HMS Carisbrooke Castle

History
United Kingdom
Name	Carisbrooke Castle
Namesake	Carisbrooke Castle
Ordered	2 February 1943
Builder	Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Dundee
Laid down	12 March 1943
Launched	31 July 1943
Completed	17 November 1943
Fate	Sold for scrap, 1958
General characteristics
Class and type	Castle-class corvette
Displacement	1,010 long tons (1,030  t) (standard) 1,510 long tons (1,530 t) (deep load)
Length	252 ft (76.8 m)
Beam	33 ft (10.1 m)
Draught	14 ft (4.3 m)
Installed power	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers 2,880  ihp (2,150  kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts, triple expansions
Speed	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Range	6,500  nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	99
Sensors and processing systems	Type 145 and Type 147 ASDIC Type 277 search radar HF/DF radio direction finder
Armament	1 × single 4 in (102 mm) gun 2 × twin, 2 × single 20 mm (0.8 in) AA guns 1 × 3-barrel Squid anti-submarine mortar 15 × depth charges, 1 rack and 2 throwers

HMS Carisbrooke Castle (K379) was one of 44 Castle-class corvettes built for the Royal Navy during World War II.

Design and description

The Castle-class corvette was a stretched version of the preceding Flower class, enlarged to improve seakeeping and to accommodate modern weapons. The ships displaced 1,010 long tons (1,030  t ) at standard load and 1,510 long tons (1,530 t) at deep load. They had an overall length of 252 feet (76.8 m), a beam of 36 feet 9 inches (11.2 m) and a deep draught of 14 feet (4.3 m). They were powered by a pair of triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines developed a total of 2,880 indicated horsepower (2,150  kW ) and gave a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph). The Castles carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 6,500 nautical miles (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The ships' complement was 99 officers and ratings. ^[1]

The Castle-class ships were equipped with a single QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk XVI gun forward, but their primary weapon was their single three-barrel Squid anti-submarine mortar. This was backed up by one depth charge rail and two throwers for 15 depth charges. The ships were fitted with two twin and a pair of single mounts for 20-millimetre (0.8 in) Oerlikon light AA guns. ^[2] Provision was made for a further four single mounts if needed. They were equipped with Type 145Q and Type 147B ASDIC sets to detect submarines by reflections from sound waves beamed into the water. A Type 277 search radar and a HF/DF radio direction finder rounded out the Castles' sensor suite. ^[3]

Construction and career

Carisbrooke Castle was laid down by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company at their shipyard at Dundee on 12 March 1943 and launched on 31 July. She was completed on 17 November and served as a convoy escort until the end of the war in May 1945. The ship was assigned to the Fishery Protection Flotilla based at Devonport in April 1946, but was reduced to reserve later that year. ^[4]

After the Second World War, her career was spent in the fleet reserve until May 1952, when she became part of the Second Training Squadron at Portland where she remained until 1956. ^[5] In 1953, she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. ^[6] She featured in the BBC short docufilm A Brief Journey - sailor's run ashore in 1954 to Plymouth, Dartmoor and Looe. The ship was sold and arrived at Faslane on 14 June 1958 to be broken up. ^[7]

References

1. Lenton, p. 297
2. Chesneau, p. 63; Lenton, p. 297
3. Goodwin, p. 3
4. Goodwin, pp. 126–131
5. Goodwin, p. 131
6. Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, She feature in a BBC Film, 'A Brief Journey - sailor's run ashore in 1954 to Plymouth, Dartmoor and Looe', HMSO, Gale and Polden
7. Lenton, p. 299

Bibliography

• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   0-85177-146-7.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN   978-1-86176-281-8.
• Goodwin, Norman (2007). Castle Class Corvettes: An Account of the Service of the Ships and of Their Ships' Companies. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. ISBN   978-1-904459-27-9.
• Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   1-55750-048-7.
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   1-59114-119-2.