HMS Sunflower (K41)

During work-up Sunflower was deployed as escort for the submarine HMS Thunderbolt and the large Free French submarine Surcouf during passage to the Firth of Clyde.

In 1941 Western Approaches Command had formed eight escort groups.[4] The 1st Escort Group consisted of six destroyers and four Flower-class corvettes.[5] They were soon in action with other groups between 19 July – 1 August 1941 with Convoy ON 69 defending 26 merchant ships from 8 U-boats and 2 Italian submarines.

In February and March 1942 the original eight escort groups were reorganized into the Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF).

Corvettes of B7 Group moored in Londonderry. Alisma, Dianella, Sunflower & Kingcup. The white areas are where the official censor has painted out security sensitive material

Sunflower was part of Escort Group B7, one of seven such British naval groups which served with the Mid-Ocean Escort Force. It provided convoy protection in the most dangerous midsection of the North Atlantic route.[6] B7's first convoys, in the spring of 1942, were uneventful, and as the pace of the Battle of the Atlantic hotted up in the summer and autumn, the group's charges were escorted without loss. But in December, while escorting ON 153, the convoy came under attack, and three ships were sunk. During this action, on 11 December, Firedrake was torpedoed by the U-boat U-211 and sank with the loss of 168 of her crew, including her current commander, and the group's Senior Officer – Escort (SOE), Commander Eric Tilden. Initially, 35 survived the torpedoing, but only 27 managed to get on board Sunflower, which was under the command of Lieut- Commander John Treasure Jones.[7][8]

B7 was involved in the battles for convoys ONS 20 and ON 206, ON 207 and ON 208, during which period nine U-boats were destroyed.

In February 1943 the command passed to A/Lt.Cdr. James Plomer, RCNVR and during the following nine months they would have a series of notable successes.[9]

Convoy ONS 5, comprising 46 merchant ships, departed Liverpool on 21 April 1943. In early May, they were under sustained submarine attacks. On 5 May U-638 was sunk by Sunflower. The convoy arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 12 May. This was a major convoy battle which saw the destruction of six U-boats for the loss of thirteen ships.[10]

Convoy ON 206, comprising 68 merchant ships, departed Liverpool on 11 October 1943. It arrived in New York on 27 October 1943 without loss. On 17 October U-631 was sunk in the North Atlantic, South-east of Cape Farewell, Greenland, by depth charges from Sunflower.

On 29 October 1943 U-282, which had been shadowing Convoy ON 208, was sunk by Hedgehog attacks carried out together with HMS Duncan and HMS Vidette.[11]

In May 1944 Sunflower was nominated for service in Force L for the Normandy Landings, code name Operation Neptune. She was assigned as part of Escort Group 154 with HM Corvettes Sweetbriar K209 and Oxlip K123.[12] They were employed in convoy defence during the build-up operations in the English Channel and then retained in the Channel for convoy defence after termination of Neptune.

On 30 August Sunflower was deployed for Channel convoy defence based at Sheerness. By the beginning of October merchant convoys were being detached from joined ocean convoys in Southwestern Approaches and routed through the English Channel for passage to and from London because the air threat from bases in France had been removed by the military advance to Germany. In February 1945 she resumed Channel convoy defence. German submarines and E-Boats were active in Channel area for mine and attacks by snorkel fitted U-boats were being made on assembly points for convoys and coastal traffic in Home waters.

In May 1945 she was paid off, de-stored and reduced to 'Reserve' status.