| Navy | TheRoyal Navy |
| Type | Minesweeper |
| Class | Auk |
| Pennant | J 345 |
| Built by | Associated Shipbuilders (Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.) |
| Ordered | 6 Dec 1941 |
| Laid down | 7 Sep 1942 |
| Launched | 27 Nov 1942 |
| Commissioned | 7 Dec 1943 |
| End service | 20 Jan 1947 |
| History | Returned to the United States Navy on 20 January 1947. |
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 | T/A/Lt.Cdr.Charles Leslie Chatwin, RNVR | 3 Dec 1943 | 1 Nov 1945 |
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6 May 1945
Entry of a naval surface force into the Skagerrak and Kattegat.
The following forces took part in this operation;' Force 5 ' which was made up of the light cruisersHMS Birmingham (Capt. H.W. Williams, RN),HMS Dido (Capt. R.F. Elkins, OBE, RN) and the destroyersHMS Zephyr (Capt. J.H. Allison, DSO and Bar, RN),HMS Zealous (Cdr. R.F. Jessel, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN),HMS Zest (Lt.Cdr. R.B.N. Hicks, DSO, RN) andHMS Zodiac (Lt.Cdr. H.R. Rycroft, DSC, RN).This force departed Rosyth in the evening of the 6th.
' Force 6 ' which was made up of the heavy cruiserHMS Norfolk (Capt. J.G.Y. Loveband, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral R.R. McGrigor, CB, DSO, RN) and the destroyersHMS Scourge (Lt.Cdr. C.G.H. Brown, DSC, RN, with Capt. P.G.L. Cazalet, DSC, RN on board),HMS Savage (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Malins, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN),HMS Obedient (Lt.Cdr. H. Kirkwood, DSC and Bar, RN),HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. E.M. Thorpe, DSO, RN),HMS Opportune (Cdr. R.E.D. Ryder, VC, RN),HMS Zambesi (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Palmer, RN) andHMS Carysfort (Lt.Cdr. L.St.G. Rich, DSO and Bar, RN). This force departed Scapa flow early the 7th except to joined the escort carriersHMS Queen (A/Capt. K.J. D'Arcy, DSO, RN),HMS Searcher (Capt. J.W. Grant, DSO, RN),HMS Trumpeter (A/Capt. K.S. Colquhoun, RN) which had still been at sea after operation Judgement together with the escort carrierHMS Campania (Capt. C.B. Alers-Hankey, DSC, RN) and the destroyersHMS Obdurate (Lt.Cdr. R.D. Franks, DSO, DSC, OBE, RN),HNoMS Stord (Lt.Cdr. H. Øi) andORP Piorun (Lt.Cdr. J. Tchorznicki, ORP). The cruisers and the destroyers joined the escort carriers around 1000B/7.
HMS Campania,HMS Obdurate,HNoMS Stord andORP Piorun then parted company.
And the 40th Minesweeping Flotilla made up ofHMS Catherine (Cdr. K.H. Fraser, RN), 6541HMS Cynthia (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.L. Chatwin, RNVR),HMS Elfreda (T/A/Lt.Cdr. L. Jolly, RNVR),HMS Grecian (T/A/Cdr. C.R. Fraser, DSC and Bar, RNR) andHMS Gazelle (Lt.Cdr. J.D. Sutcliffe, RN),HMS Maenad (Cdr. C.E. Duggan, RD, RNR),HMS Steadfast (T/A/Lt. A.H. Hall, RNVR) andHMS Tattoo (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.G. Rogers, RD, RNR). They departed Rosyth of the 6th.
Force 5 and the 40th M/S Flotilla arrived at Copenhagen, Denmark on 9 May. The 40th M/S Flotilla swept Force 5 through the minefields.
Force 6 returned to Scapa Flow on 10 May. (1)
11 May 1945
The object of this operation was to transport the Norwegian Crown Prince, together with Norwegian Government officials and military commanders and also members of the Allied Shaef mission (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force).
For this operation the heavy cruiserHMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN), fast minelayersHMS Apollo (Capt. J.A. Grindle, CBE, RN),HMS Ariadne (Capt. F.B. Lloyd, OBE, RN), destroyersHMCS Iroquois (Capt. K.F. Adams, RCN),HMS Savage (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Malins, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN),HMS Campbell (Lt. B.W. Meaden, RN), escort destroyerHNoMS Arendal departed Rosyth around 1630B/11. They arrived at Oslo in the afternoon of the 13th.
The were swept in by the minesweepersHMS Catherine (Cdr. Kenneth Hillam Fraser, RN), 6541HMS Cynthia (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.L. Chatwin, RNVR),HMS Elfreda (T/A/Lt.Cdr. L. Jolly, RNVR),HMS Grecian (T/A/Cdr. C.R. Fraser, DSC and Bar, RNR) andHMS Gazelle (Lt.Cdr. J.D. Sutcliffe, RN),HMS Maenad (Cdr. C.E. Duggan, RD, RNR),HMS Steadfast (T/A/Lt. A.H. Hall, RNVR) andHMS Tattoo (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.G. Rogers, RD, RNR) which had come from Copenhagen. (2)
Sources
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.