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HMS Arbutus (K86)

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HMS Arbutus.jpg
HMS Arbutus
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Arbutus
NamesakeArbutus
BuilderBlyth Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. Ltd
Laid down30 November 1939
Launched5 June 1940
Commissioned12 October 1940
IdentificationPennant number: K86
FateTorpedoed and sunk by U-136, 5 February 1942
General characteristics [1][2]
Class and typeFlower-class corvette
Displacement925 long tons (940 t)
Length205 ft (62 m)
Beam33 ft (10 m)
Draught13.5 ft (4.1 m)
Installed power2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Propulsion
  • Two fire tube boilers
  • One 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine,
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Range3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement85
Armament
For other ships with the same name, see HMS Arbutus and HMNZS Arbutus (K403).

HMS Arbutus was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy, which was active during the Second World War. She was a successful escort vessel, and took part in the destruction of two U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic. Arbutus was sunk in the North Atlantic in February 1942.

Discover more about HMS Arbutus (K86) related topics

Flower-class corvette

Flower-class corvette

The Flower-class corvette was a British class of 294 corvettes used during World War II by the Allied navies particularly as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the Battle of the Atlantic. Royal Navy ships of this class were named after flowers.

Corvette

Corvette

A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloop-of-war.

Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is consequently known as the Senior Service.

World War II

World War II

World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries, including all of the great powers, fought as part of two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. Many participants threw their economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind this total war, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and the delivery of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war.

Battle of the Atlantic

Battle of the Atlantic

The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany, announced the day after the declaration of war, and Germany's subsequent counter-blockade. The campaign peaked from mid-1940 through to the end of 1943.

Construction

Arbutus was placed on order in July 1939, one of the first 26 "Flowers" of the pre-war building programme. She was laid down at the Blyth Shipbuilding Company, at Blyth, Northumberland, on 30 November 1939. She was launched on 5 June 1940 and completed 12 October 1940.[3] She commissioned on the same day under the command of Lt. Cdr. H Lloyd Williams, RNVR,[4] one of the earliest Volunteer Reserve command appointments.

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Keel laying

Keel laying

Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship.

Blyth Shipbuilding Company

Blyth Shipbuilding Company

The Blyth Shipbuilding & Dry Docks Company Ltd. was a British shipyard located in Blyth, Northumberland, England.

Blyth, Northumberland

Blyth, Northumberland

Blyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne. It had a population of 37,339 in the 2011 Census.

Ceremonial ship launching

Ceremonial ship launching

Ceremonial ship launching involves the performance of ceremonies associated with the process of transferring a vessel to the water. It is a nautical tradition in many cultures, dating back thousands of years, to accompany the physical process with ceremonies which have been observed as public celebration and a solemn blessing, usually but not always, in association with the launch itself.

Ship commissioning

Ship commissioning

Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to placing a warship in active duty with its country's military forces. The ceremonies involved are often rooted in centuries-old naval tradition.

World War II service

After trials and working up Arbutus joined Western Approaches Command and was assigned to 6 Escort Group, led by JM Rowland in HMS Wolverine for convoy escort duties. In this role she was engaged in all the duties performed by escort ships; protecting convoys, searching for and attacking U-boats, and rescuing survivors. Over the next 14 months Arbutus escorted 26 convoys on the Atlantic routes,[5][6] helping to bring over 750 ships to safety, though a number were lost in various incidents. She was involved in two convoy battles, and helped destroy two U-boats.

In March 1941, Arbutus, with 6 EG, escorted convoy OB 293 when it came under attack by a force of U-boats. The escort group mounted a vigorous and aggressive defence, resulting in the destruction of two U-boats and damage to a third, for the loss of two ships sunk and three damaged. During the two-night action, on 7 March 1941, Arbutus and Camellia found and attacked U-70; she was depth-charged and brought to the surface, where she was abandoned and sank.[7]

In April 1941 6EG went to the aid of convoy SC 26 which was under attack. On 5 April Arbutus, with Wolverine and Scarborough, found and attacked U-76, which was brought to the surface and abandoned. As she surfaced Arbutus was closing in order to ram her; when he saw she was being abandoned Arbutus' then commander, Lt. ALW Warren, changed plans and attempted to capture the submarine before it sank. U-76 was boarded by several members of the corvette's crew, and efforts were made to secure and search the boat while Arbutus made fast to the U-boat with hawsers. However, U-76 was sinking too fast, and the capture failed. This was the first such instance of a U-boat boarding and acquisition in World War II, though it was unsuccessful;[8] the exploit was repeated the following month when U-110 was captured by ships of 3 Escort Group.

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HMS Wolverine (D78)

HMS Wolverine (D78)

HMS Wolverine was an Admiralty modified W-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy. She was one of four destroyers ordered in April 1918 from James Samuel White & Co Ltd under the 14th Order for Destroyers of the Emergency War Programme of 1917–18. She was the seventh Royal Navy Ship to carry the name. It had been introduced in 1798 for a gun brig and last borne by a destroyer sunk after a collision in 1917.

U-boat

U-boat

U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic-warfare role and enforcing a naval blockade against enemy shipping. The primary targets of the U-boat campaigns in both wars were the merchant convoys bringing supplies from Canada and other parts of the British Empire, and from the United States, to the United Kingdom and to the Soviet Union and the Allied territories in the Mediterranean. German submarines also targeted Brazilian merchant ships during both World Wars and, twice over, precipitated Brazil's decision to give up its neutral stance and declare war on Germany.

Convoy OB 293

Convoy OB 293

OB 293 was a North Atlantic convoy which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II. It was notable for seeing the loss to the Kriegsmarine (KM) of U-47, with her commander KL Günther Prien, the person responsible for the sinking of HMS Royal Oak two years previously.

HMS Camellia (K31)

HMS Camellia (K31)

HMS Camellia was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy.

German submarine U-70 (1940)

German submarine U-70 (1940)

German submarine U-70 was a Type VIIC submarine of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Convoy SC 26

Convoy SC 26

SC 26 was a North Atlantic convoy of the SC series which ran during the battle of the Atlantic in World War II.

HMS Scarborough (L25)

HMS Scarborough (L25)

HMS Scarborough was a Hastings-class sloop of the Royal Navy launched in 1930. She served in the Second World War, especially as a convoy escort in the North Atlantic.

German submarine U-76 (1940)

German submarine U-76 (1940)

German submarine U-76 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She played a minor role in the Battle of the Atlantic, but was destroyed south of Iceland.

Lieutenant (navy)

Lieutenant (navy)

Lieutenant is a commissioned officer rank in many English-speaking nations' navies and coast guards. It is typically the most senior of junior officer ranks. In most navies, the rank's insignia may consist of two medium gold braid stripes, the uppermost stripe featuring an executive curl in many Commonwealth of Nations; or three stripes of equal or unequal width.

Convoy OB 318

Convoy OB 318

OB 318 was a North Atlantic convoy which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. During Operation Primrose Royal Navy convoy escorts HMS Bulldog, Broadway and Aubrietia captured U-110 with an intact Enigma machine and a wealth of signals intelligence, which led to the Allied breakthrough into cracking the German naval Enigma code.

Fate

On 5 February 1942 Arbutus was escorting convoy ON 63 when it was detected by U-136. The U-boat sent a sighting report and commenced shadowing, but the transmission was DFed and escorts Chelsea and Arbutus ran down the bearing to attack. The U-boat commander, K/L H Zimmmerman, responded aggressively, counter-attacking and torpedoing Arbutus as she approached. The corvette broke in half and sank, with the loss of half her crew.[9] 43 men, including her commander, were lost.[10] U-136 was subsequently depth-charged by Chelsea, damaged and forced to abandon her pursuit, saving ON 63 from further harm.[9]

Successes

During her service Arbutus was credited with sharing in the destruction of two U-boats:

Date U-boat Type Location Notes
7 March 1941 U-70 VIIC N Atlantic, N of Rockall
60°15′N 14°00′W / 60.250°N 14.000°W / 60.250; -14.000		 Rammed by Mijdrecht, D/C by Arbutus, Camellia; forced to surface, abandoned, sunk[11][12]
5 April 1941 U-76 VIIB N Atlantic, S of Iceland
58°35′N 20°20′W / 58.583°N 20.333°W / 58.583; -20.333		 D/C by Wolverine, Scarborough, boarded by Arbutus; sank due to damage received[13][14]

Discover more about Successes related topics

German submarine U-70 (1940)

German submarine U-70 (1940)

German submarine U-70 was a Type VIIC submarine of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Rockall

Rockall

Rockall is an uninhabitable granite islet in the North Atlantic Ocean. The United Kingdom claims that Rockall lies within its territorial sea and is part of its territory, but this claim is not recognised by Ireland. It and the nearby skerries of Hasselwood Rock and Helen's Reef are the only emergent parts of the Rockall Plateau. The rock was formed by magmatism as part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province during the Paleogene.

Depth charge

Depth charge

A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use high explosive charges and a fuze set to detonate the charge, typically at a specific depth. Depth charges can be dropped by ships, patrol aircraft, and helicopters.

HMS Camellia (K31)

HMS Camellia (K31)

HMS Camellia was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy.

German submarine U-76 (1940)

German submarine U-76 (1940)

German submarine U-76 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She played a minor role in the Battle of the Atlantic, but was destroyed south of Iceland.

Iceland

Iceland

Iceland is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which is home to about 36% of the population. Iceland is the largest part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that rises above sea level, and its central volcanic plateau is erupting almost constantly. The interior consists of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains, and glaciers, and many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. Its high latitude and marine influence keep summers chilly, and most of its islands have a polar climate.

HMS Wolverine (D78)

HMS Wolverine (D78)

HMS Wolverine was an Admiralty modified W-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy. She was one of four destroyers ordered in April 1918 from James Samuel White & Co Ltd under the 14th Order for Destroyers of the Emergency War Programme of 1917–18. She was the seventh Royal Navy Ship to carry the name. It had been introduced in 1798 for a gun brig and last borne by a destroyer sunk after a collision in 1917.

HMS Scarborough (L25)

HMS Scarborough (L25)

HMS Scarborough was a Hastings-class sloop of the Royal Navy launched in 1930. She served in the Second World War, especially as a convoy escort in the North Atlantic.

Source: "HMS Arbutus (K86)", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, December 19th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Arbutus_(K86).

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Further Reading

HMS Vidette (D48)

HMS Woodpecker (U08)

HMS Bickerton (K466)

HMS Duckworth (K351)

HMS Keppel (D84)

Convoy OB 318

HMS Stork (L81)

HMS Pelican (L86)

HMS Rochester (L50)

HMS Periwinkle (K55)
Notes
  1. ^ Conway p62
  2. ^ Elliot p84
  3. ^ Elliot, p. 85
  4. ^ Arbutus at uboat.net
  5. ^ A Hague: convoyweb.org.uk
  6. ^ G Mason: navalhistory.net
  7. ^ Blair pp. 249–251
  8. ^ Blair pp. 265–266
  9. ^ a b Blair p. 550
  10. ^ loss of Arbutus at uboat.net
  11. ^ Kemp, p. 68
  12. ^ Neistle, p. 43
  13. ^ Kemp, p. 69
  14. ^ Neistle, p. 40
References
  • Clay Blair: Hitler's U-Boat War Vol I (The Hunters 1939–1942) (1996) ISBN 0-304-35260-8
  • Gardiner R, Chesnau R: Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946 (1980) ISBN 0-85177-146-7
  • Elliott, P: Allied Escort Ships of World War II (1977) ISBN 0 356 08401 9
  • Arnold Hague: The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945 (2000). ISBN (Canada) 1 55125 033 0 . ISBN (UK) 1 86176 147 3
  • Paul Kemp: U-Boats Destroyed (1997). ISBN 1 85409 515 3
  • Axel Neistle: German U-Boat Losses during World War II (1998). ISBN 1 85367 352 8
External links
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