 USCGCSebago underway, pre-World War II. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USCGCSebago |
| Namesake | Sebago Lake |
| Builder | General Engineering and Drydock Company |
| Launched | 10 February 1930 |
| Commissioned | 2 September 1930 |
| Fate |
|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSWalney |
| Launched | 10 February 1930 |
| Commissioned | 12 May 1941 |
| Identification | Y04 |
| Fate | Sunk duringOperation Reservist8 November 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | |
| Displacement | 2,075 long tons (2,108 t) |
| Length | 250 ft (76 m) |
| Beam | 42 ft (13 m) |
| Draft | 12 ft 11 in (3.94 m) |
| Propulsion | 1 ×General Electric turbine-driven 3,350 shp (2,500 kW)electric motor, 2boilers |
| Speed |
|
| Complement | 97 |
| Armament | |
USCGCSebago was aLake-classcutter belonging to theUnited States Coast Guard launched on 12 April 1930 and commissioned on 2 October 1930.[1] After 11 years of service with the Coast Guard, she was transferred to theRoyal Navy as part of theLend-Lease to the Allies and becameHMSWalney.
After some time on convoy escort duty,Walney was selected forOperation Reservist as part ofthe Allied invasion of French North Africa.Walney, together withHartland were to break intoOran harbour and land troops that would take control of key facilities before they could be destroyed. She got into the harbour but was hit repeatedly by French guns. She was just able to reach the jetty and land the few survivors, but they were subsequently captured;Walney then sank. Her captain,Frederick Thornton Peters was awarded theVictoria Cross[2] "for valour in taking H.M.S. Walney, in an enterprise of desperate hazard into the harbour of Oran...", and the United States Army'sDistinguished Service Cross for the same actions.[3]
She was originally theUnited States Coast Guard CutterSebago, a 250-footLake-classcutter. She was commissioned into Coast Guard service on 2 September 1930, originally serving in New York and participating in severalCoast Guard Academy cadet cruises before being reassigned toNorfolk, Virginia. She was renamed HMSWalney when commissioned into the Royal Navy on 12 May 1941 under theLend-Lease Agreement.[4]
Walney joined theLondonderry Sloop Division in June, and was assigned to escort the passage of theAtlantic convoys. In July she was deployed in theWestern Approaches and on 24 July was deployed as part of the escort for a convoy fromSt. John's,Newfoundland to the United Kingdom. On 14 AugustWalney put into aLiverpool shipyard to undergo modifications to fit her for service as an escort. She returned to the Western Approaches on 9 September and was transferred to the 41st Escort Group to help defend convoys between the United Kingdom and West Africa. Her first deployment came a few days later on 12 September, when she was deployed as an escort for Convoy OS-6, consisting of 29 merchants on passage toBathurst, Gambia.Walney was detached during the convoy's passage through the Atlantic, and joinedHMSHartland in escorting the merged convoys SL-88 fromFreetown and HG-74 fromGibraltar to Liverpool. This joint convoy comprised 37 ships. She was detached from this convoy on 18 October and sailed toBelfast. She arrived on 20 October and underwent a refit. On its completion on 31 October,Walney rejoined the 41st Group.
Walney deployed again withHartland on 7 November, when they escorted the 41 merchants of convoy OS-11 on their passage to Bathurst. They were detached on arrival and sailed to Freetown. By 30 November they were escorting the 29 merchants of convoy SL-94 from Freetown to Liverpool. Again, after arriving in the UK on 20 December,Walney sailed for Belfast. She arrived two days later on 22 December and underwent another refit, this time involving the fitting ofHuff-Duff equipment. She deployed again on 4 January, rejoining theWestern Approaches Command. The following day she departed as an escort to Bathurst for the 56 merchants of convoy OS-16, and on arrival sailed to Freetown and together withHartland departed on 27 January escorting the 26 merchants of convoy SL-99 to the UK. Arriving on 16 February, she was under repair at Belfast from 17 February and resumed convoy escort duties on 26 February.
On 3 MarchWalney was involved in a minor collision with theSS Empire Dolphin. TheWalney was damaged above the waterline, but remained operational. She deployed the next day with theHartland as an escort for the 54 merchants of convoy OS-21 on passage from West Africa to Liverpool. She was detached after the arrival of the local escort at Freetown, and the two sloops escorted the 30 merchants of convoy SL-104 to Liverpool. They arrived on 12 April, withWalney being detached to sail toChatham Dockyard. She was under refit there from 20 April, which lasted until 10 July. On the completion of refit trials she rejoined the 41st Group at Londonderry. She was then assigned to escort the 40 merchants of convoy OS-32 to West Africa from Liverpool. She was detached at Freetown on 8 July, and again withHartland, escorted the 33 merchants of convoy SL-116 back to the UK. Again withHartland she escorted convoy OS-38 to Africa, followed by the returning SL-122 back to Liverpool, arriving on 6 October. DuringWalney's deployment, no merchants had been lost in transit through the Atlantic. In recognition of her efforts,Walney was awarded thebattle honour "Atlantic 1941–42".
After her arrival in Londonderry, she was nominated for special duties during the planned North African landings (Operation Torch). From 13 October she was prepared for the task of breaking into Oran harbour. She sailed from theClyde on 26 October, in company of theHartland, as part of the escort for the military convoy MKF-1 to Gibraltar. On arrival in November, the two sloops embarked troops to carry out a landing inside the harbour (Operation Reservist).Walney carried 200 men of the 6th US Armoured Infantry Division, a 35-strong US Naval contingent under the command of Lt.Cdr. George Deane Dickey U.S.N., and 6 US Marines. The operation began on 8 November, but soon ran into trouble. TheWalney, leading theHartland into the harbour, came under heavy fire from French shore defences and warships. She rammed the outer boom and then the inner one but was sunk. On boardWalney at the time were 200 men of the American 2nd Battalion6th Armored Infantry Regiment and a 35-strong US Naval contingent, with sixUS Marines. TheWalney was struck repeatedly by shells from the French sloopLa Surprise, setting theWalney on fire and - after reaching the jetty - causing her finally to capsize. Only fourteen of her crew and six members of the landing parties survived. 81 of her crew and most of the troops being carried went down with the ship.[5]
| United States Navy | |
|---|---|
 Royal NavyBanff-class sloops | |
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35°43′19″N0°41′23″W / 35.7219°N 0.6897°W /35.7219; -0.6897
