大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site for Three Counties Action on behalf of Thomas Carr and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

On March 25th, 1942, two Hunt class destroyers, H.M.S. 鈥楢therstone鈥� and H.M.S.鈥� Tynedale were leaving Plymouth for Falmouth. As we left the Plymouth Breakwater, we saw this strange-looking destroyer undergoing de-gassing trials. She was really H.M.S鈥� Campbeltown鈥�, one of the old four funnel American destroyers which had been given to Britin to ease the shortage of convoy escorts. But now, two funnels had disappeared from her and the other two had been modified to give her the appearance of a German destroyer.
After arriving in Falmouth and anchoring in the Carric Road, each destroyer was joined by eight Motor Launches, four on either side of the ship. Each Motor Launch carried a number of commandos and many of these men boarded the destroyers for a chat, a smoke and a cup of tea. From them we soon learned the general plan and the reason why none of us were allowed ashore. The Combined Force (later known as the 鈥楥harioteers鈥�) was to carry out a raid on the French Port of St Nazaire, a vital refuelling point for the Germans, and which contained a dry dock large enough to take the huge battleship, the 鈥楾irpitz鈥�. The 鈥楥ampbeltown鈥�, crammed with explosives was to ram the dry dock gates whilst the commandos landed from the Motor Launches destroyed vital targets in the immediate area.
At 2p.m. on March 26th, the M.L.s sailed quietly out into the English Channel, followed by the three destroyers an hour later. On March 27th, just after 7.a.m., Tynedale鈥檚 Gunner, Mr.Ford, who was second officer of the watch, sighted an object, possibly a submarine, on the port beam, seven and a half miles distant on a bearing of 037 degrees. Lt. Comdr. Tweedie, our captain, identified it as a German submarine, surfaced and apparently stationary. When she had closed to about 5 miles, the submarine saw 鈥楾ynedale鈥� coming 鈥榖ows-on鈥� and fired a rocket of five white stars as a recognition signal. The destroyer replied with five white long flashes on her signal lamp -----a pure guess. The U-Boat seemed to be satisfied and to about 5,000 yards then the signalman hauled down the German colours and broke out the White Ensign. The forward 4鈥� guns opened fire but it was much to soon. Columns of water spouted up around the submarine, which immediately crash-dived. As we steamed over the spot, to our amazement her periscope appeared. Hard over went the wheel and down went the depth charges. Finally her bow came up and she slid gently backwards, short range and long range guns that could bear firing at her..The U Boat was enveloped in a mass of large columns of watre鈥�, but she was on the surface for only a few seconds before diving again, apparently hit, we thought that this was the 鈥淭ynedale鈥檚鈥� first 鈥渒ill鈥�. The expedition was not out after submarines, but what concerned Commander Ryder (who was in charge of the operations) was the chance that, before diving, she might have seen the group and later made a sighting report by wireless to the German C in C West. The commander ordered 鈥楾ynedale鈥� and 鈥楢therstone鈥� to carry out a 鈥榮quare search鈥� but Tynedale鈥檚 asdic when out of action and contact was lot. After 2 hours the hunt was called off. As both the submarine herself and the launches lay low in the water with limited horizons, Commander Ryder hoped that she would have seen only the destroyers..Ltd. Cmdr. Tweedie thought it looked probable that she had been sunk or mortally injured. Ryder, however, was far from convinced and, with a shrewd instinct, he ordered the two destroyers to steam off on a south-westerly course, so as to deceive the U-Boat, should she have them under observation from her periscope. This quick witted decision had a vital effect. Had it not been made, the whole expedition would surely have been imperilled, for the submarine, which post-war evidence showed to have been U 593, homeward bound, had in fact sighted some of the motor launches before she had been attacked but had not reported them, not supposing that they could conceivably be British. Nor had she been sunk. After the attack she remained submerged for five and a half hours and at 13.47 (1.47p.m) reported by wireless: 06.20 (7.20 a.m. B.S.T.) three destroyers, 10 MTBs, 46*52鈥橬; 5*48鈥橶. Course West.
The effect of this report, which was received at the German Group Command West, at 14.20 (2.20p.m.), and the error in judging the course of the 鈥楥harioteers鈥�, was to cause the enemy to suppose that the British force was withdrawing after a minelaying operation, or else that it was on passage to Gibraltar. An imminent attack from the sea on a port on the French West Coast, we are told in the report of the German naval staff, 鈥榳as never anticipated鈥�. This was exactly what Ryder wanted, but it was a near thing.
All through the day e steamed towards our objective without being discovered by enemy renaissance aircraft, until night fell. At 22.00 hrs the flotilla split up. The attack was on the Campbeltown the sixteen M.Ls the M.G.B and the M.T.B then headed for the River Loire whilst the destroyers were detailed to patrol outside the harbour and 鈥渂eat off鈥� any attacks from the sea on out forces and also to pick up the light craft at dawn and escort them back to England.
The light of dawn brought not our own ships but five German torpedo boat destroyers. The Tynedale took them on and after sharp engagement put two of them out of action, the other there breaking off and retiring towards the harbour.
Meanwhile, during a diversionary RAF bombing raid, the 鈥淐ampbeltown鈥� and the light craft managed to get within 2 miles of their objective without incident. Then when Campbeltown had less than a mile to go, the Germans woke up to the menace. Within minutes the waters of the Loire were ablaze with light and flame,鈥� remembered Lt. Stuart Chant on board the 鈥淐ampbeltown鈥�. Heavy fire swept the destroyers decks but its captain, Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Beattie, took the wheel and, increasing speed to 20 nots, rammed the dry dock outer gate. Commandos were soon clambering down rope ladders onto the dock. Success seemed assured. But the men in the smaller craft were faring less well, however. Shore guns had destroyed nine launches as they tried to get alongside with their commandos. But soon men from Campbeltown did make it ashore to carry out their missions, destroying gun and harbour installations. By now the river was strewn with burning wreckage and there ws little hope of excape to the sea. Most of the raiders were rounded up or killed before dawn. Of 612 commandos and sailors who set out, 397 failed to return to Falmouth. But their sacrifice---recognised by the award of five exploded killing more than 380 Germans and destroying the dry dock. The St Nazaire operation had been considerable, if expensive success.
December 1943
The scene shifts from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The German submarine U593 had not been destroyed by HMS Tynedale en route for St Nazaire on March 27th 1942----and in a cruel twist of fate, it popped up again in the Mediterranean and sank its former pursuer. The Germans鈥� chance to retaliate came 21 months after the successful raid on St Nazaire and it took place in the Gulf of Bougie, off Tunisia. The Tynedale was escorting a convoy when it was torpedoed an sunk with the loss of 66 officers and men,; the commanding officer, Lt. Comdr. Yorke DSC, the Gunner and 80 ratings being survivors. Later in the day at 15.30, HMS 鈥淗olcombe鈥� was also torpedoed and sunk. HMS 鈥淐alpe鈥� and the American USS 鈥淲ainwright鈥� were detailed off to hunt for the enemy submarine. Eventually the two ships tracked down U593 and attacked her. The Germans knew that they were beaten and abandoned ship. They made sure that the U Boat sank quickly to protect their secrets. Only one crew member was injured and he was shot in the bottom!
The Tynedale was adopted by the Rural and Urban districts of Hexham, Northumberland in Warship Week, February 1942. thus on December 12th 1993 (50 years after the disaster) Hexham paid its respects to the 66 men who lost their lives in the ship. Attending the weekend were to some of the survivors, crew members who had left ship before the sinking, relatives of the lost crew members who had left the ship before the sinking, relatives of the lost crew members and the captain of the U-Boat responsible. Captain Gerd Kelbing, then 78 years old, and Petty Officer Gunter Ueberschar laid a wreath on behalf of the Germans, to salute the bravery of the men who were once their advisaries. Also amongst the British sailors present who were First Lieut. Michael Blake, RN, engineer Ron Babb and two members of the gunnery crew, William Buckett and Lt. David Stogdon RNVR.

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