Halcyon Class Minesweepers HMS Sphinx - Sinking
Report of HMS Boreas
 
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Source:  ADM 1/10785

 

Report of HMS Boreas  

1150, 3rd Feb 1940:  When on A/S patrol in the vicinity of Troup Head I intercepted a signal from HMS Speedwell saying that HMS SPHINX had been badly damaged by a bomb 15 miles 000° from Kinnaird Head. With HMS Brazen I proceeded to see if I could be of assistance. 

1330 3rd Feb 1940:  In touch with HMS Speedwell. HMS Boreas and HMS Brazen carried out A/S screening while Skipjack took SPHINX in tow. 

1530 3rd Feb 1940:  HMS SPHINX in tow. HMS Boreas screening from starboard side and HMS Brazen from port. 

1900 3rd Feb 1940:  HMS Speedwell’s 18.19 and 1900 were my first intimation that there were any doubts about the ultimate safety of HMS SPHINX. 

Conditions at the time were extremely unpleasant. The night was very dark and I knew that HMS Harrier was somewhere in the vicinity but not her position. Wind was of gale force and the sea was rapidly becoming very rough. Asdics were useless. As I had no information I made to Speedwell ‘ Can destroyers be of any further assistance or shall they resume their patrol’. No answer was received to this. Still without information I made to Speedwell ‘What is situation ?’ and received the reply ‘Tow has parted’. 

I received from Speedwell ‘Stand by SPHINX abandoning ship now’. 

I closed SPHINX at 16 knots and saw Speedwell attempt to get alongside. He made to me ‘Are you going alongside?’, to which I replied ‘Yes’ and between 0330 and the time that SPHINX turned over I went alongside 3 times and took off 7 men. 

On the first two occasions I only took off one man each time but on the third succeeded in getting 5. The sea at the time was very heavy, SPHINX had a big list to starboard and the men to start with were very reluctant to jump for my forecastle which I estimate was moving up and down some 15 feet. On the second occasion I sustained some slight damage to my bow. 

On the second and third times of going alongside a line was got into SPHINX and on the third attempt an effort was made to float a Carley raft between the ships but under the weather conditions then prevailing I could not hold Boreas up into the wind so we drifted too far apart. 

I made a signal abandoning the Carley raft idea and saying that I was coming alongside again. Having turned I found that SPHINX had foundered I went to windward of the largest group of men that I could see and drifted down on them. By 05.15 I had picked up 30. One man subsequently died. As far as I know only two men of those I had alongside were not picked up, one of whom was SPHINX’s Coxswain. They were alongside for a short time about 0500 and then drifted astern. I think that they were both dead at that time. 

I cannot speak too highly of the way all my ship’s company worked to save these men. Conditions were as bad as could be imagined, it was very dark, the ship was rolling anything up to 40° either side and heavy seas and the cold made rescue work very difficult. That only two men should not have been got inboard reflects credit on the men engaged on this operation. Many men at considerable risk went over the side on bowlines to pass lines around the men in the sea as the only way to get them on board.  

I had drifted out of the area in which survivors were floating and as there were other ships available for searching considered that to get a doctor was the next essential. This was not actually possible until 0945. The work of the Coxswain during this time, Acting Chief Petty Officer B F Lambden P/J 115355 in connection with men suffering from injuries and exposure was most meritorious.  

All this time Brazen was maintaining an A/S patrol. Brazen was temporarily under the command of Lieutenant G V Corbett. At about 1800 he had received a signal from Speedwell instructing him to stand by to take SPHINX in tow so he had got a shackle and cable aft.   After this he received no signal at all until I told him to join me at 0550. I deliberately had not informed him of developments after 0310 as conditions for going alongside were not suitable for an entirely inexperienced Commanding Officer. From 0430 onwards I considered that there were sufficient ships to have picked up survivors who had not drowned without another coming on an unfamiliar scene. 

I consider that the Commanding Officer of Brazen did correctly when he did not close the remainder of the ships during the night. He had no intimation that SPHINX had foundered and he had appreciated that the other ships present were sufficient to deal with any other eventuality.   

Lieutenant Commander
Commanding Officer HMS Boreas

Clem Walker and crew of HMS Boreas
Able Seaman Clem Walker (on left) and some of the crew of HMS Boreas
Photo from Brian Walker (son)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/60/a4105360.shtml
 


On the 3rd Feb 1940 my father was serving on HMS Boreas when the ship intercepted a signal from HMS Speedwell saying that the HMS Sphinx had been badly damaged by two bombs. The Boreas proceeded to the position with HMS Brazen to render any assistance.

The Sphinx had been taken in tow by HMS Skipjack and on arrival the Boreas and Brazen undertook a/s screening, the Boreas on the stbd. side and the Brazen to port. Conditions were extremely unpleasant. The wind was of gale force, the night was very dark and the sea rapidly becoming very rough. The Speedwell signalled shortly after that the tow had parted followed by 'standby the Sphinx abandoning ship'.

The Boreas closed at 16 knots. Between 0330 and the time the Sphinx rolled over the Boreas went alongside 3 times and took off 7 men. On the first two occasions only one man was taken off each time. On the third occasion 5 were rescued. The sea at that time was now very rough. The Sphinx had a big list to stbd. and the men were very reluctant to jump to the forecastle of the Boreas which was moving up and down some 15 feet. At the second and third time of going alongside an attempt was made to float a carley raft between the ships but this failed due to the prevailing conditions. Abandoning this idea a signal was sent to the Sphinx that the Boreas was coming alongside again. While attempting this the Sphinx foundered.

The Boreas went windward of the largest group of men in the sea and drifted down on them. By 0515 the Boreas had rescued 30 men. Of these one subsequently died. Only two were not picked up from this group, one of whom was the Sphinx's coxswain. They drifted astern and were lost. The Boreas's crew worked hard to save these men. Conditions were bad as could be imagined with Boreas rolling anything up to 40 degrees either side and the cold made rescue work very difficult. A number of the Boreas's crew at considerable risk to themselves went over the side on bowlines to fasten ropes around the men in the sea as the only way to save them.

My father recalls it as a terrifying night with the horror of those who could not be reached drifting away into the night. Although he can not remember the name of the Boreas's commanding officer he has never forgotten his superb seamanship.

Contributed by: Brian Walker
People in story: Able Seaman Clem Walker
Article ID:  A4118618
Contributed on:  26 May 2005
Clem Walker passed away on 12th March 2007

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/60/a4105360.shtml

     

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