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HMS Bluebell (K80)

Coordinates: 69°24′N 33°42′E / 69.400°N 33.700°E / 69.400; 33.700
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other ships with the same name, see HMS Bluebell.

History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Bluebell
Ordered27 July 1939
BuilderFleming & Ferguson, Paisley
Yard number559
Laid down25 October 1939
Launched24 April 1940
Completed19 July 1940
IdentificationPennant number: K80
Honours and
awards
  • Atlantic 1940-44
  • Sicily 1943
  • Mediterranean 1943
  • Normandy 1944
  • Arctic 1945
FateTorpedoed and sunk, 17 February 1945
BadgeOn a Field White, a Bell, Blue, banded and clappered Gold.
General characteristics
Class and typeFlower-class corvette
Displacement940 long tons (960 t)
Length205 ft (62 m)
Beam33 ft (10 m)
Draught11 ft 6 in (3.51 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 × fire tube boilers
  • 1 × 4-cycle triple-expansion steam engine
Speed16 knots (30 km/h) at 2,750 hp (2,050 kW)
Range5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km) at 10 knots (9,260 km at 18.5 km/h)
Complement86
Armament
Service record
Operations:

HMS Bluebell was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy in World War II. Ordered from Fleming & Ferguson of Paisley, Scotland on 27 July 1939, she was launched on 24 April 1940 and commissioned in July 1940. She served in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Arctic campaigns, escorting several convoys to Russia, and also took part in the invasions of Sicily and France. She was torpedoed and sunk by U-711 in the Kola Inlet on 17 February 1945 while escorting the convoy RA 64 from Murmansk. Only one member of her crew survived.

Bluebell was a steel hulled Naval Corvette, Flower Class, Pennant K80, launched by Fleming & Ferguson of Paisley on 24 April 1940 and completed on 19 July 1940. 62.5m long, with 10.06m beam, 4.52m draught, displacing 925 tons, it was powered by two scotch oil fired boilers feeding one 4-cycle triple expansion steam engine driving a single screw for 16kts. Bluebell was armed with 1 × 4-inch BL Mk. IX gun, 2 × .50″ Vickers mg., 2 × .303″ mg, 2 × Mk II depth charge throwers, and 2 × depth charge rails with 40 depth charges. The Corvette won battle honours Atlantic 1940-44, Sicily 1943, Normandy 1944, Mediterranean 1943 and Arctic 1945.

HMS Bluebell’s Final Voyage

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In February 1942, Bluebell was adopted by the civil community of Tiverton, Devon after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings Campaign.

For its final voyage on 13 February 1945, Bluebell had towed HMS Denbigh Castle (K 696) into Kola Inlet after it had been torpedoed by U-992 while escorting the convoy JW-64. On 17 February 1945, Bluebell, commanded by Lt G.H. Walker, DSC, RNVR, was searching for U-boats off Kola Inlet ahead of convoy RA-64, which set out for Loch Ewe. At 17.30 hours, Bluebell was struck in the stern by a GNAT from U-711 just after detecting the U-boat about 30 miles east-northeast of Kildin Island and increasing its speed. The corvette blew up as the hit detonated its depth charges and sank in less than 30 seconds. HMS Zest (R 02), commanded by Lt Cdr R.B.N. Hicks, DSO, RN, arrived at the sinking position in about 10 minutes. Its lookouts heard cries from about a dozen men swimming in the ice-cold water but could not stop due to the danger of also being torpedoed. The destroyer began a search for Bluebell’s attacker until being relieved by HMS Opportune (G 80), commanded by Cdr R.E.D. Ryder, VC, RN, which lowered a whaler at 17.53 hours.

The Miraculous Survival of Albert E.G. Holmes

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During the search for survivors, only three of Bluebell’s unconscious crew members were recovered, and only one of these could be revived – Petty Officer Albert E.G. Holmes, who hailed from Southampton. The crew list can be viewed here. Holme’s service included three escapes, as recounted in Good Morning – The Daily Paper of the Submarine Branch No 719 dated 3 August 1945:

“Home Town Talk

NARROW escapes from death are the common lot of men of the Royal Navy, but 24-year-old A.B. Albert Holmes, whose home is at [private address], Southampton, has a life more charmed than most men. Three times in this war he has escaped death at sea. The first time he was one of the few survivors of the sinking of H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth. Subsequently, while serving in H.M.S. Stevenstone at Malta, he was swept overboard by a heavy sea. Grasping a scrambling net over the ship’s side, he hung on until a big wave washed him back on deck.

His last escape was the nearest thing to a miracle that could happen. While his ship, the corvette HMS Bluebell, was escorting a convoy which fought its way from Britain to Russia and back against intensive air and U-Boat attacks, she was struck by a torpedo, and, in the words of an eye-witness “appeared just to disintegrate”.

Only one of her crew survived – Seaman Holmes who was seen swimming among flaming oil in the freezing water. In spite of an 80knot gale, he was picked up badly burned but alive to tell an amazing tale”.

Service history

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After commissioning and sea trials in July 1940, Bluebell was deployed on Atlantic convoy escort duties.[1] One of her first duties, in October 1940, was to meet Convoy SC 7 mid-ocean. She rescued all 39 officers and men from the cargo steamship SS Scoresby, which had been torpedoed and sunk on 17 October.[2]

In January 1941 Bluebell was attached to the 5th Escort Group, Western Approaches Command, based at Liverpool, to escort Atlantic convoys, transferring in September to the 37th Escort Group for the defence of convoys between Gibraltar and ports in West Africa. She returned to the UK in July 1942 to refit, and was assigned for service on the Russian Convoys. In September she sailed to Iceland to join the escort of Convoy PQ 18 to Arkhangelsk, returning in November, and resuming Atlantic convoy escort duties in December and January. In February 1943 she joined the escort of Convoy JW 53 from Loch Ewe to Kola Inlet, returning in March to resume duties in the Western Approaches.[1]

In June 1943 Bluebell was sent to the Mediterranean, and in early July was part of the escort for assault convoys during the initial landings in the Allied invasion of Sicily, remaining in the Mediterranean for further convoy escort duties until August when she returned to the Western Approaches.[1]

Between February and April 1944 she escorted Russian Convoys JW 57 and JW 58, and in May was transferred to Escort Group 143 to prepare for the invasion of Normandy. On 6 June she formed part of Convoy ECL1 escorting LSTs from the Bristol Channel to the landing beaches, then escorted follow-up convoys until released on 25 June. In August she was transferred to the 8th Escort Group and joined the escort force for Russian Convoy JW 59, returning in September.[1]

After further convoy defence and interception duties, on 2 February 1945 she was attached to the escort for Russian Convoy JW 64. After arriving at Kola Inlet she took part in anti-submarine operations against U-boats known to be gathering to carry out attacks on the return convoy. On 17 February, as Convoy RA 64 was assembling off Murmansk, Bluebell was hit in the stern by an acoustic homing torpedo fired by U-711, which caused her depth charges to explode. She sank in less than 30 seconds at 69°24′N 33°42′E / 69.400°N 33.700°E / 69.400; 33.700.[3] From her crew of 86 ratings and officers there was only one survivor.[1]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e "HMS Bluebell, British corvette, WW2". naval-history.net. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (1995–2013). "Scoresby". Ships hit by U-boats. Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  3. ^ "HMS Bluebell (K-80)". wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 4 December 2010.

References

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