CASTLE-Class Frigate ordered on 19th December 1942
from Fleming and Ferguson SC, Paisley
and laid
down
on 10th November 1943 as Job
Number 1546 (Yard Number 653). The ship was
launched on 14th April
1944 as the 1st RN ship to carry the name. Build was completed on
15th September 1944.
B
a
t t
l e H o n o u r s
ARCTIC
1945
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Blue, based
on the Arms of John of Gaunt who restored
the
Castle, and the red rose of
the house of Lancaster.
S
u m m a r
y 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
September
Contractors
trials and commissioned for
service in Western Approaches Command..
15th
Build completion and accepted for
service after work-up.
On completion of
trials and storing took passage
to Tobermory.
October
On completion of work-up for
operational service carried out weapon
trials and calibrations.
November
Joined
31st Escort Group.
(Note:
Other ships in Group were HM Corvettes
BERKELEY CASTLE, CARISBROOKE
CASTLE, DUMBARTON CASTLE
and HADLEIGH CASTLE.)
December
Deployed
with Group in NW Approaches for
convoy defence.
(Note:
For details of anti-submarine weapon
development including
anti-submarine mortar
(SQUID)
and High
Frequency
Direction Finding Outfit FH4, see SEEK AND
STRIKE by W
Hackman and
BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS by John
Terraine.)
1
9
4 5
January
Atlantic
and coastal convoy
defence in continuation.
to
(Note:
During this
period SCHNORKEL-fitted U-Boats were
concentrating their
February
attacks
on coastal
shipping especially in SW Approaches as
Atlantic convoys
had been
re-routed through English Channel after the
removal
of the air threat from
bases in
France.. See
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO), HOLD THE
NARROW SEA by P Smith
and HITLER’S U-BOAT
WAR by C Blair.)
March
Detached
for Russian convoy
defence with Home Fleet units.
(For
details of all Russian Convoy
operations and names of all warships and mercantiles
taking part see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by R A Ruegg,
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R
Woodman, THE
RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield
and CONVOY! by P Kemp.)
11th
Deployed with HM Corvettes ALLINGTON
CASTLE, ALNWICK CASTLE,
BAMBOROUGH
CASTLE, CAMELLIA, HONEYSUCKLE
, OXLIP, HM Destroyer
MYNGS,
HM Nor. Destroyer STORD and HM
Sloop LAPWING as Close Escort for
Russian Convoy
JW65 during passage to Kola Inlet.
12th
HM Cruiser DIADEM, HM Escort
Carrier CAMPANIA joined JW65 with destroyers
of
Home Fleet and HM
Corvette FARNHAM CASTLE.
15th
HM
Escort Carrier TRUMPETER joined JW65
with two Hone Fleet destroyers.
20th
Under
attack by group of six U-Boats
off Kola Inlet.
(Note: During
these attacks HM Sloop LAPWING was sunk by a
homing torpedo and
US
mercantile
THOMAS DONALDSON.
Another
US mercantile
HORACE BUSHNELL was torpedoed and
despite being
towed to Kola
Inlet became a total loss.)
Detached from JW65 on
arrival at Kola Inlet.
23rd
Sailed from Kola Inlet with HMS
FARNHAM CASTLE and Close Escort for JW59 to
carry out
anti-submarine operations against U-Boats
waiting
for departure of return
Convoy RA65
(Note: Nine
submarines were known to have assembled.
Four
of the Fleet destroyers were also deployed
in support of the
corvettes.)
On completion
joined RA65 as part of Close Escort during
return passage.
April
1st
Detached from RA65 on arrival at
Scapa Flow after uninterrupted passage.
Resumed convoy defence
duties with Group in coastal waters.
May
8th
On cessation of hostilities
with Germany released from convoy
defence
duties.
Deployed in
Hone waters for support of occupation
forces and
collection of
surrendered
U-Boats.
June
Home Waters
deployment in continuation.
to
August
P
o s t W a r N o t
e s
HMS LANCASTER CASTLE remained
in commission until 1946 when she Paid-off
and was
reduced to
Reserve status at Portsmouth.
Whilst laid-up
at Portsmouth the ship
refitted at Cardiff before being transferred to the Reserve Fleet
Division at Harwich in 1949. After the
Harwich Division closed in 1953 this
corvette was transferred
to Hartlepool where she was laid-up until
being put on the
Disposal List in 1957. Although offered to
Norway in 1957 this was not
accepted and the
ship
was sold to BISCO for demolition by J J
King of Gateshead. She arrived in tow the
breaker’s yard on 6th September 1960.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
LANCASTER CASTLE
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy
No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
30/10/44
|
unknown
|
HX
317
|
unknown
|
13/11/44
|
28/11/44
|
30/11/44
|
ONS
037
|
01/12/44
|
21/12/44
|
07/02/45
|
unknown
|
HX
337
|
unknown
|
21/02/45
|
16/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
ON
285
|
18/02/45
|
05/03/45
|
21/02/45
|
21/02/45
|
ON
286
|
22/02/45
|
09/03/45
|
11/03/45
|
11/03/45
|
JW
065
|
21/03/45
|
21/03/45
|
23/03/45
|
23/03/45
|
RA
065
|
01/04/45
|
01/04/45
|
06/04/45
|
20/04/45
|
SC
172
|
20/04/45
|
22/04/45
|
18/04/45
|
unknown
|
HX
351
|
unknown
|
03/05/45
|
23/04/45
|
unknown
|
HX
352
|
unknown
|
08/05/45
|
26/04/45
|
27/04/45
|
ON
299
|
28/04/45
|
13/05/45
|
29/04/45
|
29/04/45
|
RA
066
|
07/05/45
|
08/05/45
|
02/05/45
|
02/05/45
|
OS
126KM
|
05/05/45
|
08/05/45
|
05/05/45
|
10/05/45
|
MKS
099G
|
12/05/45
|
12/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)