HMS Balfour

Last updated

HMS Balfour.jpg
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
Builder Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard
Laid down19 April 1943
Launched10 July 1943
Commissioned17 October 1943
DecommissionedReturned to US Navy on 25 October 1945
FateSold for scrap 28 October 1946
General characteristics
Class and type Captain-class frigate
Displacement1,800 long tons (1,829 t) (fully loaded)
Length306 ft (93 m) overall
Beam36.5 ft (11.1 m)
Draught11 ft (3.4 m) fully loaded
Speed24 knots (44 km/h)
Range5,500 nautical miles (10,190 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
ComplementTypically between 170 & 180

HMS Balfour was a Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy which served during World War II. She was built as a TE (Buckley) type destroyer escort in the United States and delivered to the Royal Navy under the Lend-Lease arrangement.

Contents

Construction and design

The Buckley class was one of six classes of destroyer escorts built for the US Navy to meet the massive demand for escort vessels following the United States's entry into World War Two. While basically similar, the different classes were fitted with different propulsion gear and armament. The Buckleys had a turbo-electric drive, and a main gun armament of 3-inch guns. [1] [2]

The Buckley- (or TE) class ships were 306 feet (93.27 m) long overall and 300 feet (91.44 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 37 feet (11.28 m) and a mean draft of 11 feet 3 inches (3.43 m). Displacement was 1,430 long tons (1,450 t) standard and 1,823 long tons (1,852 t) full load. Two boilers fed steam to steam turbines which drove electrical generators, with in turn powered electric motors that propelled the ship. The machinery was rated at 12,000 shaft horsepower (8,900 kW), giving a speed of 23 knots (26 mph; 43 km/h). 359 long tons (365 t) of oil was carried, giving a range of 6,000 nautical miles (6,900 mi; 11,000 km) at 12 knots (14 mph; 22 km/h). [3]

The ship's main gun armament consisted of three 3-inch (76 mm) 50 caliber dual-purpose (i.e. anti-surface and anti-aircraft) guns, two forward and one aft, in open mounts. Close in armament consisted of two 40 mm Bofors guns, backed up by eight single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon. A triple mount of 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes provided a capability against larger ships, while anti-submarine armament consisted of a Hedgehog forward-firing anti-submarine mortar and four depth charge throwers and two depth charge rails. [3] [4] Crew was 200 officers and other ranks. [3]

The ship, which was originally planned to become USS McAnn with the hull number DE-73, was laid down on 19 April 1943 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Hingham Shipyard, in Hingham, Massachusetts. [5] DE-73 was re-allocated to Great Britain under the Lend-Lease programme on 10 June 1943. [6] The ship was launched on 10 July 1943, with the name HMS Balfour [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] and commissioned on 7 October 1943, with the pennant number K464. [5]

Actions

HMS Balfour served with both the 1st Escort Group and 18th Escort Group earning battle honours for service in the North Atlantic, off Normandy and in the English Channel.

In February 1944, Balfour was part of the 1st Support Group, supporting convoys to the west of Ireland. [8] In June 1944, the Allies invaded Normandy, and the 1st Escort Group, including Balfour, was one of six Escort Groups deployed to form a barrier about 130 miles west of Lands End to prevent German U-boats based in the French Atlantic ports from interfering with the landings. [9] [10] These Escort Groups were later moved into the Channel, and on 25 June 1944 the 1st Escort Group was searching south east of Torquay for a submarine that had torpedoed the frigate Goodson when Balfour detected a sonar contact. Balfour attacked with Hedgehog, which resulted in several explosions and a slick of oil. Balfour and sister ship Affleck then followed up with depth charges. At the time, the two frigates were credited with sinking U-1191 with the loss of all hands. [11] [12] The Kriegsmarine had U-1191 listed as missing (no radio contact) since 12 June 1944. [13] [ page needed ] The Admiralty later withdrew the credit for sinking U-1191, declaring that the cause of that submarine's loss was unknown. [12] Other sources indicate that Balfour and Affleck had attacked the wreck of the submarine U-269, sank earlier the same day, and that U-1191 was sunk by British destroyers and frigates on 3 July. [14]

On the afternoon of 18 July 1944, Balfour attacked the submarine U-672 with depth charges. [lower-alpha 3] Although U-672 managed to slip away from Balfour, she was badly damaged, and early on 19 July, the submarine surfaced and was scuttled by its commanding officer. All hands (52 crew and officers) were rescued and spent the rest of the war as prisoners of war. This action took place in the English Channel north of Guernsey at position 50°03′N02°30′W / 50.050°N 2.500°W / 50.050; -2.500 . [16] [15] [13] [ page needed ]

In December 1944, Balfour was Senior Officer's ship in the 18th Escort Group, operating out of Greenock. [17] On 10 January 1945 Cdr C Gwinner assumed command. By March–April 1945, Balfour had returned to the 1st Escort Group, operating out of Portsmouth against German submarines in the Channel. [18]

Disposal

Following the end of the war, Balfour was returned to the United States under command of Lieutenant Commander J.D.Davey, transferring back to the US Navy at New York on 25 October 1945, and keeping the name Balfour. [6] She was sold on 28 October 1946. [19]

Notes

  1. ↑ Balfour was named after George Balfour, the commander of the ship of the line HMS Conqueror at the Battle of the Saintes during the American Revolutionary War. [7]
  2. ↑ The name McAnn was reassigned to USS McAnn. [6]
  3. ↑ Blair claims the attack used Hedgehog. [15]

Citations

  1. ↑ Whitley 2000 , pp. 309–310
  2. ↑ Friedman 1982 , pp. 143–144, 146, 148–149
  3. 1 2 3 Whitley 2000 , p. 151
  4. ↑ Elliott 1977 , p. 259
  5. 1 2 Whitley 2000 , p. 150
  6. 1 2 3 "Balfour (DE-73)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command . Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  7. ↑ Manning & Walker 1959, p. 97
  8. ↑ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992 , p. 263
  9. ↑ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992 , p. 283
  10. ↑ Blair 2000 , p. 576
  11. ↑ Kemp 1997 , p. 199
  12. 1 2 Blair 2000 , p. 590
  13. 1 2 McCartney, Innes (2002). Lost patrols : submarine wrecks of the English Channel. Penzance: Periscope. ISBN   978-1-90438-104-4.
  14. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "U-1191". U-boat.net. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  15. 1 2 Blair 2000 , p. 603
  16. ↑ Kemp 1997 , p. 204
  17. ↑ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992 , p. 321
  18. ↑ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992 , p. 339
  19. ↑ Friedman 1982 , p. 458

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Antelope</i> (H36) A-class destroyer

HMS Antelope was a British A-class destroyer, which was completed for the Royal Navy in 1930. Antelope served throughout the Second World War, taking part in the sinking of three enemy submarines and in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa.

HMS <i>Orwell</i> (G98) O-class destroyer converted to Type 16 frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Orwell was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that entered service in 1942 and was broken up in 1965.

HMS <i>Onslow</i> (G17) Destroyer

HMS Onslow was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. The O-class were intermediate destroyers, designed before the outbreak of the Second World War to meet likely demands for large number of destroyers. They had a main gun armament of four 4.7 in guns, and had a design speed of 36 kn. Onslow was ordered on 2 October 1939 and was built by John Brown & Company at their Clydebank, Glasgow shipyard, launching on 31 March 1941 and completing on 8 October 1941.

HMS <i>Troubridge</i> (R00) T-class destroyer converted to Type 15 frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Troubridge was a T-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War. Post war she was converted into a Type 15 frigate.

HMS <i>Ursa</i> (R22) U-class destroyer converted to Type 15 frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Ursa was a U-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War. She was later converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F200.

HMS <i>Verulam</i> (R28) V-class destroyer converted to Type 15 frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Verulam was a V-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Paladin</i> (G69) P-class destroyer converted to Type 16 frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Paladin was a P-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that served in the Second World War. She was built by John Brown and Co. Ltd., Clydebank. She saw action in the Mediterranean and Far East. After the war she was converted into a type 16 frigate and was eventually scrapped in 1962.

HMS <i>Termagant</i> (R89) T-class destroyer converted to Type 16 frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Termagant was a T-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War. She was built by William Denny and Brothers, of Dumbarton and launched on 22 March 1943. She was scrapped in 1965.

HMS <i>Affleck</i> Frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Affleck was a Captain-class frigate which served during World War II. The ship was named after Sir Edmund Affleck, commander of HMS Bedford at the Moonlight Battle in 1780 during the American Revolutionary War.

HMS <i>Active</i> (H14) A-class destroyer

HMS Active, the tenth Active, launched in 1929, was an A-class destroyer. She served in the Second World War, taking part in the sinking of four submarines. She was broken up in 1947.

HMS Bentley was a Captain-class frigate which served during World War II. The ship was named after Sir John Bentley who entered the Royal Navy in 1720. Between 1744 and 1761 he commanded a series of ships and took part in the decisive victory at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759 while commanding a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line HMS Warspite.

HMS <i>Zealous</i> (R39) Israeli destroyer sunk on 21 October 1967

HMS Zealous was a Z-class destroyer of the Royal Navy built in 1944 by Cammell Laird. She served during the Second World War, participating in operations in the North Sea and off the Norwegian coast, before taking part in some of the Arctic convoys. She spent a further ten years in Royal Navy service after the end of the war before being sold to the Israeli Navy, which operated her as INS Eilat. She saw action during the Suez Crisis in 1956 attacking Egyptian ships, and was still active by the outbreak of the Six-Day War in 1967. She was sunk several months after the conflict by missiles launched from several small Egyptian missile boats; this made her the first vessel to be sunk by a missile boat in wartime. It was an important milestone in naval surface warfare, which aroused considerable interest around the world in the development of small manoeuvrable missile boats.

HMS Marigold was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 4 September 1940 and was sunk by an Italian air-dropped torpedo on 9 December 1942.

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

HMS Wrestler (D35) was a V and W-class destroyer built by the Royal Navy during the First World War and active from 1939 to 1944 during the Second World War. She was the first Royal Navy ship to bear that name, and the only one to do so to date.

HMS <i>Ekins</i> 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>Atherstone</i> (L05) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Atherstone was a Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was launched in late 1939 as the first of her class but was found to be unstable, and had to undergo significant modifications before entering service in March 1940.

HMS <i>Zephyr</i> (R19) 1942 Z-class destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Zephyr was a Z-class destroyer. She was launched on 13 July 1942 at Vickers-Armstrongs' High Walker shipyard and commissioned on 6 September 1944. She was 'adopted' by the civil community of Doncaster, replacing the destroyer HMS Lightning, which had originally been adopted during Warship Week in 1942.

HMS <i>Douglas</i>

HMS Douglas was an Admiralty type flotilla leader of the British Royal Navy. Built by Cammell Laird, Douglas commissioned in 1918, just before the end of the First World War. During the Second World War, Douglas served with Force H out of Gibraltar and as a convoy escort. She was sold for scrap in March 1945.

HMS <i>Weston</i> Sloop of the Royal Navy

HMS Weston was a Shoreham-class sloop of the British Royal Navy. Weston was built at Devonport Dockyard in 1931–1933.

HMS <i>Crane</i> (U23) Modified Black Swan-class sloop

HMS Crane was a modified Black Swan-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton on 13 June 1941, launched on 9 November 1942 and commissioned on 10 May 1943, with the pennant number U23. She saw active service during the Second World War, initially performing convoy escort roles in the Atlantic before supporting the Normandy landings. In the final months of the war, Crane joined the British Pacific Fleet and saw service during the Battle of Okinawa. Post-war, Crane remained in south-east Asia and took part in hostilities during the Korean War. She was redeployed to the Middle East during the Suez Crisis before returning to Asia for service during the Malayan Emergency. Crane was withdrawn from service in the early 1960's and was scrapped in 1965.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.