HMSActivity(D94)

For Empire Activity built 1919, seeSS Belgian.

HMSActivityunderway in the Firth of Forth, October 1942.
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMSActivity
Builder	Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company,Dundee
Laid down	1 February 1940
Launched	30 May 1942
Commissioned	29 September 1942
Decommissioned	20 October 1945
Renamed	Empire ActivityFebruary 1941
Honours and awards	Atlantic 1944, Arctic 1944-45
Fate	Sold into merchant service asBreconshire,25 March 1946
General characteristics
Displacement	14,250 long tons (14,479 t) fully loaded
Length	512 ft 9 in (156.29 m)
Beam	66 ft 6 in (20.27 m)
Draught	25 ft (7.6 m)
Installed power	12,000hp(8,900 kW)
Propulsion	2 ×diesel engines 2 × screws
Speed	18kn(21 mph; 33 km/h)
Complement	700
Armament	2 ×4 in (100 mm)guns 20 ×20 mm (0.79 in)anti-aircraftautocannons
Aircraft carried	10
Aviation facilities	1 ×lift,42 ft × 20 ft (12.8 m × 6.1 m) 1 × catapult
MVBreconshire,1958
History
United Kingdom
Name	Breconshire
Port of registry	United Kingdom
In service	September 1946
Out of service	April 1967
Fate	Sold for scrap, 24 April 1967
General characteristics
Tonnage	9,061 grt
Length	512 ft 8 in (156.26 m)
Beam	66 ft 4 in (20.22 m)
Draught	Ship power=12,000 hp (8,900 kW)
Propulsion	2 × diesel engines 2 × screws
Speed	18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)

HMSActivitywas anescort carrierthat served with theRoyal Navyof theUnited Kingdomduring theSecond World War.After the war, she was sold into merchant service as theMVBreconshire,serving for over 20 years until scrapped in 1967.

History

Royal Navy

HMSActivitywas built atCaledon shipyardsinDundee.When construction started in 1940 she was intended to become therefrigerated cargo shipTelemachusfor theAlfred Holt Line.In February 1941, she was taken over by theMinistry of War Transportand renamedEmpire Activity.In January 1942, she was requisitioned by theAdmiraltyfor conversion to an escort carrier, now named HMSActivityand carrying pennant number D94. Following her launch in May 1942 and completion in August of that year,Activityworked up atLamlashbefore going toRosythfor rectification of defects. Entering service on 1 January 1943,Activityoperated as a deck landing training carrier until October 1943, when she was sent toLiverpoolfor a refit before entering active service.

After her refit,Activitytook part in convoy escort duties in theNorth Atlantic.Activityembarked819 Naval Air Squadronon 12 January 1944, and began escort duties on 29 January as part of the Second Escort Group.Activitywas involved in the escort of convoys OS 66, KMS 40, ON 222, NS 28, SL 147, MKS 38, HX 277, KMS 43 and MKF 29 in the period to March 1944. Following this,Activitymoved to theArctic,escortingconvoy JW 58toMurmansk.Her aircraft—together with those fromTracker—were responsible for the sinking of U-boatU-288,andU-355,as well as damagingU-362,U-673andU-990.The return convoy—RA 58—reached its destination without loss.

In May 1944,Activityspent some time at a shipyard on theClydefor defect rectification before rejoining the Second Escort Group for escort duties.Activityescorted convoys OS 78, KMS 52, SL 158, MKS 49, OS 78, KMS 52, AL 159, MKS 50, SL 162, MK 53, KMF 33, MKF 33, OS 86, KMS 60, SL 167 and MKS 58.

In August 1944,Activitywas designated as a ferry carrier. She transported aircraft, personnel and supplies toTrincomalee,Ceylon,arriving on 23 October 1944 and returning viaGibraltar,where she joined convoy MKF 36 back to the United Kingdom.Activityspent some time in a Clyde shipyard in December 1944 for defect rectification, after which she was reallocated to the East Indies Fleet and given a new pennant number, R301. She sailed with convoy KM 39 on 29 January 1945, arriving inColomboon 20 February.Whilst en route toSydney,Activityrescued the 92 survivors fromSSPeter Silvester,an Americanliberty shipwhich had been sunk byU-862on 6 February 1945,the last Allied ship sunk by enemy action in theIndian Ocean.Survivors fromPeter Silvesterwere landed atFremantleandActivitythen continued her journey to Sydney.

Activitydeparted Sydney on 24 March, bound for Colombo for duty ferrying aircraft fromCochinto Colombo. After the end of the war,Activitywas sent toSingaporeto support the reoccupation of Singapore. She loaded ex-POWs and other passengers and sailed for Trincomalee on 15 September.Activityarrived home on the Clyde on 20 October 1945, and was then de-stored and placed in theReserve Fleet.She was placed in the Category B Reserve on 30 January 1946, and sold toGlen Lineson 25 March 1946 for conversion to a merchant ship.

Merchant Navy

Activitywas converted to aGlenearnclass merchant ship byPalmersofHebburn-on-Tyne,and renamedBreconshire,entering service with Glen Line in September 1947. She was the second Glen Line ship to be namedBreconshire.She measured 9,061gross register tons.She remained in service until April 1967, sailing fromKobetoMiharafor scrapping, arriving there on 24 April 1967.

See also

• List of escort aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy