1942
Background Events - March-May 1942
Russian
convoys, Raid on St Nazaire, Battle of Sirte
Gulf, SE Asia & SW Pacific occupied, British
landings on Madagascar
APRIL
Wednesday,
1 April
Minesweeping
trawler SOLOMON (Skipper Lt C Dale
RNR) was sunk on a mine north of Cromer. There were
no casualties.
______
Submarine PANDORA (Lt R L Alexander)
was sunk at Malta by German
bombing. Lt L Walford RNR, Warrant Engineer
F J Hickman DSC and twenty five ratings were killed. Lt J A Lindsell was
wounded and later evacuated in submarine OLYMPUS, when he was
lost.
Sunday, 5 April
JAPANESE CARRIER AIRCRAFT
ATTACKS IN INDIAN OCEAN AND ON CEYLON
Heavy cruiser CORNWALL (Captain P C W
Manwaring) was sunk by Japanese bombing in the Indian Ocean. Chaplain Rev J M
Bird, Ty/Gunner F E Cowell, Ty/Lt (E) M L Edgar, Warrant Ordnance Officer W H
Emberton, Lt J F R Fearfield, Paymaster Sub Lt P Goddard, Ty/Surgeon Lt C C
Kirby RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt R F Millett RNR, Lt D S Reid, RM,
Paymaster Lt Cdr W R Vallance, one hundred and fifty nine ratings and twenty
Marines were lost, and two ratings died of wounds. Paymaster Midshipman M H
Marsh RAN was wounded.
Heavy cruiser DORSETSHIRE
(Captain A W S Agar VC) was also sunk by Japanese bombing in the Indian Ocean. Ty/Act/Gunner
(T) J Austin, Surgeon Cdr F C M Bamfort, Lt (E) P V Bouquett, Cdr (E) C P
Buttar, Surgeon Lt (D) H B Concanon RNVR, Ty/Act/Warrant Electrician W Davey,
Warrant Engineeer W A Ferris, Act/Lt (E) G F C Hooker, Ty/Sub Lt J S W Jarvie
RNVR, Warrant Shipwright R W Jack, Act/Paymaster Sub Lt J E T Jennings,
Ty/Chaplain Rev E D B Laborde RNVR, Lt Cdr (E) J F Mansell, Ty/Paymster Lt E
D Paul RNVR, Ty/Surgeon Lt S W Pratt RNVR, Paymaster Lt Cdr, N G Pring RNVR,
Paymaster Sub Lt J R B Sidebotham, Warrant Ordnance Officer S J Scoble, Ty/Lt
(E) D Wilson, one hundred and eighty eight ratings and twenty four Marines
were lost, and two ratings died of wounds. Cdr C W Byas, Ty/Act/Sub Lt M H
Furnivall RNR and Paymaster Lt Cdr T T
Pheophilus were wounded.
Armed merchant cruiser HECTOR
(Captain F Howard DSC Rtd) was bombed by Japanese aircraft and burnt out at Colombo, where she was
reconverting to trade duties. Lt Cdr (E) W Peterson RNR was lost.
Destroyer TENEDOS (Lt R
Dyer), which was repairing defects, was also sunk by Japanese bombing at Colombo. Lt R J Stokes RNR, Lt F H George
RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt W B S Begg RNVR and thirty ratings were lost.
Submarine depot ship LUCIA was struck by splinters. Two ratings were
killed.
Destroyer DECOY was also in harbour with her main feed pump broken
down, but was not damaged.
A flight of six Swordfish of 788 Squadron was attacked by aircraft
from aircraft carrier HIRYU, and all six shot down – (1) Lt S M de L Longsdon
and his observer Sub Lt N A MacKay were badly wounded and TAG Petty Officer (A)
J Heath slightly wounded, (2) Sub Lt (A) A W D Beale DSC and his TAG Leading Airman F
H Edwards were killed, (3) Sub Lt P A Meakin crashed landed on the beach and
was seriously wounded. His TAG, Naval Airman G E
H Skingley was killed, (4) Ty/Act/Sub Lt (A) C T Shaw RNVR was killed and his
observer Sub Lt J E Cope wounded, (5) Lt C Pountney and his observer Sub Lt G
Creese were wounded and TAG Petty Officer
Airman J Hall seriously wounded. Hall died of wounds, and (6) Lt D Carter was
shot down and his TAG, Leading Airman D A Bolton died of wounds.
Two Fulmar’s of 806 Squadron from LANKA were lost and their pilots
killed - Ty/Sub Lt (A) K J M Pettitt RNVR when his Fulmar crashed in the
jungle and Ty/Sub Lt (A) L K White-Smith RNVR when his was shot down.
Light cruiser GLASGOW’s Walrus crashed
near the Clampalmin landing ground. Sub Lt D A Baptie was killed.
An Albacore of 827 Squadron from aircraft carrier INDOMITABLE was
shot down. Sub Lt R J F Streatfield, Sub Lt T Weston and Naval Airman K
Porter were lost.
Monday, 6 April
Destroyer HAVOCK (Lt Cdr G
R G Watkins DSC), which had departed Malta for Gibraltar earlier that day,
was wrecked on the Tunisian coast in 36-52-27N, 11-08-30E, with one rating
killed. Lt Cdr Watkins, Lt J B Burfield DSC, Lt M A Baille-Grohman,Lt (E) R
Andrewes, Ty/Surgeon Lt R D Royds MB, CHB RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt C
J Spearin RCNVR, Act/Sub Lt R H Lack RNVR, all ratings and about a 100
passengers, totalling some 250, were interned, but liberated on 11 November
after the invasion of North Africa. Among the passengers were Cdr R F Jessel,
Sub Lt R F Morgan RNVR, and Lt Cdr (E) M H Sayers of destroyer LEGION, Sub Lt
(A) J B Blakely RNVR, Sub Lt (A) D J Bunyan RNVR and Sub Lt (A) T G Davison
RNVR of 828 Squadron, ST ANGELO, and Midshipman J Duncan and Midshipman D M Ellis
who had been drafted to battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH on 30 November. Surgeon Lt
Royds died on 25 September during internment.
______
Indian sloop INDUS was sunk by
Japanese bombing at Akyab, Burma, and ten crew
wounded.
Wednesday, 8 April
In German bombing attacks on Malta, light cruiser
PENELOPE was targeted. Lt J S Miller and two ratings were killed.
Thursday, 9 April
CONTINUING JAPANESE CARRIER
AIRCRAFT ATTACKS IN INDIAN OCEAN AND ON CEYLON
Aircraft carrier HERMES
(Captain R F J Onslow, MVO DSC) was sunk by Japanese bombing east of Ceylon. Ty/Sub Lt (E) A
H L Briggs, Lt Cdr E A N Gardiner, Lt (A) A F Russell and Ty/Sub Lt (A) H
Worthy RNVR of 814 Squadron, and one rating were killed, and Capt Onslow,
Surgeon Lt Cdr R S Anderson RNVR, Ty/Lt R W Close RANVR, Ty/Sub Lt (A) J C G
Cranston RNVR of 814 Squadron, Commissioned Gunner (T) F W Grant DSC,
Ty/Act/Shipwright G C Grey, Cdr M F L Henstock, Boatswain C A Hincks, Gunner
F J Jordan, Ty/Chaplain Rev A C H Leeke RNVR, Lt W A McLachlan RNVR, Lt Cdr
(E) C H Martin, Observer Sub Lt (A) J S Quayle RNVR of 814 Squadron, Pilot
Ty/Sub Lt (A) W G Thomson RNVR of 814 Squadron, Lt Cdr T B Wardle, two
hundred and forty eight ratings, and twenty seven Marines missing. Surgeon
Cdr J M McNamara died of wounds on the 9th, Lt Cdr R T Shaw on the 11th, six
ratings, one on the 12th and one on the 16th, and one Marine.
Operations with RAF 273 Squadron. Observer Ty/Sub Lt (A) A L Mass
RNVR of 824 Squadron and Flight Officer A Gregg RAF were lost in the same aircraft.
Australian destroyer VAMPIRE
(Cdr W T A Moran RAN) was sunk by Japanese bombing east of Ceylon. Six ratings were
killed, one died of wounds, and Cdr Moran and one RN signalman rating were
missing.
Corvette HOLLYHOCK (Lt Cdr
T E Davies OBE RNR) was attacked by Japanese
bombing east of Ceylon, while escorting
tanker ATHELSTANE. Tanker ATHELSTANE
was sunk. While rescuing survivors,
the corvette was hit by two bombs and sank within 30 to 45 seconds. Davies, Ty/Lt B Simpson RNR, Ty/Sub Lt D J
Cory RNVR and forty six ratings were missing. Sixteen survivors were rescued by ATHELSTANE’s boat.
Monitor EREBUS at Trincomalee had slight damage from a near miss.
Nine ratings were killed and twenty two crewmen were wounded
Operations while on loan to RAF Squadron 11. Observers Ty/Sub Lt (A)
F W Bonnell RNVR and Ty/Sub Lt (A) A Peace RNVR of 806 Squadron were lost.
On loan to RAF Squadron 273 (F). Pilots Ty/Act/Sub Lt (A) R F H Jacob
RNVR and Ty/Sub Lt (A) P R Peirano RNVR of 803 Squadron were lost.
Saturday, 11 April
Anti-submarine trawler ST
CATHAN (Lt J Mackay RNR), lent to the US
Navy, was sunk in collision off South Carolina. Ty/Sub Lt H B
Hodgshon RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt G P Allwork RNVR and twenty nine ratings were lost.
Monday, 13 April
Submarine THRASHER sank German steamer ATLAS (2297grt) near Benghasi.
Tuesday, 14 April
Destroyer CHURCHILL and the Polish PIORUN escorted convoy TC.14 of
troopships BATORY and LETITIA to Canada. The destroyers
each carried five tons of Russian gold after it had been brought from Archangel by light cruiser KENYA in convoy QP.3.
The ships arrived in Halifax on the 16th.
______
Submarine UPHOLDER (Lt Cdr
M D Wanklyn VC, DSO) was sunk by Italian torpedo boat PEGASO north of Tripoli. Cdr Wanklyn, Lt
P R H Allen, Ty/Sub Lt J H Norman DSC RNVR, Lt F Ruck-Keene DSC and twenty
eight ratings were lost, together with passenger L/Cpl C Parker of the Beds
and Herts Regiment.
Saturday, 18 April
German steamer SEEFAHRER
(2978grt) was sunk on a mine near Borkum.
______
Submarine THRASHER sank German steamer BELLONA (1297grt) near Tobruk.
Monday, 20 April
Submarine TRIDENT sank German steamer HODOR (5386grt) NW of Namsos.
______
Escort destroyers COTSWOLD and QUORN, escorting convoy FS.80, struck
mines off Aldeburgh. COTSWOLD was severely damaged near the bow. Five ratings
were killed and twenty three wounded. She was taken in tow by destroyer LEEDS, which was later
relieved by tug SUPERMAN with tug KENIA and salvage vessel DAPPER assisting.
Towed to Shotley Spit and beached, she was refloated on 3 May and taken to Chatham, repairs
completing 8 May 1943. QUORN had two
ratings killed and one wounded. She was towed by patrol sloop SHEARWATER, and
needed 17 weeks to repair, completing at Chatham on 19 August.
Wednesday, 22 April
Russian submarine M.173 sank German steamer BLANKENESE (3323grt) off the Kirkenes.
Monday, 27 April
Submarine URGE (Lt Cdr E P
Tomkinson DSO) was sunk by Italian aircraft off Ras el Hilal. Cdr Tomkinson,
Lt D B Allen, Lt J M S Poole DSC, Ty/Lt J S D Ransome DSC RNR, twenty eight
ratings and 11 RN rating passengers for Alexandria were lost.
Thursday, 30 April
Light cruiser EDINBURGH was damaged by U.456 near Murmansk. Lt (E) V G
Manfield, Act/Lt (E) J Moir and twelve ratings were lost.
MAY
Saturday,
2 May
Following
her torpedoing on 30 April, light cruiser EDINBURGH (Captain H W Faulkner) was sunk by German destroyer
torpedoes in the Barent's Sea. An additional forty three ratings were
missing, and Ty/Act/Sub Lt R A Rendel RNVR wounded.
Destroyer FORESTER lost Lt Cdr G P Huddart and destroyer FORESIGHT
lost Lt R A Fawdry in this engagement.
______
Polish submarine JASTRZAB (Lt
Cdr Romanowski), which had departed Holy Loch on 22 April, was attacked in
error by Norwegian destroyer ST ALBANS (Lt Cdr S V
Storeheil) and British minesweeper SEAGULL off Northern Norway. Two British
communications ratings were lost with three of the Polish crew. Cdr Romanowski and British Sub Lt M
A Hanbury RNVR were among six wounded. When the mistake was realised, ST ALBANS and SEAGULL
rescued the survivors, after which SEAGULL scuttled the badly damaged
submarine.
Sunday, 3 May
German steamer KONSUL CARL
FISSER (5843grt) was sunk by British bombing near Aalsund.
Monday, 4 May
German steamer KLAUS FRITZEN
(2936grt) was sunk at Maaloy near Bergen by British
bombing.
______
German steamer WARTENFELS (6181grt)
was scuttled at Diego Suarez.
Tuesday, 5 May
German steamer SIZILIEN (4647grt)
was sunk by bombing near Borkum.
______
LANDINGS IN DIEGO SAUREZ, MADAGASCAR
Corvette AURICULA (Lt Cdr
S L B Maybury) was mined in Courrier Bay, Madagascar, and sank the
next day in Operation IRONCLAD
Friday, 8 May
Submarine OLYMPUS (Lt Cdr
H G Dymott), carrying survivors from submarines PANDORA, P.36 and P.39, was
lost when she struck a mine leaving Malta Harbour, six miles from St Elmo's
Light. Cdr Dymott, Lt B H Band DSC, Lt R A Milne-Thomson, Lt H N Edmonds DSC
of P.36, Lt J A Lindsell of PANDORA, Lt N Marriott DSC of P.39, Sub Lt G P
Bulmer of P.39, Warrant Engineer H G Howes, Ty/Lt R P G Owen RNR of P.39, Act/Sub
Lt D Hawkyard RNR of P.39, Sub Lt J F Wilford
RNVR and seventy seven ratings – 22 from P.39, three from light cruiser
PENELOPE, and two from P.36, were lost. The nine survivors - three from OLYMPUS and six from
P.39, managed to swim ashore.
Monday, 11 May
Destroyers JERVIS, KIPLING, JACKAL and LIVELY departed Alexandria to attack
a German-Italian convoy en route to Benghazi, and were instead attacked by
German bombers in the Eastern Mediterranean on the 11th. KIPLING (Cdr A St Clair Ford DSO) and LIVELY (Lt Cdr W F E Hussey DSO, DSC) were sunk, and JACKAL (Cdr R Mc P Jonas DSC) was
damaged at the same time as KIPLING, and sank in tow next day. Casualties
were as follows:
KIPLING - six ratings killed, Lt (E) P G Fyers-Turner DSC and 17
ratings missing, Act/Sub Lt A J C Baker RNR died of wounds
two days later and a rating died of wounds in August.
LIVELY - Cdr Hussey and one
rating killed, and fifty seven ratings missing. Lt Cdr (E) A H Bacchus was
wounded.
JACKAL - five ratings killed,
three missing and one died of wounds.
JERVIS rescued 630 survivors from the three ships.
______
Tug C.308 (Boatswain C M
Radcliffe) was sunk by German bombing at Malta. Boatswain
Radcliffe and nine ratings were lost.
______
Anti-submarine trawler BEDFORDSHIRE
(443grt, Lt R B Davis RNR), on loan to the
USN, was sunk by U.558 off Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Lt Davis, Ty/Sub
Lt H Chitterbuck RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt B Hall RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt T Cunningham RNVR and
all ratings were lost.
Friday, 15 May
Light cruiser TRINIDAD (Captain L S
Saunders) was sunk in the Barent's Sea. Lt (E) J G Boddy, forty nine ratings
and twelve Marines were missing. Py/Ty/Surgeon Lt R P M Miles RNVR, was
wounded.
Saturday, 23 May
German steamer ASUNCION (4626grt) was
sunk on a mine in Norwegian waters.
Wednesday, 27 May
Minesweeper FITZROY (Cdr A
C A C Duckworth) was sunk by mining off Great Yarmouth. One rating died of
wounds and twelve were missing. Ty/Surgeon Lt G P Fahrni RCNVR was wounded.
May, miscellaneous
At the time of the landings at Diego Suarez, French steamers MARECHAL
GALLIENI (1559grt) and AMIRAL PIERRE attempted to escape to Lourenco Marques. AMIRAL PIERRE was intercepted and
scuttled herself. MARECHAL GALLIENI
was captured and taken to a South African port.
Background Events - June-October 1942
Malta, Atlantic & Russian convoy battles, Raid on
Dieppe, Battles of Midway, Alamein, and for
Guadalcanal
JUNE
Wednesday,
3 June
Whaler
COCKER (ex-KOS XIX, Lt D H
Crampton RNR) was sunk by U.331 off
Bardia. Ty/Lt M P Gallop RNVR and fourteen ratings were missing. Ty/Lt D M
Engeler RANVR was wounded.
Friday, 12 June
Destroyer GROVE (Lt Cdr J
W Rylands) was sunk by submarine torpedo in the Eastern
Mediterranean. Four ratings died of wounds, and Ty/Act/Gunner B J
Fleetwood, Ty/Sub Lt A C Hermon-Hodge RNVR and one hundred and six ratings
were missing.
Sunday, 14 June
MALTA CONVOYS
OPERATIONS HARPOON AND VIGOROUS
Light cruiser LIVERPOOL was damaged by an Italian
torpedo bomber in HARPOON, and taken in tow by destroyer ANTELOPE
Monday, 15 June
MALTA CONVOYS HARPOON AND VIGOROUS
(continued)
Light cruiser NEWCASTLE in VIGOROUS was
badly damaged by a motor torpedo boat. There were no casualties.
Destroyer BEDOUIN (Cdr B G
Scurfield OBE) was sunk by aircraft torpedo in the Central
Mediterranean. Sub Lt C N Parker, Lt F T Skinner and twenty six
ratings were missing. Cdr
Scurfield, Lt P Bullard, Sub Lt R J Evans RNVR, Lt Cdr (E) J S Mc N Jay, Lt E
A S Manners, Ty/Lt J G Marshall RNVR, Ty/Lt J A R Moller RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt C J
Montgomery RNVR, Ty/Surgeon Lt R St. CMooney RNVR, Schoolmaster R S G Wilson
and 203 ratings were taken prisoner.
Destroyer HASTY (Lt Cdr N
H G Austen) in VIGOROUS was badly damaged by German motor torpedo boat S.55
in 34-10N, 22-00E. One rating was killed, eleven missing, and one died of
wounds. Destroyer HOTSPUR scuttled
HASTY
Escort destroyer AIREDALE (Lt
Cdr A G Forman) in VIGOROUS was badly damaged by bombing in 33-50N, 24-00E.
Lt J C K McCKinsman and forty four ratings were lost. Nine officers and 124 ratings were rescued, before AIREDALE was
scuttled by sister ship ALDENHAM, one of whose officers, Lt H T Tanner was
killed the same day.
Australian destroyer NESTOR
(Cdr A S Rosenthal DSO RAN) in VIGOROUS was badly damaged by bombing in
33-36N, 24-30E. She was taken in tow by destroyer JAVELIN, but had to be
scuttled on the 16th. Three RAN and one RN rating were lost.
______
Anti-submarine trawler KINGSTON
CEYLONITE (448grt, Skipper W Mc K Smith RNR), on loan to the
USN, was sunk on a mine in Chesapeake Bay. Skipper Smith,
Ty/Skipper T O FLeiper RNR and eighteen
ratings were missing.
Tuesday, 16 June
MALTA CONVOYS HARPOON AND VIGOROUS
(continued)
Light cruiser HERMIONE
(Captain G N Oliver DSO) was sunk by U.205 in the Western
Mediterranean in 33-20N, 26-00E. Cdr (E) S T G Bartwell DSC, Lt (E)
L F Guppy, Paymaster Cdr G C G Marfell, Warrant Engineer L R B Pearce,
Warrant Engineer W Wright, Ty/Surgeon Lt J W Ashley BM, BCh RNVR, Paymaster
Lt G B Kidd RNVR, Ty/Lt R J Browne RCNVR and seventy nine ratings were lost. Four hundred and forty crew were
rescued.
Wednesday, 17 June
Destroyer WILD SWAN (Lt
Cdr C E L Sclater) was sunk by German bombing in the Western Approaches.
Thirty one ratings were lost.
Sunday, 21 June
German steamer REICHENFELS
(7744grt) was sunk by a British torpedo bomber in 34-43N, 11-58E.
______
Submarine P.514 (Lt Cdr R
M E Pain), which had lost her escort corvette PRIMROSE in low visibility, was
sunk by Canadian minesweeper GEORGIAN, escorting convoy CL.43, in 46-33N,
53-40W. Cdr Pain, Lt W A Phillimore, Ty/Lt C A Bentley RNR, Ty/Lt J Taylor RNR, Ty/Lt (E) J F
Magill RCNR and thirty seven ratings were lost. Corvette DIANTHUS departed St Johns later that day to
join PRIMROSE in her search for the submarine.
______
South African minesweeping whaler PARKTOWN (Lt L J Jagger, SASDF) was sunk by an Italian motor
torpedo boat off Tobruk. Lt Jagger was killed. Sub Lt E R Francis was
wounded.
Sunday, 28 June
German steamer SAVONA (2120grt)
departed Benghazi on the 28th,
escorted by Italian torpedo boat CIRCE and two German S-boats, and was lost
after stranding near Sidi Sueicher.
JULY
Sunday,
5 July
Russian
submarine SC/320 sank German steamer ANNA
(677grt) west of Memel.
Thursday, 9 July
Anti-submarine trawler MANOR
(314grt, Skipper B Pile RNR) was sunk by a
German motor torpedo boat in the English Channel. Skipper Pile,
Ty/Skipper J Jaques RNR, Skipper J Wood RNR and twenty six
ratings were missing.
Saturday, 25 July
Anti-submarine trawler LAERTES
(Act/Skipper Lt P J Quinlan DSC RNR) was sunk by a
U.201 off Freetown in 6-00N, 14-17W.
Skipper Quinlan, Skipper A Lawrence RNR, Ty/Skipper J
Reid RNR and sixteen ratings were
missing.
AUGUST
Sunday,
2 August
MALTA CONVOY, OPERATION
PEDESTAL
Designated
WS 21, but not in fact properly one of the convoys of this series as the
title was applied to the ships destined for Operation Pedestal,a relief
convoy to Malta from the UK Prior to passing theStraits of Gibraltar on
10.8.42 however, the convoy did bear the style shown and the convoy sailing
order is therefore included from the Clyde from which it sailed on 2.8.42
until passing the Straits on 10.8.
|
DEUCALION
11
|
PORT CHALMERS
21
|
EMPIRE HOPE
31
|
GLENORCHY
41
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