Background
Events - March-May 1942
Russian
convoys,
Raid on St Nazaire, Battle of Sirte
Gulf, SE Asia & SW Pacific occupied, British
landings on Madagascar
1942
Sunday,
15 March
Destroyer
VORTIGERN (Lt Cdr R S
Howlett) was sunk by German motor torpedo boat S.104 off
Cromer. Cdr
Howlett, Temporary S/Lt J Gilmour
RNVR, Lt P A B
Powell and eleven ratings were killed, and S/Lt P
Le M
Andrew RNR, Probationary Temporary Surgeon Lt S
L
Bindermann RNVR, Temporary S/Lt H
A Blackhall RNVR, Lt W H
G Jones and one hundred and
twenty seven ratings missing. Temporary Midshipman C H F
D'Albiac
RNR,
and Acting Gunner (T) A G J
H Watson were wounded. Patrol sloop GUILLEMOT, formerly
escorting convoy
FS,449, rescued the 14 survivors, but one rating died of
wounds.
_____
Convoy
ON.76
departed
Liverpool 15 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
15th
|
naval
trawlers
Inchkeith, Killegray, Sanda, Scarba, New
Zealand Tui
|
|
|
16th
|
destroyers
Restigouche,
St Francis, corvettes Buctouche, Cobalt,
Dunvegan, Napanee
|
|
|
23rd
|
|
St
Francis
|
|
26th
|
|
Inchkeith,
Killegray,
Sanda, Scarba, Tui, Buctouche, Napanee
|
|
28th
|
|
Restigouche,
Dunvegan
|
|
convoy arrived
Halifax
31 March
|
_____
German
steamer
NICOLE SCHIAFFINO (4969grt) was
sunk by torpedo near Tromso.
_____
Convoy
HX.180
departed Halifax 15 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
15th
|
destroyer
Vanquisher,
corvettes Lunenburg, Sudbury, Summerside,
minesweeper
Ungava
|
|
|
19th
|
American
destroyer
Edison, corvettes Clematis, Gentian, Pictou,
Vervain
|
Vanquisher,
Lunenburg,
Sudbury,
Summerside, Ungava
|
|
convoy arrived
Liverpool
27 March
|
Monday,
16 March
Submarine
UNBEATEN
damaged Italian steamer PISANI (6339grt) south of
Messina.
_____
An
Albacore of
827 Squadron from aircraft carrier INDOMITABLE ditched
in the Indian Ocean. Lt R B Park was rescued by
armed merchant cruiser
CORFU.
Tuesday,
17 March
Convoy
OG.81
departed Liverpool 17 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
17th
|
sloop
Black
Swan, corvettes La Malouine, Bluebell,
Myosotis, Stonecrop
|
|
|
27th
|
destroyer
Vidette
|
|
|
28th
|
corvette
Mallow
|
|
|
convoy arrived
Gibraltar
29 March
|
_____
Convoy
ON.77
departed Liverpool 17 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
18th
|
American
destroyer
Niblack,
US
coast guard cutter Ingham,
corvettes Aconit, Barrie, Chambly, Mayflower,
Rosthern
|
|
|
25th
|
|
Mayflower
|
|
26th
|
destroyer
Vanquisher,
corvettes Lunenburg, Sudbury, Summerside,
Trail,
minesweeper Ungava
|
Niblack,
Ingham,
Aconit,
Barrie,
Chambly, Rosthern
|
|
convoy dispersed 28 March
|
_____
Submarine
UNBEATEN
sank Italian submarine GUGLIELMOTTI
off Calabria. Some twelve survivors were later rescued by a
motor torpedo boat.
_____
Steamer
CRISTA
(2590grt) was damaged by U.83 near Tobruk in 32-21N,
25E, with two officers
and five ratings killed. The survivors were taken off by
South African
minesweeping whaler BOKBURG. MTB.266 found CRISTA
abandoned
and anchored her off Bardia where the fire was put out
and salvage
begAn. She was towed by ST MONANCE, and
escorted by
SOUTHERN ISLE, ML.1005 and ML.1069 to
Alexandria,
arriving on the 28th.
_____
A
Swordfish of
830 Squadron attacked and badly damaged German steamer
ACHAIA (1778grt) in
32-53N, 13-40E. The Swordfish was shot down and S/Lt S C
Shute and Midshipman
G L Hilary killed. ACHAIA later
struck a mine and sank.
Wednesday,
18 March
American
convoy AS.2 departed Charleston, SC, 18 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
18th
|
heavy cruiser
Devonshire, escort carrier Archer, American
destroyers
Cole, Dupont, Upshur
|
|
|
26th
|
|
Dupont
|
|
27th
|
|
Cole, Upshur
|
|
1st
|
French sloop
Command
Detroyat, British corvette Hydrangea
|
|
|
convoy
arrived Freetown 3 April
|
|
ships
proceeded
as convoy AS.2A on 7 April
|
|
7th
|
Devonshire, destroyers Aldenham, Grove
|
|
|
convoy arrived Capetown 19 April
|
_____
Convoy
SC.75 departed Halifax 18
March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
18th
|
destroyers
Lauderdale,
Ramsey, corvettes Arrowhead, Chicoutimi,
minesweeper Quinte
|
|
|
22nd
|
|
Quinte
|
|
24th
|
Polish destroyer
Piorun,
American Babbitt, Schenck, Woolsey, corvettes
Heather, Lobelia, Narcissus
|
Lauderdale,
Ramsey,
Arrowhead, Chicoutimi
Babbitt,
Schenck, Woolsey
(later)
|
|
3rd
|
A/S trawler Man
O’ War
|
|
|
convoy
arrived Liverpool 3 April
|
Thursday,
19 March
Indian
armed
patrol trawler SOPHIE MARIE
(1138grt) was sunk by a mine off the Andaman Islands.
Two
ratings
were killed and the rest of the crew rescued.
Friday,
20 March
Escort
destroyer
HEYTHROP (Lt Cdr R S
Stafford) was sunk by U.652 in the eastern
Mediterranean, with six ratings killed and
ten missing.
_____
Convoy
ST.17
departed
Freetown,
escorted by minesweepers
CROMARTY and ROMNEY, and arrived at Takoradi on the
25th.
Saturday,
21 March
Convoy
ON.78
departed Liverpool 21 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
22nd
|
corvettes
Eyebright,
Kamsack,
Rimouski,
Sherbrooke, Trillium
|
|
|
1st
|
destroyers
Montgomery,
Veteran, corvettes Nanaimo, Nipigon, Oakville
|
|
|
3rd
|
|
Eyebright,
Kamsack,
Rimouski,
Sherbrooke, Trillium
|
|
convoy arrived
Halifax
9 April
|
_____
Motor
launches
ML.129 and ML.132 departed
Gibraltar on the 14th for
Malta,
but both were bombed and
sunk off the coast of Algeria. Temporary S/Lt R P
Cottrell
RNVR and six ratings were killed or died of wounds, and
the rest interned -
Temporary Lt W S Strang RNVR at Bone, Lt A T Read RANVR,
and Lt R W James
RANVR of ML 132 also at Bone. A total of twenty three
ratings were interned.
_____
Convoy
HX.181
departed Halifax 21 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
21st
|
corvettes
Fredericton, Matapedia,
minesweeper
Red Deer
|
|
|
22nd
|
destroyer
Caldwell
|
|
|
24th
|
corvettes
Acanthus,
Eglantine, Potentilla
|
Acanthus,
Eglantine,
Potentilla (later)
|
|
25th
|
destroyers
Burwell,
Firedrake, corvette Abelia, Anemone
|
Fredericton,
Matapedia, Red Deer, Caldwell
|
|
convoy arrived
Liverpool
2 April
|
Sunday,
22 March
Destroyer
KINGSTON
(Cdr P. Somerville DSO, DSC)
was sunk by German bombing at Malta.
_____
Convoy
SL.103G
departed
Gibraltar 22 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
22nd
|
corvettes
Campion,
Coltsfoot, Coreopsis, Petunia, A/S trawler St
Nectan
|
|
|
23rd
|
corvette
Mallow
|
St
Nectan
|
|
convoy rendezvoused with SL.103, 25 March, joined
for passage to
Liverpool
|
Monday,
23 March
TROOP CONVOY WS.17,
UK
TO SOUTH AFRICA AND INDIAN OCEAN
Convoy
WS.17
assembled off Oversay on the 23rd, the following ships
having sailed from Liverpool and the Clyde:
|
Glaucus
11C
|
Leopoldville
21C
|
Abosso
31C
(Vice Cdre)
|
Tamaroa
41C
|
Franconia
51C
(Cdre)
|
Almanzora
61C
|
Mataroa
71C
|
Largs
Bay
81C
|
|
Port Wyndham
12C
|
Samaria
22C
|
Empress of
Russia
32L
|
Duchess of Atholl
42L
|
Orion
52C
|
Cameronia
62C
|
Sobieski
72C
|
Bhutan
82C
|
|
Kina II
13C
|
Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt
23C
|
Oronsay
33L
|
Dominion Monarch
43L
|
Windsor
Castle
53C
|
HMS Karanja
63C
|
HMS Adamant
73C
|
Rembrandt
83C
|
|
Dunedin
Star
14C
|
City of
Lincoln
24C
|
Arundel
Castle
34L
|
Winchester
Castle
44C
|
Nieuw Holland
54C
|
HMS Keren
64C
|
Clan Macdonald
74C
|
City of
Edinburgh
84C
|
WS.17
departed
Oversay 23 March for
Freetown,
escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
23rd
|
aircraft
carrier
Illustrious, destroyers Antelope, Badsworth,
Beverley, Boadicea,
Inconstant, Javelin, Keppel, Leamington,
Newport, Packenham, Rockingham,
Volunteer
|
|
|
24th
|
cruiser
Shropshire,
armed merchant cruiser
Alcantara, destroyers Aldenham, Grove, Lookout
|
|
|
25th
|
|
Newport
|
|
27th
|
|
Badsworth,
Beverley,
Keppel,
Leamington,
Volunteer
|
|
29th
|
|
Antelope
|
|
30th
|
|
Boadicea,
Rockingham
|
|
31st
|
|
Illustrious,
Inconstant,
Javelin, Packenham
|
|
1st
|
destroyers
Active,
Anthony, Wild Swan, corvettes Commandant
Detroyat, Hydrangea
|
|
|
6th
|
|
Shropshire, Alcantara, Aldenham, Grove, Lookout
Active,
Anthony,
Wild Swan, Commandant Detroyat, Hydrangea
|
|
WS.17 arrived
Freetown
6 April
|
Destroyers
BEVERLEYandNEWPORT
were in collision on the 25th, the latter returning to
harbour.
WS.17 split into two sections
–
WS.17A and B, for passage
from Freetown to
South
Africa.
WS.17A
sailed 9 April with
BHUTAN,
CLAN MACDONALD, DOMINION
MONARCH, DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, HMS KARANJA, HMS KEREN,
LARGS BAY, ORONSAY, PORT WYNDHAM, REMBRANDT,
SOBIESKI, WINCHESTER
CASTLE, WINDSOR CASTLE. The formation is not known
but was escorted by battleship
MALAYA,
cruiser HERMIONE and
destroyers ACTIVE, ANTHONY, INCONSTANT, JAVELIN,
LAFOREY, LOOKOUT, LIGHTNING
and PACKENHAM, arriving at Capetown on the 18th with the
Durban ships arriving on the 22nd.
WS.17B
sailed two days after WS.17A, on the 11th, and here
the formation is known:
|
Abosso
11
(Vice Cdre)
|
Tamaroa
21
|
Glaucus
31
|
Franconia
41
(Cdre)
|
Mataroa
51
|
Almanzora
61
|
|
Kina II
12
|
Empress of
Russia
23
|
Leopoldville
32
|
Orion
42
|
Cameronia
52
|
City of
Edinburgh
62
|
|
Dunedin
Star
13
|
Samaria
22
(Rear Cdre)
|
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
33
|
Nieuw Holland
43
|
Arundel
Castle
53
|
City of
Lincoln
63
|
|
Heavy
cruiser
Shropshire
and HMS Adamant between
columns 4 and 5
|
WS.17B
departed
Freetown
11 April for Capetown,
escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
11th
|
local
escort
- destroyers Croome, Wild Swan, corvettes
Commandant Drogou, Hydrangea
ocean
escort
- heavy cruiser
Shropshire
also
destroyer
Exmoor, corvette Commandant de Troyat
|
|
|
14th
|
|
Croome,
Wild
Swan, Commandant Drogou,
Hydrangea
|
|
15th
|
|
Exmoor, Commandant de Troyat
|
|
18th
|
sloop
Milford
|
|
|
all WS.17B ships arrived Capetown 23 April, except
Empress Of Russia,
Franconia, Mataroa
which went on
to Durban arriving there 26th
|
Once
again
under its original designation - WS.17,
the convoy sailed from Capetown 27 April and from Durban
1 May to be joined by new
ships from Port Elizabeth
(the American BRAZIL,
MORMACTIDE and
MONTEREY).
After the final rendezvous
the convoy was formed as below. Numbers are suffixed C,
D and P to indicate
South African ports from which the ships sailed.
|
Almanzora
11C
|
Samaria
21C
|
Glaucus
31C
|
Windsor
Castle
41D
(Cdre)
|
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
51C
|
Brazil
61P
|
|
Nova
Scotia
12D
|
Cameronia
22C
|
City of
Lincoln
32C
|
Kina II
42C
|
Elisabethville
52D
|
Monterey
62P
|
|
Khedive Ismail
13C
|
Mendoza
23D
|
City of
Edinburgh
33C
|
Dunedin
Star
43C
|
Nieuw Holland
53C
|
Mormactide
63P
|
|
|
battleship Revenge and HMS Adamant probably
between columns 3 and 4
|
Clan Macdonald
64
|
WS.17
departed
Capetown 27 April and
Durban
1 May, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
27th
|
cruiser
Dauntless
(from Capetown)
|
|
|
1st
|
ocean
escort
- battleship Revenge (from Durban)
|
|
|
7th
|
|
(Adamant
independently
for
Mombasa)
|
|
8th
|
battleship
Royal
Sovereign,
AMC Corfu
|
Dauntless,
Revenge
(with two port columns, Almanzora, Nova
Scotia, Khedive Ismail,
Samaria, Cameronia, Mendoza) for Mombasa
|
|
convoy WS.17 divided in 05. 30N 50. 02E on 11 May
|
WS.17A -
CITY
OF EDINBURGH, CITY OF LINCOLN, ELISABETHVILLE
and GLAUCUS escorted by CORFU to Aden, dispersed on 14
May.
WS.17B -
BRAZIL, CLAN MACDONALD, DUNEDIN
STAR,
JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEVELT,
KINA II, MORMACTIDE, MONTEREY, NIEUW HOLLAND and WINDSOR
CASTLE detached as
the Bombay convoy, escorted by ROYAL SOVEREIGN.
BRAZIL, MORMACTIDE and MONTEREY then detached as
independents on the 13 May for Karachi, the
remainder arriving at Bombay on the 16th.
WS.17BZ –
the last convoy with the WS.17 code was made
when the following ships sailed from
Mombasa
on 10 May:
|
Mendoza
11
|
Samaria
21
|
Almanzora
31
|
Cameronia
41
|
|
Chantilly
12
|
|
Nova
Scotia
32
|
Khedive Ismail
42
|
WS.17B
was
escorted by armed merchant cruiser RANCHI to Bombay,
arriving there 19 May,
except for CHANTILLY and
MENDOZA
which detached as
independents from position 09. 40N, 52.15E earlier on
the 14th
_____
Convoy
ON.79
departed Liverpool 23 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
24th
|
American
destroyer
Gleaves,
US
coast guard cutter
Spencer, corvettes Algoma, Bittersweet,
Chilliwack, Shediac
|
|
|
31st
|
|
Spencer
|
|
1st
|
destroyers
Caldwell,
St Clair, corvette Matapedia, minesweepers
Fredericton, Red Deer
|
Chilliwack
|
|
3rd
|
|
Gleaves,
Algoma,
Bittersweet, Shediac
|
|
5th
|
|
St
Clair,
Red
Deer
|
|
6th
|
|
Caldwell
|
|
convoy arrived
Halifax
7 April
|
_____
Convoy
SL.104
departed Freetown
23 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
24th
|
destroyer
Wild
Swan, sloop Commandant Detroyat, corvettes
Bergamot, Snowdrop, Violet
|
|
|
26th
|
sloops
Aberdeen, Ibis, escort ships Hartland, Walney
|
|
|
28th
|
|
Wild
Swan,
Commandant Detroyat, Bergamot, Snowdrop,
Violet
|
|
12th
|
A/S
trawlers
Man O’ War, Kirkella (off
Liverpool)
|
|
|
convoy arrived
Liverpool
12 April with latter
escort group and the two A/S trawlers
|
Tuesday,
24 March
Convoy
OS.23
departed Liverpool 24 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
25th
|
sloops
Rochester,
Sandwich,
Scarborough
|
|
|
26th
|
destroyer
Bradford
|
|
|
10th
|
corvettes
Aubretia,
Petunia
|
|
|
convoy arrived
Freetown
11 April
|
_____
An
Albacore of
820 Squadron crashed on take off from Hatston. Lt W G R
Beer, S/Lt D W Davis
and Leading Airman W A Beardwell of 817 Squadron were
lost.
_____
Convoy
SC.76
departed Halifax 24 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
24th
|
destroyers
Montgomery,
Veteran, corvettes Nanaimo, Oakville, Orillia,
minesweeper Nipigon
|
|
|
28th
|
destroyer
Havelock,
US
Coast Guard cutter
Campbell, corvettes Camellia, Morden,
Pimpernel
|
Montgomery,
Veteran, Nanaimo, Oakville, Orillia, Nipigon
|
|
6th
|
|
Havelock
|
|
9th
|
|
Morden
|
|
19th
|
naval
trawler
Butser
|
|
|
convoy arrived
Liverpool
11 April, escorted in by
Butser
|
_____
Heavy
cruiser DEVONSHIRE and escort aircraft carrier
ARCHER departed San Juan
with a fast convoy for Freetown, all arriving 3 April.
_____
Escort
destroyer
SOUTHWOLD (Cdr C T
Jellicoe) was sunk on a mine off Malta. Commissioned
Engineer A C
Harvey MBE and four ratings were killed.
Thursday,
26 March
Destroyer
JAGUAR (Lt Cdr L R K Tyrwhitt DSC),
escorting tanker SLAVOL with Greek destroyer QUEEN OLGA
and anti-submarine
whaler KLO, was sunk by U.652 in the Eastern
Mediterranean in 31-53N, 26-18E.
Cdr Tyrwhitt, S/Lt H J Ashby RNVR, Probationary
Temporary Surgeon Lt A G Gregory
RNVR and one hundred and ninety one ratings were
missing, Lt P F Cole and Lt
E G N Mansfield wounded, eight officers and 45 ratings
picked up by KLO.
QUEEN
OLGA
returned to assist KLO, and tanker SLAVOL,
now unescorted, was sunk by U.652. QUUEN OLGA rescued
her survivors.
Friday,
27 March
Convoy
ON.80 departed
Liverpool
27 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
28th
|
destroyer
Reading, corvettes Dauphin, Lethbridge,
Primrose, Shawnigan, Sunflower.
|
|
|
10th
|
destroyer Witch,
corvettes Saskatoon, The Pas, minesweeper
Gananoque
|
Reading,
Dauphin, Lethbridge, Primrose, Shawnigan,
Sunflower.
|
|
14th
|
|
Witch,
Saskatoon, The Pas, Gananoque
|
|
convoy arrived
Halifax
15 April with
The Pas
|
_____
Convoy
HX.182 departed Halifax 27
March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
27th
|
destroyers
Verity,
Witherington, corvettes Kenogmai, Snowberry,
minesweeper Charlottetown
|
|
|
30th
|
American
destroyers Mayo, Simpson,
corvettes Acanthus, Eglantine, Potentilla,
Rose
|
Verity,
Witherington,
Kenogmai, Snowberry, Charlottetown
|
|
7th
|
|
Mayo, Simpson,
Acanthus,
Potentilla, Rose
|
|
8th
|
|
Eglantine
|
|
convoy arrived
Liverpool
9 April
|
Saturday,
28 March
RAID ON ST NAZAIRE
Destroyer
CAMPBELTOWN (Lt Cdr S. H. Beattie)
was expended to destroy the main lock gate at St
Nazaire. Lt C H
C Gough, Temporary Acting
Gunner (T) H Hargreaves, Lt N T
B Tibbits, Temporary Surgeon Lt
W J
Winthrope RCNVR, and twenty eight ratings were missing,
and Cdr
Beattie, Acting Warrant Engineer W
H Lock and fourteen ratings
were taken prisoner.
S/Lt
G M
Baker RCNVR, was lost in ML.447.
_____
Convoy
ST.18
departed
Freetown,
escorted by sloop COMMANDANT
DROGOU, corvette GENISTA and minesweeprs CROMER and
POOLE, and arrived at Takoradi on
2 April.
Sunday,
29 March
Light
cruiser TRINIDAD was damaged by the explosion
of one her own torpedoes in the Arctic.
Midshipman N E T. Simmons
and seventeen ratings were killed.
_____
Convoy
ON.81
departed
Liverpool 29 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
30th
|
American
destroyers
Bristol,
Buck, Edison, destroyer St Laurent, corvettes
Dianella,
Kingcup, Roselys
|
|
|
31st
|
corvette
Loosestrife
|
|
|
convoy dispersed 9 April
|
_____
Submarine
PROTEUS
attacked an Italian convoy of steamers PIEMONTE, CRISPI,
GALILEA,
VIMINALE, ITALIA and AVENTINO, escorted by armed
merchant cruiser CITTA DI
NAPOLI, destroyer SEBENICO and torpedo boats BASSINI,
CASTELFIDARDO and
MOSTO. Steamer GALILEA (8040grt)
was sunk. Later, on the 31st, she sank steamer BOSFORO
(3648grt), escorted by destroyer STRALE, in36-54N,
21-18E.
Monday,
30 March
A
Swordfish of
813 Squadron from North Front force landed between Ras
el Farea and Ponta
Pescadores, Spanish Morocco. S/Lt L G Morris, S/Lt J T
Taylor, and Leading
Airman E Casey were interned and later returned to
Gibraltar.
_____
Convoy
SC.77
departed Halifax 30 March, escorts:
|
|
joined
|
detached
|
|
30th
|
destroyers
Columbia,
Walker,
corvettes Calgary, Halifax, Midland
|
|
|
2nd
|
minesweeper
Cowichan
|
|
|
3rd
|
destroyer
Assiniboine,
corvettes Amherst, Brandon, Dianthus, Fennel,
Orillia
|
Columbia,
Walker, Calgary, Halifax, Midland, Cowichan
|
|
11th
|
American
destroyers
Badger, Decatur, Leary, Schenck
|
|
|
12th
|
|
Assiniboine, Dianthus
|
|
14th
|
|
Badger,
Decatur, Leary, Schenck
|
|
15th
|
naval
trawler
Butser
|
Amherst,
Brandon, Fennel, Orillia
|
|
convoy arrived
Liverpool
16 April with Butser
|
|
