COLONY-Class frigate transferred under the UK/US
Lease-Lend Agreement on 10th June 1943 and laid down on 16th October 1943 by the
Kaiser-Walsh Shipyard at Providence, Rhode Island USA. The ship which had been intended for US Navy
service as USS PEYTON (PF91) of the TACOMA Class. She was laid down on
16th October 1943 and launched on 16th November that year as the first RN ship
to bear this name. Build was completed on 15th May 1944. This ship was not adopted
by a civil community in
UK
in 1941-42 after a National Savings WARSHIP WEEK campaign
B
a t t l e H o
n o u r s
ARCTIC
1944 -
ATLANTIC
1944-45
H
e r a l d i c
D a t a
None
is recorded in the Official List of Heraldic Crests.
(Note: Many ships built during WW2
had an unofficial crest but
these were never given formal approval.)
D
e t a i l s o
f W a r S e r v i c e
(for more ship information, go
to
Naval History Homepage and type name in Site Search
1 9 4
4
May Contractor's Trials
15th
Build completion.
16th Commissioned for RN service and commenced Acceptance Trials
June On completion of Acceptance Trials took passage to
Bermuda for work-up.
to
July
August Passage to St Johns, Newfoundland on
completion of work-up.
(Note: To be confirmed.)
September
11th
Sailed from St
Johns as part of inward Convoy HX307 comprising 73 ships.
(Note: Sister ship
HMS SOMALILAND was also with HX307.)
20th Detached from HX307.
25th
Taken in hand for alterations to suit RN deployment as an escort.
October
Allocated for service in 20th Escort Group
3rd On completion of dockyard work joined Group for operational
service.
(Note: Other ships in 20th EG included HM
Frigates BAHAMAS, PAPUA, PITCAIRN,
SOMALILAND of this Class and HM Frigate TAVY.)
20th Deployed as part of escort for outward Convoy KMF35 during passage
from Clyde to
western
Mediterranean.
(Note: This was a 6 ship routine mercantile
convoy from Clyde to Port Said.
25th Detached from KMF35A Escort and took passage to Marseilles
28th Escorted inward Convoy MKF35A during passage from Marseilles to
Liverpool.
(Note: This was a single
ship special convoy reportedly carrying bullion.)
November
2nd Detached from MKF35A on arrival in Clyde and resumed Group duties
Nominated for detached service with Group as
part of escort for outward Russian Convoy JW62
(Note: For details of all Russian Convoys,
including names of escorts, cover force and
mercantiles,
see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA
by RA Ruegg, CONVOY! by P
Kemp, THE RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B
Schoefield and RUSSIAN CONVOYS
by R Woodman.
29th Sailed from Loch Ewe as escort for JW62 of 31 ships with HM Sloops
CYGNET,
LAPWING, LARK,
HM Frigates BAHAMAS, LOCH ALVIE,
SOMALILAND,
TAVY, MONNOW, NENE, PORT COLBOURNE (RCN), ST JOHN (RCN),
STORMONT (RCN), HM Corvette ALLINGTON CASTLE,
BAMBOROUGH CASTLE
and
TUNSBERG CASTLE (Norwegian).
(Note:
Although threat of attack by TIRPITZ had been eliminated a strong escort
was
provided because of
the known increase in strength of enemy aircraft based in
Norway and the continuing presence of U-Boats
specifically deployed for
attacks on Russian
convoys. These escorts were deployed to ensure the
maximum
anti-submarine defence possible for a large convoy.)
December
1st HM Cruiser BELLONA, HM Escort Aircraft Carriers CAMPANIA and
NAIRANA
joined JW62 with HM
Destroyers BEAGLE, BULLDOG, CAESAR, CAMBRIAN,
CAPRICE, CASSANDRA, KEPPEL, OBEDIENT, OFFA,
ONSLAUGHT, ONSLOW,
ORIBI, ORWELL and WESTCOTT as the Fighting
Escort
7th Detached from JW62 on arrival at Kola Inlet
after unscathed passage.
10th Sailed from Kola Inlet in advance of return Convoy RA62 with same
anti-submarine
escort to carry out
attacks on known assembly of
U-Boats laying in wait for departure
of mercantiles.
(Note: During the anti-submarine operations U387
was sunk by HMS
BAMBOROUGH CASTLE.
RA62 also included HM Frigate MOUNSEY which had
been damaged and was
returning to UK f or repair.)
Joined escort for RA62 on completion of
operations.
(Note: HMS BELLONA and the two escort carriers
formed part of convoy.)
11th Convoy under attack by U365 which fired an acoustic T5 torpedo at
HMS
CASSANDRA causing major
damage to forward structure.
(Note: HMS CASSANDRA was later towed to Murmansk
for repair.)
12th Convoy under torpedo air attacks which were repelled by aircraft
from the two
escort carriers.
13th U365 sighted by SWORDFISH aircraft from HMS
CAMPANIA and carried out
rocket
projectile attacks
sinking the submarine.
17th Canadian escorts and HMS LOCH ALVIE detached from RA62.
19th Detached from RA62 with ships of Group and resumed convoy escort in
Western
Approaches
(Note: See above references and HITLER’S U-BOAT
WAR Vol 2 by C Blair for
details of attacks on
RA62.)
1 9 4 5
January
Deployed for escort of convoys between UK and Gibraltar.
5th Joined escort for outward Convoy KMF38 to Gibraltar.
10th Detached from KMF38 on arrival at Gibraltar
21st Joined escort for inward convoy MKF38 for passage from Gibraltar.
27th
Detached from MKF38 on arrival in
Clyde.
28th Joined outward Convoy KMF39 as part of escort during passage from
Clyde.
to Gibraltar.
February
5th Detached from KMF39 on arrival at Gibraltar and taken in hand for repair by HM
Dockyard.
(Note: It is presumed this was due to weather
damage or serious machinery defect.
No record of any damage due to enemy action has
been traced.)
20th Dockyard work completed and deployed with escort for inward Convoy
MKF39.
21st Sustained major damage by grounding near Gibraltar.
Starboard Bilge Keel was removed and fuel tank
damaged causing entry of sea water.
22nd
Detached from MKF39 and made independent passage to
Plymouth for repair.
26th Taken in hand for repair by HM Dockyard, Devonport
(Note: Ship may have been able to proceed but
this requires further research.)
March
Under repair
to
May
June
30th Repair completed.
July
6th Taken in hand for further repair at Devonport
(Note: This may have been for attention to
defects found during post refit trials.
Further research is required.)
12th Repair work completed.
Nominated for reduction to Reserve status
Londonderry.
De-stored and complement reduced prior to lay-up
at Londonderry.
August Passage to Londonderry.
(Note: It is presumed ship was not towed.)
On arrival Paid-off and completed reduction to
Reserve.
September
Laid-up at Londonderry.
to
December
1 9 4 6
January
Nominated for return to US Navy
(Note: It is presumed that a steaming party was
provided for passage.
This party may have joined at Londonderry.)
February
Ship prepared for Ocean passage.
to
March (Note: Ship may have returned to Devonport before taking
passage)
April Passage to USA
(Note: Other ships of COLONY Class took passage
via the Azores.)
May
9th Arrived at Boston Navy Yard.
22nd
Formal return to US Navy.
F i n a l
P h a se
Ship remained at
Boston
until placed on the Disposal List. She was sold to Washburn Wire on 17th
January 1947 and arrived in the shipbreaker’s
on 10th September that year, presumably under tow.
S p e c i a l N o t e
Records for completion do not distinguish between
completion of dockyard work and completion of
Acceptance Trials.
The earlier date has been shown in the general particulars. Other factors about
which
further data is missing are the dates of work-up in
Bermuda. As none of the Class are known to
have
worked-up at Tobermory and because known dates of
departure for
UK
are much later than the
Completion date, this period is subject to
confirmation after further research.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
TORTOLA
by Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above
|
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No. |
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
06/09/44
|
11/09/44
|
HX 307
|
20/09/44
|
20/09/44
|
|
20/10/44
|
20/10/44
|
KMF 035A
|
25/10/44
|
31/10/44
|
|
20/10/44
|
28/10/44
|
MKF 035A
|
02/11/44
|
02/11/44
|
|
29/11/44
|
29/11/44
|
JW 062
|
07/12/44
|
07/12/44
|
|
10/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
RA 062
|
19/12/44
|
19/12/44
|
|
05/01/45
|
05/01/45
|
KMF 038
|
10/01/45
|
10/01/45
|
|
21/01/45
|
21/01/45
|
MKF 038
|
27/01/45
|
27/01/45
|
|
28/01/45
|
28/01/45
|
KMF 039
|
31/01/45
|
04/02/45
|
|
14/02/45
|
16/02/45
|
MKF 039
|
18/02/45
|
20/02/45
|
|
18/02/45
|
19/02/45
|
KMF 040
|
21/02/45
|
24/02/45
|
(Note on Convoys)
