HMS_Poppy_(K213)

HMS <i>Poppy</i> (K213)

HMS Poppy (K213)

Flower-class corvette

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Poppy.

HMS Poppy was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy as a convoy escort during World War II.

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Design and construction

The Flower class arose as a result of the Royal Navy's realisation in the late 1930s that it had a shortage of escort vessels, particularly coastal escorts for use on the East coast of Britain, as the likelihood of war with Germany increased. To meet this urgent requirement, a design developed based on the whale-catcher Southern Pride - this design was much more capable than naval trawlers, but cheaper and quicker to build than the Hunt-class destroyers or Kingfisher-class sloops that were alternatives for the coastal escort role.[1][2]

The early Flowers, such as Aubrietia were 205 feet 0 inches (62.48 m) long overall, 196 feet 0 inches (59.74 m) at the waterline and 190 feet 0 inches (57.91 m) between perpendiculars. Beam was 33 feet 0 inches (10.06 m) and draught was 14 feet 10 inches (4.52 m) aft.[3][4] Displacement was about 940 long tons (960 t) standard and 1,170 long tons (1,190 t) full load. Two Admiralty three-drum water tube boilers fed steam to a vertical triple-expansion engine rated at 2,750 indicated horsepower (2,050 kW) which drove a single propeller shaft. This gave a speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).[4] 200 tons of oil were carried, giving a range of 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).[4]

Poppy was one of six Flowers ordered on 3 August 1940. The ship was laid down on 6 March 1941, by Alexander Hall & Co., Ltd., at their Aberdeen, Scotland shipyard. She was launched on 20 November 1941, and commissioned on 12 May 1942.[5][6]

Service history

Main article: Convoy PQ 17

On 27 June 1942, Poppy departed Reykjavik, Iceland, escorting convoy PQ-17, bound for Arkhangelsk, Russia. On 4 July 1942, the Admiralty ordered the convoy to disperse. Poppy rescued 53 survivors from the United States cargo ship Hoosier, at 69°45′N 39°35′E. Efforts were made by the captain of HMS La Malouine to repair Hoosier and take her under tow, but when the German submarine U-255 was spotted 4 nmi (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) astern she was again abandoned and Poppy tried to sink Hoosier with gun fire, but was unsuccessful.[7][8]

Poppy escorted 51 convoys during the war, along with anti-submarine exercises with Royal Navy submarines off of Lough Foyle, and once each off Derry and Campbeltown.[9][7]

References

  1. [1]
    Friedman 2008, pp. 133–134
  2. [2]
    Lambert & Brown 2008, pp. 3–4
  3. [3]
    Friedman 2008, p. 324
  4. [4]
    Lambert & Brown 2008, p. 4
  5. [5]
    Lambert & Brown 2008, p. 70
  6. [6]
    Friedman 2008, p. 341
  7. [7]
    Poppy.
  8. [8]
    Hoosier.
  9. [9]
    Hague.

Sources

  • Elliott, Peter (1977). Allied Escort Ships of World War II: A complete survey. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers. ISBN 0-356-08401-9.
  • Friedman, Norman (2008). British Destroyers and Frigates: The Second World War and After. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-015-4.
  • Lambert, John; Brown, Les (2008). Flower-Class Corvettes. St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada: Vanwall Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55068-986-0.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "Allied Warships – HMS Poppy (K213)". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  • Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by U-boats – Hoosier". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  • "Convoy Web". www.convoyweb.org.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2021.

Further reading
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