HMS Loosestrife explained

HMS Loosestrife (K105) was a of the Royal Navy which sailed with the North Atlantic convoys of the Second World War.

Construction

Loosestrife was ordered from Hall, Russell & Company in 1939. She was laid down in December 1940 and launched on 25 August 1941. She was commissioned on 25 November 1941.^[1]

Career

Loosestrife sailed with Convoy ONS 5 (outward, northbound, slow) from Britain to North America in 1943. The convoy was made up of 42 ships, of which 12 or 13 were sunk after the convoy came under sustained attack from German submarines hunting in packs.^[2] On 5 May at 02:25, was south of Greenland and east of Newfoundland when it was sunk by a torpedo fired by the, under the command of Rolf Manke. Fifteen of the 44 people on board died.^[3] Manke attacked and damaged not long after. Loosestrife rescued survivors from both sinkings and landed them at St. Johns in Newfoundland.^{[4] [5] [6]}

On 6 May 1943, Loosestrife sank German submarine in the North Atlantic south-east of Cape Farewell using depth charges (Lt. Herbert Arthur Stonehouse, RNR, commander).^[1] The entire crew of 55 died.

On 4 October 1946 Loosestrife was sold. In 1947 she was converted into the cargo ship Kallsevni.^[1]

Notes and References

1. Web site: HMS Loosestrife (K 105) . Guðmundur . Helgason . Uboat.net . 1 November 2015.
2. Web site: Convoy battles ONS-5 . Guðmundur . Helgason . Uboat.net . 30 October 2015.
3. Web site: Bristol City . Guðmundur . Helgason . Uboat.net . 30 October 2015.
4. Book: Offley, Edward . Turning the Tide: How a Small Band of Allied Sailors Defeated the U-Boats and Won the Battle of the Atlantic . 2012 . Basic Books . New York . 978-0-465-03164-1 . 300.
5. Book: Malcolm, Ian M. . Shipping Company Losses of the Second World War . 2013 . History Press . Stroud . 978-0-7509-5371-9 . 53.
6. Book: Syrett, David . The Defeat of the German U-boats: The Battle of the Atlantic . registration . 1994 . University of South Carolina Press . Columbia . 978-0-87249-984-3 . 80.