White Ensign Flying
Page 6
— Captain J.P. Connelly, RCNVR, director of special services
With training evolutions complete and Trentonian operational, the ship was assigned to the newly formed escort group (EG) W10 , part of the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF) commanded from Halifax.
The crew assumed there would be a break between the hectic working up program and commencement of operational duties. This was not to be — less than twenty-four hours after the gunnery exercise, Trentonian was ordered to overtake a convoy already at sea.
Trentonian left Halifax in the afternoon of March 15 in company with New Glasgow, a River-class frigate, and corvettes Drumheller and Louisburg (II). Drumheller was the senior officer (SO) of the group.[1]
They met with convoy HX 283,[2] consisting of sixty-two merchant ships, which had departed New York on March 13, 1944, en route to Liverpool in the United Kingdom. (The “HX” in the designation was for convoys departing Halifax or New York for the United Kingdom.) All merchant ships in the convoy were capable of maintaining a speed above nine knots. The convoy was under the protection of local escort group W6 , consisting of Winnipeg (SO), a Bangor-class minesweeper, and corvettes Timmins, Trail, and Cobalt (the later whip was detached from the convoy to commence a refit on March 16). For Trentonian and many of the crew, this was their first convoy. The Park- and Liberty-class merchant ships’ ten-thousand tons and more dwarfed Trentonian’s 970 tons. The merchant ships were organized in a rectangular shape made up of several columns. The escorts took station on either side of the convoy, with an additional escort ahead and another behind the convoy. If one of the escort ships found a submarine, the faster frigates or destroyers could then move in to assist with the attack.
Trentonian took up its station, screening the convoy and performing asdic sweeps for submarines while sailing a zigzag pattern. The ship maintained this watch for three days as the convoy sailed east, into the Atlantic Ocean.
On March 18, Trentonian, along with River-class frigates Stormont, New Glasgow (SO), Drumheller, and Louisburg (II), received orders to detach from the convoy and search for a possible submarine.[3]
With an increased number of escort ships available, Halifax was able to reassign escort ships in a concentrated effort to find the suspected German submarine. Under the instructions of Operation Salmon, all available escorts were detached and sent to the location of the contact.[4] At 1700 a patrol aircraft had a sonic buoy contact with a probable submarine approximately 150 nautical miles due south of Halifax.[5]
New Glasgow and Trentonian were the first ships to arrive at the location, at 0600 on the nineteenth, fifteen hours after the last reported contact. The SO set up a boxed-grid search area from the last contact position, which was rapidly expanded to quickly cover the range the submarine may have travelled. Patrol aircraft could not assist with the search as the weather had deteriorated to heavy fog and rain.[6]
Some of the crew taking a break from their duties. Pictured: OS John Holden, AB Walter Barber, AB Darcy Graham, AB Stanley Bennett, PO Richard Medhurst, AB Robert Gray, AB Gordon Simpson, Coder J. Roberts, AB Gordon Harley, AB A. Elslinger, and Leading Stoker Francis Walsh.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
Sub-Lt. C. LaRose (left), Lt. Burley Kinsman (centre), and Lt. William Harrison on Trentonian’s bridge during convoy duty in the North Atlantic in March 1944.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of the Family of Maurice Campbell.
Six hours later the two ships were joined by Stormont, Drumheller, Louisburg (II), and Bangor-class minesweeper Trois Rivières.[7] Together, the six ships performed continuous asdic sweeps, searching a fifty-mile area for eighteen hours. Just after midnight on March 20, New Glasgow picked up a high frequency radio transmission. The search moved to the new location and an expanded box search began.[8]
With no results from the search, on March 20, just after 1300, Trentonian, New Glasgow, Drumheller, and Louisburg (II) were recalled to Halifax. Stormont was sent to Horta in the Azores for fuel.[9] Operation Salmon continued with Trois Rivières, joined by corvette Matapedia. As flying conditions improved, patrol aircraft from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) assisted the search.[10]
The four escort ships arrived at Halifax on March 21[11] and Trentonian was sent for boiler cleaning.[12] The ship had put on many hard miles in the over four months since the boilers first fired and the cleaning would keep it running smoothly. Also, the defects identified in the report by Commander Prentice could now be addressed.
More importantly for Trentonian’s crew, shore leave was granted. The crew had been continuously working since February, and though they did have an opportunity for leave in Bermuda, nothing compares to an extended leave at home. Many of the crew took advantage of the boiler cleaning to visit family and friends.
Trentonian’s crew rotated through leave; half the men stayed on board to man the ship while the other half went ashore. One evening, one of the officers was entertaining a few friends in the wardroom. The next morning the galley was found to have been broken into and a supply of chickens cooked. Rumour in the mess decks was this officer had broken into the galley to provide a late night meal to his friends.[13]
On March 23, Harrison received a letter that was sent to the secretary of the Navy Board from the City of Trenton on March 20. It acknowledged the receipt of the adoption papers and contained a list of items the city had sent to the crew. These supplies included clothes, games (including Monopoly and jigsaw puzzles), musical instruments (mouth organs and a guitar), clothes, and other everyday supplies.
The crew was awestruck by the magnificence of the Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth as Trentonian passed the converted troopship in Halifax late February or early March 1944.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
The secretary of the Navy Board also sent a letter to Trenton, acknowledging the list of items the community had already sent to their ship, stating, “The catalogue of comforts which have been sent to HMCS Trentonian is an impressive one, and it is desired to take the opportunity to convey the appreciative thanks of the Department for the generosity of the good people of Trenton, Ontario, and for the interest they are taking in the comfort and welfare of the crew of HMCS Trentonian.”[14]
The letter included a list of items still needed in Trentonian, seaman’s jackets, warm hats, mitts, razor blades, writing material, magazines, sewing kits, scrubbing basins, hot plates, phonograph, records, waterproof flashlights, a banjo, a washing machine, and an accordion.[15]
The washing machine mentioned in the letter was a prized possesion; it was not part of the equipment supplied by the navy to the corvettes. Officers paid the wardroom steward to wash their clothes ashore, but most of the men would have to wash their clothes with a bucket and washboard — a time consuming operation. The stokers, however, had devised a unique method: they took a milk can, drilled it full of holes, and fastened a hinge and latch to the lid. The clothes were placed inside and the lid secured, then with a long line the can was dragged behind the ship while underway. Stoker Bruce Keir said the old can worked well, except once the clothes were dry they would have to pound the salt out of them.[16]
As leave ended, Lt. Stephen returned particularly happy. He proudly informed the other officers that, while on leave, he became engaged to his girlfriend from Toronto. The couple had set a date near Christmas.[17]
With boiler cleaning and repairs complete, Trentonian joined EG W2 and received orders to escort a convoy leaving from Halifax. Convoy SC 156 departed Halifax on March 29 with forty merchant ships and fourteen landing ships bound for Liverpool. The SC designation was given to slower convoys leaving from Halifax or Sydney, on Cape Breton, which travelled at a speed of 7.5 knots. Slow ships usually meant old ships, and in this convoy, twenty-nine of the ships had been in-service for more than twenty years — many of them had been built during the Great War. The oldest merchant ship in the convoy was built in 1904.
EG W2 consisted of th
e senior officer in Portage, an Algerine-class minesweeper; Sherbrooke, a corvette; Transcona, a Bangor-class minesweeper; and Trentonian.
The four Canadian ships escorted SC 156 for four days without incident. When they arrived at the rendezvous point in the Atlantic Ocean on April 1, 1944, W2 turned over the convoy to the British Escort Group B7 , and the Canadian ships returned to Halifax. SC 156 and Escort Group B7 would not make Liverpool unscathed. A German submarine sank two of the convoy’s ships on April 6. Later that day, the submarine was located by HMS Swale and attacked with depth charges. The sub was hit and all fifty-one of its crew were killed.
Trentonian received orders to escort a small convoy, designated HJ 92, from Halifax to St. John’s, Newfoundland, on April 2.[18] The convoy consisted of two merchant ships, the British Nipawan Park and Norwegian Havmoy. Trentonian was joined by Portage (SO). They departed Halifax at 1830 and were expected to arrive in St. John’s the next day.
The convoy arrived as scheduled, passing under the high cliffs protecting the harbour. Trentonian’s special duty men were closed up for entering harbour, readying lines for docking. The off-duty crew were on deck in their number one uniforms, ready for shore leave and a chance to visit the various clubs and bars in the city. St. John’s was a busy East Coast port that played an active role in the Allies’ war effort. Several Canadian and British escort groups operated from this port on the Newfie-Derry Run, picking up convoys from Halifax, Sydney, or New York and escorting them to the United Kingdom.
Trentonian’s officers made plans to visit the legendary Crowsnest, a club for naval officers. The Crowsnest was located on the top floor of an old warehouse. To get to it you had to successfully navigate fifty-nine stairs from roadside up to a small loft door. This was considered more treacherous when leaving the club. The Crowsnest was a welcome safe haven for naval officers wanting to escape the dangers of the North Atlantic. The officers of escort ships were permitted a two-foot area on the club walls to decorate and leave the mark of their ship. Many famous and successful Canadian ships had a proud display inside the Crowsnest. Some of the displays, now revered, represented ships that had been lost to the enemy. The Crowsnest remains open and is a popular destination for those interested in naval history.
In St. John’s harbour on the day of Trentonian’s arrival there was a merchant ship with a giant hole blown out of its bow. The older hands explained: that is what a torpedo will do. For most of the crew this was the first time they realized the real danger ahead of them.[19] Conversation quickly returned as the crew watched the liberty boats of sailors from the navy base on the south side of the harbour pass through the hole in the ship as they took sailors for leave in St. John’s on the north side.[20]
Trentonian approached the dock, ready to secure to the jetty, when a signal lamp was flashed from shore. The crew stood with baited breath, watching the signallers answer and then hand Harrison a message. Immediately, the skipper ordered the ship secured from harbour stations and made ready for sea. Trentonian turned away from the dock and increased speed, leaving the crew cursing on deck.[21]
Lieutenant Harrison told the ship’s company that Trentonian was going on a rescue mission. A Royal Navy submarine, HMSubmarine Sea Nymph (P223), had been damaged by ice off Newfoundland and could no longer dive.[22] Trentonian’s crew immediately went to work and readied their ship. Knowing how much trouble the submariners were in, they would gladly give up anything to help them out.[23]
Since the German U-boat threat was so severe, the Allied navies had a very simple order concerning submarines: “Sink All Submarines on Site!” This RN submarine, damaged and unable to dive, was a sitting duck. Any Allied ship or aircraft that spotted it would immediately open fire; the Germans would do the same.
The Dutch freighter SS Moderita, in St. John’s harbour after it had been torpedoed by a German U-boat.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
Communication between Trentonian and Sea Nymph was impossible; the ships had different radios and did not have a common frequency for direct communications. So each ship was ordered to report its position, course, and speed every six hours to the Flag Officer, Newfoundland (FONF). FONF would then coordinate a rendezvous between the two, and radio each ship the course changes to meet.
At 1300 on April 3, Sea Nymph reported its position as 210 nautical miles south east of Newfoundland, steering a course of 215 degrees at a speed of ten knots.[24] FONF set the rendezvous for 0700 on April 4. Included in the message was an order lifting the mandatory bombing of all submarines in this area.[25] Trentonian was racing at 14.5 knots to this position.[26]
Harrison reported Trentonian’s position, course, and speed at 1325 to FONF, with a weather update. Wind was from the south, visibility was five to ten miles, and conditions were fair; the speed of his ship was reduced to thirteen knots.[27]
As is typical of Newfoundland weather, by 1500 conditions had changed. A drizzle had moved in, reducing visibility to one to two miles, and the wind had started to come around to the southeast. Trentonian continued on course at thirteen knots.[28]
Trentonian was to wait one hour at the rendezvous for Sea Nymph, and if the submarine did not arrive, Trentonian was to return to Newfoundland without it.[29]
A photo of Sea Nymph taken from Trentonian’s deck during rescue operations.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of Bruce Keir.
Harrison radioed FONF at precisely 0800 on April 4. Trentonian had been at the rendezvous for one hour, having arrived at 0700, and was now proceeding to Argentia, Newfoundland, independently, in compliance with orders.[30] However, seven hours later he sent another message to FONF that Trentonian had met with Sea Nymph and both ships were now en route to Newfoundland.[31]
Harrison had obeyed his orders to abandon the search, but with the rendezvous area blanketed in dense fog, and visibility at fifty yards, he had ordered Trentonian to proceed away at a very slow speed. When the fog lifted, the black hull of a submarine appeared. Harrison sounded action stations and the crew reported for duty, guns manned and trained on the submarine, depth charge crews ready if it suddenly dived. Signals and recognition codes were passed and, when the proper replies were given, Trentonian secured from actions stations and pointed its guns away from Sea Nymph.[32]
The two ships arrived in Argentia on April 5.[33] This time Trentonian made it to the jetty. Not having been ashore in several days, Jim from Newfoundland was waiting on deck, and as soon as the ship was secured, he was ashore and on his way to the nearest bar. As Jim sped away from the ship, a messenger appeared with orders for Lt. Harrison; Halifax had ordered Trentonian to return there as soon as it arrived in Newfoundland.[34]
Shore leave cancelled, a party of sailors were sent to recover Jim. They found him a half hour later, already drunk in the American wet canteen. On the way back, Jim went berserk and struck one of the petty officers.[35]
Trentonian was to return independently to Halifax in order to have a new radar set and four more oerlikon anti-aircraft guns installed.[36] So once again, the ship slipped its lines and proceeded immediately out of harbour.
While at sea Trentonian maintained its anti-submarine work, always scanning the depths with its asdic for a possible enemy contact. Asdic could pick up any object under the water and the asdic operators were trained to identify the difference between a submarine, a rock, or a school of fish. The asdic equipment, depth sounders, and other anti-submarine sensors were located in a small compartment forward of the bridge.
While off the rich fishing grounds of the Grand Banks, many biological contacts were reported by the asdic operators to the officer-of-the-watch.
On the return journey to Halifax, Harrison came on the bridge and walked over to the asdic repeater and contacted the asdic hut to identify the contact now on the screen. The operator replied, “contact biological already reported to the officer-of-the-watch.” Harrison asked for a confirmation and the asdic operator reported contact confi
rmed. At this time the skipper ordered “actions stations — anti-submarine,” and the klaxon bells sounded and the crew rushed to their stations.
Trentonian increased speed and turned about, heading back to the area of the asdic contact. The crew thought this was just another drill and were surprised when the order was given to ready a single depth charge to be dropped. When the asdic operator reported Trentonian was over the contact, Harrison dropped the depth charge and all on deck watched the gigantic explosion as the water erupted from the sea in a geyser behind them. Harrison had Trentonian return to the site of the depth charge attack, slowing the ship ordering “all stop” on the engine.[37]
The rookies in Trentonian were wondering what the old man was up to. Harrison’s next order was to close up the boat’s crew and lower the ship’s whaler. The old hands knew what the skipper was doing, and already had their knives out, sharpening them. The boat pulled away from Trentonian and the crew lined the rails to watch the boat crew fill the whaler with fish. As soon as the boat was secured back aboard Trentonian, the fish were lined up and the fishermen amongst the crew had them cleaned and gutted and turned over to the cooks.[38]
The cooks took the fresh fish and prepared them in milk so that all the Trentonian’s crew enjoyed a seafood feast that night.[39]
Trentonian’s crew posing with the fish caught by a single depth charge.
Photo credit: A. Singleton, courtesy of the Family of Maurice Campbell.
Trentonian arrived in Halifax on April 7.[40] Jim, who had been charged with assaulting a superior, was taken off the ship in cuffs for punishment. He had not said a word to anyone the entire trip from Newfoundland. As he passed the duty officer at the gangway, Jim stopped and turned to the officer, who was reported to have been the one to break into the galley for the chickens. Jim said, “I might do a lot of crazy things but I am not a chicken thief.” The whole crew broke into laughter.[41]