HMS Samphire (K128)
Encyclopedia
HMS Samphire was a that served in the Royal Navy
.
She was built by Smiths Dock Company
, in South Bank-on-Tees
, and was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 30 June 1941.
Frederick Thomas Renny, RNR
, Samphire was assigned to the 36th Escort Group and tasked with convoy escort operations between Liverpool
and the Mediterranean Sea
. On 21 December 1941, she successfully released depth charges with the British sloop resulting in the sinking of the German submarine U-567
in the North Atlantic north-east of the Azores
. All 47 men on board the U-567 were killed. On 8 November 1942, she escorted from the Mediterranean after she had been attacked by German aircraft, which hit the Leedstown with an aerial torpedo
in the stern the day earlier. At 12:55 on 9 November, German aircraft attacked again, however Samphire shot down one attacker and then escorted the Leedstown to anchor near Cape Matifu, about 12 miles (19.3 km) from Algiers
. On 14 December 1942, Samphire assisted in the rescue of nine survivors from the British merchant ship Edencrag, which had been torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-443 west of Algiers.
, Algeria
by the Italian submarine Platino (Lt. Patrelli Campagnano). Samphire was escorting convoy TE-14 which was taking part in the North African campaign. The captain, two officers and 42 of the ship’s crew perished.
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...
.
She was built by Smiths Dock Company
Smiths Dock Company
Smiths Dock Company, Limited, often referred to simply as Smiths Dock, was a British shipbuilding company.-History:The company was originally established by Thomas Smith who bought William Rowe's shipyard at St. Peter's in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1810 and traded as William Smith & Co. The company...
, in South Bank-on-Tees
South Bank, Middlesbrough
South Bank is a small town which forms part of the Middlesbrough urban area that lies 2.3 miles from Middlesbrough centre, in North East England. As the name suggests, it lies on the south bank of the River Tees. Although it is part of the Middlesbrough conurbation, it is a ward of Redcar and...
, and was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 30 June 1941.
Wartime service
Under the command of Lieutenant CommanderLieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Frederick Thomas Renny, RNR
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
, Samphire was assigned to the 36th Escort Group and tasked with convoy escort operations between Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. On 21 December 1941, she successfully released depth charges with the British sloop resulting in the sinking of the German submarine U-567
German submarine U-567
German submarine U-567 was a type VII C submarine of the German Kriegsmarine during the Second World War.She was commissioned on 24 October 1939 and her keel laid down on 27 April the following year. She was launched on 6 March 1941 and entered service in 3rd U-boat Flotilla on 24 April the same...
in the North Atlantic north-east of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. All 47 men on board the U-567 were killed. On 8 November 1942, she escorted from the Mediterranean after she had been attacked by German aircraft, which hit the Leedstown with an aerial torpedo
Aerial torpedo
The aerial torpedo, airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo is a naval weapon, the torpedo, designed to be dropped into water from an aircraft after which it propels itself to the target. First used in World War I, air-dropped torpedoes were used extensively in World War II, and remain in limited...
in the stern the day earlier. At 12:55 on 9 November, German aircraft attacked again, however Samphire shot down one attacker and then escorted the Leedstown to anchor near Cape Matifu, about 12 miles (19.3 km) from Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
. On 14 December 1942, Samphire assisted in the rescue of nine survivors from the British merchant ship Edencrag, which had been torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-443 west of Algiers.
Sinking
Samphire was torpedoed and sunk on 30 January 1943 off BougieBéjaïa
Béjaïa, Vgaiet or Bejaya is a Mediterranean port city on the Gulf of Béjaïa in Algeria; it is the capital of Béjaïa Province, Kabylia. Under French rule, it was formerly known under various European names, such as Budschaja in German, Bugia in Italian, and Bougie...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
by the Italian submarine Platino (Lt. Patrelli Campagnano). Samphire was escorting convoy TE-14 which was taking part in the North African campaign. The captain, two officers and 42 of the ship’s crew perished.