Submarine Visits Lerwick 1942

[Murmanseld]

Hi Platon,
So for 1942 I list visits shown in the port records for the French submarines, Minerve, Junon and Rubis. Once more, if possible, it would be very nice to have those visits checked and details corrected if required for arrival/sail dates, where from and to along with patrol numbers.
Once more many thanks for very nice information and assistance
Brgds/John

[Platon Alexiades]

Hi John,

I am starting with FFS Minerve (I have anticipated your demand for 1943 and added it as it was short). Others will follow:

FFS Minerve:
Sailed from Dundee at 1300/10 February 1942 and arrived at Lerwick at 0915/14 February (delayed by bad weather).
Sailed from Lerwick at 1700/18 February for her 8th patrol off Fro Havet, returned to Lerwick at 1830/8 March 1942.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1100/19 March for her 9th patrol but returned at 1700/22 March because of engine defects.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1945/26 March in company with FFS Rubis and RNN Uredd escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Dundee on 1015/28 March.
Sailed from Dundee at 1400/14 April escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Lerwick at 1730/15 April.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1700/25 April for 10th patrol covering convoys PQ 15 and QP 11 and returned at 0525/7 May.
Sailed from Lerwick at 2000/16 May for patrol but aborted because of defects and returned at 1905/17 May.
Sailed from Lerwick on 21 May 1942 and arrived at Dundee for repairs on 22 May. No log for this period so time is unknown.
Sailed from Dundee at 1930/23 June with HMS Tribune escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Lerwick at 0115/25 June.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1205/25 June for 11th patrol to cover the ill-fated convoy PQ 17 and returned at 1325/11 July.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1800/12 July with HMS Trident (the latter detached to Scapa) escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Dundee at 0710/14 July for more repairs.
Sailed from Dundee at 1540/14 August escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Lerwick at 2010/15 August.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1140/16 August for 12th patrol (special operation CHEESE near Lister) and returned at 1145/26 August.
Sailed from Lerwick at 0507/2 September and arrived at Scapa at 1840/2 September.
Sailed from Holy Loch (after major refit at Blyth) at 1000/18 July 1943 and arrived at Lerwick at 0930/20 July.
Sailed from Lerwick at 2210/July for a her 13th patrol but early return due to defects and arrived at Lerwick at 1030/24 July.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1600/29 for her 14th patrol (anti-U-boat patrol in 64°20’ N, 00°55’ E) and returned at 1100/13 August.
Sailed from Lerwick for the Clyde on 14 August (no time as no log found).
FS Minerve never returned to Lerwick. She was sailing for Gibraltar when she was bombed in error on 10 October 1943 and badly damaged. She was never operational again in WW2.

Best regards,

Platon

[Murmanseld]

Hi Platon, very pleased to have these visits for Minerve checked and now be able to amend / correct my records where required. Thank you again.
Brgds / John

[Platon Alexiades]

Hi John,

FFS Junon:

Sailed from Scapa at 0800/6 March 1942 for 3rd patrol off Fro Havet returned to Lerwick at 1045/20 March.
Sailed from Lerwick at 0800/21 and arrived Dundee at 0500/23 March for repairs.
Sailed from Dundee at 1450/28 August for 4th patrol off Sognefjord and returned to Lerwick at 0814/4 September.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1050/8 September for exercises, returned to Cul Ness (Lunnae Voe).
Sailed from Cul Ness at 1350/9 September for passage to Boatsroom Voe at 1445/9 September.
Sailed from Boatsroom Voe at 1841/11 September for 5th patrol and Special Operation MUSKETOON in Glom Fjord, returned to Lerwick at 0845/19 September.
Sailed from Lerwick at 2330/19 September for Dundee, arrived at 0815/22 September.
Sailed from Dundee at 1150/11 October in company with HMS P.54 (detached to Holy Loch) and RNN Uredd escorted by Loch Monteith, arrived at Lerwick at 1812/12 October.
Sailed from Lerwick at 2305/12 October for 6th patrol off the Lofotens and returned at 1529/24 October.
Sailed from Lerwick at 2040/25 October for Dundee (brief stop at Bell Rock) and arrived at 0900/27 October.
Sailed from Dundee at 1630/9 November and arrived at Lerwick at 2335/11 November.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1000/11 November escorted by M.L.449 and arrived at Boatsroom Voe at 1450/11 November.
Sailed at 0645/13 November for her 7th patrol and Special Operations UPSILON and UPSILON II and returned to Lerwick at 0755/3 December.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1555/4 December and arrived at Dundee at 1000/6 December for docking and repairs.
Sailed from Dundee at 1445/22 January 1943 and arrived at Lerwick at 0840/24 January.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1715/24 January for 8th patrol off Stadlandet and returned at 1000/8 February.
Sailed from Lerwick at 0750/9 February with ORP Sokol, RNethN O.15 and HMS P.224 (Sickle) escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Dundee at 1435/10 February.
Sailed from Dundee at 1130/7 March escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Lerwick at 1525/8 March.
Sailed from Lerwick at 0758/10 March for 9th patrol and Special Operation UPSILON IV and returned at 1005/19 March.
Sailed from Lerwick at 0655/21 March escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Dundee at 1150/22 March for a major refit.
Sailed from Holy Loch at 1900/11 April 1944 escorted by Cutty Sark and arrived at Lerwick at 2200/13 April.
Sailed from Lerwick at 2200/14 April for 10th patrol off Trondheim (anti-U-boat patrol) and returned at 1600/27 April.
Sailed from Lerwick at 0000/28 April and arrived at Holy Loch at 0615/1 May.
She would never return to Lerwick but was ordered to the Mediterranean.

All this manually copied from my database. I have been careful but an error can always occur. Please feel free to point it out if this happens.

Best regards,

Platon

[Murmanseld]

Hi Platon, once more many thanks for these splendid details which is allowing me to correct and amend, where necessary, the information that I already hold. Two visits for Junon in 1943 were recorded in the port records as simply ‘FFS Submarine’ with corresponding dates to your data but no names so very pleased to now be able to identify what submarine this referred to.
Is there any mention in the patrol logs of what went on in Lerwick for any of these visits (thinking all submarines here) - there’s occasional mention in the port records of bunkering and taking on fresh water but these notes are few and far between. As part of the shore base Ambrose II at Lerwick, there was also a local camp for the crews which would suggest that some did stay over in Lerwick between patrols - these I think more likely to have been the Norwegian and French or Dutch crews although there is little to be found out locally about this. It would be good to know if there were any of the Subs actually based in Lerwick...?
Apologies for more questions!
Thanks again and best regards
John

[Platon Alexiades]

Hi John,

Unfortunately, the submarine reports reveal nothing on extra activities beyond the date and time of arrivals and departures at Lerwick. Sorry I cannot assist on that.

Please note that the patrol numbers for FFS Minerve and Junon listed in my text are those from the time after they arrived in the United Kingdom (June 1940). I did not include the patrols carried out during the 1939-1940 Campaign. Junon had already carried out three Atlantic patrols (off the Canaries) and Minerve one patrol (also off the Canaries). For FFS Rubis, four patrols were carried out before the French Armistice but these were all from the U.K. and have been included. Lack of spare parts made the French submarines difficult to maintain and patrols interrupted by defects were not rare, hence the frequent trips to Dundee. However, Rubis had to go to Dundee after each patrol to get a new outfit of mines as there were no mines depot at Lerwick.

FFS Rubis

Sailed from Dundee at 1630/12 March 1942 for 13th patrol and minelaying operation F.D. 37 (with 2 miles from 56°34' N, 06°16' E) and returned to Lerwick at 0915/26 March.
Sailed from Lerwick at about 1945/26 March in company with FFS Minerve and RNN Uredd escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Dundee at about 1015/28 March (time not given in her patrol report but “borrowed” from FFS Minerve).
Sailed from Dundee at 1700/8 April for 14th patrol and minelaying operation F.D. 38 (63°06' N, 06°36' E to 63°08.5' N, 06°30' E) and returned to Lerwick at 1600/15 April.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1500/16 April with HMS P.37 escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Dundee at 1830/17 April for docking and repairs.
Sailed from Dundee at 1400/10 September escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Lerwick at 2100/11 September.
Sailed from Lerwick at 0030/12 September for 18th patrol and minelaying operation F.D. 42 (69°43.6' N, 17°23' E to 69°39.5' N, 17°24.5' E) and returned to Lerwick at 1130/23 September.
Sailed from Lerwick at 0530/25 September with RN Uredd and HMS P.54 escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Dundee at about 1025/26 September (time not given in patrol report but “borrowed” from HMS P.54) for major refit.
Sailed from Dundee at 1315/18 September 1944 escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Lerwick at 1700/19 September.
Sailed from Lerwick at 2300/20 September for 25th patrol and minelaying operation F.D. 49 (58°45' N, 05°25.4' E, 58°45.1' N, 05°24.6' E and 58°45.9' N, 05°24.2' E) and returned at 1645/29 September.
Sailed from Lerwick at 0115/30 September with St. Magnus escorted by Elm and Hamlet and arrived at Dundee at 1510/1 October.
Sailed from Dundee at 0930/14 October escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Lerwick at 1630/15 October.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1000/16 October for 26th patrol and minelaying operation F.D. 50 (60°44' N, 04°39' E) and returned to Lerwick at 1630/22 October.
Sailed from Lerwick at 2230/24 October escorted by River Lossie, joined by HMS Trusty from Scapa at 1400/25 and arrived at Dundee at 0910/26 October.
Sailed from Dundee at 1600/18 November escorted by William Bradys and arrived at Lerwick at 0200/20 November.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1050/20 November for 27th patrol and minelaying operation F.D. 51 (three groups of mines ca. 58°27' N, 05°49' E) and returned to Lerwick at 1600/26 November.
Sailed from Lerwick at 0001/27 November escorted by Forfeit (who almost sank in a gale) and then escorted by Norzu and arrived at Dundee at 1700/29 November.
Sailed from Dundee at 1400/13 December escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Lerwick at 1715/14 December.
Sailed from Lerwick at 1400/15 December for 28th patrol and minelaying operation F.D. 52 (four groups of mines ca. 58°51’ N, 05°30’ E) and returned to Lerwick at 0130/21 December.
This was the last patrol of this famous submarine.
Sailed from Lerwick at 0001/23 December escorted by Loch Monteith and arrived at Dundee 1030/24 December.

Best regards,

Platon

[Murmanseld]

Hi Platon,

Excellent information again, many thanks.
Have just sent you a PM

Brgds/John

[phil morgan]

Greetings
I am in touch with the daughter of a RN officer who was on HMS Loch Monteith for much of WW2.
The family has quite a collection of diaries relating to that vessel.If you should send me a list of any relevant questions you want answers to, I will pass them on. Said daughter does not live locally, so communication will be slow. From what I can gather Loch Monteith was a trawler taken up by the Admiralty, not a Loch Class Corvette.

Good hunting

Phil

[Murmanseld]

Hi Phil,
Many thanks for your kind offer and yes I’d be very interested In finding out a little more about the movements of the HMT Loch Monteith during WW2. According to the port records she was certainly a regular around Lerwick, mainly involved with escorting submarines between Lerwick and Dundee but also carrying out other duties, possibly escorting other surface vessels, which it would be good to know more about. I still have a little way to go with transferring the written port records to computer and will revert when I have a list of visits for HMT Loch Monteith to send through.
Thanks again
John