Allied Warships

HMS Cowslip (K 196)

Corvette of the Flower class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeCorvette
ClassFlower 
PennantK 196 
Built byHarland & Wolff Ltd. (Belfast, Northern Ireland) 
Ordered8 Apr 1940 
Laid down16 Jan 1941 
Launched28 May 1941 
Commissioned9 Aug 1941 
End service 
History

Sold in July 1948.
Scrapped at Troon in April 1949.

 

Commands listed for HMS Cowslip (K 196)

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and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt. Frederick Granger, RNR21 Jun 19419 Oct 1943
2T/Lt. Ralph Thompson, RNR9 Oct 1943mid 1945

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Notable events involving Cowslip include:


2 Aug 1942
Around 1600Q/7, the armed merchant cruiser HMS Asturias (Capt.(Retd.) H. Ardill, RN) and armed boarding vessel HMS Largs (Cdr. E.A. Divers, RNR) departed St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. They then joined the floating dock AFD 25 in tow of the tugs HMS Aimwell and HMS Favourite and escorted by the corvettes HMS Cowslip (Lt. F. Granger, RNR) and HMS Crocus (T/Lt. J.F. Holm, RNZNR).

The floating dock was on passage to Freetown. (1)

11 Aug 1942
HMS Crocus (T/Lt. J.F. Holm, RNZNR) and HMS Cowslip (Lt. F. Granger, RNR) were both fuelled while underway by HMS Asturias (Capt.(Retd.) H. Ardill, RN). (2)

15 Aug 1942
In the early morning hours floating dock AFD 25 broke its back in the swell. Salvage attempts were undertaken but late in the afternoon there was no other choice then to scuttle the dock which eventually sank in position 12°01'N, 40°50'W early in the evening.

The escort and tugs; the armed merchant cruiser HMS Asturias (Capt.(Retd.) H. Ardill, RN), armed boarding vessel HMS Largs (Cdr. E.A. Divers, RNR), corvettes HMS Cowslip (Lt. F. Granger, RNR), HMS Crocus (T/Lt. J.F. Holm, RNZNR) and tugs HMS Aimwell and HMS Favourite continued the passage to Freetown. (1)

16 Aug 1942
HMS Crocus (T/Lt. J.F. Holm, RNZNR) was topped off with fuel fuel while underway by HMS Asturias (Capt.(Retd.) H. Ardill, RN).

At 2055O/16, the corvette was detached from the group made up of HMS Asturias, HMS Largs (Cdr. E.A. Divers, RNR), HMS Cowslip (Lt. F. Granger, RNR), HMS Aimwell and HMS Favourite. (2)

17 Aug 1942
HMS Crocus (T/Lt. J.F. Holm, RNZNR) was topped off with fuel fuel while underway by HMS Asturias (Capt.(Retd.) H. Ardill, RN). At dawn on the 17th, it became apparent that HMS Aimwell had lost contact during the night with HMS Asturias (Capt.(Retd.) H. Ardill, RN), HMS Largs (Cdr. E.A. Divers, RNR), HMS Cowslip (Lt. F. Granger, RNR) and HMS Favourite.

A seach by the aircraft from HMS Asturias failed to find the missing tug. It was hoped she would proceed to Freetown independently.

During the day, HMS Cowslip was fuelled while underway by HMS Asturias. (2)

20 Aug 1942
Around 2015N/19, in position 09°54'N, 26°00'W, HMS Cowslip (Lt. F. Granger, RNR) and HMS Favourite were detached as ordered by the Rear-Admiral West Africa station. They were to proceed to Freetown independently from HMS Asturias (Capt.(Retd.) H. Ardill, RN) and HMS Largs (Cdr. E.A. Divers, RNR). (2)

22 Aug 1942
Around 0930Z/22, HMS Asturias (Capt.(Retd.) H. Ardill, RN) and HMS Largs (Cdr. E.A. Divers, RNR) arrived at Freetown.

The missing tug (since 16 August 1942) HMS Aimwell was seen by them to enter harbour around 1050Z/22.

Around 1545Z/22, HMS Cowslip (Lt. F. Granger, RNR) and HMS Favourite also entered harbour. (2)

30 Sep 1942
The British merchant Empire Avocet is torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-125 about 300 nautical miles southwest of Freetown in position 04°05'N, 13°23'W. HMS Cowslip (Lt. F. Granger, RNR) later picks up 24 survivors.

30 Oct 1942
German U-boat U-559 was sunk in the Mediterranean north-east of Port Said, in position 32°30'N, 33°00'E, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Pakenham (Capt. E.B.K. Stevens, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Petard (Lt.Cdr. M. Thornton, DSC, RN), HMS Hero (Lt. W. Scott, DSC, RN) and the British escort destroyers HMS Dulverton (Lt.Cdr. W.N. Petch, DSO, OBE, RN), HMS Hurworth (Lt.Cdr. J.T.B. Birch, DSO, DSC, RN), after being located by a British Vickers Wellesley aircraft (47 Sqn RAF/F).

14 May 1943
Le Centaure conducted A/S exercises off Freetown with HMS Cowslip (Lt.Cdr. F. Granger, RNR), HMS Butser (T/Lt. A.F. Cameron, RNVR) and HMS Portsdown (Lt. E.L. Donkin, MBE, RNR). (3)

17 Jun 1943
Argo conducted A/S exercises off Freetown with HMS Cowslip (Lt.Cdr. F. Granger, RNR), HMS Butser (T/Lt. A.F. Cameron, RNVR) and HMS Duncton (Lt. J.N. Burgess, RANVR). (3)

24 Jun 1943
Argo conducted A/S exercises off Freetown with HMS Milford (Lt.Cdr. G. MacClelland, RN), HMS Clarkia (Lt.Cdr. S. Darling, RANVR), HMS Cowslip (Lt.Cdr. F. Granger, RNR), HMS Woodruff (T/Lt. T. Muir, RNVR) and HMS Buttermere (Lt. J.D.E. Lewis, RNR). (3)

4 Jul 1944
HMS Unrivalled (Lt. D.S. Brown, RNVR) conducted exercises off Tobermory with HMS Launceston Castle (Lt. R.M. Roberts, RNR) and HMS Cowslip (T/Lt. R. Thompson, RNR). (4)

Sources

  1. ADM 53/115381 + ADM 199/647 + ADM 199/2248
  2. ADM 53/115381
  3. ADM 199/635
  4. ADM 173/19225

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


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