Modified Black Swan-class sloop
 HMS Woodpecker anchored in December 1942.
|
| History |
|---|
 United Kingdom |
|---|
| Name | Woodpecker |
| Namesake | Woodpecker |
| Ordered | 13 April 1940 |
| Builder | William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton |
| Laid down | 23 February 1941 |
| Launched | 29 June 1942 |
| Commissioned | 14 December 1942 |
| Identification | Pennant number: U08 |
| Status | Sunk by U-256 in 1944 |
| General characteristics |
|---|
| Class and type | Modified Black Swan-class sloop |
| Displacement | 1,350 tons |
| Length | 283 ft (86 m) |
| Beam | 38.5 ft (11.7 m) |
| Propulsion |
- Geared turbines
- two shafts
|
| Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h) at 4,300 hp (3,200 kW) |
| Complement | 192 men + 1 Cat |
| Armament | |
HMS Woodpecker was a modified Black Swan-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton on 23 February 1941, launched on 29 June 1942 and commissioned on 14 December 1942, with the pennant number U08.[1]
Construction and career
After its commissioning, the Woodpecker was assigned to the convoy escort service. In April, the Woodpecker joined the 2nd Escort Group, a highly effective anti-submarine warfare group under the command of Frederic John Walker.
In February 1943, the Woodpecker and the 2nd Escort Group were on support duty in the Atlantic, but they saw little action.
In June 1943, they were posted to the Bay of Biscay to support Coastal Command's Operation Musketry. On June 2, during the passage of Iceland with the sloops Kite, Starling and Wild Goose of the group deployed to reinforce the escort of convoy HX241, the wireless transmissions of U-202 made it possible to find the raising the submarine using the direction-finding equipment available on the Group's vessels. The Woodpecker participates in depth charge attacks for several hours during which the U-202 attempts to escape through depth and heading changes as well as decoy launches. The submarine is forced to surface and is engaged by surface fire. The crew abandoned the U-Boat and some rescued by British ships. On June 24, 1943 at 4:00 p.m., U-449 was sunk by depth charges from Woodpecker, Wren, Kite and Wild Goose off Cape Ortegal in Spain.
On July 30, the group consisting of Woodpecker, Wren, Kite and Wild Goose engaged U-462 off Cape Ortegal, already under aerial attack by a British bomber. Then at 3:43 p.m., the group inflicts the same fate on U-504. HMS Woodpecker later retrieves survivors from a German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor that was shot down on July 29 by a British Beaufighter from 248 Squadron. HMS Woodpecker returned to Plymouth to finish mooring for a refit, for various repairs and improvements remaining until the end of the year.
In January 1944, HMS Woodpecker joined the 2nd Escort Group, which was on support duty in the southwest approaches.
In February, she participated in the famous episode of the "six-in-one trip", in which he is credited with sharing the destruction of three submarines while supporting convoy SL147 / MKS38. On February 8, Woodpecker and Wild Goose were credited with destroying U-762. Three days later, HMS Woodpecker and the group detected and destroyed U-424. On February 19, while supporting convoy ON224, the Woodpecker and the group sank U-264 after a seven-hour hunt.
The next day, February 20, 1944, the Woodpecker was struck aft by an acoustic torpedo launched from U-256. While being towed towards its base, on February 27, 1944, the Woodpecker sank in an Atlantic storm. Her crew was rescued by Azalea and Chilliwack before the ship sank.[2]
The Woodpecker was the only ship in the 2nd Escort Group to have been sunk. She shared six of the group's 23 wins.[3]
