Halcyon Class Minesweepers

Halcyon Class Ships
QP15 Report of HMS Halcyon

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This is not a comprehensive account of the convoy but records the important roles that the Halcyon Class ships played.

For more details of the ships that sailed in these convoys visit www.convoyweb.org.uk

 Source: Report of Proceedings QP15, HMS Halcyon. ADM 199/721

 

To:       Rear Admiral (D) Home Fleet

Date:    December 1st 1942

From: Commanding Officer HMS Halcyon

 

Report of Proceedings of HMS Halcyon in QP15 together with those of HM Ships Britomart and Hazard

Nov 17th Convoy weighed and proceeded formed into two columns. 7 ½ knots was maintained through the night to enable stragglers to form up.

Nov 18th On arrival off C. Gorodetski convoy formed into 9 columns. Shortly afterwards 2 Russian destroyers met and joined escort.

Nov 19th A southerly wind which had been increasing steadily during the forenoon reached gale force at about 2300. At this stage the Gyro-Compass (Sperry Commercial) developed a wander of about 30°, and was abandoned as reliable. For the remainder of the passage back to Iceland courses were set by Magnetic Compass.

Nov 20th Contact was lost with the convoy at 0300, due to being misled by Type 271 RDF into station keeping on wave echoes. Ship proceeded on course and speed of the convoy hoping to regain contact at daylight, but in the poor visibility and very heavy seas nothing was seen. C in C H F’s 1345/20 was received at 1400/20th. It was thought possible that Captain (D)8 would not, in view of the weather conditions, contact the convoy at position CC, but Halcyon altered course to 270° (true) at 1700. It was estimated that the convoy was astern, so accordingly ship steamed backwards and forwards across the line of advance from 0400 to 0800. Nothing was seen and course was set for position XX.

Nov 22nd HMS Salamander was met, hove to on a Northerly course (Wind had now veered to NNE and diminished slightly in force) at 0530 but she lost contact shortly afterwards. Wind again increased to gale force during the afternoon, when starboard whaler and a mess deck scuttle were stove in, and 2 depth charges washed overboard. Again sighted Salamander to SW at noon in position 73 45’N 16 20’E. A merchant ship was also sighted and identified as the Russian Arcos, on a NW course. Salamander again lost touch during the evening.

Nov 23rd A British floating mine Mk XVII was sighted at 0200. On reaching 3° E in Lat 73 43’N, at 1900 course was set for position OO. Wind moderated during the day and backed to SW. Visibility 3 miles. Swell 35.

Nov 25th C S I in London was met at 1230C and an invaluable opportunity was had of checking compasses. C S I parted company at 1340C and course was held for position OO.

Nov 26th Arrived position FF at 1817C and arrived at Seidisfiord at 0300/27.

 

CONCLUSIONS

Owing to the frequent changes of route the various ships of convoy and escort took devious routes, and it is doubtful if, under the prevailing weather conditions, HM Ships Halcyon and Salamander could have made the original route on account of insufficient oil-fuel (HMS Halcyon arriving Seidisfiord with 48 tons of oil-fuel remaining. Type 271 RDF proved extremely useful for station keeping, but there was always a tendency to be misled by wave echoes, which were sometimes received up to ranges of 5,000 yards, and appearing on the scan as sharply defined as ship echoes.

The Gyro (Sperry-Commercial) was abandoned as unreliable after 2 days at sea. Although on this occasion the fault was obviously due to heavy seas, yet for the duration of the ship’s stay in Arctic waters, considerable errors had been experienced, despite the efforts of three Russian Gyro technicians, amongst others, to remedy the defects.

C H Corbet-Singleton

Lieutenant Commander in Command

 

This Diary has kindly been contributed to the site by Pauline Maslen, wife of LSBA William Maslen and remains her copyright. Please do not reproduce any part of this Diary without prior permission

The WWII diary of William Fred Maslen.

D/MX 71123 LSBA. (Leading sick berth attendant)

Russian Convoy. QP15   HMS Halcyon.1942.

13th Nov Friday. Left Archangel 1100. River frozen 14 inches of ice. 1130 got away from jetty ‑ frozen in for the night in middle of river 1600. 

14th Saturday. Rescue ship came up and she got stuck ‑ tugs freed us ‑ arrived Economia 1230. 

15th Sunday. At Economia. Saw "Dosia" ‑ sick. 

16th Monday. At Economia. 

17th Tuesday. Left Economia 0900 with convoy . 28 ships ‑ formed up at bar and underway at 1500 ‑ weather good ‑ slight swell ‑ half noon. 

18th Wednesday. Nov. At sea (White Sea). Position leading convoy ‑ sub attacked with depth charges 1100 ‑ no results seen. 

19th Nov. Weather bad ‑ due to meet 5 destroyers tonight ‑ visibility fair ‑ snow ‑frost ‑ lost convoy middle of watch ‑ turned back to search ‑ no luck. Proceeding Iceland on our own ‑ visibility bad ‑ snow. Sally (Salamander) reported broke down. 

20th Nov. On our own ‑ no sign of any other ship. Weather bad ‑ cyclone ‑ gale ‑rolling like hell ‑ snowing. 

21st Nov. Convoy 11 ships reported 60 miles ahead ‑ weather putrid ‑ snow and ice. Lost S whaler ‑ Carley float and motor boat has got a big hole in side ‑ no abandon ship stations left ‑ rolling like hell ‑ afraid of turning turtle. 

22nd Nov. Sunday. Sea a little easier but by no means calms. Picked up Sally during afternoon ‑ she reported seeing 11 ships, night before, but lost them in the bad weather. Lost Sally again ‑ snow ‑ gale.

23rd Monday. Weather getting worse again ‑ snow ‑ squally ‑ ship covered in ice ‑ we have seen no daylight properly for 5 days. 

24th Tuesday. Heavy weather ‑ side in on starboard beam ‑ my locker drenched with water ‑ stools and all wooden forms propping up leaks and breaks. Port hole broke clean away. 

25th Wednesday. Sea running strong. "Camelba" and merchant ship 30 miles ahead broke W.T. silence. ??? trouble. We passed "London" 60 miles E. of our position ‑ good luck ‑ where is our Halcyon . 

26th Tuesday. Arrived Seidisfiord 0800 ‑ oiled ‑ weather bad ‑ gale warnings ‑ very little snow. 

27th Wednesday. At Seidisfiord. Squally ‑ snow storm ‑ tied up alongside Yank oiler. 

28th Nov. Left for Scapa With Sally ‑ 1100 ‑ heavy swell ‑ snow ??? Salamander keeping up speed, engine trouble. 

30th Nov. At sea ‑ heavy beam sea since midnight -snow, rain sleet. may be gale. Doing 12 and half knots. Scapa here we come. Buzzes about where we are docking. Captain had a talk with me re: ships company. 

1st Dec. Glorious 1st. Arrived Scapa 1230. Half gale.

Diary of LSBA William Maslen, HMS Halcyon    © Pauline Maslen MMIV

 

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This site was last updated 17 Januar 2012