US Coastguard Cutter SHOSHONE built by General Engineering and Dry Dock, Oakland, California, launched on 11th September 1930. Transferred to Royal Navy in 1940 under Lease-Lend Agreement and renamed HMS LANDGUARD when commissioned on delivery in 1941. This was the name of the coastguard station SW of Felixstowe.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

ATLANTIC  1942 -43 - NORTH  AFRICA 1942 - BISCAY   1943

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

None is recorded in official List of ships Badges

(Note: It is presumed any US Badge carried on board will have been retained.)

 

 

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 1

 

May

                20th        Commissioned for RN Service as HMS LANDGUARD at New York on formal transfer.

                                Prepared for ocean transit.

 

June                        Passage to UK with HMS GORLESTON with call at St John, Newfoundland.

                23rd        Under repair to machinery in Clyde shipyard.

 

July                         Under repair.

 

August                  On completion further repair and modifications to suit RN service as an escort required

                                before operational service

 

September

                9th          Taken in hand for repair in Thames commercial shipyard.

 

October                  Passage to Belfast.

                12th        In dry dock at Belfast or inspection of underwater fittings..

                21st         On completion took passage to Londonderry to join 40th Escort Group for escort of

                                OS Series convoys to West Africa and return SL Series convoys to Liverpool.

                25th        Part of escort for outward Convoy OS10 to Freetown

 

November

                18th        Detached from OS10 on arrival at Freetown.

                19th        Part of escort for return Convoy SL93.to Liverpool.

 

December

                10th        Detached from SL93 on arrival at Liverpool

                23rd        Part of escort for outward Convoy OS15 to Freetown.

 

1 9 4 2

 

January

                13th        Detached from OS15 on arrival at Freetown.

                15th        Part of escort with HM Cutters LULWORTH and CULVER for return Convoy SL98 to

                                Liverpool.

                31st         Under attack by U105 during which HMS CULVER was hit by torpedo and sunk.

                                (Note: HMS CULVER was sunk SW of Ireland in position 48.43N, 20.14W.)

 

February

                5th          Detached from SL98 on arrival at Liverpool.

                22nd       Part of escort with HM Cutter LULWORTH for outward Convoy OS 20 to Freetown

 

March

                12th        Detached from OS20 on arrival at Freetown

                14th        Part of escort with HMS LULWORTH for return Convoy SL103 to Liverpool.

 

April

                2nd         Detached from SL103 on arrival at Liverpool.

                12th        Part of escort with HMS LULWORTH for outward Convoy OS25 to Freetown.

                29th        Detached from OS25 on arrival at Freetown

 

May

                4th          Part of escort with HM Sloop HASTINGS and HM Cutter LULWORTH for return Convoy

                                SL109 to Liverpool.

                11th        Escorted Convoy SL109 with HM Sloop HASTINGS and HM Cutter LULWORTH.

                                Under attack by U128 whose presence had been detected by radio signals. During depth

                                charge attacks with HMS HASTINGS sustained damage by explosions.

                                Ship disabled and taken in tow

                28th        Detached from SL103 on arrival at Liverpool.

                                (Note: It may be assumed that repair was effected during passage.)

                                Nominated for refit.

 

June                        Passage to Humber

                6th          Taken in hand for refit in Grimsby shipyard.

 

July                         Under refit

 

August

                2nd         Resumed operational service on completion of post refit trials

                                Passage to Londonderry to rejoin Group.

                10th        Part of escort for outward Convoy OS37 to Freetown.

                29th        Detached from OS37 on arrival at Freetown.

 

September

                3rd          Part of escort for return Convoy SL121 to Liverpool

                21st         Detached from SL121 on arrival at Liverpool.

 

October                  Deployed for convoy defence based at Londonderry.

 

November

                4th          Docked at Liverpool for routine inspection.

                                Nominated fro support of planned allied landing in North Africa

                                (Operation TORCH - For details see Naval Staff History, ENGAGE THE ENEMY

                                MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett and for information about all mercantiles and warships

                                taking part BRITISH INVASION FLEETS by J de Winser.)

                                Deployed for escort of military convoys to Gibraltar

                8th          Took part of escort and support of landings.

 

December              On release from TORCH resumed convoy defence with 40th Escort Group.

                                Escort military convoys in support of North African landings (BH).

 

1 9 4 3

 

January                  Transferred with Group for escort of military convoys to and from Gibraltar

                                in support of allied operations in North Africa.

                6th          Involved in collision with HM Frigate ROTHER and sustained slight damage,

                21st         Joined escort for outward Convoy KMS8 to Gibraltar

 

February

                6th          Detached from KMS8 at Gibraltar

                8th          Joined escort for inward Convoy MKS7 during passage to Liverpool.

                17th        Detached from KMS7 on arrival at Liverpool.

 

March                    Transferred with Group for convoy defence with North Atlantic convoys.

                                Joined HM Sloops ABERDEEN, HASTINGS, HM Frigate MOYOLA and HM Cutter

                                LULWORTH in 40th Escort. Group, Western Approaches Command.

                                Passage to St Johns, Newfoundland for escort of Convoy HX223 during Atlantic

                                passage with ships of Group.

                                (Note: This convoy included ships of HX229A which had cone from New York and

                                comprised 39 ships. See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR by C. Blair. Convoy was

                                re-routed to avoid attacks by RAUBGRAF Group of U-Boats, but German

                                codebreakers ordered change of U-Boat dispositions.)

                15th        Convoy sighted by U91 of RAUBGRAF Group and summoned assistance.

                                Eleven U-Boats directed to carry out attacks, during which ten ships were sunk.

                                (Note: Despite weather conditions and in the absence of a Rescue Ship, many of the

                                ships in convoy attempted rescue operations which increased chances of

                                torpedo attacks by these submarines.

                17th        Some air cover provided from Iceland and Northern Ireland but during continued

                                attacks three more mercantiles were sunk

.               19th        Air cover increased and further losses avoided.

                                (Note: See CONVOY by Martin Middlebrook, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC

                                (HMSO), THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC, Naval Staff Histories and

                                HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair for details of defence of HX229 which

                                sustained one of the heaviest losses in the Atlantic war.

                                U384 was the only submarine to be sunk.)

                21st         Detached from HX229 on arrival at Liverpool.

 

April

                5th          Part of escort for outward Convoy ONS3 during passage to Halifax

                                Joined escort for return Convoy SC128 on passage from Halifax to Liverpool.

 

May

                1st           Under threat of attack by U-Boats of the SPECHT and ANSEL groups and SC128

                                diverted by the vigorous defence tactics of the escorts.

                                (Note: 52 submarines had been deployed specifically for this purpose and convoys were

                                re-routed to avoided attacks. See above references.)

                13th        Detached from SC128 on arrival at Liverpool and arrived

                                (Note: SC128 arrived without loss. See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.

                                Nominated for refit

                                Passage to Belfast.

                15th        Taken in hand for refit at commercial shipyard in Belfast..

 

June

                26th        On completion of post refit trials resumed escort duty in Atlantic with Group.

 

July

                9th          Part of Escort for Convoy ON192 during passage to New York.

 

August                  Nominated for transfer to Eastern Fleet.

                                Deployed with HMS EXE and frigates of Group in Bay of Biscay to intercept U-Boats

                                using coastal waters when in transit to attack Atlantic shipping, or on return. to bases in

                                France. (Operation DERANGE). (See HITLER'S U-BOAT WAR.)

                25th        Under attacks by Do217 aircraft using Hs293 radio controlled bombs.

                                Sustained serious damage by near misses from these weapons.

 

September             Under repair.

                                Sailed for Kilindini. to join Escort Force

                26th        Called at Tunis.

 

October                  Passage in Red Sea

                20th        Joined Kilindini Escort Group.

 

November              Deployed on defence of convoys between Kilindini and Aden.

to                            Escorted Convoy DKA4 to Aden and returning AKD6

December              Escorted Convoy DKA7 and returning AKD9.

 

1 9 4 4

 

January                  Kilindini deployment in continuation

to                            Escorted Convoys MK6 and DKA 10.

February                Escorted Convoy AKD15 from Aden and return Convoy KB9.

 

March

                7th          Under repair at Diego Suarez, Madagascar.

                24th        On completion resumed escort duty.

 

April                       Escorted Convoy MC118 to Durban and returned to Kilindini.

 

May                        Escorted Convoy KR10 to Colombo and returned to Kilindini.

                                Nominated fro refit.

                                Escorted Convoy KD4 to Durban.

                14th        Taken in hand for refit at Durban.

 

July                         Under refit.

 

August                  Carried out harbour and sea trials on completion of shipyard work.

                10th        Resumed escort duty.

 

September             Deployed on convoy defence in Indian Ocean.

to

December

 

1 9 4 5

 

January                  Indian Ocean convoy defence in continuation.

to

February.

 

March                    Withdrawn from operational service because of serious defects in main machinery.

 

April                       Passage to Colombo.

 

May                        Laid up at Colombo and used as a Depot Ship.

to August

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS LANDGUARD remained in use as an accommodation ship at Colombo until February 1946 when she was taken in hand for repair. On completion she was transferred to Trincomalee where she was involved in collision with HM Frigate LOCH ECK. Repair to the damage was carried out locally and she remained in Trincomalee  The ship was held there pending return to the USA on a Care and Maintenance basis. In January 1947 this cutter was offered for sale by the US authorities but not moved until August 1949 when she was towed to Singapore by the RN Fleet Auxiliary BROWN RANGER. The ship was sold for breaking up in Manila in the following month.

 

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Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS LANDGUARD

by Don Kindell

 

These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above

(Note on Convoys)