Destroyer CaptainThis is an account of what it was like to command a destroyer during World War II. Spanning 1942 to 1945, Hill commanded HMS Ledbury during the tragedy of Arctic convoy PQ17 and played an outstanding role in Operation Pedestal. The pressures of command and the strain of years of continual fighting are conveyed here. |
Contents
HM Destroyer Ledbury | 14 |
to September 1942 | 15 |
Russian Convoys | 28 |
Russian Convoy PQ 17 | 32 |
PQ 17 Aftermath | 49 |
A Voyage to Gibraltar | 52 |
Prologue | 57 |
One | 61 |
Interlude | 98 |
HM Destroyer Grenville April 1943 to February 1944 | 102 |
Gala Days in the Bay of Biscay | 111 |
In the English Channel | 130 |
One | 151 |
Two | 167 |
The Anzio Landing | 179 |
HM Destroyer Jervis February 1944 to September 1944 | 196 |
Common terms and phrases
action Admiral Admiralty ahead air attack aircraft alongside anchor anti-aircraft Anzio asdic ashore assault area astern Athabaskan beach boat Bofors bomb bombarding bombers bows bridge cabin Captain Charybdis Chief Yeoman coast command convoy crew cruisers damaged deck depth charges destroyers Dornier 217s Egret enemy engine Escort group explosion felt fighters fleet flotilla Flotilla Leader fo'c'sle fuel German Gibraltar glider bomb going Grenville guns harbour HMS Jervis Italian Jervis knew knots landing craft Ledbury Limbourne looked Malta Malta Convoy Mediterranean merchant ships miles mines minesweepers night Number oerlikon officers Ohio opened fire operation ordered Pantellaria patrol picked planes Plymouth port Portsmouth radar radio replied reported round sailed Scapa screen shells ship's company shooting side sight signal Skerki sleep smoke staff starboard steam Stukas submarine sunk survivors tanker target thought Tirpitz told Tony torpedo turned U-boat waiting wardroom whilst Winchester Castle