Former British trawlers in the Kriegsmarine

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Ortwin
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Joined: 07 Sep 2019, 20:44
Location: Austria

Former British trawlers in the Kriegsmarine

#1

Post by Ortwin » 08 Sep 2019, 09:59

Hello together,

I am new in this fantastic Forum and would like to participate. Perhaps I can also contribute with some useful Information.

Since some years I am working on a chronicle of the 61st Vorposten-flotilla of the German Kriegsmarine. This flotilla was in convoy service along the Norwegian coast in World War II. Five former british trawlers had been in service there (see list below). Now I am interested in fotos and the history of these ships. For fotos I had been in contact with some archives in GB but without success. I know there is material in the internet, but perhaps there will be a publication in the future so the copyrights should be clarified.
I am also interested in war diaries of the 11th and the 22nd A/S Group. The trawlers had been in service there before they were bombed in April 1940 at the norwegian coast.

•Larwood: built 1936 at Cochrane & Sons in Selby; Nr. 1148; fishing number GY 255
•Hammond: built 1936 at Cochrane & Sons in Selby; Nr. 1149; fishing number GY 284
•Bradman: built 1937 at Cochrane & Sons in Selby; Nr. 1167; fishing number GY 358
•Cape Siretoko: built 1939 at Cochrane & Sons in Selby; Nr. 1203; fishing number H 106
•Warwickshire: built 1936 at Smith´s Dock Co.Ld. in Middlesbrough; Nr. 998; fishing number GY 290

Perhaps someone can help me. Thank you very much in advance for your efforts!

Best regards,

Ortwin

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Andy H
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Re: Former British trawlers in the Kriegsmarine

#2

Post by Andy H » 13 Sep 2019, 18:14

Hi Ortwin

You'll probably have most of this but in case you haven't and for those interested:-
The heavy air attacks continued on the 25th at Aandalsnes and Norwegian torpedo boat TRYGG and anti-submarine trawlers BRADMAN (452grt) Lt A.N. Blundell RNR), HAMMOND (452grt, Skipper A. McKay RNR), LARWOOD (452grt, Skipper P. Quinlan RNR) were badly damaged and run aground. Skipper A. McKay RNR, of trawler HAMMOND was wounded. The entire crew of the trawler BRADMAN was rescued. The trawlers were all units of the 22nd AntiSubmarine Group. The four ships were later salved by German forces for their own use and renamed ZICK, Vp.6112 (trawler FRIESE), Vp.6115 (trawler SALIER), V P 6111 (trawler FRANKE), respectively.
The 11th Anti-Submarine Striking Force of trawlers CAPE SIRETOKO (Lt A.A.F. Talbot, SO), ARGYLLSHIRE, NORTHERN PRIDE, WISTARIA departed Aberdeen on the 24th and arrived at Molde late on the 27th. Anti-submarine trawler CAPE SIRETOKO (590grt, Lt Cdr A.N. Harding (ret)) was badly damaged by German bombing at Aandalsnes and ran aground to prevent sinking.She was later salved by German forces and renamed Vp.6113 (trawler GOTE) for their use. In the same attack, anti-submarine trawler WISTARIA of the 19th Anti-Submarine Striking Force was damaged by bombing. The trawler was run aground to prevent sinking, but was salved
Light cruiser GLASGOW with destroyers JACKAL and JAVELIN departed Scapa Flow on the 28th at 2030. The ships arrived at Molde at 2130/29th to take aboard the King of Norway, his government, some 795 cases of gold (23grt) for transport to Tromso. In addition, 117 survivors from sunken anti-submarine trawlers BRADMAN, HAMMOND, LARWOOD, CAPE SIRETOKO, CAPE CHELYUSKIN were embarked for transport back to England. However, not all of the gold could be embarked on GLASGOW in time. The remaining gold was embarked on Norwegian fishing vessels STOLVAG and ALFHILD. The light cruiser arrived at Tromso on the evening of 1 May and was escorted into port by Norwegian fishery protection vessel HEIMDAL. The King of Norway and his government were landed at Tromso. The fishing vessels safely arrived at Tromso on 9 May.
In German bombing attacks on British shipping at Aandalsnes, anti-submarine trawlers JARDINE (452grt, Lt K.B. Hopkins RNVR) and WARWICKSHIRE (466grt, Cdr Y.M. Cleeves RNR) of the 22nd Anti-Submarine Group were sunk. They were later salved by German forces as Vp.6117 (trawler CHERUSKER) and Vp.6114 (trawler ALAME), respectively. Skipper S.J. Cory RNR of JARDINE was wounded.
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4004-13APR04.htm

The Bradman, Hammond, Larwood and Jardine were part of the 'Cricketers Group' (as all were named after Cricket ledgends) of requisitioned trawlers.

Now if you go into https://www.naval-history.net/ and type in each vessel into the search function it will take you to various actions/events
they undertook prior to what's copied above.

Regards

Andy H


Ortwin
Member
Posts: 15
Joined: 07 Sep 2019, 20:44
Location: Austria

Re: Former British trawlers in the Kriegsmarine

#3

Post by Ortwin » 15 Sep 2019, 21:37

Hello Andy,
thank you very much for this information. It is a step forward!
Greetings,
Ortwin

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