# HMS Candytuft



## philip green (Feb 4, 2009)

I'm currently researching the sinking of HMS Candytuft a Q ship in 1917 but photos and information is limited any help would be appreciated.


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## Steve Woodward (Sep 4, 2006)

Hi Philip,
For some reason information on the exploits of the Q ships is always hard to find, I have no images of Candytuft, she was an Anschusa class escort sloop built by Amrstrongs on the time in 1917 Jan to May, for some of her early life she was at Cork but then moved to the Med working as a Q ship
She was torpedoed twice by the U39 in the Med off Bougie, she had both her bows and stern blown off but did not sink and was subsequently blown ashore in Algeria becoming a total loss 18th Nov 1917.

Comanded by Commander Cochrane Candytuft disguised as a merchant ship had sailed from Gibraltar in the company of the Tremayne - a true cargo ship, and was on passage to Malta when Candytuft had her stern blow off by a torpedo, the merchant ship was told to flee whilst the Candytuft with many dead and injured went through the Q ship routine of abandoning ship - but keeping her gun crews back to man their hidden weapons - two 4" quick firers.
The U39 did not surface so the gunners fired at her periscope, the U39 responded with a second torpedo blowing the Candytufts bows off.
A sail was hoisted and the wreck drifted ashore near Cape Bigli, her crew were rescued by a French trawler before the grounding, the wreck was unsalvageable but the two 4" guns were later saved 

If you find nothing on Candytuft try searching under the name Parritt, it was another name she used 
If all else fails try the Imperial war Museum, they will almost certainly have an image of her
Steve

One site that has a picture of an Anshusa is HERE 
One of these ships - the Saxifrage - still survives as HMS president on the Thames, the hull is original but the deck house sadly is not.


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

I guess you have seen these

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...hdnsorttype=Reference&image1.x=23&image1.y=16

I would also make a post to those nice people at uboat.net.
http://www.uboat.net/forums/list.php?23


Roger


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## philip green (Feb 4, 2009)

*Thanks*

Thanks for your replies I'm afraid I haven't seen the records at the national archives and wouldn't know how to. Can you view these over the web or do you have to ask to see them somewhere else... excuse my ignorance.

I am trying to find the information for my father as his Dad served on Candytuft but would never speak about it other than to say he was torpedoed and ended up swimming. I was given a RN cap tally with HMS Candytuft on it by my gran when I was quite small and it has been a treasured item ever since.

At least we now know a bit more which is very satisfying.

kind regards P.


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## Steve Woodward (Sep 4, 2006)

Phil,
Cannot help you on the national archives on the internet, I used to pop along to the NA at Kew, all ships log books are in the section ADM53 - its a big section but the staff are very helpful.
I can well imagine why your father did not talk about the incident very much, the first torpedo destroyed the stern and killed all but two of the ships officers as their quarters were aft. Most of the crew then 'abandoned ship' leaving the captain, sole surviving officer and the gunners hidden and waiting, obviously by this stage in the war the sub did not fall for the ruse of surfacing to finish the ship off with gunfire but instead fired a second torpedo which of course hit fwds blowing the bow off. Incredibly some men went below to secure a water-tight door to keep her afloat.
The U39 was one of ther most successful boats of WW1 and was under the command of Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Metzger who had already sunk 25 allied ships. One of the reasons that perhaps she did not fall for the ruse of the Q ship was that even though the Candytuft had had her upperworks disguised as a merchant ship the hull had a relatively narrow beam to length, a dead give away.
L 262'06" B 35'00" Dft 11'06" Disp 1,290 tons 
Steve


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Hello Phil,
The logbooks I gave the link to will be by and large navigational records and would be of little consiquence to your family research. However if you would like to obtain them, just send me a PM.
Steves posts are as good an account that you will find on the incident of her loss. Incidently she was attacked by U63 earlier the same month.

http://www.uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/search.php

This is the only photo I could find
http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/db...=0&DT=&ST=0&IR=0&NR=0&NB=0&SV=0&BG=0&FG=0&QS=


Roger


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## philip green (Feb 4, 2009)

*Pm*

Thanks once again your help is much appreciated but once again my ignorance shows again what is a PM Roger?


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## Steve Woodward (Sep 4, 2006)

Philip,
PM stands for Private Message, it is like an Email but provate within the site, to send Roger Griffiths ( say) a PM, left click on his name and then a box will appear, select send a PM and follow the instructions
Steve


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