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fighting ships of the world

ROYAL NAVY (UNITED KINGDOM)

ESCORTS   

"BAY" frigates (1945 - 1949)

Bigbury Bay 1945

Alert 1955

Alert 1963

Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Bigbury Bay (ex-Loch Carloway) K606, 1948- F06 775 Hall Russell, Aberdeen 5/1944 16.11.1944 7.1945 to Portugal 5.1959 (Pacheco de Pereira)
Burghead Bay (ex-Loch Harport) K622, 1948- F622   Hill, Bristol 9/1944 3.3.1945 9.1945 to Portugal 5.1959 (Álvares Cabral)
Cardigan Bay (ex-Loch Laxford) K630, 1948- F630 348 Robb, Leith 4/1944 28.12.1944 6.1945 BU 3.1962
Carnarvon Bay (ex-Loch Maddy) K636, 1948- F636 349 Robb, Leith 6/1944 15.3.1945 9.1945 BU 8.1959
Cawsand Bay (ex-Loch Roan) K644, 1948- F644   Blyth 4/1944 26.2.1945 11.1945 BU 9.1959
Enard Bay (ex-Loch Bracadale) K435, 1948- F35 1131 Smiths Dock, South Bank 5/1944 31.10.1944 4.1946 BU 11.1957
Hollesley Bay (ex-Loch Fannich) K614   Smiths Dock, South Bank --- --- --- cancelled
Largo Bay (ex-Loch Fionn) K423, 1948- F423 264 Pickersgill, Sunderland 2/1944 3.10.1944 1.1946 BU 7.1958
Morecambe Bay (ex-Loch Heilen) K624, 1948- F624 266 Pickersgill, Sunderland / White, Cowes 3/1944 1.11.1944 2.1949 to Portugal 5.1961 (D. Francisco de Almeida)
Mounts Bay (ex-Loch Kilbirnie) K627, 1948- F627 267 Pickersgill, Sunderland / Thornycroft, Woolston 10/1944 8.6.1945 4/1946 to Portugal 5.1961 (Vasco da Gama)
Padstow Bay (ex-Loch Coulside) K608, 1948- F608 350 Robb, Leith 9/1944 24.8.1945 3.1946 BU 8.1959
Porlock Bay (ex-Loch Seaforth, ex-Loch Muick) K650, 1948- F650   Hill, Bristol 11/1944 14.6.1945 3.1946 to Finland 3.1962 (Matti Kurki)
St. Austell Bay (ex-Loch Lydoch) K634, 1948- F634 1249 Harland & Wolff, Belfast 5/1944 18.11.1944 5.1945 BU 7.1959
St. Brides Bay (ex-Loch Achilty) K600, 1948- F600 1250 Harland & Wolff, Belfast 5/1944 16.1.1945 6.1945 BU 9.1962
Start Bay (ex-Loch Arklet) K604, 1948- F604 1252 Harland & Wolff, Belfast 8/1944 15.2.1945 9.1945 BU 7.1958
Tremadoc Bay (ex-Loch Arnish) K605, 1948- F605 1253 Harland & Wolff, Belfast 8/1944 29.3.1945 10.1945 BU 9.1959
Veryan Bay (ex-Loch Swannay) K651, 1948- F651   Hill, Bristol 6/1944 11.11.1944 5.1945 BU 7.1959
Whitesand Bay (ex-Loch Lubnaig) K633, 1948- F633 1261 Harland & Wolff, Belfast 8/1944 16.12.1944 7.1945 BU 2.1956
Widemouth Bay (ex-Loch Frisa) K615, 1948- F615 1259 Harland & Wolff, Belfast 4/1944 19.10.1944 4.1945 BU 11.1957
Wigtown Bay (ex-Loch Garasdale) K616, 1948- F616 1260 Harland & Wolff, Belfast 10/1944 26.4.1945 1.1946 BU 4.1959
Alert (ex-Dundrum Bay, ex-Loch Scamadale) K647, 1948- F647   Blyth 7.1944 10.7.1945 10.1946 dispatch vessel, BU 10.1971
Surprise (ex-Gerrans Bay, ex-Loch Carron) K436, 1948- F436 1132 Smiths Dock, South Bank 4.1944 14.3.1945 9.1945 dispatch vessel, BU 6.1965
Cook (ex-Pegwell Bay, ex-Loch Mochrum) K638 269 Pickersgill, Sunderland / Devonport DYd 11/1944 24.9.1945 7.1950 // --- completed as survey vessel
Dalrymple (ex-Luce Bay, ex-Loch Glass) K427 265 Pickersgill, Sunderland / Devonport DYd 4/1944 12.4.1945 9.1949 // --- completed as survey vessel
Dampier (ex-Herne Bay, ex-Loch Eil) K611 1133 Smiths Dock, South Bank / Chatham DYd 8/1944 15.5.1945 6.1948 // --- completed as survey vessel
Owen (ex-Thurso Bay, ex-Loch Muick) K640 779 Hall Russell, Aberdeen / Chatham DYd 9/1944 19.10.1945 9.1949 // --- completed as survey vessel

 

Displacement standard, t

1600

Displacement full, t

2420

Length, m

87.2 pp 93.7 oa

Breadth, m

11.8

Draught, m

3.89 deep load

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 VTE, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers

Power, h. p.

5500

Max speed, kts

19.5

Fuel, t

oil 730

Endurance, nm(kts)

7000(15)

Armament

Bigbury Bay, Widemouth Bay: 2 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 2 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors Mk XI, 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk IV, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (50)

Burghead Bay, Cardigan Bay, St. Brides Bay, Veryan Bay: 2 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 2 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors Mk XI, 2 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk III, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk IV, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk IV, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (50)

Carnarvon Bay, Cawsand Bay, St. Austell Bay, Start Bay, Tremadoc Bay, Whitesand Bay: 2 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 2 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors Mk XI, 4 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk III, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk IV, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (50)

Surprise: 1 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 4 x 1 - 47/40 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 2 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk III

Alert: 1 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Mk I, 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk VII

Enard Bay, Largo Bay, Wigtown Bay: 2 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 2 x 2 - 40/60 RP.50 Mk V, 4 x 1 - 40/60 Mk VII, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog Mk X ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (50)

Morecambe Bay, Mounts Bay, Padstow Bay, Porlock Bay: 2 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 2 x 2 - 40/60 RP.50 Mk V, 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk VII, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog Mk X ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (50)

Sensors

2x type 282, type 271 or type 291, type 285, type 293 radars, type 144 sonar

Surprise, Alert: type 271 or type 291, may be type 293 radars

Complement

177

Project history: In the beginning of 1944 a part of "Loch" class frigates was reoriented on the decision of air defence tasks for operations in Pacific where the basic threat emanated not from submarines but from aircraft, their anti-submarine potential was thus stored (the truth, in a little decreased). The basic weapon of new frigates which have replaced "Loch" names ("Lake" by Scottish) by "Bays", were two twin 102mm DP mounts with radar-tracking control (they were removed from outdated WAIR program destroyers and damaged "Hunt" class escort destroyers).

26 units were scheduled to re-equipment, 21 were completed. 4 more were completed as survey vessels, works on one more have suspended.

Modernizations: None

1/1946, Bigbury Bay, Widemouth Bay: 2 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 2 x 2 - 40/60 RP.50 Mk V, 4 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (50), 2x type 282, type 271 or type 291, type 285, type 293 radars, type 144 sonar

1/1946, Burghead Bay, Cardigan Bay, St. Brides Bay, Veryan Bay: 2 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 2 x 2 - 40/60 RP.50 Mk V, 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk VII, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (50), 2x type 282, type 271 or type 291, type 285, type 293 radars, type 144 sonar

1/1946, Carnarvon Bay, Cawsand Bay, St. Austel Bay, Start Bay, Tremadoc Bay, Whitesand Bay: 2 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 2 x 2 - 40/60 RP.50 Mk V, 4 x 1 - 40/60 Mk VII, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (50), 2x type 282, type 271 or type 291, type 285, type 293 radars, type 144 sonar

1/1946, Surprise: 1 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Mk I, 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk VII, type 271 or type 291, may be type 293 radars

Naval service: Surprise was disarmed in 1953 and used as Royal yacht.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

Mounts Bay 1949

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-15