CAPTAIN
Class
Turbo-Electric BUCKLEY Type Frigate
ordered under the UK/US Lease-Lend
Agreement
on
1st November 1941 and laid down on 4th
August 1943 by the Bethlehem
Steel Shipyard at Hingham, Mass. USA. The ship was launched on 23rd
October 1943
as the first RN ship to carry the name of
William
George
Rutherford
who was one of Nelson’s
captains at Trafalgar and in command of
HMS SWIFTSURE. Build
was completed date was 16th
December
1943. This ship was not
adopted by a civil community in UK
in 1941-42 after
a National Savings WARSHIP WEEK campaign.
Details of
arrangements made for manning this Class
of
warship
in the USA
are given in THE CAPTAIN CLASS
FRIGATES IN WW2 by D Collingwood.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1944 - ENGLISH CHANNEL
1944 -
NORTH SEA
1944-45
H
e r a l d i
c D a t
a
No
Badge 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 3
December
Contractor's trials.
16th
Commissioned for service and commenced
Acceptance Trials in Casco Bay.
1 9 4 4
January
On completion of local trials and
Shakedown took passage to Bermuda to
work-up
for operational service
February
Carried out sea work-up and shore training
at Bermuda.
March
On completion of working-up took passage
to Halifax
Sustained damage in collision with
submerged wreckage during passage from
Bermuda.
Taken in hand for repair at Halifax.
Took passage to Belfast on completion
(Note: Award of Battle Honour ATLANTIC
1944 suggests that ship may have
been involved in convoy defence whilst on
passage to UK but no record of
any specific incident has been found in
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR,
Volume 2 by C Blair and further
investigation is needed.
26th
Taken in hand for modification on arrival
at Belfast.
April
Under modification to suit RN requirements
for deployment.
(Note: In addition to changes made to
equipment fit some other alterations were
made
the domestic arrangements. These including
use of RN Canteen Messing
instead of the US Navy Cafeteria System
and replacement of steel furniture by
wooden items which is quite astounding !)
Equipment changes included improvement of
Depth
Charge allowances and stowage, improvement
of the
Sonar (ASDIC) equipment and
communications.)
Ship’s Company were given leave during the
refit.
May
On completion of modifications allocated
for service with 1st Destroyer Flotilla,
Nore Command and took passage to Harwich
for service as a Coastal Forces Control
Frigate (CFCF) and for convoy escort
duties.
(Note: This category of warship was used
to control groups of Motor Torpedo Boats
for interception of enemy craft on passage
to attack North Sea and Channel
coastal convoys or for minelaying.
As the radar equipment fitted on MTB’s was
not able to detect enemy craft at
long range the use of CAPTAIN-Class
Frigates with a far superior radar
fit was able to overcome this deficiency.
In order to ensure efficient tactical
control Special Officers from RN Coastal
Forces were embarked to provide
the necessary experience for control of
movements of the attached MTB’s.)
June
Deployed at Harwich with sister ships HMS
COSBY and HMS CUBITT.
(Note: Ship was not deployed for escort of
convoys during the Assault Phase of
the Normandy landings (Operation NEPTUNE.
See LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY (HMSO).)
Nominated for escort of Follow-up convoys
from Thames Estuary to Normandy
Beach Heads and return convoys.
Commenced escort duties
July
Military convoy escort duties in
continuation.
to
August
September
Resumed duties at Harwich for North Sea convoy defence and as
CFCF for control of MTB’s.
(Note: Sister ships, HM Frigates CUBITT,
CURZON, DAKINS and EKINS were
also deployed in Nore Command as CFCFs.)
October
North Sea and Thames estuary duties in
continuation.
to
November
December
CFCF patrol duties off Dutch and Belgian
coasts in defence of military convoys
in continuation.
During this period engaged enemy E-Boats
reported by aircraft and carried out
attacks
during which several enemy craft were hit.
1 9 4 5
January
Deployed for patrol and CFCF duties off
Scheldt estuary.
to
(Note: Aircraft were also used to report
movement of enemy warships and to report
March
these direct to CFCFs.)
April
Deployed with HMS CUBITT for interception
patrol off the Low Countries for
defence of convoys.
7th
Took part in action against E-Boats during
which two were seriously damaged and in
subsequent engagement by MTB’s at close
range assisted in rescue of crew of HM
MTB 494 and HM MTB 5001 which had
been damaged and later sank.
9th
Engaged group of E-Boats sighted by
aircraft off Ostend and
during brief action two enemy craft were
sunk.
(Note: For details of Coastal Forces
actions in Home Waters
during WW2 see THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW
SEAS by P Scott and
HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith)
May
Nominated for service in Pacific as a
Fighter Direction Ship after conversion
Took passage to commercial shipyard for
conversion after VE Day.
(Note: One source records that this work
was done in the Isle of Man but needs
confirmation as no suitable shipyard for
such work is known there.
The visit may well have been arranged for
recreational purposes before start of
refit work at Liverpool or Glasgow for example.)
June
Under conversion
to
July
August
Refit work suspended after VJ Day
P
o s t W a
r N o t e s
The
contribution made to the
safety of convoys especially in the North Sea and
Channel is recognised by the award of
these two Battle Honours. HMS
RUTHERFORD was Paid-off and destored
before
taking passage to USA with a steaming
party. RN Equipment was removed before
sailing and the ship was returned to the
US Navy on 25th October 1945.
She was never re-commissioned and was sold
for scrap
in May 1946.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS RUTHERFORD
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
06/03/44
|
11/03/44
|
HX 282
|
20/03/44
|
22/03/44
|
19/04/44
|
19/04/44
|
CW 263
|
20/04/44
|
20/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
CE 261
|
22/04/44
|
22/04/44
|
31/07/44
|
31/07/44
|
ETC 054
|
01/08/44
|
01/08/44
|
02/08/44
|
02/08/44
|
FTC 055
|
03/08/44
|
03/08/44
|
05/08/44
|
05/08/44
|
ETM 056
|
06/08/44
|
06/08/44
|
07/08/44
|
07/08/44
|
FTM 061
|
08/08/44
|
08/08/44
|
10/08/44
|
10/08/44
|
ETM 059
|
11/08/44
|
11/08/44
|
12/08/44
|
12/08/44
|
FTM 066
|
13/08/44
|
13/08/44
|
15/08/44
|
15/08/44
|
ETM 061
|
15/08/44
|
16/08/44
|
19/08/44
|
19/08/44
|
ETM 063
|
20/08/44
|
20/08/44
|
21/08/44
|
21/08/44
|
FTM 072
|
22/08/44
|
22/08/44
|
25/08/44
|
25/08/44
|
ETM 066
|
26/08/44
|
26/08/44
|
06/09/44
|
06/09/44
|
ETM 072
|
07/09/44
|
07/09/44
|
08/09/44
|
08/09/44
|
FTM 001A
|
09/09/44
|
09/09/44
|
29/11/44
|
29/11/44
|
ON 269
|
01/12/44
|
15/12/44
|
19/11/44
|
04/12/44
|
HX 321
|
05/12/44
|
05/12/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)