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Raymond Hart

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Raymond Hart was a British seaman and a Royal Navy officer who served during the Second World War.

Early life

Hart was born 24 June 1913 in Southampton. He was educated at Oakmount Preparatory School, and later King Edward VI School, Southampton. In 1929, aged 16, he joined the Merchant Navy and in 1937 the Royal Navy.[1]

Service career

At the outbreak of the Second World War Hart was a Lieutenant on the destroyer HMS Hasty. In February 1941 he was recommended for bravery during loss of HMS Dainty; he was awarded the DSC for this in December 1941. In December 1942 Hart was appointed commander of destroyer HMS Vidette, assigned to B-7 Escort Group under command of Lt Cdr. PW Gretton. In May 1943 during the defence of convoy ONS 5 Vidette destroyed two U-boats;[2] Hart was later awarded a bar to his DSC. In June he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. in October while working as a support group B-7 assisted in the defence of convoys ON 206, ON 207 and ON 208. Nine U-boats were destroyed in total during these actions; Vidette was credited with two,[3] and Hart was Mentioned in Despatches. In March 1944 he was given command of the destroyer HMS Havelock; in June they destroyed U-767 in the Channel.[4] In September 1944 Hart took command of frigate HMS Conn and 21 Escort Group. Conn was credited with two U-boats destroyed in March 1945,[5] and Hart was later awarded the DSO.[1][6]

Later life

After the end of hostilities Hart served in a number of sea-going and shore posts, culminating in the command of HMS Undine and of 6th Frigate Squadron in 1957. He was promoted to Captain in 1953 and Commodore in 1960, before retiring in 1963. Hart was awarded the CBE in 1963. After retirement from the Royal Navy Hart held several positions in the Merchant Navy, being advisor to B&C until 1972, then fleet manager of Cayzer Irvine 'til 1976, during which time he was director of both companies. In 1974 Hart appeared in the documentary series The World at War, in the episode covering the Battle of the Atlantic.[7]

Hart married in 1945 and had three children; two sons and a daughter He died in Southampton, where he had lived in 1999.[1]

Successes

Hart was credited with the destruction of seven U-boats in his war-time service.

Date U-boat Type Location Notes
6 May 1943 U-630[8] VIIC NE of Newfoundland
52°31′N 44°50′W / 52.517°N 44.833°W / 52.517; -44.833		 depth-charged by Vidette (Hart)[9]
6 May 1943 U-531
[10]		 IX/C40 NE of Newfoundland
52°48′N 45°18′W / 52.800°N 45.300°W / 52.800; -45.300		 d/c by Snowflake (Chesterman), Vidette (Hart)[11][12]
23 October 1943 U-274 VIIC SW of Iceland
57°14′N 27°50′W / 57.233°N 27.833°W / 57.233; -27.833		 d/c by Lib Z/224 Sqdn (Wicht), Duncan (Gretton), Vidette (Hart)[13][14]
29 October 1943 U-282 VIIC S of Greenland
55°28′N 31°57′W / 55.467°N 31.950°W / 55.467; -31.950		 d/c by Vidette (Hart), Sunflower (Plomer)[14][15]
18 June 1944 U-767 VIIC English Channel, SW of Guernsey
49°03′N 03°13′W / 49.050°N 3.217°W / 49.050; -3.217		 Hedgehog, d/c by Fame (Currie), Inconstant (Eaden), Havelock (Hart)[16][17]
27 March 1945 U-905 VIIC The Minches, Scotland
58°34′N 05°46′W / 58.567°N 5.767°W / 58.567; -5.767		 d/c by Conn (Hart), confirmed by “tin-opener” attack later from Escapade[18][19]
30 March 1945 U-965 VIIC North Minch, Scotland
58°19′N 05°31′W / 58.317°N 5.517°W / 58.317; -5.517		 Conn (Hart), Rupert (Black)[20][21]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Obituary at The Independent
  2. ^ Blair p291-2
  3. ^ Blair p436-8
  4. ^ Blair p589-90
  5. ^ Blair p671
  6. ^ Hart, Raymond, at unithistories.com
  7. ^ Raymond Hart at IMDb
  8. ^ Previously thought to have been destroyed on 4 May 1943 by Canso W/5 Sqdn; this attack struck U-209
  9. ^ Neistle p77
  10. ^ previously credited as U-125: The attack by Oribi and Snowflake, previously credited with U-531, is now believed to have hit U-125
  11. ^ Kemp p114
  12. ^ Neistle p129
  13. ^ Kemp p152-3
  14. ^ a b Neistle p52
  15. ^ Kemp p154
  16. ^ Kemp p198
  17. ^ Neistle p88
  18. ^ Neistle p91
  19. ^ previously credited with the destruction of U-965 in this attack (Kemp p238-9, Tarrant p139, Neistle p233 note102)
  20. ^ Neistle p93
  21. ^ previously credited with the destruction of U-1021 in this attack (Kemp p240, Tarrant p139, Neistle p234 note106)

References

  • Clay Blair : Hitler's U-Boat War Vol II: The Hunted 1942-1945 (1998) ISBN 0-304-35261-6
  • Paul Kemp  : U-Boats Destroyed (1997) . ISBN 1-85409-515-3
  • Axel Neistle  : German U-Boat Losses during World War II (1998). ISBN 1-85367-352-8
  • VE Tarrant :The U-boat Offensive 1914-1945 (1989) ISBN 0 85368 928 8
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