HMCS Inch Arran was a River-classfrigate that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War and again from 1954 to 1965, when she was converted into a Prestonian-class frigate. She was named after Inch Arran Point in Dalhousie, New Brunswick, Canada.[3] This was due to the inability of two Allied warships to bear the same name. The RCN would then use landmarks or significant areas that were associated with the community instead.
On a field barry wavy of eighteen pieces argent and azure, a roundel or displaying a saltire gules charged in the center with a lymphad with four oars sable, sail argent, flags or[1]
The River-class frigate was designed by William Reed of Smith's Dock Company of South Bank-on-Tees. Originally called a "twin-screw corvette", its purpose was to improve on the convoy escort classes in service with the Royal Navy at the time, including the Flower-class corvette. The first orders were placed by the Royal Navy in 1940 and the vessels were named for rivers in the United Kingdom, giving name to the class. In Canada they were named after towns and cities though they kept the same designation.[6] The name "frigate" was suggested by Vice-Admiral Percy Nelles of the Royal Canadian Navy and was adopted later that year.[7]
Improvements over the corvette design included improved accommodation which was markedly better. The twin engines gave only three more knots of speed but extended the range of the ship to nearly double that of a corvette at 7,200 nautical miles (13,300 km) at 12 knots.[7] Among other lessons applied to the design was an armament package better designed to combat U-boats including a twin 4-inch mount forward and 12-pounder aft.[6] Fifteen Canadian frigates were initially fitted with a single 4-inch gun forward, but with the exception of HMCS Valleyfield, they were all eventually upgraded to the double mount.[7] For underwater targets, the River-class frigate was equipped with a Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar and depth charge rails aft and four side-mounted throwers.[6]
River-class frigates were the first Royal Canadian Navy warships to carry the 147B Sword horizontal fan echo sonar transmitter in addition to the irregular ASDIC. This allowed the ship to maintain contact with targets even while firing unless a target was struck. Improved radar and direction-finding equipment improved the RCN's ability to find and track enemy submarines over the previous classes.[6]
Canada originally ordered the construction of 33 frigates in October 1941.[6][7] The design was too big for the shipyards on the Great Lakes, so all the frigates built in Canada were built in dockyards along the west coast or along the St. Lawrence River.[7] In all, Canada ordered the construction of 60 frigates, including ten for the Royal Navy that transferred two to the United States Navy.[6]
Service history
In January 1945, Inch Arran worked up at Bermuda and was assigned to escort group 28 upon her return in February. The ship spent the remainder of the Second World War on patrol and escort duties in Halifax. The most notable escort duty was alongside HMCS Buckingham on 13 May 1945 approximately 140 miles (225 km) south-southeast of Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Here both vessels escorted the surrendered German submarine U-889 back to harbor. Before any of the three vessels were granted entry through the anti-submarine gates of Shelburne Harbor, U-889 was boarded and thoroughly inspected.[8] On 6 June 1945, Inch Arran began a tropicalization refit in preparation for service in the Pacific Ocean. This was suspended on 20 August due to the Surrender of Japan, and she was paid off on 28 November 1945.[4]
Postwar service
Inch Arran was sold to Marine Industries Ltd. in 1946, but was reacquired by the RCN in 1951 as one of the ships chosen to undergo conversion to a Prestonian-class ocean escort. She underwent the conversion at Saint John, New Brunswick, which involved a flush-decked appearance, with a larger bridge and taller funnel. Her hull forward was strengthened against ice and the quarterdeck was enclosed to contain two Squid anti-submarine mortars.[9] She was recommissioned with the pennant number 308 on 23 August 1954.[5] The frigate was assigned to the Seventh Canadian Escort Squadron.[10] In March 1961, Inch Arran was among the ships that took part in a combined naval exercise with the United States Navy off Nova Scotia.[11] During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Canadian aircraft located the Soviet intelligence trawler Shkval about 500 miles (805 km) southwest of Argentia. Inch Arran was ordered to shadow the vessel.[12] She served as a training ship on the east coast before paid off 23 June 1965. Inch Arran was sold for conversion into a museum and youth club; this did not happen, and she was ultimately scrapped in 1970.[4][5]
^ (in German). Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
^"Restigouche County - HMCS Inch Arran". The New Brunswick Military Heritage Project. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
^ abcdMacpherson, Ken; Burgess, John (1981). The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910-1981 : A complete pictorial history of Canadian warships. Toronto: Collins. ISBN0-00216-856-1.
^ abcdeHelgason, Guðmundur. "HMCS Inch Arran (K 667)". German U-boats of WWII. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
^ abcdef"Fact Sheet No. 21 - Canadian River Class Frigates". friends-amis.org. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
^ abcdeMacpherson, Ken (1989). Frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy 1943-1974. Lewiston, New York: Vanwell Publishing. pp. 6–7, 15. ISBN0920277225.
^"Navy Service Record". KW Sidewinders.[dead link]
^Raymond V.B. Blackman, ed. (1958). Jane's Fighting Ships 1958-59. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. p. 77.
^"Seventh Escort Squadron". The Crowsnest. Vol. 13, no. 1. Queen's Printer. November 1960. p. 25.
^"A/S Exercise Off Nova Scotia". The Crowsnest. Vol. 13, no. 6. Queen's Printer. April 1961. p. 2.
^Utz, Curtis A. Edward J. Marolda (ed.). "Cordon of Steel : The U.S. Navy and the Cuban Missile Crisis". The U.S. Navy in the Modern World Series. Washington D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. p. 46.
Sources
Arbuckle, J. Graeme (1987). Badges of the Canadian Navy. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Nimbus Publishing. ISBN0-920852-49-1.
External links
HMCS Inch Arran and Lake Transport
April 14, 2023
hmcs, inch, arran, river, class, frigate, that, served, with, royal, canadian, navy, during, second, world, again, from, 1954, 1965, when, converted, into, prestonian, class, frigate, named, after, inch, arran, point, dalhousie, brunswick, canada, this, inabil. HMCS Inch Arran was a River class frigate that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War and again from 1954 to 1965 when she was converted into a Prestonian class frigate She was named after Inch Arran Point in Dalhousie New Brunswick Canada 3 This was due to the inability of two Allied warships to bear the same name The RCN would then use landmarks or significant areas that were associated with the community instead HMCS Inch Arran K667 HistoryCanadaNameInch ArranNamesakeInch Arran Point Dalhousie New BrunswickOrdered1 February 1943BuilderDavie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co Ltd Lauzon QuebecLaid down25 October 1943Launched6 June 1944Commissioned18 November 1944Decommissioned28 November 1945IdentificationPennant number K667Recommissioned23 August 1954Decommissioned23 June 1965ReclassifiedPrestonian class frigateIdentificationpennant number FFE 308FateSold broken up 1970BadgeOn a field barry wavy of eighteen pieces argent and azure a roundel or displaying a saltire gules charged in the center with a lymphad with four oars sable sail argent flags or 1 General characteristicsClass and typeRiver class frigateDisplacement1445 tonsLength301 5 ft 91 90 m o aBeam36 6 ft 11 16 m Draught9 ft 2 74 m 13 ft 3 96 m deep load Installed power5 500 hp 4 100 kW Propulsion2 Admiralty boilersSpeed20 knots 37 0 km h Range7 200 nautical miles 13 334 km at 11 knots 20 4 km h Complement8 officers and 133 crewArmament2 QF 4 in 102 mm 40 Mk XIX guns 10 20 mm anti aircraft guns 2 2 6 1 1 Hedgehog 2 Depth charge racks 2 Inch Arran was ordered 1 February 1943 as part of the 1943 44 River class building program 4 5 She was laid down on 25 October 1943 by Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co Ltd at Lauzon Quebec and launched on 6 June 1944 5 She was commissioned on 18 November 1944 at Quebec City with the pennant number K667 4 5 Contents 1 Background 2 Service history 2 1 Postwar service 3 See also 4 References 4 1 Citations 4 2 Sources 5 External linksBackground EditMain article River class frigate The River class frigate was designed by William Reed of Smith s Dock Company of South Bank on Tees Originally called a twin screw corvette its purpose was to improve on the convoy escort classes in service with the Royal Navy at the time including the Flower class corvette The first orders were placed by the Royal Navy in 1940 and the vessels were named for rivers in the United Kingdom giving name to the class In Canada they were named after towns and cities though they kept the same designation 6 The name frigate was suggested by Vice Admiral Percy Nelles of the Royal Canadian Navy and was adopted later that year 7 Improvements over the corvette design included improved accommodation which was markedly better The twin engines gave only three more knots of speed but extended the range of the ship to nearly double that of a corvette at 7 200 nautical miles 13 300 km at 12 knots 7 Among other lessons applied to the design was an armament package better designed to combat U boats including a twin 4 inch mount forward and 12 pounder aft 6 Fifteen Canadian frigates were initially fitted with a single 4 inch gun forward but with the exception of HMCS Valleyfield they were all eventually upgraded to the double mount 7 For underwater targets the River class frigate was equipped with a Hedgehog anti submarine mortar and depth charge rails aft and four side mounted throwers 6 River class frigates were the first Royal Canadian Navy warships to carry the 147B Sword horizontal fan echo sonar transmitter in addition to the irregular ASDIC This allowed the ship to maintain contact with targets even while firing unless a target was struck Improved radar and direction finding equipment improved the RCN s ability to find and track enemy submarines over the previous classes 6 Canada originally ordered the construction of 33 frigates in October 1941 6 7 The design was too big for the shipyards on the Great Lakes so all the frigates built in Canada were built in dockyards along the west coast or along the St Lawrence River 7 In all Canada ordered the construction of 60 frigates including ten for the Royal Navy that transferred two to the United States Navy 6 Service history EditIn January 1945 Inch Arran worked up at Bermuda and was assigned to escort group 28 upon her return in February The ship spent the remainder of the Second World War on patrol and escort duties in Halifax The most notable escort duty was alongside HMCS Buckingham on 13 May 1945 approximately 140 miles 225 km south southeast of Sable Island Nova Scotia Here both vessels escorted the surrendered German submarine U 889 back to harbor Before any of the three vessels were granted entry through the anti submarine gates of Shelburne Harbor U 889 was boarded and thoroughly inspected 8 On 6 June 1945 Inch Arran began a tropicalization refit in preparation for service in the Pacific Ocean This was suspended on 20 August due to the Surrender of Japan and she was paid off on 28 November 1945 4 Postwar service Edit Inch Arran was sold to Marine Industries Ltd in 1946 but was reacquired by the RCN in 1951 as one of the ships chosen to undergo conversion to a Prestonian class ocean escort She underwent the conversion at Saint John New Brunswick which involved a flush decked appearance with a larger bridge and taller funnel Her hull forward was strengthened against ice and the quarterdeck was enclosed to contain two Squid anti submarine mortars 9 She was recommissioned with the pennant number 308 on 23 August 1954 5 The frigate was assigned to the Seventh Canadian Escort Squadron 10 In March 1961 Inch Arran was among the ships that took part in a combined naval exercise with the United States Navy off Nova Scotia 11 During the Cuban Missile Crisis Canadian aircraft located the Soviet intelligence trawler Shkval about 500 miles 805 km southwest of Argentia Inch Arran was ordered to shadow the vessel 12 She served as a training ship on the east coast before paid off 23 June 1965 Inch Arran was sold for conversion into a museum and youth club this did not happen and she was ultimately scrapped in 1970 4 5 See also EditList of ships of the Canadian NavyReferences EditCitations Edit Arbuckle 1987 p 49 HMCS Inch Arran Escort Vessels Canada in German Archived from the original on July 18 2011 Retrieved November 3 2010 Restigouche County HMCS Inch Arran The New Brunswick Military Heritage Project Retrieved 23 March 2014 a b c d Macpherson Ken Burgess John 1981 The ships of Canada s naval forces 1910 1981 A complete pictorial history of Canadian warships Toronto Collins ISBN 0 00216 856 1 a b c d e Helgason Gudmundur HMCS Inch Arran K 667 German U boats of WWII Retrieved 23 March 2014 a b c d e f Fact Sheet No 21 Canadian River Class Frigates friends amis org Retrieved 3 April 2014 a b c d e Macpherson Ken 1989 Frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy 1943 1974 Lewiston New York Vanwell Publishing pp 6 7 15 ISBN 0920277225 Navy Service Record KW Sidewinders dead link Raymond V B Blackman ed 1958 Jane s Fighting Ships 1958 59 New York McGraw Hill Book Company Inc p 77 Seventh Escort Squadron The Crowsnest Vol 13 no 1 Queen s Printer November 1960 p 25 A S Exercise Off Nova Scotia The Crowsnest Vol 13 no 6 Queen s Printer April 1961 p 2 Utz Curtis A Edward J Marolda ed Cordon of Steel The U S Navy and the Cuban Missile Crisis The U S Navy in the Modern World Series Washington D C Naval Historical Center Department of the Navy p 46 Sources Edit Arbuckle J Graeme 1987 Badges of the Canadian Navy Halifax Nova Scotia Nimbus Publishing ISBN 0 920852 49 1 External links EditHMCS Inch Arran and Lake Transport Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMCS Inch Arran amp oldid 1135640138, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
