HMS Londonderry (U76)
| File:HMS Lowestoft 1943 IWM FL 11988.jpg
Lowestoft in March 1943
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
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| Name: | HMS Lowestoft |
| Ordered: | 1 November 1932 |
| Builder: | Devonport Dockyard |
| Laid down: | 11 June 1934 |
| Launched: | 16 January 1935 |
| Completed: | 20 September 1935 |
| Fate: | Scrapped 1948 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Grimsby-class sloop |
| Displacement: | 990 long tons (1,010 t) standard |
| Length: | 266 ft 3 in (81.15 m) o/a |
| Beam: | 36 ft (11.0 m) |
| Draught: | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) (full load) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 16.5 kn (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) |
| Range: | 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement: | 100 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Londonderry was a Grimsby-class sloop of the Royal Navy. Built at Devonport Dockyard in the 1930s, Londonderry was launched in early 1935 and commissioned later that year. She served in the Red Sea and the South Atlantic until the outbreak of the Second World War. Londonderry served as a convoy escort during the war, which she survived. The ship was sold for scrap in 1948.
Construction and design
HMS Londonderry was one of two Grimsby-class sloops constructed under the 1933 construction for the Royal Navy. She was ordered from Devonport Dockyard on 1 March 1934. Two Grimsby-class sloops had been ordered under each of the 1931 and 1932 programmes, and two more would be ordered in the programme for next year, giving a total of eight Grimsby-class ships built for the Royal Navy.[1][2] Four more were built for Australia and one for India.[2] The Grimsby class, while based on the previous Shoreham class, was intended to be a more capable escort vessel than previous sloops, and carried a more powerful armament.[3][4]
Londonderry was 266 feet 3 inches (81.15 m) long overall, with a beam of 36 feet (10.97 m) and a draught of 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m) at deep load. Displacement was 990 long tons (1,010 t) standard,[5] and 1,355 long tons (1,377 t) full load.[6] The ship was powered by two geared steam turbines driving two shafts, fed by two Admiralty 3-drum boilers. This machinery produced 2,000 shaft horsepower (1,500 kW) and could propel the ship to a speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).[7] The ship had a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[6]
Two 4.7 in (120 mm) Mark IX guns were mounted fore and aft on the ship's centreline. As the 4.7 inch guns were low-angle guns, not suited to anti-aircraft use, a single QF 3 inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft gun[lower-alpha 1] was mounted in "B" position. Four 3-pounder saluting guns and eight machine guns completed the ship's gun armament.[6][7][8] The initial anti-submarine armament was small, with a design loadout of four depth charges.[6] The ship could be fitted for minesweeping or minelaying (for which the aft 4.7 inch gun was removed, allowing 40 mines to be loaded) as well as escort duties.[4][9] The ship had a crew of 103 officers and men.[6]
Londonderry was laid down on 11 June 1934 and was launched on 16 January 1935. She was formally commissioned on 17 September 1935 with construction completing on 20 September that year.[10]
Modifications
Lowestoft underwent a major refit in 1939, which replaced the 4.7-inch and 3-inch guns with 2 twin QF 4 inch (102 mm) Mk XVI anti-aircraft guns. Anti-aircraft armament increased by the addition of Oerlikon 20 mm cannon throughout the war, with the close-in anti-aircraft outfit reaching six Oerlikons by 1943.[5] Anti-submarine armament gradually increased throughout the ship's career. The number of depth charges carried increased first to 40, matching that carried by the last two ships of the Grimsby-class,[11] and later to 60.[7][12] A Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar was fitted in 1943.[5]
Type 286 radar was fitted during 1941, later supplemented by Type 271 and Type 291, while HF/DF radio direction-finding gear was also fitted.[5][13]
Notes
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- ↑ Hague 1993, p. 6
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Friedman 2008, p. 332
- ↑ Hague 1993, pp. 13–14
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Friedman 2008, p. 62
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Hague 1993, p. 42
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Friedman 2008, pp. 320–321
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Gardiner & Chesneau 1980, p. 56
- ↑ Hague 1993, p. 13
- ↑ Hague 1993, pp. 48–49
- ↑ Hague 1993, pp. 42, 51
- ↑ Hague 1993, p. 21
- ↑ Hague 1993, p. 22.
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