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HMS Fury (H76)
Encyclopedia
HMS Fury was an F class
E and F class destroyer
The E and F class was a class of 18 destroyers of the Royal Navy that served during the Second World War. Three ships were later transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy, one to the Royal Hellenic Navy and one to the Dominican Navy. Launched in 1934, they served in the Second World War. Nine were lost...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. She was ordered from the yards of J. Samuel White
J. Samuel White
J. Samuel White was a British shipbuilding firm based in Cowes, taking its name from John Samuel White . It came to prominence during the Victorian era...
, of Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
on 17 March 1933 and was laid down on the 19 May of that year. She was launched on 10 September 1934 and commissioned on 18 May 1935. She would serve in most of the theatres of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in an active wartime career.
Fury was 'adopted’ by the civil community of West Bridgford
West Bridgford
West Bridgford is a town in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of the city of Nottingham, delimited by the River Trent; this proximity means that it forms a continuous urban area with Nottingham, effectively makes West Bridgford a suburb of the city, and...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
in January 1942.
Interwar
After commissioning, Fury served in the 6th Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet and was deployed for Non-Intervention patrols in the Bay of BiscayBay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
and the Mediterranean during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. On 11 December 1936, the day after his abdication broadcast to the nation
Edward VIII abdication crisis
In 1936, a constitutional crisis in the British Empire was caused by King-Emperor Edward VIII's proposal to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite....
HMS Fury embarked HRH The Duke of Windsor
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
for passage to Boulogne-sur-Mer
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
.
Wartime
Home Waters
On the outbreak of the Second World War Fury was based at Scapa FlowScapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
with her flotilla, where she carried out fleet screening duties and anti-submarine patrols. After the loss of HMS Royal Oak on 14 October 1939, she was reassigned to the Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
with the rest of the Home Fleet, until the defenses at Scapa Flow could be strengthened. During the end of 1939 she also escorted convoys from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to the UK. Fury returned to Scapa Flow at the start of 1940.
On 17 April she escorted the cruiser HMS Suffolk
HMS Suffolk (55)
HMS Suffolk was a County class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy, and part of the Kent subclass. She was built by Portsmouth Dockyard, Portsmouth, UK), with the keel being laid down on 15 November 1924...
back to Scapa Flow after she had been damaged in an air attack off Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. On 23 April she escorted aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (91)
HMS Ark Royal was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that served during the Second World War.Designed in 1934 to fit the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, Ark Royal was built by Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd. at Birkenhead, England, and completed in November 1938. Her design...
and HMS Glorious
HMS Glorious (77)
HMS Glorious was the second of the cruisers built for the British Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord, Lord Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Glorious was completed in late 1916...
on operations to provide fighter cover for operations around Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
.
On 9 May Fury and her sisters HMS Fortune
HMS Fortune (H70)
HMS Fortune was an F class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She sank a U boat in 1939 and was transferred to Canada in 1943, becoming ....
and Foresight
HMS Foresight (H68)
HMS Foresight was a Royal Navy F class destroyer. She operated as a fast minesweeper during World War II and was scuttled after being damaged in an aerial attack during Operation Pedestal, an attempt to bring supplies to Malta....
were transferred from Scapa Flow to the Nore Command, to counter the threat of E-boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
s and minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
s in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. She carried out a number of sweeps with the cruiser HMS Birmingham
HMS Birmingham (C19)
HMS Birmingham was a member of the first group of five ships of the "Town" class of light cruisers. She was built at Devonport Dockyard , and launched on 1 September 1936.-Early career:...
and escorted the damaged HMS Kelly
HMS Kelly (F01)
HMS Kelly was a K-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy, and flotilla leader of her class. She served through the early years of the Second World War; in Home Waters, off Norway and in the Mediterranean. Throughout her service, Kelly was commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten. She was lost in...
to the Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
, after the Kelly had been damaged by E-boats.
Mediterranean
In July Fury was transferred with the 8th Flotilla to Force HForce H
Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940 to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean that had been removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany....
in the Mediterranean, operating out of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. Throughout August she escorted convoys in the Mediterranean and in September took part in Operation Menace
Battle of Dakar
The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa , which was under Vichy French control, and to install the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle there.-Background:At...
, the attacks on Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
. With HMAS Australia and HMS Greyhound
HMS Greyhound (H05)
HMS Greyhound was a G-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the 1930s. Greyhound participated in the Norwegian Campaign in April 1940, the Dunkirk evacuation in May and the Battle of Dakar in September before being transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in November...
she engaged the French destroyer L'Audacieux, setting her on fire and forcing her to beach. In October Fury was deployed off the West African coast and on 9 October provided cover for the French landings in the Cameroons
Cameroons
British Cameroons was a British Mandate territory in West Africa, now divided between Nigeria and Cameroon.The area of present-day Cameroon was claimed by Germany as a protectorate during the "Scramble for Africa" at the end of the 19th century...
. She returned to Force H in November.
In November she escorted a number of convoys to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, including providing the far distance cover with Force H for Operation Collar. She was present at the Battle of Cape Spartivento
Battle of Cape Spartivento
The Battle of Cape Spartivento, known as the Battle of Cape Teulada in Italy, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War...
, where she provided the escort for HMS Renown
HMS Renown (1916)
HMS Renown was the lead ship of her class of battlecruisers of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
. In January 1942 she was part of Operation Excess
Operation Excess
Operation Excess was a series of supply convoys to Malta, Alexandria and Greece in January 1941.On 6 January, convoy Excess left Gibraltar for Malta and Greece, covered by the Gibraltar based Force H. Simultaneously, the Mediterranean Fleet from Alexandria covered more supply ships from...
and on 9 February she escorted Fleet units taking part in Operation Grog
Operation Grog
Operation Grog was the name assigned to the British naval and air bombardment of Genoa and La Spezia between 6 and 11 February 1941, during the Second World War...
, the bombardment of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. The following month Fury underwent a refit at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. In April she escorted HMS Ark Royal when the carrier made several deliveries of Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
.
In May, Fury was again escorting convoys with Force H, this time a military convoy carrying tanks for the Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. By the 24 May, Force H had been ordered into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to hunt for the German battleship Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
. After the sinking of the Bismarck, Fury was deployed with the 8th Flotilla to search for German supply ships that had been deployed to support the Bismarck. On 23 June, they intercepted the German merchant
Merchant vessel
A merchant vessel is a ship that transports cargo or passengers. The closely related term commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...
Alstertor which scuttled herself. Fury helped to rescue British seamen who had been captured by commerce raiders. She then returned to Gibraltar, in time to escort the ships of Operation Substance
Operation Substance
Operation Substance was a British naval operation in July 1941 during the Second World War to escort a convoy from Gibraltar to Malta.The convoy was escorted by six destroyers and covered by aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, the battlecruiser HMS Renown and the battleship HMS Nelson along with...
on 21 July. On 24 September she escorted the convoy in Operation Halberd
Operation Halberd
-Summary:During World War II, Operation Halberd was a British naval operation in September 1941 to escort a convoy from Gibraltar to Malta....
.
Arctic waters
Having had an eventful Mediterranean career, Fury was transferred to the Home Fleet in October to escort the Atlantic convoys, and in November she joined the GreenockGreenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
Special Escort Division. By December she had rejoined the 8th Destroyer Flotilla for Fleet escort duties and in January 1942 underwent a refit in a Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
shipyard to increase her anti-aircraft armament. On 15 February she rejoined the 8th Flotilla at Scapa Flow in preparation for service on the Russian convoys
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
.
In March Fury provided distant cover for Convoy QP-6 and Convoy PQ-12. On 23 March she joined the escort for Convoy PQ-13
Convoy PQ-13
PQ-13 was a British Arctic convoy which delivered war supplies from the Western Allies to the USSR during World War II. The convoy was subject to attack by German air, U-boat and surface forces and suffered the loss of five ships, plus one escort vessel...
, along with the cruiser HMS Trinidad and the destroyer HMS Eclipse
HMS Eclipse (H08)
HMS Eclipse was an E class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service in the Atlantic, Arctic, and Mediterranean theatres during World War II, until sunk by a mine in the Aegean Sea on 24 October 1943.-Service history:...
. On 27 March she was detached to search for stragglers from the convoy, and made contact and brought SS Haraplion back into the defensive net. On the 28 March the convoy was attacked by German Narvik class destroyer
Narvik class destroyer
The Zerstörer 1936A-class destroyers, or Narvik-class destroyers as they were known to the Allies, were a class of German destroyers of the Second World War...
s, which Fury helped to fight off. She then escorted HMS Trinidad into Kola Inlet after the Trinidad had been hit by one of her own torpedoes that had malfunctioned. On 29 March she made an unsuccessful attack on U-378. Fury remained in Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
until 10 March, when she joined Convoy QP-10 as an escort. She was also escorting the damaged HMS Trinidad back to Britain. She helped to fight off a number of attacks on the damaged cruiser, but Trinidad was eventually sunk by a bomb on 15 March. She then went on to escort convoys PQ-16
Convoy PQ-16
Convoy PQ 16 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in May 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports after five days of air attacks that left eight ships sunk and two damaged. 25 ships arrived safely.-Background:In...
, QP-12 and QP-17. On 2 July she made an unsuccessful attack on U-456 with HMS Wilton and HMS Lotus
HMS Lotus (K130)
HMS Lotus was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy.She was built by Henry Robb Limited, of Leith, Scotland and launched on 16 January 1942. Originally named HMS Phlox, she was renamed in April 1942 after the previous HMS Lotus was transferred to the Free French Navy...
.
Fury returned to the Mediterranean in early August, and on 10 August she was one of the escorts for Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies...
. She spent the next few days carrying out minesweeping duties
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
, before returning to the UK on 17 August. On 9 September she joined the escort for Convoy PQ-18
Convoy PQ-18
Convoy PQ-18 was one of the Arctic convoys sent from Britain to aid the Soviet Union in the war against Nazi Germany. The convoy departed Loch Ewe, Scotland on 2 September 1942 and arrived in Arkhangelsk on 21 September 1942....
, but was detached from it on 17 September to escort the returning Convoy QP-14. On 18 September, in company with HMS Impulsive
HMS Impulsive (D11)
HMS Impulsive was an I-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She has been the only ship of the Navy to bear this name....
, she travelled to Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
to escort RFA Oligarch back to the convoy. The three ships rejoined QP-14 on 19 September. On 20 September Fury was again detached to join the destroyers HMS Wheatland and HMS Wilton in escorting HMS Scylla
HMS Scylla (98)
HMS Scylla was a Dido-class cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company , with the keel being laid down on 19 April 1939...
and HMS Avenger
HMS Avenger (D14)
HMS Avenger was a Royal Navy escort aircraft carrier during the Second World War. In 1939 she was laid down as the merchant ship Rio-Hudson at the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company yard in Chester, Pennsylvania. Launched on 27 November 1940, she was converted to an escort carrier and transferred...
, because of the increased risk of U-boat attack. She was with the Home Fleet for the next few months, and in December escorted the convoys JW-51A
Convoy JW 51A
Convoy JW 51A was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in December 1942, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month....
and RA-51. In March the following year she escorted Convoy RA-53
Atlantic
In mid-March Fury was deployed with the 4th Escort Group for the defence of Atlantic convoys. In April she escorted the convoys HX-329 (where she drove off an attacking U-boat group), HX-234 and ONS-5Convoy ONS-5
ONS 5 was a North Atlantic convoy during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II; the battle surrounding it in May 1943 is regarded as the turning point of the Atlantic campaign....
. In May she escorted the 1st Minelaying Squadron for minelaying activities in the Northern Barrage
Northern Barrage
The Northern Barrage was the name given to an extensive series of defensive minefields laid by the British during World War II in order to restrict German access to the Atlantic Ocean. The barrage stretched from the Orkney to the Faroe Islands and on toward Iceland...
and escorted Convoy SC-130
Convoy SC-130
Convoy SC-130 was the 130th of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool...
. She then went in for further repair.
Mediterranean again
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
. Upon arrival she joined the escort for military convoys. On 10 July she formed part of the covering force for the landings. After the surrender of Italy, Fury was one of the ships that escorted units of the Italian Fleet into Malta for their surrender. On 12 September she was part of the covering force for the Landings at Salerno
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
.
Throughout October Fury was deployed in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
to intercept invasion convoys. Together with HMS Penelope
HMS Penelope (97)
HMS Penelope was an Arethusa-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Harland & Wolff , with the keel being laid down on 30 May 1934...
and HMS Faulknor
HMS Faulknor (H62)
HMS Faulknor was a F class destroyer flotilla leader of the British Royal Navy in commission from 1934. The ship had a particularly active operational role during World War II, being awarded 11 battle honours, and was known as "The hardest worked destroyer in the Fleet"...
, she intercepted one convoy on 7 October, but was forced to abandon the operation on 15 October due to repeated air attacks and a lack of air cover. On 15 November she bombarded Leros
Leros
Leros is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies 317 km from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 11-hour ferry ride . Leros is part of the Kalymnos peripheral unit...
with HMS Exmoor and the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
destroyer ORP Krakowiak
ORP Krakowiak
ORP Krakowiak was a British Hunt II-class destroyer escort, used by the Polish Navy during World War II. Initially built for the Royal Navy, it bore the name of HMS Silverton during British use..-History:...
, and again on 16 November with HMS Aldenham and HMS Penn
HMS Penn (G77)
HMS Penn was an escort destroyer of the P Class. Penn was ordered by the United Kingdom under the Wartime Emergency Programme, in the early part of the Second World War and was laid down at the Newcastle-on-Tyne yard of Vickers Armstrong on 26 December 1939.- Service :HMS Penn was launched on 12...
. In December she was refitted at Gibraltar for use as a convoy escort. One 4 inches (101.6 mm) gun mounting and her 3 inches (76.2 mm) anti-aircraft gun was removed and replaced by Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
s. Also, her depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
facilities were increased. This refit lasted until February 1944.
Home waters again
By March Fury was back at Scapa Flow, and operating with the 4th Support Group. She escorted Convoy HX-231 and helped to defend it from an attack by a "wolfpack". On 13 May she was reassigned to Force J, which would be part of Operation NeptuneOperation Neptune
The Normandy landings, codenamed Operation Neptune, were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord, during World War II. The landings commenced on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 , beginning at 6:30 AM British Double Summer Time...
, covering the Normandy landings. The rest of May was spent in exercises and rehearsals. In June Fury joined Bombardment Force E to provide naval Gunfire Support to military operations in the Eastern (British) Task Force area.
D-Day and mining
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
on 5 June as the escort for Convoy J-1. She arrived at the beachhead and took up her bombardment position on 6 June where along with HMS Venus
HMS Venus (R50)
HMS Venus was a V-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War. She was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, of Govan, Scotland and launched on 23 February 1943...
she carried out a preliminary support bombardment of the area west of Courseulles. She was then deployed with the Eastern Task Force after the initial assault. From the 7 June to 20 June she was engaged in support duties and convoy escort in the Eastern Task Force Area, returning to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
to refuel and replenish as required.
On 21 June, Fury struck a mine off the beachhead and was driven ashore in a gale. She was subsequently salvaged and towed back to the UK. A survey in August declared her a 'Constructive total loss', and in September she was placed on the Disposal List. She was sold to BISCO
British Steel
British Steel was a major British steel producer. It originated as a nationalised industry, the British Steel Corporation , formed in 1967. This was converted to a public limited company, British Steel PLC, and privatised in 1988. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
for demolition by TW Ward at Briton Ferry
Briton Ferry
Briton Ferry is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. The town encompasses the electoral wards of Briton Ferry East and Briton Ferry West....
and Fury was towed there to be scrapped, arriving on 18 September.