|
Date of Arrival |
Place |
Date of Departure |
Orders, Remarks etc |
|
16.11.43 |
Portsmouth |
|
Report JASON cannot
complete before Jan 12th |
|
16.1.44 |
Portsmouth |
15.2.44 |
Completed refit, trials
from 21/1 onwards. |
The JASON was a happy ship, although (or perhaps because) discipline
was strict. The facilities were good - sick bay, medical officer,
ship's canteen for the crew, good food and a good atmosphere in the
wardroom.
Source: A Passage to Sword Beach, Brendan A Maher |
|
15.2.40 |
Trials
complete, left
Portsmouth
heading for Scapa, and joined convoy PW heading west. By 17th Feb,
off Anglesey, arrived Cromarty Firth on 19th Feb.
|
|
19.2.44 |
Invergordon |
28.2.44 |
JASON joined the Bangor
15th MSF
led by HMS
Fraserburgh - now in Force S. To carry
out night sweeping exercises.
20-27/2
Carried out
minesweeping exercises including several night sweeps. |
|
28.2.44 |
Scapa |
7.3.44 |
On 28/2 JASON joined
Harrier, Hussar and Speedwell at Scapa for anti-submarine work-up. |
|
3.3.44 |
|
|
Sweeping
exercise with Speedwell, Halcyon and Hussar, along with Alexander
Scott and Craftsman as dan layers |
|
4.3.44 |
|
|
Sweeping
exercise with 1st MSF in
Pentland Firth. |
|
5.3.44 |
Scapa |
|
Radar
calibration then firing exercise with Speedwell and Hussar (Halcyon
in floating dry dock having fouled a wire around propellers). Then
night sweeping. |
|
6.3.44 |
|
|
Hussar,
Speedwell and JASON start A/S work-up with submarine in exercise
area. Britomart arrived in Scapa in afternoon. Night sweeping
exercise (Halcyon having rejoined flotilla). |
|
7.3.44 |
|
|
Slipped at
1900 and proceeded in Order 1 (i.e. ships ranked in order of
seniority of their Commanding Officers) - Britomart, Hussar,
Halcyon, Speedwell, JASON, Alexander Scott, Craftsman. |
|
8.3.44 |
Port Z A |
? |
By 9th
March, JASON, Harrier (SO), Speedwell and Hussar had been joined by
Britomart, Gleaner, Halcyon, Salamander and Seagull and the 1st
MSF proceeded to carry out minesweeping exercises. |
|
11-14.3.40 |
|
|
Sweeping exercises |
|
15.3.44 |
|
|
Night
sweeping exercises - this was an exact rehearsal of the night of the
5th/6th June, giving the D-Day planners chance to work out exact
timings. |
|
17.3.44 |
Aultbea |
17.3.44 |
|
|
16-23.3.44 |
|
|
Night and
daytime sweeping exercises, also man overboard drill. |
|
24.3.44 |
Inverness |
24.3.44 |
|
|
24.3.44 |
Invergordon |
|
Arrived
Invergordon. Rest of 1st MSF there, including Seagull and Gleaner,
making eight ships in the flotilla there. |
|
28.3.44 |
Invergordon |
|
Left
harbour, carried out sweep. |
|
29.3.44 |
|
|
Returned
harbour, exercise cancelled. |
|
30.3.44 |
|
|
0230 Left
harbour to continue exercise - sweeping ahead of bombarding force,
laying smokescreen at dusk, preparing for E-boat attack, responding
to repeated calls to action stations, and forming a perimeter
defence line - precisely what happened on D-Day. Returned to
Cromarty. |
|
3.4.44 |
|
|
Arrived at
Firth of Forth in thick fog - Harrier and Britomart to Leith, JASON
and remainder to Rosyth. |
|
4.4.44 |
Rosyth |
12.4.44 |
Refit. D of D 10/4
Taken in hand 4/4 Rosyth. Completes 10/4
12/4
Slipped and
proceeded east down
Forth
in line ahead. |
|
12.4.44 |
Tyne |
14.4.44 |
Entered Tyne
and embarked ammunition at North Shields. Reception on board JASON
for Mayor and other dignitaries. |
|
14-22.4.44 |
|
|
Flotilla
(Britomart, Gleaner, Halcyon, Harrier, Hussar, JASON, Seagull and
Speedwell) with Alexander Scott, Craftsman and Colsay (dan layers)
sweeping off Tynemouth. Area cleared. |
|
23.4.44 |
|
|
Proceeded
to Harwich. Particularly alert as E-boats were anticipated. |
|
24.4.44 |
Harwich |
|
Arrived
Harwich. Trouble with a drunken stoker who appeared on deck of JASON
(he was later sentenced to 6 months in Maidstone Prison but this was
later commuted to 6 months loss of all leave because the prison was
full). |
|
27.4.44 |
Harwich |
|
Loaded
Oerlikon ammunition. |
|
1.5.44 |
|
|
1st MSF
sailed for
Portsmouth |
|
6.5.44 |
Harwich |
13.5.44 |
|
Part of the preparation was the participation in Fabius IV – one
of a series of exercise landings which took place on a south coast
beach early in May. More night sweeping was also practised, when a
reversal of course when half way through the minefield because of
the change of tide which meant a changeover of sweep from port to
starboard. Also, the Halcyon’s minimum speed for sweeping was 7
1/2 knots, but the maximum speed for the following landing craft
was 5 knots and they would soon be left behind. The flotilla
therefore had to reverse course twice during the night to allow
the landing craft to keep up.
Source: Jack Williams, They Led the Way. |
|
14.5.44 |
Portsmouth |
18/5
Sailed from
Spithead
eastwards down the Solent to off-shore Shoreham on Sea - swept
inshore. 0530 (19/5) E-boat seen, smoke screen laid until 0615. |
|
3.6.44 |
Portsmouth |
All Commanding Officers and Navigators of 1st MSF went for a
briefing in the theatre at HMS Vernon. On return to ships they were
in good spirits and were 'sealed' i.e. banned from shore leave.
Orders were at 1300 on 4th to proceed down the eastern
Solent and set course for
France.
About 25 miles south of Selsey Bill, sweeps would be streamed and a
40 mile approach channel to the Baie de la Seine would be swept, to
be finished to the north of Ouistreham. Sweeps would be veered at
2030 on the 4th and taken in at 0600 on D-Day. Orders later received
delaying by one day.
Extracts from A Passage to Sword Beach – Brendan Maher |
|
5.6.44 |
CLICK HERE FOR AN
ACCOUNT OF THE HALCYON'S ON D DAY
1st MSF left
Solent (anchorage 28) - to
Spithead
then towards France.
1952
Commenced sweep of channel 9, reaching lowering position at 0325.
Channel 9 was one of the approach channels for Canadian troops who
were in landing ships behind the minesweepers.
Maher |
|
6.6.44 |
0430 In sweeps - shells from coastal guns dropping near. The
Flotilla turned into unswept water between channels 9 and 8 to
allow the landing craft through, it was expendable by then.
Later that
day, 1st MSF sweeping between channels 5 and 6.
Maher |
|
8.6.44 |
1st MSF in
Solent
|
|
9.6.44 |
0230 1st MSF slipped, proceeded to sea and swept for 15 hours,
anchoring off Port-en-Bessin.
2055 -
Beach bombed, action stations.
2132 -
Secured from action stations.
2140 -
Heavy flak over anchorage - action stations. Seven FW aircraft
flew overhead at 100 feet.
2215 -
Secured from action stations. HMS Hussar carries out depth charge
attack on U-boat.
Maher
|
|
10.6.44 |
0200 E-boats seen.
0415 bombs
dropped.
0600 -
weighed and commenced sweep until 2020
Maher |
|
11.6.44 |
Proceeded to
Flagship HMS Scylla. |
|
18.6.44 |
Damaged in collision;
stem bent, frames buckled and forepeak flooded. |
|
20.6.44 |
Spithead |
? |
|
|
23.6.44 |
Harwich |
29.6.44 |
FO I/C Harwich 7/6
JASON intend sailing in hand June 24th Completion date
June 28th |
|
29.6.44 |
Southend |
29.6.44 |
|
|
30.6.44 |
France ETF |
? |
|
|
? |
Portsmouth |
8.7.44 |
JASON 6/7 Sustained
damage. Request berth up harbour on arrival. |
|
18.7.44 |
Portsmouth |
22.7.44 |
Repairs |
|
? |
Portsmouth |
21.8.44 |
|
After D-Day the 1st MSF's main task was keeping the swept channel
between Portsmouth and Arromanches clear of mines. On 22nd August,
operating out of the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches, they were
sent to clear a magnetic minefield off Cap d'Antifer. This was to
enable the battleship' Warspite' to get closer to the French coast
to bombard the port of Le Havre still in German hands. On being
ordered back to their previous duty after a maintenance day at
Arromanches, the Commanding Officer of HMS JASON (SO 1st MSF in
the absence of the Flotilla leader) pointed out to the staff at
the minesweeping HQ that the urgent task off Cap d'Antifer was not
completed. An amending signal, cancelling the return to the
Portsmouth/Arromanches channel, was duly made.
The 1st. Flotilla, led by HMS JASON and including the Britomart,
Hussar, Salamander and the trawler 'Colsay', began their fifth day
of minesweeping on Sunday, 27th August, 1944. At about noon on 27
August when the ships were sweeping, an RAF reconnaissance
aircraft flew over low, the pilot returning the waves from the
ships' companies. Between 1330 and 1340 on this beautiful day,
with the sea smooth as a duck pond, sixteen RAF rocket-firing
Typhoons, of 263 and 266 Squadrons accompanied by a Polish
squadron of Spitfires, swooped out of the sun and attacked the
Britomart. On their second attack, the Salamander and Hussar were
hit. In just over 10 minutes, two ships were burning and sinking,
a third badly damaged and on fire. Men swimming in the water were
now subjected to shelling from the German shore batteries.
Hussar and Britomart were sunk and HMS Salamander so severely
damaged as to be beyond economical repair. The minesweeper JASON
and the dan laying trawler Colsay were also damaged in the attack.
A total of 78 officers and ratings were killed and 149 wounded,
many seriously. Twenty two men were killed on the Britomart and
fifty five on Hussar. Survivors were later told to 'keep their
mouths shut about the whole affair'.
A court of inquiry, held at Arromanches two days later, found that
this appalling blunder was due to "an error in communications".
This regrettable episode occurred because the signal ordering the
1st MSF to resume their task off Cap d'Antifer, rather than
sweeping off Arromanches, was not repeated to the Flag Officer
British Assault Area. Although, therefore, the reconnaissance
aircraft had reported the ships as friendly and the leader of the
airborne Typhoons had twice questioned his orders to attack, the
shore staff persisted with the strike because it was thought that
enemy vessels were trying to enter or leave Le Havre. The RAF was
completely exonerated.
Source:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/maritime-2b.html
Source:
National Maritime Museum: Royal Navy Historical Branch - Ship's
Histories
Members of HMS JASON’s crew killed during this incident:
Ordinary Seaman James Arthur Manley P/JX625448, age 19 from West
Drayton, Middlesex
Ordinary Seaman Herbert Godwin Stokes P/JX385372 age 19 from
Hounslow, Middlesex
CLICK
HERE FOR A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE EVENTS OF 27TH AUGUST 1944
|
HMS JASON" comes under friendly fire after the D-Day landings by
Thomas Jackson
Sixty years ago on August 27th 1944, I was 22 years
of age, on board His Majesty's Royal Navy Ship "HMS JASON" of the
1st Minesweeping Flotilla. The flotilla, having swept with other
minesweeping flotilla the whole area for the invasion forces on
D-Day, was now moving up the French coast sweeping the areas to
open up the French ports for the 8th Army. Unknown to me at this
point the flotilla was heading for what we now call "friendly
fire". It started when our lead ship "HMS Halcyon" had to go back
home for a boiler clean, which meant "HMS JASON" taking over the
flotilla of five ships and two trawlers. We anchored up for a day
for ships to carry out repairs to equipment and to allow ships'
companies to clean up the decks.
The day after, we set sail at dawn for the coastal area, a
glorious Sunday sunny day sea calm. I had the forenoon watch on
the bridge. At noon Ted (Samuels) relieved me, I went below for my lunch.
Suddenly there were explosions and action stations sounded. My
action station was the flag deck below the bridge. When I came on
deck, I saw one ship listing badly, the crew abandoning ship. As I
approached the ladder to the bridge, I saw two spitfires heading
for the ship at sea level. The first one opened fire on the ship.
I dived behind a locker, then as I got to the ladder, the Chief
P.O. shouted from the bridge.
I had volunteered for the ship's whaler which was being lowered on
the port side. Now I'm in the whaler, rowed by a team of 8 men
with me as the signalman, and my ship is sailing away. Then for
the first time I witnessed the scene, vast areas of the sea on
fire, bodies floating, cries for help. Then the leading seaman of
the whaler told us to get overboard and swim out to the Carly
Floats, which had been released from the ships. We pulled them in
and tied them up to the whaler, pulled them around the area so men
could clamber on board, then myself and the other lads on the
whaler went overboard to anyone shouting for help to bring them to
the floats.
Eventually we could do no more as we ourselves were full of the
oil, the smell was overpowering. Eventually as we sat there it was
quiet except for the cries of those burnt.
Suddenly on the horizon a high speed launch was heading for us.
Cheers went up. But then I remembered a signal about the area
being open to German E Boats. As the launch got nearer we got over
the side of the whaler and hung on to the side. The boys on the
Carly Floats played dead. Then there were cheers as we spotted on
its bows, the bulls-eye insignia of the RAF. It was an RAF rescue
launch. The launch then took us on tow. Then an hour later one of
our new frigates "HMS Calypso" came on the scene. Once on board
the frigate I got a shower, a double rum and change of clothes.
The clothes were quite smart - a pinstriped pair of trousers and a
tailed coat. I looked just like a bank manager which caused some
humour.
Eventually I got back to the "JASON" and on April 10th 1946 I was
back on Civvy Street. To this day I have no idea how may ships
were lost and the casualties suffered.
Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A2669196
|
Uncle Peter recalled Dad's (Jack O'Shaughnessey) return
from the friendly fire incident. Peter said he was alone in the
house in Fareham when Jack arrived unexpectedly. He said he
recalls how angry Jack was and he said that he took a very long
time to get over the incident. He said that Jack blamed
carelessness by "whiskey-soaked" old Admirals. I guess that
explanation was based on rumours and speculation overheard by a
nineteen year-old O/S.
Source: John O'Shaughnessey
|
|
? |
Portsmouth |
27.9.44 |
|
|
28.9.44 |
Harwich |
8.10.44 |
|
|
11.10.44 |
Harwich |
17.10.44 |
Intend JASON sail 31/10
to Harwich for boiler cleaning |
|
? |
Dover |
3.11.44 |
|
|
5.11.44 |
Harwich |
18.11.44 |
|
|
22.11.44 |
Harwich |
28.11.44 |
|
|
7.12.44 |
Harwich |
14.12.44 |
Intend to take JASON in
hand 27/12 for boiler cleaning |
|
16.12.44 |
Harwich |
20.12.44 |
|
|
? |
Nore |
31.12.44 |
JASON can be taken in
hand for refit at Messrs Russell’s Victoria Docks London about
25.1.45 |
