Allied Warships

HMS Holcombe (L 56)

Escort destroyer of the Hunt (Type III) class


Photo from Imperial War Museum (IWM), FL-13926

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeEscort destroyer
ClassHunt (Type III) 
PennantL 56 
Built byA. Stephen & Sons Ltd. (Glasgow, Scotland) 
Ordered28 Jul 1940 
Laid down3 Mar 1941 
Launched14 Apr 1942 
Commissioned17 Sep 1942 
Lost12 Dec 1943 
Loss position37° 20'N, 5° 30'E
History

At 1445hours on 12 December 1943, HMS Holcombe (Lt. Frank Maclear Graves, RN) was hit by a Gnat torpedo from the German submarine U-593 and sank north-east of Bougie, Algeria in position 37º20'N, 05º30'E. 83 members of her crew went down with the ship. The survivors were picked up by the US destroyer USS Niblack.

Earlier that day, the U-boat had sunk her sistership HMS Tynedale.

 

Hit by U-boat
Sunk on 12 Dec 1943 by U-593 (Kelbling).

U-boat AttackSee our U-boat attack entry for the HMS Holcombe

Commands listed for HMS Holcombe (L 56)

Please note that we're still working on this section.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt.Cdr. Sidney Hugh Pinchin, DSC, RN20 Jun 194216 Aug 1943
2Lt. Frank Maclear Graves, RN16 Aug 194312 Dec 1943

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Notable events involving Holcombe include:


22 Sep 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. J.P.H. Oakley, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at / off Scapa Flow with HMS Oribi (Cdr. J.E.H. McBeath, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Quality (Lt.Cdr. G.L. Farnfield, DSO, RN) and HMS Holcombe (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Pinchin, DSC, RN). (1)

25 Sep 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. J.P.H. Oakley, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at / off Scapa Flow with HMS Holcombe (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Pinchin, DSC, RN) and HMS Rotherham (Capt. F.S.W. de Winton, RN). (1)

1 Oct 1942
HMS H 34 (Lt. J.P.H. Oakley, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises at / off Scapa Flow with HMS Holcombe (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Pinchin, DSC, RN), HMS Obdurate (Lt.Cdr. C.E.L. Sclater, DSO, RN), HMS Martin (Cdr. C.R.P. Thomson, DSO, RN) and HMS Escapade (Cdr. E.N.V. Currey, DSC, RN). (2)

14 Dec 1942
HMS P 614 (Lt. H.W. Wilkinson, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Freetown together with HMS Bridgewater (Cdr. (retired) N.W.H. Weekes, OBE, RN), HMS Armeria (Lt. M. Todd, RNR) and HMS Holcombe (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Pinchin, DSC, RN). (3)

24 Dec 1942
HMS P 614 (Lt. H.W. Wilkinson, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Freetown together with HMS Holcombe (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Pinchin, DSC, RN), HMS Hydrangea (A/Lt.Cdr. J.E. Woolfenden, RD, RNR) and HMS ML 289 (T/Lt. S.E. Slater, RNVR). (3)

Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs
Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)

Sources

  1. ADM 173/17241
  2. ADM 173/17242
  3. ADM 173/17529

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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