uboat.net

  Front page - Fighting the U-boats - Allied Warships

Follow us on Twitter
@uboatnet

Notable events involving ML 574 include:

17 Mar 1943
HrMs O 10 (Lt.Cdr. Baron D.T. Mackay, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory together with HMS Kite (Lt.Cdr. W.F.R. Segrave, RN), HMS Lady Madeleine (T/A/Lt.Cdr. N.S. Heriot, DSC, RNVR), ML 166 and ML 574 (T/S.Lt. E.R.S. Gillham, RNVR). (1)

13 Jun 1943

Convoy SL 131.

This convoy departed Freetown on 13 June 1943.

On departure from Freetown the convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Alphard (Dutch, 5483 GRT, built 1937), Anna Odland (Norwegian, 4980 GRT, built 1939), Argyll (British, 4897 GRT, built 1939), Bodegraven (Dutch, 5541 GRT, 1929), Cap Cantin (British (former French), 3317 GRT, built 1933), Cap Padaran (British (former French), 8009 GRT, built 1922), City of Christiania (British, 4940 GRT, built 1921), Cordillera (British, 6865 GRT, built 1920), Dagrun (Norwegian, 4562 GRT, built 1928), Deido (British, 3894 GRT, built 1928), Empire Bardolph (British, 7063 GRT, built 1943), Eskdalegate (British, 4250 GRT, built 1930), Fort Drew (British, 7134 GRT, built 1943), Fort McLeod (British, 7127 GRT, built 1942), Fort Rupert (British, 7142 GRT, built 1942), Fort Ville Marie (British, 7122 GRT, built 1941), Karmt (Norwegian, 4991 GRT, built 1938), Lowlander (British, 8059 GRT, built 1925), Peterston (British, 4680 GRT, built 1925), Sobo (British, 5353 GRT, built 1937), Sound Fisher (British, 2931 GRT, built 1941), St. Rosario (British, 4312 GRT, built 1937), Swiftscout (American, 8207 GRT, built 1921) and William Gaston (American, 7176 GRT, built 1942).

The RFA tanker Fortol (2629 GRT, built 1917) was also with the convoy as escort oiler.

On departure from Freetown the convoy was escorted by the HMS Fowey (Cdr.(Retd.) L.B.A. Majendie, RN) sloop and the corvettes HMS Campion (Lt.Cdr. A. Brown, RNR), HMS La Malouine (Lt. W.A. Ives, RNR), HMS Mallow (T/A/Lt.Cdr. H.T.S. Clouston, RNVR), HMS Myosotis (T/Lt. R. Lugg, RNR) and HMS Stonecrop (Lt.Cdr. J.P. Smythe, RNR).

Around 0600Z/16, in position 13°58'N, 17°33'W the Swiftscout and William Gaston parted company to proceed to Trinidad independently.

Around 0945Z/16, in position 14°29'N, 17°38'W, the merchant vessel Danae II (British, 2660 GRT, built 1936) joined the convoy coming from Dakar. She had been escorted to the rendezvous by the motor launches HMS ML 289 and ML 574 which then returned to Dakar.

Around 1940Z/24, in position 34°02'N, 10°03'W, the tanker Thorshovdi (Norwegian, 9944 GRT, built 1937) joined the convoy.

At 1015A/25, convoy MKS 15G joined the convoy in position 35°25'N, 10°11'W.
This convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Baron Dunmore (British, 3938 GRT, built 1933), Baron Yarborough (British, 3388 GRT, 1928), Blairdevon (British, 3282 GRT, built 1925), Empire Heath (British, 6643 GRT, built 1941), Fylingdale (British, 3918 GRT, built 1924), Framlington Court (British, 4888 GRT, built 1924), Grodno (British, 2458 GRT, built 1919), Gullpool (British, 4868 GRT, built 1928), Hallfried (Norwegian, 2968 GRT, built 1918), Kingsborough (British, 3368 GRT, built 1928), Lublin (Polish, 1409 GRT, built 1932), Monkleigh (British, 5203 GRT, built 1927), Norheim (Norwegian (tanker), 9816 GRT, built 1941), Ocean Valentine (British, 7174 GRT, built 1942) and Tynemouth (British, 3168 GRT, built 1940).

With these ships also the damaged fast minelayer HMS Manxman (Capt. H.W. Williams, RN) in tow of the tug HMS Bustler joined.

Also two merchant vessel which came from Lisbon joined, these were the Finland (British, 1375 GRT, built 1939) and Spero (British, 1589 GRT, built 1922).

They were escorted by the corvettes Roselys, Renoncule and the A/S trawlers HMS Sapper (T/Lt. R.C. Lees, RNR), HMS Hornpipe (Lt. H.L. de Legh, RNR) and HMS Reighton Wyke (Skr. G.M. Sutherland, RNR). Two more vessels of the Lisbon section had been sunk by German aircraft while en-route to the rendezvous, these were the Shetland (British, 1846 GRT, built 1921) and Volturno (British, 3419 GRT, built 1914).

At 1230A/25, in position 35°31'N, 10°23'W, the Thorshovdi and Fortol parted company with the convoy to proceed to Gibraltar. They took HMS Hornpipe and HMS Reighton Wyke with them as escorts.

At 1710A/25, in position 35°42'N, 10°55'W, the damaged escort destroyer HMS Avon Vale (Lt.Cdr. P.A.R. Withers, DSO, RN) joined the convoy, but not as escort. She took station in the convoy.

Distant cover for the convoy when it passed the Bay of Biscay area was provided by the light (AA) cruiser HMS Scylla (Capt. I.A.P. Macintyre, CBE, DSO, RN).

At 0515A/30, in position 47°19'N, 17°02'W, HMS La Malouine parted company to proceed independently to Liverpool.

At 0430A/1, in position 50°39'N, 17°05'W, HMS Avon Vale parted company to proceed to Plymouth. She took the Renoncule with her as escort.

The convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 3 July 1943 where it split into several sections which then proceeded to their repective destinations. (2)

12 Jul 1943
Le Centaure conducted A/S exercises off Freetown with HMML 278, HMML 290 and ML 574. (3)