HMS Findhorn

Last updated


History
Naval ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameFindhorn
Namesake Findhorn
Ordered6 Oct 1941
Builder Canadian Vickers
Laid down25 Aug 1942
Launched5 Dec 1942
Commissioned25 Jun 1943
FateReturned to US Navy on 20 March 1946
General characteristics
Class & type River-class frigate
Displacement
  • 1,370 long tons (1,390 t)
  • 1,830 long tons (1,860 t) (deep load)
Length
  • 283 ft (86.26 m) p/p
  • 301.25 ft (91.82 m)o/a
Beam36.5 ft (11.13 m)
Draught9 ft (2.74 m); 13 ft (3.96 m) (deep load)
Propulsion2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, reciprocating vertical triple expansion, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Speed20 knots (37.0 km/h)
Range7,200 nautical miles (13,334 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h), with 440 long tons (450 t; 490 short tons) of oil
Complement107
Armament

HMS Findhorn (K301) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). Findhorn was built in Canada for the American Navy, however she was loaned to the Royal Navy as part of the lend lease program. She served during World War II.

Findhorn was one of 151 River-Class frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts, named after rivers in the United Kingdom. The ships were designed by naval engineer William Reed, of Smith's Dock Company of South Bank-on-Tees, to have the endurance and anti-submarine capabilities of the Black Swan-class sloops, while being quick and cheap to build in civil dockyards using the machinery (e.g. reciprocating steam engines instead of turbines) and construction techniques pioneered in the building of the Flower-class corvettes. Its purpose was to improve on the convoy escort classes in service with the Royal Navy at the time, including the Flower class.

In October 1943 Findhorn escorted HMS Royal Sovereign on her journey from Norfolk, Virginia, to Argentina, and finally to Greenock, Scotland. [1]

On 12 August 1944 the Findhorn and HMIS Godavari were sent to hunt down U-198 after she had been sighted by aircraft from the HMS Shah. The Godavari made radar contact first and directed the two ships to close in. Eventually after firing many Hedgehog depth charges explosions were heard aboard the Findhorn, and U-198's sinking was confirmed the next day by a large oil slick. [2] [1] This was the only U-boat sunk in the Indian Ocean by a Hunter-killer Group of the entire war. [3]

For the remainder of the 2nd World War Findhorn mainly severed in convoy escort duties until she was returned to US service in March 1946.


References

  1. 1 2 "HMS Findhorn". Uboat.net. Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "U 198". u-boot-archiv. u-boot-archiv. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  3. ↑ Kemp, Paul (1997). U-boats destroyed : German submarine losses in the World Wars. New York, United States: Arms & Armour. p. 209. ISBN   1-85409-515-3 . Retrieved 11 January 2026.
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