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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2002

HMS STONECROP (K 689) - Flower-class Corvette
including Convoy Escort Movements

 HMS Clematis, sister-ship (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

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FLOWER-Class Corvette ordered on 15th December 1939 in the 1939 Build Programme from Smiths Dock, Middlesbrough and laid down as Job Number 4211 (Yard Number 1096) on 4th February 1941. The ship was launched on 27th May that year and was the 1st RN warship to carry the name. Build was completed on 11th August 1941 and after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in February 1942 this ship was adopted by the civil community of Dukinfield, then in the county of Cheshire but now in the Tameside Borough of Greater Manchester.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

ATLANTIC 1941-45 -  ENGLISH CHANNEL 1945

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

The Admiralty Heraldic Crest Record does not include any

details for this ship. This is not unusual for a smaller war time

build,. but many did however have an unofficial badge,

sometimes it incorporated the flower after which the ship

was named.

 

 

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 1

 

 

August               Contractors trials and commissioning.

                            Nominated for service in 37th Escort Group.

            11th         Build completion date and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                            Passage to Tobermory after completion of trials and storing.

 

September           Passage to join Group on completion of work-up for operational service

 

October               Deployed with Group for escort of OS Series convoys to West Africa and returning SL Series

                             to Liverpool.

                             (Note: Other ships in this Group were HM Sloops BLACK SWAN,, FOWEY, HM Corvettes

                                         BLUEBELL, CAMPANULA, CARNATION, HELIOTROPE, MALLOW, MYOSOTIS

                                         AND Free French LA MALOUINE.

 

November           Atlantic convoy defence in continuation with Group.

to

December

 

1 9 4 2

 

January          Atlantic convoy defence in continuation with Group.

to                         (Note: For details of U-Boat operations see U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO)., THE

December                        BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC by D Macintyre, and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair

 

1 9 4 3

 

January               Atlantic convoy defence with Group in continuation

to                         (Note: For details of development of weapons and radar as well as of tactic used for attacks and

February                         defence of convoys see SEEK AND STRIKE by W Hackmann, BUSINESS IN GREAT

                                        WATERS by J Terraine, RADAR AT SEA by D Howse and above references.)

                            Nominated for service at Freetown for Local Escort.

 

March                 Deployed as part of escort for Convoy OS45 for passage to Freetown.

 

April

             3rd         During defence of convoy carried out attacks on U124 with HMS BLACK SWAN.

                           Sank U124 by depth charge attacks in position 41.02N 15.39W (W of Oporto)

                           There were no survivors from U124. (See U-BOATS DESTROYED  by P Kemp.

 

May                    Atlantic convoy defence in continuation with Group.

to                        Deployed for escort of Freetown route convoys with ships of Group

July.                   (Note: HM Sloops FOWEY, STORK and DEPTFORD were part of 37th Escort Group by this period

                                       and also two Free French corvettes.)

 

August               Part of escort for outward Convoy SL135 during passage to Liverpool.

            30th        During defence of convoy carried out attacks on U634 with HM Sloop STORK.

                           (Note: U634 was sunk by depth charge attacks west of Cape Finisterre in position 40.39N  19.24W

                                        There were no survivors)

 

September          Group deployment for Atlantic convoy defence based at Freetown in continuation.

to

 December

 

1 9 4 4

 

January               Convoy defence based at Freetown with Group in continuation

.to                        Transferred for service at Gibraltar.

December           (Note: No longer part of 37th Escort Group.)

 

1 9 4 5

 

January               Transferred to Home waters for convoy defence.

to                         (Note: During this period a significant increase in attacks on convoys in English Channel and Irish

May                                Sea by SCHNORKEL fitted submarines which made necessary extensive reinforcement of

                                        escorts In Home waters.

                                        (See HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE

                                        CLOSELY by C  Bamett.)

 

June                    Home waters deployment in continuation

to                        Nominated to Pay-off and  reduce to Reserve Status.

August

 

P o s t   W a r   N o t e s

 

HMS STONECROP was paid off and reduced to Reserve after VE Day and laid up. The ship was placed on the Disposal List in 1946 and sold for use as a mercantile on 17th May 1947. She was renamed ss SILVER KING on purchase and was renamed MARTHA VINKE when transferred to a new owner in 1950. Details of final disposal cannot be traced.

 


 

Addenda

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS STONECROP

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

 

 

 

 

 

29/08/41

29/08/41

OG 073

13/09/41

13/09/41

17/09/41

17/09/41

HG 073

30/09/41

01/10/41

13/10/41

14/10/41

OS 009

01/11/41

05/11/41

24/10/41

24/10/41

OS 009G

01/11/41

01/11/41

01/11/41

01/11/41

SL 091G

08/11/41

08/11/41

08/11/41

08/11/41

SL 091G1

12/11/41

12/11/41

12/11/41

12/11/41

SL 091GF

18/11/41

18/11/41

25/11/41

28/11/41

OG 077

13/12/41

13/12/41

31/12/41

31/12/41

HG 077

12/01/42

12/01/42

26/01/42

27/01/42

OG 079

07/02/42

07/02/42

22/02/42

22/02/42

HG 079

06/03/42

06/03/42

17/03/42

17/03/42

OG 081

29/03/42

29/03/42

05/04/42

05/04/42

HG 081

unknown

15/04/42

30/04/42

08/05/42

OG 083

09/05/42

11/05/42

04/05/42

18/05/42

SL 109

28/05/42

28/05/42

21/05/42

21/05/42

HG 083

07/06/42

07/06/42

13/06/42

14/06/42

OG 085

25/06/42

25/06/42

30/06/42

30/06/42

HG 085

12/07/42

12/07/42

20/07/42

20/07/42

OG 087

03/08/42

03/08/42

07/08/42

07/08/42

HG 087

28/08/42

18/08/42

08/11/42

08/11/42

KMS 003G

22/11/42

26/11/42

21/11/42

24/11/42

MKS 002

03/12/42

03/12/42

24/03/43

27/03/43

OS 045

14/04/43

14/04/43

20/04/43

20/04/43

SL 128

04/05/43

03/05/43

03/05/43

04/05/43

SL 128MK

10/05/43

14/05/43

21/05/43

21/05/43

OS 048KM

29/05/43

29/05/43

29/05/43

29/05/43

OS 048

07/06/43

07/06/43

13/06/43

13/06/43

SL 131

24/06/43

24/06/43

24/06/43

24/06/43

SL 131MK

04/07/43

04/07/43

19/07/43

21/07/43

OS 052KM

28/07/43

28/07/43

28/07/43

28/07/43

OS 052

07/08/43

07/08/43

14/08/43

14/08/43

SL 135

26/08/43

27/08/43

27/08/43

27/08/43

SL 135MK

06/09/43

06/09/43

05/09/43

16/09/43

XK 011

20/09/43

20/09/43

07/10/43

07/10/43

OS 056KM

18/10/43

18/10/43

18/10/43

18/10/43

OS 056

28/10/43

29/10/43

02/11/43

02/11/43

SL 139

16/11/43

14/11/43

28/11/43

28/11/43

OS 059

08/12/43

08/12/43

12/12/43

12/12/43

SL 143

25/12/43

25/12/43

07/01/44

08/01/44

OS 063

17/01/44

17/01/44

22/01/44

22/01/44

SL 147

02/02/44

02/02/44

15/02/44

15/02/44

OS 067

26/02/44

26/02/44

02/03/44

02/03/44

SL 151

14/03/44

14/03/44

25/03/44

25/03/44

OS 071

04/04/44

04/04/44

11/04/44

11/04/44

SL 155

23/04/44

23/04/44

04/05/44

04/05/44

OS 075

14/05/44

14/05/44

17/05/44

17/05/44

SL 159

20/05/44

31/05/44

10/10/44

10/10/44

OS 091

19/10/44

19/10/44

28/10/44

28/10/44

SL 175

08/11/44

08/11/44

22/11/44

22/11/44

KMS 069G

23/11/44

23/11/44

23/11/44

23/11/44

KMS 069

27/11/44

27/11/44

10/01/45

13/01/45

MKS 076G

18/01/45

21/01/45

22/01/45

22/01/45

TBC 046

25/01/45

25/01/45

27/01/45

27/01/45

OS 107KM

30/01/45

30/01/45

26/01/45

27/01/45

ON 281

27/01/45

12/02/45

25/01/45

29/01/45

MKS 079G

02/02/45

02/02/45

05/02/45

05/02/45

ON 283

08/02/45

27/02/45

28/01/45

09/02/45

HX 335

11/02/45

10/02/45

17/02/45

17/02/45

OS 111KM

20/02/45

21/02/45

14/02/45

20/02/45

MKS 083G

22/02/45

22/02/45

25/02/45

25/02/45

OS 113KM

01/03/45

06/03/45

24/02/45

01/03/45

MKS 085G

03/03/45

03/03/45

07/03/45

07/03/45

ON 289

12/03/45

25/03/45

17/03/45

17/03/45

OS 117KM

21/03/45

26/03/45

16/03/45

21/03/45

MKS 089G

24/03/45

24/03/45

01/04/45

01/04/45

ON 294

05/04/45

20/04/45

01/04/45

05/04/45

MKS 092G

08/04/45

08/04/45

05/04/45

10/04/45

MKS 093G

13/04/45

14/04/45

12/04/45

12/04/45

ON 296

14/04/45

30/04/45

21/04/45

22/04/45

OS 124KM

25/04/45

27/04/45

20/04/45

25/04/45

MKS 096G

28/04/45

28/04/45

26/04/45

26/04/45

ON 299

30/04/45

13/05/45

18/04/45

02/05/45

HX 351

04/05/45

03/05/45

07/05/45

07/05/45

OS 127KM

10/05/45

13/05/45

05/05/45

10/05/45

MKS 099G

12/05/45

12/05/45

         

(Note on Convoys) 

 

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revised 31/5/11
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