HMS Decoy (H75)

HMS "Decoy" (H75) was a D-class destroyer laid down in 1931 for the British Royal Navy. The C and D class were slightly enlarged versions of the B class with increased fuel and a 3-in high angle gun. ["Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946" p38.] The D class were repeat C class with only minor modifications. The Admiralty decided to retain the 4.7-inch gun as main armament, even though they recognised that the 'standard' British destroyer design looked weaker than the larger American, French and Japanese destroyers. [ [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/class.html?ID=12 Description of D class destroyers] ] The C class were transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1937-39, and "Diana" and "Decoy" were transferred in 1940 and 1943 respectively. ["Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946" p38.]

In April 1943, HMS "Decoy" was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy as the escort destroyer HMCS "Kootenay"; ["Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946" p38.] she was the first ship to bear this name. She was scrapped in January 1946. ["Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946" p38.]

Career

As HMS "Decoy"

Mediterranean

On 27 June 1940, "HMS Decoy", commanded by Cdr E.G. McGregor (RN), participated in the sinking of the Italian "Liuzzi"-class submarine "Console Generale Liuzzi". "Decoy", together with the destroyers "Dainty", "Ilex", "Defender" and the Australian destroyer "Voyager", had depth charged the "Console Generale Liuzzi", which was then scuttled south-east off Crete. [coord|33|36|N|27|27|E|name="Console Generale Liuzzi" [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5629.html Destroyer HMS Decoy of the D class] ] [ [http://www.regiamarina.net/subs/lost/sub_lost_all_us.asp Italian Submarines Lost in World War II] ]

On 29 June 1940 "Decoy" participated, together with the same squadron, in the sinking of the Italian "Argonauta-"class submarine "Argonauta". This destroyer squadron patrolled the area between Alexandria, the Aegean Sea and the central Mediterranean from 27 to 30 June 1940 as part of Operation MA3 in support of British convoys from the Greek ports to Port Said and from Alexandria to Malta. The "Argonauta" was probably sunk near Cape Ras el Hilal, Libya [coord|35|16|N|20|20|E|name="Argonauta1"] , at around 0615 hours by the British destroyers; though it is also possible the "Argonauta" was depth charged and sunk around 1450 hours that same day by Short Sunderland L5804 of the RAF. [coord|37|29|N|19|51|E|name="Argonauta2" [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5629.html Destroyer HMS Decoy of the D class]
[http://www.regiamarina.net/subs/lost/sub_lost_all_us.asp Italian Submarines Lost in World War II] ] The Historical Bureau of the Italian Navy believes the first theory to be more believable, but doubt still persists. [ [http://www.regiamarina.net/subs/submarines/argonauta/argonauta_us.htm R.Smg. Argonauta, by Admiral (ret) Attilio Duilio Ranieri, Italian Navy]
Conway's says that "Argonauta" was sunk by aircraft on 28 June 1940.]

On 17 September 1940 "Decoy" was one of the ships escorting the British aircraft carrier HMS "Illustrious" on the raid on Benghazi; Fleet Air Arm aircraft attacked Italian ships in Benghazi harbour and laid mines off the harbour. [ [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5629.html Destroyer HMS Decoy of the D class] ]

"Decoy" was part of the fleet which provided cover for a convoy of two cruisers, four destroyers and four British merchantmen that left Alexandria for Malta on 8 October 1940 (Operation MB-6). The convoy was not spotted and arrived safely at Malta on 11 October 1940. The only damage sustained was to one of the destroyers in the covering force that hit a mine off Malta. Whilst returning to Alexandria, the British Mediterranean Fleet were twice attacked by Italian torpedo boats and once by Italian aircraft. Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm from HMS "Illustrious" and HMS "Eagle" also attacked off Leros. [ [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5629.html Destroyer HMS Decoy of the D class] ] On 25 February, 1941, she participated in Operation Abstention, an ill-fated attempt to seize the Italian island of Kastelorizo.

North Atlantic

"Decoy", commanded by Lt.Cdr. G.I.M. Balfour (RN), was then assigned to operate in the North Atlantic, where she picked up 41 survivors of the British merchantman "Quebec City", which was torpedoed and sunk by the German IXC class U-boat U-156 on 19 September 1942 north-northwest of the Ascension Island. [coord|02|12|S|17|36|W|name="MV Quebec City". [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5629.html Destroyer HMS Decoy of the D class] ]

On 26 October 1942 "Decoy" picked up 16 survivors from the American merchantman "Steel Navigator", which had been torpedoed and sunk on 19 October 1942 by the German VIIC class U-boat U-610 in the North Atlantic. [coord|49|45|N|31|20|W|name="U-610" [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5629.html Destroyer HMS Decoy of the D class] ]

As HMCS "Kootenay"

North Atlantic

On 22 May 1943 "Kootenay", now commanded by A/Lt.Cdr. D.L. Dyer (RCN), picked up 19 survivors from the Norwegian tanker "Sandanger", which had been torpedoed and sunk on 12 May 1943 by the German VIIC class U-boat U-221 in the North Atlantic. [coord|46|00|N|21|00|W|name="U-221". [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5623.html HMCS Kootenay] ]

On 7 July 1944, "Kootenay", together with the destroyer "Ottawa" and the corvette "Statice" depth-charged and sank the German VIIC class U-boat U-678 in the English Channel south-west of Brighton. [coord|50|32|N|00|23|W|name=U-678 [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5623.html HMCS Kootenay] ]

On 18 August 1944 "Kootenay", now commanded by A/Lt.Cdr. W.H. Willson (RCN), together with the destroyers "Ottawa" and "Chaudiere", depth-charged and sank the German VIIC class U-boat U-621 in the Bay of Biscay near La Rochelle. [coord|45|52|N|02|36|W|name="U-621"] Two days later (20 August 1944) the same ships depth-charged and sank the German VIIC class U-boat U-984 in the Bay of Biscay west of Brest. [coord|48|16|N|05|33|W|name="U-984" [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5623.html HMCS Kootenay] ]

Notes

References

*Chesnau, Roger and Gardner, Robert (Ed.) "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946". Conway Maritime Press, 1980. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.

ee also

External links

* [http://www.regiamarina.net/subs/submarines/argonauta/argonauta_us.htm R.Smg. Argonauta, by Admiral (ret) Attilio Duilio Ranieri, Italian Navy]
* [http://www.regiamarina.net/subs/lost/sub_lost_all_us.asp Italian Submarines Lost in World War II]