Background
Events - November 1942-January 1943
Landings in
French North Africa ('Torch'), Final battles for
Guadalcanal & Stalingrad, 'Cockleshell
heroes', Battle of Barents Sea
1943
JANUARY
Friday,
1
January
Submarine
P.311 (Cdr R D Cayley DSO),
carrying Chariots 10 and 18 for
Operation PRINCIPAL departed Malta on 28 December
for Maddalena. She was probably mined in the Straits of
Bonifacio, but there
is also the possibility she was sunk by Italian torpedo
boat PARTENOPE on the
29th. Cdr Cayley, Lt R H S Silver, Lt C Buckley RNVR,
Ty/Sub Lt I N Macrae
RNR, Lt (E) J H
Gordon, the fifty six ratings of the crew, Lt C E
Bonnell DSC RCNVR, Ty/Lt G
Stretton-Smith RNVR, Ty/Act/Lt J Sargent RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt
G G Goss RNVR, 2nd
Lt J Kerr Highland Light Infantry and five ratings of
the Chariot personnel
were lost.
Sunday, 3 January
In Operation PRINCIPAL, submarines TROOPER (with Chariots
16, 19, and
23) and THUNDERBOLT (with 15 and 22) launched all five
Chariots against
Palermo.
They then
withdrew, leaving submarine P.46 to pick up the crews.
The fates of the
Chariots follow:
Chariot
16
(Sub
Lt R G Dove
RNVR and Leading Seaman J Freel) mined liner VIMINALE
(8500grt) which was
badly damaged.
Chariot
19
(Ty/Lt H F Cook
RNVR and Able Seaman Worthy). Lt Cook was drowned when
his suit was torn getting
through the boom defense nets, but AB Worthy drove the
Chariot ashore and
blew it up prior to being captured.
Chariot
23
(Sub Lt H L H
Stevens RNVR and Leading Seaman Carter) had to abandon
the attack due to
mechanical failure and her crew was picked up by P.46.
Chariot
15
(Ty/Petty Officer
J M Miln and Able Seaman W Simpson) was lost with due to
unknown causes prior
to entering harbour. AB Simpson was lost, but PO Miln
survived.
Chariot
22
(Lt R T G
Greenland RNVR and Leading Signalman A Ferrier), was
able to mine new light
cruiser ULPIO TRAIANO, which was sunk. Mines were also
fixed to destroyer
GRECALE and corvettes CICLONE and GAMMA, but were
removed before exploding.
The crews of Chariot 16 and 22 were also captured.
Thursday, 7 January
Anti-submarine trawler JURA (545
tons, Ty/Lt E Havercroft
RNR)
was sunk by
U.371 in the
Western Mediterranean.
Ty/Sub Lt R S
Carter RNVR was killed, and Lt Havercroft, Ty/Sub Lt J
Crawshaw RNVR and
fourteen ratings were missing.
_____
Anti-submarine trawler HORATIO
(545 tons, Ty/Lt C A Lemkey
RNR)
was sunk by
German motor torpedo boat S.58 in the Western
Mediterranean off the Algerian
coast.
Tuesday, 12 January
Anti-submarine trawler KINGSTON
JACINTH (356 tons, Skipper R W Denny
RNR)
was mined off Portsmouth.
Friday, 15 January
Destroyer ROXBOROUGH (Lt Cdr A C Price), escorting convoy
HX 222, was
badly damaged by heavy seas that stove in her bridge.
Cdr Price was killed in
his sea cabin, and the first lieutenant, Lt G Osborne
RNVR, died of his injuries
ten hours later. One rating was missing.
Lt G M Greenwood RCNVR, who had been aft, was able to
regain control
of the ship, which was proceeded to
St
Johns, NF. She was later
repaired at
Charlestown,
SC and returned to
duty on 15 April.
Monday,
18
January
A further Chariot attempt, Operation WELCOME, was made
against
Tripoli
on the night of
the 18th/19th from THUNDERBOLT. Two
Chariots were launched, but Chariot 12
developed defects soon after launching and landed at
about 0330 west of
Tripoli where it was destroyed by her crew,
Lt G Larkin RNVR and PO Berey. Chariot 13
was also lost, after
entering the harbour, and her crew of Sub Lt H L H
Stevens RNVR and CERA S
Buxton were taken prisoner.
Sunday, 31 January
Corvette SAMPHIRE (Lt Cdr
F T Renny DSC, RD
RNR)
was sunk by Italian
submarine PLATINO in the
Western Mediterranean
in 37-07N, 5-32E.
Cdr Renny, Ty/Sub Lt G C Abbott RNVR, Ty/Lt R J Murray
RNVR and forty two
ratings were missing.
Background
Events - February-May 1943
Battles for Tunis
& North Africa, Battle of
Atlantic peaks, U-boats withdraw, 'Dambusters'
raid'
FEBRUARY
Monday,
1
February
Cruiser
minelayer WELSHMAN (Captain W H D
Friedberger DSC), on passage from Malta to Alexandria,
was sunk by
U.617 off
Crete
in 32-12N, 24-52E.
Destroyers BELVOIR and TETCOTT were dispatched to
assist, but she sank before
a tow could be passed. Cdr F J C Allen (ret), Sub Lt P B
Edwards, Ty/Lt (E) A
Mackenzie, Paymaster Lt B K Freedman, Ty/Gunner (T) L F
G Cook, Ty/Lt J C
Cherry RNVR, Ty/Lt E E Davis RNVR, Ty/Surgeon Lt J B
Houghton MRCS, LRCP
RNVR, Ty/Paymaster Lt B W Holman RNVR and one hundred
and forty three ratings
were lost.
Friday, 5 February
Naval trawler STRONSAY
(Ty/Lt A F W Boumphrey RNVR) was sunk on a mine in the
Western
Mediterranean. There were no casualties.
Saturday, 6 February
Canadian corvette
LOUISBURG
(Lt Cdr W F Campbell RCNVR) was sunk by
Italian
aircraft off
Oran.
Cdr Campbell, Lt
E Wilson, thirty five Canadian ratings and five RN were
lost. Three officers
and 47 ratings were rescued by destroyer LOOKOUT.
Sunday, 7 February
Minesweeping trawler TERVANI
(409 tons, Act/Skipper F G Blockwell
RNR)
was sunk by
Italian submarine ACCIAIO off Algeria. Skipper
Blockwell, Ty/Skipper J H Noble RNR and twenty
ratings were missing.
Monday, 8 February
Anti-submarine trawler BREDON
(750 tons, Ty/Lt J R Fradgley RNVR) was sunk by a German
submarine in the North
Atlantic. Lt Fradgley,
Ty/Sub Lt P J Good RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt F P W Neve RNVR and
forty ratings were
missing.
Tuesday, 9 February
Corvette ERICA (Ty/Lt A C
C Seligman
RNR)
was sunk on a mine off Benghazi. A number of
ratings were lost. All the officers and 71 ratings were
rescued by
anti-submarine whaler SOUTHERN MAID.
Monday, 22 February
Canadian corvette WEYBURN (Lt
Cdr T M Golby RCNR) was sunk on a mine, four miles east
of
Cape
Spartel in 35-46N, 6-02W,
her depth charges exploding as she sank. Cdr Golby,
Ty/Sub Lt W Bark RCNVR,
six Canadian ratings and one RN were lost. Destroyer
WIVERN alongside was badly damaged by the explosion of
the depth charges. However, she picked up 27 survivors,
while 41 more plus 15
of her own wounded were rescued by sloop BLACK SWAN.
WIVERN was taken in tow
by BLACK SWAN, and required seventeen months to repair.
Wednesday, 24 February
Submarine VANDAL (Lt J S
Bridger) was lost in an accident in the Firth of Clyde.
Lt Bridger, Lt J M B
Portman, Ty/Lt M V Ebel GM RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt J H Hickley
RNVR and the entire
crew of thirty three ratings were lost.
_____
Norwegian submarine UREDD
was lost about this time. Sub Lt E Conde RNVR and two
communications ratings
were lost with the Norwegian crew.
Saturday, 27 February
Submarine
TIGRIS
(Lt Cdr G R Colvin) was sunk by German
anti-submarine
vessel UJ.2210 south of
Naples.
Cdr Colvin, Sub
Lt T R Crawley-Boevey, Lt R M P Eaton, Lt (E) G S
Nicholson RNR, Lt A R Sabbe -
St Leger, Lt R G Sampson DSC and fifty seven ratings
were lost.
_____
German S.65, S.68, S.81 and S.85 of the 5th Motor Torpedo
Boat
Flotilla attacked convoy WP.300 in
Lyme
Bay. Steamer MODAVIA (4858grt), LCT.381,
and trawlers HARSTAD and LORD HAILSHAM
(Ty/Lt P H G Clark RNVR) were sunk. LORD HAILSHAM
lost nine ratings killed and nine missing.
MARCH
Thursday,
11
March
Destroyer
HARVESTER
damaged U.444 by depth charges and ramming in the North
Atlantic in 51-38N,
29-18W, but in the ramming, her port engine was put out
of action. French
corvette ACONIT joined and finished off the submarine at
0135. Four German
survivors were picked up by ACONIT and one by HARVESTER
(Cdr A A Tait DSO), which was then sunk by U.432 at
midday in 51-23N, 28-40W. ACONIT again returned
to the
scene, sank U.432 and rescued several survivors from the
destroyer. One
rating was killed, and Cdr Tait, Ty/Surgeon Lt W R B
Dickinson RNVR, Lt W G
Edwards, Ty/Lt A Johnson RNVR, Ty/Act/Gunner (T) G H
Padgham, Cdr C G
Thompson OBE, Ty/Sub Lt R H Thorne RNVR, Ty/Midshipman G
P Tulitt
RNR,
Lt T S Winton
RNVR and one hundred and thirty five ratings were
missing.
Friday, 12 March
Light cruisers AURORA, SIRIUS with destroyers LIGHTNING
and LOYAL
were operating off
Bizerte
when LIGHTNING (Cdr H G Walters DSC) was
sunk by German motor torpedo boat S.55 north of Bizerte
in 37-53N, 9-50E.
Four ratings were killed, one died of wounds, and Ty/Sub
Lt D W Callow
RNZNVR, Lt J P S Cundell and eighteen ratings were
missing. Eight ratings were wounded, and
LOYAL rescued 170 survivors.
Sunday, 14 March
Submarine THUNDERBOLT (Lt
C B Crouch DSO) was sunk by Italian corvette CICOGNA off
Cape
Milazzo, Sicily. Lt Crouch, Lt G
P Horlick, Lt R P Webb, Lt J Edgar, Lt E P Maw RNVR, Lt
(E) D A M Woodcock
and fifty six ratings were lost.
_____
Minesweeping trawler MORAVIA
(Ty/Skipper Lt H R Pook
RNR)
was sunk on a
mine in the
North Sea.
Tuesday, 23 March
Submarine TURBULENT (Cdr J
W Linton DSO, DSC) was declared lost after failing to
return after a patrol
off
Sardinia. It is not known how she was lost, but
most probably
mined after 14 March off eastern
Corsica.
Cdr Linton, Lt A
O Baker, Lt J P Blake DSC, Lt (E) C F E Chartres, Lt B C
W Clements DSC, Sub
Lt J M Lawson and sixty one ratings were lost. Linton
was awarded the Victoria Cross on
25 May 1943.
Saturday, 27 March
Escort aircraft carrier DASHER
(Captain L A K Boswell DSO) was sunk by a petrol
explosion five miles south
of
Cumbrae
Island. Lt Cdr P H
Havers, Lt R C B Stallard-Renoyre of 826 Squadron, Sub
Lt O T Johnston,
Schoolmaster J N Cuthbert, MA, Lt K W Davies RNR, Ty/Lt
F E Price RNR, Ty/Lt Cdr (E) J
W Scotchmoor
RNR,
Ty/Act/Lt Cdr (E) W L Allan
RNR, Ty/Sub Lt (E) T J A Moore
RNR,
Ty/Paymaster Sub
Lt N L P Monks
RNR,
Ty/Lt J Hughes RNVR,
Ty/Act/Lt J S Wrathall RNVR, Ty/Lt (A) A D Richardson
NZRNVR of 891 Squadron,
Ty/Sub Lt (A) J R Walker RNVR, of 826 Squadron, Ty/Sub
Lt (A) M J Banister
RNVR of 837 Squadron, Ty/Sub Lt W K Lockwood RNVR of 837
Squadron, Ty/Sub Lt
(A) R Paden RNVR of 826 Squadron, Ty/Lt (E) A H Lincoln
RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt (E) F
E J Barker RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt (E) H A Hough RNVR,
Ty/Act/Sub Lt (E) T V Buxton
RNVR, Ty/Act/Sub Lt W P Haughie RNVR, Ty/Act/Sub Lt (E)
A Cameron RNVR,
Ty/Act/Sub Lt R Hutchinson RNVR, Ty/Act/Sub Lt W A Swan
RNVR, Ty/Act/Sub Lt F
Tetlow RNVR, Ty/Surgeon Lt T P Storey DSC RNVR, Ty/Sub
Lt (sp) J R Langley
RNVR and three hundred and fifty ratings were lost in
the aircraft carrier.
One hundred and forty nine survivors, including the
commanding officer, were
rescued, but burning petrol on the sea hampered rescue
efforts.
APRIL
Sunday,
11
April
Destroyer
BEVERLEY (Lt Cdr R A Price),
escorting convoy ON.176, was damaged in a collision with
steamer CAIRNRONA in
the
North Atlantic on the 9th. In this damaged stage,
she was sunk
by U.188 in 52-19N, 40-28W. Cdr Price, Lt J Bolster, Lt
A MacC Collie RNVR,
Ty/Lt (E) D F Ford, Ty/Lt M G S Harston RNVR, Ty/Surgeon
Lt P A Rees RNVR, Lt
D H Revill DSC
RNR,
Ty/Sub Lt G L Routledge
RNVR, Act/Gunner (T) E H Stribley and one hundred and
thirty nine ratings
were missing in the loss of the ship. Only four crew
were rescued.
Tuesday, 13 April
Norwegian destroyer ESKDALE,
escorting convoy PW.323 with destroyer GLAISDALE, was
damaged by German motor
torpedo boat S.90 and later sunk by S.112 off the Lizard
Head. Twenty five
crew were lost, but 105 rescued.
Wednesday, 14 April
Armed patrol trawler ADONIS
(644 tons, former Norwegian NORDHAV I, later AVALON,
Ty/Skipper H Draper RNR)
was sunk off Lowestoft by German S-boats
of the 4th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla. Skipper Draper
was killed and
Ty/Skipper C White
RNR
wounded.
Friday, 16 April
Destroyer PAKENHAM (Cdr B
Jones DSC) was badly damaged off
Sicily
by gunfire from
Italian torpedo boats CASSIOPEA and CIGNO. Nine ratings
were killed, and one
died of wounds. Destroyer PALADIN in company took her in
tow, but attacks by
enemy aircraft made the passage unsafe and PALADIN
scuttled her.
Sunday, 18 April
Submarine REGENT (Lt W N R
Knox DSC) was sunk, probably on a mine, in the Straits
of Otranto. Lt Knox,
Act/Warrant Engineer R B Baker, Lt J W S Culham, Sub Lt
R R Fernie, Lt P R J
Gibson, Warrant Engineer E J C Pratt, Ty/Lt R J Sutton
RNVR and fifty six
ratings were lost. Three bodies were washed ashore in
May.
_____
Submarine P.615 (Lt G W St
C Lambert), escorted by motor minesweeper
MMS.107,
was sunk by
U.123 in 6-49N, 13-09W. Lt Lambert, Lt A F Davies, Sub
Lt H H Weeks RNR, Ty/Lt D Burnell
RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt D E Nicholl RNVR and the entire crew of
thirty eight ratings
were lost.
Wednesday, 21 April
Submarine SPLENDID (Lt I L
M McGeoch) was sunk by German destroyer HERMES (captured
Greek destroyer
VASILEFS GEORGIOS I) SSE of Capri. Eighteen crew members
were lost. Twenty seven crew, including Lt
McGeoch, Ty/Lt R G Balkwill RNVR, Lt G G Hardy RNVR and
Ty/Lt (E) D W
Laidlaw, were rescued and made prisoners of war.
Saturday, 24 April
Submarine SAHIB (Lt J H
Bromage DSO, DSC) scuttled herself after being damaged
by Italian corvettes
GABBIANO, EUTERPE, and CLIMENE off
Cape
Milazzo. One rating was
lost. Lt Bromage, Ty/Sub Lt N T O Berry RNR, Lt A N
Brookes,
Sub Lt R G Carr, Lt L E Peyton Jones DSO, DSC, Warrant
Engineer D J Thomas
DSC and forty one ratings were captured and made
prisoners of war.
MAY
Sunday,
30 May
Submarine UNTAMED
(Lt G M Noll) was lost when
she failed to surface during exercises with
anti-submarine yacht SHEMARA off
Campbeltown. Lt Noll, Lt J P Duncan, Sub Lt P C G
Ackworth, Ty/Sub Lt G T C
Higgins RNVR, Sub Lt P L Clavton and the thirty one
ratings of the crew were
lost. She was salved and served as VITALITY.
Monday,
31
May
While
training in midget submarine X.7 in Loch Striven, Sub Lt
D H Locke RNVR was
killed in a diving accident.
Background
Events - June-September 1943
Invasion of Sicily
('Husky'), Battle of Kursk, Italy
surrenders, Salerno landings ('Avalanche'),
U-boat packs return to Atlantic, X-craft attack
'Tirpitz'
JUNE
Friday,
11 June
Australian
corvette WALLAROO (Ty/Lt E S Ross, RANR (S))
was sunk in collision with American steamer GILBERT
COSTIN off Fremantle. Two
ratings were killed and one missing. She was abandoned
after seven hours
following attempts to get her in to port. An American
aircraft located the
survivors and directed an Australian warship to the
scene.
JULY
AUGUST
Thursday,
5
August
German
motor
torpedo boats S.39, S.74, S.80, S.94, S.89, S.86, and
S.83 of the 2nd
and 6th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotillas carried out a raid
in the Harwich area.
Minesweeping trawler RED GAUNTLET
(Lt J N Childs RNVR) was sunk by S.86 near Harwich. One
rating was killed, Lt
Childs and nineteen ratings were missing.
Friday, 6 August
Submarine PARTHIAN (Lt C A
Pardoe
RNR)
was lost in the South Adriatic, most probably to
mining. She was due to arrive at Beirut on the 11th. Lt
Pardoe, Lt M A Von Bergen, Ty/Sub Lt J F Goodwin RNVR,
Ty/Sub Lt J T R Walker
RNVR and sixty one ratings were lost.
Saturday, 14 August
Submarine SARACEN (Lt M G
R Lumby DSO, DSC) was sunk by Italian corvettes MINERVA
and EUTERPE off
Bastia,
Corsica. One rating was
killed and three missing. MINERVA picked up two officers
and 24 ratings,
EUTERPE three officers and 17 ratings. Lt Lumby, Ty/Lt N
F Carrington RNVR,
Ty/Act/Warrant Engineer H S Chown, Lt J H W Craven,
Act/Sub Lt R C Elliott RNR and 39 ratings
were rescued and made prisoners of war. Eleven ratings
escaped when Italy surrendered in
September before the prisoners were taken over by German
troops. Sub Lt
Elliott "died on war service" on
8 May 1944, Stoker W Holt as a prisoner of
war, and
Leading Stoker T H Barber was killed in an RAF air raid
on
13 September 1943.
Friday, 27 August
Sloop EGRET (Act/Cdr John
V Waterhouse) was sunk by German glider bomb attack 30
miles west of Vigo in
the Bay of Biscay in 42-10N, 9-22W. Ty/Lt C S Cahill
RNVR, Ty/Gunner E W
Carter, Warrant Engineer R W Hailes, Ty/Sub Lt P D
Harthorn RNVR,
Lt
P A S Lane, Lt J B Mason and
one hundred and eighty eight ratings were missing. Capt
Godfrey N Brewer
(also on board) and Ty/Sub Lt T B Brotheridge RNVR were
wounded. (Correction
with thanks to Ian Macleod)
Canadian destroyer ATHABASKAN in company was badly
damaged in another
glider bomb attack with two ratings killed and one
rating dying of wounds. Including the latter,
there were
fifteen wounded, including Lt Cdr D Lantier and Sub Lt J
A Brebner. However,
she still picked up Cdr Farquahar, four officers and
thirty ratings from
EGRET. ATHABASKAN was met by escort destroyers
GOATHLAND, LIMBOURNE and
TANATSIDE off the
Scilly Islands,
arrived at Devonport on the
30th, and repairs were completed there on 6 December.
SEPTEMBER
Monday,
6
September
Destroyer
PUCKERIDGE (Lt J C Cartwright
DSC), en route from
Gibraltar
to Oran, was sunk by
U.617 40 miles east of Europa Point. Sixty two ratings
were lost. Nine officers and 120 ratings were
rescued.
Friday, 10 September
OCCUPATION
OF TARANTO, OPERATION
SLAPSTICK
Minelaying cruiser ABDIEL
(Captain D Orr Ewing), carrying 400 troops, and which
had departed
Bizerte
on the 8th with US light cruiser BOISE, was sunk when
she struck a contact mine at Taranto in 40-29N,
17-15E. Ty/Act/Lt Cdr (E) A H Brown, Act/Paymaster Lt
Cdr R H Alington,
Paymaster Sub Lt M Booth, Ty/Gunner (T) J G Barnacle
DSC, Ty/Surgeon Lt N A
Terwillegar MD RCNVR, Lt D M Dent RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt A J
Plant RNVR, forty one
ratings, and one hundred and one troops of the 6th
Parachute Battalion were
lost. Six ratings and 120 troops were wounded.
_____
In fighting at
Salerno
following the
landings on the 9th, Act/Ty/Captain R M Stott RM, Ty/Lt
T S Hawkard RM and
Ty/Lt D C Lloyd RM of 41 Commando Royal Marines, were
lost.
Saturday, 11 September
MIDGET
SUBMARINE ATTACK ON
GERMAN SHIPS IN NORWAY, OPERATION SOURCE
Submarines THRASHER (Lt A R Hezlet DSC) towed X.5 (Lt H
Henty-Creer),
TRUCULENT (Lt R L Alexander DSO) towed X.6 (Lt D Cameron
RNR),
STUBBORN (Lt A
A Duff) towed X.7 (Lt B C G Place DSC), SEA NYMPH (Lt J
P H
Oakley DSC) towed X.8 (Lt B M McFarlane, RAN), SYRTIS
(Lt M H Jupp DSC) towed
X.9 (Lt T L Martin) and SCEPTRE (Lt I S McIntosh MBE,
DSC) towed X.10 (Lt K R
Hudspeth, RANVR).
Operation SOURCE was the attack on capital German
warships in
Norway.
The operation was split into three plans –
(1) operation FUNNEL, attack on the target in
Altenfjord, (2) Operation
EMPIRE, attack on the Narvik area, and (3) Operation
FORCED, attack on the Trondheim area, so the
attack could be directed against the enemy in whichever
area he might be
located.
The submarines for Operation FUNNEL departed Loch
Cairnbawn on the
11th, less SCEPTRE, which with the shortest trip left at
1300/12th. X.5, X.6
and X.7 were to attack battleship TIRPITZ, X.8 heavy
cruiser LUTZOW, and X.9
and X.10 battlecruiser SCHARNHORST.
X.9
(passage
commanding officer Sub Lt E Kearon RNVR) was lost en
route on the 16th with
Sub Lt Kearon, Ordinary Seaman A H Harte and Stoker G H
Hollett in the vessel
X.8
was scuttled en
route on the 18th, following damage caused when she
jettisoned her explosive
charges to correct trim. The passage crew was taken
aboard her towing
submarine
SEA
NYMPH
This only left X.5, X.6, X.7 and X.10 to launch their
attacks on the
20th.
X.5
was sunk before
reaching TIRPITZ. Lt H Hentry-Creer RNVR, Sub Lt A D
Malcolm RNVR, Sub Lt T J
Nelson RNVR and ERA R J Mortiboys were lost.
X.6
and X.7 were able to mine TIRPITZ, but
were lost shortly after. X.6's crew of four, Sub Lt D
Cameron, Sub Lt J T
Lorimer RNVR Sub Lt R H Kendall RNVR,and ERA4 E Goddard
was made prisoners
and taken aboard TIRPITZ. X.7's crew of Lt B C G Place
DSC and Sub Lt R
Aitken RNVR were also made prisoners and taken aboard
TIRPITZ, but Sub Lt L B
Whittam RNVR and ERA4 W M Whitley were lost.
X.10 returned safely to submarine STUBBORN having been
unable to
locate SCHARNHORST, then at sea exercising. The crew, Lt
K R Hudspeth RANVR,
Ty/Act/Sub Lt G G Harding RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt B E Enzer RNVR
and ERA4 L R Tilley
turned her over to the passage crew, but X.10
was scuttled in heavy weather on 3 October.
Monday, 20 September
ASSAULT
ON THE ESCORTS,
CONVOYS ONS.18
AND
ON.202
Frigate LAGAN, escorting
convoy ON.202, was torpedoed by U.260 in 57-09N, 27-28W
using the new Gnat acoustic
torpedoes. She was towed back to the
UK
by tug DESTINY,
arriving on the 24th, but declared a constructive total
loss.
Canadian destroyer
ST
CROIX (Lt Cdr A H Dobson RCNR), escorting
ON.202, was
torpedoed by U.305 in 57-30N, 31-10W, and an hour later,
torpedoed a second
time by U.305 and sunk. The commanding officer, four
officers and and 76
ratings were rescued by frigate ITCHEN, but when she was
sunk, only one
rating was saved from the crew of
ST
CROIX. In total, ST
CROIX lost Cdr Dobson, Lt R T N Porter, Act/Ty/Lt Cdr P
F M De Freitas RCNR,
Lt P S Major RCNVR, Ty/Lt C A Ross RCNVR, Ty/Lt J F
Gallagher RCNVR, Ty/Lt G
B Wright RCNVR, Ty/Sub Lt W L Page RCNVR, Surgeon Lt W L
M King RCNVR, Ty/Lt
(E) D Ridge RCNVR and one hundred and thirty seven
ratings.
Corvette POLYANTHUS (Ty/Lt
J G Aitken
RNR),
also escorting ON 202, was
ordered to join ITCHEN searching for the submarine
responsible for sinking ST
CROIX and also to rescue survivors. She never reached
ITCHEN, and was sunk by
U.952 in 57-00N, 31-10W. Lt Aitken, Ty/Act/Sub Lt P J
Atkins RNVR, Ty/Lt H
Bradshaw
RNR,
Ty/Lt J R Harridge RNVR,
Ty/Act/Sub Lt G M Ponman RNVR, Ty/Lt G H Shepard RNVR,
Ty/Lt H Whitehead RNVR
and seventy eight ratings were missing. The only
survivor, Sub Lt F J
Young RNVR, was rescued by ITCHEN.
Wednesday, 22 September
ASSAULT
ON THE ESCORTS,
CONVOYS ONS.18
AND
ON.202 (continued)
Frigate ITCHEN (Act/Cdr C
E Bridgman DSO
RNR),
escorting ON.202,was sunk
by U.666 in 53-25N, 39-42W. Cdr Bridgman, Ty/Lt C T A S
Archbold RCNVR, Ty/Surgeon
Lt P H Colver RNVR, Ty/Lt F K Cook RNVR, Sub Lt E A
Griffin RNR, Ty/Lt W A
Johnston RCNVR, Ty/Warrant Engineer E T A Jolliffe DSM,
Ty/Act/Sub Lt L F
McSwine RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt D S Manning RNVR, Lt S Peoples
RNR, Ty/Act/Sub Lt T
M Radcliffe RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt W T L Rylance RNVR, Ty/Sub
Lt A D R White RNVR,
Ty/Act/Sub Lt F J Young RNVR and one hundred and thirty
six ratings were
missing from ITCHEN. The only
survivors from all three ships were one from ITCHEN, and
Stoker W Fisher from
ST CROIX and Sub Lt Young from POLYANTHUS, both
picked up by
American steamer JAMES SMITH (7181grt).
_____
Armed patrol drifter OCEAN
RETRIEVER (Act/Chief Skipper W A Capps DSC
RNR)
was sunk on a
mine in the Thames Estuary. Skipper Capps and ten
ratings were lost.
Saturday, 25 September
German S-boats of the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th Motor Torpedo
Boat
Flotillas laid 120 mines off Harwich and Ordforness in
Operation PROBESTUCK.
During the operation, minesweeping trawler FRANC
TIREUR (Act/Ty/Lt Cdr L R Greenwood RNVR) was
sunk by S.96
off Harwich. Ty/Lt W H Boyd RNVR and fourteen ratings
were missing. Off the Sunk Light Vessel, S.96
was
rammed by ML.150 and ML.145 and abandoned, two German
officers and eleven
ratings being picked up by ML.145 and made prisoners.
Three MLs were damaged
in the engagement, and ML.145 and ML.150 returned to
port with one officer
and one rating wounded.
Patrol sloop PUFFIN and destroyer PYTCHLEY engaged other
German motor
torpedo boats and claimed to have hit two of them.
Minesweeping trawler
STELLA RIGEL rammed and sank trawler DONNA NOOK during
another engagement
with the Germans, but the entire crew was rescued.
Sunday, 26 September
BRITISH
AEGEAN CAMPAIGN
Destroyer INTREPID (Cdr C
A de
W Kitcat) was sunk by German bombing at Port Laki,
Leros.
Midshipman J D B Deedes, Midshipman D Le M Granet and
three ratings were
killed, Gunner (T) C E Creasy and one rating died of
wounds, and eight
ratings were missing. Cdr Kitcat was wounded. Greek
destroyer QUEEN OLGA (Lt Cdr G Blessas DSO RHN)
was sunk in the same attack. Six officers and sixty four
ratings were killed.
Motor launches ML.356, ML.836 and ML.354 rescued
survivors from both ships.
Background
Events - October-December 1943
British
Aegean campaign, Battle for Italy, Battles for
New Guinea & Solomons, US landings on
Tarawa,
'Scharnhorst' sunk in Battle of North Cape,
Burma
campaign
OCTOBER
Sunday,
3 October
Submarine
USURPER (Lt D R O Mott DSC) was
lost in the northern part of the Gulf of Genoa, probably
by
mining after this date. She failed to arrive at Algiers
on the 12th. Lt
Mott, Ty/Act/Sub Lt J D S Anderson RNVR, Sub Lt P A S
Frost, Act/Lt S L
Jordon, Lt J H Worth and forty one ratings were lost.
_____
Minesweeping trawler MEROR
(Ty/Skipper H J May
RNR)
was sunk by a
mine in the
Humber
area.
Friday, 8 October
Polish destroyer ORKAN,
escorting convoy SC.143, was sunk by U.378 in 56-30N,
26-26W
9 October, Saturday
Destroyer PANTHER (Lt Cdr,
the Viscount Jocelyn) was sunk by German air attack in
Scarpanto
Strait. Lt Cdr (E) K H
Bloomer, Ty/Gunner (T) H W Jones, Ty/Lt A V Stubbs RNVR
and thirty three
ratings were missing.
Sunday, 17 October
Submarine TROOPER (Lt J S Wraith
DSO, DSC) was lost on patrol east of Leros, probably to
mining. She had
departed
Beirut
on 26 September
and was due back on this date. Lt Wraith, Lt A W
Anderson, Lt L A S Grant, Lt
(E) O F Lancaster DSC, Ty/Sub Lt H G Sumner RNVR, Ty/Sub
Lt J S Ryder, RANVR
and fifty seven ratings were lost.
Thursday, 21 October
Canadian minesweeper CHEDABUCTO
(Ty/Lt J H B Davies RCNR) was sunk in a collision with
cable ship LORD KELVIN
near St Simeon in the
St Lawrence River.
Lt (E) D W Tuke
RCNVR was lost. The rest of the crew of 71 were saved
uninjured.
Friday, 22 October
BRITISH
AEGEAN CAMPAIGN
(continued)
Escort destroyer HURWORTH was carrying out a diversion
with Greek
sister ship ADRIAS off the east coast of Kaymnos, while
destroyers JERVIS and
PATHFINDER landed supplies and personnel at Leros.
ADRIAS
was mined, her
forecastle blown off, and she was beached at Gumushuk on
the Turkish coast in
37-02N, 27-06E. Twenty one of her crew killed and 21
wounded. On 1 December,
she was able to proceed on her own power to Castelorizo,
arriving on the 3rd,
and from there, proceeded under her own power,
accompanied by tug BRIGAND and
escorted by destroyers JERVIS and PENN. Arriving at
Alexandria on the 6th, was
declared a constructive total loss and not repaired.
Still on the 22 October, destroyer HURWORTH (Cdr
R H Wright DSC, D.22), going to the assistance of
ADRIAS, was sunk on a mine east of Kaymnos,
Dodecanese
in 36-59N,
27-06E. Lt R A Morgan, Gunner V H Threadkell, Lt A R G
Pearce RNVR, Ty/Lt L F
Scholfield RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt E A Stocks RNVR, Ty/Surgeon
Lt R McF Kirkpatrick
RNVR and a number of ratings were lost. Eighty
five survivors, including Cdr Wright, were rescued and
taken to Budrun, Turkey.
Saturday, 23 October
OPERATION
TUNNEL
Light cruiser CHARYBDIS with destroyers GRENVILLE,
ROCKET, LIMBOURNE,
WENSLEYDALE, TALYBONT and STEVENSON, departed
Plymouth
on the 22nd to
intercept blockade runner MUNSTERLAND in the Bay of
Biscay. Early on the
23rd, they were engaged by a force of German torpedo
boats T.23, T.22, T.25,
T.26, and T.27 of the 4th Torpedo Boat Flotilla.
Cruiser CHARYBDIS (Captain
G A W Voelcker) was sunk T.23 and T.27. Captain
Voelcker, Ty/Act/Lt Cdr C G
Gwynn RNVR, Cdr (E) J D Hamilton, Ty/Chaplain Reverend W
H Mitchell RNVR,
Ty/Paymaster Sub Lt L G Turner RNVR, fifty three
ratings, and six Marines
were killed, and Ty/Lt F B Bennett RNVR, Lt J C Carver,
Act/Surgeon Lt Cdr H
de L N Davis RNVR, Paymaster Cdr A C Dickson, Lt P F
Duke, Ty/Act/Warrant
Electrician S J K G Elliott, Ty/Sub Lt S E Fisher RNVR,
Lt (E) G L Giles,
Gunner A J Hollingdale, Surgeon Cdr H de B Kempthorne,
Ty/Sub Lt J M
Leventhorpe, Lt (E) I D Leverett, Ty/Act/Paymaster Sub
Lt J W Little RNVR,
Act/Warrant Mechanic T Livesey, Schoolmaster F H Lowndes
DSC, Lt O A Moseley RNR,
Ty/Paymaster Lt
P E Oates RNVR, Ty/Act/Sub Lt J A Owen RNVR, Lt (E) P G
Pedrick, Lt (E) J M
Phillips, Ty/Act/Sub Lt J Pounds RNVR, Warrant
Shipwright H J Rees, Gunner W
T R Wilden, Ty/Act/Gunner (T) M J Williams, three
hundred and thirty seven
ratings, and thirty five Marines missing. Four
officers and 103 ratings were rescued.
Destroyer LIMBOURNE
(Act/Cdr W J Phipps OBE) was badly damaged by T.22, and
after an unsuccessful
attempt to tow, was scuttled by TALYBONT. Three ratings
died of wounds, and
Surgeon Lt R F Barlow and thirty eight ratings were
missing. Cdr Phipps, Ty/Lt P L Berridge RNVR,
Lt D V B Unwin and Ty/Lt J H Wilton RNVR were wounded,
and 11 officers and 92
ratings rescued.
Sunday, 24 October
BRITISH
AEGEAN CAMPAIGN
(continued)
Destroyer ECLIPSE (Cdr E
Mack DSC) was sunk on a mine in the
Aegean
in 37-02N,
27-08E. Four ratings were killed, and Commodore (D) P
Todd CBE, DSO, Commodore,
Levant Destroyer Flotillas, Py/Ty/Surgeon Lt P S
Cuthberton RNVR,
Commissioned Engineer J W Heavyside DSC, Ty/Lt D B
Symons RCNVR, Ty/Act/Sub
Lt A C Towers RNVR, one hundred and nine ratings, eight
Army officers and one
hundred thirty four other ranks were missing. Cdr Mack
and Lt R Durnford were
wounded. Destroyer PETARD picked up three officers,
including Mack, 29 ratings
and about ten soldiers, while ML.337, another motor
launch and an RAF rescue
launch three more officers, thirty nine ratings, two
Army officers and twenty
one ranks.
Monday, 25 October
Minesweeping trawler WILLIAM
STEPHEN (Ty/Skipper S Salenius
RNR)
was sunk by
German motor torpedo boat S.74 off Cromer. In return,
motor gunboats MGB.607
and MGB.603 sank S.63 and S.88.
NOVEMBER
Saturday,
13
November
BRITISH
AEGEAN CAMPAIGN
(continued)
Destroyer
DULVERTON (Cdr S A Buss MVO, D.5) was
sunk by German bombing off Kos. Cdr Buss, Sub Lt
M H Agnew, Ty/Surgeon Lt A D Bone DSC, MB, BS, MMRCS,
LRCP RNVR and seventy
five ratings were lost. Six officers and 103 men were
rescued by destroyers
BELVOIR and
ECHO
Friday, 19 November
Destroyer QUILLIAM was damaged by shore gunfire.
Paymaster Lt R H
Sharps was killed.
_____
Submarine SIMOON (Lt G D N
Milner) was sunk in the Dardanelles Approach, probably
on a mine. Lt Milner,
Lt B M Garbett, Warrant Engineer L F C Balson, Ty/Sub Lt
C M Cross RNVR,
Ty/Sub Lt L F Jones RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt T S Shanks RNVR and
the entire crew of
forty two ratings were lost.
Monday, 22 November
Minesweeper HEBE (Lt A L
Gulvin) was sunk on a mine off
Bari.
Three ratings
died of wounds, and Ty/Sub Lt J Hendrie RNVR and thirty
three ratings were
missing. Seventy two crew were rescued, half of them
wounded.
DECEMBER
Wednesday,
8 December
Naval trawler
RYSA (Ty/Act/Lt Cdr J H Cooper RNVR)
was sunk on a mine off Maddalena. Ty/Lt W H Bailey RNVR
and three ratings
were killed, and Cdr Cooper and fourteen ratings
missing. Ty/Sub Lt W G P
Brown RNVR was wounded.
Sunday, 12 December
HUNT
FOR U.593
Escort destroyer TYNEDALE
(Lt Cdr J J S Yorke DSC), escorting convoy KMS.34,was
sunk by U.593 in 37-10N,
6-05E. Ty/Sub Lt J M Butler RNVR was killed, one rating
died of wounds, and
Sub Lt D Binney, Ty/Lt J W Congreve RNVR, Lt A S
Corbould, Ty/Lt (E) H J
Haygarth, Ty/Surgeon Lt P G Jeffries RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt S R
Sothcott RNVR and
sixty five ratings were missing. The
survivors were rescued by corvette
HYDERABAD
and rescue tug
HENGIST
During a long hunt for U.593, escort destroyer HOLCOMBE
(Lt F M Graves), escorting convoy KMS 34, was also
sunk off
Bougie in 37-20N, 05-30E by the U-boat. Warrant Engineer
H Maunder and ten
ratings died of wounds, Lt K H West, Ty/Sub Lt E A
Palmer RNVR and seventy
one ratings were missing. There
were 80 survivors, including Lt Graves, Ty/Surgeon Lt J
G Bulstrode RNVR,
Ty/Act/Gunner J Burnett, Lt T Cumming, Ty/Sub Lt M T
Holmes RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt J
G Struthers RNVR who were wounded, and one officer who
was not.
Saturday, 18 December
French submarine PROTÉE was lost off
Toulon.
Sub Lt (Sp) A N
DeWael RNVR and two communications ratings were lost
with the French crew.
Saturday, 25 December
Anti-submarine trawler KINGSTON
BERYL (Ty/Sub Lt A W J Baker RNVR) was sunk on a
mine north of
Ireland.
Sub Lt Baker,
Ty/Sub Lt R B Harris RNVR and twenty six ratings were
missing.
Sunday, 26 December
BATTLE
OF NORTH CAPE
German battlecruiser SCHARNHORST
was sunk off
North Cape.
In the attack, destroyer
SAUMAREZ (Lt Cdr E W Walmsley DSC) was damaged. Sub Lt S
J Thorpe and ten
ratings killed. Eleven ratings were wounded.
Friday, 31 December
Minesweeper
CLACTON
(Act/Lt Cdr L S
Shaw
RNR)
was sunk on a mine off Corsica. Py/Ty/Surgeon Lt
M C Cross RNVR, Ty/Lt J M Foley RNVR, Ty/Lt H J Paveley
RNVR and thirty
ratings were missing. Cdr Shaw was wounded.