A Naval career - part 3 of 4

A Naval career — part 3 (of 4)

Conversions to mine warfare

As the war in the Mediterranean progressed, submarines became less and less of a threat; to be replaced by surface actions (mostly our MTBs and MGBs versus Enemy “E”, “R” boats or flak lighters) or increased use of mines in the shallower waters. The latter affected both us and the enemy. In forward planning at some stage we came under the US Navy and I think that they perhaps concluded that ML must mean `mine layer'. We were built with deck chocks to accommodate 8 moored mines, so for one operation somewhere south of Elba, it was `off depth charges' and `mount mines'. Laying was of course done on a moonless night and in very close formation (keeping station on phosphorescent wakes), with the only light being a single dim flash from the boat ahead, to indicate that it had laid its last mine. Of course we never knew if our lay had any effect and were somewhat relieved when we moved to the other side of the battle and converted to mine sweeping.

At some stage after the Salerno landings the Navy was disconcerted to find that the Germans had made several considerable advances in moored mine technology:-

(1) The moored magnetic (Type Oboe, c. 700lb charge) extended the magnetic hazard into water too deep for bottom laying. Being wooden built the MLs had advantages over the larger Fleet Mine- sweepers for whom we could clear an initial channel.

(2) The enemy took to laying contact mines, with several metres of heavy chain between the mine and the top of the steel mooring wire. This could not be cut with the traditional serrated wire sweep. However, we found that the systematic Germans had equipped themselves with a much heavier sweep wire than we used and which incorporated three explosive charges each able to break a mooring chain. The continuity of the sweep was maintained by wire loops connected to the sweep above and below each charge, which trailed far enough behind the charge not to be blown apart as was the mooring chain. These we found in the captured Taranto dockyard and fitted them (31 MLF only) in Malta or Ischia, having removed the "Y gun" and all but six depth charges.

(3) Much more difficult for us was the extension to the radius of action of mines moored at an effective depth by clipping a cage on a horn, to which was attached a long `floating snag line'. This was supported by corks all painted blue and very difficult to see if there was the least wind on the water. Any sharp tug on the line and the mine detonated. (I met these more often in the Adriatic after I had left ML 557, see notes added on the mining of ML 558).

Cutting mine-moorings merely lets them float, visible but still active. Dangers can be postponed if they are sunk, a rifle fire task for which MLs were in much demand. It is not easy to puncture mines with armour-piercing 0.303in. using service rifles fired from the shoulder from the rolling deck of a necessarily stationary ML, with the mine bobbing up and down in the water. Occasionally there was a surprise when they detonated (particularly the moored magnetics) then it was safest neither to be too close nor too far away. One particular minefield we encountered was laid with mines, fitted with a device to detonate them when the mooring was cut. These gave an impressive splash. Tensions in the sweep wire could tell you when these explosions would occur, so offering predictable `photo-opportunities' (in modern terminology).

After conversion to minesweeping, the 31st MLF was kept very busy, sometimes working independently to locate minefields, or quite often in front of the 19th Flotilla of Fleet Minesweepers. At first it was up the Italian west coast, clearing the way to Anzio, then into the Straits of Bonafaccio (between Corsica and Sardinia) and ports on these islands, also to open the way for the landings on Elba (which was quite fiercely opposed) and (in advance of the Fleet Minesweepers) another night sweep for the much larger landing operation the south of France (the plans for which sounded fearsome but which proved relatively peaceful.)

The following are quotes from Farmer Lloyd extracted from Flag 4: The battle of Coastal Forces in the Mediterranean. By Dudley Pope, (1954) William Kimber, London. p. 238 et seq.

The eight boats of the 31st MLF were fitted with captured German minesweeping gear designed for `small fast craft'.... it allowed the MLs to sweep at surprising speeds; they could do 11 knots with a single sweep and 9 knots with double sweeps. ... however the craft could not stop without recovering the kites. There was no hydraulic system to get the sweeping gear aboard again, it all had to be hauled in on a hand-winch and lifted aboard with a hand-derrick.

The first division of the 31st, Lloyd, Coleridge, Waugh, Wilmot and Blair - were to sweep ahead of the American assault force to land on the coast near St Tropez. "Standing on the bridge of 556(?) looking over a placid oily sea, I could not get the secret chart out of my mind, with its peculiar markings showing heavy and light gun batteries dotted along the shore .... but in any case we had to go right in and try to come out again. .... I gave the order to draw ahead of the convoy, knowing that the other boats would follow, and when we had put enough distance between the convoy and ourselves we started to stream our sweeps.

"This rather complicated operation had, by this time, become almost automatic with the crew and we worked each phase of it according to a time table, flashing a blue light astern to mark the completion of each. .... At last all were ready and we moved toward the French coast, which was already showing the first glow of dawn. Less light would have made it more difficult for the shore gunners; more light would help us to see any floating or surface-laid mines. Sweeping conditions were perfect, with no wind, a flat sea and very little current to worry about."

" We went right in until our gear was nearly sweeping the sea bed and then I started to turn. Until then no shot had been fired by either side. We were half way in our turn when there were flashes ashore and bursts over our heads. ... To seaward was a line of flashes where the big guns were opening up with all their heavy stuff. Closer inshore were occasional skyward waves of fire as the LCRs (now within range) sent up their rockets to descend on the defences and blow them to dust."

"A shoal of small fast craft low in the water darted past us ... the assault landing craft
going into the beach along the channel we had swept .... At last Farmer's boys have done something worthwhile I shouted ...."

Allied shipping losses were negligible. Coastal Force losses included ML 563 mined while rescuing survivors from a ship already mined. ML 562 damaged by an 88mm shell, ML 559 damaged by two mines being detonated close ahead, and three PT boats all mine victims.

First command, HDML 1246

Soon after the South of France landings I had to leave the 31st. ML Flotilla to take command of HDML 1246 in the Adriatic. In an attempt to bring some order to the various warring factions in the islands and coastal regions of Yugoslavia the Royal Navy had placed a cruiser in each of the ports of Dubrovnik, Split and Zara (Rechristened Zardar by Tito). We were assigned to Zardar (in Croatia) to accompany and protect HMS Colombo from limpeteers, human torpedoes, etc. The normal duties of these small (72 ft.) boats was harbour defence but their size, quietness and extreme manoeuvrability made them capable of much more active but cryptic roles `among the islands'. These varied from placing or retrieving agents or air-crews to tying to coastal rocks under camouflage nets to detect and report enemy movement. (When I took over I understood that HDML 1246 was one of these `Special Service HDs'. I later learnt that several hours before the landing on Elba, she had a difficult time landing commandos to capture two `Flak-ships' (F lighters) and to establish the `Beach Captain' in readiness for the arrival of the main assault.) We had an extremely rough crossing from Ancona to Zara and stove in the forrard messdeck hatch cover but fortunately the deck level hatch survived. In Zara we berthed on top of a capsized German F Lighter for several weeks before someone thought of looking to see what it had been carrying. They found 70 (moored magnetic) mines each with c. 700lb HE. They were of course not armed but we felt relieved that by the winter of 1944-1945 raids by air or sea were almost over. We had a relatively gentle time but "Jugland" displayed chaotic confusion with six different land or naval forces of whom one did not know from day to day who was really friend or who foe. We found it strange to witness daily `tribal' type dance performances by grenade-festooned partisans on the jetty alongside us. Fifty years later the troubles of Bosnia have sadly brought much more general realization of the local racial and religious hatreds. They seem no nearer to solution now than they were then. I enjoyed my brief spell in "1246". It was a reliable, diesel-powered, strongly built boat that was extremely manoeuvrable, and had a tough largely Glaswegian crew. It offered a good start `in command' but lasted only a few winter months.

The longest serving skippers were beginning to be posted back for home leave as demands in the Med diminished. I therefore returned to a "B", (ML480) of the 3rd (Malta) Flotilla (shortly afterwards reformed as the 41st.Flotilla). She sported a Bofors gun on the bow instead of the usual rather ineffective 3 pounder, but my time with her was spent in the northern Adriatic, working from Ancona and small ports further north. Fighting was almost over but there was a lot of `clearing-up' to be done. One amusing incident for me was to be SNO (senior naval officer) of a small operation (involving several LCTs and MLs) to put ashore “Popski's Private Army” to clear the German remnants off the delta mouth islands of the River Po. Never during active hostilities did we experience such intense air cover, perhaps meant to induce surrender ashore.

Most of our work was mine clearance, which took us towards Venice where the Italians complained that detonating every mine caused subsidence of the piles on which the city was built. Venice seemed a fascinating place which, fortunately, was much less damaged than most of the cities I had been able to visit.

The allies needed to open the port of Trieste to bring relief and food closer to the Balkans. The north of the Adriatic had been heavily mined; snag-lines were very prevalent so there was a strong need for us to clear a path in front of the Fleet Sweepers. The flotilla was sent in an Operation misnamed "Hopeful" to find a route across the northern Adriatic. There was intelligence to suggest that many mines had been laid across the route intended, so the course was altered, this may have avoided some but it led us straight into others.

The effective end of the air-war enabled us to have the assistance of an airborne `mine-spotting officer' (a very rotund chap who bulged out of the cabin window of an antique and ponderous Walrus flying boat, seemingly threatening its stability). When he thought he saw mines he either dropped a smoke flare, waggled the Walrus, or gesticulated wildly. Despite his best efforts his help proved of doubtful value because he was unable to distinguish between mines underwater and the equally large and more numerous jelly fish that were not so lethal. Neither could he spot the snag-lines that were the greatest hazard to us.

Sad experiences had shown that a mine striking the bow would blow-off the mess-deck, whereas if it (or more probably a snag line) caught a propeller or rudder, then it blew off the wardroom as far forward as the aft bulkhead of the petrol tank space. Crew stationed amidships (even below decks) were relatively safe. Therefore when sweeping (except at night) we tried to have only one look-out right forrard, clinging to the jack staff, to spot mines or snag lines. His only instruction was to run aft as quickly as possible if he spotted anything, then engines would be briefly put full astern and you hoped to have the way off the boat before you got to the mine or be able to drift off it, if alongside. The other most exposed rating was the one on the stern with a foot on the sweep wire to detect a mine in sweep. His greatest danger was from a snag line caught aft without having been spotted.

This worked very well provided there was not too much wind to ruffle the surface. In the over-optimistically named `Operation Hopeful', it failed to protect the leader of the sweep ML 558. A snag-line caught on a propeller or rudder, detonated the mine and blew off wardroom and stern to matchwood, lifted the whole boat out of the water and threw the `sweep-watcher' high into the air, but not quite far enough, because he landed on the bow rather than in the water ahead (sadly he later died). The next boat ML 459 went to assist, so 480 which had been third, found herself in the lead. We knew one mine had detonated, we and boats astern had seen and cut others where we had dropped dan buoys, so there must now be some gap in the lay. Having been given the choice, to me it seemed that rather than try to turn round with snag lines so difficult to see in ruffled water, it seemed far better to continue ahead. Eventually (with the remains of 558 in tow by 459) the flotilla made the west coast of Istria where we anchored in San Giovanni Bay. After several gins and some welcome sleep, next morning revealed I had smoked 63 cigarettes the day before! There was also then a chance to inspect the damage to 558, remove anything confidential and beach her. The Italian vultures were already hovering. What a haul they must have had of petrol, I hope not too many blew themselves up with the ammunition.

The mine had destroyed almost everything aft of the tank space, the bulkhead of which had been ruptured but without fuel leakage. The wardroom deckhead had been folded forrard and inverted over the aft Oerliken, one of the depth charges had been dislodged and lost but was not set to detonate. Altogether, the ability to withstand such damage with so few casualties is a considerable tribute to the design, construction and builders, as well of course as a powerful consolation to most of the crew.

By then it was very nearly VE Day, so we made our way towards Trieste, (using the German coastal swept channel). En route we were called up by a lighthouse with the message in International Code -"Here 300 Germans, please take us prisoner." We had to reply "MRU (much regret unable), too busy." We did a few jobs in Trieste, (which we were the first allied ships to enter) and around Istria including checking-out the Island of Brioni, which Tito later took over as his `country retreat'. But shortly after returning to Italy I was relieved for posting home to UK. I took passage in the old battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth. The comforts of the wardroom were a change, but did not change my mind about my preference for the freedom of Coastal Forces (or "Costly Farces" as we often called them). In the train from Plymouth to London I read (in the first UK daily paper I had seen for almost three years) of the atom bomb that had been dropped on Hiroshima.

JM Hirst
Bristol
20/5/1997

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