HMS Tyne was laid down on 15 July 1938 as a Destroyer Depot Ship. Launched at
the Greenock yard of Scotts Shipbuilding Company on 28 February 1940, she was
completed exactly a year later, four months later than the stipulated contract
date.
Arriving at Scapa Flow on 3 March 1941, the Tyne became the flagship of Rear
Admiral (Destroyers), Home Fleet. She remained as flagship until 18 August
1944, when she left Scapa for her first refit since commissioning; previously,
she had undergone short docking periods at Sheerness and then on the Clyde. The
six-week refit on the Clyde included the installation of equipment required for
service in the Far East and also further improvement to her armament.
After a work-up at Scapa, HMS Tyne sailed for Ceylon in mid-November 1944 and
arrived at Trincomalee on 11 December to join the Fleet Train, as the flagship
of Rear Admiral (D), British Pacific Fleet. The BPF left Ceylon in late January
1945 and after a brief stop at Sydney, the Tyne proceeded to the Fleet's
advanced base at Manus, Admiralty Islands. The main body of the Fleet was in
action off the Sakishima Gunto from 26 March until 25 May 1945, with a short
break at San Pedro Bay, Leyte, at the end of April. HMS Tyne arrived at San
Pedro Bay at the beginning of April and remained until 24 May, supporting the
18 destroyers and seven sloops and frigates with the Fleet and Fleet Train.
The Tyne returned to Sydney, via Manus, to replenish her stocks of spares and
to prepare for service at a new advanced base, closer to Japan itself, at
Eniwetok, where the US Navy had agreed to make facilities available for the
establishment of a British anchorage for replenishment of Fleet oilier. HMS
Tyne arrived at Eniwetok in July 1945 to act as a headquarters and repair ship
for the oilier groups and their escorts and also to act as a communications
link between the Fleet and Manus, which remained the Fleet Train base. The Tyne
left Eniwetok on 8 August, when the last of the tanker groups returned to the
operational area off Japan, and preceded to Manus, where she was when the War
ended. She remained with the British Pacific Fleet until 8 August 1946, when
she left Sydney for the United Kingdom, arriving at Devonport on 16 September.
Thereafter, she was placed in reserve at Harwich.
HMS Tyne returned to Devonport to begin a refit on 28 February 1949 and she
returned to service on 26 October 1950, joining the Mediterranean Fleet as the
flagship of Flag Officer, Flotillas, serving as a Harbour Depot ship until
February 1953.
She left Malta on 19 February and proceeded to Japan, where she arrived at
Sasebo on 7 April to relieve HMS Ladybird as the flagship of the Flag Officer,
Second in Command, Far East Fleet, the naval commander of the United Nations
forces operating in the Yellow Sea off the west coast of Korea. The Tyne
proceeded to the operational area as soon as the signature of an armistice
appeared to be imminent and remained off the island of Pengyong Do, off the
Taedong Estuary, for ten days from 14 June, controlling the evacuation of
refugees from the UN-held islands north of the probable cease-fire line. The
armistice was finally signed on 27 July, and the TYNE, which was already on
passage to Pengyong Do, proceeded to Choda island where she again controlled
the evacuation of refugees, returning to Sasebo on 6 August 1953.
HMS Tyne remained at Sasebo until 3 December 1953, when she withdrew to Hong
Kong.
In early March 1954, she underwent a maintenance period at Singapore, prior to
sailing for the United Kingdom. Arriving at Devonport on 14 May, she was
refitted and converted for use as the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief, Home
Fleet, who flew his flag in the ship until August 1956, when she was attached
to the Mediterranean Fleet as the flagship of the Flag Officer, Second in
Command. She returned to Portsmouth in January 1957, was refitted and
re-commissioned as the Home Fleet flagship in mid-April 1958, serving also as
the depot ship for the Second Submarine Squadron. In January 1960, CinC Home
Fleet moved his flag but the Captain, SM2, remained until April; Flag Officer,
Flotillas, Home Fleet raised his flag in the Tyne in July 1960, when she
completed her final refit.
The Tyne finally paid off on 27 March 1961, at Portsmouth, where she was placed
in "Operational Reserve" and employed as a harbour accommodation
ship. In July 1964, she was placed on the Disposal List and was eventually sold
for scrapping on 11 August 1972.