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HMS Mahratta (G23)
Encyclopedia
HMS Mahratta was an M-class destroyer
of the Royal Navy
which served during World War II. Begun as Marksman, she was damaged while under construction, and dismantled to be rebuilt on a new slipway. She was launched as Mahratta in 1942, completed in 1943, and quickly pressed into service. After a short but busy career in the North Atlantic and Arctic, largely guarding merchant convoys, she was torpedoed and sunk on 25 February 1944.
, who held a "Warship Week
" from 7–14 February 1942, aiming to raise £700,000 – the cost of a warship. She was completed on 8 April 1943 and entered service on that date. During trials in May 1943 HMS Mahratta escorted RMS Queen Mary
part way across the Atlantic.
on 2 June 1943 with HMS Musketeer
and HMS Onslaught, arriving back at Scapa Flow the same day. On 4 June Mahratta left Seidisfjord, Iceland
bound for Spitsbergen
, Norway as part of Operation FH, which was the relief of the garrison at Spitsbergen.
In July 1943, HMS Mahratta and HMS Musketeer waited in Iceland for ice to clear before making a high speed run to Murmansk
. Amongst her valuable cargo was a bathtub for an admiral.
off the coast of Iceland
to test the defences against an attempt by Tirpitz
to break out from Kåfjord
. The operation was based at Scapa Flow, departing on 7 July 1943. The other participants were HMS Duke of York
, USS Ellyson
, USS Emmons
, USS Fitch
, HMS Furious
, HMS Glasgow
, USS Macomb
, HMS Meteor, HMS Milne
, HMS Musketeer, USS Rodman
, and USS South Dakota
.
, USS Emmons, USS Fitch, HMS Illustrious, USS Macomb, HMS Meteor, HMS Milne, HMS Musketeer, and USS Rodman.
and HMS Orwell
escorting oil tanker SS Blue Ranger.
in northern Russia
. Tirpitz left her base in Kåfjord with several destroyers to attack the convoy, but was a few hours too late. Operation Lorry delivered parts and crew that were to service the Spitfires
used for photo-reconnaissance in preparation for Operation Source
.
to escort HMS Valiant
to Plymouth
for repairs. Matchless broke down on the way back, and was taken in tow by Mahratta. The chain later broke, and after this Mahratta rescued some survivors from a Coastal Command Hampden
aircraft that had been shot down by a German U-boat
. They had spent eleven days in the water. Mahratta arrived in Plymouth on 11 October 1943 and later that month sailed north again to Scapa Flow and Seidisfjord to escort Convoy JW 54A
as part of Operation FR.
, HMS Savage, HMS Scorpion, HMS Scourge
, HMS Seagull
, and HMS Westcott. Cover was provided by USS Augusta
, HMS London
, and HMS Middleton
.
, but allowed the convoy to reach Loch Ewe
without being attacked.
sailed on 22 November 1943, arriving at Archangel
on 3 December. Again, the convoy managed to avoid being attacked.
departed Loch Ewe on 22 January 1944 and arrived at Kola Inlet on 1 February.
During the passage the convoy was attacked. HMS Hardy was hit by a torpedo
from U-278 and HMS Venus later sank her.
sailed from Loch Ewe on 11 February 1944, arriving at Kola Inlet on 28 February.
On 23 February a Focke-Wulf Condor
aircraft was spotted. Wildcats
were flown from HMS Chaser and it was thought that they had driven the Condor away, but it kept watch at a distance. Several U-boats were spotted by the Wildcats and Swordfish
aircraft were sent to attack any U-boats they could find. HMS Kessel was successful in sinking U-713 with depth charges.
aircraft of 210 Squadron
attacked and sank U-601 which was trailing the convoy. Mahratta was struck by two T5 Gnat torpedoes fired by U-990 off the coast of Norway
, some 200 miles (321.9 km) off Nordkapp
. She sank at 71°17′N 13°30′E. Only 16 of the 236 crew survived.
Although Mahratta was lost, the convoy was a success. It was the largest convoy ever sent to Russia.
in 1991, on the 50th anniversary of the first Arctic Convoy.
L and M class destroyer
The L and M class was a class of sixteen destroyers which served in the British Royal Navy during World War II. The ships of the class were launched between 1939 and 1942.-Design details:...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
which served during World War II. Begun as Marksman, she was damaged while under construction, and dismantled to be rebuilt on a new slipway. She was launched as Mahratta in 1942, completed in 1943, and quickly pressed into service. After a short but busy career in the North Atlantic and Arctic, largely guarding merchant convoys, she was torpedoed and sunk on 25 February 1944.
History
Mahratta was originally to have been named Marksman. She was laid down on 21 January 1940 but the incomplete ship was blown off the slipway during an air raid in May 1941. Marksman was to have been the lead ship of the M-class destroyers, and the class was sometimes known as the Marksman class. Damage sustained by Marksman was so bad that she had to be dismantled and transferred to an alternative site. The new ship was laid down on 18 August 1941, but she was renamed Mahratta at her launch in July 1942 as a recognition of the financial support given by India to the war effort. Mahratta was adopted by the people of WalsallWalsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, who held a "Warship Week
Warship Week
Warship Weeks were British National savings campaigns during the Second World War, with the adoption of a Royal Navy warship by a civil community. A level of savings would be set to raise enough money to provide the cost of building a particular naval ship...
" from 7–14 February 1942, aiming to raise £700,000 – the cost of a warship. She was completed on 8 April 1943 and entered service on that date. During trials in May 1943 HMS Mahratta escorted RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
part way across the Atlantic.
Operation FH
HMS Mahratta departed Scapa FlowScapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
on 2 June 1943 with HMS Musketeer
HMS Musketeer (G86)
HMS Musketeer was a M-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during World War II.-External links:...
and HMS Onslaught, arriving back at Scapa Flow the same day. On 4 June Mahratta left Seidisfjord, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
bound for Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
, Norway as part of Operation FH, which was the relief of the garrison at Spitsbergen.
Operation FJ
HMS Mahratta departed Scapa Flow on 8 June 1943 for Kola InletKola Bay
Kola Bay or Murmansk Fjord is a 57-km-long fjord of the Barents Sea that cuts into the northern part of the Kola Peninsula. It is up to 7 km wide and has a depth of 200 to 300 metres. The Tuloma and Kola Rivers discharge into the bay....
In July 1943, HMS Mahratta and HMS Musketeer waited in Iceland for ice to clear before making a high speed run to Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
. Amongst her valuable cargo was a bathtub for an admiral.
Operation Camera
Operation Camera was a war gameMilitary simulation
Military simulations, also known informally as war games, are simulations in which theories of warfare can be tested and refined without the need for actual hostilities. Many professional contemporary analysts object to the term wargames as this is generally taken to be referring to the civilian...
off the coast of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
to test the defences against an attempt by Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
to break out from Kåfjord
Kåfjord, Alta
Kåfjord is a fjord in northern Norway, an arm of the Altafjord, in the county of Finnmark, and a village located on the fjord. The village is in the municipality of Alta, 18 km west of the town of Alta on the European route E6....
. The operation was based at Scapa Flow, departing on 7 July 1943. The other participants were HMS Duke of York
HMS Duke of York (17)
HMS Duke of York was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy. Laid down in May 1937, the ship was constructed by John Brown and Company at Clydebank, Scotland, and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 4 November 1941, subsequently seeing service during the Second World War.In...
, USS Ellyson
USS Ellyson (DD-454)
USS Ellyson , a , is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Theodore Gordon Ellyson, a submariner who became the first officer of the U.S. Navy to be designated a naval aviator.-Initial operations:...
, USS Emmons
USS Emmons (DD-457)
USS Emmons was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral George F. Emmons ....
, USS Fitch
USS Fitch (DD-462)
USS Fitch , a Gleaves-class destroyer, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Commander LeRoy Fitch, an officer during the American Civil War....
, HMS Furious
HMS Furious (47)
HMS Furious was a modified cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord John Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Furious was modified while...
, HMS Glasgow
HMS Glasgow (C21)
The seventh HMS Glasgow , built on the Clyde, was a Southampton-class light cruiser, a sub-class of the Town-class and commissioned in September 1937. She displaced 11,930 tons and had a top speed of 32 knots . She was part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet; she escorted the...
, USS Macomb
USS Macomb (DD-458)
USS Macomb was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Commodore William H. Macomb and Rear Admiral David B. Macomb ....
, HMS Meteor, HMS Milne
HMS Milne (G14)
HMS Milne was a M-class destroyer of the Royal Navy which served during World War II.She was built by Scotts, of Greenock, laid down 24 January 1940, launched 30 December 1941 and completed 6 August 1942....
, HMS Musketeer, USS Rodman
USS Rodman (DD-456)
USS Rodman , a Gleaves-class destroyer, is the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Admiral Hugh Rodman....
, and USS South Dakota
USS South Dakota (BB-57)
USS South Dakota was a battleship in the United States Navy from 1942 until 1947. The lead ship of her class, South Dakota was the third ship of the US Navy to be named in honor of the 40th state. During World War II, she first served in a fifteen-month tour in the Pacific theater, where she saw...
.
Operation Governor
Operation Governor was an attempt to lure Tirpitz and other heavy battleships out of harbour by simulating a raid on southern Norway. Operation Governor departed Hvalfjord on 26 July 1943. HMS Mahratta was part of Force A, other participants of Force A were HMS Anson, USS AlabamaUSS Alabama (BB-60)
USS Alabama , a South Dakota-class battleship, was the sixth completed ship of the United States Navy named for the U.S. state of Alabama, however she was only the third commissioned ship with that name. Alabama was commissioned in 1942 and served in World War II in the Atlantic and Pacific...
, USS Emmons, USS Fitch, HMS Illustrious, USS Macomb, HMS Meteor, HMS Milne, HMS Musketeer, and USS Rodman.
Operation SF
Operation SF departed Scapa Flow on 30 July 1943. Mahratta was part of Group B. She sailed with HMS Milne and HMS Musketeer to join HMS OribiHMS Oribi (G66)
HMS Oribi was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Following the style of her sister ships she was named with a word beginning with O...
and HMS Orwell
HMS Orwell (G98)
HMS Orwell was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that entered service in 1942. She saw action at the Battle of the Barents Sea, and was involved in convoy escort duties during the Battle of North Cape. In 1952 she was converted to a Type 16 frigate and was broken-up in June 1965....
escorting oil tanker SS Blue Ranger.
Operation Lorry
Operation Lorry departed Skaalefjord on 26 August 1943. Mahratta was part of the 10th Cruiser Squadron. Operation Lorry enabled the passage of destroyers and stores to KolaKola (town)
Kola is a town and the administrative center of Kolsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kola and Tuloma Rivers, south of Murmansk and southwest of Severomorsk. It is the oldest town of the Kola Peninsula. Population: 11,060 ; -History:The district of Kolo...
in northern Russia
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Tirpitz left her base in Kåfjord with several destroyers to attack the convoy, but was a few hours too late. Operation Lorry delivered parts and crew that were to service the Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
used for photo-reconnaissance in preparation for Operation Source
Operation Source
Operation Source was a series of attacks to neutralise the heavy German warships – Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Lutzow – based in northern Norway, using X-class midget submarines....
.
Escort duties
In September 1943, Mahratta was sent to the Mediterranean with HMS MatchlessHMS Matchless (G52)
HMS Matchless was a M-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during World War II.-External links:...
to escort HMS Valiant
HMS Valiant (1914)
HMS Valiant was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the British Royal Navy. She was laid down at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan on 31 January 1913 and launched on 4 November 1914...
to Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
for repairs. Matchless broke down on the way back, and was taken in tow by Mahratta. The chain later broke, and after this Mahratta rescued some survivors from a Coastal Command Hampden
Handley Page Hampden
The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force serving in the Second World War. With the Whitley and Wellington, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-plane...
aircraft that had been shot down by a German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
. They had spent eleven days in the water. Mahratta arrived in Plymouth on 11 October 1943 and later that month sailed north again to Scapa Flow and Seidisfjord to escort Convoy JW 54A
Convoy JW 54A
Convoy JW 54A was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in November 1943, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month....
as part of Operation FR.
Operation FR
Operation FR was the delivery of escort ships to northern Russia to act as escorts for the first of the winter 1943 season convoys, Convoy RA 54A. Other participants were HNoMS Eglantine, HMS Harrier, HMS Matchless, HMS Milne, HMS Musketeer, HMS SaumarezHMS Saumarez (G12)
HMS Saumarez was an S class destroyer of the Royal Navy, completed on 1 July 1943. As a flotilla leader, her standard displacement was 20 tons heavier than other ships of her class...
, HMS Savage, HMS Scorpion, HMS Scourge
HMS Scourge (G01)
HMS Scourge was an S-class destroyer. She was built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead and launched on 8 December 1942.She was at sea during the Battle of North Cape in 1943, escorting the Russia-bound Arctic convoy JW 55B. She took no part in the fighting.She was sold to the Royal Netherlands Navy on 1...
, HMS Seagull
HMS Seagull (J85)
HMS Seagull was a , and the first Royal Navy ship to be built entirely without rivets. She was completed on 30th March 1938.During the Second World War she helped escort 21 Arctic convoys, and participated in Operation Neptune...
, and HMS Westcott. Cover was provided by USS Augusta
USS Augusta (CA-31)
USS Augusta was a Northampton-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy, notable for service in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during World War II, and for her occasional use as a presidential flagship carrying both Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman under wartime conditions...
, HMS London
HMS London (69)
HMS London was a member of the second group of the County class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. She and her sisters; Sussex, Shropshire, and Devonshire differed from the earlier group of Counties, , by having a smaller forward superstructure, which was positioned slightly further aft, and next...
, and HMS Middleton
HMS Middleton (L74)
HMS Middleton was a Type 2 Hunt class destroyer of the Royal Navy and served in the Second World War. Her rôle was providing support for minelaying operations in the Atlantic and anti-aircraft protection for the North Russian convoys...
.
Convoy RA 54A
Convoy RA 54A, including the aircraft carrier Formidable and the battleship Anson, sailed from Kola Inlet on 1 November 1943. The departure of the convoy was delayed by thick fogFog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
, but allowed the convoy to reach Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...
without being attacked.
Convoy JW 54A
Convoy JW 54AConvoy JW 54A
Convoy JW 54A was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in November 1943, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month....
sailed on 22 November 1943, arriving at Archangel
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
on 3 December. Again, the convoy managed to avoid being attacked.
Convoy RA 54B
Convoy RA 54B departed Archangel on 26 November 1943 bound for Loch Ewe. Passage was hampered by poor weather conditions, but the convoy did not come under attack.Convoy JW 56B
Convoy JW 56BConvoy JW 56B
Convoy JW 56B was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in late January 1944, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the beginning of February. All ships arrived safely....
departed Loch Ewe on 22 January 1944 and arrived at Kola Inlet on 1 February.
During the passage the convoy was attacked. HMS Hardy was hit by a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
from U-278 and HMS Venus later sank her.
Convoy RA 56
Convoy RA 56 departed Kola Inlet on 3 February 1944 and arrived at Loch Ewe on 11 February 1944.Convoy JW 57
Convoy JW 57Convoy JW 57
Convoy JW 57 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in February 1944, reaching the Soviet northern ports at the end of the month...
sailed from Loch Ewe on 11 February 1944, arriving at Kola Inlet on 28 February.
On 23 February a Focke-Wulf Condor
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
aircraft was spotted. Wildcats
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
were flown from HMS Chaser and it was thought that they had driven the Condor away, but it kept watch at a distance. Several U-boats were spotted by the Wildcats and Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
aircraft were sent to attack any U-boats they could find. HMS Kessel was successful in sinking U-713 with depth charges.
Loss
On 25 February 1944, a CatalinaPBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
aircraft of 210 Squadron
No. 210 Squadron RAF
No. 210 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit established in World War I. Disbanded and reformed a number of times in the ensuing years, it operated as a fighter squadron during World War I and as a maritime patrol squadron during the Spanish Civil War, World War II and the Cold War before it was...
attacked and sank U-601 which was trailing the convoy. Mahratta was struck by two T5 Gnat torpedoes fired by U-990 off the coast of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, some 200 miles (321.9 km) off Nordkapp
North Cape, Norway
North Cape is a cape on the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway, in the municipality of Nordkapp. Its 307 m high, steep cliff is often referred to as the northernmost point of Europe, located at , 2102.3 km from the North Pole. However, the neighbouring point Knivskjellodden is actually...
. She sank at 71°17′N 13°30′E. Only 16 of the 236 crew survived.
Although Mahratta was lost, the convoy was a success. It was the largest convoy ever sent to Russia.
Memorial
A memorial to those who lost their lives on the Arctic Convoys was unveiled at MurmanskMurmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
in 1991, on the 50th anniversary of the first Arctic Convoy.