HMS Vetch (K132)

As part of the 1939 War Programme, HMS Vetch was ordered on 12 December 1939 from Smiths Dock Company Limited of Middlesbrough. The ship was not laid down until 15 March 1941 but she was quickly launched on 27 May 1941 and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 11 August 1941.

In October 1941 Vetch was assigned to the 36th Escort Group (36 EG) based at Liverpool, part of Western Approaches Command. Between 20 August and 4 September the ship underwent sea trials at Tobermory and her first convoy escort duty was with OG 74 between 13 and 27 September 1941 (which included 27 ships plus the first escort carrier, Audacity and the Ocean Boarding Vessel, Corinthian which was continuing on into the South Atlantic).

OG 74 was protected by the sloop Deptford and other corvettes (Arbutus, Marigold and Pentstemon). The convoy was spotted by a U-boat on 20 September which shadowed and reported the convoy's position to German headquarters. An aircraft from Audacity forced this U-boat to dive and the submarine was also attacked by Deptford and Arbutus (these vessels were relieved by destroyers and rejoined the convoy). Other U-boats were now directed against the convoy and two merchant ships were sunk and during an emergency turn four merchant vessels became detached from the convoy. On 21 September, a German long-range Condor aircraft located the convoy and bombed and sank the Walmer Castle. Audacity launched Martlet aircraft which managed to shoot down the German aircraft.

Vetch arrived at Gibraltar on 27 September and 36 Escort Group remained there whilst escorting convoys HG 74 and OG 76 between 2 October and 11 November 1941. Whilst during offensive sweeps around Gibraltar, Vetch picked up and attacked a submarine contact on 6 December approximately 15 miles from Tarifa Point.

Convoy HG 76

76 HG was now led by Commander "Johnnie" Walker in HMS Stork. A large convoy, HG 76, consisting of 32 ships which sailed on 14 December 1941 from Gibraltar. Protection was from Audacity again and the sloops Stork and Deptford plus the corvettes Vetch, Convolvulus, Marigold, Pentstemon, Rhododendron and Samphire. Also detailed were Hunt-class destroyers HMS Blankney and HMS Exmoor as well as Town-class destroyer HMS Stanley.

Walker introduced new methods to combat the U-boat threat and successfully used Audacity's aircraft to locate submarines which were then attacked. During the convoy's journey five U-boats were sunk (U-127, U-131, U-434, U-574 and U-567) as well as two Condor aircraft, but the losses were heavy - Audacity (lost 21 December), Stanley (lost 19 December) and two merchant ships were sunk.

In April 1942 Vetch had been fitted with Type 271 radar with which, while escorting convoy OG 82 in the North Atlantic south-west of Ireland, she detected U-252 which she then sank with the help of Stork.^[1]

36 EG was disbanded in June 1942 and Vetch continued with other escort groups until 1944. On 25 May 1943, while escorting a convoy to Algiers, she sank U-414 in the western Mediterranean north of Oran.^[2] She remained in the Mediterranean escorting convoys in support of Operation Husky.

On 29 June 1945, the Vetch arrived at Gibraltar and was put in navy reserve. On 23 August 1945 she was loaned to the Greek government and renamed Patrai.

Discover more about War service related topics

36th Escort Group (Royal Navy)

36th Escort Group (Royal Navy)

36th Escort Group was a British formation of the Royal Navy which saw action during the Second World War, principally in the Battle of the Atlantic. The group operated mainly on the Gibraltar and South Atlantic convoy routes and was involved in several convoy battles, including Convoy HG 76, one of the first Allied victories in the Atlantic campaign.

Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in North West England. With a population of 486,100 in 2021, it is located within the county of Merseyside and is the principal city of the wider Liverpool City Region. Its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.24 million.

HMS Arbutus (K86)

HMS Arbutus (K86)

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.

HMS Marigold (K87)

HMS Marigold (K87)

HMS Marigold was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 4 September 1940 and was sunk by an Italian air-dropped torpedo on 9 December 1942.

Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor

Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor

The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies, is a German all-metal four-engined monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner. A Japanese request for a long-range maritime patrol aircraft led to military versions that saw service with the Luftwaffe as long-range reconnaissance and anti-shipping/maritime patrol bomber aircraft. The Luftwaffe also made extensive use of the Fw 200 as a transport aircraft.

Frederic John Walker

Frederic John Walker

Captain Frederic John Walker, was a Royal Navy officer noted for his exploits during the Second World War. Walker was the most successful anti-submarine warfare commander during the Battle of the Atlantic and was known more popularly as Johnnie Walker.

HMS Stork (L81)

HMS Stork (L81)

HMS Stork (L81) was a Bittern-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She was active during the Second World War, serving in convoy escort groups, and was a successful anti-submarine warfare vessel, being credited with the destruction of four U-boats.

Convoy HG 76

Convoy HG 76

HG 76 was an Allied convoy of the HG series, during the Second World War. It was notable for the destruction of five German U-boats.

Hunt-class destroyer

Hunt-class destroyer

The Hunt class was a class of escort destroyer of the Royal Navy. The first vessels were ordered early in 1939, and the class saw extensive service in the Second World War, particularly on the British east coast and Mediterranean convoys. They were named after British fox hunts. The modern Hunt-class GRP hulled mine countermeasure vessels maintain the Hunt names lineage in the Royal Navy.

HMS Blankney

HMS Blankney

HMS Blankney was a Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy and was the first and so far only warship to bear the name. She was laid down on 17 May 1940 at John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotland, launched on 19 December 1940 and commissioned on 11 April 1941.

HMS Exmoor (L08)

HMS Exmoor (L08)

The second HMS Exmoor (L08), ex-HMS Burton, was a Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy in commission from 1941 to 1945. She was a member of the second subgroup of the class, and saw service during much of World War II. She later served in the Royal Danish Navy as HDMS Valdemar Sejr .

German submarine U-127 (1941)

German submarine U-127 (1941)

German submarine U-127 was a Type IXC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down at the DeSchiMAG AG Weser yard in Bremen as yard number 990 on 20 June 1940, launched on 1 February 1941 and commissioned on 24 April under the command of Korvettenkapitän Bruno Hansmann.

The Greeks sold Patrai in 1951 and the vessel was renamed Olympic Hunter. In 1956 she was resold as the Otori Maru No.18 and sailed until 1966 when she was finally scrapped.