HMS Itchen (K227)

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History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameItchen
Namesake River Itchen, Hampshire
Builder Fleming & Ferguson Ltd., Paisley
Laid down14 July 1941
Launched29 July 1942
Commissioned28 December 1942
FateSunk by U-666 on 23 September 1943 at 53°25′N39°42′W / 53.417°N 39.700°W / 53.417; -39.700
General characteristics
Class and 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)
Range440 long tons (450 t; 490 short tons) oil fuel; 7,200 nautical miles (13,334 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement107
Armament

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.

As a River-class frigate, Itchen was one of 151 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.

After commissioning in December 1942, Itchen participated in anti-submarine warfare exercises off Tobermory, Mull and Lough Foyle until mid September 1943 where she was assigned as convoy escort. [1]

On 19 September 1943, Itchen was involved in the U-boat attack on Convoys ONS 18/ON 202. At 21:51 on 20 September, HMCS St. Croix was hit and sunk, with 81 survivors being picked up by Itchen. During this, at 22:53 on 20 September, the German submarine U-305 fired a torpedo at Itchen but missed and HMS Polyanthus was sunk screening the rescue. At 02:01 on the morning of 23 September, U-666 fired a torpedo at Itchen which hit the ship after 70 seconds. The frigate blew up with loss of 230 lives and 3 survivors. [2] These ships were some of the first victims of the newly developed GNAT torpedo. The survivors were picked up by SS Wisła. [3] [4]

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HMS Itchen may refer to one of the following British Royal Navy ships named after the English River Itchen:

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HMCS <i>Chebogue</i>

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HMCS <i>Valleyfield</i> Canadian frigate

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

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HMCS <i>Waskesiu</i> River-class frigate of the Royal Canadian Navy

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

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HMS <i>Cam</i> (K264) River-class frigate of the Royal Navy

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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> 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. ↑ "HMS Itchen (K 227) of the Royal Navy - British Frigate of the River class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  2. ↑ "HMS Itchen (K 227) (British Frigate) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  3. ↑ "HMCS St. Croix (I 81) (Canadian Destroyer) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. 1991. p. 293. ISBN   9780160020551.
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