Bridgend
the town by the river
The HMS Mallow
A Royal Navy Corvette
The HMS Mallow was a Royal Navy Corvette of the Flower
class K81, she was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd. Belfast, Northern Ireland
after being ordered on the 19th of
September 1939 she was laid down on the 14th of November and launched 22nd
of May 1940 and commissioned on 2nd of July and adopted by Bridgend during
"Warship Week"
HMS Mallow saw her first operation on the 17th of November 1940 under
the command of Lt. Cdr. W.B. Piggott, RNR when they picked up 18
survivors from the 1044 ton British Motor
merchant ship Saint Germain that was torpedoed and sunk by the German
submarine U-137 just North West of Tory Island.
U boat 137
On the 19th of October 1941 the HMS Mallow under the
command of Lt. W.R.B. Noall, RNR and the British sloop HMS Rochester Cdr.
C.B. Allen, RN attacked and sunk a
German submarine the U-204 with depth charges from each of the ships just
off Tangier.
German submarine U-204
Following the sinking of 9000 ton Inverlee by
the German submarine U-204, the corvettes of the 37th Escort Group were
despatched from Gibraltar to carry out an anti-submarine sweep off
Cape Spartel, Morocco. The HMS Mallow obtained an asdic
contact on her starboard quarter and dropped a pattern of
seven depth charges. After regaining contact, she turned around
to carry out a second sweep, but the echo was not sound. After passing
through a large patch of oil some 200 yards long and 50 yards wide, the
Mallow regained contact, the
HMS Carnation also
obtained a contact after passing through the oil patch
which they judged to be a U-boat that was stationary on the bottom. The
Carnation then dropped five more depth charges, but they were not so
sure if this was U-204 since it was two miles further east. HMS Mallow
remained in the vicinity of the oil patch until she was joined by HMS
Rochester on the 20th of October. The sloop dropped five depth charges
into the patch of oil which increased, but was found to be diesel. Another
pattern of five depth charges produced a further volume of oil but no other
evidence. A day later parts of a G7a torpedo were recovered about eight
miles away from the position of the oil patch. so it was assumed that
the U-204 must have been severely damaged or even sunk by the initial attack
of HMS Mallow and the depth charges dropped by HMS Rochester
either finished her off or broke up the wreck lying
on the sea bed.
HMS Rochester
HMS Carnation
The HMS Mallow
was transferred to the Yugoslavian Navy and renamed Nada in 1944, then as
Partizanka in 1948 but shortly after she transferred to Egypt as El Sudan.
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Porthcawl Museum
In the old Police Station
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42 Dunraven Place, Bridgend
Contact: Mike 07840 287 383
web site here
Bridgend Sandwich Bar.
Est: 1940
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