HMS OBDURATE 1943
The Barents Sea casualties are brought home before more Arctic convoys then mid-Atlantic anti-submarine duties turn the tide but Scapa Flow is 'home' again before year's end.
The Barents Sea casualties are brought home before more Arctic convoys then mid-Atlantic anti-submarine duties turn the tide but Scapa Flow is 'home' again before year's end.
It was the 11th of January before OBEDIENT and OBDURATE were able to leave Kola Inlet with casualties including Capt. Sherbrooke in OBEDIENT. Sailing at 1915 they made a fast run back to Scapa Flow arriving alongside Hospital Ship No3 (ISLE OF JERSEY) on Friday the 15th.
This ISLE OF JERSEY Honours Board carried in the ship after she returned to Southern Railways now hangs in the National Railway Museum at York.
On Saturday morning some destroyers, including OBDURATE, secured alongside their Depot Ship HMS TYNE where the ship's companies listened to an address by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr A V Alexander (pictured). He departed after lunch and the ships returned to their berths.
NB: Mr Alexander succeeded Winston Churchill at the head of Admiralty when Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940. He had previously been First Lord from 1929 to 1931 and this time remained so to the war's end.
OBDURATE in company with the destroyer BRECON sailed late on Monday for an overnight run to the River Tyne and Hawthorn Leslie's Hebburn on Tyne Yard for repairs. It gave the ship's company some respite and the chance to take Leave but there was always air raids to consider and fifteen hours of night blackout placed restrictions on work.
Three weeks later to the day OBDURATE left the Tyne to return overnight to Scapa Flow arriving at 0900 on Wednesday the 10th of February repaired and ready for her next Arctic run. HMS FAULKNOR (Capt D8) with INGLEFIELD, OPPORTUNE, OBEDIENT, ORWELL and OBDURATE left Scapa Flow in a gale at 0730 on the 16th to run up to Seidisfjord. They entered the fjord on the 18th to fuel and ready to pick-up Convoy JW53 (30 ships) that had left Loch Ewe on the 15th. The convoy was having a hard time in hurricane force winds which caused some to return leaving 22 ships to go on to Kola where they arrived on the 27th without loss.
NB: Mr Alexander succeeded Winston Churchill at the head of Admiralty when Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940. He had previously been First Lord from 1929 to 1931 and this time remained so to the war's end.
OBDURATE in company with the destroyer BRECON sailed late on Monday for an overnight run to the River Tyne and Hawthorn Leslie's Hebburn on Tyne Yard for repairs. It gave the ship's company some respite and the chance to take Leave but there was always air raids to consider and fifteen hours of night blackout placed restrictions on work.
Three weeks later to the day OBDURATE left the Tyne to return overnight to Scapa Flow arriving at 0900 on Wednesday the 10th of February repaired and ready for her next Arctic run. HMS FAULKNOR (Capt D8) with INGLEFIELD, OPPORTUNE, OBEDIENT, ORWELL and OBDURATE left Scapa Flow in a gale at 0730 on the 16th to run up to Seidisfjord. They entered the fjord on the 18th to fuel and ready to pick-up Convoy JW53 (30 ships) that had left Loch Ewe on the 15th. The convoy was having a hard time in hurricane force winds which caused some to return leaving 22 ships to go on to Kola where they arrived on the 27th without loss.
On Saturday morning some destroyers, including OBDURATE, secured alongside their Depot Ship HMS TYNE where the ship's companies listened to an address by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr A V Alexander (pictured). He departed after lunch and the ships returned to their berths.
NB: Mr Alexander succeeded Winston Churchill at the head of Admiralty when Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940. He had previously been First Lord from 1929 to 1931 and this time remained so to the war's end.
OBDURATE in company with the destroyer BRECON sailed late on Monday for an overnight run to the River Tyne and Hawthorn Leslie's Hebburn on Tyne Yard for repairs. It gave the ship's company some respite and the chance to take Leave but there was always air raids to consider and fifteen hours of night blackout placed restrictions on work.
Three weeks later to the day OBDURATE left the Tyne to return overnight to Scapa Flow arriving at 0900 on Wednesday the 10th of February repaired and ready for her next Arctic run. HMS FAULKNOR (Capt D8) with INGLEFIELD, OPPORTUNE, OBEDIENT, ORWELL and OBDURATE left Scapa Flow in a gale at 0730 on the 16th to run up to Seidisfjord. They entered the fjord on the 18th to fuel and ready to pick-up Convoy JW53 (30 ships) that had left Loch Ewe on the 15th. The convoy was having a hard time in hurricane force winds which caused some to return leaving 22 ships to go on to Kola where they arrived on the 27th without loss.
NB: Mr Alexander succeeded Winston Churchill at the head of Admiralty when Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940. He had previously been First Lord from 1929 to 1931 and this time remained so to the war's end.
OBDURATE in company with the destroyer BRECON sailed late on Monday for an overnight run to the River Tyne and Hawthorn Leslie's Hebburn on Tyne Yard for repairs. It gave the ship's company some respite and the chance to take Leave but there was always air raids to consider and fifteen hours of night blackout placed restrictions on work.
Three weeks later to the day OBDURATE left the Tyne to return overnight to Scapa Flow arriving at 0900 on Wednesday the 10th of February repaired and ready for her next Arctic run. HMS FAULKNOR (Capt D8) with INGLEFIELD, OPPORTUNE, OBEDIENT, ORWELL and OBDURATE left Scapa Flow in a gale at 0730 on the 16th to run up to Seidisfjord. They entered the fjord on the 18th to fuel and ready to pick-up Convoy JW53 (30 ships) that had left Loch Ewe on the 15th. The convoy was having a hard time in hurricane force winds which caused some to return leaving 22 ships to go on to Kola where they arrived on the 27th without loss.
In Kola a batch of 30 unloaded ships was gathering ready for the westward run and OBDURATE with the other escorts left Russia on the 1st of March to bring them back. Empty ships were themselves a very valuable commodity and the close escort for RA 53 was the same as for JW53 comprising 1 cruiser, 13 destroyers, 4 corvettes, and 2 trawlers. Over-the-horizon distant cover this time had the big guns of the Home Fleet including the Battleship KING GEORGE V (CinC HF) with a cruiser and 6 destroyers out of Iceland plus 3 cruisers out of Kola. Despite that three convoy ships were sunk by German submarine torpedoes and another foundered in bad weather. Four of the escort including OBDURATE & OBEDIENT left the convoy on the 7th to enter Seidisfjord in the early hours of the 9th. After refuelling they sailed again for Scapa arriving on the 11th of March.
THE HOME FLEET RECEIVE A ROYAL MORALE BOOST!
HM The King came on his second visit to the Fleet at Scapa Flow on Thursday the 18th of March. He was hosted by the Commander in Chief, Home Fleet, (Admiral Sir John TOVEY KCB KBE CB DSO) in KING GEORGE V. Coming from Scrabster in MILNE with INTREPID, FURY and Polish ORKAN he went on to visit HMS DUKE OF YORK and HOWE (Battleships), INDOMITABLE and ARCHER (Aircraft Carriers), TYNE (Destroyer Depot Ship) and BELFAST, CUMBERLAND, GLASGOW, JAMAICA and SCYLLA (Cruisers). He also embarked in ONSLAUGHT to go ashore to visit Hatston RN Air Station and later attend an ENSA show in the RN Cinema on Flotta that included comedian/actor/producer Leslie Henson the co-founder of ENSA*. On Sunday he inspected Divisions and attended Divine Service in KGV before boarding SCYLLA to return to Scrabster escorted by OBDURATE, OPPORTUNE and ORIBI at the end of his four day visit. As was the custom the King ordered 'Splice the Mainbrace' giving everyone an extra tot of rum gaining the hearty approval of most of the fleet
* ENSA - Entertainments National Service Association (nicknamed Every Night Something Awful)
THE HOME FLEET RECEIVE A ROYAL MORALE BOOST!
HM The King came on his second visit to the Fleet at Scapa Flow on Thursday the 18th of March. He was hosted by the Commander in Chief, Home Fleet, (Admiral Sir John TOVEY KCB KBE CB DSO) in KING GEORGE V. Coming from Scrabster in MILNE with INTREPID, FURY and Polish ORKAN he went on to visit HMS DUKE OF YORK and HOWE (Battleships), INDOMITABLE and ARCHER (Aircraft Carriers), TYNE (Destroyer Depot Ship) and BELFAST, CUMBERLAND, GLASGOW, JAMAICA and SCYLLA (Cruisers). He also embarked in ONSLAUGHT to go ashore to visit Hatston RN Air Station and later attend an ENSA show in the RN Cinema on Flotta that included comedian/actor/producer Leslie Henson the co-founder of ENSA*. On Sunday he inspected Divisions and attended Divine Service in KGV before boarding SCYLLA to return to Scrabster escorted by OBDURATE, OPPORTUNE and ORIBI at the end of his four day visit. As was the custom the King ordered 'Splice the Mainbrace' giving everyone an extra tot of rum gaining the hearty approval of most of the fleet
* ENSA - Entertainments National Service Association (nicknamed Every Night Something Awful)
HM King George VI with CinC Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser greeting Home Fleet Flag Officers in HMS DUKE OF YORK in 1943.
(L-R) Rear Admirals II.Glennie (FO HF Destroyers), H Hamilton (FO 1st Cruiser Sqn), R Burnett (FO 10th Cruiser Sqn) and Vice Admiral Sir Henry Moore (2nd I/C HF & FO 2nd Battle Sqn). Ships: HMS DUKE OF YORK and carrier FENCER (ARCHER sister ship).
(L-R) Rear Admirals II.Glennie (FO HF Destroyers), H Hamilton (FO 1st Cruiser Sqn), R Burnett (FO 10th Cruiser Sqn) and Vice Admiral Sir Henry Moore (2nd I/C HF & FO 2nd Battle Sqn). Ships: HMS DUKE OF YORK and carrier FENCER (ARCHER sister ship).
BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC
In the first months of 1943 out in the Atlantic the Germans were continuing to increase their U-boat activities with devastating effects upon our convoys. The Allies had lost over 300,000 tons of shipping in February to marauding submarine wolf-packs and those losses were beginning to threaten our supply lines and the survival of the nation. Clearly something had to be done about it and the decision was taken to form Hunter/Killer Groups of an aircraft carrier with a destroyer escort screen to supplement existing Atlantic convoy escorts. For this purpose the 17th Destroyer Flotilla was detached from the Home Fleet to Western Approaches Command at the end of March.
HMS OFFA, (Captain J A McCoy DSO RN) now Flotilla Leader (D17) in the absence of ONSLOW, left Scapa on the 19th of March for Liverpool to enable Captain D17 to be briefed at Western Approaches Command HQ, Derby House. That done OFFA was already at Londonderry as the other ships of the Flotilla arrived, ONSLAUGHT, OBEDIENT and ORWELL from Scapa Flow on the 22nd followed by OPPORTUNE and OBDURATE plus FURY and ECLIPSE on the 26th of March.
Operating out of the Clyde and then Hvalfjord, Iceland OBDURATE with OPPORTUNE and PATHFINDER formed Temporary Escort Group 5 (TEG5) with the aircraft carrier BITER. Together they gave additional air and sea protection in mid-Atlantic to convoy ONS4 (Liverpool 13th April to Halifax, Nova Scotia 5th May); SC129 (Halifax NS 2nd May to Liverpool 21st May) and HX237 (New York 1st May to Liverpool 17th May).
In the first months of 1943 out in the Atlantic the Germans were continuing to increase their U-boat activities with devastating effects upon our convoys. The Allies had lost over 300,000 tons of shipping in February to marauding submarine wolf-packs and those losses were beginning to threaten our supply lines and the survival of the nation. Clearly something had to be done about it and the decision was taken to form Hunter/Killer Groups of an aircraft carrier with a destroyer escort screen to supplement existing Atlantic convoy escorts. For this purpose the 17th Destroyer Flotilla was detached from the Home Fleet to Western Approaches Command at the end of March.
HMS OFFA, (Captain J A McCoy DSO RN) now Flotilla Leader (D17) in the absence of ONSLOW, left Scapa on the 19th of March for Liverpool to enable Captain D17 to be briefed at Western Approaches Command HQ, Derby House. That done OFFA was already at Londonderry as the other ships of the Flotilla arrived, ONSLAUGHT, OBEDIENT and ORWELL from Scapa Flow on the 22nd followed by OPPORTUNE and OBDURATE plus FURY and ECLIPSE on the 26th of March.
Operating out of the Clyde and then Hvalfjord, Iceland OBDURATE with OPPORTUNE and PATHFINDER formed Temporary Escort Group 5 (TEG5) with the aircraft carrier BITER. Together they gave additional air and sea protection in mid-Atlantic to convoy ONS4 (Liverpool 13th April to Halifax, Nova Scotia 5th May); SC129 (Halifax NS 2nd May to Liverpool 21st May) and HX237 (New York 1st May to Liverpool 17th May).
Exactly how many submarines there were no one knew but there had been 'packs' of as many as thirty-five operating together. The tonnage of ships lost was as follows: March 300,000 Tons, April 328,000T (56 ships) and May 265,000T (50 ships). A total of 16 U-Boats were sunk in April and in May another 45 were lost which forced Admiral Doenitz to order the withdrawal of his U-boat packs from the North Atlantic.
This was the point at which the Allies were later to affirm that the 'Battle of the Atlantic' was won. It had been a close run thing and whilst I would not, of course, suggest 'OBDURATE' swayed the German High Admiral she did contribute to the victory. TEG5 came home to Liverpool with convoy SC129 on the 17th of May and from there OBDURATE and OPPORTUNE continued to the Clyde to repair before returning to the Home Fleet and Scapa Flow on Sunday the 30th of May 1943
This was the point at which the Allies were later to affirm that the 'Battle of the Atlantic' was won. It had been a close run thing and whilst I would not, of course, suggest 'OBDURATE' swayed the German High Admiral she did contribute to the victory. TEG5 came home to Liverpool with convoy SC129 on the 17th of May and from there OBDURATE and OPPORTUNE continued to the Clyde to repair before returning to the Home Fleet and Scapa Flow on Sunday the 30th of May 1943
By 1700 the next day OBDURATE, with OBEDIENT, OPPORTUNE, MILNE (D3) and the cruiser BERWICK, was screening the CinC's Flagship DUKE OF YORK. They were also in the company of US battleships SOUTH DAKOTA and ALABAMA plus US destroyers ELLYSON, RODMAN, EMMONS, MACOMB and FITCH. They were on their way to Hvalfjord arriving on the 2nd of June. The Fleet, further reinforced by the carrier FURIOUS, cruiser SCYLLA and destroyers ECHO and MIDDLETON, left harbour at 0300 on Monday the 7th to go up to Akureyri where they anchored just before midnight. On Wednesday DUKE OF YORK and escorts above, less ECHO, MIDDLETON and the US ships, sailed to give distant cover during the replenishment of men and stores to the Norwegian Garrison at Spitsbergen. That complete they returned, via Kola Inlet, to Scapa Flow arriving late on Sunday the 13th. There was a little time now, in the early summer, to step onto dry land for some sport or a visit to the canteen and a bit of relaxation.
The repaired ONSLOW (Captain J A McCoy DSO RN) (Captain D17) led OBDURATE and OPPORTUNE to sea in the early hours of Friday the 18th to go down to Rosyth to meet and escort the battleship ANSON up to Scapa Flow returning with her at 0800 on Saturday.
Scapa Flow welcomed back the First Lord of the Admiralty on the 22nd. This time he was accompanied by Flag Officer Liaison USN Europe, Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Blake RN with the Commander of US Naval Forces in Europe, Admiral Stark USN, and the US Ambassador to Britain, Mr John G Winant. They came primarily to visit the USN ships which laid on a sea exercise for them. OPPORTUNE taxied the First Lord down to Scrabster on Friday morning and the other visitors departed on Saturday the 26th in HMS MAHRATTA.
A week later on Saturday the 3rd of July OBDURATE and ORWELL with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker BLACK RANGER were led to sea by ONSLOW (D17). They were on passage to Skaalfjord in the Faeroes from where the task was to hunt and destroy U-boats using the Iceland-Faroes Gap.
From the 7th to the 9th of July OBDURATE was detached to join ONSLAUGHT screening the cruisers BELFAST (CS10), KENT and LONDON that were part of a 40 ship diversionary battle-fleet off Norway sent to concentrate German attention there to the risk of an attack and so prevent German manpower being diverted to the Mediterranean theatre where the invasion of Sicily took place on the 9th/10th of July.
The Faeroes anti-submarine operation was temporarily abandoned on the 17th due to lack of targets and the participating ships (OPPORTUNE, which had relieved ONSLOW on the 12th) with OBDURATE, ORWELL and BLACK RANGER left Skaalfjord the next day for Scapa Flow arriving on Monday.
The diversionary action was repeated on the 27th of July this time including HMS DUKE OF YORK (CinC), USS SOUTH DAKOTA, BERMUDA and the aircraft carrier UNICORN screened by the 17th DF ships ONSLOW, OBDURATE and OBEDIENT plus GRENVILLE, ULSTER, MATCHLESS, SAUMAREZ, SCORPION and IMPULSIVE. They returned to Scapa Flow on the 29th
From the 7th to the 9th of July OBDURATE was detached to join ONSLAUGHT screening the cruisers BELFAST (CS10), KENT and LONDON that were part of a 40 ship diversionary battle-fleet off Norway sent to concentrate German attention there to the risk of an attack and so prevent German manpower being diverted to the Mediterranean theatre where the invasion of Sicily took place on the 9th/10th of July.
The Faeroes anti-submarine operation was temporarily abandoned on the 17th due to lack of targets and the participating ships (OPPORTUNE, which had relieved ONSLOW on the 12th) with OBDURATE, ORWELL and BLACK RANGER left Skaalfjord the next day for Scapa Flow arriving on Monday.
The diversionary action was repeated on the 27th of July this time including HMS DUKE OF YORK (CinC), USS SOUTH DAKOTA, BERMUDA and the aircraft carrier UNICORN screened by the 17th DF ships ONSLOW, OBDURATE and OBEDIENT plus GRENVILLE, ULSTER, MATCHLESS, SAUMAREZ, SCORPION and IMPULSIVE. They returned to Scapa Flow on the 29th
RFA BLUE RANGER (Black Ranger sister ship) Pic. John Carauna. HMS TYNE Destroyer Depot Ship.
OBDURATE, OPPORTUNE and OBEDIENT sailed on the 3rd of August to screen the aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS down to the Clyde overnight. All four ships then left in the evening of the next day screening HMT (RMS) QUEEN MARY carrying Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the first Quebec Conference with President ROOSEVELT where, with their civil and military staffs, they agreed plans and strategy for the coming year including the invasion of France (Operation OVERLORD). Leaving the QUEEN MARY to continue her high speed Atlantic crossing the four escort ships returned to the Clyde on Sunday the 8th and remained there until Friday the 13th.
By 0800 on the 13th ILLUSTRIOUS and UNICORN were leaving the Clyde escorted by OBDURATE, OPPORTUNE, OBEDIENT, SAVAGE and SCORPION to run down to Gibraltar arriving there on Tuesday the 17th. On the 19th OBDURATE, OPPORTUNE and USS BUCK left harbour around another carrier. This time it was INDOMITABLE and they were on their way to Norfolk, Virginia. Arriving on the 27th each watch had a chance to get ashore before leaving again on the 29th. INDOMITABLE was left behind for refitting as OBDURATE and OPPORTUNE sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia arriving on the 3rd of September.
The two destroyers with the cruiser KENT sailed from Halifax screening RENOWN carrying the Prime Minister and staff home from the Quebec Conference. Relieved by ORWELL and MATCHLESS out of St John's, Newfoundland OBDURATE and OPPORTUNE returned to fuel in Argentia on the 19th. They and the destroyer CALDER then sailed on Monday the 20th around the aircraft carrier VICTORIOUS to cover her continued passage home from Pacific operations. Arriving back in Scapa Flow on the 27th OBDURATE sailed later in the day for an overnight run to the River Humber and a 6-week refit.
Out of her refit on the 15th of November 1943 OBDURATE was back in Scapa Flow and ready to resume Russian Convoy duties the next day.
By 0800 on the 13th ILLUSTRIOUS and UNICORN were leaving the Clyde escorted by OBDURATE, OPPORTUNE, OBEDIENT, SAVAGE and SCORPION to run down to Gibraltar arriving there on Tuesday the 17th. On the 19th OBDURATE, OPPORTUNE and USS BUCK left harbour around another carrier. This time it was INDOMITABLE and they were on their way to Norfolk, Virginia. Arriving on the 27th each watch had a chance to get ashore before leaving again on the 29th. INDOMITABLE was left behind for refitting as OBDURATE and OPPORTUNE sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia arriving on the 3rd of September.
The two destroyers with the cruiser KENT sailed from Halifax screening RENOWN carrying the Prime Minister and staff home from the Quebec Conference. Relieved by ORWELL and MATCHLESS out of St John's, Newfoundland OBDURATE and OPPORTUNE returned to fuel in Argentia on the 19th. They and the destroyer CALDER then sailed on Monday the 20th around the aircraft carrier VICTORIOUS to cover her continued passage home from Pacific operations. Arriving back in Scapa Flow on the 27th OBDURATE sailed later in the day for an overnight run to the River Humber and a 6-week refit.
Out of her refit on the 15th of November 1943 OBDURATE was back in Scapa Flow and ready to resume Russian Convoy duties the next day.
In the afternoon of Monday the 22nd of November OBDURATE was underway to sea with the destroyers ASHANTI, MUSKETEER, MATCHLESS and USS CAPPS to escort USS RANGER (Commander Task Gp 121) and AUGUSTA up to Hvalfjord. The four RN ships were then detached on the 24th to proceed to Akureyri arriving the next day. On Sunday evening it was time for sea once more this time same four RN destroyers were in company with the cruiser BELFAST in a circle round the battleship ANSON, flagship of Vice Admiral Sir Henry Moore, DSO, CVO, CB, KCB, Commander 2nd Battle Squadron and Second in Command Home Fleet. Their task was to provide distant cover in the area of Bear Island for the eastbound convoy JW54A (19 ships) and westbound RA54B (10 ships). Both convoys completed their passage without loss though they and the Battlefleet did encounter bad weather as was to be expected at this stage of Arctic winter. The ships arrived back in Scapa Flow on Saturday the 4th of December.
It was again a short stay that gave little time to clean the ship, themselves and get some rest. OBDURATE was underway by 0700 on Tuesday the 7th of December with the destroyers TERMAGANT and KEMPENFELT to escort HMS KING GEORGE V to Gibraltar. The destroyers were relieved on the 11th and detached to go west to the Azores to refuel whilst KGV went east to Gibraltar to embark Winston Churchill. The Prime Minister had left UK in RENOWN on the 12th of November to attend conferences in Cairo and Tehran and, into December, had contracted pneumonia. Churchill was, with difficulty, persuaded by his doctors not to go home but instead to go Morocco to rest and recuperate. As a result KGV with the cruiser LONDON and escorting destroyers, ULSTER, ROCKET and GRENVILLE left Gibraltar on the 17th to go west to rendezvous with OBDURATE, TERMAGANT and KEMPENFELT and return to the UK. On the 20th a seaman was lost from the ship and had to be presumed drowned. OBDURATE was released on the 22nd to go to Moville for fuel before continuing her night passage to the Clyde. From there she and KGV left to make a Christmas Eve arrival at Scapa Flow.
OBDURATE made the best of Christmas 1943 tucked up in Scapa whilst out to the north-east on Boxing Day others, including sister ship OPPORTUNE, successfully battled for eleven hours to sink the German battleship SCHARNHORST. It was a success that greatly heartened not only the ships involved but the entire Home Fleet, Government and Country. The sinking had removed a substantial and hitherto constant threat to convoy ships and escorts alike but whilst the victory was welcomed sailors, inevitably, would later have reflected upon the fact that just 36 men survived from a crew of 1,968.
It was again a short stay that gave little time to clean the ship, themselves and get some rest. OBDURATE was underway by 0700 on Tuesday the 7th of December with the destroyers TERMAGANT and KEMPENFELT to escort HMS KING GEORGE V to Gibraltar. The destroyers were relieved on the 11th and detached to go west to the Azores to refuel whilst KGV went east to Gibraltar to embark Winston Churchill. The Prime Minister had left UK in RENOWN on the 12th of November to attend conferences in Cairo and Tehran and, into December, had contracted pneumonia. Churchill was, with difficulty, persuaded by his doctors not to go home but instead to go Morocco to rest and recuperate. As a result KGV with the cruiser LONDON and escorting destroyers, ULSTER, ROCKET and GRENVILLE left Gibraltar on the 17th to go west to rendezvous with OBDURATE, TERMAGANT and KEMPENFELT and return to the UK. On the 20th a seaman was lost from the ship and had to be presumed drowned. OBDURATE was released on the 22nd to go to Moville for fuel before continuing her night passage to the Clyde. From there she and KGV left to make a Christmas Eve arrival at Scapa Flow.
OBDURATE made the best of Christmas 1943 tucked up in Scapa whilst out to the north-east on Boxing Day others, including sister ship OPPORTUNE, successfully battled for eleven hours to sink the German battleship SCHARNHORST. It was a success that greatly heartened not only the ships involved but the entire Home Fleet, Government and Country. The sinking had removed a substantial and hitherto constant threat to convoy ships and escorts alike but whilst the victory was welcomed sailors, inevitably, would later have reflected upon the fact that just 36 men survived from a crew of 1,968.
SCHARNHORST 1939-1943
The ship's complement of nine officers continued to be commanded by Lt Cdr C E L Sclater in 1943. By October they were: Lt's Hewett, C R A Senior RCNVR, J H Pawle RNVR, Lt(E) G L Densham, Surg Lt M J Hood RNVR, S/Lt P W K Heywood RNR, S/Lt V P Mathews RNVR, Gunner F R Valentine. Others that came and went in 1943 were Lt W J Taylor and Midshipmen A R Ellis and M D Fortescue.
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This HMS OBDURATE 1943 section first published online 2000 and since revised.
