| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Submarine Depot Ship |
| Class | [No specific class] |
| Pennant | F 64 |
| Built by | Harland & Wolff Ltd. (Belfast, Northern Ireland) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 18 May 1939 |
| Launched | 30 Nov 1940 |
| Commissioned | 28 Feb 1942 |
| End service | |
| History | Displacement: 12500 tons. Served with the Eastern Fleet during the Second World War. Stricken in March 1966 and scrapped at Inverkeithing in September 1970. |
Commands listed for HMS Adamant (F 64)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Capt. Robert Spencer Warne, RN | 10 Jan 1942 | 29 May 1942 |
| 2 | Cdr. (retired) Cecil Alexander Laffitte, RN | 29 May 1942 | 15 Jul 1942 |
| 3 | Capt. Robert Spencer Warne, RN | 15 Jul 1942 | 25 Feb 1943 |
| 4 | Cdr. (retired) Cecil Alexander Laffitte, RN | 25 Feb 1943 | 3 Apr 1943 |
| 5 | A/Capt. Robert Michael Gore Gambier, RN | 3 Apr 1943 | 29 May 1943 |
| 6 | A/Capt. (retired) Cecil Alexander Laffitte, RN | 29 May 1943 | 7 Dec 1943 |
| 7 | Capt. Hugh Meynell Cyril Ionides, RN | 7 Dec 1943 | 26 Jun 1945 |
| 8 | Capt. Benjamin Bryant, DSO, DSC, RN | 26 Jun 1945 | 4 Jun 1947 |
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Notable events involving Adamant include:
12 Mar 1942
HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. A.M. Valkenburg, RNN) conducted attack exercises in the Clyde area. The target was HMS Adamant (Capt. R.S. Warne, RN) which was escorted by HMS Breda (Capt.(Retd.) A. E. Johnston, RN) and HMS Z 5 (T/A/Lt.Cdr. S.T. Wenlock, RNR).
Following these exercises more attack exercises were carried out during the night with HMS Z 5. (1)
27 Apr 1942
Convoy WS 17.
Convoy from South Africa to several destinations in the Far East.
On 27 April 1942 the Capetown section departed. It was made up the following transports / troop transports; Almanzora (British, 15551 GRT, built 1914), Cameronia (British, 16297 GRT, built 1920), City of Edinburgh (British, 8036 GRT, built 1938), City of Lincoln (British, 8039 GRT, built 1938), Dunedin Star (British, 11168 GRT, built 1936), Glaucus (British, 7596 GRT, built 1921), Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (Dutch, 19429 GRT, built 1930), Kina II (British, 9823 GRT, built 1939), Nieuw Holland (Dutch, 11066 GRT, built 1927) and Samaria (British, 19597 GRT, built 1921).
On departure the convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMS Dauntless (A/Capt. J.G. Hewitt, DSO, RN) which first had conducted gunnery exercises in False Bay before joining the convoy.
Off Port Elizabeth the convoy was joined by the transports; Brazil (American, 18298 GRT, built 1928), Monterey (American, 18017 GRT, built 1932) and Mormactide (American, 7773 GRT, built 1941).
Off Durban the convoy was joined by the transports / troop transports; Elizabethville (Belgian, 8351 GRT, built 1922), Khedive Ismael (British, 7290 GRT, built 1922), Mendoza (British (former French), 8199 GRT, built 1920), Nova Scotia (British, 6796 GRT, built 1926) and Windsor Castle (British, 19141 GRT, built 1922).
The submarine depot ship HMS Adamant (Capt. R.S. Warne, RN) also joined the convoy off Durban.
The battleship HMS Revenge (Capt. L.V. Morgan, CBE, MVO, DSC, RN) also joined off Durban to escort the convoy.
On 8 May 1942 the battleship HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. R.H. Portal, DSC, RN) and the armed merchant cruiser HMS Corfu (Capt.(Retd.) J.P. Landon, RN) departed Mombasa to take over the escort of the convoy. They were escorted by the destroyers HMS Arrow (Cdr. A.M. McKillop, RN) and HrMs Isaac Sweers (Cdr. W. Harmsen, RNN).
They joined the convoy at 1600/8 after which HMS Revenge proceeded to Mombasa escorted by the two destroyers. They arrived at Mombasa around 1300/9.
At 1900/8, HMS Dauntless was detached for Mombasa taking Almanzora, Cameronia, Khedive Ismael, Mendoza, Nova Scotia and Samaria with her. They also arrived at Mombasa around 1300/9.
HMS Adamant had already arrived at Mombasa on 8 May. She had parted company in the early afternoon of 7 May and proceeded ahead of the convoy.
HMS Royal Sovereign and HMS Corfu then proceeded further north with the remainder of the convoy.
On 10 May the following vessels departed Mombasa for Bombay; Almanzora, Cameronia, Chantilly (British (former French), 9986 GRT, built 1923), Khedive Ismael, Mendoza, Nova Scotia and Samaria. They were escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Ranchi (Capt.(Retd.) Sir J.M. Alleyne, DSO, DSC, RN).
Aound 0900/11, HMS Corfu parted company with the convoy taking with her the City of Edinburgh, City of Lincoln, Elizabethville and Glaucus. These ships were to proceed to Aden.
HMS Royal Sovereign meanwhile continued on to Bombay with the Dunedin Star, Johan van Oldebarnvelt, Kina II, Nieuw Holland and Windsor Castle.
HMS Royal Sovereign with her part of the convoy arrived at Bombay on 16 May 1942.
HMS Ranchi with her part of the convoy arrived at Bombay on 19 May 1942. (2)
9 Sep 1943
HMS Osiris was in Kilindini harbour when she collided with HMS Adamant (A/Capt.(Retd.) C.A. Laffitte, RN) and sustained some damage. The bow buoyancy and No.1 ballast were damaged but repairable without docking, gun mountings damaged beyond repairs, 9.5 inch periscope bent and unserviceable. Adamant's stern moorings were carried away. (3)
Sources
- File 2.12.03.6423 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
- ADM 199/426
- ADM 53/116827
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.