French corvette Aconit

"Aconit" (J1095, formerly HMS "Aconite") was one of the nine Flower-class corvettes lent by the Royal Navy to the "Force Navales Françaises Libres" (Free French Naval Forces). During World War II, she escorted 116 convoys, spending 728 days at sea. She was awarded the "Croix de la Libération" and the "Croix de Guerre" 1939–1945, and was cited by the British Admiralty.

War service

Early history 1941-42

"Aconite" was built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company Ltd at Troon in Scotland, and was commissioned on 19 July 1941, under "lieutenant de vaisseau" Levasseur. She was attached to the Free French Naval Forces on 23 July 1941, and assigned to the Clyde escort group on 17 August 1941, joining the Newfoundland Forces.

"Aconit" took a very active part in the Second Battle of the Atlantic for two years, protecting convoys sailing from Newfoundland to the U.K. via Iceland. She also took part to the operations in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon between 10 and 27 December 1941.

In 1942 "Aconit", with three other FNFL corvettes, was assigned to Escort Group B-3 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force and served with this group for the rest of the campaign.

Finest hour 1943

On 10 and 11 March 1943, "Aconit" , one of eight warships escorting a large convoy HX228, destroyed two German submarines, "U-444" (Oberleutnant Albert Langfeld) and "U-432" (Kapitänleutnant Hermann Eckhardt). ["Yankee RN" by Cdr Alex H. Cherry OBE RNVR, published in 1953, has a chapter devoted to "Aconit" and Group Leader HMS "Harvester".] On Tuesday 9 March the convoy was five days out from Newfoundland. At 0800 a plane from the U.S. carrier sighted a U-boat 10 miles ahead. At 1500, the carrier was short on fuel and had to turn back. At 1930, an ammunition ship had been hit and on a second ship SS "Andrea F. Luckenbach", men were taking to the boats.

HMS "Harvester", a "Havant" class destroyer, under Commander Andre Tait DSO,RN, hunted U-444 by sweeping through the lumbering convoy. A corvette was detailed to rescue survivors as the underwater search went on. Hours passed as the destroyer remained in the attack area. At midnight, 4 miles astern of the convoy, silently moving up to regain station, there dead ahead U-444 was surfaced and going flat out after the convoy. Then the U-boat dived. HMS "Harvester" raced over the swirl of the U-boat's dive forcing her to surface by depth charge attacks. Circling at speed HMS "Harvester" searched and spotted the prey 500 yards ahead. Making revs for 27 knots the destroyer rammed "U-444", disabling herself in the process. From astern the Free French corvette "Aconit" sighted "U-444" as HMS "Harvester" broke free. "Aconit" raced into ram "U-444".

HMS "Harvester", dead in the water, picked one survivor and "Aconit" another four. Cdr Tait ordered "Aconit" to rejoin the convoy HX228 and with only the damaged starboard propeller shaft turning. HMS "Harvester" limped behind at 9 knots. At 0400 on 10 March, 50 survivors of SS "William C. Gorgas" (a Liberty ship sunk by "U-757") were sighted and rescued. During the morning of 11 March, the remaining shaft broke. A signal was made to "Aconit" "Am stopped. Stand by me".

At 1100 the first torpedo from "U-432" struck home. As the officers and crew prepared to abandon ship in the middle of the intensely cold Atlantic,the second torpedo raced towards the stricken ship. Everything disintegrated. The Commander, seven officers, 136 ratings and 39 survivors were lost. At this moment, the "Aconit" returned to the scene and swiftly avenged "Harvester" by forcing "U-432" to surface, then sinking her with artillery fire and ramming. During the day, the French corvette picked up 60 survivors from "Harvester", including 12 survivors from the "William C. Gorgas". "Aconit" also captured 12 survivors from "U-432", including the second officer in addition to the 4 rescued from "U-444".

The senior surviving officer of "Harvester", Lt. J. L. Briggs (who had been Gunnery Control Officer) interviewed the OberLeutnant second-in command of "U-432", who had launched both torpedoes "Why did you need to fire the second torpedo so shallow? What did you want to do, kill as many as you could?" OberLeutnant replied "Didn't think you were sinking fast enough."

To war's end 1943-45

From 1 to 12 April, "Aconit" undertook repairs in Glasgow. On 21 April 1943, at Greenock, General Charles de Gaulle came aboard and awarded the corvette and her commander the "Croix de la Libération".

Under major repairs from 1 September to 10 October 1943, her commander was replaced by "lieutenant de vaisseau" Le Miller. She rejoined the Battle of the Atlantic, attacking a German submarine on 13 December 1943.

"Aconit" spent the first months of 1944 in Casablanca and Gibraltar, and on 5 June 1944 she escorted the convoy U-3 from Torbay to France, coming under attack from German airplanes. During the Normandy landings, she was attached to the 108th escort group, along with Free French ships "Aventure", "Escarmouche" and "Renoncule".

She last fired in anger on 11 April 1945. On 18 April, she undertook minor repairs, and returned to escorting convoys in May, until 5 June 1945, the official date for the end of naval operations in European waters.

Post war

"Aconit" was briefly used by the Naval school, before being given back to the Royal Navy on 30 April 1947, where she served briefly as "Terje XI" before being renamed to "Terrier Southern", and then being sold in July.

Legacy

In honour of this unit, three French warships have since been named "Aconit" including the modern stealth frigate "Aconit".

See also

* List of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons

Notes

External links

* [http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4703.html uboat.net]
* [http://www.netmarine.net/bat/divers/aconit/ netmarine.net] One of the most complete resources, including detailed historical and technical data, photographs and schematics
* [http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr_unite/aconit.html ordredelaliberation.fr]
* [http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hague/search3.php?query=Aconit&Submit=Find+Vessel FFS "Aconit" on the Arnold Hague database at convoyweb.org.uk.]