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Allied Warships

HMS Hastings (L 27 / U 27)

Sloop of the Folkestone class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeSloop
ClassFolkestone 
PennantL 27 / U 27 
Built byDevonport Dockyard (Plymouth, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down29 Jul, 1929 
Launched10 Apr, 1930 
Commissioned26 Nov, 1930 
End service 
Loss position
 
History

Sold 2 April 1946.

Commanding Officers:
Lt.Cdr. Arthur Barclay Alison, RN
26 August 1939 – early 1942

Lt.Cdr. Leslie Benjamin Philpott, DSC, RNR
Early 1942 - ???

HMS Hastings in Dockyard Control during refit ???

A/Cdr. Eric Alonzo Stocker, DSC, RN (retired)
June 1944 – 28 August 1945

Lt.Cdr. A. Gracie, RN
28 August 1945 – still in command in October 1945 according to the Navy List 


Noteable events involving Hastings include:

29 Nov, 1939
HMS Hastings (Cdr. A.B. Alison, RN) picks up 37 survivors from the British merchant Ionian that sank off Newarp Lightship in position 52º45'N, 01º56'E after hitting a mine laid on 21 November 1939 by the German submarine U-20.

23 Aug, 1943
On the 23th August 1943 the 40th Escort Group (Cdr. Dallison), consiting of the sloops HMS Landguard, HMS Bideford, HMS Hastings and the frigates HMS Exe, HMS Moyola and HMS Waveney were deployed on a u-boat hunt off Cape Ortegal. The whole operation was covered by the British light cruiser HMS Bermuda.

On the 25th August the Canadian 5th Support Group (Cdr. Tweed), consiting of the British frigates HMS Nene, HMS Tweed and the Canadian corvettes HMCS Calgary, HMCS Edmundston and HMCS Snowberry were deployed to relieve the 40th Escort Group. While this was in progress the ships were attacked at 1415 hrs by 14 Dornier Do-217's and 7 Ju-88's. with the new German weapon, the Henschel Glider Bombs, (the "Hs293 A-1"). Designed by the German Professor Herbert Wagner. HMS Landguard and HMS Bideford were the first of the Allied and R.N. ships to be attacked and damaged by them. This being the first time of their being brought into action against Allied ships. Several sailors were injured on HMS Bideford and one sailor was killed.

Another two days later on the 27th August 1943 the Canadian 5th Support group was relieved by the 1st Support group (Cdr. Brewer) consisting of the sloops HMS Pelican, HMS Egret and the frigates HMS Jed, HMS Rother, HMS Spey and HMS Evenlode. Also the covering cruiser HMS Bermuda was relieved by the Canadian destroyer HMCS Athabaskan and the British destroyer HMS Grenville. These ships were also attacked by the Germans. This time with 18 Dornier Do-217’s also carring Henschel Glider Bombs. HMCS Athabaskan was heavily damaged and HMS Egret was sunk with the loss of 194 of her crew. After this loss the u-boat hunt was blown off.


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