Corvette Dianthus (K95)

Dianthus

Country	United Kingdom
Ship Class	Flower-class Corvette
Hull Number	K95
Builder	Henry Robb, Limited, Leith, Scotland, United Kingdom
Laid Down	31 Oct 1939
Launched	9 Jul 1940
Commissioned	17 Mar 1941
Displacement	940 tons standard
Length	205 feet
Beam	33 feet
Draft	12 feet
Machinery	Two water tube boilers, one 4-cycle triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine, one shaft
Power Output	2,750 shaft horsepower
Speed	16 knots
Range	3,500nm at 12 knots
Crew	85
Armament	1x4in BL Mk.IX gun, 2x12.7mm twin Vickers .50 machine guns, 2x twin Lewis .303 machine guns, 2x Mk II depth charge throwers, 2x depth charge rails, 40x depth charges

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseFrom commissioning, HMS Dianthus was tasked with convoy escort duties, first in waters west of Britain and then with Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) group C1. On 8 Aug 1942, she counterattacked German submarine U-379, which was attempting to sink ships of Allied convoy SC-94; she sank U-379 by ramming and sinking. She later served with other MOEF groups including A3 and C5. She was decommissioned in mid-1945. In May 1947, she was sold to a Norwegian company which would operate her as a buoy tender and whaling ship with the name of Thorslep. She was ultimately scrapped at Grimstad, Norway in 1969.

ww2dbaseSources:
uboat.net
Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Nov 2012

Photographs

Crew of HMS Dianthus loading a Mk VII depth charge into a Mk IV depth charge thrower, 14 Aug 1942

HMS Dianthus at Liverpool, England, United Kingdom, mid to late Aug 1942; note bow damage sustained from ramming U-379

Dianthus Operational Timeline

25 Jul 1939	The British Royal Navy issued an order to Henry Robb, Limited of Leith, Scotland, United Kingdom for the contruction of a corvette which would later be named Dianthus.
31 Oct 1939	The keel of Dianthus was laid down by Henry Robb, Limited of Leith, Scotland, United Kingdom.
9 Jul 1940	HMS Dianthus was launched at Leith, Scotland, United Kingdom.
20 Jan 1941	Lieutenant Commander Clement Bridgman was named the equipping officer of HMS Dianthus.
17 Mar 1941	HMS Dianthus was commissioned into service with Lieutenant Commander Clement Bridgman in command.
10 Jun 1942	HMS Dianthus rescued 32 survivors of British merchant ship Empire Clough in the Atlantic Ocean.
10 Aug 1942	HMS Dianthus rescued survivors of British merchant ships Cape Race, Empire Reindeer, and Oregon in the Atlantic Ocean.
6 Nov 1942	Lieutenant Commander Neil Israel was named the commanding officer of HMS Dianthus.
23 Feb 1943	HMS Dianthus rescued 34 survivors of Norwegian merchant ship Glittre in the Atlantic Ocean.
31 Aug 1943	Lieutenant Commander Bernard Bowick was named the commanding officer of HMS Dianthus.
5 Mar 1945	Lieutenant James Lyle was named the commanding officer of HMS Dianthus.

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. june mann/thomason says:
20 Nov 2015 04:15:09 PM

my father,Cyril Thomason served on this vessel as a chief stocker.His nickname was steamy.Anyone remember him?.

2. Susan Samuel says:
28 Jun 2016 03:04:16 PM

My father, James Albert Williams, was a petty officer on board. His nickname was bungy(if that was how it was spelt).

3. Chris says:
1 Oct 2016 12:52:11 PM

My Father - in - Law, Sidney Russ served on HMS Dianthus as a Acting Submarine Detector rating.
I would love to hear any stories about him and the crew.

4. Lyn Cook says:
14 Dec 2021 12:31:08 AM

My dad served on this ship Percy Llewellyn Jones.

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