uboat.net

  Front page - Fighting the U-boats - Allied Warships

Follow us on Twitter
@uboatnet

Notable events involving Landguard include:

9 Aug 1942
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.R. Drummond, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Bideford (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Moore, RNR), HMS Landguard (Lt.Cdr.(Emgy.) R.E.S. Hugonin, RN), HMS Hastings (Lt.Cdr. L.B. Philpott, DSC, RD, RNR) and HMS Londonderry (Cdr. J.S. Dalison, RN). (1)

8 Feb 1943
HMS Landguard (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) T.S.L. Fox-Pitt, RN) picks up 48 survivors from the British merchant Mary Slessor that was and damaged the previous day after hitting a mine west of Gibraltar in position 35°58'N, 05°59'W laid on 1/2 February by the German U-boat U-118. The Mary Slessor finally sank in the Strait of Gibraltar in position 35°55'N, 06°02'W.

5 Apr 1943
HMS H 34 (Lt. J.P. Angell, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS Collingwood (Lt. D.W. Groos, RCN), HMCS Brandon (T/Lt. H.E. McArthur, RCNVR), HMS Churchill (Cdr.(Retd.) P.J. Fitzgerald, RN), HMCS Amherst (T/A/Lt.Cdr. L. de la C. Audette, RCNVR), HMS Landguard (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) T.S.L. Fox-Pitt, RN) and HMS Starwort (Lt. A.H. Kent, RNR). (2)

7 Jul 1943
HMS P 511 (Lt. C.W. Taylor, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with HMS Fame (Capt. R. Heathcote, DSO, RN) and HMS Landguard (Lt.Cdr. (retired) T.S.L. Fox-Pitt, RN). (3)

8 Jul 1943
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.A.R. Troup, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Fame (Cdr. R. Heathcote, DSO, RN), HMS Warwick (Cdr. Y.M. Cleeves, DSO, DSC, RD, RNR), HMS Landguard (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) T.S.L. Fox-Pitt, RN), HMCS Bittersweet (T/Lt. F.B. Brooks-Hill, RCNVR), HMCS Mayflower (Lt. V. Browne, RCNR) and HMCS La Malbaie (T/Lt. J.S. Davis, RCNVR). (4)

9 Jul 1943
HMS H 34 (T/Lt. R.L. Willoughby, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Fame (Capt. R. Heathcote, DSO, RN), HMS Warwick (Cdr. Y.M. Cleeves, DSO, DSC, RD, RNR) and HMS Landguard (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) T.S.L. Fox-Pitt, RN). (5)

23 Aug 1943
On the 23th August 1943 the 40th Escort Group (Cdr. Dallison), consisting of the sloops HMS Landguard, HMS Bideford, HMS Hastings and the frigates HMS Exe, HMS Moyola and HMS Waveney were deployed on a U-boat hunt off Cape Ortegal. The whole operation was covered by the British light cruiser HMS Bermuda.

On the 25th August the Canadian 5th Support Group (Cdr. Tweed), consisting of the British frigates HMS Nene, HMS Tweed and the Canadian corvettes HMCS Calgary, HMCS Edmundston and HMCS Snowberry were deployed to relieve the 40th Escort Group. While this was in progress the ships were attacked at 1415 hrs by 14 Dornier Do-217's and 7 Ju-88's. with the new German weapon, the Henschel Glider Bombs, (the "Hs293 A-1"). Designed by the German Professor Herbert Wagner. HMS Landguard and HMS Bideford were the first of the Allied and R.N. ships to be attacked and damaged by them. This being the first time of their being brought into action against Allied ships. Several sailors were injured on HMS Bideford and one sailor was killed.

Another two days later on the 27th August 1943 the Canadian 5th Support group was relieved by the 1st Support group (Cdr. Brewer) consisting of the sloops HMS Pelican, HMS Egret and the frigates HMS Jed, HMS Rother, HMS Spey and HMS Evenlode. Also the covering cruiser HMS Bermuda was relieved by the Canadian destroyer HMCS Athabaskan and the British destroyer HMS Grenville. These ships were also attacked by the Germans. This time with 18 Dornier Do-217?s also carrying Henschel Glider Bombs. HMCS Athabaskan was heavily damaged and HMS Egret was sunk with the loss of 194 of her crew. After this loss the U-boat hunt was blown off.