US Coastguard Cutter MENDOTA built by Bethlehem Shipbuilders, Quincy, Mass, and launched on 27th November 1928. Transferred to Royal Navy 30th April 1941 under the UK/USA Lease-Lend Agreement and renamed HMS CULVER.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
NORTH SEA 1941 - ATLANTIC 1941-42
H e r a l d i c D a t a
In common with other ships of the Class provided under Lease-Lend
no Badge is listed in the Official List.
D e t a i l s o f W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 1
April
30th Transferred to RN and commissioned for service in New York as HMS CULVER. Manned by
personnel from HMS MALAYA.
May Took passage from New York to Halifax with sister ships HM Sloops FISHGUARD, BANFF
and HARTLAND
6th Arrived at Halifax to be deployed with routine convoy to UK.
7th Joined Convoy HX125 for transit to UK.
(Note : HM Battleship REVENGE was also part of this convoy to provide Ocean Escort.
In view of the fact that this ship had not been prepared of convoy defence and fitted with
essential RN equipment to be installed in UK, it is unlikely that she would be used as part
of the escort during transit.
22nd Detached from HX125 and joined Western Approaches Command.
Prepared for operational service.
June Passage to Londonderry for convoy defence deployment.
18th Deployed with escort of inward Convoy HX130 during passage in NW Approaches.
20th Detached from HX130 and returned to Londonderry.
July Deployed with escort for inward Convoy HX136.
18th Detached from HX136 and returned to Londonderry
(Note : Deployment with these two convoys may be have a period of introduction to Atlantic
convoy defence prior to transfer to convoy defence between UK and West Africa in 40th
Escort Group.)
Nominated for convoy defence for convoys between UK and West Africa.
Deployed with HM Sloops WELLINGTON and sister ship HMS LANDGUARD as escort for
outward Convoy OB386 during passage to Freetown.
August
1st Detached from OB386 on relief by Local Escort from Freetown and took passage to Bathurst,
Gambia to refuel.
On completion took passage to Freetown.
September Deployed with escort for return Convoy SL84 from Freetown
(Note : This convoys is recorded as sailing on 18th August and arriving at Liverpool on 8th
September. On that basis details from other sources about period in London under refit
are incorrect and the following entries are subject to revision if proved incorrect.)
Passage from Londonderry to Sheerness,
6th Under refit at Woolwich by Harland and Wolf,
(Note : Radar Type 271 for surface warning and particularly effective for detection of
surfaced submarines was installed.
A High Frequency Radio Receiver (H/F D/F) was also fitted to assist in the
detection of radio signals transmissions from submarines to determine their position
See SEEK and STRIKE by W Hackmann)
October On completion of post refit trials took passage from Sheerness as part of escort for East Coast
routine convoy.
(Note : Identity in one source is EC83 but usual identity for northbound convoys was FN.
To be confirmed.)
Detached from coastal convoy and took passage to Tobermory for workup.
25th Joined escort of convoy OS10 of 34 ships during passage to Freetown.
(Note : Sister ships HM Cutters LULWORTH. LANDGUARD and GORLESTON were also
in this escort.)
31st Under attack by U96 which sank the Dutch mercantile BENNEKOM.
(See HITLER’’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
November
2nd Under attack by U-Boats of STOERTEBECKER Group which were unsuccessful and
driven off by escort which then included HM Destroyer STANLEY and HM Corvette
VERBENA. See above reference,
(Note : These ships may have been sent to assist as not part of original escort from
Londonderry.)
7th Rescued survivors from BENNEKOM
(Note : This date seems unlikely as mercantile was sunk on 31st October.
Rescue may have been on 1st November.)
14th Detached from OS10 and took passage to Bathurst to refuel.
21st Deployed with HM Sloops BANFF, GORLESTON, LANDGUARD and FISHGUARD as escort
for inward Convoy SL93 during passage to Liverpool.
(Note : Other Ships in 40th Escort Group to which ship belonged were :
HM Cutters LANDGUARD, GORLESTON, LULWORTH, HM Destroyer STANLEY
and HM Corvette VERBENA.
December
10th Detached from SL93 with escort and returned to Londonderry.
22nd At Greenock.
23rd Joined outward convoy OS15 as escort during passage to West Africa with HM Sloops
LANDGUARD and LULWORTH.
1 9 4 2
January
12th Detached from OS15 and took passage to refuel in Bathurst.
17th Sailed from BATHURST with HMS LULWORTH as escort for mercantiles during passage
to join inward convoy SL98.
18th Deployed with HM Sloop LONDONDERRY and other warships as escort for SL98 during
passage to Liverpool.
25th Detached from SL98 to escort mercantile ss NURTURETON to Funchal, Madeira for repair to
boiler that had developed defect since joining SL98.
26th Rejoined SL98 escort from Madeira.
31st Under attack by U105 and sunk in position 48.43N 20 14W , sw of Ireland.
Magazine exploded after ship hit by two torpedoes and sank in about one minute.
Only 12 of the ship’s company were rescued, four being on loan for limited period.
See above reference and WARSHIPS LOSSES OF WW2 by D Brown.
Radar Type 271 was unserviceable at the time.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS CULVER
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
Date convoy Joined convoy Convoy No. Left convoy Date convoy
sailed as escort arrived
06/05/41 07/05/41 HX 125A 22/05/41 22/05/41
01/06/41 15/06/41 HX 130 19/06/41 20/06/41
26/06/41 01/07/41 HX 135 11/07/41 12/07/41
14/07/41 14/07/41 OB 346 01/08/41 01/08/41
05/08/41 08/08/41 SL 083 28/08/41 28/08/41
25/10/41 26/10/41 OS 010 15/11/41 18/11/41
18/11/41 18/11/41 SL 093 10/12/41 10/12/41
23/12/41 24/12/41 OS 015 11/01/42 13/01/42
15/01/42 18/01/42 SL 098 31/01/42 05/02/42
(Note on Convoys)