Navy | The Royal Navy |
Type | Minesweeper |
Class | Auk |
Pennant | J 12 |
Built by | Associated Shipbuilders (Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.) |
Ordered | 6 Dec 1941 |
Laid down | 11 Apr 1942 |
Launched | 7 Sep 1942 |
Commissioned | 8 Jul 1943 |
End service | 1946 |
History | Returned to the United States Navy in 1946. |
Commands listed for HMS Catherine (J 12)
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 | A/Cdr. Thomas Crosbie Crease, DSO, RN | May 1943 | 29 May 1944 |
2 | A/Cdr. Leonard Cooper Windsor, RN | 29 May 1944 | 28 Aug 1944 |
3 | Cdr. Kenneth Hillam Fraser, RN | 28 Aug 1944 | 15 May 1946 |
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Notable events involving Catherine include:
2 Jun 1944
Around 1930B/2, ' Bombardment Force D ', made up of the battleships HMS Warspite (Capt. M.H.A. Kelsey, DSC, RN), HMS Ramillies (Capt. G.B. Middleton, CBE, RN), heavy cruiser HMS Frobisher (Capt. J.F.W. Mudford, RN), light cruisers HMS Mauritius (Capt. W.W. Davis, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral W.R. Patterson, CB, CVO, RN), HMS Arethusa (Capt. H. Dalrymple-Smith, RN), HMS Danae (Capt. J.R.S. Haines, RN), ORP Dragon (Kmdr.por. (Cdr.) S.T. Dzienisiewicz), destroyers HMS Saumarez (Capt. P.G.L. Cazalet, DSC, RN), HMS Swift (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Gower, RN), HNoMS Stord (Lt.Cdr. S.V. Storheill), HNoMS Svenner (Lt.Cdr. T. Holte), frigates HMS Holmes (Lt. D.B.G. Dumas, RN), HMS Rowley (Lt.Cdr. F.J.G. Jones, RD, RNR) and minesweepers HMS Catherine (A/Cdr. L.C. Windsor, RN), HMS Cato (Lt. R.W.E. Harris, RN), HMS Combatant (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) G.L. Barwell, RN), HMS Gazelle (Lt. J.D. Sutcliffe, RN), HMS Gorgon (T/A/Lt.Cdr. F. Mugford, RNR), HMS Grecian (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) C.D.A. Irvine, RN), HMS Pique (T/Lt. W.J.C. Fuller, RNR) and HMS Steadfast (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R. Mowbray, RNR) departed the Clyde for operation Neptune, the landings in Normandy, France.
6 May 1945
Operation Cleaver.
Entry of a naval surface force into the Skagerrak and Kattegat.
The following forces took part in this operation; ' Force 5 ' which was made up of the light cruisers HMS Birmingham (Capt. H.W. Williams, RN), HMS Dido (Capt. R.F. Elkins, OBE, RN) and the destroyers HMS Zephyr (Capt. J.H. Allison, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Zealous (Cdr. R.F. Jessel, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Zest (Lt.Cdr. R.B.N. Hicks, DSO, RN) and HMS Zodiac (Lt.Cdr. H.R. Rycroft, DSC, RN). This force departed Rosyth in the evening of the 6th.
' Force 6 ' which was made up of the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk (Capt. J.G.Y. Loveband, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral R.R. McGrigor, CB, DSO, RN) and the destroyers HMS Scourge (Lt.Cdr. C.G.H. Brown, DSC, RN, with Capt. P.G.L. Cazalet, DSC, RN on board), HMS Savage (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Malins, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Obedient (Lt.Cdr. H. Kirkwood, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. E.M. Thorpe, DSO, RN), HMS Opportune (Cdr. R.E.D. Ryder, VC, RN), HMS Zambesi (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Palmer, RN) and HMS Carysfort (Lt.Cdr. L.St.G. Rich, DSO and Bar, RN). This force departed Scapa flow early the 7th except to joined the escort carriers HMS Queen (A/Capt. K.J. D'Arcy, DSO, RN), HMS Searcher (Capt. J.W. Grant, DSO, RN), HMS Trumpeter (A/Capt. K.S. Colquhoun, RN) which had still been at sea after operation Judgement together with the escort carrier HMS Campania (Capt. C.B. Alers-Hankey, DSC, RN) and the destroyers HMS Obdurate (Lt.Cdr. R.D. Franks, DSO, DSC, OBE, RN), HNoMS Stord (Lt.Cdr. H. Øi) and ORP Piorun (Lt.Cdr. J. Tchorznicki, ORP). The cruisers and the destroyers joined the escort carriers around 1000B/7.
HMS Campania, HMS Obdurate, HNoMS Stord and ORP Piorun then parted company.
And the 40th Minesweeping Flotilla made up of HMS Catherine (Cdr. K.H. Fraser, RN), 6541 HMS Cynthia (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.L. Chatwin, RNVR), HMS Elfreda (T/A/Lt.Cdr. L. Jolly, RNVR), HMS Grecian (T/A/Cdr. C.R. Fraser, DSC and Bar, RNR) and HMS Gazelle (Lt.Cdr. J.D. Sutcliffe, RN), HMS Maenad (Cdr. C.E. Duggan, RD, RNR), HMS Steadfast (T/A/Lt. A.H. Hall, RNVR) and HMS Tattoo (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.G. Rogers, RD, RNR). They departed Rosyth of the 6th.
Force 5 and the 40th M/S Flotilla arrived at Copenhagen, Denmark on 9 May. The 40th M/S Flotilla swept Force 5 through the minefields.
Force 6 returned to Scapa Flow on 10 May. (1)
11 May 1945
Operation Kingdom.
The object of this operation was to transport the Norwegian Crown Prince, together with Norwegian Government officials and military commanders and also members of the Allied Shaef mission (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force).
For this operation the heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN), fast minelayers HMS Apollo (Capt. J.A. Grindle, CBE, RN), HMS Ariadne (Capt. F.B. Lloyd, OBE, RN), destroyers HMCS Iroquois (Capt. K.F. Adams, RCN), HMS Savage (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Malins, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Campbell (Lt. B.W. Meaden, RN), escort destroyer HNoMS Arendal departed Rosyth around 1630B/11. They arrived at Oslo in the afternoon of the 13th.
The were swept in by the minesweepers HMS Catherine (Cdr. Kenneth Hillam Fraser, RN), 6541 HMS Cynthia (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.L. Chatwin, RNVR), HMS Elfreda (T/A/Lt.Cdr. L. Jolly, RNVR), HMS Grecian (T/A/Cdr. C.R. Fraser, DSC and Bar, RNR) and HMS Gazelle (Lt.Cdr. J.D. Sutcliffe, RN), HMS Maenad (Cdr. C.E. Duggan, RD, RNR), HMS Steadfast (T/A/Lt. A.H. Hall, RNVR) and HMS Tattoo (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.G. Rogers, RD, RNR) which had come from Copenhagen. (2)
Sources
- ADM 199/1440
- ADM 53/121219 + ADM 199/1440
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.