This new destroyer heads out of the Clyde for Scapa Flow and Arctic convoys plus Atlantic U-Boat operations before escorting the King of Norway home upon liberation. Post-war duties in Germany, escort for US President Truman and working from Portsmouth precedes time in Reserve. Later service at Chatham gives way to construction destruction.

HMS OBDURATE, with her sister ship OBEDIENT, rose from the blocks in William Denny Brothers shipyard on the River Clyde in Scotland. Ordered by the Admiralty in September 1939 she was one of the eight ships of her class designed in anticipation of but before the outbreak of World War Two. The perceived requirement was for a general purpose ship of sturdy build with good sea keeping qualities that would be able to fend off submarines and, with the limited number of guns then available, defend themselves against air attack.
 
There was, inevitably, some variations made to equipment as the ships were building and the most significant was the conversion of four of the eight to minelayers. In short they were each fitted with deck rails able to carry up to sixty mines when required. The ships were reasonably fast at around 33 knots with a range of 4,000 nautical miles at 20 knots.
 
The shipyard workers at Denny's at the confluence of the River Lune and Clyde set to work on OBDURATE in April 1940 - a month ahead of the OBEDIENT - and she launched in February 1942. It wasn't long after that that the first of the ship's company arrived to oversee and become familiar with the ship. Less than seven months later Yard Number 1352 commissioned as HMS OBDURATE under the command of Lieutenant Commander C E L Sclater DSO* Royal Navy. It was now the 'home' of some 175 or so sailors on their way - or back - to war. It had cost just under £410,500 and was 'adopted' by the town of Warrington, Lancashire.

HMS OBDURATE, fresh from trials and shaking-down, arrived in Scapa Flow on Monday the 7th of September 1942 to join the Home Fleet. She was the sixth of eight in the class to arrive with OBEDIENT and ORWELL due soon to complete the 17th Destroyer Flotilla led by ONSLOW (Captain H T Armstrong DSC* RN)
 
With all eight ships of the new 17th DF now present Captain (D17) set about welding the flotilla into a cohesive and efficient unit. It was not to be an easy or straightforward task. Firstly the ships were new and those in them had to find their way around their ship, its systems and armaments. Secondly a large proportion of the 1,400 men were not professional seaman. Often the only full-time officers were the Commanding Officer and perhaps one or two others with the remainder coming from the Royal Naval Reserves. The learning was continuous, concentrated and complicated by the demands of war and weather. Either or both frequently prevented the flotilla as a whole from training together.
 
In mid-October 1942 OBDURATE was detached to join other destroyers screening the cruiser ARGONAUT from Scapa Flow with Norwegian soldiers and guns to reinforce Spitzbergen. That done they went on to Kola Inlet for the first of what would be many visits. Damaged in the 'Battle of the Barents Sea' in December another call was made to make the ship safe before - carrying some survivors from lost convoy ships - to Scapa Flow in early January.

Repaired on the Tyne by the end of February 1943 it was back to Russian convoy screening once more but there was some departures into the Atlantic to break the pattern before starting a refit on the Humber at the beginning of October. Back in operation and Scapa Flow in mid-November she saw the end of the month in the dark cold of Iceland's Akureyri Fjord.
 
December saw the ship southbound in the Atlantic screening the battleship KING GEORGE V but it was back to Scapa Flow for Christmas. It could have been worse, as four of the other 17thDF ships were battling and sinking SCHARNHORST in what later became labelled the Battle of North Cape.
 
On the 12th of January 1944 OBDURATE departed Scapa Flow to meet the next convoy bound for Russia, JW56A. The convoy came under U-boat attacks losing 3 ships plus HMS ACHATES. OBDURATE sustained severe hull damage but made Murmansk to be made safe. Leaving on the 11th of February for home a stop was made at Scapa Flow before continuing to the Tyne to be repaired.

It would be a year, almost to the day, before HMS OBDURATE re-commissioned to return to Scapa Flow and the 17th Destroyer Flotilla on 11 April 1945. She was just in time to shake-down and join the escort group for the FINAL outward convoy, JW67, to Russia on the 12th of May. The returning RA67 left Kola Inlet on the 23rd with OBDURATE arriving back in Scapa Flow on 28th of May 1945.
 
Peace had been declared on the 8th of May 1945 but there was much to be done to secure it and that took OBDURATE first to Norway escorting their King home and later on recurring periods to Germany during the remainder of the year.
In the spring of 1946 all four of the minelaying 'O's, now with reduced complements, were at Portsmouth for Local Flotilla duties which for OBDURATE work for the Torpedo and Mining Base HMS VERNON. 
 
In February 1948 OBDURATE was paid off into the growing Reserve Fleet and joined the other vessels laid-up in the River Stour at Harwich. Taken from there in 1949 she underwent a short maintenance refit before returning to Reserve at Chatham.
Brought forward for service in 1952 the ship relieved HMS Opportune as the Chatham Local Flotilla do-it-all ship - and my formative sea service tutor - into 1957 before being finally paid-off. After that the Naval Construction Research Establishment, Rosyth used the hull until 1964 when she was scrapped at nearby Inverkeithing.

SHIP SPECIFICATIONS

Type: Destroyer
 
Class: 'O' Emergency War Programme (The first group of intermediate type destroyers)
             (8 Ships of which 4 including OBDURATE were fitted for minelaying.)
 
Builders: William Denny & Brothers, Leven Yard, Dumbarton    Yard Number: 1352
 
Laid down / Launched: 25 April 1940 / 19 February 1942
 
Commissioned: 30 September 1942     Scrapped: November 1964 at Inverkeithing 
 
Pennant No: G39. Post-war became D139
 
Dimensions: Length: 345' (105M) Beam: 35' (10.6M)     Draught: 9' (2.7M)
 
Displacement: Standard 1540T, Maximum 2270T
 
Machinery: Two Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons geared turbines to two shafts producing 40,000 shp
 
Speed: 33 knots
 
Fuel / Range: 484T / 3,850nm @ 20 knots
 
Armaments: 3 x 4" QF Mark V* guns in single mountings, 1 x Mk VII quadruple 2pdr, 2  x quadruple 21" Torpedo Tubes, Mine Rails for 60 Mark XIV Mines, 2 x Depth Charge Traps (Racks) and 2 x DC throwers. Removal of the Mine Rails and fitting 'Y' turret was possible in 48 hours. Post war the Rails were retained and a 20mm Bofors 40/60 gun was mounted on the quarterdeck.
NB: The 4 ships not fitted as minelayers carried a main armament of 4 x 4.7" guns. See 'Other ships' below
 
Complement:  185-200+
 
Battle Honours: (Jutland 1916), Arctic 1942-1944, Barents Sea 1942, Atlantic 1943
 
Other ships in Class: (Builder/Date completed/Loan Service/Demise):
 
(NB. ^ Denotes fitted for minelaying.
        + Denotes conversion to Type 16 A/S Frigate during 1950's)
 
ONSLOW+      J Brown, Clydebank 9/41 / To Pakistan Navy 9/49 TIPPU SULTAN / NK
ORIBI              Fairfield, Govan 7/41 / To Turkish Navy 6/46 GAYRET / Broken up 1965
OFFA              Fairfield, Govan 10/41 / To Pakistan Navy 11/49 TARIQ / Broken up Sunderland 1959,
ONSLAUGHT+ Fairfield, Govan 6/42 / To Pakistan Navy 6/51 TUGHRIL / Broken up 1977)
OPPORTUNE^ Thornycroft, Woolston 8/42 / Broken up Milford Haven 9/55
OBEDIENT^     Denny, Dumbarton 10/42 / Broken up Blyth 10/62
ORWELL^+     Thornycroft, Woolston 10/42 / Broken up 6/65

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DESTROYER CUTAWAY PLAN (Typical)

The picture below is of HMS OBEDIENT for comparisons

Sea Routine in a wartime destroyer had the ships company divided into a Two-Watch system, PORT and STARBOARD, which meant four hours on watch and four hours off. It has to be noted here that in action and emergencies all hands might well be at their stations for prolonged periods resting and perhaps eating there. Even when off watch they would remain clothed and ready for instant action.

Harbour Routine might permit further sub-division of both PORT and STARBOARD Watches into 1st and 2nd Parts which allowed four hours on watch and 12 hours off or 1 day on and three days off but that was an infrequent luxury. Harbour time did however allow men to rest and clean themselves and their kit. It also gave time to maintain and repair the ship. At their Bases they could also escape the confines of the ship for short periods of recreation ashore or in their Depot Ship. That said the ship itself had to be cleaned, maintained and repaired at the same time.

Times and Watch Periods

Midnight - 0400 Middle Watch
0400 - 0800 Morning "
0800 - 1200 Forenoon "
1200 - 1600 Afternoon "
1600 - 1800 First Dog "
1800 - 2000 Last Dog "
2000 - Midnight First Watch

More information on Watch Systems and Watches can be found on the HMS BERMUDA front page.

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