大象传媒

HMS Eskimo 鈥� January 1944

(Continued From "HMS Cotswold Collision At Sea" )

We were sent on leave at the end of January to await a seagoing draft and I was soon to join the Tribal Class Destroyer HMS Eskimo, lying at Immingham near Grimsby where she was hurriedly being prepared for sea.

Scapa Flow

We left Immingham for Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands with a full crew and all the necessary battle equipment for active service against the enemy. We underwent a full 鈥渨orking-up鈥� programme at Scapa including the firing of all guns and several torpedoes (fitted with cork heads instead of explosives). For anti-submarine (ASDIC) detection practice, a small submarine was employed and a large quiet loch used. Submersion time was about ninety minutes. Another midshipman and myself were invited to join the submarine on one of its sorties - where eventually the throb of Eskimo鈥檚 propellers could be heard locating us accurately.

My own duties involved overall responsibility for the two twin power- operated 20 millimetres Oerlikon guns, one to port and one to starboard situated on the same deck as, but just forward of, the twin four inch anti-aircraft high angle gun on X gun deck.

The gunners sat in swivel chairs behind the gun sight and they laid and trained their twin guns by electrically controlled handles. Each had a mate whose sole purpose was to remove the empty circular magazines and replace them with full ones.

Action Stations May 1944

With the working-up programme completed we sailed alone at high speed down the west coasts of Scotland, the Isle of Man and Wales to Plymouth. It was early in May and the weather was hot and sunny. We heard we were replacing HMCS Athabaskan, a Canadian Tribal Class destroyer sank by enemy action in the channel on April 29th.

Operation Overlord

The 10th Destroyer Flotilla we joined was engaged in covering the flank of Operation Overlord, the invasion of Europe.
The 10th Destroyer Flotilla of Tribal Class destroyers was in 1944 reputed to be the most powerful flotilla in the Navy, whose leader was HMS Tartar (Commander B. Jones RN) and included Tartar, Ashanti, Eskimo and Javelin (British) 鈥� Haida and Huron (Canadian) and Pioron and Blyskawicka (Polish). The objective of this group was to keep the French coast clear of enemy ships in anticipation of the D Day landings.

Night Patrols

Night patrols off Cherbourg began shortly after our arrival in Plymouth, from where we sailed in pairs and fours at 1800-2000 hours, in daylight, every day. We arrived at the patrol area in darkness. It was a twelve hour round trip, returning back at 0600 hours next morning.
After oiling ship mid morning, we tied up to our buoy, until setting off again at 1800 hours the same day. The afternoons were free to make up for lost sleep, although no shore leave was granted to anyone. It was a heavy schedule, which continued for three to four weeks including the actual invasion of Europe on 6th June 1944 and even beyond that historic day. In fact, the actions in which Eskimo was involved mostly occurred after, rather than before D Day. We were at sea on night patrol when we were informed, on the 5th June, that D Day had been postponed 24 hours and that white bars painted on their fuselage and wings could distinguish allied aircraft. Being south of the Cherbourg peninsula we saw nothing of the actual invasion and did not return to harbour until Wednesday 7th June in the early evening. The sound was almost empty when only two days before it was full of invasion shipping of all types even including the American Aircraft carrier USS Wasp.

Action Off Ushant June 9th 1944

Our first piece of real action.
On the evening of Thursday 8th Coastal Command ( RAF ) reported four German destroyers steaming up from Brest for Cherbourg bent on interfering with the supply route to Normandy from England.
The eight ships of the flotilla left Plymouth at full speed to engage them. It was completely dark as we took up our respective position in 鈥渓ine ahead鈥� behind Tartar quickly working up to our full speed of well over 30 knots soon after leaving Plymouth. It was cold and apart from the gunners the Oerlikon crew sought shelter behind a canvas shield as protection against the wind raised by our speed.

The enemy was sighted just before dawn and our ships turned towards them, avoiding their torpedoes. In the course of the action, at times conducted at point blank range, HMS Tartar, our leader, passed through the enemy鈥檚 line. One enemy destroyer was torpedoed and blew up, a second was driven ashore in flames, and two others escaped after receiving damage by gunfire. Tartar suffered casualties and damage. Four men were killed by a direct hit on the control tower but she remained in action and returned safely to harbour.

The News Chronicle Report later gave full details of our engagement under the headlines 鈥� Naval Clash Off Ushant鈥�

It is the custom for British warships to fly the battle ensign at the mainmast on entering harbour after encountering the enemy. This we proudly did. The WRNS of Long Room Signal Station, Plymouth welcomed us home with these lines:

The Fighting Tenth

There are specks on the horizon
As familiar as can be,
D.10 with his flotilla
Proceeding in from sea.

Battle ensigns at all mastheads,
An impressive sight to see,
The Tartar with the Tenth DF
Come in Triumphantly.

The pendants now come visible,
Four-Three, Five-One, Two-Four,
Tartar, Ashanti and Huron
Astern there loom five more.

Blyskawicka, Haida, Javelin,
Pioron, Eskimo,
Buntings on the Signal Bridge,
Stokers down below.

Passing through the gate at last
They move more cautiously,
The same old signal flying
鈥淎ct Independently鈥�.

We hope we鈥檒l always see you thus,
With ensigns flying free,
For the Fighting Tenth鈥檚 a lovely sight
When coming in from sea.

We continued our nightly patrols and on Friday 23rd June we left No.1 wharf at 1745 hours accompanied by one of our Tribal Class destroyer sister ships, HMCS HAIDA.

Nothing untoward occurred that night but as we were returning home next morning asdics picked up a contact which both ships followed all morning, periodically making depth-charge attacks without success. However, later in the afternoon of Saturday 24th June and in perfect weather a shout of 鈥渟he鈥檚 surfaced鈥� ran around the ship. Sure enough there on our port side, perhaps 10 to 15 cables (1 to 1陆 miles) away lay a sleek submarine 鈥� later identified as U971 鈥� which remained motionless. They obviously decided to challenge us, as binoculars showed the gun crew running to their action stations. Canadian naval gunnery lived up to its high standards when their second and third salvo raised a puff of ominous smoke at the base of the conning tower. At the same time the Canadians had lowered their motorboat and set off at full speed towards the U-Boat complete with an armed (tommy-guns) boarding party. We would have done the same except out motor boat was miles away in Plymouth Docks under repair. Consequently we could only lower our oar-propelled whaler, which hardly rounded our stern as the motorboat reached half distance. The whole idea of boarding was to capture the U-boat, but well before the Canadians were able to reach her she was scuttled and quickly disappeared. U971, one of Germany鈥檚 larger submarines, Captained by Leutnant Walter Zeplin, carried a crew of 52. We picked up 46 and the Haida the other six. Watching them clamber up the scrambling nets thrown over the port side, straight from the sea was an unforgettable sight鈥�.some looked apprehensive whilst others realised they had reached a safe haven after their underwater ordeal which might easily have resulted in a watery grave.
The survivors were grouped together, given a blanket to keep warm after shedding their wet clothing, then split up into smaller sections and taken to different parts of the ship under guard. I was handed a revolver and told to guard around ten to twelve of them in the wardroom. They were mostly of my own age in the 18 鈥� 20 years old range and were quite docile. One of them asked me for 鈥渨asser鈥�, which I knew meant 鈥榳ater鈥� so I let the steward who was watching from the wardroom pantry take it to him.
Both ships had by this time set a course for Falmouth and it was quite dark when the captured sailors disembarked. However, the landing stage was well-lit and revealed army personnel, armed and ready to transport them to an internment camp. We left Falmouth and arrived back in Plymouth at about 1100 hours.
The COs of both our ships received awards for their parts in achieving this success. Lt Commander E.N.Sinclair RN ( HMS Eskimo ) and the legendary Commander H.G.de Wolf RCN ( HMCS Haida )

A few nights later while on patrol off the French coast with the other Canadian Tribal Class destroyer HMCS Huron, we contacted and attacked a small enemy convoy. It was early on the Wednesday morning of June 28th at about 0100 hours when the first contact was made, The short sharp engagement that ensued involved our smaller guns ( armament ) with our twin power-operated Oerlikons situated on X gun deck these being an integral part of the action.

The effects of tracer bullets on a dark night being directed at 鈥榶ou personally鈥� - or so it seemed to me 鈥� was one of wonderment at their beautiful trajectory mingled with mesmeric fear as these 鈥榮hooting stars鈥� approached and whizzed overhead on their mission of death 鈥� a terrifying experience!

Our starboard Oerlikon gunner who could not bring his gun to bear, but whose back was exposed to crossfire from the port quarter, was found slumped over his controls at the end of the action. He was fortunately alive and a victim of shrapnel and along with two others was transferred to hospital by a waiting ambulance as we arrived back in Plymouth later in the morning.

The amazing outcome of this encounter proved to be that the Eskimo and the Huron had sunk a German merchantman and both its escorting trawlers with only slight damage to themselves. Our port gunner was awarded a 鈥楳ention in Dispatches鈥� for his part in this action.

MINESWEEPING

HMS MIRANDA - JUNE 30TH 1944

I was soon to be transferred to Great Yarmouth and attached to HMS Miranda, the minesweeping base, where I was appointed to HMS Curtana for training. She was a large fishing trawler fitted out to sweep for moored mines and leader of four such vessels whose role was to clear to clear the seaway ahead of north and south bound convoys.

I spent about a year on continuous minesweeping duties here. When First Lieutenants went on leave I was often seconded to their ships for one or two trips and gained good experience in controlling sweeping operations and crew handling. During my time at Yarmouth I was promoted to Sub Lieutenant.

HMS WILLOW 鈥� MAY 1945

Just before VE day I was drafted to HMS Willow, commanded by Lieutenant JEW Graven RNVR minesweeping out of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. Whilst during the war the minesweeper鈥檚 task was to ensure a clear way for following convoys, the role at the end of the war was to seek out and make safe the mines laid out in 鈥榝ields鈥� round strategic areas of the British coastline. In six months our flotilla of eight sweepers cleared one thousand moored mines west of Lundy in the outer approaches to the Bristol Channel. Altogether a hard and dangerous task.

HMS DEODAR 鈥� LAST SHIP. LAST DAYS 鈥� MARCH 1946

My next and final sea appointment was to a Tree Class Dam-layer operating out of Portsmouth as 3rd Officer of HMS Deodar, C.O. Lt. JM. Bridger RNVR, attached to the fourth Minesweeping Flotilla. We sailed straightaway for the Firth Of Forth in preparation for mine cleaning in southern Norway. During our stay there we enjoyed a day to remember when on May 17th all Norwegians celebrated their Independence from Sweden. As it was only the second time since the end of the war they were free to do so, it was an important occasion.

Our next assignment was off the northwest Irish coast, which meant sailing to Londonderry by way of the Pentland Firth. By this time I had been promoted to First Lieutenant and as our C.O. received a signal drafting him to another ship I was given command of the Deodar when he left.
I was due to be demobilised in September and had already applied and been accepted for a three year textile course at Leeds University commencing in October 1946. The Deodar was destined for Southampton and I was looking forward to taking her down the Irish Sea, through St George鈥檚 Channel and into the English Channel on what would be a nostalgic passage. Unfortunately, however, I received my discharge papers before the order for the Deodar to leave Londonderry. In retrospect it is one of the great regrets of my life that I could not take her on what would probably be her last voyage under the white ensign of the Royal Navy. Instead I reported to Edinburgh and HMS Lochinvan at South Queensferry and eventually received my demob papers.

Looking back I have so many memories of my war service, its lighter moments and the people I met and remained friendly with afterwards.

In 1998 I was very pleased to be able to visit Canada with my wife, to see one more time the only Tribal Class Destroyer left in the world 鈥� my old sister-ship 鈥� HMCS Haida 鈥� a proud National Historic site of Canada 鈥� and a splendid maritime museum, now berthed in Hamilton, Ontario. A truly memorable occasion.

Eric Howarth died in January 2005 after a long illness.
He wrote these memories in the last years of his life.
A life spent in the Textile Industry.

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