HMS COLTSFOOT
Type Corvette, Class Flower, Pennant K 140, Built by Alexander Hall & Co. Ltd. (Aberdeen, Scotland), Ordered 25 Jul 1939, Laid down 4 Sep 1940, Launched 15 May 1941, Commissioned 1 Nov 1941, Displacement: 925 long tons (940 t; 1,036 short tons), Length: 205 ft (62.5 m)o/a, Beam: 33 ft (10.1 m), Draught: 11.5 ft (3.51 m), Propulsion: 1940-1941 program, single shaft, 2 × water tube boilers, 1 × 4-cycle triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine, 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW), Speed: 16 knots (29.6 km/h), Range: 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h), Complement: 85, Sensors and, processing systems: 1 × SW1C or 2C radar, 1 × Type 123A or Type 127DV sonar, Armament: 1 × 4 inch BL Mk.IX single gun, 2 × Vickers .50 machine guns (twin), 2 × .303 inch Lewis machine gun (twin), 2 × Mk.II depth charge throwers, 2 × depth charge rails with 40 depth charges, originally fitted with minesweeping gear, later removed
The Flower-class corvette (also referred to as the Gladiolus class) was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic. The generic term "Flower" is derived from the RN's use of flower names for the class.
The majority served during World War II with the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Several ships built largely in Canada were transferred from the RN to the United States Navy (USN) under the lend-lease program, seeing service in both navies. Some corvettes transferred to the USN were manned by the U.S. Coast Guard. The vessels serving with the United States Navy where they were known as Action-class patrol gunboats. Other Flower-class corvettes served with the Free French Naval Forces, the Royal Netherlands Navy, the Royal Norwegian Navy, the Royal Indian Navy, the Royal Hellenic Navy, the Royal New Zealand Navy and, immediately post-war, the South African Navy.
After World War II many surplus Flower-class vessels saw use in non-Allied navies the world over, as well as civilian use. HMCS Sackville is the only member of the class to be preserved as a museum ship.
15 Dec 1941 HMS COLTSFOOT (Lt.Cdr. Hon W.K. Rous, RNVR) picks up 39 survivors from the British merchant EMPIRE BARRACUDA that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-77 34 nautical miles bearing 310 from Cape Trafalgar in position 35.30'N, 06.17'W. Crew were landed at Gibraltar.
1947 converted to passenger/cargo ship, 813gt, Renamed - 47 ALEXANDRA - 53 HERMOPOULIS wrecked E of Aspro Islet, near Syra 20.11.54
Sources: Wikipedia. Miramar.
http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4737.html. http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/gus46.html
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKEscorts ... ower01.htm
Information Mr P Crichton