HMS Welshman (M84)
[1] Commissioned in late August 1941, Welshman sailed to Scapa Flow to join the Home Fleet, before assignment to the 1st Minelaying Squadron at the Kyle of Lochalsh in September.[1] In January 1942 she transported stores and personnel to Gibraltar, Freetown and Takoradi before deploying to the Strait of Dover in early February to lay mines across the routes likely to be used in the event of a breakout by German battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst.On 8 May Welshman sailed from Gibraltar disguised as a French destroyer, with 240 tons of stores and RAF personnel aboard, in "Operation Bowery".After discharging her cargo at Malta on 15 June she rejoined the convoy which was under heavy attack from Axis aircraft and Italian warships.[1] In January 1943 Welshman transported stores, including 150 tons of seed potatoes, to Malta before carrying out minelaying operations in the Skerki Channel, across the Axis evacuation route from Tunisia.