Jump to content

HMS Hedingham Castle (K491): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
m Service history: Typos and general fixes, replaced: was place → was placed using AWB
Line 140: Line 140:
''Hedingham Castle'', named for the [[Hedingham Castle|castle]] in [[Essex]], was [[Keel laying|laid down]] on 23 July 1943 by [[Henry Robb|Henry Robb Ltd.]], at [[Leith]].<ref name=mac1>Macpherson and Barrie, p.165</ref> At some point in 1943, the ship was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy was [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 26 January 1944.<ref name=colledge>Colledge, p.455</ref> Renamed ''Orangeville'' for the [[Orangeville, Ontario|town]] in [[Ontario]], the corvette was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] into the Royal Canadian Navy on 24 April 1944 with the [[pennant number]] K491.<ref name=mac1/>
''Hedingham Castle'', named for the [[Hedingham Castle|castle]] in [[Essex]], was [[Keel laying|laid down]] on 23 July 1943 by [[Henry Robb|Henry Robb Ltd.]], at [[Leith]].<ref name=mac1>Macpherson and Barrie, p.165</ref> At some point in 1943, the ship was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy was [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 26 January 1944.<ref name=colledge>Colledge, p.455</ref> Renamed ''Orangeville'' for the [[Orangeville, Ontario|town]] in [[Ontario]], the corvette was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] into the Royal Canadian Navy on 24 April 1944 with the [[pennant number]] K491.<ref name=mac1/>


After commissioning, the ship worked up at [[Tobermory, Mull|Tobermory]] and in May 1944, joined the [[Mid-Ocean Escort Force]] as a member of the convoy escort group C-1. ''Orangeville'' spend the rest of the Second World War as a convoy escort, with her last convoy, [[ON convoys|ONS 48]] westbound to Canada. After arriving in Canada, ''Orangeville'' was sent to [[Liverpool, Nova Scotia]] for a refit in May that lasted until August. Following the refit, the ship was place in reserve at [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]] and was [[Ship decommissioning|paid off]] at Halifax on 12 April 1946.<ref name=mac1/>
After commissioning, the ship worked up at [[Tobermory, Mull|Tobermory]] and in May 1944, joined the [[Mid-Ocean Escort Force]] as a member of the convoy escort group C-1. ''Orangeville'' spend the rest of the Second World War as a convoy escort, with her last convoy, [[ON convoys|ONS 48]] westbound to Canada. After arriving in Canada, ''Orangeville'' was sent to [[Liverpool, Nova Scotia]] for a refit in May that lasted until August. Following the refit, the ship was placed in reserve at [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]] and was [[Ship decommissioning|paid off]] at Halifax on 12 April 1946.<ref name=mac1/>


The ship was sold on 5 September 1946 for mercantile use to Chinese interests and renamed ''Ta Tung''.<ref name=mac1/><ref name=colledge/> The ship was renamed again in 1947 as ''Hsi Lin''.<ref name=colledge/> In June 1951, ''Hsi Lin'' was taken over by the [[Republic of China|Nationalist Chinese]] government, rearmed and renamed ''Te An'' and remained in service until being discarded in 1967.<ref name=mac1/><ref name=colledge/>
The ship was sold on 5 September 1946 for mercantile use to Chinese interests and renamed ''Ta Tung''.<ref name=mac1/><ref name=colledge/> The ship was renamed again in 1947 as ''Hsi Lin''.<ref name=colledge/> In June 1951, ''Hsi Lin'' was taken over by the [[Republic of China|Nationalist Chinese]] government, rearmed and renamed ''Te An'' and remained in service until being discarded in 1967.<ref name=mac1/><ref name=colledge/>

Revision as of 16:03, 9 May 2016

As HMCS Orangeville in 1944
History
United Kingdom
NameHedingham Castle
NamesakeHedingham Castle
BuilderHenry Robb Ltd., Leith
Laid down23 July 1943
Launched26 January 1944
IdentificationPennant number: K491
FateTransferred to the Royal Canadian Navy
Canada
NameOrangeville
NamesakeOrangeville, Ontario
Acquired1943
Commissioned24 April 1944
Decommissioned12 April 1946
IdentificationPennant number: K491
Honours and
awards
Atlantic 1944-45[1]
FateSold for mercantile service
Name
  • Ta Tun (1946)
  • Hsi Lin (1947-51)
In service5 September 1946
Out of service1951
FateTaken over by Nationalist China 1951
Nationalist China
NameTe An
Acquired1951
Decommissioned1967
FateDiscarded 1967
General characteristics (as built)
TypeTemplate:Sclass2-
Displacement1,060 long tons (1,077 t)
Length252 ft (77 m)
Beam36 ft 8 in (11.18 m)*
Draught13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Installed power
  • 2 × water-tube boilers
  • 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Propulsion
  • 1 × 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine
  • Single screw
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Range6,200 nmi (11,500 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement120
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Type 272 radar
  • Type 145 sonar
  • Type 147B sonar
Armament

HMS Hedingham Castle was a Template:Sclass2- constructed for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Before being completed, the ship was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy, renamed HMCS Orangeville and used as a convoy escort for the rest of the war. Following the war, the ship was sold to Chinese interests for mercantile use and renamed Ta Tung in 1946. In 1947, the ship was renamed Hsi Lin before being taken over by Nationalist China in 1951, rearmed and renamed Te An. Te An remained in service until 1967.

Design and description

The Castle class were an improved corvette design over their predecessor Template:Sclass2-. The Flower class was not considered acceptable for mid-Atlantic sailing and was only used on Atlantic convoy duty out of need. Though the Admiralty would have preferred Template:Sclass2-s, the inability of many small shipyards to construct the larger ships required them to come up with a smaller vessel. The increased length of the Castle class over their predecessors[2] and their improved hull form gave the Castles better speed and performance on patrol in the North Atlantic and an acceptable replacement for the Flowers.[3] This, coupled with improved anti-submarine armament in the form of the Squid mortar led to a much more capable anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessel.[2] However, the design did have criticisms, mainly in the way it handled at low speeds and that the class's maximum speed was already slower than the speeds of the new U-boats they would be facing.[4]

A Castle-class corvette was 252 feet (77 m) long with a beam of 36 feet 8 inches (11.18 m) and a draught of 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 m) at deep load.[2][note 1] The ships displaced 1,060 tonnes (1,040 long tons) standard[2] and 1,580 tonnes (1,560 long tons) deep load.[4][note 2] The ships had a complement of 120.[2][note 3]

The ships were powered by two Admiralty three-drum boilers which created 2,750 indicated horsepower (2,050 kW). This powered one vertical triple expansion engine that drove one shaft, giving the ships a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).[2] The ships carried 480 tons of oil giving them a range of 6,200 nautical miles (11,500 km; 7,100 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[4]

The corvettes were armed with one QF 4-inch Mk XIX gun mounted forward.[2][note 4] Anti-air armament varied from 4 to 10[2] Oerlikon 20 mm cannons.[5] For ASW purposes, the ships were equipped with one three-barreled Squid anti-submarine mortar with 81 projectiles. The ships also had two depth charge throwers and one depth charge rail on the stern that came with 15 depth charges.[4]

The ships were equipped with Type 145 and Type 147B ASDIC.[4] The Type 147B was tied to the Squid anti-submarine mortar and would automatically set the depth on the fuses of the projectiles until the moment of firing. A single Squid-launched attack had a success rate of 25%.[6] The class was also provided with HF/DF and Type 277 radar.[5]

Service history

Hedingham Castle, named for the castle in Essex, was laid down on 23 July 1943 by Henry Robb Ltd., at Leith.[7] At some point in 1943, the ship was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy was launched on 26 January 1944.[8] Renamed Orangeville for the town in Ontario, the corvette was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy on 24 April 1944 with the pennant number K491.[7]

After commissioning, the ship worked up at Tobermory and in May 1944, joined the Mid-Ocean Escort Force as a member of the convoy escort group C-1. Orangeville spend the rest of the Second World War as a convoy escort, with her last convoy, ONS 48 westbound to Canada. After arriving in Canada, Orangeville was sent to Liverpool, Nova Scotia for a refit in May that lasted until August. Following the refit, the ship was placed in reserve at Halifax, Nova Scotia and was paid off at Halifax on 12 April 1946.[7]

The ship was sold on 5 September 1946 for mercantile use to Chinese interests and renamed Ta Tung.[7][8] The ship was renamed again in 1947 as Hsi Lin.[8] In June 1951, Hsi Lin was taken over by the Nationalist Chinese government, rearmed and renamed Te An and remained in service until being discarded in 1967.[7][8]

References

Notes

  1. ^ Brown states the beam at 36.5 feet (11.1 m) and the draught at 13.5 feet (4.1 m)
  2. ^ Chesneau states the displacement at deep load as 1,590–1,630 t (1,560–1,600 long tons)
  3. ^ Brown states the complement as 99 and Johnston states the complement of Canadian ships at 112 (7 officers and 105 ratings).
  4. ^ Mk XIX = Mark 19. Britain used Roman numerals to denote Marks (models) of ordnance until after World War II. This was the nineteenth model of British QF 4-inch gun

Citations

  1. ^ "Battle Honours". Britain's Navy. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Chesneau, p.63
  3. ^ Brown 2007, p.142
  4. ^ a b c d e Brown 2007, p.127
  5. ^ a b Brown 2007, p.126
  6. ^ Brown 2012, p.129
  7. ^ a b c d e Macpherson and Barrie, p.165
  8. ^ a b c d Colledge, p.455

Sources