Type
III HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer ordered from Swan Hunter at Newcastle on
28th July 1940 and laid
down on 3rd April 1941 as Job Number J4284. The ship was launched on 5th
November 1941 as the
first RN ship to carry the name, that of a Kent fox-hunt. Before completion she
was transferred to the Royal Hellenic
Navy on 18th May 1942 on loan and renamed HHelMS PINDOS. Commissioned on 4th June
1942, build
was completed on 27th June 1942 and after her Acceptance Trials she was
prepared for service with the
Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
No British Battle Honours were
awarded as
the ship served in an allied
Navy
Ship Badge
None is included in the Official
List of Heraldic
Crests for RN warships as she
was never
in commission with the Royal
Navy.
D e t a i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e a s H H e l M S
P I N D O S
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search)
1 9 4 2
June
4th - Commissioned under Greek Navy
command as HHelMS PINDOS.
July
Contractors Trials.
27th - Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials.
On completion of trials and storing took passage to Scapa
Flow.
August
Work-up for operational service with
ships of the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow..
12th - Deployed as escort for 28th
Motor Launch Flotilla during passage from Milford Haven to Gibraltar
20th - Detached from escorted craft
on arrival at Gibraltar.
September
Passage from Gibraltar with HM Escort
Destroyer DERWENT to join Ocean Escort for military Convoy WS22 on passage from
Clyde to Freetown.
7th - Joined WS22 escort.
9th - Detached from WS22 with Ocean
Escort on arrival at Freetown.
13th - Rejoined Ocean Escort for WS22
on departure from Freetown. (Note: HMS DERWENT rejoined WS22)
18th - Detached from WS22 escort with
HMS DERWENT and took independent passage to join Fleet in Mediterranean.
October
Passage in Indian Ocean and calls at
Durban and Kilindini
November
Passage in Red Sea
15th - Arrived at Alexandria for
Fleet duties.
17th - Deployed with HM Escort
Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, BELVOIR, CROOME, DULVERTON, EXMOOR, HURSLEY,
HURWORTH and TETCOTT and relieved Fleet destroyers as escort for four
mercantiles comprising Malta Relief Convoy MW 13. (Operation STONEAGE – This was
the first Malta Convoy from Alexandria since the disastrous attempt to pass the
VIGOROUS convoy in June 1942 - see MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman for details.)
18th - Under air attack off Derna
during which HM Cruiser ARETHUSA was damaged by a torpedo and had to be towed
back to Alexandria.
20th - Arrived in Malta with MW13 and
escort.
21st - Took passage to Alexandria
with same ships of MW13 Close Escort.
22nd - Arrived at Alexandria.
December
1st - Deployed with HM Escort
Destroyers ALDENHAM, BELVOIR, CROOME, EXMOOR, HURSLEY and TETCOTT as escort for
Convoy MW14 during passage to Malta (Operation MH1 – See above reference.)
4th - Joined by Force K ships from
Malta to provide cover during remainder of passage. (Note: Force K comprised HM
Cruisers CLEOPATRA, DIDO, EURYALUS with HM Destroyers JAVELIN, JERVIS, KELVIN
and NUBIAN as screen.)
5th - Arrived in Malta with MW14,
escort and covering ships of Force K.
7th - Sailed from Malta as escort for
Convoy ME11 during passage to Alexandria with HM Cruiser ORION, HM Destroyers
PAKENHAM, PETARD, Greek VASILISSA OLGA, HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BELVOIR,
CROOME, DULVERTON, EXMOOR, HURSLEY and TETCOTT (Operation MH2) (Note: MW 14
comprised nine mercantiles returning empty and was the last convoy routed direct
to Alexandria from the island. Later convoys were routed via BENGHAZI.)
19th - Passage to Malta as part of
escort for Convoy MW17.
21st - Arrived in Malta with MW17
(Operation QUADRANGLE B).
28th - Sailed from Malta as part of
escort for Convoy ME14 (Note: There was no Convoy ME13)
31st - Deployed at Alexandria.
1 9 4 3
January
16th - Sailed from Alexandria as part
of Convoy ME16 during passage to Malta (Note: ME17 comprised a mercantile
tanker.)
26th - Deployed in Malta.
February
Coastal convoy Escort in continuation
27th - Transferred to 5th Destroyer
Flotilla and joined HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, BELVOIR, HHelMS
KANARIS (Ex HM Escort Destroyer HATHERLEIGH) and HHelMS MIAOULIS (Ex HMS
MODBURY)
March to April
Coastal convoy defence in
continuation
May
Transferred with Flotilla to Algiers
for convoy defence and support in western Mediterranean.
June
Algiers deployment in continuation.
Nominated for support of planned allied landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY –
For details see Naval Staff History and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser
for information on all ships involved.)
July
Preparations for HUSKY. Deployed as
part of escort for assault convoy during passage to British Beach Head in Sicily
10th - Deployed in Assault area to
provide AA defence, gunfire support and for escort of Build-up convoys. (Note:
Destroyers also carried out patrols to intercept any attempt by surface craft to
interfere with landings.)
August
On release from AVALANCHE resumed
Flotilla duties for convoy defence in central Mediterranean based in Malta
21st - Deployed as escort for Convoy
KMF22 with HM Escort Destroyer EASTON during passage in central Mediterranean to
Gibraltar.
22nd - Assisted HMS EASTON in depth
charge attacks on U458 which had come under attacks by U458. (Note: When
submarine driven to the surface it was rammed and sunk by HMS EASTON which
sustained major structural damage forward and was disabled. 43 of submarine crew
were rescued.)
Took HMS EASTON in tow to Malta for repair.
26th - Resumed Flotilla duties
September
Nominated for support of planned
allied landings at Salerno with ships of Flotilla as part of Northern Attack
Force (Operation AVALANCHE) – See above references for details).
Prepared for
AVALANCHE.
8th - Deployed as part of escort for
assault convoy during passage to beachhead.
9th - Present at landings and
provided inshore gunfire support and AA defence to anchorage. (Note: Later
deployed for interception patrols and convoy defence.)
Transferred to Alexandria with ships
of Flotilla for support of operations in Aegean Islands. (Operation ACCOLADE)
(Note: German forces were being deployed to land troops to replace Italian
garrisons in islands).
Passage to Alexandria
October
Deployed in support of military
operations in Aegean for transport of troops and stores as well as interception
patrol as part of 8th Destroyer Flotilla..
1st - Sailed from Alexandria with HMS
ALDENHAM and HHelMS THEMISTOCLES.
3rd - Unable to carry out
interception of invasion craft carrying German troops reported by air
reconnaissance due to lack of fuel.
November
Aegean deployment in continuation.
2nd - Landed stores at Leros.
4th - Landed stores at Leros
11th - Under air attacks near Kos
without damage
12th - Laid-up in Turkish waters
during daylight.
13th - Deployed in unsuccessful
search for invasion convoy with HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, BEAUFORT, HM MTB' 's 315
and 263.
14th - Returned to Alexandria.
17th - Withdrawn from Aegean
operations after British forces surrendered.
December
Deployed at Alexandria
1 9 4 4
January to May
Alexandria deployment in continuation
(Note: During this period other HUNT Class escort destroyers were deployed at
Algiers and in Malta. Area of deployment of this ship is to be confirmed.)
In April some Greek manned destroyers
were involved in unrest amongst their ship 's companies. One source records that
on 5th April some of this ship's ratings were disarmed after mutinous conduct
whilst at Alexandria after refusal to proceed to Taranto. Ship did not take part
in landings at Anzio in January 1944 (Operation SHINGLE).
June
Nominated for support of planned
allied landings in the south of France (Operation DRAGOON – For details see
LANDINGS IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE (HMSO) and BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de
Winser).
July
Passage to Naples to prepare for
DRAGOON.
August
Deployed at Naples. Nominated for
escort of Convoy SM2 during passage from Naples to Assault Area.
13th - Joined Stores Convoy SM2 at
Naples with HM Escort Destroyers ALDENHAM, BEAUFORT, WHADDON, BLACKMORE,
EGGESFORD, LAUDERDALE and BELVOIR.
15th - Arrived in Assault Area.
23rd - Released from DRAGOON duty and
returned to control of CinC Mediterranean.
September
Nominated for service with British
Aegean Force at Alexandria. Passage to Alexandria. Joined British Aegean Force
with Greek manned HUNT Class Escort Destroyers THEMISTOCLES, KRITI, KANARIS and
MIAOULIS for support of re-occupation of Aegean Islands and Greek mainland
(Operation MANNA) (Note: This operation included naval gunfire support of
islands prior to landings, landing operations and interception of craft carrying
out evacuation.).
October to November
Deployed for MANNA support in eastern
Mediterranean
December
Deployed off Greek mainland in
support of planned re-occupation and present when British troops landed at
Piraeus
1 9 4 5
January to May
Deployed for escort of military and
mercantile convoys and as required provided support for re-occupation
operations.
June to August
Deployed as
required by Greek naval authority in Greek waters.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HHMS
PINDOS remained on loan to Royal Hellenic Navy after VJ Day. The ship served on
the Active List until September
1959 when returned to RN and placed on the Disposal List. She was sold for
demolition in Greece and towed a
breaker’s yard during 1960.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HM Hellenic Ship
PINDOS
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
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Left convoy
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Date convoy arrived
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01/12/42
|
01/12/42
|
MW 014
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05/12/42
|
05/12/42
|
07/12/42
|
07/12/42
|
ME 011
|
11/12/42
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11/12/42
|
17/12/42
|
17/12/42
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MW 017
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20/12/42
|
20/12/42
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28/12/42
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28/12/42
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ME 014
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01/01/43
|
01/01/43
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21/01/43
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24/01/43
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MH 003/M
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26/01/43
|
26/01/43
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27/01/43
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27/01/43
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ME 016
|
01/02/43
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01/02/43
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13/02/43
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13/02/43
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ME 017
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15/02/43
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18/02/43
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01/03/43
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01/03/43
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MW 022
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06/03/43
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06/03/43
|
01/04/43
|
01/04/43
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ME 022
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06/04/43
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06/04/43
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24/05/43
|
30/05/43
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GTX 001
|
unknown
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04/06/43
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03/08/43
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03/08/43
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MWF 039
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07/08/43
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10/08/43
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19/08/43
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19/08/43
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MKF 022
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25/08/43
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09/09/43
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06/09/43
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06/09/43
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TSF 001
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09/09/43
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09/09/43
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20/09/43
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21/09/43
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XIF 001
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24/09/43
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24/09/43
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17/09/43
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26/09/43
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MKF 024
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29/09/43
|
07/10/43
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06/10/43
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06/10/43
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XIF 002
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09/10/43
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09/10/43
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16/11/43
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unknown
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XIF 004
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unknown
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20/11/43
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17/11/43
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17/11/43
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MKF 026
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21/11/43
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09/12/43
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22/11/43
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unknown
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MKS 032
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unknown
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03/12/43
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23/03/44
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unknown
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XIF 012
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unknown
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28/03/44
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29/03/44
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unknown
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IXF 012
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01/04/44
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02/04/44
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26/12/43
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29/12/43
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GUS 026
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30/12/44
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24/01/44
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30/12/43
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30/12/43
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XT 013
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unknown
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05/01/44
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03/01/44
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03/01/44
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XIF 007
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08/01/44
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08/01/44
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20/01/44
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20/01/44
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MKF 028
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31/01/44
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07/02/44
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20/01/44
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20/01/44
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XIF 008
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25/01/44
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25/01/44
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21/02/44
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21/02/44
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SNF 015
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24/02/44
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24/02/44
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14/02/44
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26/02/44
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GUS 031
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26/02/44
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18/03/44
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21/02/44
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27/02/44
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KMF 029
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02/03/44
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05/03/44
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18/02/44
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01/03/44
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UGS 033A
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03/03/44
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29/02/44
|
11/03/44
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11/03/44
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XIF 011
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16/03/44
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16/03/44
|
16/03/44
|
17/03/44
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IXF 011
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21/03/44
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21/03/44
|
08/04/44
|
08/04/44
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MKF 030
|
15/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
17/04/44
|
17/04/44
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NSF 020
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20/04/44
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20/04/44
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21/04/44
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21/04/44
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SNF 020
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24/04/44
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24/04/44
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25/04/44
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26/04/44
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KMS 048
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04/05/44
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05/05/44
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30/04/44
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30/04/44
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NSF 021
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03/05/44
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03/05/44
|
13/08/44
|
13/08/44
|
SM 002A
|
15/08/44
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15/08/44
|
19/08/44
|
19/08/44
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SRM 003
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unknown
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unknown
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(Note on Convoys)
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