The War Illustrated, Volume 10, No. 236, Page 182, July 5, 1946.

Motto: “Kite Flies to the Stars.”

A war-built sloop of 1,735 tons, H.M.S. Kite was senior officer's ship of the celebrated Second Escort Group, commanded by Captain F. J. Walker, C.B., D.S.O., R.N., during part of 1943 and early 1944. In June 1943 the Kite, in company with four other sloops, sank two enemy submarines. During August the group, acting in conjunction with aircraft, was responsible for the destruction of seven U-boats in the Bay of Biscay. It was in the course of these operations that Captain Walker made to the ships under his command the time-honoured signal “General Chase”. Two more enemy submarines were sunk by the Kite and her consorts off the Azores in December; and on March 19, 1944, it was announced that in operations covering twenty days the Second Escort Group had accounted for six U-boats in the Atlantic, 300 miles south-west of Ireland. This brought the group's total bag up to 17.

Captain Walker died on July 10, 1944, and his ship did not long survive him. Three months later she was lost while escorting a convoy to North Russia; though it is satisfactory to know that with other ships of the escort she was concerned in the sinking of three more U-boats.

Jun1946

His Majesty's Ships - H.M.S. Rorqual

Motto: “Neither Rashly Nor Timidly.” A submarine of 1,520 tons, H.M.S. Rorqual was launched at Barrow-in-Furness in 1936. She is the only unit out of a class of six to come safely through the war,

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Jul1946

His Majesty's Ships - H.M.S. Renown

Motto: “Guardian of Ancient Renown.” A ship of 32,000 tons, launched on the Clyde in 1916, the Renown is the only remaining battle cruiser in the Royal Navy. She has a main armament of six 15-inch

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