Built as USS Herndon (DD 198) for the US Navy. In September 1940 transferred to Britain and renamed HMS Churchill (I 45).

On 13 Aug 1942, the HMS Churchill (I 45) picked up 51 survivors from the Delmundo, which was sunk by U-600 (Zurmühlen) in convoy TAW-12 the same day and brought them to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In July 1944 on loan to Sovietunion and renamed Dejatelnyj. At 19.46 hours on 6 Dec 1944, U-293 (Klingspor) fired a Gnat at an unknown Soviet convoy near Kildin Island (grid AC 8853) and reported a hit after 10 minutes 40 seconds. The Dejatelnyj reported a detonation in her wake. 

At 20.30 hours (Moscow time) on 16 Jan 1945 the Dejatelnyj (Kptlt. K.A. Kravchenko) got a radar contact while escorting convoy KB-1 in stormy seas about 40 miles east of Cape Tereberski, Kara Sea. According to Soviet sources, the destroyer then unsuccessfully tried to ram a diving U-boat, dropped depth charges and as she turned for another attack a heavy explosion occurred at the stern which was blown away. All efforts to save the ship proved fruitless and she sank after 50 minutes, taking the commander and 116 men with her. Only seven men were picked up by the Derzkij.

It is unclear if an U-boat was responsible for the loss because no corresponding attack report can be found. The only U-boat in the area was U-956, but unfortunately there is no KTB available for this patrol. It is only known that the U-boat reported hearing a detonation 7 minutes 40 seconds after firing spread of three FAT torpedoes at a convoy on 12 January.

However, it is possible that U-956 was the U-boat attacked by the destroyer on 16 January, but it also remains the possibility that the ship was sunk by a mine, an internal explosion or an accident when preparing the depth charges for the next attack run.