Allied Warships

HMS Itchen (K 227)

Frigate of the River class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeFrigate
ClassRiver 
PennantK 227 
Built byFleming & Ferguson Ltd. (Paisley, Scotland) 
Ordered11 Feb 1941 
Laid down14 Jul 1941 
Launched29 Jul 1942 
Commissioned28 Dec 1942 
Lost23 Sep 1943 
Loss position53° 25'N, 39° 42'W
History

At 0201 hours on 23 September 1943 the German submarine U-666 fired a Gnat torpedo, which hit HMS Itchen (Cdr. Clement Edward Bridgman, DSO, RNR) after 1 minute and 10 seconds. The frigate blew up after the hit in position 53º25'N, 39º42'W. Debris from the vessel was later found on the conning tower of the U-boat and on HMCS Morden. 230 men, including survivors from other ships, went down with HMS Itchen. There were only three survivors, two from HMS Itchen and one from the Canadian destroyer HMCS St. Croix.  

Hit by U-boat
Sunk on 23 Sep 1943 by U-666 (Engel).

U-boat AttackSee our U-boat attack entry for the HMS Itchen

Commands listed for HMS Itchen (K 227)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt.Cdr. (retired) Clement Edward Bridgman, DSO, RNR10 Nov 194223 Sep 1943 (+)

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Notable events involving Itchen include:


25 Feb 1943
HrMs O 10 (Lt.Cdr. Baron D.T. Mackay, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory together with HMS Itchen (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, DSO, RNR) and HMS Charlestown (Lt. W.F.B. Webb, DSC, RN). (1)

26 Feb 1943
HrMs O 10 (Lt.Cdr. Baron D.T. Mackay, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory together with HMS Itchen (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, DSO, RNR) and HMS Charlestown (Lt. W.F.B. Webb, DSC, RN). (1)

18 Mar 1943
HMS H 44 (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Itchen (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, DSO, RNR), HMS Sabre (Lt. R.L. Caple, DSC, RN) and HMS Northern Reward (Lt. J.D. Weaver, RNVR). (2)

19 Mar 1943
HMS H 44 (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Itchen (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, DSO, RNR), HMS Sabre (Lt. R.L. Caple, DSC, RN) and HMS Northern Reward (Lt. J.D. Weaver, RNVR). (2)

29 Mar 1943
HMS H 44 (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS St. Croix (A/Lt.Cdr. A.H. Dobson, DSC, RCNR), HMCS Battleford (T/Lt. F.A. Beck, RCNVR), HMS Itchen (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, DSO, RNR) and HMS Keppel (Lt.Cdr. R.B.S. Tennant, RN). (2)

23 Jun 1943
HMS H 34 (T/Lt. R.L. Willoughby, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Limbourne (Cdr. C.B. Alers-Hankey, DSC, RN), HMS Wensleydale (Lt. J.A. McClure, DSC, RN), HMS Itchen (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, DSO, RNR), HMCS Galt (T/Lt. A.M. Kirkpatrick, RCNVR), HMCS St. Francis (A/Lt.Cdr. H.V.W. Groos, RCN) and HMCS Sackville (Lt. A.H. Rankin, RCNVR). (3)

24 Jun 1943
HMS H 34 (T/Lt. R.L. Willoughby, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Itchen (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, DSO, RNR), HMS Nene (Cdr. J.D. Birch, RD, RNR), HMCS Calgary (T/Lt. H.K. Hill, RCNVR) and HMS Fusilier (T/Lt. F.M. Phillips, RNVR). (3)

7 Sep 1943
HMS H 33 (Lt. D.G. Kent, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS Sackville (Lt. A.H. Rankin, RCNVR), HMCS Chambly (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A.F. Pickard, RCNR), HMS Itchen (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C.E. Bridgman, DSO, RNR) and HMCS St. Croix (A/Lt.Cdr. A.H. Dobson, DSC, RCNR). (4)

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)

Sources

  1. File 2.12.03.6381 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
  2. ADM 173/17814
  3. ADM 173/17795
  4. ADM 173/17786

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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