FLOWER-Class Corvette ordered on 15th December 1939 in the 1939
Build Programme from Smiths Dock,
Middlesbrough and laid down as Job Number
4211 (Yard Number 1096) on 4th February
1941. The ship was launched on 27th May that
year and was the 1st RN warship to carry the
name. Build was completed on 11th August
1941 and after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National
Savings campaign in February 1942 this ship
was adopted
by the civil community of Dukinfield,
then in the
county of Cheshire but now in the Tameside
Borough of Greater Manchester.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1941-45 -
ENGLISH CHANNEL 1945
H
e r
a l d i
c D a
t a
The Admiralty Heraldic Crest Record does not include any
details
for this ship. This is not
unusual for a smaller war time
build,.
but
many did however have an unofficial badge,
sometimes
it incorporated the flower
after which the ship
was
named.
S
u m m
a r y
o f W
a r S e r v i
c e
(for more
ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search
1
9
4 1
August
Contractors
trials and commissioning.
Nominated for
service in
37th Escort Group.
11th
Build completion date and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
Passage
to
Tobermory
after completion of trials and storing.
September
Passage
to join Group on completion of work-up for
operational service
October
Deployed
with Group for escort of OS Series convoys
to West Africa and returning
SL Series
to
Liverpool.
(Note:
Other ships in this Group were HM Sloops
BLACK SWAN,,
FOWEY,
HM Corvettes
BLUEBELL,
CAMPANULA, CARNATION, HELIOTROPE, MALLOW,
MYOSOTIS
AND
Free French LA MALOUINE.
November
Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation with Group.
to
December
1
9 4 2
January Atlantic convoy defence in continuation with Group.
to
(Note: For details of
U-Boat operations see U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO)., THE
December
BATTLE
OF THE ATLANTIC by D Macintyre, and HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair
1
9 4 3
January
Atlantic
convoy defence with Group
in continuation
to
(Note: For details of
development of weapons and radar as well as
of tactic used for attacks and
February
defence
of convoys see SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann,
BUSINESS IN GREAT
WATERS by J Terraine,
RADAR AT SEA by D Howse
and above references.)
Nominated for service at
Freetown for Local Escort.
March
Deployed
as part of escort for
Convoy OS45 for passage to Freetown.
April
3rd
During defence of convoy carried
out attacks on U124 with HMS BLACK SWAN.
Sank U124 by depth
charge attacks in position 41.02N 15.39W (W
of Oporto)
There were no
survivors from U124. (See U-BOATS DESTROYED
by P Kemp.
May
Atlantic convoy defence in continuation with
Group.
to
Deployed
for
escort of Freetown route convoys with ships
of Group
July.
(Note:
HM Sloops FOWEY, STORK
and DEPTFORD were part of 37th Escort Group
by this period
and
also two Free French corvettes.)
August
Part of
escort for outward Convoy SL135 during
passage to Liverpool.
30th
During
defence of convoy carried out attacks on
U634 with HM Sloop STORK.
(Note:
U634
was sunk by depth charge attacks west of
Cape Finisterre
in position
40.39N 19.24W
There
were no survivors)
September
Group
deployment for Atlantic convoy defence based
at Freetown in continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Convoy
defence based at Freetown with
Group in continuation
.to
Transferred for service
at Gibraltar.
December
(Note:
No longer part of 37th
Escort
Group.)
1
9 4 5
January
Transferred
to Home waters for convoy
defence.
to
(Note: During this period a
significant increase in attacks on convoys
in English Channel and Irish
May
Sea
by SCHNORKEL
fitted submarines which made necessary
extensive reinforcement of
escorts In
Home
waters.
(See
HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith and ENGAGE
THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY
by C
Bamett.)
June
Home
waters deployment in
continuation
to
Nominated
to Pay-off and reduce to Reserve
Status.
August
P
o s t W a r N o t e
s
HMS
STONECROP was paid off and reduced to
Reserve after VE Day and
laid up. The ship was placed on the Disposal
List in 1946 and sold for use as a
mercantile on 17th May 1947. She
was renamed ss
SILVER KING on purchase and was
renamed MARTHA VINKE when transferred to a
new owner in 1950. Details of final
disposal cannot be traced.
Addenda
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of
HMS
STONECROP
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy
No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
29/08/41
|
29/08/41
|
OG
073
|
13/09/41
|
13/09/41
|
|
17/09/41
|
17/09/41
|
HG
073
|
30/09/41
|
01/10/41
|
|
13/10/41
|
14/10/41
|
OS
009
|
01/11/41
|
05/11/41
|
|
24/10/41
|
24/10/41
|
OS
009G
|
01/11/41
|
01/11/41
|
|
01/11/41
|
01/11/41
|
SL
091G
|
08/11/41
|
08/11/41
|
|
08/11/41
|
08/11/41
|
SL
091G1
|
12/11/41
|
12/11/41
|
|
12/11/41
|
12/11/41
|
SL
091GF
|
18/11/41
|
18/11/41
|
|
25/11/41
|
28/11/41
|
OG
077
|
13/12/41
|
13/12/41
|
|
31/12/41
|
31/12/41
|
HG
077
|
12/01/42
|
12/01/42
|
|
26/01/42
|
27/01/42
|
OG
079
|
07/02/42
|
07/02/42
|
|
22/02/42
|
22/02/42
|
HG
079
|
06/03/42
|
06/03/42
|
|
17/03/42
|
17/03/42
|
OG
081
|
29/03/42
|
29/03/42
|
|
05/04/42
|
05/04/42
|
HG
081
|
unknown
|
15/04/42
|
|
30/04/42
|
08/05/42
|
OG
083
|
09/05/42
|
11/05/42
|
|
04/05/42
|
18/05/42
|
SL
109
|
28/05/42
|
28/05/42
|
|
21/05/42
|
21/05/42
|
HG
083
|
07/06/42
|
07/06/42
|
|
13/06/42
|
14/06/42
|
OG
085
|
25/06/42
|
25/06/42
|
|
30/06/42
|
30/06/42
|
HG
085
|
12/07/42
|
12/07/42
|
|
20/07/42
|
20/07/42
|
OG
087
|
03/08/42
|
03/08/42
|
|
07/08/42
|
07/08/42
|
HG
087
|
28/08/42
|
18/08/42
|
|
08/11/42
|
08/11/42
|
KMS
003G
|
22/11/42
|
26/11/42
|
|
21/11/42
|
24/11/42
|
MKS
002
|
03/12/42
|
03/12/42
|
|
24/03/43
|
27/03/43
|
OS
045
|
14/04/43
|
14/04/43
|
|
20/04/43
|
20/04/43
|
SL
128
|
04/05/43
|
03/05/43
|
|
03/05/43
|
04/05/43
|
SL
128MK
|
10/05/43
|
14/05/43
|
|
21/05/43
|
21/05/43
|
OS
048KM
|
29/05/43
|
29/05/43
|
|
29/05/43
|
29/05/43
|
OS
048
|
07/06/43
|
07/06/43
|
|
13/06/43
|
13/06/43
|
SL
131
|
24/06/43
|
24/06/43
|
|
24/06/43
|
24/06/43
|
SL
131MK
|
04/07/43
|
04/07/43
|
|
19/07/43
|
21/07/43
|
OS
052KM
|
28/07/43
|
28/07/43
|
|
28/07/43
|
28/07/43
|
OS
052
|
07/08/43
|
07/08/43
|
|
14/08/43
|
14/08/43
|
SL
135
|
26/08/43
|
27/08/43
|
|
27/08/43
|
27/08/43
|
SL
135MK
|
06/09/43
|
06/09/43
|
|
05/09/43
|
16/09/43
|
XK
011
|
20/09/43
|
20/09/43
|
|
07/10/43
|
07/10/43
|
OS
056KM
|
18/10/43
|
18/10/43
|
|
18/10/43
|
18/10/43
|
OS
056
|
28/10/43
|
29/10/43
|
|
02/11/43
|
02/11/43
|
SL
139
|
16/11/43
|
14/11/43
|
|
28/11/43
|
28/11/43
|
OS
059
|
08/12/43
|
08/12/43
|
|
12/12/43
|
12/12/43
|
SL
143
|
25/12/43
|
25/12/43
|
|
07/01/44
|
08/01/44
|
OS
063
|
17/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
|
22/01/44
|
22/01/44
|
SL
147
|
02/02/44
|
02/02/44
|
|
15/02/44
|
15/02/44
|
OS
067
|
26/02/44
|
26/02/44
|
|
02/03/44
|
02/03/44
|
SL
151
|
14/03/44
|
14/03/44
|
|
25/03/44
|
25/03/44
|
OS
071
|
04/04/44
|
04/04/44
|
|
11/04/44
|
11/04/44
|
SL
155
|
23/04/44
|
23/04/44
|
|
04/05/44
|
04/05/44
|
OS
075
|
14/05/44
|
14/05/44
|
|
17/05/44
|
17/05/44
|
SL
159
|
20/05/44
|
31/05/44
|
|
10/10/44
|
10/10/44
|
OS
091
|
19/10/44
|
19/10/44
|
|
28/10/44
|
28/10/44
|
SL
175
|
08/11/44
|
08/11/44
|
|
22/11/44
|
22/11/44
|
KMS
069G
|
23/11/44
|
23/11/44
|
|
23/11/44
|
23/11/44
|
KMS
069
|
27/11/44
|
27/11/44
|
|
10/01/45
|
13/01/45
|
MKS
076G
|
18/01/45
|
21/01/45
|
|
22/01/45
|
22/01/45
|
TBC
046
|
25/01/45
|
25/01/45
|
|
27/01/45
|
27/01/45
|
OS
107KM
|
30/01/45
|
30/01/45
|
|
26/01/45
|
27/01/45
|
ON
281
|
27/01/45
|
12/02/45
|
|
25/01/45
|
29/01/45
|
MKS
079G
|
02/02/45
|
02/02/45
|
|
05/02/45
|
05/02/45
|
ON
283
|
08/02/45
|
27/02/45
|
|
28/01/45
|
09/02/45
|
HX
335
|
11/02/45
|
10/02/45
|
|
17/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
OS
111KM
|
20/02/45
|
21/02/45
|
|
14/02/45
|
20/02/45
|
MKS
083G
|
22/02/45
|
22/02/45
|
|
25/02/45
|
25/02/45
|
OS
113KM
|
01/03/45
|
06/03/45
|
|
24/02/45
|
01/03/45
|
MKS
085G
|
03/03/45
|
03/03/45
|
|
07/03/45
|
07/03/45
|
ON
289
|
12/03/45
|
25/03/45
|
|
17/03/45
|
17/03/45
|
OS
117KM
|
21/03/45
|
26/03/45
|
|
16/03/45
|
21/03/45
|
MKS
089G
|
24/03/45
|
24/03/45
|
|
01/04/45
|
01/04/45
|
ON
294
|
05/04/45
|
20/04/45
|
|
01/04/45
|
05/04/45
|
MKS
092G
|
08/04/45
|
08/04/45
|
|
05/04/45
|
10/04/45
|
MKS
093G
|
13/04/45
|
14/04/45
|
|
12/04/45
|
12/04/45
|
ON
296
|
14/04/45
|
30/04/45
|
|
21/04/45
|
22/04/45
|
OS
124KM
|
25/04/45
|
27/04/45
|
|
20/04/45
|
25/04/45
|
MKS
096G
|
28/04/45
|
28/04/45
|
|
26/04/45
|
26/04/45
|
ON
299
|
30/04/45
|
13/05/45
|
|
18/04/45
|
02/05/45
|
HX
351
|
04/05/45
|
03/05/45
|
|
07/05/45
|
07/05/45
|
OS
127KM
|
10/05/45
|
13/05/45
|
|
05/05/45
|
10/05/45
|
MKS
099G
|
12/05/45
|
12/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
