HMS Violet (K35)
HMS Vetch (K35) was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War.[1]
Construction and career
[edit]Royal Navy
[edit]Built at Simons & Co in Renfrew on the River Clyde, the ship was laid down on 21 March 1940.[1] The ship was launched 30 December 1940 and commissioned 3 February 1941.[1]
Along with HMS Malcolm and others, the ship shared credit for the sinking of U-651 on 29 June 1941.[2][3] The ship then rescued some 16 survivors from the steamship Grayburn which had been sunk earlier by U-651.[4]
In January 1942, the ship was involved in Operation Postmaster.[5][6][7] In 1942, the ship was retrofitted, repainted in Dazzle camouflage and received an upgrade to her anti-aircraft batteries for a total of six Oerlikon 20 mm cannon on board.[8]
The ship sank U-641 single-handed 19 January 1944.
The ship was paid off 10 February 1946.
Civilian service
[edit]The ship was sold on 17 May 1947 to Zubi Shipping of London for use as a mercantile ship and renamed La Aguerra.[1] The ship was resold in 1949 to Spain as mercantile La Guera then in 1958 as mercantile Claudio Sabadell.
The ship was scrapped in October 1970 at Bilbao.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "History, Facts & Photos of Harwich". Harwich & Dovercourt. 1944-02-29. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
- ^ Henshaw, John (2020-07-30). V & W Destroyers. ISBN 1-5267-7482-8.
- ^ Lister, David (2021-08-31). Defeating the Panzer-Stuka Menace. Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-5267-8716-3.
- ^ "Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII". uboat.net. 1941-06-29. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
- ^ Binney, Marcus (2006). Secret War Heroes. London: Hodder and Stoughton. p. 143. ISBN 978-0-340-82910-3.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Clare (2024-07-30). "The True Story Behind 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare'". warhistoryonline. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
- ^ Archives, The National (2020-01-23). Audacious Missions of World War II. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-4728-2996-2.
- ^ Wright, Malcolm (2014-09-15). British and Commonwealth Warship Camouflage of WWII. Casemate Publishers. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-84832-273-8.
