British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day by Don Kindell

NAVAL EVENTS, JANUARY-APRIL 1945
 
HMS Unicorn, light fleet and maintanance carrier
(NavyPhotos, click photographs for enlargements)

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Note: all vessels and aircraft are British unless otherwise identified or implied - click for abbreviations

 

 

 

1945

 

Background Events - January-April 1945
 Russians reach Germany, Indian Ocean operations, British inshore & Russian convoy battles continue, US takes Iwo Jima, British Pacific Fleet in action, Okinawa invaded, Defeat of Germany

 

JANUARY

 

Tuesday,  16 January  

 

Submarine PORPOISE (Act/Lt Cdr H B Turner) was declared lost after failing to return to Trincomalee. The most likely cause of her loss was an attack by Japanese anti-submarine vessels near Penang after damage by an aircraft. PORPOISE had laid minefields MLO.24 and MLO.25 in the Malacca Straits earlier on the 9th.   Cdr Turner, Lt M H M Kennedy, Lt D D G Roberts, Warrant Engineer E A Adams, Ty/Lt V F F Drew. RNVR, Ty/Lt E O M Taylor RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt C E Trier RNVR, and the entire crew of sixty six ratings were lost.

 

 

FEBRUARY

 

Friday,  22 February  

 

Canadian corvette TRENTONIAN (Lt C S Glassco RNCVR), escorting convoy BTC.76 with ML.600, was sunk near Falmouth in the English Channel by U.1004.   Ty/Lt G K Stephen RCNVR and five ratings were lost,  and 95 survivors rescued by ML.600 and another ML from a convoy astern.

 

 

 

MARCH

 

 

Tuesday,  6 March  

 

Midget submarine XE.11 (Lt A Staples, SANF (V)) was lost in collision with a boom defence vessel laying buoys in Loch Striven.   Lt Staples and the two ratings were lost,  Sub Lt W Morrison RNVR and the third rating rescued.

 

 

Saturday,  17 March

 

Canadian minesweeper GUYSBOROUGH (Lt B T R Russell RCNR) was sunk by U.878 off Ushant in the English Channel.   Sub Lt (E) R M Bell-Irving RCNVR, Lt T V Holland RCNVR, Lt O H Rumpel RCNVR, Ty/Act/Lt R S Slade RCNVR and forty seven ratings were lost.  Thirty seven survivors were rescued by frigates INGLIS and LORING

 

 

Tuesday,  20 March

 

Sloop LAPWING was torpedoed by U.716 off Kola Inlet.   Cdr J A Binnie was lost.

 

 

APRIL

 

Monday,  16 April  

 

Canadian minesweeper ESQUIMALT (Lt R C Macmillan RCNVR), on independent patrol, was sunk by U.190 near Halifax, five miles off Chebucto Head.   Ty/Lt J R Parker RCNVR, Ty/Lt J M G Smart RCNVR, Sub Lt B M Whitehead RCNVR, Act/Ty/Warrant Engineer J E Roberts RCNR, Skipper J O F Bellazzi RCNR and thirty nine ratings were lost.  Twenty six survivors were rescued by minesweeper SARNIA

 

 

 

Background Events - May-September 1945
 Germany surrenders, Battle of Atlantic ends,  Italy taken, Burma & Okinawa conquered, A-Bombs tested & dropped, Defeat of Japan.

 

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AN OUTLINE
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Royal Navy Day-by-Day in World War 2 by Don Kindell

NAVAL EVENTS,
 

 

Note: all vessels and aircraft are British unless otherwise identified or implied - all ships lost in bold - click for abbreviations

 

 

 
 

 

 

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