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ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY A B 36 SHIPS

35)BURDOCK (CORVETTE)

Photo. www.theflowerclasscorvetteforums.yuku.com

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

HMS Burdock seen intense activity in the south Atlantic.

CONVOY SL Freetown to United Kingdom

CONVOY OS Liverpool to Freetown

CONVOY FFT Freetown to Trinidad

CONVOY KX United Kingdom to Gibraltar

CONVOY WS United Kingdom to Middle East to India ("Winston Specials")

CONVOY DBF Dakar to Bathurst to Freetown

Saturday, 14th March 1942

Convoy S.L. 103 (36 ships), escorted by H.M.S. WIVERN, H.M.S. WALLFLOWER, H.M.S. TAMARISK, H.M.S. BURDOCK, and H.M.S. AUBRETIA sailed from Freetown.

Sunday, 5th July

BURDOCK fuelled at St Vincent.

Wednesday, 8th July

Convoy O.S. 32 (17 ships) arrived, escorted by IBIS, ENCHANTRESS, WALNEY, ABERDEEN, and BURDOCK

Saturday, 18th July

BURDOCK and 3 M.L.s sailed from Freetown to join O.S. 33.

Saturday, 25th July

BURDOCK arrived at Freetown, and sailed to join the convoy at sea.

Monday, 27th July

SNOWDROP left Freetown, escorting RAPIDOL; BURDOCK and ARMERIA detached from S.L. 117 to escort ABBEYDALE.

Tuesday, 11th August

BURDOCK and ARMERIA escorting ABBEYDALE arrived Gibraltar.

Monday, 7th September

BURDOCK and SNOWDROP arrived Trinidad.

Tuesday, 6th October

H.M.S. VIMY and H.M.S. BURDOCK arrived Gibraltar from Trinidad with tanker convoy.

Sunday, 25th October

SNOWDROP and COMMANDANT DROGOU arrived Bathurst and BURDOCK sailed to rendezvous with ROBERTS.

Monday, 26th October

BURDOCK joined ROBERTS and ANTELOPE proceeded to Bathurst.

Monday, 2nd November

H.M.S. SNOWDROP, H.M.S. BURDOCK, and H.M.S. ROBERTS arrived Gibraltar.

Wednesday, 4th November

H.M.S. BURDOCK sailed Gibraltar for Freetown.

Tuesday, 10th November

H.M.S. BURDOCK arrived Bathurst. H.M.S. MILFORD arrived Takoradi.

Wednesday, 11th November

H.M.S. BURDOCK left Bathurst escorting to Freetown.

Friday, 13th November

H.M.S. BURDOCK arrived Freetown from Bathurst.

Saturday, 22nd November

H.M.S. BURDOCK and COMMANDANT DROGOU carried out A/S exercised with submarine P.614.

Monday, 23rd November

H.M.S BURDOCK and SOUTHERN PRIDE sailed escorting LADY DENNISON PENDER to Bathurst.

Friday, 27th November

H.M.S. CYCLAMEN relieved H.M.S. BURDOCK as escort to LADY DENNISON PENDER.

Sunday, 29th November

H.M.S. BURDOCK arrived Bathurst.

Tuesday, 1st December

H.M.S. BURDOCK and M.L. 271 sailed from Bathurst escorting S.S. PINZON.

Friday, 4th December

H.M.S. BURDOCK and M.L. 271 arrived Freetown.

Thursday, 17th December

H.M. Ships ST WISTAN, ARRAN, BURDOCK, INKPEN, and M.L.s 261, 302, 187 sailed with convoy F.F.T. 5 (7 ships for Trinidad). M.L. 261 to visit Bissao.

Wednesday, 23rd December

On dispersal of convoy F.F.T. 5 H.M.S. BURDOCK proceeding to Ponta del Carda, H.M.S. ARRAN to St. Vincent, H.M.S. INKPEN to Freetown.

Sunday, 3rd January 1943

H.M.S. BURDOCK arrived Freetown from Gibraltar.

Wednesday, 12th January

H.M.S. PETUNIA was ordered to detach H.M.S. BURDOCK to proceed to Bathurst.

Thursday, 14th January

H.M.S. BURDOCK arrived Bathurst and sailed again to meet convoy KX.8.

Wednesday, 20th January

H.M.S. BURDOCK took over as Senior Officer from H.M.S. CORINTHIAN in convoy K.X. 8.

Friday, 22nd January

H.M. Ships BELLWORT, BURDOCK, BREDON, and HYDRANGEA arrived Freetown escorting convoy KX. 8.

Saturday, 30th January

H.M.S. BURDOCK, PORTSDOWN, and BREDON with M.L.s 271, 277, 290, and 296 sailed from Freetown escorting S.S. CALGARY, WICKENBURGH, and TICONDEROGA to Bathurst, S.S. OUAD FEY to Dakar, and S.S. JENNY to vicinity of Port Etienne for onward passage to Gibraltar.

February 5th

H.M.S. BURDOCK arrived Bathurst for fuel after having been detached from convoy duties.

February 7th

H.M. Ships REDOUBT and BURDOCK sailed from Bathurst for Freetown escorting H.T. LEOPOLDVILLE.

February 9th

H.M. Ships REDOUBT and BURDOCK arrived Freetown from Bathurst escorting LEOPOLDVILLE.

February 12th

H.M.S. BURDOCK sailed from Freetown escorting H.T. EMPRESS OF RUSSIA to meet destroyers from Gibraltar.

February 16th

H.M.S. BURDOCK with H.T. EMPRESS OF RUSSIA met H.M.S. BOREAS at 1700.

February 17th

H.M.S. BURDOCK which was escorting H.T. EMPRESS OF RUSSIA arrived Port Etienne for water.

February 25th

H.M.S. BURDOCK sailed from Port Etienne for Bathurst, defects having been made good.

February 27th

H.M.S. BURDOCK arrived Bathurst from Port Etienne.

February 28th

H.M.S. BURDOCK sailed from Bathurst to reinforce escorts to Convoy O.S. 43

4th March, Thursday

H.M.S. BURDOCK arrived Freetown from Lagos.

5th March, Friday

H.M.S. BURDOCK and THYME sailed from Freetown escorting S.S. HOGGAR to Dakar.

6th March, Saturday

H.M.M.L. 277 sailed from Freetown to search for wreckage of H.M.M.L. 251 which was rammed by H.M.S. BURDOCK in position 9-09N, 14-28W. H.M.M.L. 251 was bound for Freetown from Bissau with diplomatic mail. The mail and all the crew were saved.

7th March, Sunday

H.M.S. BURDOCK and THYME arrived Dakar escorting S.S. HOGGAR and sailed again for Freetown escorting S.S. ALMANZORA.

9th March, Tuesday

H.M.S. THYME and BURDOCK arrived Freetown from Dakar escorting S.S. ALMANZORA to join Convoy W.S. 27.

11th March, Thursday.

H.M. Ships BIRDLIP, BURDOCK, and BUTSER sailed from Freetown for Dakar escorting S.S. PALACIO, S.S. ZAREMBO, and S.S. YANKEE ARROW to Bathurst; S.S. MARY KINGSLEY to Dakar, and R.F.A. FORTOL to Port Etienne to refuel escorts of convoy S.L. 126.

14th March, Sunday

H.M.S. BURDOCK arrived Dakar escorting S.S. MARY KINGSLEY.

15th March, Monday

H.M.S. BURDOCK sailed from Dakar, escorting S.S. HOGGAR, S.S. CHELMA, and S.S. DUNKERQUE to join Convoy S.L. 126.

19th March, Friday

H.M.S. BURDOCK escorting R.F.A. FORTOL parted company with convoy S.L. 126 and proceeded to make a rendezvous with Convoy O.S. 44.

22nd March, Monday

H.M.S. BURDOCK sailed from St. Vincent for Bathurst.

28th March, Sunday

Belgian S.S. MOANDA (4621 G.T.) reported that she had been torpedoed and was on fire in position 24-44N, 16-50W during the night 28th/29th March. H.M.S. BURDOCK stood by, but no wreckage at daylight. S.S. MOANDA believed sunk, H.M.S. BURDOCK rejoined convoy. B.N.A. Lisbon reported through Gibraltar on ¾ that 9 survivors from an unknown Belgian ship has been picked up by the Portuguese ship FOCA in position 24-29N, 17-37W.

31st March, Wednesday

H.M.S. BURDOCK and BRIDGEWATER arrived Bathurst with Cable Ship LADY DENNISON PENDER and tugs EMPIRE DENNIS and EMPIRE ACE.

Convoy O.S. 43, escorted by H.M. Ships PELICAN, ROTHER, WEAR, SENNEN, and SPEY arrived from the United Kingdom on the 4th March, the escorts having been reinforced by H.M.S. BURDOCK from Bathurst. After a stay of eight days at Freetown, the same Escort Group of the Western Approaches Command, sailed from Freetown, escorting Convoy S.L. 126 to the United Kingdom. Additional escorts were provided by F.S. COMMANDANT DROGOU who was due to return to the United Kingdom for annual refit, and H.M.S. BURDOCK joined the escort from Dakar on the 25th March.

Convoy S.R. 3 left Freetown 21st March escorted by H.M. Ships BRIDGEWATER (S.O.), BOREAS, and THYME and was joined by H.M.S. BURDOCK on 24th after fuelling at Bathurst. H.M.S. THYME was despatched on 26th to escort back to Dakar one Merchant ship unable to maintain convoy speed. H.M.S. BOREAS continued with S.R. 3 to Gibraltar, so that when a MOMP rendezvous with Convoy R.S. 3 was made on the 28th, the R.S. 3 was reduced to only two escorts, H.M. Ships BRIDGEWATER and BURDOCK.

The lack of H.M.S. THYME was disastrous in that a series of severe attacks were made on Convoy R.S. 3 the same day in the course of which 3 large ships were torpedoed out of original total of 6. H.M.S. THYME rejoined R.S. 3 on the 30th and, of the three remaining ships, one had lost contact, one (with H.M.S. THYME) put into Dakar on the 31st and the last arrived at Bathurst with H.M.S. BRIDGEWATER, also on 31st. It is not thought that any counter attacks made by the escorts were successful but some damaged by air attack may subsequently have been made on the large force of U boats which from this time were located in that area. Full report from ships concerned has not yet been received.

Friday, 2nd April

H.M.S. INKPEN and H.M.S. BURDOCK sailed from Bathurst escorting S.S. TOVELIL to rendezvous with Convoy S.L. 127.

Monday, 5th April

H.M.S. BURDOCK, ORFASY, and INKPEN arrived Dakar escorting two merchant vessels ex convoy S.L. 127.

Tuesday, 6th April

H.M.S. BURDOCK, BIRDLIP, and INKPEN with H.M.M.L.s 302 and 287 sailed from Dakar escorting Convoy D.B.F. 1

Friday, 9th April.

H.M. Ships INKPEN, BURDOCK, ORFASY, and BIRDLIP with H.M.M.L.s 302 and 287 arrived Freetown from Dakar escorting Convoy D.B.F. 1.

Sunday, 18th April

H.M.S. 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.

Thursday, 22nd April

H.M.M.L.s 209 and 272 returned Freetown having been detached from Convoy F.T. 7 by H.M.S. BURDOCK.

Tuesday, 27th April

H.M.S. BURDOCK and CROCUS arrived Recife.

By www.naval-history.net