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Published at 01:00, Friday, 06 April 2007

TYNEDALE had every reason to be proud of the warship which bore its name.

Within a month of the destroyer HMS Tynedale being adopted by the rural and urban districts of Hexham, it played a pivotal role in one of the most famous episodes of the Second World War.

In March 1942, HMS Tynedale set off from Plymouth to escort an old destroyer, made redundant by the Americans, called HMS Campbeltown.

Two of the Campbeltown’s funnels had been dismantled. The other two had been modified to give it the appearance of a German destroyer.

HMS Tynedale and other warships in the escort flew the German flag, in a bid to trick any enemy ships or submarines they came across on their journey out of the Channel towards the Bay of Biscay.

Their destination was the French port of St Nazaire. Their mission was to abandon the Campbeltown, packed full of explosives, to destroy the dock gates at the only French port capable of berthing the pride of the German fleet, the Tirpitz.

With the Campbeltown in position, the plan was that commandoes on motor launches would go ashore to put the port out of action.

The daring mission met with mixed success. HMS Campbeltown rammed the port gates, and delayed fuses ignited a mighty explosion which caused extensive damage. But the landings were less successful. Of the 621 men taking part in the raid, 169 were killed.

Had it not been for HMS Tynedale, the raiding party may not have fooled the Germans right up to the estuary of the Loire.

While in the Bay of Biscay, look-outs on board HMS Tynedale spotted a German U-boat in the distance and, still under the disguise given by the German flag, went in pursuit.

It hunted down the U-boat, hastily raised the White Ensign, and opened fire. The U-boat submerged with such haste that the Tynedale crew thought it must have been sunk. A belief enhanced by a fruitless two-hour search for a trace of it.

U593 had not been sunk, but remained submerged for five-and-a-half hours until it was safe to return to the surface and relay details to the German Command of its latest action at sea. But the message was so delayed and garbled that Operation Chariot on St Nazaire continued undetected.

Fatefully, that was not HMS Tynedale’s final encounter with U593.

Twenty months later, on December 1943, HMS Tynedale was on a tour of duty in the Mediterranean. It was escorting a convoy in the Gulf of Bougie, off Tunisia, in North Africa.

In a cruel twist of fate, U593 was patrolling the same waters. It caught HMS Tynedale in its sights, and sank its rival with a single torpedo. Sixty six of the 146-strong crew lost their lives.

Later the same day, HMS Holcombe was also torpedoed and sunk. Eventually, U593 was tracked down by HMS Calpe and the American USS Wainwright.

The U-boat commander, Gerd Kelbing, knew he was finally beaten, abandoned ship and made sure the U-boat was sunk. The Germans on board survived. There was only one injury – a crew member was shot in the backside.

Reporting restrictions meant that the people of Tynedale knew little of the exploits of their adopted ship. It was only after the war that the story of HMS Tynedale could be recounted.

But the links with the Tynedale community were strong. People in the district supplied the crew with books, playing cards, dartboards, football boots and other treats. Proudly, one crewman wore a pair of tight-length woollen socks, knitted by a Hexham woman, and swore he never took them off while at sea.

The story of HMS Tynedale was re-told in December 1993, on the 50th anniversary of its sinking. A weekend of events dedicated to Hexham’s links with the warship and those who lost their lives on board was held in the town.

A commemorative plaque was unveiled in Moot Hall. And a special service was held in Hexham Abbey, followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial.

Guests of honour were the commander of U593, Gerd Kelbing, and his petty officer Gunter Ueberschar. Joining them were former crew members of HMS Tynedale.

Choking back tears, Herr Kelbing saluted the bravery of the men who lost their lives. He said he never regarded the British as enemies, just adversaries.

To coincide with the anniversary, a collection of memorabilia from HMS Tynedale went on display in the town.

One of the most poignant exhibits was a letter sent by Able Seaman Harold Clayton (21), from Manchester, while he was serving on HMS Tynedale.

He told his family: “If I do get back, I shall be stay-at-home for good. Foreign travel is good for those who have only small doses.”

His family received the letter at Christmas, only days after learning that he had lost his life off the coast of North Africa in the service of his country.

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk