HMS Mourne

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HMS Mourne 1943 IWM FL 16496.jpg
HMS Mourne in 1943
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameMourne
Namesake River Mourne
BuilderSmiths Dock Co., South Bank-on-Tees
Laid down21 March 1942
Launched24 September 1942
Commissioned30 April 1943
FateTorpedoed and sunk by U-767, 15 June 1944 at 49°35′N5°30′W / 49.583°N 5.500°W / 49.583; -5.500
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 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.

As a River-class frigate, Mourne 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 April 1943, Mourne served in convoy escort missions and participated in anti-submarine warfare exercises off Lough Foyle and Larne. [1]

Following the Normandy landings of Operation Overlord, Mourne was deployed to the western entrance of the English Channel as a screening operation, serving as part of the 5th Escort Group. At 13:45 on 15 June 1944, the bow of Mourne was hit by a GNAT torpedo fired by German submarine U-767, causing an ignition in the ship magazine. The ship was sunk with the loss of 111 lives and 27 survivors. [2] [3] After initially fleeing, other ships in the flotilla, which included HMS Bickerton and HMS Kempthorne, returned to pick up the survivors. [4]

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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

  1. ↑ "HMS Mourne (K 261) of the Royal Navy - British Frigate of the River class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  2. ↑ "HMS Mourne (K 261) (British Frigate) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  3. ↑ "Wrecksite - Mourne Frigate 1943-1944" . Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Devine, Darren (6 November 2013). "'I didn't have time to feel scared': A D-Day veteran recalls the day his ship was blown up, as he prepares for a return to Normandy". walesonline. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
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