Navy | The Royal Navy |
Type | Destroyer |
Class | Bourrasque |
Pennant | |
Built by | F.&Ch de la Mediterranee (La Seyne, France) |
Ordered | |
Laid down | 28 Nov 1923 |
Launched | 6 Jun 1925 |
Commissioned | 6 Jul 1940 |
End service | |
History | Captured by the British at Plymouth on 3 July 1940. Returned to mainland France by her Britsh crew on 25 August 1945. Stricken 17 February 1950. |
Commands listed for HMS Mistral
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
Commander | From | To | ||
1 | Cdr. Claude Henry Brooks, RAN | 6 Jul 1940 | 22 Sep 1940 | |
2 | Lt. Charles Edward Stuart Basil St. George Beal, RN | 22 Sep 1940 | 22 Oct 1940 | |
3 | Cdr. Claude Henry Brooks, RAN | 22 Oct 1940 | 19 Mar 1941 | |
4 | Lt.Cdr. Gerald Donald Anderson, RN | 19 Mar 1941 | Jan 1942 | |
5 | Lt. Roland Maurice Roberts, RNR | Jan 1942 | 5 Feb 1942 | |
6 | Lt. Sidney John Parsons, DSC, RN | 5 Feb 1942 | 9 Feb 1942 | |
7 | A/Cdr. (retired) Christopher Montague Vernon Francis Dalrymple-Hay, RN | 9 Feb 1942 | Dec 1942 | |
8 | Lt. John Humphrey Michael Sowry, RNVR | Nov 1943 | 21 Feb 1945 | |
9 | Lt. Derek George Smeeton, RN | 21 Feb 1945 | mid 1945 |
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Notable events involving Mistral include:
17 Feb 1941
Convoy TC 9.
This troop convoy departed Halifax on 17 February 1941 and arrived in the Clyde on 27 February 1941.
Is was made up of the troopships: Dempo (Dutch, 17024 GRT, built 1931), Duchess of York (British, 20021 GRT, built 1929), Johan van Oldenbarneveld (Dutch, 19429 GRT, built 1930), Orontes (British, 20097 GRT, built 1925) and Warwick Castle (British, British, 20107 GRT, built 1930).
On departure from Halifax it was escorted by the battleship HMS Royal Sovereign (Capt. H.B. Jacomb, RN) and the armed merchant cruiser HMS Wolfe (A/Capt.(Retd.) W.G.A. Shuttleworth, RN).
HMS Wolfe was detached on 18 February 1941.
On 20 February the light cruiser HMS Edinburgh (Capt. C.M. Blackman, DSO, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral L.E. Holland, CB, RN) departed Scapa Flow to join the convoy, She relieved HMS Royal Sovereign on 23 February which then returned to Halifax arriving on 28 February. On 24 February the destroyers HMCS Assiniboine (A/Lt.Cdr. J.H. Stubbs, RCN), HMCS Ottawa (Cdr. E.R. Mainguy, RCN), HMCS Restigouche (Cdr. H.N. Lay, OBE, RN) and HMS Havelock (Cdr. E.H. Thomas, DSC, RN) joined the convoy. HMS Havelock was detached on 25 February. The three Canadian destroyers remained with the convoy until 26 February.
On the 25 February, light cruiser HMS Aurora (Capt. W.G. Agnew, RN) and the destroyers HMS Inglefield (Capt. P. Todd, DSO, RN), HMS Echo (Lt.Cdr. C.H.deB. Newby, RN), HMS Eclipse (Lt.Cdr. I.T. Clark, RN) and Léopard (Lt.Cdr. J. Evenou) joined the convoy; Léopard already being detached later on the 25th. Destroyer HMS Mistral (Cdr. C.H. Brooks, RAN) joined the convoy on the 26th. Destroyer HMS Churchill (Cdr.(Retd.) G.R. Cousins, RN) also escorted the convoy in the Western Approaches. The convoy reached the Minches in the evening of 26 February. Light cruiser HMS Edinburg with the destroyers HMS Inglefield, HMS Echo and HMS Eclipse then proceeded to Scapa Flow arriving at 0100/27.
Light cruiser HMS Aurora with the destroyers Mistral and HMS Churchill took the convoy into the Clyde and arrived at Greenock on the 27th.
9 May 1941
HMS H 44 (Lt. W.N.R. Knox, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Campbeltown with HMS Mistral (Lt.Cdr. G.D. Anderson, RN). (1)
9 Jul 1941
HMS H 32 (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Campbeltown with HMS Mistral (Lt.Cdr. G.D. Anderson, RN) and HMS La Cordeliere. (2)
7 May 1944
HMS Unrivalled (Lt. D.S. Brown, RNVR) departed Rothesay for Heysham. She was escorted by HMS Mistral (Lt. J.H.M. Sowry, RNVR). (3)
1 Sep 1944
HMS Ultor (Lt. G.E. Hunt, DSC and Bar, RN) departed Holy Loch for Blyth. She was escorted by HMS Mistral (Lt. J.H.M. Sowry, RNVR) until 2130/2 when HMS Hamlet (A/Skr.Lt. J.A. MacTean, RNR) took over the escort. (4)
1 Nov 1944
HMS Safari (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) J.R.G. Harvey, RN) conducted attack exercises for the C.O.Q.C. (Commanding Officers Qualifying Course) in the Clyde area during which HMS Keppel (Cdr. I.J. Tyson, DSO, DSC, RNR), HMS Milford (Lt.Cdr. G.G. Slade, RN) and HMS Mistral (Lt. J.H.M. Sowry, RNVR) served as targets. (5)
13 Nov 1944
HMS Safari (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) J.R.G. Harvey, RN) conducted attack exercises for the C.O.Q.C. (Commanding Officers Qualifying Course) in the Clyde area during which HMS Mistral (Lt. J.H.M. Sowry, RNVR) served as target. (5)
Sources
- ADM 173/16781
- ADM 173/16741
- ADM 173/19223
- ADM 173/19172
- ADM 173/18627
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.