HMS Samphire (K128)

HMS "Samphire" (K128) was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy.

She was built by Smiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.) and commissioned into the RN on 30 June 1941.

Wartime service

Under command of Lt.Cdr. F.T. Renny, RNR, "Samphire" was assigned to the 36th Escort Group and tasked with convoy escort operations between Liverpool and the Mediterranean Sea.

*On 21 December 1941, she successfully released depth charges with the British sloop warship|HMS|Deptford resulting in the sinking of the German submarine U-567 in the North Atlantic north-east of the Azores. All 47 men on board the U-567 were killed.

*On 8 November 1942, she escorted the warship|USS|Leedstown from the Mediterranean after it had been attacked by German aircraft, which hit the "Leedstown" with an aerial torpedo in the stern the day earlier. At 12:55 on 9 November, German aircraft attacked again, however "Samphire" shot down one attacker and then successfully escorted the "Leedstown" to anchor near Cape Matifou, about 12 miles from Algiers.

*On 14 December 1942, "Samphire" assisted in the rescue of 9 survivors from the British merchant ship "Edencrag", which was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-443 west of Algiers.

"Samphire" was torpedoed and sunk on 30 January 1943 off Bougie, Algeria by the Italian submarine "Platino" (Lt. Patrelli Campagnano) at 36.56N, 05.40E. "Samphire" was escorting convoy TE-14 which was taking part in the Africa campaign. The Captain, two officers and 42 of the ship’s crew perished.

External links

* [http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hague/search3.php?query=Samphire&Submit=Find+Vessel HMS "Samphire" on the Arnold Hague database at convoyweb.org.uk.]