Navy | The Royal Navy |
Type | Minesweeper |
Class | Auk |
Pennant | J 352 |
Built by | Savannah Machinery and Foundry Co. (Savannah, Georgia, U.S.A.) |
Ordered | 2 Dec 1941 |
Laid down | 7 Sep 1942 |
Launched | 10 Mar 1943 |
Commissioned | 22 Sep 1943 |
End service | Jan 1947 |
History | Returned to the United States Navy in January 1947. |
Commands listed for HMS Grecian (J 352)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
Commander | From | To | |
1 | A/Cdr. (emergency) Charles Duncan Alexander Irvine, RN | 28 Sep 1943 | 19 Apr 1945 |
2 | T/A/Cdr. Charles Robertson Fraser, DSC, RNR | 19 Apr 1945 | 5 Sep 1946 |
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Notable events involving Grecian include:
27 Apr 1944
In the morning, the battleship HMS Rodney (Capt. R.O. Fitzroy, RN), conducted maneuvering exercises in the Clyde area with the minesweepers HMS Grecian (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) C.D.A. Irvine, RN), HMS Gorgon (T/A/Lt.Cdr. F. Mugford, RNR) and HMS Gazelle (Lt. J.D. Sutcliffe, RN).
In the afternoon 4.7 AA gunnery exercises were carried out by HMS Rodney. (1)
30 Apr 1944
In the morning, the battleship HMS Rodney (Capt. R.O. Fitzroy, RN), conducted maneuvering exercises in the Clyde area with the minesweepers HMS Grecian (A/Cdr.(Emgy.) C.D.A. Irvine, RN) and HMS Gazelle (Lt. J.D. Sutcliffe, RN).
In the afternoon gunnery exercises were carried out by HMS Rodney. (1)
6 May 1945
Operation Cleaver.
Entry of a naval surface force into the Skagerrak and Kattegat.
The following forces took part in this operation; ' Force 5 ' which was made up of the light cruisers HMS Birmingham (Capt. H.W. Williams, RN), HMS Dido (Capt. R.F. Elkins, OBE, RN) and the destroyers HMS Zephyr (Capt. J.H. Allison, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Zealous (Cdr. R.F. Jessel, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Zest (Lt.Cdr. R.B.N. Hicks, DSO, RN) and HMS Zodiac (Lt.Cdr. H.R. Rycroft, DSC, RN). This force departed Rosyth in the evening of the 6th.
' Force 6 ' which was made up of the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk (Capt. J.G.Y. Loveband, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral R.R. McGrigor, CB, DSO, RN) and the destroyers HMS Scourge (Lt.Cdr. C.G.H. Brown, DSC, RN, with Capt. P.G.L. Cazalet, DSC, RN on board), HMS Savage (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Malins, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Obedient (Lt.Cdr. H. Kirkwood, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. E.M. Thorpe, DSO, RN), HMS Opportune (Cdr. R.E.D. Ryder, VC, RN), HMS Zambesi (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Palmer, RN) and HMS Carysfort (Lt.Cdr. L.St.G. Rich, DSO and Bar, RN). This force departed Scapa flow early the 7th except to joined the escort carriers HMS Queen (A/Capt. K.J. D'Arcy, DSO, RN), HMS Searcher (Capt. J.W. Grant, DSO, RN), HMS Trumpeter (A/Capt. K.S. Colquhoun, RN) which had still been at sea after operation Judgement together with the escort carrier HMS Campania (Capt. C.B. Alers-Hankey, DSC, RN) and the destroyers HMS Obdurate (Lt.Cdr. R.D. Franks, DSO, DSC, OBE, RN), HNoMS Stord (Lt.Cdr. H. Øi) and ORP Piorun (Lt.Cdr. J. Tchorznicki, ORP). The cruisers and the destroyers joined the escort carriers around 1000B/7.
HMS Campania, HMS Obdurate, HNoMS Stord and ORP Piorun then parted company.
And the 40th Minesweeping Flotilla made up of HMS Catharine (Cdr. Kenneth Hillam Fraser, RN), 6541 HMS Cynthia (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.L. Chatwin, RNVR), HMS Elfreda (T/A/Lt.Cdr. L. Jolly, RNVR), HMS Grecian (T/A/Cdr. C.R. Fraser, DSC and Bar, RNR) and HMS Gazelle (Lt.Cdr. J.D. Sutcliffe, RN), HMS Maenad (Cdr. C.E. Duggan, RD, RNR), HMS Steadfast (T/A/Lt. A.H. Hall, RNVR) and HMS Tattoo (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.G. Rogers, RD, RNR). They departed Rosyth of the 6th.
Force 5 and the 40th M/S Flotilla arrived at Copenhagen, Denmark on 9 May. The 40th M/S Flotilla swept Force 5 through the minefields.
Force 6 returned to Scapa Flow on 10 May. (2)
Sources
- ADM 53/120409
- ADM 199/1440
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.