HMS Laforey (G99) - Career - Force Q

Force Q

Laforey and her flotilla were assigned to Bône as part of Force Q at the start of 1943. The ships of the force came under heavy air attack and Laforey had to sink the tanker SS British Metal on 6 January after she had been set on fire during an air raid. Laforey carried out interception patrols and convoy defence throughout February and March. On 28 April she and HMS Tartar took part in an action against six E-boats and a submarine. They sank one E-boat by ramming it, and damaged two others. During the action, Laforey sustained damage to her forepeak.

In May she was assigned with Force Q to intercept ships attempting to evacuate German troops from Cap Bon after the defeat of the Afrika Korps. On 8 May she and HMS Tartar captured two merchant ships, but on 9 May Laforey came under fire from shore batteries and was hit in the engine room. She sustained damage and several severe injuries to her crew, causing her to head for Malta for repairs. After being repaired she returned to Force Q. En route, she investigated Plane Island and discovered twenty three enemy soldiers, whom she promptly took prisoner. Back with Force Q, on 23 July she sank an enemy supply ship.

In June she took part in covering the allied landings at Pantelleria (Operation Corkscrew), during which she bombarded enemy positions, before sailing to Alexandria to escort convoys for the planned invasion of Sicily. After the landings on 9 July she bombarded enemy targets inland. On 15 August she embarked General Alexander and conveyed him to Augusta. She continued to carry out bombardments and anti-submarine patrols throughout July. On 23 July she and HMS Eclipse sank the Italian submarine Ascianghi after she or U-407 had torpedoed HMS Newfoundland.

In August Laforey was nominated to support the invasion of mainland Italy and on 21 August, she and four other destroyers carried out an offensive sweep through the Strait of Messina. She then escorted the convoys and covered the landings. On 9 August she came under fire during a shore bombardment and was hit by five shells. One of the ship's company was killed and another two were injured, while one boiler room was put out of action. She returned to Malta for repairs to the structural damage. She was under repair until mid-October, when she returned to patrolling off the Italian coast.

On 1 November she escorted two merchant ships during their passage from Malta to Naples and on 3 November she escorted a military convoy en route to Augusta. On 5 November she came to the assistance of a US merchant ship that had run aground northeast of Augusta, and towed the vessel clear before returning to Malta to refuel. She spent the rest of the month and most of December at Malta, before returning to the Italian coast on 23 December. On 25 December she detected two E-boats on her radar and moved to intercept them, but they escaped contact and fled. Further shore bombardment operations followed.

Laforey was deployed on patrol off Corsica on 4 January, before heading into the Bay of Naples. On 6 January she sank the hulk of a liberty ship and on 7 January was despatched to the waters off Capri to search for a lifeboat. On 18 January she and a number of other warships bombarded targets around Gaeta. The ships came under air attacks and shore bombardment during these operations. After replenishing at Naples, Laforey, in company with HMS Loyal and HMS Jevis, joined the escort for the assault convoys of Operation Shingle, the landings at Anzio. On 22 January Laforey and HMS Loyal led the assault force to “P” Beach landing areas. Laforey remained off the coast, to provide gunfire support and defence against air and surface attacks. On 23 January she assisted in the rescue of survivors from HMS Janus after she had been sunk by a radio controlled bomb. On 29 January she rescued survivors from HMS Spartan after she too was sunk by radio controlled bombs.

In February she was transferred to the 14th Destroyer Flotilla and on 18 February she bombarded Formica and was deployed with HMS Faulknor on 25 February to intercept E-boats. Laforey was briefly detached to assist a Landing Ship, Tank that had run aground at Sabaudio, but was unable to help her. She rejoined Faulknor and together they carried out depth charge attacks on a suspected submarine contact. On 26 February they were joined by the destroyers HMS Lamerton and HMS Hambledon. Laforey herself came under attack from an acoustic torpedo, which exploded in her wake. Anti-submarine operations continued on 27 February when another two destroyers joined, and finished on 28 February when the ships returned to Naples. Laforey sailed to Naples with survivors from HMS Inglefield, which had been sunk off Anzio on 25 February by a glider bomb.