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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Builder | Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard |
| Laid down | 12 April 1943 |
| Launched | 10 July 1943 |
| Commissioned | 30 September 1943 |
| Decommissioned | Returned to US Navy on 5 November 1945 |
| Fate | Sold 20 June 1947 to Mr. John J. Witto of Staten Island, N.Y. and broken up for scrap |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Captain-classfrigate |
| Displacement | 1,800 long tons (1,829 t) (fully loaded) |
| Length | 306 ft (93 m) overall |
| Beam | 36.5 ft (11.1 m) |
| Draught | 11 ft (3.4 m) fully loaded |
| Speed | 24 knots (44 km/h) |
| Endurance | 5,500 nautical miles (10,190 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement | Typically between 170 & 180 |
HMSAylmer was aCaptain-classfrigate of theRoyal Navy that served duringWorld War II. The ship was named afterMatthew Aylmer, commander ofHMS Royal Katherine at theBattle of Barfleur in 1692 during theWar of the Grand Alliance.
Originally destined for theUS Navy as aturbo-electric (TE) typeBuckley-classdestroyer escort, HMSAylmer was provisionally given the name USSHarmon (later this name was reassigned toUSS Harmon (DE-678), though the delivery was diverted to the Royal Navy before the launch. Itscommanding officers were Lt Cdr A.D.P. Campbell RN and Cdr B.W. Taylor RN (Senior Officer5th Escort Group) on 30 August 1944 and Lt Cdr W.L. Smith RNR in February 1945.
HMSAylmer was adopted by theBoy's Own Paper. The May 1945 issue had pictures of HMSAylmer in thegraving dock inLiverpool after she had rammed and sunkU-1051 offAnglesey. In the May 1946 issue, C.J. Olivant (the author of the article) described the war service of HMSAylmer.
She was stationed inBelfast for the duration of her wartime service with the 5th Escort Group.
HMSAylmer served exclusively with the5th Escort Group, taking part in operations in theNorth Atlantic in May 1944, offNormandy (Operation Neptune) in June 1944, and in theBarents Sea inOperation Goodwood in August 1944. It also served in theMediterranean, escorting a convoy toNaples in September 1944.
On 6 May 1944 thesubmarineU-765 was sunk in the North Atlantic, at position52°30′N28°28′W / 52.500°N 28.467°W /52.500; -28.467, bydepth charges from HMSAylmer, operating alongside twoSwordfish aircraft (Sqdn. 825) of the Britishescort carrierHMS Vindex and the British frigatesHMS Bligh andHMS Bickerton. As a result of this action, 37 ofU-765's crew died and 11 were rescued and taken prisoner byBickerton.
During Operation Goodwood, on 22 August 1944, the escort carriersHMS Trumpeter andHMS Nabob sailed to the Barents Sea to attack theGerman battleship Tirpitz. During this operation HMSNabob was torpedoed and ten minutes later the destroyer escortHMS Bickerton (commanded by Cdr Donald MacIntyre, senior officer of the 5th Escort Group) was also hit by anacoustic torpedo (Gnat); both attacks were by the submarineU-354. HMSNabob was able to raise steam and was escorted back (at an average 10 knots (19 km/h)) toRosyth where she was considered a constructive total loss and used as spare parts. HMSBickerton was sunk byHMS Vigilant as any salvage was considered too risky.Vigilant had to fire three torpedoes to sinkBickerton. As a result of this action, Cdr Donald MacIntyre transferred his command to HMSAylmer.
On 26 January 1945, the submarineU-1051 was sunk in theIrish Sea south of theIsle of Man, at position53°39′N05°23′W / 53.650°N 5.383°W /53.650; -5.383 by the frigates HMSAylmer,HMS Bentinck,HMS Calder andHMS Manners.U-1051 was forced to the surface by the use of depth charges, then a gun battle ensued withU-1051 finally sinking after it had been rammed by HMSAylmer. This action resulted in the loss of all hands (47) from the crew ofU-1051. It is entirely clear that the ramming ofU-1051 by HMSAylmer was intentional and that Cdr B.W.Taylor was not removed from command, as has been suggested, shortly after this incident. A reading of the after-action report makes it clear that theU-1051 was still a belligerent submarine (during the attack by the escorts,U-1051 fired another torpedo at HMSAylmer). When she surfaced,U-1051 was fired on by HMSAylmer, HMSCalder, HMSBligh and HMSBentinck. It is known that the3-inch/50 caliber main gun of the Captain class had trouble penetrating the hull plating of German submarines (their shells would bounce off the submarines they fired on), so it is possible Commander Taylor thought that discretion was the better option and rammed the submarine as the ship's "Elephant Guns" had little effect; however in doing this he would have been acting againstAdmiralty orders that ships were not to ram submarines except in dire circumstances.
The 46-page report in ADM 217/752 held inThe National Archives completely vindicates Commander Taylor. At paragraph 8 of the Staff minute written by Captain J.T. Borrett, Captain (D) Belfast and attached to the proceedings of HMSGrindall says:
It is noted that on surfacing no immediate attempt to evacuate the U-boat was observed. The only damage to be seen was to the conning tower, which if resulting from theHedgehog attack, could not have been considered lethal. It is thought quite possible that the U-boat surfaced through faulty trim resulting from confusion in the boat caused by theHedgehog explosion. From experience decisive results from 3-inch gunfire against the U-boat's hull could not be expected and the U-boat might well have regained control and dived again with a possibility of escape. Added to this HMSCalder was in imminent danger from torpedo attack. Having regard to these circumstances, it is considered that the decision made by the commanding officer of HMSAylmer to ram was entirely correct and its execution was faultless.[citation needed]
The Staff Minute is initialled J.T.B. and dated 16/2 (1945) and it was approved by a more senior officer as App Excellent on 17/2.
After the action, Commander Taylor went toHolyhead with the damaged HMSAylmer.HMS Bligh andHMS Tyler were her escorts. On arrival at 11:30 that evening, HMSTyler was sent back to sea to continue operations and Commander Taylor transferred his flag to HMSBligh before also going back into the Irish Sea to continue operations with the 5EG. On 27 January 1945,U-1172 was sunk byHMS Keats. In the space of three days, the 5th Escort Group had sunk two U-boats.
Commander Taylor was subsequently Gazetted with the award of theDistinguished Service Cross on 29 May 1945, as was Commander Playne from HMSCalder.
Another theory that has been put forward is that in the noise and confusion of the gun battle thecoxswain misheard orders and put the helm over the wrong way. However, published inThe Battle of the Irish Sea, Sir David Gibson has included a picture of HMSAylmer steaming in to ram the U-boat. She still has plenty of sea room and it looks as if the U-boat is underway. The photo was taken by one ofAylmer's officers, Sub Lieutenant G.I. Davis R.N.V.R.
As Holyhead was too small to repair the damage toAylmer's bows, she made her way to Liverpool where she was repaired. In early April 1945, HMSAylmer resumed her role as Senior Officer of the 5th Escort Group and on 15 April 1945 the group, by ships,HMS Grindall and HMSKeats sankU-285 125 nautical miles (232 km) south west of Ireland.
On 8 May 1945,VE Day, HMSAylmer was inBelfast, her home port. On 10 May 1945, she was dispatched toLoch Alsh to assist in taking German U-boat crews into captivity. On 5 November 1945, she was returned to theUS Navy at New York.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
