HMS ''Convolvulus'' was a of the Royal Navy in World War II. She was launched in 1940, served in the
Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allies of World War II, ...
and was scrapped in 1947.
Construction
Assigned the pennant number K45, ''Convolvulus'' was built by
Charles Hill & Sons
Charles Hill & Sons was a major shipbuilder based in Bristol, England, during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Background
Established in 1845 from the company Hilhouse, they specialised mainly in merchant and commercial ships, but also undertook t ...
, Bristol. She was laid down on 17 January 1940 as yard number 280. She was launched on 22 September 1940 and was subsequently commissioned on 26 February 1941.
Service
''Convolvulus'' formed part of the
36th Escort Group which escorted the convoy
HG 76 as well as convoys OG 82 and HG 84. During the escort of the latter, ''Convolvulus'' was left on a number of occasions as the convoy's lone escort whilst the other escorts investigated suspected U-boat contact or chased away U-boats caught on the surface. Despite the small escort screen offered by the ships of the 36th Escort Group and the lone sentry duty often performed by ''Convolvulus'', HG 84 suffered only a 22% loss rate.
Captain F J Walker, RN, then leader of the 36th Escort Group said of this action:
''I am proud of the offensive spirit, initiative and sheer guts displayed by these Corvettes. ''Convolvulus,'' my deputy during my absences from the convoy, never put a foot wrong.''
Fate
She was sold to be broken up for scrap to
John Cashmore Ltd
John Cashmore Ltd (also known as J Cashmore, or simply as Cashmore's or other derivations) was a company operating largely in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales. It became best known for ship breaking and scrapping redundant British railway locomot ...
on 21 August 1947 and she was eventually scrapped at Newport on 5 October 1947.
References
Publications
{{DEFAULTSORT:Convolvulus (K45)
Corvettes of the United Kingdom
Flower-class corvettes of the Royal Navy
1940 ships
Ships built in Bristol