French corvette Roselys

Roselys (formerly HMS Sundew) was one of the nine Flower-class corvettes lent by the Royal Navy to the Free French Naval Forces. She served as a naval escort in World War II.

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Sundew
Ordered: 21 September 1939
Builder: J. Lewis and Sons Ltd., Aberdeen, Scotland
Laid down: 4 November 1940
Launched: 28 May 1941
Out of service: 17 September 1941 – transferred to Free France
Identification: Pennant number: K57
Fate: Scrapped at Troon in 1948
France
Name: FFL Roselys
Acquired: 17 September 1941
Commissioned: 19 September 1941
Identification: K-57
Fate: Returned to Royal Navy in 1947
General characteristics
Class and type: Flower-class corvette (original)
Displacement: 925 long tons (940 t; 1,036 short tons)
Length: 205 ft (62.48 m)o/a
Beam: 33 ft (10.06 m)
Draught: 11.5 ft (3.51 m)
Propulsion:
  • single shaft
  • 2 × fire tube Scotch boilers
  • 1 × 4-cycle triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
  • 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Speed: 16 knots (29.6 km/h)
Range: 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement: 85
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • 1 × SW1C or 2C radar
  • 1 × Type 123A or Type 127DV sonar
Armament:
  • 1 × BL 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk.IX single gun
  • 2 x double Lewis machine gun
  • 2 × twin Vickers machine gun
  • 2 × Mk.II depth charge throwers
  • 2 × depth charge rails with 40 depth charges
  • initially with minesweeper equipment, later removed

Construction

The vessel was ordered on 21 September 1939. She was constructed in Aberdeen by J. Lewis and Sons Ltd. Her keel was laid on 4 November 1940. The ship was assigned dock number 155. She was launched on 28 May 1941. The vessel was finally commissioned on 19 September 1941.[1][2]

Other Flower-class ships in Free French service retained their original flower names translated into French. However, the French for sundew, rosée du matin (literally "morning dew"), was considered unsuitable and the girl's name Roselys ("Rose-Lilly") was used instead, perhaps with the intention of linking the English Tudor rose with the French fleur-de-lys.[3]

War service

On 30 January 1942, Roselys spotted a U-boat about 400 yards from her. She turned towards the U-boat with the intention to ram it. The U-boat attempted to dive, but it was lightly rammed before it could submerge. As she passed over the U-boat, depth charges were dropped. The U-boat was probably only lightly damaged, and escaped back to port.[4][5] She was part of Convoy QP 13, and rescued 179 survivors on 5 July 1942 when several ships ran into naval mines. On 10 March 1943, she picked up 81 survivors from the British merchant Tucurina.[6] Roselys was one of nine Free French escort vessels which supported the Normandy landings on and after 6 June 1944, protecting the movement of landing and supply ships across the English Channel.[7]

Fate

She was returned to the Royal Navy in 1947. She was sold on 23 October 1947, and scrapped at Troon in May 1948.[8]

References
  1. Friedman, Norman p. 341
  2. "Aberdeen Ships | SUNDEW". www.aberdeenships.com. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  3. Flohic 1985, p. 26
  4. "André Bergeret, 1038 compagnons, Compagnons - Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération". www.ordredelaliberation.fr. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
  5. Showell, p. 54
  6. Helgason, Guðmundur. "FFL Roselys (K 57)". uboat.net. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
  7. Auphan & Mordai 1959, p. 321
  8. Lenton, H. T. & Colledge, J. J. p. 209

Sources
  • Auphan, Paul; Mordai, Jacques (1959). The French Navy in World War II. Annapolis MD: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 978-1-59114-566-0. (2016 edition)
  • Flohic, François (1985). Ni chagrin, ni pitie: Souvenirs d'un marin de la France libre (in French). Paris: Plon. ISBN 2-259-01289-2.
  • Friedman, Norman (2008). British Destroyers & Frigates - The Second World War and After. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-015-4.4
  • Gardiner, Robert (1987). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • Lenton, H.T.; Colledge, J.J. (1963). Warships of World War II - Part 3 Sloops and Frigates. Ian Allan Ltd.
  • Preston, Antony; Raven, Alan (1982). Flower Class Corvettes. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-559-2.
  • Showell, Jak (2013). Donitz, U-Boats, Convoys: The British Version of His Memoirs from the Admirality's Anti-Submarine Reports. Frontline Books. ISBN 978-147383-086-8.
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