T
y p e I n f o r m a t i o n
Ships of this type were known in the RN
as BANFF Class and were deployed on convoy
defence in the
Atlantic. They displaced 1,983 Tons and had
dimensions of 256 feet, a beam of 42 feet and a
draught
of 16 feet. HMS WALNEY had a 5in gun for surface
engagements and extra anti-aircraft armament was added after arrival in UK. Diesel-electric
propulsion machinery with 3,200 shaft horsepower
gave a speed of 16 knots and was different from
that used in any RN warship at that time. The accommodation was better than
that in other British escorts. There were 10
ships of this type of which one was lost in
defence of Atlantic convoys. The other two, HMS
HARTLAND and HMS
WALNEY were both lost when used to force entry
into harbour in November 1942 as part of the allied landings in North Africa (Operation TORCH)
H . M
. S .
W A L N E Y
US
Coastguard Cutter SEBAGO built by General
Engineering and Dry Dock in 1930 and passed to the Royal Navy in 1940 under Lease Lend Agreement. Renamed
HMS WALNEY when commissioned on delivery.
B
a t t le H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1941-42 - NORTH AFRICA 1942
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
12th
Commissioned into Royal Navy as HMS WALNEY.
June
Joined Londonderry Sloop Division for escort of
Atlantic convoys.
Took passage to UK
July
Deployed in Western Approaches.
24th
Deployed as part of escort for routine HX convoy
from St. Johns, NF to UK.
August
14th
Modification work for RN escort service in
Liverpool shipyard.
September
9th
Rejoined Western Approaches and transferred to
41st Escort Group for defence
of convoys between UK and West Africa.
12th
Deployed as escort for Convoy OS6 during passage
to Bathurst.
(Note: Convoy comprised 29 mercantiles)
Detached during Atlantic passage to join HM
Cutter HARTLAND as escort
merged convoy SL88 from Freetown and Convoy HG74
from Gibraltar to
Liverpool.
(Note: Joint Convoy comprised 37 ships.)
October
18th
Detached from HG74/SL88 and took passage to
Belfast.
20th
Under refit in Belfast.
31st
On completion rejoined 41st Group.
November
7th
Deployed with HM Cutter HARTLAND as escort for
Convoy
OS11 during passage to Bathurst.
(Note: Convoy comprised 41 mercantiles.)
Detached on arrival and took passage to
Freetown.
30th
Escorted Convoy SL94 from Freetown to Liverpool.
(Note: Convoy comprised 29 mercantiles.)
December
20th
Detached from SL94 on arrival and took passage
to Belfast
22nd At
Belfast for refit and HF D/F equipment fitted.
1
9 4 2
January
4th
On completion rejoined West Approaches Command.
5th
Deployed as escort for Convoy OS16 to Bathurst.
(Note: Convoy comprised 56 mercantiles)
On arrival detached from OS16 and took passage
to Freetown.
27th
Deployed with HM Cutter HARTLAND as escort for
SL99 during passage
to UK from Freetown.
(Note: Convoy comprised 26 mercantiles)
February
16th
Detached from SL99 and took passage to Belfast.
17th
Under repair in Belfast.
26th
On completion resumed convoy defence with 41st
Group.
March
3rd
In minor collision with ss EMPIRE DOLPHIN and
damaged above waterline
without becoming non-operational.
4th
Deployed with HM Cutter HARTLAND as escort for
Convoy OS21 during passage
to West Africa from Liverpool
(Note: Convoy comprised 54 mercantiles.)
23rd
Detached from OS21 on arrival of Local Escort
from Freetown.
Joined Convoy SL104 with HM Cutter HARTLAND as
escort during passage to
Liverpool from Freetown.
(Note: Convoy comprised 30 mercantiles.)
April
12th
Detached from SL104 and took passage to Chatham.
20th
Under refit at Chatham.
May
Under refit at Chatham
June
10th
On completion of post refit trials took passage
to Londonderry to
rejoin 41st Group.
21st
Joined Escort for Convoy OS32 during passage to
West Africa from
Liverpool.
(Note: Convoy comprised 40 mercantiles.)
July
8th
Detached from OS32 at Freetown.
15th
Joined Convoy SL116 with HM Cutter HARTLAND as
escort for passage to
UK from Freetown.
(Note: Convoy comprised 33 mercantiles.)
August
4th
Detached from SL116 and took passage to
Londonderry
20th
Deployed with HM Cutter HARTLAND as escort for
Convoy OS38 to West Africa
from Liverpool.
(Note: Convoy comprised 33 mercantiles.)
September
1st
Detached from OS38 on arrival at Freetown.
14th
Joined Convoy SL122 to UK with HM Cutter
HARTLAND as escort during
passage from Freetown to Liverpool..
(Note: Convoy comprised 34 mercantiles.
During deployment for Atlantic convoy defence no
mercantiles
were lost during transit in Atlantic. For
details of convoys
including losses see THE ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM
1939-45 by A Hague
and Official List of Losses (HMSO)
Battle Honour ATLANTIC 1941-42 was awarded for
defence of
convoys on West African route which were
subjected to sustained
U-Boat attacks. See HITLER’S U- BOAT WAR by C
Blair and U-BOAT
WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO).)
October
6th
Detached from SL122 and took passage to
Londonderry.
Nominated for special duty during North African
landings
(Operation TORCH).
13th
Prepared for use in breaking into Oran harbour.
26th
Sailed from Clyde with HM Cutter HARTLAND as
part of escort for military
convoy MKF1 during passage to Gibraltar
(Operation TORCH).
November
Embarked troops at Gibraltar for to carry out landing inside harbour
at Oran (Operation RESERVIST).
8th
Came under heavy fire from shore defences when
leading HMS HARTLAND
into the harbour and sank.
(For further details see THE RELUCTANT ENEMIES
by W. Tute and Naval
Staff History.)
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS WALNEY
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
18/05/41
|
18/05/41
|
BHX
128
|
20/05/41
|
27/05/41
|
20/05/41
|
20/05/41
|
HX
128
|
06/06/41
|
06/06/41
|
07/07/41
|
07/07/41
|
OB
344
|
16/07/41
|
16/07/41
|
22/07/41
|
24/07/41
|
HX
140
|
25/07/41
|
06/08/41
|
22/07/41
|
28/07/41
|
SC
038
|
08/08/41
|
08/08/41
|
02/09/41
|
06/09/41
|
OS
005
|
17/09/41
|
21/09/41
|
24/09/41
|
27/09/41
|
SL
088
|
08/10/41
|
08/10/41
|
07/11/41
|
08/11/41
|
OS
011
|
25/11/41
|
28/11/41
|
30/11/41
|
02/12/41
|
SL
094
|
20/12/41
|
30/12/41
|
05/01/42
|
06/01/42
|
OS
016
|
20/01/42
|
23/01/42
|
27/01/42
|
29/01/42
|
SL
099
|
16/02/42
|
16/02/42
|
04/03/42
|
04/03/42
|
OS
021
|
21/03/42
|
24/03/42
|
24/03/42
|
26/03/42
|
SL
104
|
12/04/42
|
12/04/42
|
21/06/42
|
21/06/42
|
OS
032
|
08/07/42
|
08/07/42
|
15/07/42
|
15/07/42
|
SL
116
|
03/08/42
|
04/08/42
|
20/08/42
|
26/08/42
|
OS
038
|
07/09/42
|
07/09/42
|
14/09/42
|
14/09/42
|
SL
122
|
06/10/42
|
06/10/42
|
26/10/42
|
26/10/42
|
KMF
001
|
08/11/42
|
08/11/42
|
(Note
on Convoys)