German coastal radar North Africa Oct41?

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Dili
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Joined: 24 Jun 2007, 23:54
Location: Lusitania

German coastal radar North Africa Oct41?

#1

Post by Dili » 08 May 2016, 08:38

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/ ... 479.0.html

Any information on this if true? - It is the history of HMS Gnat gunboat, don't know where it was taken from:

Nov 1940 Force W, Gnat deployed for minesweeping and bombardment duties along the north African coast.
Dec 9, 1940 Force W bombard Tobruk to support ANZAC troop landings.
Dec 17, 1940 Gnat returns to Alexandria
Jan 6, 1941 Gnat joins the 'Inshore Squadron'
Jan 21, 1941 The Inshore Sqn bombard Tobruk
Jan 30, 1941 Gnat bombards Derna
Feb 6, 1941 Gnat bombards Benghazi
Feb 25, 1941 Gnat with Ladybird sent to guard Massawa but was cancelled
Apr 14, 1941 Gnat bombards Sollum- Whilst trying establish communications in a motor sampan, the sampan capsizes drowning the coxswain and stranding two men. Gnat enters shallower waters to retrieve and to glimpse the raging battle, a figure appears (appearing to be a British officer) and waves to the Gnat. Suddenly shells burst around Gnat hitting the 2pdr pom-pom, a signalling projector, a lewis gun and a boat davit. Furious at the deception, Davenport returns fire at the German field battery with Gnat's 6inch main guns destroying the enemy guns.
Apr 15, 1941 Gnat returns to Mersa Matruh for repairs
May 14, 1941 Gnat replaces the sunken Ladybird at Tobruk
May 20, 1941 Gnats topmast and searchlight is removed to aid camouflage
May-Oct 1941 Gnat becomes a night raider
Oct 19, 1941 Gnat accidently engages a German shore battery, unknown to the gunboat men the enemy gun was controlled by a primitive radar set, Gnat is straddled four times before she pulled out of range.
Oct 20, 1941 Gnat ordered to intercept and escort a convoy of A-Lighters to Mersa Matruh
Oct 21, 1941 At 0334hrs U-79 fired a torpedo at an unusual unidentifiable enemy vessel 32.08N/25.22E off Bardia. The explosion was catastrophic. The torpedo struck Gnat below the starboard anchor hawser completely destroying 15feet of her bows and tearing the hull plating for a further 30ft. The torpedo tail wrapped its self around the anchor chain sending flying ripping the forward 6inch gun off into the sea. The column of water rose approx 200ft in the air and swamped the Gnat causing her to list and start to capsize. Luckily she managed to self right in time rocking heavily on her beams. Then unfortunately the violent movements ignited the calcium flares inside the 3 inch ammo lockers lighting the gunboat up. The Uboat captain thought he had hit a bigger more wothwhile target and fired two more torpedoes which passed under the stern of Gnat.
Oct 22, 1941 After drifting for a day Gnat was spotted and towed back to Alexandria by HMS Griffon and HMS Jaguar where she remained as a floating AA platform until she was scrapped in 1945.

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