| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Corvette |
| Class | Flower |
| Pennant | K 53 |
| Built by | William Simons & Co. Ltd. (Renfrew, Scotland) |
| Ordered | 21 Sep 1939 |
| Laid down | 29 Apr 1940 |
| Launched | 28 Feb 1941 |
| Commissioned | 7 Apr 1941 |
| End service | |
| History | HMS Woodruff is not listed as active unit in the October 1945 Navy List. Sold in 1947 and became the merchantile Southern Lupin in 1948. |
Commands listed for HMS Woodruff (K 53)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Lt. Richard Valentine Smith, RNR | 17 Dec 1940 | 23 Apr 1941 |
| 2 | T/Lt. Thomas Muir, RNVR | 23 Apr 1941 | 28 Feb 1942 |
| 3 | Lt. Francis Harden Gray, RNR | 28 Feb 1942 | mid 1943 |
| 4 | T/Lt. Thomas Muir, RNVR | mid 1943 | Sep 1944 |
| 5 | Lt. William Kilvington Tadman, RNR | Sep 1944 | mid 1945 |
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Notable events involving Woodruff include:
8 Oct 1941
HMS Dorsetshire (Capt. A.W.S. Agar, VC, DSO, RN) and HMS Albatross (Capt. W.A. Dallmeyer, DSO, RN) departed Freetown to patrol in the mid-Atlantic between 06°N and 10°N and 28°W and 31°W. Two corvettes were sent along as escorts, these were HMS Mignonette (Lt. H.H. Brown, RNR) and HMS Woodruff (T/Lt. T. Muir, RNVR). (1)
30 Nov 1941
HMS Severn (Lt.Cdr. A.N.G. Campbell, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Freetown together with HMS Wild Swan (Lt.Cdr. C.E.L. Sclater, RN), HMS Woodruff (A/Lt.Cdr. F.H. Gray, RNR), HMS Nigella (T/Lt. L.J. Simpson, RNR) and HMS Freesia (Lt.Cdr. T.P.G. Crick, RN). (2)
21 May 1942
HMS Woodruff (A/Lt.Cdr. F.H. Gray, RNR) scuttles the British tanker Montenol with gunfire. The Montenol was torpedoed and damaged by German U-boat U-159 about 140 nautical miles east-south-east of Santa Maria, Azores in position 36°41'N, 22°45'W.
HMS Woodruff also picks up 5 survivors from the British merchant New Brunswick that was also torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-159 about 140 nautical miles east-south-east of Santa Maria, Azores in position 36°53'N, 22°55'W.
27 Oct 1942
The British merchant Stentor is torpedoed and sunk north-west of the Canary Islands in position 29°13'N, 20°53'W by German U-boat U-509. 207 survivors were picked up by HMS Woodruff (A/Lt.Cdr. F.H. Gray, RNR).
3 Apr 1945
HMS Vampire (Lt. C.W. Taylor, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Gibraltar with HMS Kilmarnock (T/Lt. I.H. Bargrave-Deane, RNVR) and HMS Woodruff (Lt. W.K. Tadman, RNR). (3)
9 Apr 1945
HMS Vampire (Lt. C.W. Taylor, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Gibraltar with HMS Enchantress (T/A/Lt.Cdr. A.J. Clemence, RNR) and HMS Woodruff (Lt. W.K. Tadman, RNR). (3)
12 Apr 1945
HMS Vampire (Lt. C.W. Taylor, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Gibraltar with HMS Eggesford (Lt. G.H. Evans, RN) and HMS Woodruff (Lt. W.K. Tadman, RNR). (3)
25 Apr 1945
HMS Vampire (Lt. C.W. Taylor, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Gibraltar with HMS Woodruff (Lt. W.K. Tadman, RNR) and HMS Coltsfoot (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G.W. Rayner, RNVR). (3)
Sources
- ADM 53/113558 + ADM 53/114138 + ADM 199/395
- ADM 173/16988
- ADM 173/20232
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.