TONKINOIS ex MOYOLA HMS

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
shipstamps
Posts: 0
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:12 pm

TONKINOIS ex MOYOLA HMS

Post by shipstamps » Wed Sep 17, 2008 10:58 pm


Built as a frigate under yard No 1106 by Smiths Dock Co. Ltd., South Bank-on-Tees for the Royal Navy.
09 February 1942 laid down.
27 August 1942 launched under the name HMS MOYOLA (K 260), named after the Moyola River in Northern Ireland, one of the River class of which 151 were built.
Tonnage tons 1.370 standard, 1.830 tons full load, dim. 91.8 x 11.1 x 2.75m. (draught standard). Length bpp. 86.25m.
Powered by two triple expansion steam engines 5.500 ihp., twin shafts, speed 20 knots.
Range by a speed of 12 mile, 7.200 mile. Bunker capacity 440 tons.
Armament: 2 – 4inch QF, up to 16 – 20mmAA Oerlikons. 1 Hedgehog 24 barrel projector for anti submarine attacks. Up to 200 depth charges.
Crew 140.
15 January 1943 commissioned.

After commissioned used in the 40th Escort Group.
Early July 1943 She sailed out from the River Clyde together with other warships to escort a troopship convoy to Freetown, on 10 July the convoy came under attack of three FW 200 airplanes off Oporto, The CALIFORNIA and DUCHESS OF YORK were hit and got on fire, and were lost, the third ship the PORT FAIRY arrived safely in Casablanca.
1660 People were rescued by the escorts, and 95 people were lost in the loss of those two ships.

23 August 1943 together with other vessels of her 40th Escort Group she was deployed on a U-boat hunt off Cape Ortegal, North West Spain.
25 August 1943 the 40th Escort Group were relieved by the Canadian 5th Escort Group, during the relieve the vessels of both groups were attacked at 14.15 hrs. by 14 German Doniers DO-217 and 7 Ju-88s with the new German weapon the Henschell Glider Bombs (Hs293 A-1) Some ships in both groups were damaged and there were causalities under the crews, but the MOYOLA escaped undamaged.

15 October 1944 decommissioned and handed over to the Free French Navy the same day, renamed
FFL TONKINOIS (K 260).
Noting found on her wartime history under the Free French flag.

After the war stationed in Diego-Suarez, Madagascar.
11 December 1948 she got orders to search for the missing fishing vessel Le CANCALAIS (On Taaf 1998 Fr 29.20 sg 391).
The Le CANCALAIS was found busy fishing in the lee of St Paul one of the four districts of the French Antarctic Territories, with a broken radio installation.
From 01 till 10 February 1949, she made a tour to the Comoros Islands with on board Mr. Rémy the new administrator of the territory.
Then again stationed in Diego-Suarez.

12 February 1949 she sailed from Diego-Suarez homeward bound, arrived Brest 14 March.
1953 Renamed in La CONFIANCE (F 711).
September 1961 broken up at Brest.

Source: Mr Jean-Louis Araignon. Log Book Vol 36 page 65. http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/103.html
Some other web-sites.

Post Reply