HMS Vetch (K132)

HMS Vetch (K132) was a that served in the Royal Navy.

She was built at Smiths Dock, launched on 27 May 1941 and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 11 August 1941. After helping to escort many convoys and sinking two U-boats, she was decommissioned and sold in 1945.

War service
In October 1941 Vetch was assigned to the 36th Escort Group (36 EG), led by Commander FJ "Johnnie" Walker in HMS Stork (L81). Among many others, 36 EG escorted HG 76 homeward from Gibraltar in December 1941, during which ships of 36 EG sank four U-boats. In April 1942 Vetch had been fitted with Type 271 radar with which, while escorting convoy OG 82 in the North Atlantic south-west of Ireland, she detected GS U-252 which she then sank with the help of Stork.

36 EG was disbanded in June 1942 and Vetch continued with other escort groups until 1944. On 25 May 1943, while escorting a convoy to Algiers, she sank GS U-414 in the western Mediterranean north of Oran. She remained in the Mediterranean escorting convoys in support of Operation Husky.

Civilian service
HMS Vetch was sold out of the service in 1945 and became a merchant vessel. She was renamed Patrai in 1948, Olympic Hunter in 1951 and Otori Maru No.18 in 1956.