ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY C D 30 SHIPS *
17)CROCUS (CORVETTE) K 49
Photo. http://ww2today.com/6th-october-1942-u-333-makes-narrow-escape-from-hms-crocus
Completed: 1940
Displacement: 940 tons full 1,180 tons
Length: 62,48 meters
Beam: 10,06 meters
Draught: 4,04 meters
Armament: 1 × 102mm, 1 × 40mm , 4-6 × 20mm / 12.7mm, ASW (0-1×hedgehog, 1-2×DCL, 1-2×DCR)
Propulsion: 2 × S.E cylindrical boilers, 1 × vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines @ 2750 hp, 1 (shaft)
Speed: 16 kts
Complement: 85
Deployed at Freetown with ships of Group for escort of Atlantic convoys. Below the intense activity HMS Crocus had in south Atlantic.
Wednesday, 8th July 1942
TAMARISK and CROCUS sailed from Freetown.
Sunday, 12th July
TAMARISK, CROCUS, and ASTURIAS carried out trials of oiling at sea from ASTURIAS. CROCUS was fuelled abreast of ASTURIAS, while proceeding at 10 knots under favorable weather conditions. TAMARISK and CROCUS returned to Freetown.
Monday, 13th July
CROCUS sailed from Freetown for Trinidad, and CORINTHIAN to relieve COMMANDANT DROGOU escorting JOHN MACKAY.
Tuesday, 14th July
COWSLIP left Bathurst to rendezvous with CROCUS and proceed to Trinidad.
Friday, 24th July
COWSLIP and CROCUS arrived at Trinidad.
Monday, 27th July
COWSLIP and CROCUS left Trinidad for St Thomas, arriving 28th July.
Sunday, 16th August
CROCUS, part of escort to A.F.D. XXV, left ASTURIAS to rendezvous with tanker MARZA and escort to Freetown.
Tuesday, 1st September
BRILLIANT and CROCUS sailed from Freetown, escorting.
Thursday, 3rd September
CROCUS parted company with MORETON BAY and returned to Freetown.
Sunday, 6th September
CROCUS arrived Freetown.
Monday, 7th September
S.T. 33 ST - Freetown to Takoradi (6 ships) escorted by CROCUS, tug FAVOURITE, and 4 M.L.s sailed from Freetown.
Monday, 14th September
CROCUS arrived Freetown.
Wednesday, 16th September
CROCUS sailed Freetown escorting.
Thursday, 17th September
CROCUS, COMMANDANT DROGOU, and WOODRUFF arrived Freetown.
Friday, 18th September
S.T. 36 (7 ships) escorted by WOODRUFF, ARMERIA, and CROCUS sailed from Freetown.
Sunday, 27th September
CROCUS left Recife for Freetown.
Sunday, 4th October
CROCUS arrived Freetown and GRIFFIN arrived Bathurst.
Tuesday, 6th October
ANTELOPE parted company with LAFONIA to assist CROCUS in hunting a U boat, with which she had already been in action.
CROCUS attacked U boat by ramming, subsequently engaging her with gun fire before ramming again and finally dropping two depth charges, which were seen to explode close to the U boat. It is considered that this U boat was destroyed, by this action 07-57N, 14-11W. (n.b. U 333 – not sunk)
Thursday, 8th October
COWSLIP and CROCUS arrived Freetown.
Monday, 28th December
H.M. Ships WOODRUFF and CROCUS arrived Bathurst and sailed to rendezvous with Convoy W.S. 25A WS - United Kingdom to Middle East to India ("Winston's Specials")
Thursday, 31st December
Convoy W.S. 25 United Kingdom to Middle East to India ("Winston's Specials")
Thursday, 31st December
(9 ships) arrived Freetown escorted by H.M. Ships QUILLIAM, ILEX, ROCKWOOD, WOODRUFF, and CROCUS, CARNARVON CASTLE, and CHESHIRE,
Friday, 1st January 1943
H.M. Ships CROCUS and ILEX sailed from Freetown to carry out A/S search for a U boat.
Sunday, 3rd January
Convoy W.S. 25 (9 ships) sailed from Freetown escorted by H.M. Ships ROCKWOOD, CROCUS, CHESHIRE, ALCANTARA, and QUILLIAM.
Saturday, 9th January
H.M.S. CROCUS parted company with convoy W.S. 25 for Pointe Noire.
Monday, 11 January
H.M.S. CROCUS arrived Freetown from Pointe Noire.
H.M.S. CROCUS arrived Pointe Noire from escort duties with convoy W.S. 23 (n.b. W.S. 25) to boiler clean.
Monday, 18th January
H.M.S. CROCUS sailed from Pointe Noire to Matadi.
Tuesday, 19th January
H.M.S. CROCUS arrived Matadi from Pointe Noire.
Monday, 25th January
H.M.S. CROCUS sailed from Banana escorting S.S. RHESUS to Takoradi.
Thursday, 28th January
H.M.S. CROCUS arrived Takoradi from Pointe Noire.
February 3rd
H.M. Ships CROCUS, DUNCTON, ORFASY, COPINSAY, and MERCATOR with H.M.M.L. 256 and F.S. AMIRAL MOUCHEZ sailed from Takoradi for Freetown escorting convoy T.S. 30. TS - Takoradi to Freetown.
February 8th
H.M.S. CROCUS arrived Freetown from Takoradi after being ordered to leave Convoy T.S. 30 and proceeded to Freetown to load bullion.
February 10th
H.M. Ships CROCUS and CYCLAMEN sailed from Freetown for Takoradi escorting LEOPOLDVILLE.
February 13th
H.M. Ships CYCLAMEN, CROCUS, and DRANGEY arrived Takoradi from Freetown escorting S.S. LEOPOLDVILLE.
February 14th
H.M. Ships CYCLAMEN and CROCUS sailed from Takoradi for Freetown escorting H.T. LEOPOLDVILLE.
February 24th
H.M. Ships BRIDGEWATER, HYDRANGEA, CROCUS, INKPEN and DUNCTON sailed from Freetown escorting Convoy S.R. 2 SR - Freetown to Gibraltar (11 ships).
3rd March, Wednesday
H.M. Ships BRIDGEWATER, HYDRANGEA, INKPEN, DUNCTON, and CROCUS turned over Convoy S.R. to Gibraltar naval forces and took over escort of Convoy R.S. 2. - Gibraltar to Freetown
7th March, Sunday
H.M. Ships INKPEN, DUNCTON, and CROCUS were detached from convoy R.S. 2 Gibraltar to Freetown
to escort southbound shipping.
10th March, Wednesday
H.M. Ships CROCUS, INKPEN, and DUNCTON arrived Freetown from escorting Convoy R.S. 2. Gibraltar to Freetown
19th March, Friday
H.M. Ships PETUNIA, CORINTHIAN, and CROCUS arrived Freetown with survivors from S.S. EMPRESS OF CANADA.
28th March, Sunday
H.M.Ships CROCUS, PORTSDOWN, and DUNCTON with H.M.M.L.s 265 and 277 sailed from Freetown escorting Convoy S.T. 60 Freetown to Takoradi.
Rescue of Survivors from S.S. EMPRESS OF CANADA
The torpedoing of H.T. EMPRESS OF CANADA at midnight 13th/14th March necessitated the employment of three ships from the Freetown Escort Force in rescue work and one destroyer on passage to the East. H.M.S. CORINTHIAN sailed from Freetown at 0800 14th March and H.M.S. Ships PETUNIA, CROCUS, and BOREAS were detached from Convoy W.S.27 at 0400 15th March to rescue survivors.
These ships did very good work in rescuing 1495 survivors. All four ships remarked on the vicious persistence with which sharks and barracudas attacked people in the water, and all four equally commented favourably on the behavior of the Italian prisoners of war and unfavourably on the behavior of the Polish army survivors. CORINTHIAN also comments unfavourably on the bearing of the British Merchant Navy seaman, but H.M.S. CROCUS on the other hand spoke highly of these latter. It is satisfactory to be able to record that Naval Officers and men (survivors) are all reported to have behaved in the best traditions of the Service. From reports rendered by H.M.Ships BOREAS, CORINTHIAN, PETUNIA, and CROCUS it is evident that all four ships made careful and thorough preparation for the reception of the survivors and that the actual work of rescue was carried out in an efficient seamanlike manner.
Saturday, 3rd April
H.M.S. CROCUS arrived Lagos from Takoradi escorting S.S. CAP PADORAN.
Thursday, 8th April
H.M.S. CROCUS sailed from Lagos for Takoradi, escorting S.S. GODFREY B. HOLT.
Saturday, 10th April
H.M.S. CROCUS arrived Takoradi from Lagos escorting S.S. G.B. HOLT
H.M. Ships CROCUS, DUNCTON, and PORTSDOWN with H.M.M.L.s 265 and 266 sailed from Takoradi for Freetown escorting Convoy T.S. 35 Takoradi for Freetown (eighteen ships).
Thursday, 15th April
H.M. Ships SNOWDROP, CROCUS, DUNCTON, and PORTSDOWN with H.M.M.L.s 279 and 266 arrived Freetown from Takoradi escorting Convoy T.S. 35 (seventeen ships)
Sunday, 18th April
H.M. Ships BURDOCK, CROCUS, PORTSDOWN and BUTSER with H.M.M.L.s 209, 272, 1071, and 1231 sailed from Freetown escorting Convoy F.T. 7 (five ships). H.M. Ships BURDOCK and CROCUS with H.M.M.L.s 1072 and 1231 to Bathurst with S.S. NEW NORTHLAND and S.S. PINTO. H.M. Ships BURDOCK CROCUS to escort remaining ships towards Trinidad, subsequently to disperse and proceed to Recife to escort H.M. L.S.T.s to Freetown.
Tuesday, 27th April
H.M. Ships BURDOCK and CROCUS arrived Recife.
By www.naval-history.net
