HMS Grenville (R97)
This
HMS Grenville was the second ship of the name to serve with the Royal Navy in World War II. HMS
Grenville and seven other
U class destroyers were ordered as part of the Emergency Programme. She was launched at
Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd., Wallsend-on-Tyne on 12 Oct, 1942 and commissioned 27 May, 1943.
In early October, 1943,
Grenville and the other four ships in the flotilla encountered 5 German
R class destroyers, during which she was hit and stopped.
Later on in October, she was involved in the disastrous Operation
Tunnel action against a blockade runner off the Brittany north coast. In this operation, cruiser HMS
Charybdis and destroyer
HMS Limbourne were sunk.
In 1953 - 54, she was extensively converted and re-armed into a
Type 15 frigate. She was subsequently fitted with a third mast carrying experimental air-search
radar, prior to its operational use in
Invincible class aircraft carriers.
Grenville was scrapped in 1983.
Destroyer Captain, Roger Hill; an account by
Grenville's captain.
