Allied Warships

HMS Charlestown (I 21)

Destroyer of the Town class

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	Town
Pennant	I 21
Built by	Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. (Newport News, Virginia, U.S.A.)
Ordered
Laid down	5 Apr 1918
Launched	4 Jul 1918
Commissioned	23 Sep 1940
End service	Dec 1944
History	After completion USS Abbot cruised along the Atlantic coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in Cuban waters until going out of commission 5 July 1922 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Recommissioned 17 June 1940, USS Abbot patrolled along the east coast for a brief time. She was decommissioned at Hailifax, Nova Scotia, 23 September 1940, and was transferred in the destroyer-land bases exchange to the British who renamed her HMS Charlestown. HMS Charlestown. joined the 17th Destroyer Division and took part in minelaying operations from the west coast of, Scotland. Between assignments of' minelaying duty she assisted in the escort of convoys. Damaged in collision with the steamer Florizell off Harwich, England, during December 1944, she was reduced to reserve at Grangemouth, Scotland, and paid off from 15 January 1945. She was finally sold for scrap on 4 March 1947 at Sunderland. HMS Charlestown is not listed as active unit in the April 1945 Navy List
Former name	USS Abbot (DD 184)

Commands listed for HMS Charlestown (I 21)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Lt.Cdr. Thomas Johnston, RN	23 Sep 1940	3 Mar 1942
2	Lt.Cdr. Norman Robins Murch, RN	3 Mar 1942	30 Jan 1943
3	Cdr. (retired) Charles William Vane Tempest Stewart Lepper, RN	30 Jan 1943	1 Feb 1943
4	Lt. William Frank Broughton Webb, DSC, RN	1 Feb 1943	23 Sep 1943
5	Lt.Cdr. Alfred Francis Colenso Gray, RD, RNR	23 Sep 1943	early 1945

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Notable events involving Charlestown include:

17 Jun 1941
HrMs O 14 (Lt.Cdr. G. Quint, RNN(R)) conducted A/S exercises at / off Scapa Flow with HMS Charlestown (Lt.Cdr. T. Johnston, RN) and HNoMS Bath (Lt.Cdr. C.F.T. Melsom). (1)

25 Jul 1941
HrMs O 14 (Lt.Cdr. G. Quint, RNN(R)) conducted A/S exercises at / off Scapa Flow with HMS Punjabi (Cdr. S.A. Buss, MVO, RN), HMS Charlestown (Lt.Cdr. T. Johnston, RN), HMS Castleton (Cdr. (Retd.) F.H.E. Skyrme, RN) and HMS Croome (Lt.Cdr. J.D. Hayes, RN). (1)

30 Jul 1941
HMS Prince of Wales (Capt. C.H.J. Harcourt, RN) conducted exercises to the west of Scapa Flow. During these exercises she was escorted by the destroyers HMS Oribi (Lt.Cdr. J.E.H. McBeath, DSO, RN), HMS Charlestown (Lt.Cdr. T. Johnston, RN) and HMS Castleton (Cdr. (Retd.) F.H.E. Skyrme, RN). (2)

30 Jul 1941
The battleship HMS Malaya (Capt. C. Coppinger, DSC, RN) and the armed merchant cruiser HMS Esperance Bay (Capt.(Retd.) G.S. Holden, RN) escorted by the destroyers HMS Castleton (Cdr.(Retd.) F.H.E. Skyrme, RN), HMS Charlestown (Lt.Cdr. T. Johnston, RN) and the escort destroyer HMS Croome (Lt.Cdr. J.D. Hayes, RN).

31 Jul 1941
HMS Malaya (Capt. C. Coppinger, DSC, RN), HMS Esperance Bay (Capt.(Retd.) G.S. Holden, RN), HMS Castleton (Cdr.(Retd.) F.H.E. Skyrme, RN), HMS Charlestown (Lt.Cdr. T. Johnston, RN) and HMS Croome (Lt.Cdr. J.D. Hayes, RN) arrived at Rosyth.

2 Aug 1941
HrMs O 14 (Lt.Cdr. G. Quint, RNN(R)) conducted A/S exercises at / off Scapa Flow with HMS Oribi (Lt.Cdr. J.E.H. McBeath, DSO, RN) and HMS Charlestown (Lt.Cdr. T. Johnston, RN). (1)

13 Apr 1942
HMS P 511 (Lt. D.E.O. Watson, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Charlestown (Lt.Cdr. N.R. Murch, RN) and HMS Drangey (Skr. W.J. Jones, RNR). (3)

14 Apr 1942
HMS P 511 (Lt. D.E.O. Watson, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Charlestown (Lt.Cdr. N.R. Murch, RN) and HMS Stroma (Skr. J.S. Harper, RNR). (3)

25 Feb 1943
HrMs O 10 (Lt.Cdr. Baron D.T. Mackay, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory together with HMS Itchen (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, DSO, RNR) and HMS Charlestown (Lt. W.F.B. Webb, DSC, RN). (4)

26 Feb 1943
HrMs O 10 (Lt.Cdr. Baron D.T. Mackay, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory together with HMS Itchen (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, DSO, RNR) and HMS Charlestown (Lt. W.F.B. Webb, DSC, RN). (4)

12 May 1943
HMS Ultimatum (Lt. W.H. Kett, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Scapa Flow with HMS Tumult (Lt.Cdr. N. Lanyon, RN), ORP Slazak (Lt.Cdr. R. Nalecz-Tyminski, ORP), HMS Charlestown (Lt. W.F.B. Webb, DSC, RN) and HMS Chiddingfold (Lt. T.M. Dorrien-Smith, RN). (5)