Navy | The Royal Navy |
Type | Frigate |
Class | Loch |
Pennant | K 620 |
Built by | Harland & Wolff Ltd. (Belfast, Northern Ireland) |
Ordered | 2 Feb 1943 |
Laid down | 28 Dec 1943 |
Launched | 8 Jun 1944 |
Commissioned | 18 Dec 1944 |
End service | |
History | Sold to Greece in September 1961 and renamed Orion. |
Commands listed for HMS Loch Gorm (K 620)
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 | A/Lt.Cdr. Robert Johnston, RNR | 25 Oct 1944 | 22 Jun 1945 |
2 | T/A/Lt.Cdr. Henry Vernon, RNR | 22 Jun 1945 | Feb 1946 |
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Notable events involving Loch Gorm include:
21 Feb 1945
Convoy UC 57A.
The Channel section of this convoy departed The Solent on 21 February 1945.
This section was made up of the following merchant vessels; Chickamauga (American (tanker), 10195 GRT, built 1943), Fort Fetterman (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1944), Hubbardton (American (tanker), 10296 GRT, built 1944), Karsten Wang (Norwegian (tanker), 10296 GRT, built 1944), Memnon (American, 8258 GRT, built 1944), Santa Rosa (American, 9135 GRT, built 1932), Sea Tiger (American, 7886 GRT, built 1944), Wacosta (American, 5432 GRT, built 1920), Waipawa (British, 12436 GRT, built 1934), White Bird Canyon (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1944) and Yellow Tavern (American (tanker), 10296 GRT, built 1944).
On departure from The Solent the convoy was escorted by the destroyer USS McDougal (T/Cdr. E.W. Logsdon, USN, with COMTASKGR 61.5, T/Capt. E.D. Poole, USN, on board) and the destroyer escorts USS Blair (Lt. W. Gadsby, Jr., USNR) and USS Martin H. Ray (Lt. H.V. Tucker, Jr., USNR).
Around 2245A/21, the destroyers HMCS Iroquois (Capt. K.F. Adams, RCN) and HMCS Huron (Lt.Cdr. H.V.W. Groos, RCN) joined.
Around 0435A/22, the Santa Rosa and Sea Tiger parted company with the convoy to proceed to Plymouth.
Around 0745A/22, the Alcoa Pointer, Memnon and Waipawa parted company with the convoy to proceed up the Irish Sea. HMCS Iroquois and HMCS Huron went with them as escorts.
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The Irish Sea Section of the convoy was made up of four sections, coming from the Clyde, Belfast Lough, Liverpool and the Bristol Channel.
The Clyde Section of the convoy departed on 21 February and was made up of the following merchant vessels; Esso Camden (American (tanker), 10297 GRT, built 1944) and Paraguay (British, 7555 GRT, built 1944). The (midget) submarine tender HMS Bonaventure (A/Capt.(Retd.) W.R. Fell, DSC, OBE, RN) is also part of the Clyde Section. The Clyde Section was escorted by the destroyer escort USS Brough (Lt. M.A. Stein, USNR). The frigates HMS Fitzroy (Lt.Cdr. O.G. Stuart, RCNVR) and HMS Rupert (Lt. P.C.S. Black, RN) provided support for this section of the convoy.
The Belfast Lough Section of the convoy departed on 21 February and was made up of the following merchant vessels; Australia Star (British, 11122 GRT, built 1935) and Roxburgh Castle (British, 8003 GRT, built 1945). The Belfast Lough Section was escorted by the destroyer escort USS Hammann (Lt.Cdr. C.L. Gould, USNR).
Around 1700A/21, the Clyde Section and Belfast Lough Section joined company.
The Liverpool Section of the convoy departed on 21 February and was made up of the following merchant vessels; Carnifex Ferry (American (tanker), 10297 GRT, built 1945), Darro (British, 9733 GRT, built 1943), Elisabeth Bakke (Norwegian, 5450 GRT, built 1937), Grand River (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1944), Mobile Bay (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1945), Sandy Creek (American (tanker), 10297 GRT, built 1944), The Yakima (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1944) and York (American (tanker), 10448 GRT, built 1943). The Liverpool Section was escorted by the destroyer escort USS Jacob Jones (Lt. Frank L. Sullivan, USNR, with COMCORTDIV 3, T/Cdr. C.W. Musgrave, USN, on board). The frigates HMS Byron (Lt. J.B. Burfield, DSC, RN), HMS Deane (T/Lt.Cdr. F. Brock, RCNVR) provided support for this section of the convoy. The frigate HMS Conn (Lt.Cdr. R. Hart, DSC and Bar, RN) later joined as well.
Around 2300A/21, the Liverpool Section joined the Clyde / Belfast Lough Section. The five British frigates now proceeded to sweep ahead of the convoy for which they were joined around 0100A/22 by the frigates HMS Barbados (T/A/Lt.Cdr. E.G. Donald, RNVR) and HMS Nyasaland (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J. Scott, DSC, RNVR) from the 23rd Escort Group joined.
Around 0230A/22, HMS Conn, HMS Byron, HMS Deane, HMS Fitzroy and HMS Rupert set course to proceed to Belfast Lough. Three more frigates from the 23rd Escort Group joined; HMS Montserrat (Cdr. G.W. Gregorie, RD, RNR), HMS Papua (A/Lt.Cdr. C.W. Leadbetter, RNR) and HMS Loch Gorm (A/Lt.Cdr. R. Johnston, RNR).
Around 1025A/22, ' Force 34 ' joined, made up of ships of the 22nd Escort Group. This were the sloops HMS Hart (A/Cdr.(Retd.) H.F.G. Leftwich, RN), HMS Amethyst (Lt.Cdr. N. Scott-Elliot, DSC, RN), HMS Magpie (Lt.Cdr. G.O. Symonds, DSC, RN), HMS Peacock (Lt.Cdr. R.B. Stannard, VC, DSO, RD, RNR) and HMS Wren (Cdr. S.R.J. Woods, DSC, RD, RNR).
The frigates of the 23rd Escort Group then parted company.
Around 1130A/22, the Bristol Channel Section of the convoy joined. This section had departed also on 21 February 1945 and was made up of the following merchant vessels; Aiken Victory (American, 7607 GRT, built 1944), Aztec (Hunduran, 5511 GRT, built 1929), Chatterton Hill (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1944), De Soto (American, 6165 GRT, built 1944), Delaires (American, 6509 GRT, built 1942), Exanthia (American, 6533 GRT, built 1941), Fort Stevens (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1944), Golden Eagle (American, 6180 GRT, built 1943), Golden Fleece (American, 8258 GRT, built 1944), Jamaica Producer (British, 5464 GRT, built 1934), Midnight (American, 8258 GRT, built 1940), Pipiriki (British, 10057 GRT, built 1944), Pit River (American (tanker), 10172 GRT, built 1945), Talisman (American, 8258 GRT, built 1944) and White Squall (American, 8258 GRT, built 1943) . This section was escorted by the destroyer escorts USS Robert E. Peary (Lt. D. McKinlay, Jr., USNR) and USS Roy O. Hale (Lt. H.C. Pogue, Jr., USNR).
Around 1300A/22, USS Jacob Jones parted company with the Irish Sea Section to return to Liverpool.
Around 1420A/22, ' Force 34 ' parted company with the Irish Sea Section.
Around 1530A/22, USS Roy O. Hale parted company with the Irish Sea Section to return to Milford Haven.
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Around 2300A/22, the Channel Section of the convoy was joined by the Irish Sea Section of the convoy.
Around 0335Z/25, the following ships parted company wih the convoy to proceed independently to their destinations; HMS Bonaventure (arrived at Ponta Delgada on 26 February), Pipiriki (arrived in the Panama Canal zone on 6 March) and Roxburgh Castle (arrived at Buenos Aires on 12 March).
Around 0330P/2, in bad weather conditions, the following merchant vessels parted company wih the convoy to proceed independently to their destinations; Jamaica Producer (arrived at Halifax on 3 March) and Midnight (arrived at New York on 5 March).
Around 0500P/2, USS Hammann and USS Robert E. Peary were detached to go to the assistance of two vessels in distress.
The convoy arrived at New York on 5 March. (1)
20 Apr 1945
At Loch Alsh, HMS Trespasser (Lt. L.E. Herrick, DSC, RN) and HMS Tactician (Lt.Cdr. L.N.A. Jewell, DSC, MBE, RN) conducted A/S exercises with HMS Philante (Cdr. M.J. Evans, OBE, RN) and ships from Escort Group 23 which were most likely the following; HMS Loch Gorm (Lt.Cdr. R. Johnston, RNR), HMS Loch Scavaig (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.W. Hancock, RNR), HMS Montserrat (A/Lt.Cdr. F.A.J. Downer, DSC, RNR), HMS Nyasaland (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J. Scott, DSC, RNVR) and HMS Papua (A/Lt.Cdr. C.W. Leadbetter, RNR). (2)
Sources
- War diaries of several USS warships + ADM 217/762 + ADM 217/764 + ADM 217/768 + File RG24-D-2 / Vol. 7419 (Library and Archives Canada)
- ADM 173/19808 + ADM 173/19975
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.