HMS Hazard (J02)

HMS Hazard was a Halcyon-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy that participated in World War II.

History
HMS Hazard was commissioned on 23 November 1937 and immediately joined the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla as part of the Home Command. In 1938 the ship was part of the Fleet Review of 1938 at Weymouth. The ship later visited Fowey, Dieppe, and Frederickstad before finally moving back to Sheerness.

1939
While in Sheerness the ship took damage and had to be dry docked for repairs. In May she left dry dock and join in the salvage of HMS Thetis. At the outbreak of the war the ship was in Scotland under the 1st Minesweeper Flotilla under the Fishery Protection and Minesweeping Flotilla.

While moving through the Firth of Clyde the ship took damage and spent January and February 1940 refitting in Grangemouth.

1940-1941


In 1940 the majority of the time the ship was in Scotland's waters. The ship was very well used while based in Scapa Flow protecting the Home Fleet from mines floating into the bay.

In 1941 the ship moved under the Western Approaches Command and acted as a local escort on the UK's end of convoys following the Dunkirk evacuation. The ship moved to Stornoway where she was on small minesweeping duties in the following ports: Oban, Inverary, Aultbea, Londonderry, Clyre River, and finally Iceland. Along with the other Halcyon-class minesweepers she was ready for last minute escort missions if needed. In September she was converted for arctic service. In November Hazard along with HMS Hebe and HMS Sharpshooter she was detailed to escort Convoy PQ 5 from Iceland to Archangel. But due to bad weather the ship only participated in the part of the convoy from Kirkwall to Hvalfjord. In December it was assigned to minesweeping duties before being moved to assist Convoy PQ 6 but were attacked by destroyers laying mins. But due to the larger size of the Halcyon-class minesweepers the germans mistook them for large destroyers and were not engaged.

1942
Hazard later participated in helping the following convoys: After refitting in Aberdeen she joined the Convoy PQ 16 where the ship was heavily attacked. Following the end of the convoy escort the ship remained in Russia helping the remaining ships from Convoy PQ 17 and escorting other convoys as they came towards Russia. In November 1942 the ship formed part of Convoy QP 15 after moving back to Iceland she moved back to Kingston upon Hull for a refit.
 * Convoy PQ 7B
 * Convoy PQ 11
 * Convoy PQ 12
 * Convoy QP 8

1943-1945
From January - March the ship was still escorting convoys in Iceland waters. The ship was later rerouted to the Mediterranean Sea to help during the Invasion of Sicily in July. For the next 14 months the ship remained in the Mediterranean and moved to Taranto until October when it helped in the Italian Navy Surrender. After she sailed for Malta.

In early 1944 she joined the 46th Escort Group and spent the majority of the rest of the year on escort duties. In October she arrived back in Harwich for a refit and later rejoined the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla.

Finally in 1945 she spent most of the time clearing mines between the East Coast of England and the continent.

Postwar
Finally in 1946 the she was disarmed and moved into the Reserve Fleet. She remained as part of the Royal Navy until 22 April 1949 when she was handed over to the British Iron and Steel Corporation when she was broken up in Grays, Essex.

Commanders
Commanders of the ship have included:
 * 1936—1939 Lieutenant Commander T. G. P. Crick
 * 1939—1940 Lieutenant Commander W. T. W. Curtis
 * 1940—1940 Lieutenant Commander W. D. Smith
 * 1940—1942 Lieutenant Commander John Richard Arthur Seymour
 * 1942—1943 Lieutenant Commander George Collas Hocart
 * 1944—???? Lieutenant Commander L. C. Smith
 * ????—1945 Temporary Lieutenant Commander John Crawford