Allied Warships

HMS Mounsey (K 569)

Frigate of the Captain class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeFrigate
ClassCaptain 
PennantK 569 
Built byBoston Navy Yard (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) 
Ordered 
Laid down14 Aug 1943 
Launched24 Sep 1943 
Commissioned23 Dec 1943 
End service 
History

Assigned USN penant DE 524 but not named.

Returned to the USN on 25 February 1946. Scrapped.

 

Hit by U-boat
Damaged on 2 Nov 1944 by U-295 (Wieboldt).

U-boat AttackSee our U-boat attack entry for the HMS Mounsey
Former nameDE 524

Commands listed for HMS Mounsey (K 569)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt. Frank Alexander John Andrew, RN24 Dec 1943Jan 1945

2T/A/Lt.Cdr. Geoffrey Court Julian, RNZNVR27 Mar 194515 Jun 1945 (1)

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Notable events involving Mounsey include:


20 Mar 1944
HrMs O 9 (Lt. R.W. van Lynden, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with Mounsey (Lt. F.A.J. Andrew, RN). (2)

21 Mar 1944
HrMs O 9 (Lt. R.W. van Lynden, RNN) participated in A/S exercises off Lough Foyle together with Mounsey (Lt. F.A.J. Andrew, RN) and HMS Lawson (Lt. J.P. Somerville, RN). (2)

2 Nov 1944
On 2 November 1944, HMS Mounsey (Lt. F.A.J. Andrew, RN) was damaged by a Gnat torpedo fired by German U-boat U-295 while escorting convoy RA-61 and had to return to Kola Inlet. After temporary repairs the ship made passage to UK in convoy RA-62 for permanent repairs.

29 Nov 1944

Operation Acumen, the passage of convoys JW 62 and RA 62 between the U.K. and Northern Russia vice versa.

Convoy JW 62.

This convoy departed Loch Ewe on 29 November 1944 for Northern Russia.

It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Amasa Delano (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Andrew Turnbull (American, 7240 GRT, built 1944), August Belmont (American, 7240 GRT, built 1944), Barbara Frietchie (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), British Respect (British (tanker), 8479 GRT, built 1943), Cecil N. Bean (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Edward N. Hurley (American, 7191 GRT, built 1943), Empire Garrick (British (tanker), 8128 GRT, built 1942), Empire Stalwart (British, 7045 GRT, built 1943), Fort Boise (British, 7151 GRT, built 1943), Fort Highfield (British, 7129 GRT, built 1943), Fort Island (British, 7167 GRT, built 1944), Fort Massac (British, 7157 GRT, built 1943), John Gibbon (American, 7247 GRT, built 1944), Laurelwood (British (tanker), 7347 GRT, built 1929), Linn Boyd (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Longwood (British (tanker), 9463 GRT, built 1930), Luculus (British (tanker), 6546 GRT, built 1929), Nelson W. Aldrich (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Owen Wister (American, 7240 GRT, built 1944), Renald Fernald (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Robert Lowry (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Stanton H. King (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Stephen Leacock (American, 7198 GRT, built 1944), Stevenson Taylor (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), U.S.O. (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), W.R. Grace (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), William H. Wilmer (American, 7191 GRT, built 1943), William Tyler Page (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943) and Woodbridge N. Ferris (American, 7200 GRT, built 1943).

The rescue vessel Rathlin (British, 1600 GRT, built 1936).

The convoy had a close escort made up of the sloops HMS Cygnet (Lt.Cdr. P.J. Cowell, DSC, RN), HMS Lapwing (Cdr.(Retd.) E.C. Hulton, RN), HMS Lark (Cdr.(Retd.) H. Lambton, RN), frigates HMS Tavy (Cdr. G.A. Thring, DSO, RN), HMCS Monnow (Cdr. E.G. Skinner, DSO, RCNR), HMCS Nene (T/A/Lt.Cdr. E.R. Shaw, RCNR), HMCS Port Colborne (T/Lt.Cdr. C.J. Angus, RCNR), HMCS Saint John (A/Lt.Cdr. W.R. Stacey, RCNR), HMCS Stormont (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G.A. Myra, RCNR), HMS Bahamas (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.S. Thomson, RNR), HMS Somaliland (A/Lt.Cdr. K.B. Hopkins, DSC, RNVR), HMS Tortola (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G.C.L. Payne, RNVR) and the corvettes HNoMS Eglantine, HMS Allington Castle (A/Lt.Cdr. P.A. Read, RNR), HMS Bamborough Castle (T/Lt. M.S. Work, DSC and Bar, RNR) and HNoMS Tunsberg Castle.

On 1 December 1944, the destroyers HMS Keppel (Cdr. I.J. Tyson, DSO, DSC, RNR), HMS Westcott (A/Lt.Cdr. E.P. Reade, DSC, RN), HMS Beagle (Lt. C.D.T. Williams, RN) and HMS Bulldog (Lt.Cdr. C.G. Walker, RN) joined coming from the Faeroer Islands having departed there on 30 November.

Part of the convoy arrived in the Kola Inlet on 7 December 1944. Another part of the convoy was detached to Archangelsk and had parted company with the convoy around 1730B/6. To escort this part of the convoy the Russian destroyers Baku, Gremyashchiy, Razumniy, Uritsky, Dejatelnyj, Derzkij, Doblestnyj and Zivuchij as well as some patrol vessels had joined as escorts.

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Convoy RA 62.

This convoy departed the Kola Inlet on 10 December 1944 for Loch Ewe.

It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Abner Nash (American, 7177 GRT, built 1942), Andrew W. Preston (American, 7247 GRT, built 1944), Benjamin Schlesinger (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Collis P. Huntington (American, 7177 GRT, built 1942), Dolabella (British (tanker), 8142 GRT, built 1939), Donald W. Bain (American, 7200 GRT, built 1944), Eleazar Lord (American, 7247 GRT, built 1944), Elroy Alfaro (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Fort Crevecour (British, 7191 GRT, built 1943), Fort Romaine (British, 7131 GRT, built 1943), Fort Yukon (British, 7131 GRT, built 1943), Harold L. Winslow (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Henry Adams (American, 7212 GRT, built 1944), James M. Gillis (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), John Sharp Williams (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Joyce Kilmer (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Keith Palmer (American, 7244 GRT, built 1944), Laurelwood (British (tanker), 7347 GRT, built 1929), Lawrence J. Brengle (American, 7209 GRT, built 1944), Lucullus (British (tanker), 6546 GRT, built 1929), Marathon (Norwegian, 7208 GRT, built 1930), Nicholas Biddle (American, 7191 GRT, built 1942), Park Benjamin (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), San Venancio (British (tanker), 8152 GRT, built 1942), Stage Door Canteen (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), William Pepper (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), William Wheelwright (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944) and Windfred L. Smith (American, 7191 GRT, built 1943).

The rescue vessel Rathlin (British, 1600 GRT, built 1936).

The convoy had the same close escort as JW 62 with the exception of the two Norwegian corvettes which remained in Northern Russia. The damaged frigate Mounsey (Lt. F.A.J. Andrew, RN) took passage in / with this convoy.

Before the convoy departed the Russian destroyers Baku, Gremyashchiy, Razumniy, Derzkij, Doblestnyj und Zivuchij conducted an A/S sweep of the Kola Inlet to drive off the concentration of German submarines in the area.

The convoy arrived at Loch Ewe on 19 December 1944.

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Cover for these convoys was provided by a force made up of escort carriers HMS Campania (A/Capt. K.A. Short, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral R.R. McGrigor, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Nairana (Capt. V.N. Surtees, DSO, RN), light cruiser HMS Bellona (Capt. C.F.W. Norris, DSO, RN) and the destroyers HMS Caesar (Capt. G.N. Brewer, DSO, RN), HMS Cambrian (Lt.Cdr. H.T. Harrel, RN), HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN), HMS Cassandra (Cdr. P.F. Powlett, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Onslow (Capt. H.W.S. Browning, OBE, RN), HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. R.C. Biggs, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN), HMS Onslaught (Cdr. A. Pleydell-Bouverie, RN), HMS Oribi (Lt. D.M. Vaughan-Hughes, RN), HMS Obedient (Lt.Cdr. H. Unwin, DSC and Bar, RN) and HMS Orwell (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Gower, RN).

Around 1745A/29, HMS Offa, HMS Onslaught, HMS Oribi, HMS Obedient and HMS Orwell departed Scapa Flow for the Faeroer Islands where they were to fuel and then join the remainder of the Force. HMS Onslow also proceeded to the Faeroer Islands to fuel but she departed Loch Ewe, also on 29 November. Her Commanding Officer had attended the convoy conference.

Around 1145A/30, HMS Campania, HMS Nairana, HMS Bellona, HMS Caesar, HMS Cambrian, HMS Caprice and HMS Cassandra departed Scapa Flow for the operation.

The cover force joined convoy JW 62 around 0800A/1 in position 63°29'N, 03°46'W and arrived in the Kola Inlet around 0100B/7 after having been detached from the convoy around 2145B/6.

The cover force departed the Kola Inlet on 10 December 1944 with convoy RA 62.

Around 0611A/11, HMS Cassandra was torpedoed and damaged by a Gnat torpedo fired by the German submarine U-365 in position 71°57'N, 32°04'E. The entire bow of the destroyer was blown off. HMS Cassandra was taken in tow (stern first) by the HMS Bahamas (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.S. Thomson, RNR). Later the tow was passed over to a Soviet tug which towed her to the Kola Inlet escorted by HMS Tavy, HMS Bahamas, HMS Somaliland and HMS Tortola. They arrived on the 14th.

HMS Campania, HMS Vindex, HMS Bellona, HMS Caesar, HMS Cambrian, HMS Caprice and HMS Onslaught arrived at Scapa Flow around 1100A/18.

Around 0900A/19, HMS Onslow, HMS Obedient and HMS Orwell arrived at Scapa Flow.

Around 1000A/19, HMS Offa and HMS Oribi arrived at Liverpool.

17 Mar 1945
HMS Unruly (T/Lt. D.J. Palmer, RNVR) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Liberty (T/Cdr. J.S. Roe, DSC, RNVR) and HMS Mounsey. (3)

21 Mar 1945
HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. A.J. Schouwenaar, RNN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Mounsey, HMS Loch Glendhu (Lt.Cdr. E.G.P.B. Knapton, RN), HMS Welcome (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W. Downing, RNVR) and HMS Felicity (T/A/Lt.Cdr. S.F. Harmer-Elliot, RNVR). (4)

22 Mar 1945
HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. A.J. Schouwenaar, RNN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Mounsey and HMS Loch Glendhu (Lt.Cdr. E.G.P.B. Knapton, RN). Also a practice attack was carried out during which HMS Loch Achray (T/A/Lt.Cdr. L.H. Stammers, RNVR) served as the target. (4)

26 Mar 1945
Around 0730A/26, the aircraft maintenance carrier HMS Pioneer (Capt. H.S. Murray-Smith, RN) departed Belfast for the Clyde where she arrived in the afternoon. She was escorted by the frigates HMS Mounsey (?) and HMCS Loch Alvie (T/Lt.Cdr. E.G. Old, RCNR). (5)

10 May 1945
U-1023 (Kapit?nleutnant Heinrich-Andreas Schroeteler) surrendered to HMS Mounsey (Lt Cdr Geoffrey Court Julian RNZNVR) at 2300 off Land's End. The U-boat later made a well-publicised tour of various British ports because it had the dubious distinction of being the one to sink the last Allied warship. U-1023 itself sank on 7th January 1946 at 55°49'N, 08°24'W while under tow and on the way to be scuttled in Operation Deadlight. (6)

Media links


The Captain Class Frigates in the Second World War

Collingwood, Donald

Sources

  1. http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RNZNVR_officers.html#Julian_GC
  2. File 2.12.03.6372 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
  3. ADM 173/20143
  4. File 2.12.03.6428 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
  5. ADM 53/121992
  6. Personal communication

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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