Note: all vessels and aircraft are British unless otherwise identified or implied - click for abbreviations

Background Events - January-April 1945
Russians reach Germany, Indian Ocean operations, British inshore & Russian convoy battles continue, US takes Iwo Jima, British Pacific Fleet in action, Okinawa invaded, Defeat of Germany

 

---

 

more information on naval events in this period can be found in:

 

ADMIRALTY WAR DIARIES

 

HOME FLEET, Commander-in-Chief  - April-December 1942 - January-December 1943 - January-December 1944 - January-July 1945

 

DESTROYER COMMAND, Home Fleet - April-December 1942, January-December 1943, January-December 1944 

 

EASTERN FLEET - Report of Proceedings 1942 - April-June, December (only) 1942 - January-December 1943

 

---

 

 

1945

 

 

JANUARY

 

Tuesday,  16 January  

 

Submarine PORPOISE (Act/Lt Cdr H B Turner) was declared lost after failing to return to Trincomalee. The most likely cause of her loss was an attack by Japanese anti-submarine vessels near Penang after damage by an aircraft. PORPOISE had laid minefields MLO.24 and MLO.25 in the Malacca Straits earlier on the 9th.   Cdr Turner, Lt M H M Kennedy, Lt D D G Roberts, Warrant Engineer E A Adams, Ty/Lt V F F Drew. RNVR, Ty/Lt E O M Taylor RNVR, Ty/Sub Lt C E Trier RNVR, and the entire crew of sixty six ratings were lost.

 

 

FEBRUARY

 

Friday,  22 February  

 

Canadian corvette TRENTONIAN (Lt C S Glassco RNCVR), escorting convoy BTC.76 with ML.600, was sunk near Falmouth in the English Channel by U.1004.   Ty/Lt G K Stephen RCNVR and five ratings were lost,  and 95 survivors rescued by ML.600 and another ML from a convoy astern.

 

 

 

MARCH

 

 

Tuesday,  6 March  

 

Midget submarine XE.11 (Lt A Staples, SANF (V)) was lost in collision with a boom defence vessel laying buoys in Loch Striven.   Lt Staples and the two ratings were lost,  Sub Lt W Morrison RNVR and the third rating rescued.

 

 

Saturday,  17 March

 

Canadian minesweeper GUYSBOROUGH (Lt B T R Russell RCNR) was sunk by U.878 off Ushant in the English Channel.   Sub Lt (E) R M Bell-Irving RCNVR, Lt T V Holland RCNVR, Lt O H Rumpel RCNVR, Ty/Act/Lt R S Slade RCNVR and forty seven ratings were lost.  Thirty seven survivors were rescued by frigates INGLIS and LORING

 

 

Tuesday,  20 March

 

Sloop LAPWING was torpedoed by U.716 off Kola Inlet.   Cdr J A Binnie was lost.

 

 

APRIL

 

Monday,  16 April  

 

Canadian minesweeper ESQUIMALT (Lt R C Macmillan RCNVR), on independent patrol, was sunk by U.190 near Halifax, five miles off Chebucto Head.   Ty/Lt J R Parker RCNVR, Ty/Lt J M G Smart RCNVR, Sub Lt B M Whitehead RCNVR, Act/Ty/Warrant Engineer J E Roberts RCNR, Skipper J O F Bellazzi RCNR and thirty nine ratings were lost.  Twenty six survivors were rescued by minesweeper SARNIA

 

 

 

---

Background Events - May-September 1945
Germany surrenders, Battle of Atlantic ends,  Italy taken, Burma & Okinawa conquered, A-Bombs tested & dropped, Defeat of Japan.

further formatting and editing is needed, but the data is being made available without delay

back to RN Day-by-Day Homepage
or Naval-History.Net

revised 19/04/09