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The convoy set sail on 14 December in clear, calm weather, in the
knowledge that enemy attacks were likely - U-boats had recently been
concentrated in the area of Gibraltar and all our shipping movements had
been tracked by German agents in Spain.
The reinforcements from Force H soon proved invaluable as
HMS Nestor
sank the German submarine U127 off Cape
St. Vincent. During the next couple of
days, as it made its way northwards, the convoy was tracked by Focke-Wulf
aircraft operating out of occupied France.
Early on 17 December, as aircraft from
the auxiliary aircraft carrier
HMS Audacity made contact with a U-boat to the west of the convoy.
Commander Walker in HMS Stork, accompanied by the three destroyers and a corvette, set
off on the hunt. They managed to force the U-boat (U131) to the surface
where she was shelled until her captain surrendered. She was then
abandoned by her crew and scuttled. An aircraft from HMS Audacity was
lost in this engagement, shot down by the U-boat as it came in to join the attacking ships.
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During the night, the convoy was tracked by U-boat 434. She was
spotted in the morning light by the look-out on HMS Stanley. Assisted by
HMS Blankney, she attacked and as before, the U-boat was forced to the
surface, abandoned and sunk.
Following this engagement,
HMS Blankney together with HMS Exmoor* returned to
Gibraltar leaving HMS Stanley to fall back to cover the rear of the
convoy on her own. |
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The badge of HMS Blankney |
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HMS Stanley was commanded by Lt. Commander D. B. Shaw
RN; OBE who ran
a "tight" ship. The men liked and respected him - men like
Ernest Charles Stentiford and his workmate, Stoker Second Class George
Carmichael, whose back-breaking work ensured that the ship was able to
respond instantly to Lt. Commander Shaw's orders. |
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Later, during the same day (18th December) there was a
further contact. Once again, it was HMS Stanley that went into action
and, with two of the escort ships, drove off the U-boat but were unable
to pinpoint its exact position for a concerted attack.
The U-boat, U574,
continued to track the convoy during the night and just before 4.00am, it
struck the convoy again. HMS Stanley was now stationed at the rear and
reported that torpedoes had been fired.
From HMS
Stork, Commander Walker
ordered "Operation Buttercup" - one of his new tactics for
increasing the effectiveness of convoys in hunting and attacking
U-boats.
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U-boat interior |
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*There were two vessels with this name, both Escort
destroyers of the Hunt (Type II) class. The first HMS Exmoor was
sunk off Lowestoft on 25 Feb 1941. It had been planned to give the name HMS
Burton to an identical vessel due to be launched a few days after
this sinking but at the last minute, its name was changed to HMS
Exmoor. This ship survived the war and was eventually sold off to
the Danish Navy.
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