HMS La Malouine (K46)

HMS "La Malouine" was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy, serving during the Second World War.

Origin

"La Malouine" was one of four Flower-class corvettes ordered by the French Navy (Marine Nationale). Only two of these were delivered to the Marine Nationale. One of these ships was "La Malouine" the other "La Bastiaise". On completion by Smiths Dock Co. Ltd "La Malouine" sailed for Portsmouth for fitting out. It was here that she was commissioned into the Marine Nationale in June 1940. However, France surrendered to Germany on 22 June 1940. As a consequence of this event "La Malouine" was seized by the Royal Navy on 3 July 1940 and subsequently commissioned into the Royal Navy, by Lt. Cdr. R.W Keymer RN, on 29 July 1940. Throughout the remainder of the war "La Malouine" flew both the Tricolore and the White Ensign.

Of the other three ships ordered by France "La Bastiaise" was destroyed by a sea mine whilst on sea trials at Hartlepool. "La Dieppoise" and "La Pampolaise" were never delivered to the Marine Nationale and were commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS "Fleur de Lys" and HMS "Nasturtium".

1940 to mid 1942

"La Malouine" took part in her first convoy, out of Freetown, Sierra Leone, in September 1940. At the end of September 1940 she formed part of the escort for convoy HX72, sailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Eight merchant ships were lost during this convoy. "La Malouine" alone picking up 146 survivors from the "Canonesa", "Dalcairn", "Empire Airman" and the "Frederick S. Fales". All these ships were sunk by the German submarine "U-100". By the end of 1940 she had taken part in nine convoys.

1941 found "La Malouine" as a member of the 2nd Escort Group operating out of the port of Londonderry, Northern Ireland. On 7 January 1941, in company with another corvette, HMS "Anemone", she assisted in the sinking of the Italian navy submarine "Nani". On 5 May, during an air raid on Belfast, Northern Ireland, "La Malouine" was damaged by a near miss and lost two of her crew killed. This required several weeks of repair. By July she was back on active service joining convoy SL81 out of Freetown. This convoy lost six ships, including the "Kumasian" to the submarine "U-74" on 5 August 1941. "La Malouine" picked up 59 of the "Kumasians" survivors. During 1941 "La Malouine" escorted 10 convoys.

Between January and May 1942 "La Malouine" was involved in 4 convoys. In February 1942 she was at Gibraltar in company with the corvettes, "Bluebell", "Stonecrop", "Myosotis" and "Carnation".

With convoy PQ-17

In June 1942 "La Malouine" was assigned to the close escort group for Convoy PQ-17. Other corvettes of her class involved were "Dianella", "Lotus" and "Poppy". The convoy left Hvalfjord on 27 June 1942 bound for Murmansk. By the time the remains of the convoy had arrived in Soviet Russia, in mid July, 25 out of 36 merchant ships had been sunk. "La Malouine", along with her sisterships, survived the voyage.

after PQ-17 to 1945

Following her return from Russia, in September 1942, "La Malouine" found herself back in the Mediterranean undertaking 4 more convoys before the end of the year.

1943 began with "La Malouine" escorting convoy KMS.6G during which, on 6 January, east of Algiers, the "Benalbanach" was lost along with approximately 400 lives. The period from January to June 1943 was spent escorting convoys from Freetown to Liverpool. Whilst escorting convoy OS.45, on 2 April, "La Malouine" picked up some of the 53 survivors from the torpedoed merchantman "Katha", 515 kilometers (320 miles) west of Oporto. From June 1943 "La Malouine" returned to the Mediterranean where she escorted a further 11 convoys in addition to the six already undertaken in the first half of the year.

During 1944 "La Malouine" undertook escort duty on 14 convoys, covering both trans-Atlantic and Mediterranean routes. On 16 April whilst "en route" to Port Said "La Malouine" assisted in the rescue of 72 crew from the liberty ship "Meyer London" which had been attacked and sunk with an aerial torpedo.

Records indicate that "La Malouine" undertook two convoys in 1945 the last of which was from Liverpool to Gibraltar in May of that year.

Postwar

"La Malouine" returned to the UK and was decommissioned, eventually being scrapped at Gelliswick Bay, Milford Haven on 22 May, 1947.

Commanding Officers

*Lt.Cdr. R.W. Keymer, RN - August 1940 to July 1941
*T/Lt. V.D.H. Bidwell, RNR - July 1941 to May 1943
*Lt. W.A. Ives - May 1943 to September 1944
*T/Lt. C Pawley - September 1944 until "La Malouine" decomissioned.

References

* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4810.html HMS "La Malouine" at Uboat.net]
* [http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hague/search3.php?query=malouine&Submit=Find+Vessel Arnold Hague database entries: HMS "La Malouine" convoy participation at convoyweb.org.uk]
* [http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-3900Intro.htm British and other Navies in World War 2 Day by Day by Don Kindell at naval-history.net]
* [http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1003-Intro.htm Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies 1922-present by Don Kindell at naval-history.net]
* [http://www.canonesa.co.uk/ Canonesa,Convoy HX72 & U-100]

External links

*http://www.pq17.eclipse.co.uk/ HMS "La Malouine" at Convoy PQ17
* [http://www.navynews.co.uk/articles/2002/0208/1002080201.asp An account by Leading Seaman (ASDIC) aboard "La Malouine" during PQ17]