HMS BLACK SWAN: Sinking of U-124

[The Sailor]

Reading the name Black Swan reminded me of this action.
On 2 April 1943 Black Swan and the corvette Stonecrop sank the top-scoring U-boat U-124 off the coast of Portugal.

U-124 Type IXB was one of the most successful Nazi German U-Boats to serve in World War II. It was first launched on March 9th, 1940, with a crew of 54, under the command of Georg-Wilhelm Schultz up until September, 1941, when Johann Mohr took over command. U-124 left Wilhelmshaven on its first active patrol on August 19th, 1940. Over the next two years and eight months it would compile one of the most successful kill records for enemy sea vessels destroyed of the entire war, sinking 48 allied ships totalling 224,953 tonnes, severely damaging another four ships totalling 30,067 tonnes, and shooting down one aircraft.

[herakles]

Reminds of "Das Boat"? (Spelling?)

[The Sailor]

That was a great movie mate. Full of junk but most people liked it as I did.
Wish they'd make more WW2 movies.
Das Boot was made in 1981. Can you believe that?

[herakles]

Ah yes. Das Boot. I knew I'd got it wrong.

[Woodbutcher]

I'm fairly sure that I saw HMS Black Swan being broken up at Rosyth dockyard, during my apprentice days at HMS Caledonia,during 1954-55. Us Shipwright Apps used to march from Caledonia, down to the dockyard basin, to do our trade training on HMS Artifex, and back each day.
Also on the way we would pass HMS Gambia, Cruiser tied up to the jetty inside the basin, decommissioned. I used to remember the frigate Amethyst, when I saw her. Was she the same class as Black Swan?

[rumrat]

Woodbutcher ,
I have BLACK SWAN Broken up at Troon by the West of Scotland Shipbreaking Company where she arrived 13 September 1956
Also AMETHYST Broken up by Demmelweek and Redding arriving at Plymouth 18 January 1957.
So maybe they were just laid up at Rosyth .
Regards
Dave.

[Woodbutcher]

Rumrat,
Bit of misunderstanding about Amethyst. I meant that I thought of Her and the Chinese battle, when i passed the (looks like I'm wrong) Black Swan being broken up. The ship was certainly a frigate, would anyone be able to suggest any other ship it could have been? Old memory tells me it was definately a 2 word name, any ideas? Dagwood.

[rumrat]

Woodbutcher,
It all hangs on how acurate your dates are as to which ship you saw a number of frigates etc were broken up at Rosyth .WOODCOCK Arrived there 27 November 1955,WREN Arrived 27 January 1956 WHITESAND BAY 7 February 1956 and CYGNET 13 March 1956.
Post 1955 the first of the RNs new Frigates were being delivered and commissioned which freed up the old Black Swan, Bays and River classes held in reserve to be broken up, In 3 years at Rosyth and Charlestown Metal Industries Scrapped over 20 old Warships including 5 Bay and 5 River Class Frigates 5 Black Swan Class Sloops and 5 Algerine Class minesweepers plus dozens of Trawlers , merchantmen and Submarines.
Hope this is of help
Regards
Dave

[Stan.J]

Dave,don`t forget the Wild Goose. She was broken up in 56

[Woodbutcher]

Thanks Dave and StanJ. Guess I was mistaken then. I must have been day dreaming on the march to Artifex, about the Black Swans, home here in NZ. Still was sad to see the hulks being "Gas Axed" to pieces every day we marched back and forth to Caledonia. The other suggested Names don't jog the memory. While here, may I ask an unrelated Question? What was the name of the oil tanker that arrived, decks awash, in Malta during the 2nd war, was it the San Domretrio or something similar?
Thanks, Dagwood.

[tim lewin]

Ohio, captain Mason, taken over from Texaco and arrived with operation pedestal on August 15th 1942. Have a look at the post from Chalky on the Malta Memorial. There is lots on the web about Ohio, so i won't repeat it here. She was an almost new ship capable of 15 knots continuous speed, sent over at the specific request of WSC for the Pedestal operation which was the absolutely last chance to save Malta, we had no tankers left of that spec. Her US crew were replaced by a UK one in Scotland and off they went. The convoy followed hard on the heels of the infamous PQ17 to Russia and was escorted by several of the Kola Run ships after it was decided that summer convoys to the Artctic in permanant daylight were just too dangerous. Most of these ships came still painted in ice camouflage. The rescue of survivors from the blazing sea by HMS Ledbury (Capt. Roger Hill) is an epic of those times. Ledbury had been one of the close escort for PQ17 obliged to leave her merchantmen in search of the non-extinet Tirpitz and their daring rescue was considered as a sort of atonement. (Interview with Roger Hill).
As soon as Pedestal was safely delivered the Kola ships were back to the North again to cover PQ18 in an entirely new method of convoy defence, the Fighting Escort, but thats another story.

[Woodbutcher]

Thankyou Tim, I did try to find the info using the 'search' link on the Forum heading, but couldn't get it to work. What is the trick to using it, please. Typed in various combos of Malta, tanker.etc but nothing.
Regards, Dagwood.

[tim lewin]

you might also try uder Ashanti and pedestal, I submitted these ages ago when the forum still had wet paint; my late father was gunnery officer of Ashanti (Tribal) on Pedestal and then returned to the Kola run for PQ18. Ashanti was briefly the flagship of the convoy after Admiral Burrough was obliged to transfer to her when Nigeria was hit in the forefoot by a torpedo, she made it home tho. I will leave it to the others to tell you how to search, i havnt done it for a while and would pob tell you wrongly!. Try looking up Pedestal in Google (sic) and you should uncover a great deal, you should try Ohio & tanker& Malta as well. It was a long and heroic 5 days that changed the course of the war. If Pedestal had failed Egypt would have fallen and much of Arabia through to Persia, the oil fields and even India alowing the Axis to meet in the middle. Theoretically, we shall never know. There are several good books on Pedestal as well, Peter Smith being one excellent author, also Richard Woodman's Malta Convoys.
tim
tim

[rumrat]

Stan,
WILD GOOSE Was Probably scrapped in 56 but not in the Forth Not according to Metal Industry records anway.
Regards
Dave

[Stan.J]

Dave, She went to Bo`ness near Edinburgh for scrapping,
Cheers,Stan

[Rorqual]

They used to use Rosyth Dockyard as a final check and remove all armaments etc before letting the scrappers have the vessel .

Bo'ness is just up the river from Rosyth on the south side
Charlestown is next to Rosyth
Inverkeithing [Wards] is not far away either.


Fred

[Woodbutcher]

Thanks Tim, I've looked at the sites you mentioned in your post. Must have been a Hell of a battle to get that Convey to Malta GC. Didn't realise that the Ohio's cargo "saved Malta and the Med", for the Allies. Also didn't Know that HMS Eagle was sunk the next day, 11 aug'42 My father served on Eagle, but don't think he was still on her then. Fred Wood, Gunner, if any one out there remembers! Thanks to all other contributers for info, and suggestions.
Regards, Dagwood.

[Woodbutcher]

Fred /Rorqual, To illustrate where the ships where cut up, imagine the Rosyth basin square---South ,the river --north, the workshops and HMS Caledonia,--east ,the Forth Bridge---and West, a unused Shore/beach?, where the hulls were broken up. The road we marched N/South was between the basin and the breakers area.
Could the gear have been taken off at Rosyth, as you state, and the ship hull broken up there ,to save the trip to the Troon yard, but the 'paper work' credited to Troon? Thanks, Dagwood.

[dennis a feary]

Hello All, a little late as I have only just seen this Thread. Slowly trolling through all.

Here are details that I have of U 124. Busy little boat was she not !

Sadsac

U 124
Type: IX.B, ocean-going, minelayer.
Constructor: Deschimag AG Weser, Bremen.
Armament: 22 Torpedoes, 1 x 105mm, 1 x 37mm, 2 x 20mm.
Commissioned: 11.6.40. Operational: August, 1940.
Service Life: 34. Operational Life: 32. Patrols: 8.
Theatre: Atlantic. Sank HMS Dunedin (CL) on 24.11.41 at a range of
over 3 miles; RF Mimose (CVT) escorting c/v ONS.100, on 9.6.42; 46
m/vs (218,188 grt). Damaged 4 m/vs (30,067 grt). U 124 sank 12 m/vs
in one patrol. KL Mohr sank 4 m/vs in c/v TM.7 and 4 m/vs in c/v
ONS.92. KL Schulz sank 4 m/vs in c/v SL.67. After sinking m/v
Trevisa (1,813 grt) on 16.10.40, attacked by the escorts to c/v
SC.7. On 5.12.41 arrived at a rendezvous with U 68 (KK Merten), U
129 (KL N.Clausen), and U A (KK Eckermann), and took on board
survivors from the supply ship Python. Later rendezvoused with
Italian submarines Tazzoli, Finzi, Calvi and Torelli, when survivors
were redistributed, arriving back at St Nazaire at the end of
December. On 4.3.41 refuelled from the tanker Corrientes, in the
Canary Is, Spain, and on 18.3.41 refuelled from the German auxiliary
cruiser Kormoran. After sinking the m/v Umona (3,767 grt) on 30.3.41.
KL Schulz closed the survivors on a raft, passing over cigarettes,
water and cognac, as well as navigational advice; and in order not to
dishearten the survivors, he told them land was just 30 miles away,
when in fact it was 200; the raft reached Africa after 14 days.
On 8.4.41, KL Schulz sank m/v Tweed (2,697 grt); the survivors were
taken aboard for medical treatment, one of whom had a dislocated
shoulder and a broken leg, (who were treated by Dr. Goder), the
upturned lifeboat was righted, repaired, and the sails rigged; and the
survivors given food, water, cigarettes and cognac, and a course to make landfall. On 3.12.41 KL Mohr sank the unlit, neutral American
m/v Sagadahoc; and when he realised his error, fully expected the wrath
of BdU; but as the USA entered WW II on 7.12.41, nothing further was
heard. 24.11-18.12.41 participated in the rescue of survivors from
German raider Atlantis (sunk by HMS Devonshire CA) and the supply ship
Python (sunk by HMS Dorsetshire CA); taking on board 6 officers and
98 ratings. After his successes on the US East coast, Mohr sent a signal
to BdU, which, in translation, reads :
The new moon night is black as ink,
Off Hatteras the tankers sink,
While sadly Roosevelt counts the score,
Some fifty thousand tons by Mohr.
Attacked by aircraft on 19 and 20.8.42, but escaped undamaged.
Departed: 27.3.43, Lorient; for Caribbean. Last Action: 2.4.43,
2.U-Flotille, sunk with DC's by HMS Black Swan (FF Cdr L.B.A. Majendie)
and HMS Stonecrop (CVT L.Cdr J.P. Smythe) of British 37th. EG, in the
vicinity of c/v OS.45, in position 41.02N 15.39W, North Atlantic.
U 124 was the 5th highest scoring U-Boat in WW II.
The Commander and all the crew were lost.
Commanders: KL W. Schulz 06.40-09.41. KL J. Mohr 09.41-04.43.
KL W. Schulz commanded 8.U.Flotille 10.41-01.42,
(as KK) commanded 6.U.Flotille 09.41-10.43,and 25.U.Flotille 04.45-08.45.
M/V attacked/damaged/sunk : Stakesby(D), Harpalyce(S), Firecrest(S),
Trevisa(S), Cubano(S), Sulaco(S),Rutland(S), Empire Bison(S), Empire Thunder(S),Nardana(S), Hindpool(S), Tielbank(S), Lahore(S), Umona(S), Marlene(S), Portadoc(S), Tweed(S), Aegeon(S),
St.Helena(S),Corinthic(S),Baltallinn(S),Empire Moat(S),Empire Stream(S),
Petrel(S), Lapwing(S), Cervantes(S), Sagadahoc(S), British Resource(S), Ceiba(S), Acme(S), Kassandra Louloudis,E.M.Clark(S), Papoose(S), W.E.Hutton(S), Esso Nashville(D), Atlantic Sun(D), Naeco(S),
Empire Dell(S), Llanover(S), Mount Parnes(S), Cristales(S), Dartford(S), Seattle Spirit(S), Treworlas(S), Broad Arrow(S), Birmingham City(S), Collingsworth(S), Minotaur(S), Katha(S), Gogra(S), (Schulz).

[qprdave]

Dave

I think that this is what you are looking for
Also the Pages in PDF
If you need anything else. Don't hesitate to ask

It is good to see that your Dad was recognised for his bravery. So many men, unfortunately, were never rewarded for their heroism

ADMIRALTY.
Whitehall,
5th November, 1943.
The KING has been graciously pleased to give
orders for the following appointment to the Distinguished
Service Order and to approve the
following Awards: —
For gallant and distinguished services in
action with enemy submarines while serving
in His Majesty's Ships Black Swan, Stonecrop,
Sennen, Rochester, Mignonette,.Balsam,
Quantock and Alisma:
To be a Companion of the Distinguished Service
Order:
Commander Hugh Valentine King, O.B.E.,
Royal Navy.
The Distinguished-Service Cross.
Lieutenant-Commander Rodney Charles Vesey
Thomson, Royal Navy (Basingstoke).
Lieutenant-Commander Frederick Harold
Thornton, R.N.R. (Wallasey, Cheshire).
Acting Temporary Lieutenant-Commander
William Archibald Fuller, R.N.V.R.
(London).
Lieutenant Harold Hinksman Brown, R.N.R.
(Glasgow).
Lieutenant James Ernest Lewis Peters, R.N.R.
. (Bournemouth).
Temporary Sub-Lieutenant Kenneth Harry
Clarke, R.N.V.R. (Leicester).
The Distinguished Service Medal.
Chief Petty Officer William Beaton Brett,
. C/J.25I54 (Marsa, Malta).
Petty Officer Alfred Thomas Walter Cook,
C/SSX.20717 (Marylebone, London).
Acting Stoker Petty Officer Allan Wood
Leonard, C/KX.85373 (Aberdeen).
Temporary Leading Seaman Maurice Leonard
Aspinall, C/SSX.I5253 (Derby).
Temporary Leading Seaman John Auckland,
C/JX.I48426 (Great Yarmouth).
Temporary Acting Leading Seaman Norman
Dorney, D/JX. 152019 (Manchester).
Able Seaman Donald Hutson, P/JX-328422
(Brighton).
Able Seaman Cyril Rushton, D/SSX.2236i
(Bury, Lanes.).
Meninton in Despatches.
Lieutenant-Commander Richard George Lovell
Pennell, D.S.C., Royal Navy (Gloucester).
Lieutenant-Commander Maurice George Rose,
R.A.N.V.R.
Temporary Lieutenant (E) William Milne
Hutchison, Royal Navy (Dundee).
Temporary Lieutenant Philip Norman
Frederick Appleyard, R.N.V.R. (Brentwood,
Essex).
Temporary Lieutenant Donald Charles Hoskins,
R.N.V.R. (Bracknell, Berks.).
Temporary Lieutenant Alan Wilfred Tennant,
R.N.V.R. (Warrington).
Temporary Lieutenant Arthur Frank Walsham,
R.N.V.R. (Crawley).
Chief Mechanician Ernest Henry Odell, D/K.
57936 (Kirkaldy, Scotland).
Yeoman of Signals Arthur Kerr, C/JX. 133433
(Southwick, Sutherland).
Yeoman of Signals (Temporary) Cecil Maxwell
Samuels, C/7.113142 (Romford, Essex).
Petty Officer John Dewar Rogers Mott, P/JX.
152541 (Millbrook, Southampton).
Stoker Petty Officer Alfred Henry Binfield,
C/KX.86656 (Belfast).
Leading Seaman Walter Kay, C/JX.229205
(Stretford, Lancashire).
Leading Seaman Edward Cecil Tufrey, C/J.
65747 (Scarborough).
Leading Stoker Herbert Ernest Spencer
Harnett, C/SKX.i87 (Minster, Thanet).
Able Seaman Charles Staves, D/JX.288508
(Manchester).

[Dave Hutson]

Thanks once again Dave. My version of Windows is not compatible with the Acrobat Reader but I can get that fixed no trub. The story is nearly complete thanks to friends like you.

qprdave rides again.:);)

Dave H

[jbryce1437]

The PDF pages converted to Word format

[harry.gibbon]

Gents/Members;

By dint of your recent actions/posts demonstates your caring nature and thoughtfulness and is what IMO keeps us all onboard in this Forum!!! BZ:)

Little h

[Dave Hutson]

Hi Harry,

Yep the forum detectives have done it again. I now have the full story on my uncle's DSM so I can now put it the family history.

There is a PM for u , qprdave , jbryce1437 , dennis and boilers.

BZ one and all.

Dave H

[Bee]

What a brilliant lot you all are....well done once again...:)

Cheers and BZ from me too,
Bee

[Pelican]

HMS Wren ~ Came across this rather rough foto of Wren. Seems appropriate thread to post it on as she is mentioned above? If not no doubt the Admiral will move it to wherever.

[jbryce1437]

Not sure that your photo is of Wren. Although she did have the pennant number U64 for a time, it was later allocated to Nereide, which may be the one shown. Her camouflage does not match the one I have seen of Wren.

Jim

[Pelican]

Not sure that your photo is of Black Swan. Although she did have the pennant number U64 for a time, it was later allocated to Nereide, which may be the one shown. Her camouflage does not match the one I have seen of Black Swan.

Jim
Jim believe its a wren not a swan? Have another deko pse?

[jbryce1437]

Sorry Mousey, I made the post after tot time and got confused.
I meant to say that the pic may not be of Wren, but could be of Nereide. Although both were allocated the pennant number U64, I have never seen a pic of Wren wearing that number, only Nereide. I have only seen Wren wearing U28.
Not sure of the reason for the change, but may have been related to the sinking of the previous HMS Wren, a destroyer, (7.1940) which was I88 and of HMS Penzance, a sloop, (8.1940) which was U28. The Black Swan class Wren was ordered in April 1940 and was most likely changed from U64 before completion, to fill a gap in numbers left by sinkings. Nereide didn't commission until 1946.

Have corrected the post to avoid any further confusion.

Jim

[tjstoneman]

I don't think the photo in post#26 shows NEREIDE. She didn't complete until postwar, and by that stage would have had a lattice foremast, and wouldn't had carried the lattice tower with SW.RDF aft as shown in the photo. I think she completed with twin Mk V 40mm Bofors mounts in the bandstands; the photo seems to show single 20mm Oerlikons. I'm pretty sure the photo shows WREN - there's a photo of WREN in the same scheme and configuration taken in February 1943 on the Clyde, wearing U64, taken from the port quarter, in Arnold Hague Sloops 1926-1946 (Kendal: World Ship Society, 1993) (although Hague made no mention of WREN wearing U64 in the text!).

As to why her pennants were changed - I have no idea!

Tim

[Pelican]

Sorry Mousey, I made the post after tot time and got confused.
I meant to say that the pic may not be of Wren, but could be of Nereide. Although both were allocated the pennant number U64, I have never seen a pic of Wren wearing that number, only Nereide. I have only seen Wren wearing U28.
Not sure of the reason for the change, but may have been related to the sinking of the previous HMS Wren, a destroyer, (7.1940) which was I88 and of HMS Penzance, a sloop, (8.1940) which was U28. The Black Swan class Wren was ordered in April 1940 and was most likely changed from U64 before completion, to fill a gap in numbers left by sinkings. Nereide didn't commission until 1946.


Jim
Ok Jim. Foto came from book Conflict over the Bay which is mostly from the RAF's point of view. Strange after mast? Almost looks like another funnel with a kite hanging from it.

[tonclass]

Definitely NEREIDE. Here's another pic showing the mast and same dazzle pattern.

[tjstoneman]

Mousey - the after mast is a lattice structure to carry the aerial and radome for SW.RDF Type 272 (surface search radar); it has a gaff on the after side to carry the ensign when at sea. Later ships, such as NEREIDE, had a lattice foremast with RDF on top, so didn't need this structure.

Tim

[Pelican]

NEREIDE not WREN
Many thanks for info Rik & Tim. Live and learn and learn something new everyday. I'm not too old to learn ~ yet! Now you have got me wondering where the name 'Nereide' originated from? Go on tell me?

[Pelican]

RIK & TIM
Looks as tho Neptune was onto a good thing?
http://www.theoi.com/Pontios/Nereides.html
!!!
P.S I see my promotion has come thru.

[Pelican]

I don't think the photo in post#26 shows NEREIDE. She didn't complete until postwar, and by that stage would have had a lattice foremast, and wouldn't had carried the lattice tower with SW.RDF aft as shown in the photo. I think she completed with twin Mk V 40mm Bofors mounts in the bandstands; the photo seems to show single 20mm Oerlikons. I'm pretty sure the photo shows WREN - there's a photo of WREN in the same scheme and configuration taken in February 1943 on the Clyde, wearing U64, taken from the port quarter, in Arnold Hague Sloops 1926-1946 (Kendal: World Ship Society, 1993) (although Hague made no mention of WREN wearing U64 in the text!).

As to why her pennants were changed - I have no idea!

Tim
Tim & Rik ~ just had another look at my first and best ship and I notice she appears to have the same radar whether or not on a lattice is not clerar to me. All before my time of course. In my time she had what I knew at a tripod main mast, the original (?) complete with glass insulators for the AE's, the lower ones which I, as a Boy, cleaned in harbour, not forgetting to make sure that the 'man aloft, board was in its correct place. I can even remember that they had small air bubbles inside them. Copper wire with GPO splices!

[Dave Hutson]

I return once again to this thread continuing the story behind my Uncle's DSM. He was AB Donald Hutson and I can now confirm that he was on the Black Swan as an Asdic Operator when they tackled U-124. He received his DSM for this action.

This has now been confirmed by a strange, yet marvellous, event. Several days ago we received a recruit to our midst [Richardpope] and when he saw my entry he called his wife and lo and behold she is Donald's daughter who I haven't seen for 45 years plus. She confirmed the information above and now we are putting together the rest of Don's service which included a Russian Convoy on the Dido. We made contact by PM and then by phone and the result is that Don's wife, my aunt is still alive at 88 and so are many family members. We had lost touch with them all in the early 60's having moved to Plymouth. The result is that we are off the Brighton in a couple of weeks for what we hope will be a family reunion.

For this all to have been made possible thanks go to the guys that helped me with this search, in particular, QprDave, little h, Beer Bosun, Boilers, Dennis, Clive and of course kc for initiating this fantastic forum and search engine. If I have left anyone out I apologise.

So over on the Wardroom the drinks are on me [and no Monkney Terry]

Thanks all.

[steve roberts]

Hi Dave.That is really good news for you.Enjoy your reunion.It just goes to prove that it's a small world.I am sure every one will agree that the forum can re-unite people in this way.Best Regards Steve.

[karen]

Hey dave that is great news......I agree with Steve have a great reunion and yes this Forum is excellant for re-uniteing people....To the "Wardroom" pretty Dam Quick I say....

[qprdave]

Congratulations, Dave

Very good news indeed. I hope that everything goes well at the reunion

Dave

[Dave Hutson]

Thanks guys, much appreciated and I am sure my cousin will read your comments with the pleasure I share.

Nice to hear from you Dave.

Dave H