943
Convoy DC 33.
This convoy departed Durban on 2 July 1943.
It was made up of the following transports; Benvanoch (British, 6427 GRT, built 1921), Cape Clear (British, 5085 GRT, built 1939), City of Leicester (British, 3351 GRT, built 1926), City of Yokohama (British, 7341 GRT, built 1922), Empire Glade (British, 7006 GRT, built 1941), Empire Plover (British, 6109 GRT, built 1920), Forbin (British, 7291 GRT, built 1922), Henry Bacon (American, 7177 GRT, built 1942), Herman Melville (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942), Markhor (British, 7917 GRT, built 1929), Nishmaha (American, 6040 GRT, built 1919), Ville d'Amiens (British, 6975 GRT, built 1924), West Durfee (American, 5522 GRT, built 1918) and Winslow Homer (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942).
On departure from Durban the convoy was escorted by the destroyer HMAS Nizam (Cdr. C.H. Brooks, RAN), corvette HMS Fritillary (Lt.Cdr. W.H. Barker, RD, RNR), auxiliary A/S trawler HMS Hertfordshire (?) and the auxiliary A/S whaler HMSAS Standerton.
On 6 July 1943, HMAS Nizam parted company with the convoy near Port Elizabeth to join eastbound convoy CD 25.
Convoy DC 33 arrived at Capetown later on 6 July. (5)
Sources
- ADM 173/16283
- ADM 173/16285
- File 2.12.03.6365 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
- Personal communication
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Nizam for July 1943
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.