H .
M . S .
M A G P I E ( U 8 2 )
Modified BLACK SWAN-Class Sloop ordered from John I Thornycroft at
Woolston
as Job No 6082 (Yard No 4016) on 27th March 1941
under the 1940 Build Programme. .Laid down on 30th December 1941 as Yard No 4016
she was launched on 24th March 1943 by Mrs Turner. This sloop was the first
major RN warship to carry the name which previously had been used by a Survey Ship and two smaller vessels. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK
National Savings campaign in March 1942 the ship was adopted by the civil
community of Amersham, Bucks. Build was completed on 30th August 1943 and her
armament included a HEDGEHOG (Ahead Throwing Antisubmarine Mortar). Her radar
outfits included Type 285 for fire control, Type 272 for surface warning and
Type 291 to provide warning of aircraft and surface targets (See RADAR AT SEA by
D Howse).
B a t
t l e H o n o u r s
BALTIC 1855 -
BENIN 1897
-
ATLANTIC 1943-44
-
NORMANDY 1944 - ARCTIC
1944
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge : On a Field
Whitte within an annulat
Black, a magpie Proper.
D e t a
i l s o f
W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 3
August Contractors
trials and commissioned for service.
30th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
September On completion
of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory.
Commenced work-up for operational service at Tobermory.
On completion
took passage to Liverpool
October Joined BM
Sloops STARLING, WILD GOOSE, WOODCOCK. KITE and WREN in
2nd
Escort Group
based at Liverpool for
convoy defence in North Atlantic.
Deployed with escort for Convoy ON207 with ships of 1st and 2nd Escort Groups.
21st Joined
Convoy HX262 escort with HM Sloops STARLING, KITE, WOODCOCK and WILD
GOOSE, supported by HM Escort Carrier TRACKER.
(For
details of development and use of new weapons used in the defence of convoys
and
deployment of U-boats see SEEK
AND STRIKE by W Hackmann , U-BOAT WAR IN THE
ATLANTIC (HMSO) and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR By C Blair.)
25th Convoy
diverted because of known threat by SIEGFRIED group of U-boats and convoy
passage
safeguarded.
November Detached to
reinforce escort of HX264 with same ships of Group and HMS TRACKER.
6th Carried
cut anti-submarine operations against TIRPITZ group of U-Boats waiting to
intercept
HX264.
As a
result convoy passed safely.
(Note
: U842 and U226 were sunk during these operations by HMS STARLING, HMS KITE
and HMS WOODCOCK).
8th During
passage to refuel in Argentia came under attack by acoustic torpedoes from U648
which failed.
27th Part of
escort for joint inward Convoy MKS31/SL140 from Gibraltar threatened by WEDDIGEN
group
of U-Boats.
28th Took
part in anti-submarine hunt operations with EG2 ships during which U843 was
driven off.
(For
details of Atlantic convoy dates see ALLIED CONVOY SYSTEM in WW2 by A Hague.)
December Atlantic convoy
defence in continuation.
20th Taken
in hand for refit at Liverpool in commercial shipyard.
1 9 4 4
January Under refit
20th
On completion of post refit trials rejoined EG2 in
continuation.
30th Deployed
with Group in support role for protection of inward convoy SL147 west of Ireland
in
conjunction with aircraft from HM Escort Carrier NAIRANA
31st
Participated in sinking of U592 in position 50.20N, 17.29W-with HMS WILD GOOSE
and
HMS
STARLING.
There
were no survivors. (See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)
February
8th Took
part in anti-submarine operations in defence of convoy routes during which
U762 was
sunk
by HM Sloops WILD GOOSE,, STARLING and WOODPECKER in position 49.02N
16.58W without survivors. (See above reference.)
9th Came
under attack by acoustic torpedoes.
Participated in sinking of U238 with HMS KITE and HMS STARLING in position
49.44N
16.07W after lengthy
search operation.
There
were no survivors. See above reference.
Later
joined in further search for U734 which was sunk by HMS WILD GOOSE and H M S
STARLING.
(Note
: For details see BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS by J Terraine and HITLER'S U-BOAT
WAR
by C Blair.).
17th Deployed
with group and joined EGB7 to support passage of Convoy ON224 which was
under
threat from HAI group of U-Boats.
18th Carried
out anti-submarine operations after ON224 had been sighted by aircraft.
19th During
the continued search operations U406 and U386 were sunk by HMS KTTE.
HMS
WOODPECKER and HMS STARLING also sank U264,.
(Note
: This was the first to be
be fitted with SCHNORKE device.
The
attack by acoustic torpedoes was responsible for loss of HMS
WOODPECKER
during passage on 27th after being torpedoed on 20th February).
See
above references.)
March
Detached with Group from Western Approaches Command
for detached duty for support and
escort duty with
Russian convoys.
(For
details of all Russian convoy operations, see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg,
CONVOY! by P Kemp, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield and ARCTIC CONVOYS !
by R Woodman.)
20th Joined
Russian Convoy JW58 with HM Sloops STARLING, WILD GOOSE, WHIMBREL and
WREN
to supplement anti-submarine defence during passage to Kola Inlet.
Took
part in anti-submarine attacks during which U961 on passage to Atlantic
was sunk by
HMS
STARLING. (See U-BOATS DESTROYER and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR.)
April
2nd Convoy
came under series of unsuccessful U-boat attacks till 3rd April.
7th Provided
anti-submarine support for returning Convoy RA58 with ships of Group, four Fleet
to
destroyers and two corvettes.
13th
14th Detached
from RA58 on arrival at Loch Ewe.
15th Under
weather damage repair in Liverpool.
24th On
completion rejoined group for anti-submarine operations in SW Approaches.
(Note: Other escorts of Western Approaches Command were also deployed to carry
out
extensive anti-submarine operations).
May Atlantic
anti-submarine support operations in continuation..
(Note
: This crucial period in the Battle of Atlantic is covered in the above
operations.)
Nominated for service in support of Assault Group G during the allied landings
in
Normandy (Operation NEPTUNE).
(For
details of naval activities prior to and during the landings see OPERATION
NEPTUNE by
K
Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY,
June 1944 (HMSO).)
3rd Deployed
with HM Escort Carrier TRACKER and ships of 2nd and 5th Escort Groups
in
support role.
Searched for U-Boats in SW Approaches after attacks on convoy.
5th Joined
lengthy search by ships of Group after which U473 is sunk by surface gun action in
position 49.29N 15.22 W , West of Cape Clear, by H M Sloops STARLING,
WILD GOOSE and
WREN.
On
release from anti-submarine operations took passage to join Force G.
June Nominated
for service in Escort Group 112 with HM Sloop HIND, HM Escort Destroyer
HAMBLEDON and HM Frigate SPRAGGE for escort of Build-up phase convoys after
first
being
deployed with Force G during assault phase.
Joined Assault Convoy G4 in
Solent.
4th
Operation postponed for 24 hours.
5th Escorted
Convoy G4 through swept channel to GOLD beach head.
(Note
: Convoy comprised 23 landing craft).
6th Detached
from convoy on arrival at lowering position and took passage to Plymouth
to join
112th
Escort Group.
Escorted Build-up Convoy EBP2 from
Bristol Channel to Western Task Force area.
(Note
: HM Sloops HART, WHIMBREL, HM Escort Destroyer BLENCATHRA, HM Frigates
WHITTAKER and WALDEGRAVE of 113th Escort Group were also part of the escort.
Convoy comprised five mercantiles taking pre-loaded US Build up Division to the
beachhead, HQ ship for MULBERRY A and three miscellaneous ships.)
8th Detached
from Convoy EBP2 on arrival and deployed for convoy defence in Channel.
to (Note:
Amongst duties was cover for vessels laying petrol supply piping to French coast
27th (PLUTO)
the first line being completed on 29th June)
On
termination of NEPTUNE remained in English Channel and SW Approaches.
July Convoy
defence and cover operations in continuation
August On release
from Channel duties taken in hand for refit at Chatham.
to
Nominated for service in 22nd Escort Group on completion.
September
October Carried out
post refit trials and joined 22nd Group for Atlantic convoy defence.
November Convoy defence
in continuation
1 9 4 5
January
Deployed in Channel and SW Approaches for convoy
defence.
to (Note :
During this period Atlantic convoy traffic to Thames was re-routed to use
English
April Channel
after removal of air threat from bases in France. U-Boat activity was
however concentrated on focal points of coastal convoys and defence was
increased
by
additional escorts to also carry out anti-submarine patrols.
See
HOLD THE NARROW SEA by
P Smith and ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett).
May Nominated
for service in Mediterranean after refit.
13th Taken in
hand for refit by HM Dockyard Portsmouth.
June Under
refit.
July Passage
to Mediterranean after post refit trials.
26th Commenced
work-up in Mediterranean for operational service.
August Deployed in
Mediterranean.
P o s t
W a r N o t e s
HMS MAGPIE continued working-up initially
at Gibraltar and later in Malta. On completion she joined Destroyer Command in Malta where the ship remained
until 1954. One of her commanding officers was HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. On return to UK she served in
the Home Fleet and her last service was in the South Atlantic for about a year .This ship was Paid-off and reduced
to Reserve status in 1956 at Devonport. Placed on the Disposal List in 1958 she was sold to BISCO for demolition by Hughes Bolcow
in May 1959 and arrived in tow at the breakers Yard in Blyth
on 12th July 1959.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
MAGPIE
by Don Kindell
Date convoy Joined
convoy
Convoy
No. Left convoy Date convoy
sailed as escort arrived
18/10/43 |
23/10/43 |
ON207 |
25/10/43 |
04/11/43 |
18/10/43 |
28/10/43 |
HX262 |
29/10/43 |
02/11/43 |
31/10/43 |
05/11/43 |
HX264 |
08/11/43 |
17/11/43 |
24/11/43 |
27/11/43 |
SL140MK |
02/12/43 |
07/12/43 |
02/12/43 |
12/12/43 |
SC148 |
12/12/43 |
16/12/43 |
02/12/43 |
12/12/43 |
HX269 |
12/12/43 |
16/12/43 |
24/01/44 |
25/01/44 |
ON221 |
25/01/44 |
11/02/44 |
30/01/44 |
04/02/44 |
ON222 |
05/02/44 |
16/02/44 |
02/02/44 |
07/02/44 |
SL147MK |
12/02/44 |
13/02/44 |
05/02/44 |
14/02/44 |
HX278 |
17/02/44 |
20/02/44 |
14/02/44 |
18/02/44 |
ON224 |
19/02/44 |
02/03/44 |
13/03/44 |
17/03/44 |
ONS031 |
19/03/44 |
30/03/44 |
27/03/44 |
29/03/44 |
JW058 |
04/04/44 |
04/04/44 |
07/04/44 |
07/04/44 |
RA058 |
14/04/44 |
14/04/44 |
29/09/44 |
30/09/44 |
ONS033 |
02/10/44 |
14/10/44 |
07/02/45 |
unknown |
HX337 |
unknown |
21/02/45 |
21/02/45 |
22/02/45 |
ON286 |
22/02/45 |
09/03/45 |
23/02/45 |
unknown |
HX340 |
unknown |
10/03/45 |
28/02/45 |
unknown |
HX341 |
unknown |
15/03/45 |
29/03/45 |
unknown |
HX347 |
unknown |
14/04/45 |
17/04/45 |
18/04/45 |
ON297 |
18/04/45 |
02/05/45 |