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HMS Hebe
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Date of Arrival |
Place |
Date of Departure |
Orders, Remarks etc |
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Jan 1943 |
By the end of January the 17th MSF had accounted for 357
mines. In February, curiously, not a single mine was found, but in
March a minefield was located by chance when another ship had been depth charging a submarine contact. This was 5 miles south-west of
Filfla and 20 mines were swept here in depths of 250 - 500 fathoms.
More mines were swept at the beginning of April and by the end of the
month the grand total reached 419.
Source:
http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/malta3.htm |
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? |
Casablanca |
19.3.43 |
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? |
Casablanca |
27.4.43 |
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9.5.43 |
Casablanca |
? |
Hazard in company, ETA
Bark West 1220 |
|
15.5.43 |
On 15 May the four ships of the flotilla, with the MLs carrying out a
shallow sweep ahead, started to clear a small field which had been
laid just off Grand Harbour (St Elmo) by the Italians. Three mines
were swept but a fourth was struck by SPEEDY and it exploded under her
magazine, buckling the ship longitudinally and putting her shafts out
of line. She suffered a number of casualties, two men killed, two
missing and eight wounded. Although badly damaged she managed to limp
back to harbour assisted by the others of the flotilla. Shortly after
this HEBE was damaged from a near miss from a bomb while in harbour.
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28.6.43 |
Algiers |
? |
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SHARPSHOOTER, HAZARD and HEBE took part in the build up to, and the
execution of, Operation 'Husky' (the invasion of Sicily). The slow
assault convoy (KMS 18) after passing through position 35º00' N,
14º16'E was joined by the fleet minesweepers Hazard, Sharpshooter,
HEBE and Speedy. Paravanes were to be streamed before reaching the
200 fathom line.
9th July D -1
The weather deteriorated during the afternoon
and considerable swell created difficult conditions for the LCT
convoy, M/S and other small craft in company. As the speed of the
assault convoy had been reduced, sweeping from the 100 fathom line
was dispensed with in order to arrive at the release position in
time. The town of Pachino was observed to be on fire.
The minesweepers cleared the way for the landing craft to go ashore
on the beaches at ‘Bark West’ in the Eastern (British) sector to the
west of Pt de Formiche, the southernmost tip of
Sicily.
In the
landings on Sicily 115,000 British and Empire troops and more than
66,000 Americans were landed on the island, starting on 10 July
1943. The minesweepers were engaged in a variety of escort and
despatch duties. Seven days after the assault, HEBE, HAZARD and
SHARPSHOOTER were ordered to Malta where they arrived on the 18th.
|
HMS Hebe photographed from HMS Hazard
1943
(Source: HMS Hazard Assoc)
|
13.7.43 |
Malta |
13.7.43 |
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15.7.43 |
Able Seaman Esrom May P/JX
194562 died. |
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7.7.43 |
Tripoli |
17.7.43 |
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18.7.43 |
Malta |
9.9.43 |
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? |
Taranto |
8.10.43 |
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? |
Taranto |
19.10.43 |
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20.10.43 |
Bari |
? |
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22.10.43 |
Bari |
?22.10.43 |
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? |
Bari |
24.10.43 |
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25.10.43 |
Bari |
31.10.43 |
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? |
Brindisi |
7.11.43 |
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7.11.43 |
Bari |
10.11.43 |
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12.11.43 |
Malta |
14.11.43 |
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16.11.43 |
Bari |
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22.11.43 |
HEBE was sunk by a magnetic mine off the harbour entrance at Bari laid
by U453 (which made three minesweeping sorties off Bari and Brindisi)
the previous week. The explosion was abreast the bulkhead between the
boiler rooms on the port side, followed by a second explosion shortly
after. HEBE capsized within four minutes and sank with the loss of 38
of her crew.
Several boats from the 24th and 20th flotillas raced to
the scene of the explosion and rescued some of the officers and crew
members.
Mention in
Despatches: Acting Leading Seaman Todds formed part of a lifesaving
party sent away in HMS Sharpshooter’s whaler to rescue survivors from
HMS HEBE. He saw the Commanding Officer of HMS HEBE unconscious in the
water, dived overboard and supported Lt Galvin RN until picked up by a
hospital launch 10 minutes later, thereby saving the Commanding
Officer’s life.
Source:
ADM 1/29816 |
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HEBE and Sharpshooter were carrying out a routine magnetic sweep at
the entrance to Bari. We had just completed a run and were turning
around together - we would turn off the sweeps as we did this. As we
completed the turn we turned the power back on to our magnetic
sweep. A mine detonated immediately and poor old Hebe was caught up
in the explosion.
John
Budd, Stoker HMS Sharpshooter
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My wife's uncle (Jack Millward (John))
was shipwright on the Hebe and escaped the sinking by stripping off
and covering himself in grease so he could get out of the porthole.
When in the water he gave his life jacket to the doctor who could not
swim but unfortunately he died. Jack died last week at the age of 93,
he would have been 94 in February this year.
Source: Richard Peel, Jan 2007
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My father, Robert McLoughlin
was a Petty Officer on board HMS Hebe. He was a radar mechanic and
ship's writer and actually ashore at the time Hebe sank. The date
of the sinking was his first wedding anniversary.
I think most of his watch died. He didn't speak much about the
events of that day, but did tell a remarkable story. As he was
ashore he wasn't listed among the survivors and the worst was
feared. By coincidence, his lifelong friend George McFee was in Bari. George was in the Marines and I think a Commander. When he
learned of the Hebe's sinking he tried to find my father, but with
no luck. George was trying to work out a way of contacting my
mother to tell her the bad news when my old man appeared having
just heard that the Hebe had gone down. In all the years I knew
George, I never heard him swear, but my father said he'd never
heard so many swear words in one sentence. George managed to send a
telegram, bearing in mind censorship, it read: Wished Bob a happy
first anniversary when I saw him on the 24th. Happy anniversary,
Margaret from George.
The telegram arrived before the news of the Hebe's sinking and my
mum knew my father was okay.
My father died in 2000, and George in 2002, but to the end these
two friends did everything together.
Probably not much good to you, but I'm proud of my old man and
proud to have been one of George's friends as well.
Bill McLoughlin
28th August 2006
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