91热爆

Halcyon Class Minesweepers and Survey Ships

HMS BRAMBLE - Ship's History for 1942

This extract is from research I have been carrying out into the history of the 21 Halcyon Class minesweepers and survey ships, and has been produced here in response to the request from Roy Kennerley for information on the last few months of Bramble's history. I hope this helps to put the memories of his father (who served aboard) into context.

These notes have been derived mainly from sources at the National Archive in Kew including ADM 199/2548 and ADM 176/873. They are not a complete record but as the ship's logs have not survived they represent as detailed an account as I have been able to put together so far. They include details of messages sent to, from and about BRAMBLE as well as showing dates for arrival and departure from ports. She worked closely with the other Halcyon Class minesweepers which are also mentioned here.

BRAMBLE participated in several Russian convoys as part of either the local escort or ocean escort. When acting as local escort BRAMBLE would sail for the first few days, then meet a Russia bound convoy, turn around and escort it back for the last few days of its trip. When she needed to return to UK for repairs or to rest the crew, or return to Russia after this, she would act as part of the ocean escort of a convoy for the whole trip.

A thorough account of the Russian Convoys can be found in 'Convoy! Drama in Arctic Waters' by Paul Kemp, ISBN 0-304-35452-1.
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HMS BRAMBLE 1942

Arr: 4.1.42 Murmansk Dep: ?
24/1 QP6 (6 merchant ships)sailed with HARRIER and SPEEDWELL among local escort until 25/1.
25/1 BRAMBLE and HEBE, along with the cruiser TRINIDAD and destroyer SOMALI joined the convoy (QP6) to Iceland until 28/1.

Arr: 31.1.42 Scapa Dep: 5.2.42
31/1 From R.A.(D): Intend BRAMBLE should be taken in hand forthwith for converting to Arctic conditions.
From HM Admiralty: Vessel to be taken in hand for arcticising and concurrent refit by Greenwells of Sunderland at earliest possible date.

Arr: 7.2.42 Sunderland Dep: 11.4.42
7/2 From FO i/c: BRAMBLE is being taken in hand at Greenwells Sunderland, completes 21/2.
12/3 Provisional date of completion will be 10/4

Arr:11.4.42 Tyne Dep:12.4.42

Arr:13.4.42 Scapa Dep: 23.4.42
15/4 From RA(D) 91热爆 Fleet:- It is anticipated that S.O. 1st Mine Sweeping Flotilla in BRAMBLE with SEAGULL will be available to escort PQ15 from Reykjavik.
MESSAGE 1405/B Received 22nd April 1942 : Proceed with BRAMBLE, LEDA and SEAGULL passing Switha (Scapa) 1300 tomorrow Thursday to Hvalfjord (Iceland) routed through position 58.49N, 06.59W , thence direct to Reykjames passage. BRAMBLE, LEDA and SEAGULL will act as escort to Convoy PQ15.

Arr: 25.4.42 Iceland Dep: ?
26/4 PQ15 (26 merchant ships). BRAMBLE(Captain J H F Crombie DSO RN and Senior Officer Escort) with LEDA and SEAGULL left Iceland as part of escort.
From 2/5 Convoy shadowed and attacked by aircraft and submarines, 3 merchant ships sunk.
5/5 arrived Murmansk.

Arr: ? Kola Inlet Dep: 28.5.42
21/5 QP12 (17 merchant ships along with the returning HARRIER) departed Kola with BRAMBLE, GOSSAMER, LEDA, and SEAGULL as eastern local escort until 23/5.
28 - 29/5 BRAMBLE, GOSSAMER and SEAGULL met PQ16 (36 merchant ships), LEDA joined 30/5. The sweepers took six of the surviving merchant vessels on to Archangel and despite air attacks by 36 Ju88's arrived safely on 1/6.

Arr: 21.6.42 Murmansk Dep: ?
BRAMBLE escorted soviet Icebreakers to Archangel with LEDA, HAZARD and SEAGULL.
26 - 28/6 BRAMBLE, HAZARD, LEDA and SEAGULL provide local escort for departing QP13 (36 merchant ships with NIGER and HUSSAR included in through escort)

Arr 30.6.42 Archangel Dep:?
8/7 At 67.27N, 41.20E HM Ships BRAMBLE and SEAGULL carried out a successful attack on a U-boat.
27/6 - 4/7 PQ17 (39 merchant ships and included BRITOMART, HALCYON and SALAMANDER in ocean escort). BRAMBLE, HAZARD and LEDA helped to round up survivors and escort them into Archangel, arriving 1/7.

Arr:11.7.42 Dvina Bar Dep: ?

Arr: 25.7.42 Dvina Dep:29.7.42

Arr:? Dvina/Archangel Dep: 22.8.42
During August the sweepers' duties included a nightly watch for mines dropped by enemy planes.

Arr: 23.8.42 Kola Inlet Dep:24.8.42
BRAMBLE with SEAGULL, HAZARD, SALAMANDER, BLANKNEY and MIDDLETON, arrived at 2300 from Archangel bringing about 402 survivors including 30 hospital cases. On account of the increasing air activity in the Kola Inlet, their arrival was timed for the darkest part of the night (it is still light enough to read a newspaper between 2300 and 0100 in clear weather) when German air activity was at its lowest, allowing the safe transfer of survivors and stores. After completing their transfers the four Halcyon minesweepers moved out to 'hide' under Kildin Island before daylight.

Arr:25.8.42 Archangel Dep:?
13/9 QP14 (20 merchant ships) BRAMBLE, LEDA and SEAGULL were included in the through (ocean) escort. Eastern local escort included BRITOMART, HALCYON, HAZARD and SALAMANDER.
20/9 In poor weather the convoy was attacked by a number of U-boats and LEDA was sunk by two torpedoes from U435. Five other ships were also sunk by submarines during the convoy.

Arr: 26.9.42 Scapa Dep:3.10.42
27/9 BRAMBLE has collision damage Port side of foc'sle stove in from stem to 30ft aft in collision

Arr: 4.10.42 Humber Dep:5.11.42
6/10 BRAMBLE taken in hand by Humber Shipwright Co, Hull for damage repairs and refit. Provisional date of completion 16/11.
14/10 Date of completion now 30/11

Arr: 7.12.42 Scapa Dep:?

Arr: 21.12.42 Aultbea Dep:?
22/5 JW51B (15 merchant ships) from Loch Ewe included BRAMBLE in ocean escort to Kola Inlet.
31.12.42 While 15 miles astern of the convoy, returning from searching for stragglers following bad weather, BRAMBLE met the German cruiser ADMIRAL HIPPER. She was crippled by HIPPER and was then sunk by German destroyer ECKOLDT. There were no survivors.

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