Halcyon Class Minesweepers

HMS Sharpshooter 1941

 
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HMS Sharpshooter - Halcyon Class Minesweeper

HMS Sharpshooter

Date of Arrival

Place

Date of Departure

Orders, Remarks etc

11.1.41

Scapa

14.1.41

 

15.1.41

Scapa

?

 

25.1.41

Able Seaman Austin Thomas Lavender C/JX147364 died (Cause of death - Drowning.Source www.naval-history.net )

8.2.41

Scapa

12.2.41

 

12.2.41

Aberdeen

18.2.41

 


SHARPSHOOTER sailed with BRAMBLE down to Harwich to sweep there in Feb/March 1941; the two also swept from Dungeness to Portsmouth. In April she moved round to sweep in the Clyde.
(Ruegg)

20.2.41

Harwich

22.2.41

 

24.2.41

Harwich

4.3.41

 

4.3.41

Harwich

5.3.41

 

6.3.41

Harwich

?

 

13.3.41 Newhaven 14.3.41 Arrived 1031. Sailed 0924 (14th) in company with Bramble, Britomart, Hebe, Niger and Speedy. (Source Peter Mason)

16.3.41

Portsmouth

18.3.41

 

20.3.41 Newhaven 21.3.41 Arrived 1727 in company with Bramble, Niger, Seagull and Speedy. Sailed 1345 (21st) in company with Bramble, Niger and Seagull. (Source Peter Mason)

?

Portsmouth

22.3.41

 

25.3.41 Newhaven 26.3.41 Arrived 1541 in company with Bramble, Hebe, Niger and seagull. Sailed 1400 (26th) in company with Bramble, Hebe, Niger, Seagull and Speedy.  (Source Peter Mason)

27.3.41

Harwich

6.4.41

 

?

Harwich

7.4.41

 

10.4.41

Clyde

?

 

?

Campbeltown

26.4.41

 


It was then decided that the 1st Flotilla should be at one week's notice for (sweeping) operations, but should otherwise be available to the C in C Western Approaches for escort duty. SHARPSHOOTER escorted Convoys OB315 and SC39 (Convoy SC39 arrived Liverpool 8/5) before boiler-cleaning at Aberdeen.
(Ruegg)

27.4.41

Stornoway

?

7/5 from SO MSF 1:- Intend sailing SHARPSHOOTER for boiler cleaning at Aberdeen 3.5 leaving there 14.5

9.5.41

Aberdeen

14.5.40

9/5 M/S1 arrived (at Aberdeen) in HMS Bramble, also HMS Sharpshooter and HMS Seagull (War Diary, Aberdeen)

Boiler cleaning

1300 14/5 HMS Bramble, HMS Seagull HMS Sharpshooter and HMS Hebe sailed in company.(War Diary, Aberdeen)


SHARPSHOOTER then escorted HX125 (
convoy departed Halifax on 6.5.41 and arrived Liverpool on 22.5.41
, OB327, HX128, OB334 and HX131, in May/June. Convoy OB347 followed in July. (Ruegg)

16.5.41

Inverary

17.5.41

 

Local Escort to Convoy HX125  (Convoy from Halifax  6/5 to Liverpool  22/5)

22.5.41

Loch Ewe

?

 

1.6.41

 

 

SHARPSHOOTER, as part of Local Escort, met convoy HX128

?

Oban

12.6.41

5/6 from C in C Western Approaches:- British Chivalry is to be diverted to Loch Ewe and is to be escorted by Hebe, SHARPSHOOTER and Seagull.

13.6.41

Stornoway

?

 

17.6.41

At sea

 

Met convoy HX131 at 1600 on 17/6 in 60 10N 26 45W (2 hours early). Local Escort: HMS Beagle, HMS Boadicea, HMS Salisbury, HMS Seagull, HMS SHARPSHOOTER, Maplin, HMS Lady Madeleine, HMS Ayrshire, HMS St. Loman, HMS Orchis, HMS Nigella

Source: http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/hx131.html

21.6.41

Stornoway

21.6.41

 

22.6.41

Aberdeen

28.6.41

 

?

Stornoway

2.7.41

From C in C Western Approaches: SHARPSHOOTER is not to refit until ?? has rejoined 1st MSF practices at Londonderry

?

Stornoway

17.7.41

 

17.7.41

Oban

17.7.41

 

23.7.41

Iceland

 

22/7 From ?? Iceland:- Intend to return SHARPSHOOTER to escort four  merchant ships to UK

6.8.41

Cardiff

11.11.41

6.8.41 Taken in hand for refit, estimates completes 7/11
20/9 SHARPSHOOTER is to be taken in hand for conversion for Arctic service at Messrs C H Bailey, Cardiff, concurrently with present refit.
22/9 From F O I/C Cardiff:- necessary to extend date of completion by 10 days
24/9 SHARPSHOOTER is required to be ready to sail by 10/11


Out of refit SHARPSHOOTER sailed to Scapa to act under the orders of the C in C Home Fleet, and she knew that she would be sailing to North Russia with HAZARD and HEBE. The three 'Halcyons' sailed to Hvalfjord, collecting three merchant ships at Kirkwall en route. (Ruegg)

13.11.41

Scapa

17.11.41

Hebe, SHARPSHOOTER and Hazard were detailed to escort Convoy PQ5 to Archangel. In fact they escorted four of this convoy's seven ships from Kirkwall to Hvalfjord.

22.11.41

Iceland

 

Commissioned 1.12

27.11.41

At sea

 

13.12.41

SHARPSHOOTER. Hazard and Hebe provided part of the Ocean escort for PQ5 (7 ships) from Hvalfjord. SHARPSHOOTER remained with the convoy all the way to Archangel, arriving 13/12. On 7/12, Bramble and Seagull joined as local eastern escort, allowing Hazard and Hebe to detach to Murmansk with the cruiser Sheffield, arriving  8/12. There was no enemy activity.

13.12.41

Murmansk

23.12.41

 


SHARPSHOOTER carried out local duties in North Russian waters in December 1941 and January 1942; these included A/S patrols and escorting incoming convoys (e.g., she went out to meet the Waziristan and Cold Harbour from PQ7, but in fact the ships were not met) and of course she looked for mines.  (Ruegg)

HMS   Sharpshooter.

HMS Sharpshooter
Source: IWM 1984

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This site was last updated 17 Januar 2012