approaches the target subm arine so slowly that it is not aware that an attack is developing until it is too late to take evasive maneuvers or deploy SBTs (submarine bubble targets, that show up as a submarine on the sonar of the escort . During the attack, another vessel holds the submarine on sonar from a distance, and directs the attacker. Walker had previously been the commanding officer of the sloop HMS Stork (an example of a pre-war class of sloop) until she was damaged ramming a U-boat. While in her he disposed of three U-boats. HMS Starling is credited with taking part in 17 successful attacks on U-boats, in line with the credits given in the German and British assessments made in the 1980s. A very recent assessment by the Royal Naval Historical Branch, Ministry of Defence (Navy), reduces this to 14 on the ground that although she was group leader and present at all these attacks, she was only the directing or attacking vessel in 14. Whatever assessment is used, Starling was the top anti-U-boat vessel by a wide margin , and Walker was the top skipper. The sloops as a class sank more than one submarine per ship deployed. No other type of vessel approached this success rate, either Allied or Axis, the nearest being some classes of British frigates at about 0.4 submarines per ship deployed. HMS Wild Goose was also an "ace," taking part in eight sinkings , and HMS Woodpecker took part in five. One can only conclude that these were incomparably the best anti-submarine craft of World War II, and that the crews were also unusually well trained and led. Walker argued long and loud with the Admiralty Directorate of Naval Construction for improvements in the sloop, successful as they were. In particular, he wanted more robust hulls and higher speeds so that the emerging schnorkel ' and Walter boats could be pursued at Captain J ohn Walker, RN whatever speed was necessary in the corts for ocean deployment. They were worst North Atlantic weather. Interestingly, Walker's death on 9 July constructed on a fleet destroyer hull but with reduced engine power and less ex- 1944 only served to prove that it was his treme speed potential. They were more methods and the characteristics of the robust than the Hunt class destroyers , · ships that counted, not his personality. His but followed the same basic philosophy. ship and his 2nd Support Group continued Ideal though they were, they were too to produce the same results after his death, expensive in money, material and war- sinking about one submarine per month ship-building capacity to be built on the until the unconditional surrender of Nazi same scale as the Hunts and the frigates. Germany just under ten months later-a Commander Walker was the anti-sub- victory that owed much to Walker's methmarine specialist who devised the "creep- ods, nis men and the ships they fought in ing" attack , where the attacking vessel with such determination. .t first instance, and a seventh design was prepared to British requirements by September 1941. These ships were on the stocks at the time of Pearl Harbor, and were taken over by the USN to become the "Evert" and "Buckley" class DEs. These were all that the "Hunt" class should have been, and late in the war the Royal Navy acquired 78 of them under Lend-Lease to replace the four-pipers and some of the Royal Navy "V" and "W" class destroyers of World War I vintage which were rapidly disintegrating after hard driving in the bad North Atlantic winter of 1942-3. The Royal Navy used them without torpedo tubes, which resulted in them being a little over-stable and almost as lively as the corvettes. Consequently, some of the men forsook the bunks provided and slung traditional hammocks! The ships are fondly remembered by their crews, gave excellent service and accounted for about 30 U-boats. Commander Walker and HMS Starling The leading skipper in the anti-U-boat war was Lt. Commander John Walker, RN, who commanded HMS Starling. Starling was an improved "Black Swan" class sloop, laid down at Fairfield, 2 1 October 1941 , launched 14October1942, commi ssioned 1 April 1943 . These sloops were built as anti-submarine es-
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SEA HISTORY 67, AUTUMN 1993
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,, 4 ':1dFi ,<I e The Last Liberty by Capt. Walter Jaffee
History of SS Jeremiah 0 'Brien, the last active survivor of D-Day. WWII crew accounts, ship plans, wartime extracts. 510 pp, 110 photos. $29 incl s&h. Calif add $2. 25 tax. The Glencannon Press Dept SH, Box 341 Palo Alto, CA 94302
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