FLOWER-Class
Corvette ordered from Harland and Wolff at
Belfast on 19th September 1939. The ship
was
laid down on 20th April 1940 and launched
on 19th August 1940. She was the 6th RN
ship to bear the
name,
introduced in 1692 when given to a French
Privateer
taken as Prize, and last borne by a 2nd
Class
cruiser
built in 1893 and sold in 1923. Build was
completed on 3rd October 1940. This
corvette was adopted
by the civil community of Wymondam,
Norfolk after a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings
campaign in March 1942. (Note: This ship,
built to
the original design with a short foc’sle,
was fitted
for minesweeping using wire
sweeps and
also had fitting to enable towing
operations to be undertaken.)
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
CHINA 1841-41
- SPARTIVENTO 1940 - GREECE 1941 - MALTA
CONVOYS 1941 - LIBYA 1941-42 -
MEDITERRANEAN 1942-43 - SICILY 1943
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
In
common with many other warships
commissioned for
service
during
WW2 and which carried a name not
previously borne by
a
warship
no formal approval was given by the
Admiralty for use
of
a
Ships Badge. Many ships did however use an
informal Badge.
S
u m m a r y
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
September Contractors
trials and
commissioning
Commanding Officer:
Lt. Cdr. F B Proudfoot,
RN (Rtd)
October
7th
After completion of trials
carried out repairs in Clyde.
19th
On completion took passage to
Tobermory to work-up for operational
service.
November Nominated
for service in Mediterranean for convoy
defence.
1st Passage
to Liverpool to prepare for foreign service.
16th
Took passage from Liverpool with HM Corvettes GLOXINIA, PEONY and SALVIA
to join 10th
Corvette Group, Mediterranean Fleet based
in Alexandria.
23rd
Arrived at Gibraltar
25th
Deployed as Close Escort for ss
CLAN FORBES, ss CLAN FRASER and ss NEW
ZEALAND
STAR
during
passage to Malta, covered by ships of
Force H.
(Operation
COLLAR - For details see
THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN
by D
Macintyre, MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman and
Naval Staff History.
26th
HM Cruisers MANCHESTER and
SOUTHAMPTON deployed with Close Escort.
(Note:
These two ships had embarked troops at
Gibraltar for passage to Malta.)
27th
On approach of Italian Battle
Group including 2 battleships, six
cruisers and screen of 14
destroyers,
joined by HM Cruisers MANCHESTER,
SOUTHAMPTON and
COVENTRY,
HM
Destroyers DEFENDER,
DIAMOND, GALLANT, GREYHOUND
HOTSPUR
and HEREWARD as escort for mercantiles
when ships of Force
H
from Gibraltar and Force D from Alexandria
detached to engage enemy warships.
28th
Under night attack by Italian
torpedo boat CALLIOPE during transit of
Sicilian Narrows
but
torpedoes
failed to hit any ship.
29th
Detached with cruiser escort,
CLAN FRASER and CLAN FORBES for passage to
Malta.
After
disembarkation of troops from cruisers
took passage as escort for Convoy ME4
with
Mediterranean Fleet ships.
(Note: ss NEW
ZEALAND STAR joined ME4 for passage to
Alexandria.)
Formed 10th Escort
Group with the other three Corvettes.
December
Detached from ME4 off Crete
and took passage to Alexandria.
Deployed
with 10th Escort Group for convoy escort
in Eastern Mediterranean based at
Alexandria.
Escorted
Convoys AN10 and AN 11 to Piraeus from
Egypt
(Operation
LUSTRE – Provision of military aid to
Greece. See following references
1
9 4 1
January
7th
Escorted RFA Tanker BRAMBLELEAF
to Suda
Bay.
(Note:
This was part of major
Mediterranean Fleet operation (EXCESS)
See
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by C Barnett
and above
references.)
February
Mediterranean convoy
escort deployment with Group in
continuation.
Carried
out minesweeping operation to clear
harbour at Benghazi
March
Escorted Convoy
AS15 from Piraeus to Egypt.
April
1st
Escorted Convoy ANF24 to
Piraeus with HM Destroyer NUBIAN and other
ships.
4th
Carried out anti-submarine
attack on sonar contact.
9th
At Piraeus and carried out
minesweeping operations during which her
sweep was
damaged when ss
CLAN FRASER was hit by bomb in an air raid
and blew-up.
20th
Deployed to carry out minesweeping
and support evacuation of troops from Greece.
to
Escorted evacuation convoys
to Suda Bay.
27th
(For details see Naval Staff
History and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY.)
28th
With HM Sloop AUCKLAND evacuated
troops from Kithera (Operation DEMON).
May
Deployed
at Suda Bay, Crete for convoy escort until
area was occupied by German
troops. See
above references and CRETE by SW Pack.)
(Note:
Did not take
an active part in the evacuation and for
that reason may only
have been used
for escort of ships returning to
Egypt.)
June
Deployed at Haifa for minesweeping duties
(Note:
Operation EXPORTER – Attack on Vichy
French forces in Syria was mounted
on 8th and
involved significant traffic to and
from Egypt which required
escort and mine
clearance support.)
.
15th
Grounded during minesweeping
operation.
30th
Passage to Famagusta,
Cyprus.
July
1st
Grounded again off Famagusta.
4th
Came under bomb and torpedo air
attacks
5th
Refloated by HMS Corvettes PEONY
and SALVIA.
(Note:
Damage included
loss of A/S Dome and underwater
structure.)
7th
Passage to Alexandria
for repair with call at Haifa.
13th
Under repair.
15th
On
completion resumed duties with
Group and took passage to Haifa.
20th
Deployed for Local Escort duties
at Haifa.
August
Haifa escort and patrol duties in
continuation.
September
28th
Attacked and sank Italian
submarine FISALIA off Haifa in position
32.19N 37.17E
in
defence of convoy after A/S contact.
October
Haifa deployment in continuation
to
(Note: Haifa was in extensive use for
support of military
operations in Palestine
December
and Syria as well as for reinforcement
of Cyprus.)
1
9 4 2
January
Transferred
to Alexandria for defence of convoys
between Alexandria and Tobruk.
6th
Deployed with HUNT Class Escort
Destroyers based at Alexandria for escort
of
Convoys
TA10, AT18, AT19 and others taking
supplies and personnel to Tobruk.
February
Tobruk route
deployment in continuation with HM
Destroyers HEYTHROP,
AVON
VALE, SOUTHWOLD and HM Auxiliary AA
Ship MALINES.
9th
Carried out A/S attack in
defence of convoy with HM Destroyer AVON
VALE.
(Operation
RIVET)
15th
Under repair at Alexandria
March
Under repair
April
(Note: By this
period ship had been fitted with Radar
Type 286M to provide
surface and air
warning cover. This equipment
was an RAF outfit modified
for naval use
and not very satisfactory
compared with RN equipment
being
introduced. See RADAR AT SEA by D Howse.)
20th
On completion resumed convoy
defence in Eastern Mediterranean.
June
Eastern
Mediterranean deployment in
continuation.
(Note:
Ship may have been deployed for escort of
convoys to and from Tobruk
No
record of participation in Operation
VIGOROUS, passage of a relief
convoy to Malta
from Alexandria, which proved a disastrous
failure.
See
references which do not show the ship as
part of the escort for any
of the three
MW11 series convoys for this
Operation. The only reference
traced is that
she was in Tobruk when a
merchant ship, AAGTEKERK
detached
after machinery defects from MW11 was sunk
in air
attacks on
passage from
MW11 to Tobruk escorted by HM
Destroyer TETCOTT,
HM
Corvettes ERICA
and PRIMULA. This ship may have
gone to assist
when the air
attacks were made.)
16th
Passage to Alexandria
from Tobruk, arriving on 16th.
30th
Resumed escort and patrol based
at Haifa.
July
9th
Deployed as escort for ss
WOLBOROUGH and carried out anti-submarine
operations
against
detected
contact. Italian submarine PERLA was
forced to surface after depth
charge attack.
Submarine was captured with 25 survivors
and
taken to Beirut
(Note:
Some cryptographic material was obtained
but this related to Italian codes
and was of
little use to Bletchley Park who were
mainly concerned with the
ENIGMA documentation,
See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair. Ship
did however
receive congratulatory signal from
the Admiralty.)
10th
Passage to Beirut escorted by HM Corvette
GLOXINIA.
August
Levant convoy
escort in continuation.
to
(Note: An
unsuccessful attack on a U-Boat was
made
in position 31.42N 25.00E
October
with HM
Corvette SNAPDRAGON was made in this
period.)
November
22nd
During deployment with HM Whaler
FALK carried out anti-submarine operations
against a
submarine in position 43.32N 35.49E
December
Levant duties in
continuation.
1
9 4 3
January
Transferred to Alexandria for convoy
defence off North African coast.
February
19th
Carried out attack on U-Boat
reported by aircraft with HM Destroyer
ISIS
(Note:
HMS ISIS later sank U562 with HM Destroyer
HURSLEY.)
21st
Carried out attack on U-Boat
off Derna with HM Whaler PROTEA (SANF)
March
Nominated for
refit in Alexandria.
6th
Taken in hand for refit
(Note:
During this refit Radar Type 271 for
surface warning may have
been
installed and
additional 20mm Oerlikon weapons
fitted to improve AA
defence.)
April
25th
On
completion carried out post refit trials
before resuming operational duties.
May
Deployed
for escort of convoys in Eastern
Mediterranean.
(Note:
Regular sailings had been introduced for
through Mediterranean
traffic
and escorts
exchanged at Tripoli with ships from
Gibraltar or Malta.)
June
Convoy
escort in continuation including military
convoys prior to planned landings
in Sicily
(Operation HUSKY)
16th
Part of escort for military
convoy MKS16 from Gibraltar during passage
from
Sicily
to Alexandria prior to HUSKY.
(See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY.)
July
1st
Stood
by damaged RFA Tanker
OLIGARCH west of Tobruk pending tow for
repair
(Note:
This ship had been torpedoed by U453 on
30th June
8th
Deployed in Malta to prepare for escort of
convoys for HUSKY landings
10th
Part of escort for military
convoys during passage to Sicily
Escorted
Convoy MWS38
On
release from HUSKY took passage to
Benghazi for repairs.
August
25th
Passage to resume escort
and anti-submarine patrol duties.
30th
Deployed
as part of escort for military
convoy GUS14
(Note:
GUS14 was on passage from USA to
Gibraltar.
See
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR.)
September
8th
Detached from GUS14.
12th
Deployed with HM Trawler HAARLEM and HM
Australian Minesweeper
WOLLONGONG
to destroy wreck of U617 which had been
beached in
position
35.13N
03.29W after damage in air attacks by
aircraft of 179 Sqdn.
RAF west of Oran
off Melilla.
Crew had scuttled and left submarine.
See
HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR for details.
15th
Escorted US military
convoys in continuation.
October
Future transfer
for loan service with
Royal Hellenic Navy under
consideration.
21st
Detached from escort of US
military convoys.
(Note:
Convoys including UGS16,GUS17
and UGS19
to be confirmed)
Passage
to Alexandria
for transfer.
24th
Paid-off and recommissioned
in Royal Hellenic Navy as APOSTOLIS
S
e r v i c e u n d e
r
G r e e k C o m m a n
d a s H Hel M
S A P O S T O L I S
October
(Cont.)
29th
Deployed with 47th Escort
Group for escort of coastal convoys to and
from
Tobruk.
November
Part of escort with
ships of Group for coastal convoys
including:
to
US military GUS20, GUS23 and GUS30 on
return passage to Gibraltar.
December US
Military UGS 22
and UGS25 on passage from Gibraltar.
UK
Military MKS 36 on passage to Gibraltar
1
9 4 4
January Coastal
convoy
escort with Group in continuation
including
to
UK Military KMS38 and KMS 45
March
US
Military UGS32 on
passage from Gibraltar
UK military MKS43 on passage from
Gibraltar
April
At
Alexandria.
6th
Withdrawn from service
owing to mutinous state of ship’s company
(Note:
This was due political upheaval in
relating to policy in respect
of
future of Greek
monarchy and other internal
problems.)
May
25th
Resumed operational
deployment.
Passage
to resume coastal
convoy escort including US convoy GUS41
to Gibraltar
and UK KMS54 to Ancona during passage from
Gibraltar.
June
Eastern
and central Mediterranean escort in
continuation.
July
Adriatic
convoy escort between Bari and Ancona.
to
August
September
14th
Passage to Malta
for repair.
October
On
completion of repair
transferred to 51st Escort Group for
escort of convoys
between
Taranto and Brindisi.
24th
Transferred to 48th
Escort Group for convoy defence in
central Mediterranean.
November
Central Mediterranean
convoy escort in continuation based at
Bizerta.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January 48th
Escort
Group convoy escort in continuation
Future deployment
under consideration following
re-occupation of Greece.
February
Passage to Piraeus
for escort duty in eastern Mediterranean
14th
Arrived at Piraeus.
March
Deployed
for escort and patrol based at Pireaus for
defence of convoys to
to
and
from Egypt.
August
P
o s t W a
r N o t e s
This
ship was transferred to
full control by Greek naval authorities
after VJ Day and served with the Royal
Hellenic Navy on loan for six
years. She was handed back to the RN on
19th July 1961 at Piraeus and renamed
HMS
HYACINTH.
Placed on the Disposal
List after return she was sold for
breaking-up in Italy later that year.
Addenda
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS
HYACINTH
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy
No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
25/11/40
|
25/11/40
|
COLLAR
|
28/11/40
|
28/11/40
|
19/01/41
|
19/01/41
|
AN
013
|
22/01/41
|
unknown
|
07/03/41
|
07/03/41
|
AN
018
|
11/03/41
|
11/03/41
|
14/03/41
|
14/03/41
|
AS
019/1
|
19/03/41
|
19/03/41
|
18/03/41
|
18/03/41
|
AN
021
|
20/03/41
|
22/03/41
|
10/01/42
|
10/01/42
|
TA
010/M
|
13/01/42
|
13/01/42
|
18/01/42
|
18/01/42
|
AT
018/M
|
20/01/42
|
20/01/42
|
02/02/42
|
02/02/42
|
AT
023/M
|
05/02/42
|
05/02/42
|
17/02/42
|
17/02/42
|
AT
028/M
|
18/02/42
|
18/02/42
|
10/03/42
|
10/03/42
|
AT
033/M
|
12/03/42
|
12/03/42
|
12/03/42
|
12/03/42
|
TA
027/M
|
14/03/42
|
14/03/42
|
27/03/42
|
27/03/42
|
AT
035/M
|
28/03/42
|
28/03/42
|
09/06/42
|
09/06/42
|
AT
049/M
|
11/06/42
|
11/06/42
|
25/07/42
|
25/07/42
|
BX
030B
|
27/07/42
|
27/07/42
|
24/06/43
|
24/06/43
|
MKS
016
|
29/06/43
|
29/06/43
|
11/07/43
|
11/07/43
|
MEF
036
|
15/07/43
|
15/07/43
|
06/08/43
|
30/08/43
|
UGS
014
|
01/09/43
|
02/09/43
|
30/08/43
|
30/08/43
|
GUS
014
|
08/09/43
|
26/09/43
|
27/08/43
|
15/09/43
|
UGS
016
|
23/09/43
|
23/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
GUS
017
|
09/10/43
|
27/10/43
|
25/09/43
|
11/10/43
|
UGS
019
|
22/10/43
|
22/10/43
|
|
|
|
|
|
and
as HHelMS APOSTOLIS
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
29/10/43
|
29/10/43
|
GUS
020
|
07/11/43
|
24/11/43
|
25/10/43
|
10/11/43
|
UGS
022
|
23/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
27/11/43
|
27/11/43
|
GUS
023
|
08/12/43
|
25/12/43
|
24/11/43
|
11/12/43
|
UGS
025
|
20/12/43
|
21/12/43
|
31/12/43
|
01/01/44
|
MKS
036
|
11/01/44
|
12/01/44
|
11/01/44
|
11/01/44
|
MKS
036G
|
12/01/44
|
12/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
17/01/44
|
KMS
038
|
26/01/44
|
27/01/44
|
04/02/44
|
04/02/44
|
GUS
030
|
16/02/44
|
08/03/44
|
10/03/44
|
11/03/44
|
MKS
043
|
22/03/44
|
22/03/44
|
27/03/44
|
27/03/44
|
KMS
045
|
06/04/44
|
06/04/44
|
24/05/44
|
24/05/44
|
GUS
041
|
04/06/44
|
19/06/44
|
23/06/44
|
23/06/44
|
KMS
054
|
28/06/44
|
03/07/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)