HMS Badsworth (pennant number L03) was an escort destroyer of the Type II Hunt class. The Royal Navy ordered Badsworths construction three months after the outbreak of the Second World War. Cammell Laird laid down her keel at their Birkenhead yard on 15 May 1940, as Admiralty Job No. J3260 (Yard No. 1055). After a successful Warship Week national savings campaign in March 1942, Badsworth was adopted by the civil community of Batley, then in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The ship was named after a fox-hunt in Yorkshire.
Badsworth began her career on convoy duty in the North Western Approaches. However, in June 1942 she took up the role of close escort in Convoy Harpoon, aiming to deliver vital supplies to the beleaguered island of Malta. The convoy met fierce attacks from the besieging Italian and German forces with only two out of the initial six merchant ships reaching Malta. Whilst entering the Grand Harbour Badsworth struck a mine, sustaining heavy damage. She was towed back for temporary repairs, afterwards leaving the island and heading towards Tyne for further repairs. In November 1942 Badsworth rejoined the Londonderry Escort Force by escorting a convoy headed to Murmansk. In March 1943 she returned to the Mediterranean for another Malta convoy, striking another mine on 22 April 1943. Towed to Liverpool for repairs, the Badsworth was then transferred to the exiled Royal Norwegian Navy under the name HNoMS Arendal.
Career
Early operations
On 18 August 1941 upon build completion, and final trials the Badsworth proceeded to Scapa Flow. Throughout September, the ship was readied for operational service, joining the Londonderry Escort Force. Badsworth was deployed for close convoy defence in the north-west approaches. On 1 October Badsworth joined convoy WS-12 in the Clyde with the destroyers , , and as local escorts during the convoy's passage in the north-western approaches, detaching from WS-12 and returning to the Clyde on 3 October.
On 13 November Badsworth joined military convoy WS-12Z in the Clyde, with , , and again as local escort in the approaches, detaching from the convoy on 16 November. On 13 December Badsworth joined military convoy WS14 in its passage from the Clyde to the north west approaches for ocean escort duties with the battleship and the destroyer . Badsworth detached from WS-14 on 21 December with the armed merchant cruiser , Beaufort and the local escort on arrival to Freetown.
Service in the Arctic
The passage from West Africa to resume convoy defence at Derry was completed in January 1942, with the Badsworth being deployed in continuation at Derry in February. On 23 March Badsworth joined military convoy WS-17 at the Clyde, with the destroyers , , , and as escorts during the convoy’s passage in the north western approaches. On 25 March Newport retired to the Clyde after colliding with Beverley. The local escort, Badsworth included, detached from the convoy on 27 March.
During April, Badsworth was nominated for detached service in support of a planned combined services operation, named Operation Myrmidon. The destroyer escorted the infantry landing ships and her sister-ship with four other Hunt-class destroyers to attack shipping in Bayonne, by Number One and Number Six Commando Units. The raid was unsuccessful both because of weather conditions and due to the enemy’s state of alert. Released early from Myrmidon, Badsworth returned to Derry, joining military convoy WS-18 on 18 April with the destroyers , and Lancaster. The escorting ships detached from VB-18 with same ships and returned to Clyde.
Badsworth was then nominated for escort duties for the Russian convoy routes. On 28 April the destroyer took over ocean escort duties for the convoy PQ 15, with the cruiser , the anti-aircraft auxiliary ship , and the destroyers , , , and . On 2 May the Badsworth found herself under sustained attacks by aircraft and submarines. The merchant vessel was hit, and settled down by her bow. The merchantman sank slowly, and Badsworth was ordered to sink her by gunfire. During one of these sorties, Badsworth dropped depth charges, seeing a periscope shortly afterwards she counterattacked, dropping two Patterns. The destroyer reported that the submarine blew its tanks, but nothing appeared. Badsworth was unable to further the attack as the destroyer's asdic broke down.