French frigate L'Escarmouche

Last updated
L'Escarmouche 1944 IWM FL 4094.jpg
L'Escarmouche on 15 April 1944
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Frome
Ordered1941
BuilderBlyth Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.
Laid down19 December 1941
Launched1 June 1943
Completed1943
In service1943-1944
Out of service1944
Identification Pennant number: K267
FateTransferred to FNFL in 1944
Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svgFrance
NameL'Escarmouche
Acquired1944
In service1944-1960
Renamed1944
FateDecommissioned in 1960
General characteristics
Class and type River-class frigate

L'Escarmouche was a River-class frigate in the service of the Free French Naval Forces (FFNL) during World War II. Launched as HMS Frome in 1943, the ship was transferred to the Free French Naval forces and served in the postwar French Navy until her decommissioning in 1960. [1]

History

L'Escarmouche was laid down as HMS Frome in 1942 as a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 1 June 1943, before being transferred to the FNFL and entering Free French naval service on 3 March 1944. [1] During her service in World War II, L'Escarmouche was primarily occupied with escorting transports and supply ships in the English Channel. In June 1944 she served as an escort for American transports heading for Utah and Omaha Beach on D-Day. [2] L'Escarmouche was escorting the landing ship Empire Javelin when the latter was sunk by either an undersea mine or a submarine-launched torpedo on 28 December 1944. [3] The frigate assisted in rescuing survivors from Empire Javelin, but failed to find an attacker after conducting a sweep for a U-boat. Following the end of the war, L'Escarmouche remained in the service of the newly formed French Fourth Republic. She was decommissioned in 1960. [1]

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Loch Killin</i> (K391) Frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Loch Killin was a Loch-class frigate of the Royal Navy, named after Loch Killin in Scotland. The ship was laid down at Burntisland Shipbuilding Company's yard in Fife on 2 June 1943, and launched on 29 November 1943. She was one of the first vessels armed with the brand new Squid anti-submarine mortar. Decommissioned in September 1945, the ship was put into Reserve, and finally scrapped on 24 August 1960.

HMS Hargood (K582) was a Captain-class frigate which served in the Royal Navy during World War II. Laid down as a Buckley class destroyer escort originally intended for the United States Navy, she was transferred to the United Kingdom under the terms of Lend-Lease before she was finished in 1944, serving in the Royal Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was returned to the U.S. Navy in 1946 and sold for scrapping in 1947.

HMS <i>Ekins</i> (K552) Frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Ekins (K552) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy that served during World War II. Originally constructed as a United States Navy Buckley class destroyer escort, she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1945.

HMS <i>Torrington</i> (K577) Frigate of the Royal Navy

The fourth HMS Torrington (K577) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy in commission during World War II. Originally constructed as a United States Navy Buckley class destroyer escort, she served in the Royal Navy from 1944 to 1946.

The second HMS Whitaker (K580), and the first to enter service, was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy in commission during World War II. Originally constructed as a United States Navy Buckley class destroyer escort, she served in the Royal Navy from 1944 to 1945.

HMS Gould (K476) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy in commission during World War II. Originally constructed as the United States Navy Evarts-class destroyer escort USS Lovering (DE-272), she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 until her sinking in 1944.

HMS <i>Inman</i> (K571) Frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Inman (K471) was a Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy in commission in World War II. Originally built as the United States Navy Evarts-class destroyer escort DE-526, she served in the Royal Navy from 1944 to 1945.

HMS Kingsmill (K484) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy in commission during World War II. Originally constructed as the United States Navy Evarts-class destroyer escort DE-280, she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1945 and then in the U.S. Navy as USS Kingsmill (DE-280) from August to October 1945.

HMS <i>Loring</i> (K565) Frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Loring (K565) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy in commission during World War II. Originally constructed as the United States Navy Evarts-class destroyer escort DE-520, she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1945.

HMS <i>Moorsom</i> (K567) Frigate of the Royal Navy

The second HMS Moorsom (K567) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy in commission during World War II. Originally constructed as the United States Navy Evarts-class destroyer escort DE-522, she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1945.

HMS <i>Vesper</i> Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Vesper was a V-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service in World War I and World War II.

HMS <i>Annan</i> (K404) River-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Annan was a River-class frigate built for the Royal Navy but was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy before commissioning. She served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War and saw action primarily as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was returned to United Kingdom following the war and quickly sold to Denmark, who renamed the vessel Niels Ebbesen. She was primarily used as a training vessel until 1963 when she was broken up in Odense. She was named for the River Annan in Scotland in UK and Canadian service and Niels Ebbesen in Danish service.

HMS <i>Monnow</i> River-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Monnow was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy. The frigate served as a convoy escort in the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War. Named for the River Monnow in the United Kingdom, the vessel was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1944, keeping the same name, and finished the war with them. Returned to the Royal Navy following the war, it was sold to the Royal Danish Navy and renamed Holger Danske. It served until 1960 when it was scrapped. The ship is significant as it is one of the few ships employed by the Royal Canadian Navy never to visit Canada.

HMS Itchen (K227) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). Itchen was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River-class frigate. She served in the North Atlantic during World War II.

HMS <i>Teviot</i> (K222) River-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Teviot (K222) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN) from 1942–1955. She served in convoy defence duties in the North Atlantic and Eastern Fleet during World War II. After the war, she served in the South African Navy as HMSAS Teviot before returning to Royal Navy service after six months. Teviot was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River-class frigate.

HMS <i>Chelmer</i> (K221) River-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Chelmer (K221) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN) from 1943–1957. She served in convoy defence duties in the North Atlantic during World War II. Chelmer was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River-class frigate, although Chelmer was one of the few powered by a turbine engine.

HMS Cuckmere (K299) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN) in 1943. Cuckmere was originally to be built for the United States Navy, having been laid down as PG-104, but was transferred to the Royal Navy as part of Lend-Lease and finished to the RN's specifications as a Group II River-class frigate. She was first Royal Navy ship to carry the name Cuckmere.

HMS <i>Lagan</i> River-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Lagan (K259) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). Lagan was built to the RN's specifications as a Group II River-class frigate. She served in the North Atlantic during World War II.

HMS <i>Mourne</i> (K261) River-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Mourne (K261) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). Mourne was built to the RN's specifications as a Group II River-class frigate. She served in the North Atlantic during World War II.

HMS Tweed (K250) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). Tweed was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River-class frigate, though Tweed was one of the few powered by a turbine engine. She served in the North Atlantic during World War II.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "FFL L'Escarmouche (K 267) of the Free French Navy - Free French Frigate of the River class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  2. Watson, Patrick (2007-12-11). Watson's Really Big Wwii Almanac: Volume I: January to June. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN   9781469101897.
  3. Johnstone-Bryden, Richard (2015-07-30). HMS Cavalier Destroyer 1944. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN   9781848323742.