Allied Warships

HMS Capel (K 470)

Frigate of the Captain class

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Frigate
Class	Captain
Pennant	K 470
Built by	Boston Navy Yard (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.)
Ordered	25 Jan 1942
Laid down	11 Mar 1943
Launched	22 Apr 1943
Commissioned	16 Aug 1943
Lost	26 Dec 1944
Loss position	49° 50'N, 1° 41'W

History	On 26 December 1944 HMS Capel (Lt. Bevil Grenfell Heslop, DSC, RN) was torpedoed and sunk north-north-east of Cherbourg, France in position 49º50'N, 01º41'W by the German submarine U-486. 76 members of the crew went down with the ship. Hit by U-boat Sunk on 26 Dec 1944 by U-486 (Meyer).
U-boat Attack	See our U-boat attack entry for the HMS Capel
Former name	USS Wintle DE 266

Commands listed for HMS Capel (K 470)

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	Lt. Bevil Grenfell Heslop, DSC, RN	18 Nov 1943	26 Dec 1944 (+)

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Notable events involving Capel include:

11 Oct 1943
HMS Royal Sovereign (A/Capt. P. Skelton, RN) departed the Norfolk Navy Base for Argentia, Newfoundland. She is being escorted by the frigates and HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Inver (Lt.Cdr. F.H. Gray, RNR) and HMS Findhorn (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Dawson, RD, RNR). (1)

15 Oct 1943
HMS Royal Sovereign (A/Capt. P. Skelton, RN), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Inver (Lt.Cdr. F.H. Gray, RNR) and HMS Findhorn (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Dawson, RD, RNR) arrived at Argentia. (1)

16 Oct 1943
The battleship HMS Royal Sovereign (A/Capt. P. Skelton, RN) departed Argentia for Greenock. She is escorted by the frigates HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Cooke (Lt.Cdr. L.C. Hill, OBE, RD, RNR), HMS Inver (Lt.Cdr. F.H. Gray, RNR) and HMS Findhorn (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Dawson, RD, RNR). (1)

23 Oct 1943
HMS Royal Sovereign (A/Capt. P. Skelton, RN), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Cooke (Lt.Cdr. L.C. Hill, OBE, RD, RNR), HMS Inver (Lt.Cdr. F.H. Gray, RNR) and HMS Findhorn (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Dawson, RD, RNR) arrived at Greenock. (1)

10 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Awe (Lt.Cdr. H.P. Carse, DSC, RNVR), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HNoMS Tunsberg Castle and FFS Commandant d'Estienne d'Orves . (2)

11 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Awe (Lt.Cdr. H.P. Carse, DSC, RNVR), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HNoMS Tunsberg Castle and FFS Commandant d'Estienne d'Orves . (2)

12 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Awe (Lt.Cdr. H.P. Carse, DSC, RNVR), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN) and HNoMS Tunsberg Castle. (2)

16 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Evenlode (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G.B. Medlycott, RNR), HMS Loch Killin (Lt.Cdr. S. Darling, RANVR), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN) and HNoMS Tunsberg Castle. (2)

17 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HNoMS Tunsberg Castle and HMCS Orangeville (Lt. F.R. Pike, RCNVR). (2)

22 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN) and HMCS Orangeville (Lt. F.R. Pike, RCNVR). (2)

11 Dec 1944

Convoy UC 48A.

This convoy was assembled to the south of Ireland on 11 December 1944.

It was made up of the following (troop) transports / tankers; Brandywine (American (tanker), 11401 GRT, built 1943), Brazil (American, 20614 GRT, built 1929), Bulkfuel (American (tanker), 11016 GRT, built 1944), Bulklube American (tanker), 11016 GRT, built 1943(), City of Capetown (British, 8046 GRT, built 1937), Condesa (British, 10367 GRT, built 1944), Cross Keys (American (tanker), 10195 GRT, built 1943), Duquesne (American (tanker), 9933 GRT, built 1944), Empire Might (British, 9209 GRT, built 1942), Empire Protector (British (tanker), 8148 GRT, built 1944), Empire Regent (British, 9904 GRT, built 1943), Fisher's Hill (American (tanker), 10195 GRT, built 1943), Four Lakes (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1943), Glorieta (American (tanker), 10297 GRT, built 1944), Groveton (American (tanker), 10296 GRT, built 1944), Lightning (American, 8591 GRT, built 1942), Lone Jack (American (tanker), 10296 GRT, built 1944), Marine Raven (American, 11757 GRT, built 1943), Martin Bakke (Norwegian, 5484 GRT, built 1936), Mauvilla (American (tanker), 10296 GRT, built 1944), Mormacswan (American, 7194 GRT, built 1939), Nordahl Grieg (Norwegian (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1944), Perthshire (British, 10496 GRT, built 1936), Powder River (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1943), Santa Leonor (American, 8258 GRT, built 1944), Santiago (American (tanker), 10318 GRT, built 1944), Sea Owl (American, 7886 GRT, built 1944), Seatrain Lakehurst (American, 8108 GRT, built 1940), South Mountain (American (tanker), 10296 GRT, built 1944), Surprise (American, 8591 GRT, built 1942), Talisman (American, 8258 GRT, built 1944), Tampico (American (tanker), 10296 GRT, built 1944) and White Bird Canyon (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1944).

The escort carriers (fitted out as aircraft ferries), HMS Tracker (A/Capt. J.H. Huntley, RN) and HMS Trouncer (Capt. B.J. Fisher, DSO, RN) were also part of the convoy.

The convoy was escorted by the destroyer USS Somers (T/Lt.Cdr. E.M. Luby, USN, with ComTaskGr 21.5, T/Cdr. J.F. Gallaher, USN, on board) and the destroyer escorts USS Burrows (Lt.Cdr. J. Parkinson, Jr., USNR), USS Kirkpatrick (Lt.Cdr. V.E. Bakanas, USCG), USS Slater (Lt.Cdr. M.J. Blancq, USNR), USS Oswald (Lt.Cdr. E.L. Patton, Jr., USNR) and USS Ebert (Lt.Cdr. F. Gibbs, USNR).

Before final assembly on the 11th, the convoy had departed various English ports on 9 and 10 December 1944.

The English Channel section, which was escorted by USS Somers, USS Kirkpatrick and USS Slater was temporarily reinforced from 1730A/10 until 0320A/11 by the frigates HMS Affleck (Cdr.(Retd.) C. Gwinner, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Bentley ( Lt. F.L. Boyer, RN), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Garlies (T/A/Lt.Cdr. L.M.M. Stamp, RNVR) and HMS Gore (Lt. J.V. Reeves-Brown, DSC, RN).

Late on 11 December 1944, the City of Capetown and Condesa were detached to proceed independently.

On 12 december 1944, HMS Trouncer reported having a flooded compartment. She requised an escort to proceed to the Azores to effect repairs there. The requist was declined and she was ordered to remain with the convoy and try to make repairs. Early on the 14th she reported that repairs had been succesfully made.

Late on the 14th, the Lightning was ordered to be detached to proceed independently to New York. Due to the weather and the reported enemy submarine situation it was decided that she would remain with the convoy for the moment. She was eventually detached on the 19th.

On 18 December 1944, USS Somers and USS Slater sustained weather damage due to the heavy seas encountered.

On 20 December 1944, USS Somers sustained further weather damage. Also early on this day the Mormacswan was detached.

The convoy arrived at New York on 22 December 1944.