FLOWER-Class
Corvette ordered from Harland and Wolff at Belfast on 19th September 1939. The ship
was laid down on 20th April 1940 and launched on 19th August 1940. She was the 6th RN
ship to bear the
name, introduced in 1692 when given to a French Privateer
taken as Prize, and last borne by a 2nd Class
cruiser built in 1893 and sold in 1923. Build was completed on
3rd October 1940. This corvette was adopted
by the civil community of Wymondam, Norfolk after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign in March 1942. (Note: This ship, built to
the original design with a short foc’sle, was fitted
for minesweeping using wire sweeps and
also had fitting to enable towing operations to be undertaken.)
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
CHINA 1841-41 - SPARTIVENTO 1940 - GREECE 1941 - MALTA CONVOYS 1941
- LIBYA 1941-42 - MEDITERRANEAN 1942-43 - SICILY 1943
H e r a l d i c D a t a
In common with many other warships commissioned for
service
during
WW2 and which carried a name not previously borne by
a warship
no formal approval was given by the Admiralty for use
of a
Ships Badge. Many ships did however use an informal Badge.
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 0
September Contractors trials and
commissioning
Commanding Officer: Lt. Cdr. F B Proudfoot,
RN (Rtd)
October
7th After completion of trials
carried out repairs in Clyde.
19th On completion took passage to
Tobermory to work-up for operational service.
November Nominated for service in Mediterranean for convoy defence.
1st Passage to Liverpool to prepare for foreign service.
16th Took passage from Liverpool with HM Corvettes GLOXINIA, PEONY and SALVIA
to join 10th Corvette Group, Mediterranean Fleet based in Alexandria.
23rd Arrived at Gibraltar
25th Deployed as Close Escort for ss
CLAN FORBES, ss CLAN FRASER and ss NEW
ZEALAND STAR
during passage to Malta, covered by ships of Force H.
(Operation
COLLAR - For details see THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN
by D Macintyre, MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman and Naval Staff History.
26th HM Cruisers MANCHESTER and
SOUTHAMPTON deployed with Close Escort.
(Note:
These two ships had embarked troops at Gibraltar for passage to Malta.)
27th On approach of Italian Battle
Group including 2 battleships, six cruisers and screen of 14
destroyers, joined by HM Cruisers MANCHESTER, SOUTHAMPTON and
COVENTRY,
HM Destroyers DEFENDER,
DIAMOND, GALLANT, GREYHOUND
HOTSPUR
and HEREWARD as escort for mercantiles when ships of Force
H from Gibraltar and Force D from Alexandria
detached to engage enemy warships.
28th Under night attack by Italian
torpedo boat CALLIOPE during transit of Sicilian Narrows
but torpedoes
failed to hit any ship.
29th Detached with cruiser escort,
CLAN FRASER and CLAN FORBES for passage to Malta.
After
disembarkation of troops from cruisers took passage as escort for Convoy ME4
with Mediterranean Fleet ships.
(Note: ss NEW ZEALAND STAR joined ME4 for passage to Alexandria.)
Formed 10th Escort Group with the other three Corvettes.
December Detached from ME4 off Crete
and took passage to Alexandria.
Deployed
with 10th Escort Group for convoy escort in Eastern Mediterranean based at
Alexandria.
Escorted
Convoys AN10 and AN 11 to Piraeus from Egypt
(Operation LUSTRE – Provision of military aid to Greece. See following references
1 9 4 1
January
7th Escorted RFA Tanker BRAMBLELEAF
to Suda Bay.
(Note: This was part of major
Mediterranean Fleet operation (EXCESS)
See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and above
references.)
February Mediterranean convoy
escort deployment with Group in continuation.
Carried
out minesweeping operation to clear harbour at Benghazi
March Escorted Convoy
AS15 from Piraeus to Egypt.
April
1st Escorted Convoy ANF24 to
Piraeus with HM Destroyer NUBIAN and other ships.
4th Carried out anti-submarine
attack on sonar contact.
9th At
Piraeus and carried out
minesweeping operations during which her sweep was
damaged when ss CLAN FRASER was hit by bomb in an air raid
and blew-up.
20th Deployed to carry out minesweeping
and support evacuation of troops from Greece.
to Escorted evacuation convoys
to Suda Bay.
27th (For details see Naval Staff
History and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY.)
28th With HM Sloop AUCKLAND evacuated
troops from Kithera (Operation DEMON).
May
Deployed
at Suda Bay, Crete for convoy escort until area was occupied by German
troops. See above references and CRETE by SW Pack.)
(Note: Did not take
an active part in the evacuation and for that reason may only
have been used for escort of ships returning to
Egypt.)
June Deployed at Haifa for minesweeping duties
(Note:
Operation EXPORTER – Attack on Vichy French forces in Syria was mounted
on 8th and involved significant traffic to and
from Egypt which required
escort and mine clearance support.)
. 15th Grounded during minesweeping
operation.
30th Passage to Famagusta, Cyprus.
July
1st Grounded again off Famagusta.
4th Came under bomb and torpedo air
attacks
5th Refloated by HMS Corvettes PEONY
and SALVIA.
(Note: Damage included
loss of A/S Dome and underwater structure.)
7th Passage to Alexandria for repair with call at Haifa.
13th Under repair.
15th On completion resumed duties with
Group and took passage to Haifa.
20th Deployed for Local Escort duties
at Haifa.
August Haifa escort and patrol duties in continuation.
September
28th Attacked and sank Italian
submarine FISALIA off Haifa in position
32.19N 37.17E in
defence of convoy after A/S contact.
October Haifa deployment in continuation
to (Note: Haifa was in extensive use for support of military
operations in Palestine
December and Syria as well as for reinforcement of Cyprus.)
1 9 4 2
January Transferred to Alexandria for defence of convoys between Alexandria and Tobruk.
6th Deployed with HUNT Class Escort
Destroyers based at Alexandria for escort of
Convoys
TA10, AT18, AT19 and others taking supplies and personnel to Tobruk.
February Tobruk route
deployment in continuation with HM Destroyers HEYTHROP,
AVON VALE, SOUTHWOLD and HM Auxiliary AA
Ship MALINES.
9th Carried out A/S attack in
defence of convoy with HM Destroyer AVON VALE.
(Operation RIVET)
15th Under repair at Alexandria
March Under repair
April (Note: By this
period ship had been fitted with Radar Type 286M to provide
surface and air warning cover. This equipment
was an RAF outfit modified
for naval use and not very satisfactory
compared with RN equipment
being introduced. See RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)
20th On completion resumed convoy
defence in Eastern Mediterranean.
June Eastern
Mediterranean deployment in continuation.
(Note:
Ship may have been deployed for escort of convoys to and from Tobruk
No record of participation in Operation VIGOROUS, passage of a relief
convoy to Malta from Alexandria, which proved a disastrous failure.
See references which do not show the ship as part of the escort for any
of the three MW11 series convoys for this
Operation. The only reference
traced is that she was in Tobruk when a
merchant ship, AAGTEKERK
detached after machinery defects from MW11 was sunk in air
attacks on
passage from MW11 to Tobruk escorted by HM
Destroyer TETCOTT,
HM Corvettes ERICA and PRIMULA. This ship may have
gone to assist
when the air attacks were made.)
16th Passage to Alexandria from Tobruk, arriving on 16th.
30th Resumed escort and patrol based
at Haifa.
July
9th Deployed as escort for ss
WOLBOROUGH and carried out anti-submarine operations
against detected
contact. Italian submarine PERLA was forced to surface after depth
charge attack. Submarine was captured with 25 survivors and
taken to Beirut
(Note:
Some cryptographic material was obtained but this related to Italian codes
and was of little use to Bletchley Park who were mainly concerned with the
ENIGMA documentation, See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair. Ship
did however receive congratulatory signal from
the Admiralty.)
10th Passage to Beirut escorted by HM Corvette GLOXINIA.
August Levant convoy
escort in continuation.
to (Note: An
unsuccessful attack on a U-Boat was made
in position 31.42N 25.00E
October with HM
Corvette SNAPDRAGON was made in this period.)
November
22nd During deployment with HM Whaler
FALK carried out anti-submarine operations
against a submarine in position 43.32N 35.49E
December Levant duties in
continuation.
1 9 4 3
January Transferred to Alexandria for convoy defence off North African coast.
February
19th Carried out attack on U-Boat
reported by aircraft with HM Destroyer ISIS
(Note: HMS ISIS later sank U562 with HM Destroyer HURSLEY.)
21st Carried out attack on U-Boat
off Derna with HM Whaler PROTEA (SANF)
March Nominated for
refit in Alexandria.
6th Taken in hand for refit
(Note: During this refit Radar Type 271 for surface warning may have
been
installed and additional 20mm Oerlikon weapons
fitted to improve AA
defence.)
April 25th On
completion carried out post refit trials before resuming operational duties.
May Deployed
for escort of convoys in Eastern Mediterranean.
(Note: Regular sailings had been introduced for through Mediterranean
traffic
and escorts exchanged at Tripoli with ships from Gibraltar or Malta.)
June Convoy
escort in continuation including military convoys prior to planned landings
in Sicily (Operation HUSKY)
16th Part of escort for military
convoy MKS16 from Gibraltar during passage from
Sicily to Alexandria prior to HUSKY. (See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY.)
July
1st Stood by damaged RFA Tanker
OLIGARCH west of Tobruk pending tow for
repair
(Note: This ship had been torpedoed by U453 on 30th June
8th Deployed in Malta to prepare for escort of convoys for HUSKY landings
10th Part of escort for military
convoys during passage to Sicily
Escorted Convoy MWS38
On
release from HUSKY took passage to Benghazi for repairs.
August
25th Passage to resume escort
and anti-submarine patrol duties.
30th Deployed as part of escort for military
convoy GUS14
(Note: GUS14 was on passage from USA to Gibraltar.
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR.)
September
8th Detached from GUS14.
12th Deployed with HM Trawler HAARLEM and HM Australian Minesweeper
WOLLONGONG to destroy wreck of U617 which had been beached in
position 35.13N
03.29W after damage in air attacks by aircraft of 179 Sqdn.
RAF west of Oran off Melilla. Crew had scuttled and left submarine.
See
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR for details.
15th Escorted US military
convoys in continuation.
October Future transfer
for loan service with
Royal Hellenic Navy under consideration.
21st Detached from escort of US
military convoys.
(Note: Convoys including UGS16,GUS17 and UGS19
to be confirmed)
Passage to Alexandria for transfer.
24th Paid-off and recommissioned
in Royal Hellenic Navy as APOSTOLIS
S e r v i c e u n d e r
G r e e k C o m m a n d a s H Hel M S A P O S T
O L I S
October (Cont.)
29th Deployed with 47th Escort
Group for escort of coastal convoys to and from
Tobruk.
November Part of escort with
ships of Group for coastal convoys including:
to US military GUS20, GUS23 and GUS30 on return passage to Gibraltar.
December US Military UGS 22
and UGS25 on passage from Gibraltar.
UK Military MKS 36 on passage to Gibraltar
1 9 4 4
January Coastal
convoy escort with Group in continuation including
to UK Military KMS38 and KMS 45
March US Military UGS32 on
passage from Gibraltar
UK military MKS43 on passage from Gibraltar
April At Alexandria.
6th Withdrawn from service
owing to mutinous state of ship’s company
(Note: This was due political upheaval in relating to policy in respect
of
future of Greek monarchy and other internal
problems.)
May
25th Resumed operational
deployment.
Passage to resume coastal
convoy escort including US convoy GUS41
to Gibraltar and UK KMS54 to Ancona during passage from Gibraltar.
June Eastern
and central Mediterranean escort in continuation.
July
Adriatic convoy escort between Bari and Ancona.
to
August
September
14th Passage to Malta for repair.
October On completion of repair
transferred to 51st Escort Group for escort of convoys
between Taranto and Brindisi.
24th Transferred to 48th
Escort Group for convoy defence in central Mediterranean.
November Central Mediterranean convoy escort in continuation based at Bizerta.
to
December
1 9 4 5
January 48th Escort
Group convoy escort in continuation
Future deployment under consideration following
re-occupation of Greece.
February Passage to Piraeus for escort duty in eastern Mediterranean
14th Arrived at
Piraeus.
March Deployed
for escort and patrol based at Pireaus for defence of convoys to
to
and from Egypt.
August
P o s t W a
r N o t e s
This ship was transferred to
full control by Greek naval authorities after VJ Day and served with the Royal Hellenic Navy on loan for six
years. She was handed back to the RN on 19th July 1961 at Piraeus and renamed
HMS
HYACINTH. Placed on the Disposal
List after return she was sold for breaking-up in Italy later that year.
Addenda
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
HYACINTH
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
25/11/40
|
25/11/40
|
COLLAR
|
28/11/40
|
28/11/40
|
19/01/41
|
19/01/41
|
AN 013
|
22/01/41
|
unknown
|
07/03/41
|
07/03/41
|
AN 018
|
11/03/41
|
11/03/41
|
14/03/41
|
14/03/41
|
AS 019/1
|
19/03/41
|
19/03/41
|
18/03/41
|
18/03/41
|
AN 021
|
20/03/41
|
22/03/41
|
10/01/42
|
10/01/42
|
TA 010/M
|
13/01/42
|
13/01/42
|
18/01/42
|
18/01/42
|
AT 018/M
|
20/01/42
|
20/01/42
|
02/02/42
|
02/02/42
|
AT 023/M
|
05/02/42
|
05/02/42
|
17/02/42
|
17/02/42
|
AT 028/M
|
18/02/42
|
18/02/42
|
10/03/42
|
10/03/42
|
AT 033/M
|
12/03/42
|
12/03/42
|
12/03/42
|
12/03/42
|
TA 027/M
|
14/03/42
|
14/03/42
|
27/03/42
|
27/03/42
|
AT 035/M
|
28/03/42
|
28/03/42
|
09/06/42
|
09/06/42
|
AT 049/M
|
11/06/42
|
11/06/42
|
25/07/42
|
25/07/42
|
BX 030B
|
27/07/42
|
27/07/42
|
24/06/43
|
24/06/43
|
MKS 016
|
29/06/43
|
29/06/43
|
11/07/43
|
11/07/43
|
MEF 036
|
15/07/43
|
15/07/43
|
06/08/43
|
30/08/43
|
UGS 014
|
01/09/43
|
02/09/43
|
30/08/43
|
30/08/43
|
GUS 014
|
08/09/43
|
26/09/43
|
27/08/43
|
15/09/43
|
UGS 016
|
23/09/43
|
23/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
GUS 017
|
09/10/43
|
27/10/43
|
25/09/43
|
11/10/43
|
UGS 019
|
22/10/43
|
22/10/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
and
as HHelMS APOSTOLIS
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
29/10/43
|
29/10/43
|
GUS 020
|
07/11/43
|
24/11/43
|
25/10/43
|
10/11/43
|
UGS 022
|
23/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
27/11/43
|
27/11/43
|
GUS 023
|
08/12/43
|
25/12/43
|
24/11/43
|
11/12/43
|
UGS 025
|
20/12/43
|
21/12/43
|
31/12/43
|
01/01/44
|
MKS 036
|
11/01/44
|
12/01/44
|
11/01/44
|
11/01/44
|
MKS 036G
|
12/01/44
|
12/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
KMS 038
|
26/01/44
|
27/01/44
|
04/02/44
|
04/02/44
|
GUS 030
|
16/02/44
|
08/03/44
|
10/03/44
|
11/03/44
|
MKS 043
|
22/03/44
|
22/03/44
|
27/03/44
|
27/03/44
|
KMS 045
|
06/04/44
|
06/04/44
|
24/05/44
|
24/05/44
|
GUS 041
|
04/06/44
|
19/06/44
|
23/06/44
|
23/06/44
|
KMS 054
|
28/06/44
|
03/07/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)