HMS Samphire (K128)
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HMS Samphire (Lt.Cdr. F.T. Renny, RNR) was a Corvette in the Royal Navy during World War II. She was built by Smiths Dock Co., Ltd. (South Bank-on-Tees, U.K.) and commissioned on 30 June, 1941.
The Samphire was one of the original corvettes of the 36th Escort Group that did valuable convoy work, sailing from Liverpool to the Mediterranean. That group of corvettes were under the supreme command of no less a person than Britain’s Ace U-boat killer, the late Captain F. J. Walker, DSO, RN of HMS Stork.
Events involving the HMS Samphire included the sinking of the German submarine U-567 in the North Atlantic north-east of the Azores on December 21, 1941 in which she successfully released depth charges with the British sloop HMS Deptford and made contact at 44.02N, 20.10W.
The HMS Samphire also assisted in the rescue of 9 survivors from the British merchant Edencrag, which was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-443 west of Algiers on December 14, 1942.
Unfortunately, the HMS Samphire herself was torpedoed and sunk off Bougie, Algeria, in position 36.56N, 05.40E while escorting convoy TE-14, by the Italian submarine Platino (Lt.Cdr. Patrelli Campagnano).
