The ship was ordered in 1944 from Charles Hill & Sons at Bristol in place of a Loch-classfrigateLoch Seaforth which had been cancelled on 27 November 1943. The ship was laid down on 22 November 1944 as Admiralty Job No. 602 (Yard No. 302). She was launched on 14 June 1945 and completed on 8 February 1946. Porlock Bay was the last warship to be built by this shipyard.[1]
Service history
HMS Porlock Bay
After sea trialsPorlock Bay was commissioned on 14 February 1946 for service in the America and West Indies Station under the command of Lieutenant Dudley L. Davenport. After training she was attached to the Plymouth Local Flotilla and finally sailed for Bermuda with sister shipPadstow Bay on 22 July. On arrival a minor collision meant that she did not participate with the Squadron in the Autumn Programme of visits to U.S. ports.[1]
Once repaired she took part in visits to Newfoundland and Canada, arriving at St John's on 7 September for the National Convention on the political future of the Colony, and took the Governor, Sir Gordon Macdonald on an official tour of isolated settlements on south coast. After visits on the northern coast, she then visited mainland ports, arriving at Quebec on 15 October. In early November she took part in joint exercises with ships of the Royal Canadian Navy at Halifax before returning to Bermuda to refit at the Royal Dockyard.[1]
On 12 September the termination of her commission announced as part of a programme of cuts in naval spending. On 16 October she left Bermuda for the UK, arriving at Devonport on 3 November. Porlock Bay spent the year 1948 as part of the Fishery Protection Squadron in home waters, and was put into reserve at Devonport in January 1949. In February her pennant number was changed to F650 from K650. She remained in Reserve until 1962, during which she was refitted twice.[1]
Matti Kurki
On 19 March 1962 she was sold to the Finnish Navy as the training ship Matti Kurki,[2] named for the Finnish medieval military hero Matti Kurki (Mats Kurck). Matti Kurki made seven global circumnavigations. It is estimated some 1,500 Finnish cadets and conscripts served on board her during her service in the Finnish Navy. She was permanently anchored at Upinniemi after being decommissioned in 1974. She was scrapped in Pohja, Finland, in 1975.
References
^ abcdefMason, Geoffrey B. (1997). Gordon Smith (ed.). "HMS Porlock Bay, frigate". naval-history.net. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
^Blackman, Raymond V B (ed.). Jane's Fighting Ships 1963-4. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. p. 75.
porlock, k650, porlock, class, anti, aircraft, frigate, british, royal, navy, named, porlock, northern, coast, somerset, commissioned, 1946, served, american, west, indies, station, fisheries, protection, vessel, before, being, into, reserve, 1949, sold, finla. HMS Porlock Bay was a Bay class anti aircraft frigate of the British Royal Navy named for Porlock Bay on the northern coast of Somerset Commissioned in 1946 she served on the American and West Indies Station and as a Fisheries Protection Vessel before being put into reserve in 1949 She was sold to Finland in 1962 and served as the training ship Matti Kurki until 1974 1 HistoryUnited KingdomNameHMS Porlock BayBuilderCharles Hill amp Sons BristolYard number302Laid down22 November 1944Launched14 June 1945Completed8 February 1946Commissioned14 February 1946DecommissionedJanuary 1949IdentificationPennant number K650 F650MottoVirtute et Veritate With Virtue and Truth FateSold to Finland 19 March 1962BadgeOn a Field quarterly Gold and Red in base berry wavy of four white and blue an oak tree fructed proper FinlandNameMatti KurkiNamesakeMatti KurkiAcquired19 March 1962Commissioned1964FateSold for scrapping September 1975General characteristicsClass and typeBay class frigateDisplacement1 600 long tons 1 626 t standard 2 530 long tons 2 571 t fullLength286 ft 87 m p p 307 ft 3 in 93 65 m o aBeam38 ft 6 in 11 73 m Draught12 ft 9 in 3 89 m Propulsion2 Admiralty 3 drum boilers 2 shafts 4 cylinder vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines 5 500 ihp 4 100 kW Speed19 5 knots 36 1 km h 22 4 mph Range724 tons oil fuel 9 500 nmi 17 600 km at 12 knots 22 km h Complement157Sensors and processing systemsType 285 fire control radar Type 291 air warning radar Type 276 target indication radar High Frequency Direction Finder HF DF IFF transponderArmament4 QF 4 inch Mark XVI guns on 2 twin mounting HA LA Mk XIX 4 40 mm Bofors A A on 2 twin mounts Mk V 4 20 mm Oerlikon A A on 2 twin mounts Mk V 1 Hedgehog 24 barrel A S projector 2 rails and 4 throwers for 50 depth charges Contents 1 Construction 2 Service history 2 1 HMS Porlock Bay 2 2 Matti Kurki 3 References 4 PublicationsConstruction EditThe ship was ordered in 1944 from Charles Hill amp Sons at Bristol in place of a Loch class frigate Loch Seaforth which had been cancelled on 27 November 1943 The ship was laid down on 22 November 1944 as Admiralty Job No 602 Yard No 302 She was launched on 14 June 1945 and completed on 8 February 1946 Porlock Bay was the last warship to be built by this shipyard 1 Service history EditHMS Porlock Bay Edit After sea trials Porlock Bay was commissioned on 14 February 1946 for service in the America and West Indies Station under the command of Lieutenant Dudley L Davenport After training she was attached to the Plymouth Local Flotilla and finally sailed for Bermuda with sister ship Padstow Bay on 22 July On arrival a minor collision meant that she did not participate with the Squadron in the Autumn Programme of visits to U S ports 1 Once repaired she took part in visits to Newfoundland and Canada arriving at St John s on 7 September for the National Convention on the political future of the Colony and took the Governor Sir Gordon Macdonald on an official tour of isolated settlements on south coast After visits on the northern coast she then visited mainland ports arriving at Quebec on 15 October In early November she took part in joint exercises with ships of the Royal Canadian Navy at Halifax before returning to Bermuda to refit at the Royal Dockyard 1 In December while under refit Commander Frank J Twiss assumed command and in January 1947 the ship took part in exercises with the Squadron before making visits to Veracruz Mexico and Kingston Jamaica then Galveston Texas Mobile Alabama and Key West Florida before returning to Bermuda in April In July she took part in a programme of official visits by the Governor of the Bahamas to the Turks and Caicos Islands but on the 21st was despatched to Belize City in British Honduras after Guatemalan threats to the colony remaining there until early August 1 On 12 September the termination of her commission announced as part of a programme of cuts in naval spending On 16 October she left Bermuda for the UK arriving at Devonport on 3 November Porlock Bay spent the year 1948 as part of the Fishery Protection Squadron in home waters and was put into reserve at Devonport in January 1949 In February her pennant number was changed to F650 from K650 She remained in Reserve until 1962 during which she was refitted twice 1 Matti Kurki Edit On 19 March 1962 she was sold to the Finnish Navy as the training ship Matti Kurki 2 named for the Finnish medieval military hero Matti Kurki Mats Kurck Matti Kurki made seven global circumnavigations It is estimated some 1 500 Finnish cadets and conscripts served on board her during her service in the Finnish Navy She was permanently anchored at Upinniemi after being decommissioned in 1974 She was scrapped in Pohja Finland in 1975 References Edit a b c d e f Mason Geoffrey B 1997 Gordon Smith ed HMS Porlock Bay frigate naval history net Retrieved 8 December 2010 Blackman Raymond V B ed Jane s Fighting Ships 1963 4 London Sampson Low Marston amp Co Ltd p 75 Publications EditColledge J J Warlow Ben 2006 1969 Ships of the Royal Navy The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy Rev ed London Chatham Publishing ISBN 978 1 86176 281 8 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Porlock Bay K650 amp oldid 1114628327, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
