Ex USS SWASEY (Type A - BELMONT-Class) built by Bethlehem Steel Squantum. The ship
was laid down on 27th August 1918 and launched on 7th Way 1919. Commissioned on 31st July 1919 for service in the US
Navy, she was held in Reserve in 1939. The ship transferred to the RN under the
Lend Lease Agreement on 26th November 1940 and commissioned at Halifax, NS
Canada. Like others of this Class she was given a name common to a town in North Carolina, USA and a
village in Northants. It had not been previously used for an RN ship. After a
WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February
1942 she was adopted by the civil community of Wells by the Sea, Norfolk.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1941-43 -
BISCAY 1943
H e r
a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Blue, a demi griffin
erased White,
holding in the paws a
trident Gold and charged on
the wing
with a hurt
thereon a mullet also White.
D e t a i
l s 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
November Prepared for
transfer and passage to Halifax.
26th
Transferred to RN and commissioned as HMS ROCKINGHAM.
December Passage to
Devonport with call at St Johns,
Newfoundland.
22nd Arrived at
Devonport and taken in hand for refit.
1 9 4 1
January Under
refit and modification by HM Dockyard, Devonport to suit RN deployment.
Work included:
Mainmast removed and foremast shortened.
Size of after three funnels reduced
After 3in and 4in guns mountings removed and British 12pdr HA gun fitted in
X-position.
After set of US Navy torpedo tubes and British type Depth Charge Throwers
fitted.
RN
design ASDIC recorders fitted to US Navy Sonar equipment.
February Allocated
for service with 8th Escort Group.
2nd On
completion of refit carried out post refit trials.
March Joined
Group for Local Escort of Atlantic convoys in NW Approaches.
25th Joined
military convoy WS7 during passage in NW Approaches with HM Cruiser CAIRO,
HM
Destroyers VICEROY, WINCHELSEA, ST CLAIR, ECLIPSE, FOXHOUND and
French destroyer LEOPARD for Local Escort during passage in NW Approaches.
26th
Detached from WS7 with HMS CAIRO, HMS VICEROY, HMS WINCHELSEA and
French LEOPARD
for return passage to
Clyde.
April Convoy
defence duties with Group in continuation.
Increased defect load made further refit necessary.
May Refit
arranged at Southampton and took passage.
14th Taken
in hand for refit and repair by commercial shipyard.
June Under
refit
to
Stage 2 modifications to suit RN use carried out including
July
Installation of 20mm Oerlikon weapons.
Removal of forward set of torpedo tubes and British triple mountings fitted in
centre-line
position abaft funnels
(Note: Some modifications were not carried out.
August Carried
out post refit trials.
21st Refit
completed and carried cut sea trials
On
completion resumed duty with Group for convoy defence.
September
13th Part
of escort for Convoy OG74 during passage to Gibraltar.
October Joined
1st Escort Group based at Londonderry for Atlantic Convoy defence
November Atlantic
deployment with Group in continuation
(For details of tactics and weapons used see SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann
December Nominated
for detached duty as part of escort for troop convoys.
24th Part
of escort for military Convoy CT8 during passage UK tofrom Canada
1 9 4 2
January Part of
escort for troop Convoy NA1 during passage to UK
Part of escort for Convoy CT10 to Canada.
February Passage to
Bermuda for escort of HM Armed Merchant Cruiser AUSONIA from Halifax.
Return passage to UK with escort for Convoy NA4.
March
23rd Joined
military convoy WS 17 in Clyde for Local Escort in NW Approaches with HM
Destroyers NEWPORT, BADSWORTH, BEVERLEY, KEPPEL, LEAMINGTON,
VOLUNTEER, ANTELOPE
and BOADICEA.
27th
Detached from WS17 with HMS BOADICEA and returned to Clyde.
April
Rejoined 1st Escort Group for Atlantic trade convoy defence.
May
Deployment with Group in continuation.
Part of escort for Convoy ONS16 with ships of Group.
June
Nominated for refit and took passage to London.
23rd Under
refit at commercial shipyard.
(Note: Work done included completion of Stage 2 modifications. See above.
Radar Type 271 for surface warning and combined warning Type 286 were
installed.
July Under
refit.
to
October
November Post refit
trials.
On
completion of sea trials took passage to work-up at Tobermory.
Rejoined Group on completion of work-up and resumed Atlantic deployment.
Part of escort for Convoy MKF1 to Gibraltar.
December Return
passage as escort for convoy to UK.
1 9 4 3
January Atlantic
convoy escort with Group in continuation.
to
July
August Nominated
for use as an Air Target Ship.
Withdrawn from Atlantic service and taken in hand for refit and conversion in a
Belfast
shipyard.
September Under refit
to
November
December On completion
of refit took passage to Tobermory to work-up for service.
1 9 4 4
January Allocated
for duty based at Rosyth for use as a target for aircrew training.
11th
Passage to join Rosyth Command.
Took up station of east coast of Scotland.
February Air Target
Ship deployment in continuation.
to
August
September
27th During
deployment for training of aircrew detonated mine in position 30 miles SE
of
Aberdeen in position 56-74N, 01.30 W.
Sustained serious damage and taken in tow but had to be abandoned.
One member of
ships company lost his life.
Sank in position 56.29N, 00.57W.
(Note: The mine was probably part of British East Coast Barrier.)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS ROCKINGHAM
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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10/02/41
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04/03/41
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SL 065
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08/03/41
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08/03/41
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12/04/41
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15/04/41
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OB 309
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19/04/41
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19/04/41
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06/04/41
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18/04/41
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HX 119A
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22/04/41
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22/04/41
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26/04/41
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26/04/41
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OG 060
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30/04/41
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10/05/41
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09/04/41
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30/04/41
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SL 071
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02/05/41
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04/05/41
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12/09/41
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13/09/41
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OG 074
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27/09/41
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23/09/41
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02/10/41
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06/10/41
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HG 074
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12/10/41
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18/10/41
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20/10/41
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22/10/41
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ON 028
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25/10/41
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03/11/41
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17/10/41
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31/10/41
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SC 050
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01/11/41
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04/11/41
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10/11/41
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10/11/41
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ON 035
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15/11/41
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27/11/41
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13/11/41
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18/11/41
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ON 036
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20/11/41
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25/11/41
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08/11/41
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19/11/41
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HX 159
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23/11/41
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23/11/41
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30/11/41
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01/12/41
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OS 013
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11/12/41
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20/12/41
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30/11/41
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13/12/41
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SL 094
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13/12/41
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30/12/41
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23/12/41
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24/12/41
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CT 008
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01/01/42
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01/01/42
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09/01/42
|
10/01/42
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NA 001
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19/01/42
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19/01/42
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03/02/42
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03/02/42
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CT 010
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12/02/42
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12/02/42
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01/03/42
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01/03/42
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NA 004
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08/03/42
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08/03/42
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14/03/42
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19/03/42
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TA 012
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unknown
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25/03/42
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26/04/42
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29/04/42
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HX 187
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07/05/42
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08/05/42
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19/05/42
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20/05/42
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ON 096
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02/06/42
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07/06/42
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07/06/42
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10/06/42
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HX 193
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17/06/42
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19/06/42
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14/11/42
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18/11/42
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MKF 001Y
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20/11/42
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20/11/42
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23/01/43
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23/01/43
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ON 162
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03/02/43
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11/02/43
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03/02/43
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10/02/43
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SC 119
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21/02/43
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22/02/43
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04/03/43
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09/03/43
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ON 171
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19/03/43
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23/03/43
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18/03/43
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24/03/43
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HX 230
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30/03/43
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02/04/43
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12/04/43
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13/04/43
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ON 178
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25/04/43
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02/05/43
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24/04/43
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02/05/43
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HX 236
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07/05/43
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09/05/43
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24/05/43
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25/05/43
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ON 186
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02/06/43
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07/06/43
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07/06/43
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12/06/43
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HX 243
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20/06/43
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21/06/43
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04/07/43
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11/07/43
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OS 051KM
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11/07/43
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13/07/43
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23/07/43
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23/07/43
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MKS 018G
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26/07/43
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26/07/43
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26/07/43
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26/07/43
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SL 133MK
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03/08/43
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05/08/43
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11/02/45
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11/02/45
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BG 515
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13/02/45
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13/02/45
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(Note on Convoys)
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