1
9 4 1
June Contractors
trials.
20th
Commissioned for service as HMS EMPIRE
AUDACITY for service in Western
Approaches
for convoy defence.
July
Acceptance and first of Class trials
in Clyde area.
10th
Carried out first deck landing by
MARTLET
aircraft of 802 Squadron.
31st
Renamed HMS AUDACITY. See
Preamble.
August
Trials including flying operations in
continuation.
Embarked MARTLET
aircraft and personnel 804 Squadron.
September
Joined
Western Approaches Command for convoy
defence on UK-Gibraltar
Route.
13th
Deployed with HM Sloop DEPTFORD, HM
Corvettes PENTSTEMON, MARIGOLD,
ARBUTUS and another corvette of 36th
Escort Group as
escort for outward
Convoy OG74. during
passage
to
Gibraltar.
(For
details of defence of Atlantic convoys see THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by
D.
MacIntyre,
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO) and HITLER'S U-BOAT
WAR by C Blair.)
19th
Under attacks by
U124 and U201 during which a three mercantiles
was
sunk.
to
MARTLET
aircraft launched after daylight and
drove off attacks by KONDOR aircraft,
20th
one of which was
destroyed.
For
details see HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C
Blair, ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM
1939
and 1945 by A
Hague and BRITISH VESSELS LOST AT SEA
1939-45 (HMSO)
(Note:
Rescue ship WALMER CASTLE was also sunk by an air attack.)
27th
Arrived at Gibraltar
with OG74.
(Note:
Three other of the 22 ships in this
convoy were sunk
during passage.)
October
2nd
Sailed from
Gibraltar
with inward Convoy HG74 as part of
escort to provide air cover
during passage to
Liverpool
18th
Detached on arrival of HG75 in
Liverpool.
29th
Deployed with escort of outward Convoy
OG76 to provide air cover during passage
from
Clyde
to Gibraltar
November
11th
Detached from OG76 on arrival at
Gibraltar
(Note: Provided air cover for 10 days
and the embarked destroyed two FW200
aircraft attempting attacks on convoy
and escort.)
Remained at
Gibraltar
to await approval for sailing with
Convoy HG76 to
provide anti-submarine air patrols and
defence against enemy air reconnaissance
during
passage to
Liverpool.
(Note: Known presence of assembly of
U-Boats to attack this convoy had
delayed
until an adequate escort could be
provided to ensure safe passage.)
See THE
BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC
by D Macintyre.)
December
Deployed
at Gibraltar
14th
Sailed from Gibraltar
with HM Sloops STORK and
DEPTFORD, HM Corvettes
RHODODENDRON,
PENTSTEMON, MARIGOLD,
JONQUIL,
CONVOLVULUS,
SAMPHIRE
and VETCH of augmented 36th Escort Group
as escort for return
Convoy
HG76.
(Note: HMS
BLANKNEY and HMS EXMOOR from Gibraltar
Local
Flotilla were attached
with HM
Destroyer STANLEY to provide additional
protection
for HG76 known to be
subject to
threat of heavy U-Boat attacks.
The
departure of HG76 was not accurately
reported by the agents in Algeciras
because of
poor visibility when convoy sailed. See
HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR
Vol
1 by C
Blair.)
SWORDFISH
aircraft sighted U-Boat on the surface
and carried out depth charge attack
after
nightfall. See above reference.)
15th
U-Boat Group SEERAUBER assembled for
attacks on HG76 with KONDOR support.
17th
U131 sighted by MARTLET aircraft from
ship.
Submarine
subsequently dived but, was located and
attacked by escort..
After
surfacing U131 was sunk by gunfire from
HMS STORK, HMS BLANKNEY,
HMS EXMOOR
and HMS STANLEY in
position 34.12N 13.35W. 35 of
submarine crew
were rescued.
(Note:
MARTLET aircraft from ship was shot down
by U131.
18th
U434 sunk by Depth Charges from HMS
STANLEY and HMS BLANKNEY in position
36.15N
15.48W and
survivors from U434 were rescued.
Shadowing
aircraft were driven off.
19th
After sinking of HMS STANLEY by torpedo
from U574, submarine was rammed and sunk
by HMS STORK.
20 survivors rescued but five were
killed when
HMS DEPTFORD collided
with stem of
HMS STORK.
(Note: 28
British survivors from HMS STANLEY were
also
rescued.)
Two
KONDOR aircraft were destroyed.
One
mercantile was sunk by U108
21st
Two KONDOR
aircraft driven off by ships'
MARTLETs.
Detached from convoy
at nightfall in view of likely U-Boat
attacks.
Hit
aft by one torpedo fired by U571. Ship
steering disabled but maintained way.
(Note: Ship
construction was well able to withstand
this
single hit which did
cause
structural damage and enough flooding in
engine room
for ship to settle
by the stem.
Some of ships
company
jumped overboard.)
U571
made second attack firing salvo of
torpedoes. These hit the ship, one of
them
hit
aviation fuel
storage tanks and caused massive
explosion
forward. Ship then sank quickly
with
survivors left in the sea for some hours
as rescue work
was only possible after escorts
returned from
attacks on U-Boats still in the area for
further attacks on HG76 ships.
Some
survivors had been in the water for over
four hours.
(Casualty
List - note
on
casualties)
One
mercantile was sunk by U567
(Note:
Details of the defence of HG76 are in
the above
references.
These
operations established without doubt
that the presence of an Escort-Aircraft
Carrier
was an essential element for defence of
any convoy.
See
General Information and THE BRITISH
AIRCRAFT CARRIER by Paul Beaver.
and ROYAL
NAVY ESCORT AIRCRAFT CARRIERS by D
Hobbs.)