MV Atheltemplar

The MV "Atheltemplar" was a motor tanker built by Lithgows, Port Glasgow. Launched on 15 April 1930, she was initially operated by the United Molasses Co Ltd of London but homeported in Liverpool, and was officially transferred to Athel Lines on 1 January 1940.

Early wartime career

"Atheltemplar"’s first recorded voyage during the Second World War was to Abadan on the Persian Shatt al-Arab; she departed Home Waters with convoy OB-10 and returned to Gibraltar with her cargo before sailing east again to Port Said.

"Atheltemplar" returned to Great Britain with Convoy HG9 which departed Port Said on 19 November 1939, but on the afternoon of 14 December 1939, she struck a mine laid by German destroyers off the Tyne Estuary. The destroyers HMS "Kelly" and HMS "Mohawk" were dispatched as escorts for the rescue tugs "Great Emperor", "Joffre" and "Langton". During the operation, "Kelly" also struck a mine and sustained damage to her hull. While "Mowhawk" put a party aboard "Atheltemplar", and "Joffre" and "Langton" took the tanker under tow, "Kelly" herself was taken in tow by "Great Emperor" and returned to the Tyne.

After repairs, "Atheltemplar" returned to operations on 9 April 1940 and sailed to Bermuda before returning to Home Waters with convoy HX-42. During late May-early June 1940 she was involved in Operation Dynamo, the Dunkirk evacuation, during which she bunkered RN destroyers and was attacked by the Luftwaffe several times in and around Dover Harbour. More transatlantic crossings followed, including a homeward-bound voyage in the ill-fated convoy HX-84 which was attacked by the German pocket battleship "Admiral Scheer"; fortunately, "Atheltemplar" and her sister-ship "Athelempress" managed to escape unscathed.

"Atheltemplar" then undertook a series of coastal voyages in Home Waters before undergoing refit in Smith's Yard, North Shields, during the winter of 1940-41. Sailing for Methil Roads on 25 February 1941, she joined the 26-ship convoy EN-79 which departed Methil on 1 March 1941, bound for the Atlantic convoy marshalling area at Loch Ewe on the west coast of Scotland. Sailing northbound in ballast, "Atheltemplar" - nominated the convoy's Vice-Commodore ship - was positioned at the head of the starboard column of vessels when, with darkness falling, Convoy EN-79 was attacked off the Aberdeenshire coast by Heinkel He 111 bombers from the Luftwaffe's KG26, a combat group based in Denmark. "Atheltemplar" bore the brunt of the attack and was struck on the navigation bridge superstructure by two SC250kg bombs; at least five members of the crew were killed instantly (12 crew died during the incident), and a fire swept the vessel forcing the survivors to abandon ship. (Convoy WN-91, sailing towards Convoy EN-79 and about 35 miles north, was attacked at about the same time by another He-111 and the SS "Forthbank" was seriously damaged.) One of the He-111s was hit by defensive fire from Convoy EN79's SS "Tewkesbury", and subsequently ditched off the Banffshire coast; the crew were captured and became Prisoners of War. "Atheltemplar"’s survivors were taken aboard HMS "Leda", and HMS "Speedwell" fought the blaze and then took "Atheltemplar" in tow. Taken initially to the Imperial Dock at Leith, "Atheltemplar" later returned to Smith's Dock for extensive repairs; she resumed trading in June 1941.

Convoy PQ-18

During the Second World War she was used on convoys to carry fuel to the northern Soviet port of Archangel. She was part of Convoy PQ-18 which departed Loch Ewe on 2 September 1942. [See e.g. [http://www.north-cheshire-marine.org.uk/bry3.htm HMS Bryony in convoy P.Q.18] , text from "Tribute to a Flower" by Ron Horabin.] This was the next attempt to supply the Soviet Union since the disastrous losses sustained by the previous Convoy PQ-17. The "Atheltemplar", carrying 9400 tons of Admiralty fuel oil plus 63 tons of dry stores, was to travel with the convoy to Archangel via Hvalfjörður, Iceland, commanded by her Master, Carl Ray.

The convoy was spotted by German aircraft on 10 September; then on 12 September, Royal Navy Sea Hurricane fighters - flying from the escort carrier HMS "Avenger" - drove off a Luftwaffe Bv138 flying boat which was attempting to shadow the convoy. Luftwaffe patrol aircraft returned the following day to vector U-boats towards the convoy. At about 08.30hrs on 13 September, two ships were attacked by U-boats, one sinking within minutes. Later, at about 11.00hrs, several Luftwaffe Ju-88 bombers of KG30 (based at Petsamo) attacked PQ-18. A series of U-boat alerts followed, and then at about 15.00hrs a large formation of He-111s and Ju-88s of KG26 attacked with bombs and at least 30 torpedoes; eight of the convoy's ships were sunk. Further air attacks occurred at 21.00hrs, during which one of "Atheltemplar"’s gunners succeeded in downing a Ju-88. At 03.10 hours BST on 14 September, "U-457" managed to penetrate the protective ring of escorts and attacked the convoy southwest of Bear Island. Despite reporting the sinking of one tanker and one other ship, and having damaged a "Javelin"-class destroyer, the U boat's only success was to have torpedoed the "Atheltemplar".

The crew immediately abandoned the burning tanker. The master, 42 crew members and 18 gunners were picked up by the British rescue ship "Copeland" and the destroyer HMS "Offa". They were then transferred to the minesweepers HMS "Harrier" and HMS "Sharpshooter", and later the cruiser HMS "Scylla". "Atheltemplar" settled low at the stern but, although disabled, appeared to be capable of remaining afloat. HMS "Harrier" briefly took "Atheltemplar" in tow but, as a prolonged tow of the ship would have been foolhardy given the constant enemy threat, it was decided that the "Atheltemplar" should be scuttled. This task was delegated to HMS "Tartar", which attempted (but failed) to sink "Atheltemplar" with gunfire and depth charges, before returning to the convoy. Then, at 14.30 hours, "U-408" came across the capsized wreck of the "Atheltemplar", by now drifting north of Bear Island, [ [http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/2170.html Atheltemplar at Uboat.net] ] and sank her with her 88mm gun in position 76.00N, 018.00E. The survivors of the "Atheltemplar" were landed at Scapa Flow, 16 crew members later dying from their injuries.The master of the rescue ship "Copeland", W.J. Hartley, was awarded the Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea, for his actions in rescuing the crew of the "Atheltemplar".

By the time of her sinking, "Atheltemplar" had completed at least 19 wartime Atlantic crossings, had sailed some 102,500 miles, and delivered 140,200 tons of essential fuel oil and molasses. Seventeen men died aboard her during the War.

References

* [http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=18168 Atheltemplar at Clydebuilt.net]