Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

HMS Talybont was a Type III Hunt Class Escort Destroyer, the last HUNT Class Escort Destroyer to be built at Cowes.
On August 22, 1940, she was ordered from J.Samuel White & Co., Cowes IoW, under 1940 War Emergency Programme.
On 28th November 1942, she was laid down as Job No J6160.
On February 3, 1943, she was launched, after delay due to bomb damage in the shipyard.
She was the 1st RN warship to carry this name, that of a fox-hunt in Cardiganshire.
On May 19, 1943, she wa completed, and she was adopted by the community of the Isle of Anglesey after a successful Warship Week during 1942.
Displacement: 1,087 tons
Badge: On a Field Gold, a Lozenge Red charged with an escarbuncle Gold.

HMS Talybont took part in Operation Neptune, the Naval operation of Operation Overlord, on D-Day.
As 6:30AM (H-Hour) approached, D, E and F companies approached the Normandy coast in a flotilla of twelve craft: nine LCAs (Landing Craft Assault) carrying 2nd and 5th battalions of the US Rangers and three DUKWs (duplex-drive trucks which could 'swim') carrying supplies and ladders.
At H-Hour, USS Texas ceased firing on Pointe du Hoc, a rocky promontory on the west of the Normandy coast, between Grandcamp-les-Bains and Vierville-sur-Mer, and the US Rangers closed in.
The beaches guarded by Pointe du Hoc had been chosen as the two American landing points - Utah Beach and Omaha Beach – on D-Day and, with the capability to inflict such massive casualties, the guns had to be neutralized as early as possible during the invasion.
The massive concrete infrastructure prevented Allied bombers from achieving a guaranteed success, although the RAF and USAF dropped explosives equivalent to the Hiroshima bomb upon the Pointe.
The Germans had placed the majority of their defences to guard against an attack from inland, believing the cliffs to be nearly impregnable, and had around 200 men in place.
As the US Ranger's flotilla sailed to the Pointe, they moved parallel to several miles of defended coastline and came under attack from machine guns, mortars and artillery.
Despite the aid of USS Satterlee and HMS Talybont, who realised the situation and fired onto the coast, suppressing the German troops, another DUKW was sunk.

On June 24, 1944, Commanding Officer, HMS Talybont, submitted a Report on the Assault Bombardment of June 6, 1944, to The Commander, Assault Force “O” USS Ancon:
At 05:30AM, HMS Talybont moved down the fire support channel to take up position to bombard targets 81 and 82, taking up a position at 038 Pointe du Hoc 2.7 m. between USS Saterlee and USS Thompson.
At 05:50AM, she opened fire, range 043. No pillboxes or machine gun emplacements could be seen and it was decided to cover the top of the cliff in the target area as thoroughly as possible.
At 06:00AM (approx), Ranger with ML 204 in company passed the ship.It was not realised at the time that they were heading for Raz-de-la-Percee instead of Pointe du Hoc.
At 06:15AM, she creased fire.
At 06:16AM, she opened fire on targets 76, 77 range 041.
At 06:30AM, she creased fire on targets 76, 77.At the time it was noticed that ML 204 and the Rangers had realised their mistake and were making for Pointe du Hoc parallel with the shore at a range of 005 to 010.
At 06:30AM, she re-opened fire on targets 81 and 82, range 038
At 06:40AM fire was opened on Rangers from the shore with two light machine guns. Three rear DUWKs were being fired on. 0640 ½ Fire was shifted to the cliff face and top in the vicinity of the guns which could not be seen. 0645 Closed range to 021. 0645 ½ Open fire 2-pdr. Pompom to implement 4” fire. Fire from the shore was spasmodic. Two DUKW’s were hit – one badly. Shortly afterwards a further 2 L.M.G.’s opened fire from the shore and another DUKW put out of action.
At 06:46AM, fire was maintained on the vicinity of targets 81,82 and the Rangers sustained 0700 No more casualties from these sources.
At 07:00AM, she ceased fire on targets 81, 82. Rangers were under small arms fire from Pointe du Hoc. USS Saterlee was giving close support and I decided not to interfere.
At 07:03AM, installations were seen to be standing in the area of targets, 76, 77.
A further fifteen salvos were fired which demolished or severely damaged the targets.
At 07:10AM, HMS Talybont withdrew from Fire Support Area, and joined the screen area.

On October 23, 1945, HMS Talybont participated in Operation Tunnel, to find the German Blockade runner, Munsterland, believed to be heading to Cherbourg.
The British force included Anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Charybdis, the fleet destroyers HMS Grenville and HMS Rocket, and Hunt class destroyers, HMS Limbourne, HMS Wensleydale and HMS Stevenstone. (HMS Stevenstone replaced HMS Melbreak).
HMs Charybdis was spotted by the German destroyer, T23, which fired six torpedoes at HMS Charybdis.
HMS Charybdis sank fast,one torpedo having hit the port side and flooding boiler room B; and the other having hit further aft, flooding the after engine room.
At 01:51AM, HMS Limbourne was struck by one torpedo and had her bows blown off.
At 03:49AM, HMS Wensleydale sighted HMS Limbourne, with HMS Talybont closing her, and commenced search for survivors. .
At 04:10AM, HMS Talybont closed on wreck of HMS Limbourne, and removed most of the survivors.
HMS Talybont tried to tow the stricken HMS Limbourne, but was ordered by HMS Grenville to sink her if not underway by 05:00.
At 05:02AM, HMS Talybont reported that the tow had parted, but that HMS Limbourne can still steam. 'Am having another try'.
At 05:10AM, HMS Talybont took off the remaining survivors and torpedoed HMS Limbourne at 05:45.
Despite this she still floated, and it took another torpedo from HMS Rocket to sink her.
The Germans had left to the East and were never seen again.
Munsterland was undetected.

On July 1, 1946, Beriah ביריה Akbel was detected by RAF reconnaisance aircraft, and intercepted by HMS Virago, HMS Stevenstone, HMS Talybont and HMS Haydon.
HMS Haydon dropped a depth charge to persuade Beriah ביריה Akbel to stop her engine.

On August 13, 1946, Katriel Yaffe כתריאל יפה reached territorial waters, and was intercepted by British ships.
Rozea Varda Wechtel cites: "Near Haifa, they heard airplanes flying above. They knew that they had been detected. British boats reached them and stopped them from entering the port while Haifa was clearly in sight."
She refused to stop, until HMS Volage fired a third warning of 40mm over her wheelhouse.
She was captured by HMS Talybont.
Lieutenant P.S. Hicks RN led the boarding party.

On September 17, 1947, just weeks after Exodus 1947, Af Al Pi Chen אף על פי כן sailed down the Adriatic Sea, for Palestine.
She was detected by a British plane west of Port Said بورسعيد‎, and intercepted by 4 British destroyers, including HMS Talybont.
There was a short struggle during which Af Al Pi Chen אף על פי כן was rammed by one of the destroyers; the British boarding teams took over the ship.
She was towed to Haifa חיפה, where the passengers were transported to Cyprus Κύπρος.
After internment, most passengers eventually made their way to Israel in 1948.

On March 10, 1961, HMS Talybont was broken up and scrapped at Charlestown.