HDML 1012

R A Newman, Hamworthy, Dorset 10/2/41

Known Crew

TLt F G Fuller RNVR TSLt 23/4/42 HMS Victory III HMS St Christopher 4/1/43 TLt 23/4/43 Commanding Officer HDML 1012 27/7/43 Commanding Officer ML 864 18/4/44 For services in the clearance of the Aegean and the relief of Greece DSC
TSLt R M Hitchcock RNVR TSLt 23/4/42 24th ML Flotilla 8/7/42 ML 337 29/9/42 Commanding Officer HDML 1012 29/3/44 TLt 3/6/44
TSLt J Reid RNVR First Lieutenant HDML 1012 15/5/44 TSLt 21/7/44 ML 557 1/3/45

Wartime Activities

1/1/42 102nd ML Flotilla
Based at Alexandria, Egypt
ML 1012, ML 1015, ML 1017, ML 1023, ML 1038, ML 1039 and ML 1051
5/2/43 U-617 shadowed the convoy AW-22, consisting of four steamers and four escorts from grid CO92 to CO67. At 08.02 hours, the U-boat torpedoed and sank the Henrik and Corona.
The Corona (Master Einar Endresen) was hit by one torpedo and 15 minutes later by another on the starboard side. The foc´sle deck line split to keel and from keel to about 15 feet from deckline port side. The collision bulkhead was fractured and foc´sle deck dropped 12 inches from aft side windlass to stem. All seven Norwegian officers, 40 Chinese crewmen, the Egyptian messboy, six British gunners and 49 army personnel as passengers abandoned ship. The master, 10 crewmen and 11 passengers were picked up by the British motor launch HDML-1012. The master, the 2nd mate and three crewmen returned to the lifeboat with the intention of returning to the ship, but on the way back he came across the British motor launch ML-356 and being uncertain of the condition of the ship they decided to board the motor launch. HMS Erica (K 50) (Lt A.C.C. Seligman, RNR) put a boarding party on the Corona, including one Indian stoker from Henrik and later took the survivors on board and brought them to Tobruk.
The next day, the Corona was taken in tow to Tobruk and beached. In the afternoon on 24 February, she sank during a storm.

Post War History

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