| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Motor Launch |
| Class | Fairmile B |
| Pennant | ML 126 |
| Built by | Jas Miller (St. Monance,. Scotland, U.K.) |
| Ordered | 8 Jan 1940 |
| Laid down | |
| Launched | |
| Commissioned | 19 Sep 1940 |
| Lost | 27 Nov 1943 |
| History | Badly damaged by an explosion when 1.5 nautical miles south of entrance to Naples, Italy on 27 November 1943 and declared a total loss. No casualties. The motor launch most likely struck a floating mine. |
Commands listed for HMS ML 126 (ML 126)
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.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | G W Stead, RCNVR | May 1941 | 20 Oct 1943 |
| 2 | C H Pearse, RNVR | 20 Oct 1943 | 27 Nov 1943 |
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Notable events involving ML 126 include:
12 Jan 1942
HMS Severn (Lt.Cdr. A.N.G. Campbell, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Gibraltar together with ML 126, ML 176 and ML 224.
Following these exercises she carried out attack exercises on HMS Clyde (Lt.Cdr. D.C. Ingram, DSC, RN). She also returned the favour and served as target for HMS Clyde during her attack exercises. (1)
6 Sep 1943
Convoy TSF 1.
This convoy departed Tripoli around 1700B/6 for Salerno Bay to participate in Operation Avalanche, the landings there.
It was made up of the following ships; Headquarters ship HMS Hilary (Capt.(Retd.) J.F. Paget, RN, flying the broad pendant of Commodore G.N. Oliver, DSO, RN), landing ships glengyle, HMS Princess Beatrix (Cdr.(Retd.) T.B. Brunton, DSC, RN), HMS Princess Astrid (T/A/Lt.Cdr. (Retd.) C.E. Hall, RNR), HMS Princess Josephine Charlotte (Lt. J.E. Bromley, RNR), HMS Royal Scotsman (Lt.Cdr.(Emgy.) R.C. Gervers, RN), HMS Royal Ulsterman (Lt.Cdr. W.R.K. Clark, DSC, RD RNR, with Capt. N.V. Dickinson, DSO, DSC, RN on board) and HMS Ulster Monarch (Lt.Cdr. N.A.F. Kingscote, RNR). Also part of the convoy were the troop transports Devonshire (British, 11275 GRT, built 1939) and Sobieski (Polish, 11030 GRT, built 1939).
On departure from Tripoli the convoy was escorted by the AA cruiser HMS Delhi (Capt. A.T.G.C. Peachey, RN), escort destroyers HMS Dulverton (Cdr. S.A. Buss, MVO, RN), HMS Tetcott (Lt.Cdr. H.R. Rycroft, RN), HMS Belvoir (Lt. J.F.D. Bush, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Beaufort (Lt. J.R.L. Moore, RN), HMS Exmoor (Lt.Cdr. D.T. McBarnet, RN), RHS Pindos and the minesweepers HMS Fly (Capt. J.W. Boutwood, RN), HMS Circe (Lt.Cdr. J.H.M. Malcolm, RN), HMS Cadmus (Lt.Cdr. (Retd.) J.S. Landers, RNR), HMS Acute (A/Cdr. J.B.G. Temple, DSC, RN) and HMS Rothesay (Cdr. A.A. Martin, DSC, RD, RNR).
Around 0545B/8, ' Force K ' made up of the light cruisers HMS Mauritius (Capt. W.W. Davis, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral C.H.J. Harcourt, CBE, RN), HMS Uganda (Capt. W.G. Andrewes, RN), HMS Orion (Capt. G.C.P. Menzies, RN) and the destroyers HMS Laforey (Capt. R.M.J. Hutton, DSO, RN), HMS Lookout (Lt.Cdr. A.G. Forman, DSC, RN), HMS Loyal (Lt.Cdr. H.E.F. Tweedie, DSC, RN), HMS Tartar (Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, DSC, RN) and HMS Nubian (Cdr. D.E. Holland-Martin, DSC, RN) joined the convoy. On Force ' K ' joining the Hunt class escort destroyer parted company and proceeded to Palermo to refuel and then rejoin the convoy later in the day.
Also joining on 8 September were the motor launches ML 121 (T/Lt. R.G. Bell, RNVR) and ML 126 (T/Lt. G.W. Stead, RCNVR). These two motor launches were fitted for minesweeping.
Around 1710B/8, HMS Mauritius, HMS Orion, HMS Tartar and HMS Nubian parted company with the convoy and proceeded independently to act as a strike force in case the enemy would interfere with surface ships.
The convoy arrived in the landing zone in the early hours of 9 September. (2)
Sources
- ADM 173/17567
- ADM 234/358
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.