Allied Warships

HMS Moonstone (T 90)

ASW Trawler

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeASW Trawler
Class[No specific class] 
PennantT 90 
Built byCook, Welton & Gemmill (Beverley, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down 
Launched31 Jul 1934 
CommissionedJan 1939 
End service 
History

Completed on 30 August 1934.
Taken over by the Admiralty in January 1939.
Displacement: 615 tons.
Armament: 1 4" gun.

Sold in 1946.
Renamed Red Lancer in 1946.
Scrapped on 27 January 1964.

 

Commands listed for HMS Moonstone (T 90)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt. William Joseph Henry Moorman, RN25 Aug 1939Jan 1941
2Lt.Cdr. Percy George Britten, RNRJan 194118 Feb 1942
3T/Lt. Herbert Samuel May, RNR18 Feb 194214 Feb 1944
4T/Lt. Robert Charles Ley Greaves, RNVR14 Feb 194430 Jun 1945

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Notable events involving Moonstone include:


7 Sep 1939
HMS Salmon (Lt.Cdr. E.O. Bickford, RN) conducted exercises off Alexandria. These exercises included an A/S exercise with HMS Coral and HMS Moonstone (Lt. W.J.H. Moorman, RN). Later on the day she made a practice attack on HMS Devonshire (Capt. J.M. Mansfield, DSC, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral J.H.D. Cunningham, CB, MVO, RN) who was conducting 4" gunnery exercises off Alexandria. (1)

8 Sep 1939
HMS Salmon (Lt.Cdr. E.O. Bickford, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Alexandria with HMS Coral and HMS Moonstone (Lt. W.J.H. Moorman, RN). (2)

9 Sep 1939
HMS Snapper (Lt. W.D.A. King, RN) conducted exercises off Alexandria. These exercises included an A/S exercise with HMS Coral and HMS Moonstone (Lt. W.J.H. Moorman, RN) and later with HMS Jade and HMS Beryl. (3)

11 Sep 1939
HMS Salmon (Lt.Cdr. E.O. Bickford, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Alexandria with HMS Coral and HMS Moonstone (Lt. W.J.H. Moorman, RN). (2)

23 Sep 1939
HMS Snapper (Lt. W.D.A. King, RN) conducted exercises off Alexandria. These exercises included an A/S exercise with HMS Moonstone (Lt. W.J.H. Moorman, RN), HMS Amber (Boatswain H.W. Clark, RN) and later with HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN). (3)

20 May 1940
Around 0400Z/20, the light cruiser HMAS Hobart (Capt. H.L. Howden, RAN) and the A/S trawler HMS Moonstone (Lt. W.J.H. Moorman, RN) departed Aden to reinforce the armed boarding vessel HMS Chantala (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E.I. Gibbs, RN) on the Perim patrol. HMAS Hobart was to provide cover for the two other ships.

28 May 1940
Around 1330C/28, HMAS Hobart (Capt. H.L. Howden, RAN) anchored in Perim Harbour.

Earlier that day, around 1030C/28, the destroyers HMS Khartoum (Cdr. D.T. Dowler, RN) and HMS Kingston (Lt.Cdr. P. Somerville, DSO, RN) had taken over the Perim patrol from the sloop HMS Shoreham (Lt.Cdr. F.D. Miller, RN) and A/S trawler HMS Moonstone (Lt. W.J.H. Moorman, RN) which then set course to proceed to Djibouti. (4)

19 Jun 1940
The Italian submarine Galileo Galilei was captured by the British Anti-Submarine Trawler Moonstone (Boatswain W.J.H. Moorman, RN) south of Aden, in position 12°48'N, 45°12'E.

9 May 1941

Convoy AS 30.

This convoy departed Suda Bay on 9 May 1941.

It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Belray (British, 2888 GRT, built 1926), Crista (British, 2590 GRT, built 1938), Kephallinia (Greek, 1055 GRT, built 1893), Kirkland (British, 1361 GRT, built 1934), Lesbos (Greek, 1106 GRT, built 1893), Pass of Balmaha (British (tanker), 758 GRT, built 1933), Popi (Greek, 1594 GRT, built 1896), Rodi (British, 3220 GRT, built 1928, former Italian), Rokos (Greek, 6426 GRT, built 1918), Runa (British, 1575 GRT, built 1930), Samos (Greek, 921 GRT, built 1889), Scottish Prince (British, 4917 GRT, built 1938) and Zealand (British, 2726 GRT, built 1930).

On departure from Suda Bay the convoy was escorted by the destroyers HMAS Vampire (Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN), HMAS Voyager (Cdr. J.C. Morrow, DSO, RAN), sloops HMS Auckland (Cdr. E.G. Hewitt, RN), HMS Flamingo (Cdr. R.J.O. Otway-Ruthven, RN), minesweeper HMS Derby (Lt.Cdr. F.C.V. Brightman, RN), ASW trawler HMS Moonstone (Lt.Cdr. P.G. Britten, RNR). The Greek torpedo boat RHS Sfendoni was also with the convoy.

The passage was undisturbed. The convoy split into two sections (Port Said and Alexandria) around 2100C/11.

Both sections arrived at their destination on the 12th. The Port Said section was escorted by HMS Flamingo while the other escorts remained with the Alexandria section.

Sources

  1. ADM 53/ 108301 + ADM 173/16021
  2. ADM 173/16021
  3. ADM 173/16103
  4. Report of proceedings of HMAS Hobart for May 1940

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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