Allied Warships

HMS Fandango (T 107)

ASW Trawler of the Dance class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeASW Trawler
ClassDance 
PennantT 107 
Built byCochrane & Sons shipbuilders Ltd. (Selby, U.K.) : Amos & Smith 
Ordered9 Sep 1939 
Laid down24 Oct 1939 
Launched26 Mar 1940 
Commissioned11 Jul 1940 
End service 
HistorySold in 1946.

 

Commands listed for HMS Fandango (T 107)

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.

CommanderFromTo
1T/Lt. Frank Clifford Hopkins, RNR3 Jul 19404 Nov 1940
2T/Lt. George Edwin Mabbott, RNVR4 Nov 194020 Jun 1941
3Lt. John Anthony Thornton Maishman, RNR20 Jun 1941Jan 1942
4T/Lt. Alfred Leslie Jasper, RNVRJan 19421 Oct 1942
5T/Lt. Arthur Graham Fisher, RNR1 Oct 19423 Apr 1944
6T/Lt. Bernard Hugh Firman, RNVR3 Apr 1944late 1945

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Notable events involving Fandango include:


25 Jul 1940
HrMs O 9 (Lt. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Fandango (T/Lt. F.C. Hopkins, RNR). (1)

27 Jul 1940
HrMs O 9 (Lt. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Bluebell (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Sherwood, RNR) and HMS Fandango (T/Lt. F.C. Hopkins, RNR). (1)

31 Jul 1940
HrMs O 9 (Lt. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Bluebell (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Sherwood, RNR) and HMS Fandango (T/Lt. F.C. Hopkins, RNR). (1)

1 Aug 1940
HrMs O 9 (Lt. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Godetia (Lt.Cdr. G.V. Legassick, RNR), HMS Primrose (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Sanders, RNVR) and HMS Fandango (T/Lt. F.C. Hopkins, RNR). (1)

2 Aug 1940
HrMs O 9 (Lt. H.A.W. Goossens, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Bluebell (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Sherwood, RNR), HMS Clematis (Cdr. Y.M. Cleeves, DSC, RD, RNR) and HMS Fandango (T/Lt. F.C. Hopkins, RNR). (1)

21 Sep 1940
The British tanker Invershannon is torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-99 480 nautical miles west of Bloody Foreland in position 55°40'N, 22°04'W. 17 survivors were later picked up by the British sloop HMS Flamingo (Cdr. J.H. Huntley, RN) and 15 survivors were picked up by the British ASW trawler HMS Fandango (T/Lt. F.C. Hopkins, RNVR).

27 Oct 1941
HMS Severn (Lt.Cdr. A.N.G. Campbell, RN) departed Freetown for a few days of exercises together with the destroyer HMS Vansittart (Lt.Cdr. R.L.S. Gaisford, RN), the corvettes HMS Armeria (T/Lt. H.N. Russell, RNR), HMS Cyclamen (Lt. H.N. Lawson, RNR), HMS Aster (Lt.Cdr. E. Hewitt, RD, RNR), the A/S trawlers HMS Fandango (Lt. J.A.T. Maishman, RNR), HMS Morris Dance (Lt. A. Bruce, RCNVR) and several ML's. (2)

24 Nov 1941
HMS Severn (Lt.Cdr. A.N.G. Campbell, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Freetown together with HMS Surprise (Cdr.(Retd.) L.C. Ansdell, RN) and HMS Fandango (Lt. J.A.T. Maishman, RNR). (3)

30 May 1943
HMS Fandango (T/Lt. A.G. Fisher, RNR) picks up 63 survivors from the American merchant Flora MacDonald that was torpedoed and heavily damaged by German U-boat U-126 south of Freetown in position 07°15'N, 13°20'W.

13 Jul 1943

Convoy SL 133.

This convoy departed Freetown on 13 July 1943.

It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Adrastus (British, 7905 GRT, built 1923), Amstelkerk (Dutch, 4457 GRT, built 1929), Baron Maclay (British, 6317 GRT, built 1924), Bendoran (British, 5567 GRT, built 1910), Benledi (British, 5943 GRT, built 1930), Carlton (British, 7210 GRT, built 1942), City of Exeter (British, 9654 GRT, built 1914), Cochrane (British, 7203 GRT, built 1923), Cypria (Norwegian, 4366 GRT, built 1931), David Livingstone (British, 5013 GRT, built 1930), Desirade (British, 9645 GRT, built 1921), Egyptian Prince (British, 3490 GRT, built 1922), Empire Addison (British, 7010 GRT, built 1942), Empire Buckler (British, 7046 GRT, built 1942), Empire Cougar (British, 5758 GRT, built 1919), Empire Forest (British, 7025 GRT, built 1942), Empire Simba (British, 5691 GRT, built 1919), Empire Trent (British, 5006 GRT, built 1927), Fort Douglas (British, 7129 GRT, built 1942), Fort Tremblant (British, 7128 GRT, built 1942), Gambian (British, 5452 GRT, built 1937), Gascony (British, 4716 GRT, built 1925), John Holt (British, 4964 GRT, built 1943), Kaipara (British, 5882 GRT, built 1938), Mafuta (Belgian, tanker, 6322 GRT, built 1920), Malayan Prince (British, 8953 GRT, built 1926), Maplewood (British, 4566 GRT, built 1930), Mount Rhodope (Greek, 5182 GRT, built 1919), New Northland (Canadian, 3445 GRT, built 1926), Norma (Norwegian, 4487 GRT, built 1930), Ocean Hope (British, 7173 GRT, built 1942), Pinzon (British, 1365 GRT, built 1922), Rhesus (British, 6530 GRT, built 1911), Stuyvesant (Dutch, 4249 GRT, built 1918), Troilus (British, 7422 GRT, built 1921) and Wearpool (British, 4982 GRT, built 1936).

On departure from Freetown the convoy was escorted by the sloops HMS Enchantress (Cdr. A.E.T. Christie, OBE, DSC, RN), HMS Leith (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) A.W. Preston, RN), destroyer HMS Amazon (Lt.Cdr. D.H.P. Gardiner, DSC, RN), corvettes HMS Anchusa ( T/Lt. H.V. Gordon, RNVR), HMS Columbine (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.J. Griffiths, RNR), HMS Coreopsis (T/Lt. B.C. Hamilton, RNR), HMS Violet (Lt. C.N. Stewart, RNR) and the armed boarding vessel HMS Corinthian (Cdr. E.J.R. Pollitt, RD, RNR).

Around 0600Z/15, in position 10°49'N, 17°02'W, the Wearpool was detached to proceed to Buenos Aires.

Around 1900Z/15, HMS Enchantress was detached to fuel at Dakar.

Around 0230Z/15, HMS Amazon was detached to fuel at Dakar.

Around 0600Z/16, the merchant vessel Kaipara was torpedoed and damaged by the German U-boat U-306. She was able to proceed to Dakar under her own power escorted by HMS Violet until this corvette was relieved by HMS Yestor (Lt. R.C. Holt, RNVR).

Around 1230Z/16, in approximate position 14°34'N, 17°47'W, the merchant vessel Bactria (British, 2407 GRT, built 1928) joined the convoy coming from Bathurst.

Around 1330Z/16, in position 14°36'N, 17°47'W, the merchant vessel New Northland was detached to Dakar. The Fort Douglas was also detached to Dakar with engine defects at the same time. They were escorted to Dakar by the ASW trawler HMS Fandango (T/Lt. A.G. Fisher, RNR) which had also brought out the Dakar section of the convoy (see below).

Around 1330Z/16, in position 14°36'N, 17°47'W, the merchant vessels El-Biar (French, 4678 GRT, built 1927), Finistere (French, 1158 GRT, built 1909) and Grand Quevilly (French, 2844 GRT, built 1914) joined the convoy coming from Dakar.

Around 1430Z/16, in position 14°35'N, 17°50'W, HMS Enchantress and HMS Amazon returned from fuelling at Dakar.

Around 0830Z/22, in position 29°12'N, 18°48'W, HMS Columbine and HMS Coreopsis were detached to fuel at Casablanca.

Around 2030Z/22, in position 30°08'N, 17°00'W, HMS Anchusa and HMS Violet were detached to fuel at Casablanca.

Around 1200Z/24, in position 33°54'N, 09°46'W, HMS Columbine and HMS Coreopsis returned from fuelling at Casablanca. HMS Leith was then detached to fuel at Casablanca. She rejoined on the 25th.

Around 1400Z/24, in position 34°04'N, 09°46'W, the El-Biar, Finistere and Grand Quevilly were detached to Casablanca. The patrol vessels USS PC-474 (Lt. A.D. Weekes, Jr., USNR), USS PC-482 (Lt. N.P. Hallowell, Jr., USNR) and USS PC-473 (Lt. D.F. Welch, USNR) had come out from Casablanca to escort them.

Around 1500Z/24, in position 34°14'N, 09°35'W, HMS Amazon was detached to Gibraltar where she arrived the following day.

Around 1200Z/24, in position 34°17'N, 10°30'W, HMS Anchusa and HMS Violet returned from fuelling at Casablanca.

Around 1700B/24, in position 35°45'N, 11°15'W, the convoy merged with convoy MKS 18G coming from Gibraltar.
This convoy was made up of the following ships; Antonio (British, 5225 GRT, built 1918), Badjestan (British, 5573 GRT, built 1928), Cape Wrath (British, 4512 GRT, built 1940), Clearpool (British, 5404 GRT, built 1935), Eastern City (British, 5185 GRT, built 1941), Empire Darwin (British, 6765 GRT, built 1941), Empire Tide (British, 6978 GRT, built 1941), Empire Wolfe (British, 2888 GRT, built 1941), Explorer (British, 6235 GRT, built 1935), Fauzon (French, 4376 GRT, built 1938), Gerard Dou (Dutch, 7242 GRT, built 1941), Hopestar (British, 5267 GRT, built 1936), Kingsland (British, 3669 GRT, built 1930), Schiaffino (French, 3236 GRT, built 1929), Stanhope (British, 2337 GRT, built 1919), Star (Norwegian, 1531 GRT, built 1922) and Vinriver (British, 3881 GRT, built 1917).

The landing ship Ennerdale (British, 8280 GRT, built 1941) and the tug HMRT Allegiance towing the damaged escort destroyer Derwent (Lt. P.R.C. Higham, RN) was also part of the convoy.

They were escorted by the destroyers HMS Hurricane (Cdr. E.C. Bayldon, DSC, RN), HMS Rockingham (Lt.Cdr. N.W. Duck, DSC, RD, RNR) and the corvettes HMS Borage (T/Lt.Cdr. A. Harrison, RNR), HMS Dahlia (T/Lt. M.S. Work, RNR), HMS Meadowsweet (T/Lt. W.E. Saunders, RNVR) and HMS Monkshood (Lt. G.W. McGuiness, RNR). Off these, HMS Rockingham could only use one propeller and her speed was limited to 15 knots.

Around 0750B/28, in approximate position 41°30'N, 16°04'W, the light (AA) cruiser HMS Scylla (Capt. I.A.P. Macintyre, CBE, DSO, RN) joined the convoy.

In the evening of the 28th, the convoy was attacked by German FW 200 bombers / reconnaissance aircraft. No damage was done and one of the attackers was shot down. HMS Hurricane picked up six survivors of this aircraft. Four of them wounded.

Around 0930B/29, the light cruiser HMS Sheffield (Capt. C.T. Addis, RN) joined the convoy.

In the second half of the morning of the 29th, the convoy was once more attacked by German aircraft but again no damage was done though bombs landed near HMS Scylla, HMS Rockingham, HMS Borage and HMS Meadowsweet.

Around 2225B/29, in approximate position 46°30'N, 16°00'W, HMS Scylla parted company with the convoy to proceed to Gibraltar.

Around an hour before the departure of HMS Scylla eleven of the merchant vessels split off from the main convoy and formed the ' fast section '. These then proceeded ahead escorted by the original escort of the convoy which had been with the convoy on departure from Freetown (minus HMS Amazon which had been detached to Gibraltar earlier).

Around 2200B/30, in position 50°01'N, 15°24'W, HMS Enchantress was detached from the 'fast section' to proceed to the Clyde via the south of Ireland.

Around the same time, HMS Sheffield parted company from the 'slow section' to proceed to

The 'fast section' of the convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 2 July 1943.

The 'slow section' of the convoy arrived in U.K. waters on 3 July 1943. (4)

8 Sep 1943
HMS Wolverine (Cdr. J.M. Money, RN), HMS Wellington (Cdr. G.A. Thring, DSO, RN), HMS Aberdeen (Lt.Cdr. H. Day, RN), HMS Lowestoft (A/Cdr.(Retd.) L.H. Phillips, RN), HMS Gorleston (Cdr.(Retd.) R.W. Keymer, RN), HMS Fandango (T/Lt. A.G. Fisher, RNR) and HMS Rumba (T/Lt. E.C.F.D. Jacquier, RNVR) conducted night encounter exercises off Freetown with HMS ML 281 (T/Lt. P.S. Castle, RNVR) and HMS ML 289 (T/Lt. G.A.W. Lacey, RNVR). (5)

Sources

  1. File 2.12.03.6365 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
  2. ADM 173/16987
  3. ADM 173/16988
  4. ADM 199/585 + ADM 199/964 + ADM 199/2101
  5. ADM 199/635

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


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