Allied Warships

HNoMS Potentilla (K 214)

Corvette of the Flower class

NavyThe Royal Norwegian Navy
TypeCorvette
ClassFlower 
PennantK 214 
Built byWilliam Simons & Co. Ltd. (Renfrew, Scotland) 
Ordered3 Aug 1940 
Laid down28 Feb 1941 
Launched18 Dec 1941 
Commissioned16 Jan 1942 
End service13 Mar 1944 
History

Commissioned into the Royal Norwegian Navy as Potentila on 16 January 1942.
Returned to the Royal Navy on 13 March 1944.
Sold on 13 March 1946 and scrapped at Gateshead.

 
Former nameHMS Potentilla

Commands listed for HNoMS Potentilla (K 214)

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and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Christian A. Monsen, 16 Jan 194230 May 1943
2Thomas Jacobsen, 30 May 194313 Mar 1944

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Notable events involving Potentilla include:


9 Apr 1942
HNoMS Potentilla served in the Liverpool Escort force from 9 April 1942 until 13 March 1944. (1)

14 Apr 1942
HrMs O 10 (Lt. J.H. Geijs, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with USS Mayo (Lt.Cdr. I.T. Duke, USN), HNoMS Rose, HMS Venomous (Cdr. H.W. Falcon-Steward, RN), HMS Burwell (Lt.Cdr. S.R.J. Woods, RNR), HNoMS Acanthus, USS Simpson (Lt.Cdr. E.J. Burke, USN), HNoMS Potentilla and HNoMS Eglantine. (2)

15 Aug 1942
HMS H 43 (Lt. J.C.Y. Roxburgh, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HNoMS Montbretia and HNoMS Potentilla. (3)

25 Aug 1942
HNoMS Potentilla (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Monsen) picks up 16 survivors from the Norwegian merchant Trolla that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-438 south-east of Cape Farewell in position 48°55'N, 35°10'W.

19 Sep 1942
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.R. Drummond, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HNoMS Montbretia and HNoMS Potentilla. (4)

13 Oct 1942
HNoMS Potentilla (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Monsen) picks up 10 survivors from the Norwegian merchant Fagersten that was torpedoed and sunk south of Cape Farewell in position 53°05'N, 44°06'W by German U-boat U-221.

14 Oct 1942
HNoMS Potentilla (Lt.Cdr. C.A. Monsen) picks up 77 survivors from the British whale factory ship Southern Empress that was torpedoed and sunk northeast of St. John's in position 53°40'N, 40°40'W by German U-boat U-221.

18 Nov 1942
HNoMS Potentilla picked up 20 survivors from HNoMS Montbretia that was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic in position 53°37'N, 38°15'W by German U-boat U-262. Some of the survivors were badly injured and two later died. (1)

30 May 1943
HMS Universal (Lt. C. Gordon, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Londonderry with HMS Kingcup (Lt.Cdr. R.A.D. Cambridge, DSC, RNR) and HNoMS Potentilla. (5)

14 Jun 1943
HMS Syrtis (Lt. M.H. Jupp, DSC, RN) arrived at Larne. She then conducted A/S exercises off Larne with HNoMS Potentilla and HNoMS Rose. (6)

15 Jun 1943
HMS Syrtis (Lt. M.H. Jupp, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Larne with HNoMS Potentilla, HNoMS Rose and HMS Vanquisher (Lt.Cdr. G.A.G. Ormsby, RN). (6)

24 Oct 1943

Convoy SC 145.

This convoy departed Halifax on 24 October 1943.

On departure from Halifax the convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Agwistar (American, 4661 GRT, built 1919), Athelprince (British (tanker), 8782 GRT, built 1926), Atlantic (Panamanian, 6132 GRT, built 1919), Baltrover (British, 4916 GRT, built 1913), Baron Dunmore (British, 3938 GRT, built 1933), Bayou Chico (American, 5401 GRT, built 1920), Benedick (British (tanker), 6978 GRT, built 1928), Bonaire (Dutch, 3164 GRT, built 1926), Boston City (British, 2870 GRT, built 1920), Chr. Th. Boe (Norwegian (tanker), 6192 GRT, built 1930), Clam (British, 7404 GRT, built 1927), Delmar (American, 5107 GRT, built 1920), Dundee (British, 1541 GRT, built 1934), El Ciervo (British (tanker), 5841 GRT, built 1923), El Grillo (British (tanker), 7264 GRT, built 1922), Fort Slave (British, 7134 GRT, built 1942), Gudfor (Norwegian, 2280 GRT, built 1928), Gyda (British, 1695 GRT, built 1934), H.M. Flagler (Panamanian (tanker), 8208 GRT, built 1918), Kingman (Panamanian, 1513 GRT, built 1934), Leerdam (Dutch, 8815 GRT, built 1921), Maycrest (British, 5923 GRT, built 1913), Michigan (Panamanian (former French), 6419 GRT, built 1920), Orwell (Norwegian (tanker), 7920 GRT, built 1905), Pacific Shipper (British, 6290 GRT, built 1924), San Felix (British (tanker), 13037 GRT, built 1921), San Valerio (British (tanker), 6493 GRT, built 1913), Sarazen (British, 5401 GRT, built 1920), Sulev (British (former Estonian), 2233 GRT, built 1908), Van de Velde (Dutch, 6389 GRT, built 1919), Vav (Norwegian (tanker), 6415 GRT, built 1931) and Wisla (Polish, 3108 GRT, built 1928).

On departure from Halifax the convoy was escorted by the destroyer HMCS Annapolis (Lt.Cdr. A.G. Boulton, RCNVR) and the corvettes HMCS Kenogami (T/Lt. J.L. Percy, RCNVR), HMCS Saskatoon (Lt.Cdr. T. MacDuff, RCNR) and HMCS Shediac (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A. Moorhouse, RCNR).

The minesweeper HMCS Clayoquot (T/Lt. C.L. Campbell, RCNVR) was with the convoy during 25/26 October 1943.

On 28 October 1943, the original escort from Halifax parted company to proceed to St. Johns, Newfoundland after the relief escort had joined coming from St. Johns. This relief escort was made up of the destroyers HMS Fame (Cdr. R.A. Currie, RN), HMS Vanquisher (Lt.Cdr. G.A.G. Ormsby, RN), frigates HMS Deveron (Lt.Cdr. R.E.H. Partington, RD, RNR), HMS Domett (T/A/Lt.Cdr. S. Gordon, RNVR) and the corvettes HNoMS Potentilla, HNoMS Rose and HMS Linaria (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.H. Jameson, RNR).

Around 1105P/29 the escort carrier HMS Fencer (Capt. E.W. Anstice, RN) and the destroyers HMS Inconstant (Cdr. R.H. Mills, RN), ORP Garland (Kmdr.ppor. (Cdr.) S. Biskupski) and ORP Burza (Kmdr.ppor. (Cdr.) F. Pitulko) joined the convoy. They parted comanay with the convoy to proceed to the Clyde around 1320N/2.

The convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 6 November 1943.

19 Nov 1943
HMS Sirdar (Lt. J.A. Spender, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Larne with HNoMS Potentilla (Lt. T. Jacobsen, RNorN) and HMS Philante (Capt. A.J. Baker-Cresswell, DSO, RN). (7)

20 Nov 1943
HMS H 32 (Lt. K.S. Renshaw, DSC, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HNoMS Potentilla. (8)

Sources

  1. Personal communication
  2. File 2.12.03.6379 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
  3. ADM 173/17252
  4. ADM 173/17217
  5. ADM 173/18350
  6. ADM 173/18160
  7. ADM 173/18090
  8. ADM 173/17776

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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