HMS ECHO 1934-44 and HHMS NAVARINON 1944-1956
This destroyer took part in Russian Convoys and many Mediterranean operations including the fight for Leros. She survived the war and returned to be scrapped in UK
This destroyer took part in Russian Convoys and many Mediterranean operations including the fight for Leros. She survived the war and returned to be scrapped in UK
There may have been some good commissions in the first HMS ECHO whilst she was gaining her battle honours in the latter half of the 18th century. She was in the convoy that landed General Wolfe's army at Quebec in 1759 before sailing south to the West Indies to assist in the taking of Martinique and then Havana in 1762.
The third ship to bear the name was in on the landings at the Cape of Good Hope in 1795. I'm not sure whether or not home leave was granted in Cape Town but I do know Union-Castle had not started their Cape-UK service so transport may have been difficult!!
Greek Navy ship HHMS NAVARINON
The tenth 'ECHO' was a much more recent ship and was known to a number of you through WWII and into the 50's by which time she had transferred to the Greek Navy and renamed NAVARINON. She was one of nine 'E' Class ships all of which came into service during 1934 and formed the 5th Destroyer Flotilla.
She was a 1400 ton destroyer quickly built with the skills of the people of Denny's Dumbarton yard between March 1933 and October 1934. (Note: The 'OBDURATE' & 'JAGUAR' (see separate pages) were also built here). This 'ECHO' was 329' (100.4M) long overall with a beam of 33' (10.3M) and a draught of 12'6" (3.8M). The usual Admiralty 3-drum boilers and Parsons geared turbines on two shafts produced 36000 shp to give 36 knots (and, I guess, a lot of creaking). Full bunkers of 470 tons would drive her, at 15 knots, more than 6000 nautical miles.
The complement of around 145 men had four 4.5" QF guns plus machine guns and torpedoes to point and in the anti-submarine department there was asdic, depth charge throwers and rails.
Like so many of her contemporaries she saw arduous war service to gain battle honours in the Atlantic in 1939; Norway '40; Bismark and Arctic 1941-43 (where she worked with the HMS OBDURATE and HMS BERMUDA (see separate pages) thus maintaining my personal link) before being sent to the Med and Malta Convoys in '42. Soon after she was in the thick of the Sicily, Salerno and Aegean operations of 1943. She, with the 'ILEX', is credited with sinking the Italian 'NEREIDE' off Augusta, Sicily on the 13th of July 1943.
In 1944 she was transferred to the Greek Navy and renamed 'NAVARINON'. She attended the 1953 Fleet Review at Spithead and remained with the Royal Hellenic Navy under that name until 1956 when, in the same year, she was both returned to the UK and sent to a breakers yard on the River Tyne.
She was a 1400 ton destroyer quickly built with the skills of the people of Denny's Dumbarton yard between March 1933 and October 1934. (Note: The 'OBDURATE' & 'JAGUAR' (see separate pages) were also built here). This 'ECHO' was 329' (100.4M) long overall with a beam of 33' (10.3M) and a draught of 12'6" (3.8M). The usual Admiralty 3-drum boilers and Parsons geared turbines on two shafts produced 36000 shp to give 36 knots (and, I guess, a lot of creaking). Full bunkers of 470 tons would drive her, at 15 knots, more than 6000 nautical miles.
The complement of around 145 men had four 4.5" QF guns plus machine guns and torpedoes to point and in the anti-submarine department there was asdic, depth charge throwers and rails.
Like so many of her contemporaries she saw arduous war service to gain battle honours in the Atlantic in 1939; Norway '40; Bismark and Arctic 1941-43 (where she worked with the HMS OBDURATE and HMS BERMUDA (see separate pages) thus maintaining my personal link) before being sent to the Med and Malta Convoys in '42. Soon after she was in the thick of the Sicily, Salerno and Aegean operations of 1943. She, with the 'ILEX', is credited with sinking the Italian 'NEREIDE' off Augusta, Sicily on the 13th of July 1943.
In 1944 she was transferred to the Greek Navy and renamed 'NAVARINON'. She attended the 1953 Fleet Review at Spithead and remained with the Royal Hellenic Navy under that name until 1956 when, in the same year, she was both returned to the UK and sent to a breakers yard on the River Tyne.
Jack Adams was a gunner (Gun Crew picture below) in this destroyer during the war years as she took part in Arctic Convoys, the pursuit of the BISMARCK, Malta Convoys and many other operations as well as her eventual transfer to the Greek navy.
George Ingleby was also in ECHO at the same time as Jack Adams and asks anyone who was there to get in touch. Sadly just as George and Jack were put in touch with one another in October 2003 Jack became ill and passed away in November. What a great pity they missed the opportunity to relive old times together.
George lived in the port forward mess in HMS ECHO from 1941 to 1944 and took part in Russian and Malta convoys as well as campaigns for Sicily, Italy and Greece. Living for the last fifty years in Australia George says "..at least it's warmer than Murmansk...". He also remembers the Italian submarine being sunk before they moved off to other things.
Top & bottom pairs of pictures above are from Jack Adams and son Ian, The middle pic. above and certified ones below from George Ingleby.
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This HMS ECHO/HHMS NAVARINON section first published online 2000 and since revised.
