HMS Affleck (K462)

Originally destined for the US Navy she was provisionally given the name USS Oswald (later this name was reassigned to to DE 637) however the delivery was diverted to the Royal Navy before the launch. Commanding Officers were Lt K Pilditch on commissioning, then Cdr C Gwinner RN (Senior Officer 1st Escort Group).

1 Actions
2 General Information
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Actions

HMS Affleck served exclusively with the 1st Escort Group taking part in operations in the North Atlantic, off Normandy, and in the English Channel.

On February 26, 1944 in the North Atlantic at position 49.45N, 26.20W HMS Affleck together with HMS Gore and HMS Gould sank the submarine U-91 by the use of depth charges and then by use of main guns. When the damaged uboat surfaced and tried to ram HMS Affleck, this action resulted in 36 dead and 16 survivors from U-91's crew.

On March 1, 1944 in the Northern Atlantic north of the Azores at position 45.46N, 23.16W HMS Affleck together with HMS Gore, HMS Gould and HMS Garlies sank the submarine U-358 by the use of depth charges, resulting in 50 dead and 1 survivor from U-358's crew.

On the March 16, 1944 in the Straits of Gibraltar at position 35.55N, 05.41W HMS Affleck together with the destroyer HMS Vanoc and three 3 US Catalina aircraft (VP 63) sank the submarine U-392 by the use of a hedgehog attack, resulting in 52 dead (all hands) from U-392's crew.

On the June 25, 1944 HMS Affleck with HMS Balfour attacked a submarine believed to be U-1191 by the use of depth charges, this resulted in the sinking of the submarine with the loss of all hands. This action took place 25 miles south of Start Point at position 50.03N, 02.95W. It should be noted that the Kriegsmarine had U-1191 listed as missing (no radio contact) since June 12, 1944.

On December 26, 1944 at 14.14 hours off the French coast near Cherbourg U-486 fired three acoustic torpedoes at the 1st Escort Group hitting HMS Affleck and HMS Capel, this resulted in the sinking of HMS Capel. HMS Affleck was towed to port where the ship was written off as a Constructive Total Loss.

[edit] General Information

Pennant (UK): K 462
Pennant (US): DE 71
Built by: Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard Inc. (Hingham, Massachusetts, U.S.A.)
Laid down: April 5, 1943
Launched: June 30, 1943
Commissioned: September 29, 1943
Returned to US Navy: August 1945
Fate: Sold to the Lisbon-based Transcontinental Victory Commercial Corporation Ltd on January 24, 1947, refurbished and entered service in Portuguese Merchant Navy as Nostra De La Luz in 1954 serving into the 1970's.