1 9 4 1
June Contractors trials.
20th Commissioned for service as HMS EMPIRE
AUDACITY for service in Western
Approaches
for convoy defence.
July Acceptance and first of Class trials in Clyde area.
10th Carried out first deck landing by MARTLET
aircraft of 802 Squadron.
31st Renamed HMS AUDACITY. See
Preamble.
August Trials including flying operations in continuation.
Embarked MARTLET aircraft and personnel 804 Squadron.
September Joined
Western Approaches Command for convoy defence on UK-Gibraltar Route.
13th Deployed with HM Sloop DEPTFORD, HM
Corvettes PENTSTEMON, MARIGOLD,
ARBUTUS and another corvette of 36th Escort Group as
escort for outward
Convoy OG74. during passage
to
Gibraltar.
(For
details of defence of Atlantic convoys see THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by
D.
MacIntyre, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO) and HITLER'S U-BOAT
WAR by C Blair.)
19th Under attacks by
U124 and U201 during which a three mercantiles was
sunk.
to MARTLET
aircraft launched after daylight and drove off attacks by KONDOR aircraft,
20th one of which was
destroyed.
For
details see HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair, ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM
1939
and 1945 by A Hague and BRITISH VESSELS LOST AT SEA 1939-45 (HMSO)
(Note:
Rescue ship WALMER CASTLE was also sunk by an air attack.)
27th Arrived at Gibraltar with OG74.
(Note: Three other of the 22 ships in this convoy were sunk
during passage.)
October
2nd Sailed from
Gibraltar with
inward Convoy HG74 as part of escort to provide air cover
during passage to
Liverpool
18th Detached on arrival of HG75 in
Liverpool.
29th Deployed with escort of outward Convoy
OG76 to provide air cover during passage from
Clyde to
Gibraltar
November
11th Detached from OG76 on arrival at
Gibraltar
(Note: Provided air cover for 10
days and the embarked destroyed two FW200
aircraft attempting attacks on
convoy and escort.)
Remained at
Gibraltar to
await approval for sailing with Convoy HG76 to
provide anti-submarine air patrols
and defence against enemy air reconnaissance during
passage to
Liverpool.
(Note: Known presence of assembly
of U-Boats to attack this convoy had delayed
until an adequate escort could be
provided to ensure safe passage.)
See THE
BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by D
Macintyre.)
December Deployed
at Gibraltar
14th Sailed from Gibraltar with HM Sloops STORK and
DEPTFORD, HM Corvettes
RHODODENDRON,
PENTSTEMON, MARIGOLD, JONQUIL, CONVOLVULUS,
SAMPHIRE
and VETCH of augmented 36th Escort Group as escort for return
Convoy
HG76.
(Note: HMS BLANKNEY and HMS EXMOOR from Gibraltar Local
Flotilla were attached
with HM Destroyer STANLEY to provide additional protection
for HG76 known to be
subject to threat of heavy U-Boat attacks.
The
departure of HG76 was not accurately reported by the agents in Algeciras
because of poor visibility when convoy sailed. See HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR
Vol 1 by C
Blair.)
SWORDFISH
aircraft sighted U-Boat on the surface and carried out depth charge attack
after nightfall. See above reference.)
15th U-Boat Group SEERAUBER assembled for
attacks on HG76 with KONDOR support.
17th U131 sighted by MARTLET aircraft from
ship.
Submarine
subsequently dived but, was located and attacked by escort..
After
surfacing U131 was sunk by gunfire from HMS STORK, HMS BLANKNEY,
HMS EXMOOR and HMS STANLEY in
position 34.12N 13.35W. 35 of submarine crew
were rescued.
(Note: MARTLET aircraft from ship was shot down by U131.
18th U434 sunk by Depth Charges from HMS
STANLEY and HMS BLANKNEY in position
36.15N 15.48W and
survivors from U434 were rescued.
Shadowing
aircraft were driven off.
19th After sinking of HMS STANLEY by torpedo
from U574, submarine was rammed and sunk
by HMS STORK. 20 survivors rescued but five were killed when
HMS DEPTFORD collided
with stem of HMS STORK.
(Note: 28 British survivors from HMS STANLEY were also
rescued.)
Two
KONDOR aircraft were destroyed.
One
mercantile was sunk by U108
21st Two KONDOR
aircraft driven off by ships' MARTLETs.
Detached from convoy at nightfall in view of likely U-Boat attacks.
Hit
aft by one torpedo fired by U571. Ship steering disabled but maintained way.
(Note: Ship construction was well able to withstand this
single hit which did
cause structural damage and enough flooding in engine room
for ship to settle
by the stem. Some of ships company
jumped overboard.)
U571
made second attack firing salvo of torpedoes. These hit the ship, one of them
hit
aviation fuel storage tanks and caused massive explosion
forward. Ship then sank quickly
with survivors left in the sea for some hours as rescue work
was only possible after escorts
returned from attacks on U-Boats still in the area for
further attacks on HG76 ships.
Some
survivors had been in the water for over four hours. (Casualty
List -
note
on casualties)
One
mercantile was sunk by U567
(Note: Details of the defence of HG76 are in the above
references.
These
operations established without doubt that the presence of an Escort-Aircraft
Carrier
was an essential element for defence of any convoy.
See
General Information and THE BRITISH AIRCRAFT CARRIER by Paul Beaver.
and ROYAL NAVY ESCORT AIRCRAFT CARRIERS by D Hobbs.)