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Allied Warships

HMS Gladiolus (K 34)

Corvette of the Flower class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeCorvette
ClassFlower 
PennantK 34 
Built bySmiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.) 
Ordered25 Jul, 1939 
Laid down19 Oct, 1939 
Launched24 Jan, 1940 
Commissioned6 Apr, 1940 
Lost17 Oct, 1941 
Loss position57.00N, 25.00W (See a map)
 
History

HMS Gladiolus (Lt.Cdr. Harry Marcus Crews Sanders, DSO, DSC, RD, RNR) was torpedoed and sunk (most likely) by the German submarine U-558 south of Iceland in position 57º00'N, 25º00'W while escorting convoy SC-48. She was ordered to pick up survivors from several torpedoed ships and in doing so fell behind the convoy. She was last seen about 0100 hours and was reported missing thereafter. It is also possible that the ship was sunk by U-432 later that night. There were no survivors.

Commanding Officer
Lt.Cdr. Harry Marcus Crews Sanders, RNR
16 March 1940 - 17 October 1941+
DSC awarded 'late 1940'
RD awarded on 13 May 1941
DSO awarded on 5 September 1941 

Hit by U-boat
Sunk on 17 Oct, 1941 by U-558 (Krech).


Noteable events involving Gladiolus include:

28 Jun, 1940
HMS Gladiolus (Lt.Cdr. H.M.C. Sanders, RNR) picks up 35 survivors from the British merchant Llanarth that was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-30 about 220 nautical miles west by south of Ushant in position 47º30'N, 10º30'W.

1 Jul, 1940
The German submarine U-26 was scuttled in the North Atlantic, in position 48º03'N, 11º30'W after being heavily damaged by 8 depth charges from the British corvette HMS Gladiolus (Lt.Cdr. H.M.C. Sanders, RNR) and bombs from an Australian Sunderland aircraft (Sqdn 10/H). (see map)

27 Jun, 1941
The German submarine U-556 was sunk in the North Atlantic south-west of Iceland, in position 60º24'N, 20º00'W, by depth charges from the British corvettes HMS Nasturtium (Lt.Cdr. R.C. Freaker, RNR), HMS Celandine (Lt.Cdr. A. Harrison, RNR) and HMS Gladiolus (Lt.Cdr. H.M.C. Sanders, DSO, DSC, RNR). (see map)


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