Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

U-Boat U-33 Sunk In Battle Off Arran

U-33
Type VIIA
Ordered 25 Mar 1935
Laid down 1 Sep 1935 F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel (werk 556)
Launched 11 Jun 1936
Commissioned 25 Jul 1936 Kptlt. Ottoheinrich Junker
Commanders 25 Jul 1936 - 28 Oct 1938 Ottoheinrich Junker
22 Nov 1936 - 20 Dec 1936 Kptlt. Kurt Freiwald
3 Jun 1937 - 25 Jul 1937 Kptlt. Kurt Freiwald
29 Oct 1938 - 12 Feb 1940 Kptlt. Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky
Career 3 patrols 25 Jul 1936 - 31 Aug 1939 2. Flottille (front boat)
1 Sep 1939 - 31 Dec 1939 2. Flottille (front boat)
1 Jan 1940 - 12 Feb 1940 2. Flottille (front boat)
Successes 10 ships sunk for a total of 19,261 GRT
1 ship a total loss for a total of 3,670 GRT
Fate Sunk 12 Feb, 1940 in the Firth of Clyde, in position 55.25N, 05.07W, by depth charges from the British minesweeper HMS Gleaner. 25 dead and 17 survivors.

HMS Gleaner (J 83)
Minesweeper of the Halcyon class
Navy The Royal Navy
Type Minesweeper
Class Halcyon
Pennant J 83
Built by William Gray & Co. (Hartepool, U.K.) : N.E. Marine
Ordered
Laid down 17 Jun 1936
Launched 10 Jun 1937
Commissioned 30 Aug 1938
End service 2 Sep 1946
Loss position

History When completed HMS Gleaner was fitted out as a survey ship and but when war broke out she was at Plymouth undergoing conversion to a minesweeper. On completion of this conversion she joined the 1st Anti-Submarine Striking Force based at Belfast. She patrolled the waters between Belfast and Liverpool. From late November HMS Gleaner was part of the 2nd Anti-Submarine Striking Force, operating between the Clyde and Loch Ewe. In January 1940 she was transferred to the 3rd Anti-Submarine Striking Force.

On 12 February 1940 HMS Gleaner was on patrol off the Firth of Clyde. At 0250 hours a hydrophone contact was picked up and traced until at about 0316 hours a U-boat, U-33, was seen on the surface. U-33 dived and lay on the bottom. Gleaner carried out a depth charge attack at 0353 hours but little damage was done. A second attack was carried out at 0412 hours which caused more serious damage to gauge glasses, lights etc. and caused several leaks. The German Commanding officer, Kptlt. Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky, decided to bring U-33 to the surface which she broke at 0522 hours. HMS Gleaner opened fire on the U-boat and turned to ram her, firing as she approached, but before she could do so the crew started to abandon ship. U-33 finally sank taking 25 of her crew with her, leaving 17 survivors.

HMS Gleaner continued with anti-submarine duties until 12 August 1940 when she was detailed to relieve HMS Deptford as close escort to convoy OA-198 off the west coast of Scotland, becoming a member of the Northern Escort Force. At 1420 hours on 16 August an escorting aircraft reported having attacked and possible damaged a U-boat 180nm NW of Bloody Foreland. In a later report this aircraft claimed two direct hits by depth charges, the first blowing the U-boat to the surface with her decks awash. After the second, the U-boat healed over on it's side and sank. Gleaner was brought to the spot at 1630 howhere she carried out a sweep and at 1710 she signalled the aircraft she could not get a contact. After the was German records have shown this to be U-51. She was not sunk, as thought, but had suffered extensive damage to her machinery. Limping on the surface towards Lorient, she was attacked and sunk with all hands by HMS Cachalot on 20 August.

The Gleaner's second convoy, OA-204, was not so fortunate. The convoy consisted of 21 ships in 6 columns, protected by Gleaner (LtCdr H.P. Price) and the British corvette HMS Clematis. At 0023 hours on 29 August 1940 the convoy was attacked by U-100, the British steam merchant Hartismere was struck by one torpedo on the starboard side, underneath the bridge. One minute later the Commodore's ship, the British steam merchant Dalblair, was torpedoed amidships on her starboard side and sank in ten minutes. Gleaner sighted explosions and tried to cross ahead of the convoy, narrowly avaiding several collisions with ships which, without a Commodore and without any orders were scattering in all directions at full speed. Hampered by her lack of speed the Gleaner turned back to ensure the survivors were being picked up. At 0140 hours on 29 August the British steam merchant Astra II, was torpedoed and sunk rapidly. Gleaner picked up 20 survivors and at daylight proceeded to escort the damaged Hartismere to the Clyde. Later that night two other ships, one British and one Swedish were lost.

The remainder of HMS Gleaner's escort service was comparatively uneventful and in February 1942 she was taken in hand at Leith for conversion to a Fleet Minesweeper and to be fitted for Arctic conditions. On completion in May she joined the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla, Home Fleet and, as well as minesweeping patrols, she escorted convoys between Scapa Flow and the Icelandic ports of Hval Fjord and Seidisfjord and between Scapa and the Kola Inlet. This too was a quiet period for HMS Gleaner.

In June 1944, with other members of the 1st MSF, she took part in 'Operation Neptune'. On 25 August 1944 at 1540, HMS Gleaner suffered extensive damage from a near miss mine whilst sweeping to westward of Cap d'Antifer in follow up operations. Her main engine was put out of action and she was taken in tow for repairs in the UK. Once repaired she was involved in sweeps in the area of Margate Roads. On 14 March 1945 she was rendered unseaworthy following a collision with a pilot ship which left her with a six foot hole at deck level.

HMS Gleaner remained with the 1st MSF until 2 September 1946 when she paid off into reserve at Falmouth. On 12 May 1950 she was transferred to the British Iron and Steel Corporation for breaking up.

Commanding Officers:
Lt.Cdr. Hugh Percival Price, RN
7 May 1937 ? February 1941
DSO awarded on 24 April 1940

Lt.Cdr. Karl Eric Oom, RAN
February 1941 ? December 1941

Lt.Cdr. Evelyn David John Abbot, RN
December 1941 ? ???

Lt. John Osric Leatham Shelton, RN
??? ? 10 April 1942

Lt.Cdr. Frank Joseph George Hewitt, DSC, RN
10 April 1942 ? 29 September 1944
Bar to DSC awarded on 15 June 1943

T/A/Lt.Cdr. Harold Graham King, RNVR
29 September 1944 ? 16 July 1945
DSC awarded on 22 December 1944

A/Lt.Cdr. John Andrew Pearson, DSC and Bar, RNR
16 July 1945 ? still in command in October 1945 according to the Navy List

Commander From To
1 Lt. Hugh Percival Price, RN 7 May 1937 22 Feb 1941
2 Karl Eric Oom, RAN 22 Feb 1941 Dec 1941
3 Lt.Cdr. Evelyn David John Abbot, RN Dec 1941
4 Lt. John Osric Leatham Shelton, RN ??? 10 Apr 1942
5 Lt.Cdr. Frank Joseph George Hewitt, DSC, RN 10 Apr 1942 29 Sep 1944
6 Harold Graham King, RNVR 29 Sep 1944 16 Jul 1945
7 Lt. John Andrew Pearson, RNR 16 Jul 1945 Oct 1945 ?

Noteable events involving Gleaner include:

12 Feb 1940
The German submarine U-33 was sunk in the Firth of Clyde, in position 55?25'N, 05?07'W, by depth charges from the British minesweeper HMS Gleaner (Lt.Cdr. H.P. Price, RN).

29 Aug 1940
HMS Gleaner (Lt.Cdr. H.P. Price, DSO, RN) picks up 20 survivors from the British merchant Astra II that was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-100 148 nautical miles north-west of Bloody Foreland in position 56?09'N, 12?14'W.

4 Mar 1944
HMS Gleaner (Lt.Cdr. F.J.G. Hewitt, DSC and Bar, RN) picks up 68 survivors from the British merchant Empire Tourist that was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-703 in the Norwegian Sea in position 73?25'N, 22?11'E.