HMS Harvester (H19)

**Harvester**
Ship data
flag	Brazil United Kingdom;
other ship names	Jurua , cell phone
Ship type	destroyer
class	H class, Javary type
Shipyard	Vickers , Barrow
Order	December 8, 1937
Keel laying	June 3, 1938
Launch	September 29, 1939 as HMS Handy
Commissioning	May 23, 1940
Whereabouts	Sunk on March 11, 1943
Ship dimensions and crew
length	98.5 m ( Lüa ) 95.1 m ( Lpp )
width	10.1 m
Draft	Max. 3.89 m
displacement	Standard : 1,400 ts; maximum: 1,930 ts
crew	> 145 men
Machine system
machine	3 Admirality 3-drum steam boiler; 2 Parsons turbines with single gear
Machine ; performance	34,000
Top ; speed	36 kn (67 km / h)
propeller	2
Armament
	3 - 120mm L / 45 Mk.IX guns ; 2 × 4 - 12.7-mm - Fla - MG ; 2 × 4 - torpedo tubes Ø 533 mm; 110 depth charges , ; 4 launchers, 2 dropping frames; last: 2 - 120 mm L / 45 Mk.IX guns; 1 - 76.2 mm L / 45 Mk.IV Flak ; 4 - 20 mm Oerlikon cannons ; ?? 1 × 4 - torpedo tubes Ø 533 mm ??; 110 depth ; charges, 4 launchers, 2 dropping racks;
Sensors
	Sonar Type 128 ; 1942: Radar Type 271, Type 286 ; Huff-Duff radio direction finder

HMS Harvester (H19) was an H-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy during World War II . The ship under construction for the Brazilian Navy was purchased by Great Britain immediately after the start of the war, along with its five sister ships. The Harvester went on March 11, 1943 two torpedo to 51 ° 23 ' N , 28 ° 40' W coordinates: 51 ° 23 '0 " N , 28 ° 40' 0" W . lost. 51.383333333333 -28.666666666667

History of the ship

The ship was launched on September 29, 1939 at Vickers-Armstrong in Barrow-in-Furness , Cumbria , under the name Handy . The destroyer was part of a construction contract for six destroyers based on the model of the H-class for the Brazilian Navy and was to be named Jurua . Great Britain acquired the ship with the five sister ships under construction on September 4, 1939, i.e. immediately after the start of the war. When it was launched, the destroyer was initially given the name Handy . On February 27, 1940, the final equipment destroyer was renamed HMS Harvester . The harvester was put into service on May 23, 1940.

The new buildings for Brazil differed from the built for the Royal Navy ships through the wedge-shaped, sloping deckhouse, the first Hereward and Hero and then newbuildings destroyers all the Royal Navy from the "I" class received. In addition, the destroyers planned for the Brazilian Navy had more spacious living spaces than the buildings planned for the Royal Navy. Otherwise the six newbuildings started for Brazil largely corresponded to the standard destroyers of the "H" class. They displaced 1400 tl (max. 1930 tl), were 98.5 m long, 10.1 m wide and had a draft of 3.8 m. Three Admiralty boilers produced the steam for the Parsons geared turbines with an output of 34,000 hp, which enabled a speed of up to 35 knots . The fuel supply of 443 tl of fuel gave them a range of up to 5500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 15 knots. When the destroyer was commissioned, the crew consisted of 145 men.
The armament of the ships intended for Brazil only comprised three 4.7 inch (120 mm) L / 45 Mk.IX cannons when they were commissioned for the Royal Navy . The Royal Navy dispensed with the stern gun upon completion and reduced the main artillery to three guns, since the combined fire control and range finder of the Brazilian ships had not been tested. The stern area was used for increased armament to defend against submarines and the destroyers were equipped with two drop rails and four depth charges. There were also 110 depth charges on board. Two quadruple 0.5-inch Vickers Mk.III machine guns were available to ward off air attacks . Like all destroyers of the standard type, the "Brazilians" had at least briefly two quadruple 21-inch torpedo tube sets .

Mission history

The destroyer was together with his former Brazilian sister ships of the 9th destroyer flotilla assigned. At the end of May 1940 the harvester , which had just been commissioned, was used together with many other ships in the evacuation of the Allied troops encircled around Dunkirk ( Operation Dynamo ). On the fourth day she received a bomb hit, but was able to be used again from Sheerness the following day.

In the period that followed, the ship was almost exclusively assigned to escort groups that escorted convoys . It succeeded on October 30, 1940, together with the sister ship Highlander, to sink U 32 northwest of Ireland .

In May 1941, the Harvester was used together with the sister ships Havelock and Hesperus in a heavily secured convoy in the Mediterranean (Operation Tiger), which served to supply the besieged island of Malta . Otherwise the area of operation of the ship was exclusively in the North Atlantic . The anti -submarine and anti-aircraft armament was reinforced over time at the expense of the main guns and a torpedo tube set.

The ship achieved another success on December 7, 1941, when U 208 was sunk west of Gibraltar with HMS Hesperus , which was on the march into the Mediterranean.

The end of the harvesters

The Free French corvette Aconit

On March 11, 1943, when the destroyer convoy HX 228 North Atlantic escort, HMS could Harvester U 444 together with the Free French Corvette Aconite by depth charges forced to surface. The submarine was rendered incapable of diving due to a ramming blow from the destroyer , so that it could be sunk by the corvette a short time later. However, during the maneuver, HMS Harvester itself suffered considerable damage, in particular a drive shaft was defective afterwards. On board the destroyer, in addition to its own crew, there were 51 castaways from the Liberty ship William C. Gorgas, which was sunk by U 757 . The Harvester was the lead ship of the Escort Group B3 , which also included the destroyer Escapade and the Polish destroyers Garland and Burza and two British and three Free French corvettes of the Flower class . The securing of the 60-ship convoy was supported by the American escort carrier USS Bogue with two other destroyers.

When the ship tried to catch up with the convoy again, the second wave broke. The ship was then sunk in a maneuverable state by U 432 at 51 ° 23 ' N , 28 ° 40' W with two torpedoes. This submarine was subsequently sunk by the corvette Aconit . The Aconit was able to save 60 shipwrecked harvester , including twelve castaways from the Liberty ship and four survivors from U 444 and 20 from U 432 . The sinking of HMS Harvester 144 man died Harvester and 39 previously rescued castaways of William C. Gorgas . 51.383333333333 -28.666666666667

Individual evidence

literature

MJ Whitley: Destroyers of World War Two. Arms and Armor Press, London 1988, ISBN 0-85368-910-5 .

Web links

[NHhav-1] Service History HMS Harvester

[2] Rohwer: Sea War. May 31, 1940 Canal

[3] Rohwer: Sea War. October 20 - November 5, 1940 North Atlantic

[4] Rohwer: Sea War. 5-12 May 1941 Mediterranean Sea

[5] Rohwer: Sea War. March 8 - 13, 1943 North Atlantic

[6] HMS Harvester