| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | ASW Trawler |
| Class | [No specific class] |
| Pennant | FY 229 |
| Built by | Smiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | |
| Launched | 3 Nov 1937 |
| Commissioned | Nov 1939 |
| End service | |
| History | Completed in January 1938. Lent to the United States Navy in February 1942 to operate of the US East coast under USN control. Returned to her owner in April 1946. |
Commands listed for HMS Norwich City (FY 229)
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 | Skr. George William Todd, RNR | 5 Nov 1939 | 26 Jan 1940 | |
| 2 | Ch.Skr. Peter Newman, RNR | 26 Jan 1940 | early 1941 | |
| 3 | T/Lt. Leslie Hugh Stammers, RNVR | 12 Apr 1941 | Aug 1944 | |
| 4 | Lt. Robert Arthur Groom, RNVR | Aug 1943 | Oct 1944 | |
| 5 | T/Lt. Leonard Griffin Gillham, SANF(V) | Oct 1944 | ||
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Notable events involving Norwich City include:
12 May 1940
Around 1000A/12, HMS Tribune (Lt. E.F. Balston, RN) departed from Greenock for her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the North Sea, in position 57°25'N, 05°30'E (north of the German Mine Declared Area). Only Danish fishing vessels were encountered.
On departure first some exercises were carried out in Loch Long.
At 1220A/12, HMS Norwich City (Ch.Skr. P. Newman, RNR) joined as escort. She remained in company until 2230A/13 after they had passed through the Pentland Firth. They parted company in position 58°43'N, 02°50'W. (1)
9 Nov 1940
HMS H 50 (Lt. G.V. Prowse, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Campbeltown with HMS Terje 3 (Skr. J.H.D. Dansie, RNR) and HMS Norwich City (Ch.Skr. P. Newman, RNR). (2)
3 Dec 1940
Convoy HX 93
This convoy departed Halifax, Nova Scotia on 3 December 1940 and arrived at Liverpool on 18 December 1940.
The convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Baron Napier (British, 3559 GRT, built 1930), Bello (Norwegian (tanker), 6125 GRT, built 1930), Carras (Greek, 5234 GRT, built 1918), Harpagon (British, 5719 GRT, built 1935), Lancastrian Prince (British, 1914 GRT, built 1940), Manchester Citizen (British, 5343 GRT, built 1925), Salabangka (Dutch, 6586 GRT, built 1920) and Scottish Star (British, 7224 GRT, built 1917).
On departure from Halifax the convoy was escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Aurania (A/Capt. I.W. Whitehorn, RN).
A/S escort in the local approaches was provided until /4 by the destroyer HMCS Assiniboine (Capt. L.W. Murray, RCN) and the auxiliary patrol vessels HMCS French (A/Skr. W. Philpott, RCNR) and HMCS Husky (T/Lt. H. Freeland, RCNR).
On 4 December the Bello was ordered to return to Halifax as she could not keep up with the convoy.
On 5 December convoy SHX 93, coming from Sydney, Nova Scotia which it had departed on 4 December, merged with convoy HX 93. Convoy SHX 93 was made up of the following merchant vessels; Anthea (British, 5186 GRT, built 1924), Dux (Norwegian, 1590 GRT, built 1934), Eleni (Greek, 5655 GRT, built 1918), Rupert de Larrinaga (British, 5358 GRT, built 1930), Wanstead (British, 5486 GRT, built 1928) and Welsh Trader (British, 4974 GRT, built 1938).
These ships had no escort.
On 7 December the convoy BHX 93, coming from Bermuda which it had departed on 1 December, merged with convoy HX 93. Convoy BHX 93 was made up of the following merchant vessels; Adula (British (tanker), 8040 GRT, built 1937), Benedick (British (tanker), 6978 GRT, built 1928), Derrymore (British, 4799 GRT, built 1938), Donacilla (British (tanker), 8113 GRT, built 1939), Dunkeld (British, 4944 GRT, built 1937), Elona (British (tanker), 6192 GRT, built 1937), La Paz (British, 6548 GRT, built 1920), Logician (British, 5993 GRT, built 1928), Lulworth Hill (British, 7628 GRT, built 1940), Lunula (British (tanker), 6363 GRT, built 1927), Mahronda (British, 7926 GRT, built 1925), Queen Victoria (British, 4937 GRT, built 1936), Tasmania (British, 6405 GRT, built 1935), Titus (Dutch, 1712 GRT, built 1930), Tosari (Dutch, 7029 GRT, built 1919), Traveller (British, 3963 GRT, built 1922) and Tuscan Star (British, 11449 GRT, built 1930).
Convoy BHX had been escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Maloja (A/Capt. V. Hammersley-Heenan, RN). This ship parted company after the convoy had merged.
On 8 December 1940 the merchant vessel Anthea collided with the Dutch merchant vessel Maasdam (8812 GRT, built 1921) in position 48°44'N, 46°37'W and sank as a result of the colission. At that time the Anthea had straggled from the convoy in the bad visibility.
On 11 December the battleship HMS Rodney (Capt. F.H.G. Dalrymple-Hamilton, RN) took over the escort of the convoy from HMS Ausonia. HMS Rodney was detached on the 13th after the destroyers HMS Matabele (Cdr. R.St.V. Sherbrooke, DSO, RN), HMS Electra (Cdr. S.A. Buss, MVO, RN), HMS Escapade (Cdr. R.E. Hyde-Smith, RN) and HMS Brilliant (Lt.Cdr. F.C. Brodrick, RN) had arrived from Scapa Flow to escort her back to Scap Flow.
Also on the 13th the destroyers HMS Achates (Lt.Cdr. Viscount Jocelyn, RN), HMS Active (A/Cdr. E.C.L. Turner, RN), HMS Antelope (Lt.Cdr. R.T. White, DSO, RN) and corvettes HMS Heather (Cdr.(Retd.) J.G.C. Gibson, RN) and HMS Picotee ( Lt.Cdr. N.C.H. Scallan, RNR) joined on the 13th. HMS Achates and HMS Heather were detached on the 16th. The A/S trawlers HMS Lady Madeleine (T/Lt. P.H. Potter, RNR) and HMS Norwich City (Ch.Skr. P. Newman, RNR) also joined later.
The bulk of the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 18 December.
1 Jul 1941
HrMs O 10 (Lt. J.H. Geijs, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory together with HMS Balta (T/Lt. J.A.H. Punting, RNR) and HMS Norwich City (T/Lt. L.H. Stammers, RNVR).
(3)
2 Jul 1941
HrMs O 10 (Lt. J.H. Geijs, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Tobermory together with HMS Balta (T/Lt. J.A.H. Punting, RNR) and HMS Norwich City (T/Lt. L.H. Stammers, RNVR). (3)
5 Apr 1942
HMS Norwich City (T/Lt. L.H. Stammers, RNVR) picks up a survivor from the American tanker Byron D. Benson that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-552 off Currituck Inlet, North Carolina in position 36°08'N, 75°32'W.
10 Apr 1942
HMS Norwich City (T/Lt. L.H. Stammers, RNVR) picks up 22 survivors from the British tanker San Delfino that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-203 east of Cape Hatteras in position 35°35'N, 75°06'W.
HMS Norwich City also up a 35 survivors from the American tanker Tamaulipas that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-552 about 18 nautical miles north-east of Cape Lookout, North Carolina in position 34°25'N, 76°00'W.
25 Jun 1942
HMS Norwich City (T/Lt. L.H. Stammers, RNVR) picks up 23 survivors from the American merchant Manuela that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-404 about 75 nautical miles east of Cape Lookout in position 34°30'N, 75°40'W.
4 Mar 1943
HMS Norwich City (T/Lt. L.H. Stammers, RNVR) picks up 36 survivors from the British merchant Empire Mahseer that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-160 east-north-east of East London, South-Africa in position 32°01'S, 30°48'E.
11 Mar 1943
HMS Norwich City (T/Lt. L.H. Stammers, RNVR) picks up 19 survivors from the American merchant James B. Stephens that was torpedoed and sunk on 8 March 1943 by German U-boat U-160 about 150 nautical miles north-east of Durban, South-Africa in position 28°53'S, 33°18'E.
2 Aug 1943
HMS P 614 (Lt. H.W. Wilkinson, RN) shifted from Simonstown to Cape Town. She was escorted by HMS Norwich City (T/Lt. L.H. Stammers, RNVR).
(4)
20 Aug 1944
HMS Norwich City (T/Lt. R.A. Groom, RNVR) picks up 94 survivors from the British merchant Berwickshire that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-861 about 400 nautical miles east-south-east of Durban, South-Africa in position 30°58'S, 38°50'E.
Sources
- ADM 199/1847
- ADM 173/16334
- File 2.12.03.6376 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
- ADM 173/17964
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.