HMS Fitzroy (K553)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Fitzroy.

HMS Fitzroy on 25 April 1944
History
United States
Name	unnamed (DE-88)
Ordered	10 January 1942 [1]
Builder	Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Laid down	24 August 1943 [2]
Launched	1 September 1943 [2]
Completed	16 October 1943 [2]
Commissioned	never
Fate	Transferred to United Kingdom 16 October 1943 [1]
Acquired	Returned by United Kingdom 5 January 1946 [2]
Stricken	7 February 1946 [2]
Fate	Sold for scrapping 23 May 1946 [2]
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Fitzroy (K553)
Namesake	Vice Admiral Sir Robert FitzRoy (1805–1865), British naval officer who was commanding officer of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's voyage of 1831–1836 [3]
Acquired	16 October 1943 [1]
Commissioned	16 October 1943 [1]
Decommissioned	1945 [4]
Fate	Returned to United States 5 January 1946 [2]
General characteristics
Displacement	1,400 long tons (1,422 t)
Length	306 ft (93 m)
Beam	36.75 ft (11.2 m)
Draught	9 ft (2.7 m)
Propulsion	Two Foster-Wheeler Express "D"-type water-tube boilers GE 13,500 shp (10,070 kW) steam turbines and generators (9,200 kW) Electric motors for 12,000 shp (8,900 kW) Two shafts
Speed	24 knots (44 km/h)
Range	5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement	186
Sensors & processing systems	SA & SL type radars Type 144 series Asdic MF Direction Finding antenna HF Direction Finding Type FH 4 antenna
Armament	3 × 3 in (76 mm) /50 Mk.22 guns 1 × twin Bofors 40 mm mount Mk.I 7–16 × 20 mm Oerlikon guns Mark 10 Hedgehog antisubmarine mortar Depth charges QF 2-pounder naval gun
Notes	Pennant number K553

The second HMS Fitzroy (K553) 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 1943 to 1945.

Construction and transfer

The ship was laid down as the unnamed U.S. Navy destroyer escort DE-88 by Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., in Hingham, Massachusetts, on 24 August 1943 and launched on 1 September 1943. ^[2] She was transferred to the United Kingdom upon completion on 16 October 1943. ^[2]

Service history

Commissioned into service in the Royal Navy as the frigate HMS Fitzroy (K553) on 16 October 1943 simultaneously with her transfer, the ship served on patrol and escort duty. On 27 March 1945 she joined the British frigates HMS Byron (K508) and HMS Redmill (K554) in sinking with depth charges the German submarine U-722 in the North Atlantic Ocean near the Hebrides at 57°09′00″N006°55′00″W / 57.15000°N 6.91667°W / 57.15000; -6.91667 (U-722 sunk) . On 8 April 1945 she joined Byron in a depth-charge attack which sank the German submarine U-1001 in the North Atlantic south-west of Land's End, England, at 49°19′00″N010°23′00″W / 49.31667°N 10.38333°W / 49.31667; -10.38333 (U-1001 sunk) . ^[1]

The Royal Navy decommissioned Fitzroy later in 1945 and returned her to the U.S. Navy on 5 January 1946. ^[2]

Disposal

The U.S. Navy struck Fitzroy from its Naval Vessel Register on 7 February 1946. She was sold on 23 May 1946 for scrapping. ^[2]

References

1. uboat.net HMS Fitzroy (ii) (K 553)
2. NavSource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive Fitzroy (DE-88) HMS Fitzroy (K-553)
3. Captain Class Frigate Association: HMS Fitzroy K553 (DE 88)
4. Per HMS Fitzroy (ii) (K553), Fitzroy was not carried on the Royal Navy's October 1945 Navy List, strongly implying her decommissioning sometime earlier that year.