HMS Ulysses (R69)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Ulysses.

History
Ulysses in January 1944
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Ulysses
Builder:	Cammell Laird
Laid down:	14 March 1942
Launched:	22 April 1943
Commissioned:	23 December 1943
Identification:	pennant number R69
Fate:	Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type:	U-class destroyer

HMS Ulysses was a U-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She was later converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F17.^[1]

Service history

Second World War service

HMS Ulysses by Arnold Barlow - Officers Cook. "Polyarno" (Polyarny), Russia, May 1944.

On commissioning Ulysses was allocated to the 25th Destroyer Flotilla and worked as part of the Home Fleet; this included work on the Arctic convoys.^[1] In June 1944 she assisted with the invasion of Normandy, providing naval gunfire support. In late 1944 and early 1945 she was refitted for service in the Far East and in March 1945 left the UK to join the British Pacific Fleet. She returned to the UK in 1946 and was soon placed in reserve.

Postwar service

Between 1946 and 1951 Ulysses was held in reserve at Devonport. In December 1951 she was commissioned for the Plymouth local flotilla.^[2] In 1953 she was again reduced to the reserve at Devonport. Between 1954 and 1955 she was converted to a Type 15 anti-submarine frigate, at Devonport Dockyard.

On 18 October 1955 she re-commissioned and formed part of the 6th Frigate Squadron, as part Mediterranean and Home Fleet. She also formed part of the Royal Navy's force used during the Suez Operation. In 1958 she was part of Operation Grapple, witnessing nuclear tests off Christmas Island. On 27 October 1958 she collided with sister ship Undine off Ushant.^[2] In 1960 she became a training ship as part of the Plymouth local squadron and in December 1960 was placed into the Devonport reserve.

Decommissioning and disposal

Ulysses was decommissioned in 1963 and in 1966 was still listed as in reserve. She was scrapped at Plymouth in 1970.

Notes

1 2 Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith, ed. "HMS Ulysses (R 69) - U-class Destroyer". naval-history.net. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
1 2 Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 66. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.

Publications

Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
Marriott, Leo (1994). Royal Navy Destroyers since 1945. Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1817-0.
Raven, Alan; Roberts, John (1978). War Built Destroyers O to Z Classes. London: Bivouac Books. ISBN 0-85680-010-4.
Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.

U- and V-class destroyers

Royal Navy

U class	Grenville [leader] Ulster Ulysses Undaunted Undine Urania Urchin Ursa

V class	Hardy [leader] Kempenfelt / Valentine Venus Verulam Vigilant Virago Vixen Volage

Royal Canadian Navy

V class	Algonquin (ex-Valentine) Sioux (ex-Vixen)

Preceded by: T class
Followed by: W class

List of destroyers of the Royal Navy

Type 15 frigates

Royal Navy	Grenville Rapid Relentless Rocket Roebuck Troubridge Ulster Ulysses Undaunted Undine Urania Urchin Ursa Venus Verulam Vigilant Virago Volage Wakeful Whirlwind Wizard Wrangler Zest

Royal Australian Navy	Quadrant Queenborough Quiberon Quickmatch

Royal Canadian Navy	Algonquin Crescent Crusader

South African Navy	Jan van Riebeeck (ex-Wessex) Simon van der Stel (ex-Whelp) Vrystaat (ex-Wrangler)

Preceded by: Bay class Followed by: Type 16 frigates

List of frigates of the Royal Navy List of frigates of the Royal Australian Navy List of frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy

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