NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Flint Castle 1951

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Allington Castle (ex-Amaryllis)	K689 - F89	598	Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley	7/1943	29.2.1944	6/1944	BU 12.1958
Alnwick Castle	K405 - F105	229	George Brown, Greenock	6/1943	23.5.1944	11/1944	BU 12.1958
Alton Castle			Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Amberley Castle	K386 - F286	377	Austin, Sunderland	5/1943	27.11.1943	11/1944	meteorological vessel 1960
Appleby Castle		379	Austin, Sunderland	1943	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Arnprior (ex-Rising Castle) (RCN)	K494	1240	Harland & Wolff, Belfast	6.1943	8.2.1944	6.1944	to Uruguay 1948 (Montevideo)
Avedon Castle		33	Kingston, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Bamborough Castle	K412 - F12	177	Lewis, Aberdeen	7.1943	11.1.1944	5.1944	BU 5.1959
Barnard Castle	K594	230	George Brown, Greenock	1943	3.10.1944	1945 // ---	completed as convoy rescue ship Empire Shelter
Barnwell Castle		34	Kingston, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Beeston Castle		35	Kingston, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Bere Castle			George Brown, Greenock	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Berkeley Castle	K387 - F387	699	Barclay Curle, Glasgow	3.1943	19.8.1943	11.1943	technical accident 2.1953, never repaired, BU 2.1956
Bodiam Castle		116	Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Bolton Castle		117	Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Bowes Castle		36	Kingston, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Bowmanville (ex-Nunnery Castle) (RCN)	K493	263	Pickersgill, Sunderland	8.1943	26.1.1944	9.1944	sold 1947
Bramber Castle		118	Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Bridgenorth Castle		119	Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Brough Castle		120	Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Caistor Castle	K690 - F690	178	Lewis, Aberdeen	8.1943	22.5.1944	9.1944	BU 1956
Caldecot Castle			George Brown, Greenock	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Calshot Castle			Inglis, Glasgow	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Canterbury Castle		19	Midland, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Carew Castle		20	Midland, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Carisbrooke Castle	K379 - F379	414	Caledon, Dundee	3.1943	31.7.1943	11.1943	BU 6.1958
Chepstow Castle		121	Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Chester Castle		122	Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Christchurch Castle		21	Midland, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Clare Castle			Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Clavering Castle			Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Clitheroe Castle			Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Clun Castle		22	Midland, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Colchester Castle		23	Midland, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Copper Cliff (ex-Hever Castle) (RCN)	K495		Blyth	6.1943	24.2.1944	7.1944	sold 1947
Corfe Castle			Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Cornet Castle			Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Cowes Castle			Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Cowling Castle		24	Midland, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Criccieth Castle		53	Morton, Quebec City, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Cromer Castle		25	Midland, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Denbigh Castle	K696	179	Lewis, Aberdeen	9.1943	5.8.1944	12.1944	sunk 13.2.1945
Divizes Castle		37	Kingston, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Dhyfe Castle			Collingwood, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Dover Castle			Inglis, Glasgow	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Dudley Castle			Inglis, Glasgow	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Dumbarton Castle	K388 - F388	415	Caledon, Dundee	5.1943	28.9.1943	2.1944	BU 3.1961
Dunster Castle		26	Midland, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Egremont Castle		38	Kingston, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Farnham Castle	K413 - F413	212	Crown, Sunderland	6.1943	25.4.1944	1.1945	BU 10.1964
Flint Castle	K383 - F383	343	Robb, Leith	4.1943	1.9.1943	12.1943	BU 7.1958
Fotheringay Castle		54	Morton, Quebec City, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Hadleigh Castle	K355 - F355	124	Smiths Dock, South Bank	4.1943	21.6.1943	9.1943	BU 1.1959
Hedingham Castle (ex-Gorey Castle)	K529 - F386	213	Crown, Sunderland	11.1943	30.10.1944	5.1945	BU 4.1958
Helmsley Castle		55	Morton, Quebec City, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Hespeler (ex-Guilford Castle) (RCN)	K489	344	Robb, Leith	5.1943	13.11.1943	2.1944	sold 1947
Humberstone (ex-Norham Castle, ex-Totnes Castle) (RCN)	K497	1235	Inglis, Glasgow	8.1943	12.4.1944	9.1944	sold 1947
Huntsville (ex-Wolvesey Castle) (RCN)	K499	451	Ailsa, Troon	6.1943	24.2.1944	6.1944	sold 1947
Hurst Castle	K416	416	Caledon, Dundee	8.1943	23.2.1944	6.1944	sunk 1.9.1944
Kenilworth Castle	K420 - F420	1125	Smiths Dock, South Bank	5.1943	17.8.1943	11.1943	BU 6.1959
Kincardine (ex-Tamworth Castle) (RCN)	K490	1127	Smiths Dock, South Bank	8.1943	26.1.1944	6.1944	sold 1947
Knaresborough Castle	K389 - F389		Blyth	4.1943	28.9.1943	4.1944	BU 3.1956
Lancaster Castle	K691 - F691	653	Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley	9.1943	14.4.1944	9.1944	BU 9.1960
Launceston Castle	K397 - F397		Blyth	5.1943	27.11.1943	6.1944	BU 8.1959
Leaside (ex-Walmer Castle) (RCN)	K492	1128	Smiths Dock, South Bank	9.1943	10.3.1944	8.1944	sold 11.1946
Leeds Castle	K384 - F384	261	Pickersgill, Sunderland	4.1943	12.10.1943	2.1944	BU 6.1958
Maiden Castle	K443	654	Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley	1943	8.6.1944	11.1944 // ---	completed as convoy rescue ship  Empire Lifeguard
Malling Castle		56	Morton, Quebec City, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Malmesbury Castle		57	Morton, Quebec City, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Monmouth Castle			Lewis, Aberdeen	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Morpeth Castle	K693 - F693	262	Pickersgill, Sunderland	6.1943	26.11.1943	7.1944	BU 8.1960
Norwich Castle			George Brown, Greenock	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Oakham Castle	K530 - F530	1236	Inglis, Glasgow	11.1943	20.7.1944	12.1944	meteorological vessel 1957
Orangeville (ex-Hedingham Castle) (RCN)	K491	345	Robb, Leith	7.1943	26.1.1944	4.1944	sold 1947
Oswestry Castle			Crown, Sunderland	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Oxford Castle	K692 - F692	1238	Harland & Wolff, Belfast	6.1943	11.12.1943	3.1944	BU 9.1960
Pendennis Castle			Crown, Sunderland	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Petrolia (ex-Sherborne Castle) (RCN)	K498	1241	Harland & Wolff, Belfast	6.1943	24.2.1944	6.1944	BU 1946
Pevensey Castle	K449 - F449	1239	Harland & Wolff, Belfast	6.1943	11.1.1944	6.1944	meteorological vessel 1959
Portchester Castle	K362 - F362	1778	Swan Hunter, Wallsend	3.1943	21.6.1943	11.1943	BU 5.1958
Raby Castle		58	Morton, Quebec City, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Rayleigh Castle	K695	371	Ferguson, Glasgow	1943	19.6.1944	10.1944 // ---	completed as convoy rescue ship Empire Rest
Rhuddlan Castle			Crown, Sunderland	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Rushen Castle	K372 - F372	1780	Swan Hunter, Wallsend	4.1943	16.7.1943	2.1944	meteorological vessel 1960
St. Thomas (ex-Sandgate Castle) (RCN)	K488	1126	Smiths Dock, South Bank	6.1943	28.12.1943	5.1944	sold 1946
Scarborough Castle	K536	665	Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley	1944	8.9.1944	1.1945 // ---	completed as convoy rescue ship Empire Peacemaker
Shrewsbury Castle		1782	Swan Hunter, Wallsend	5.1943	16.8.1943	4.1944 // ---	to Norway at completion (Tunsberg Castle)
Thornbury Castle			Ferguson, Glasgow	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Tillsonburg (ex-Pembroke Castle) (RCN)	K496	370	Ferguson, Glasgow	6.1943	12.2.1944	6.1944	sold 1947
Tintagel Castle	K399 - F399	450	Ailsa, Troon	4.1943	13.12.1943	4.1944	BU 6.1958
Trematon Castle		59	Morton, Quebec City, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Tonbridge Castle		378	Austin, Sunderland	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Tutbury Castle		60	Morton, Quebec City, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
Warkworth Castle			Fleming & Ferguson, Paisley	---	---	---	cancelled 10.1943
Wigmore Castle		27	Midland, Canada	---	---	---	cancelled 12.1943
York Castle	K537	372	Ferguson, Glasgow	1944	20.9.1944	2.1945 // ---	completed as convoy rescue ship Empire Comfort

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	1010 - 1060
Displacement full, t	1590 - 1630
Length, m	68.6 pp 76.8 oa
Breadth, m	11.2
Draught, m	4.11 - 4.19 deep load
No of shafts	1
Machinery	1 VTE, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	2750
Max speed, kts	16.5
Fuel, t	oil 480
Endurance, nm(kts)	6200(15)
Armament	1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk XIX, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, (2 - 6) x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 1 x 3 - 305 Squid ASWRL, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (15)
Electronic equipment	British-built ships: type 271 or type 272 radar, type 144, type 147 sonars Canadian-built ships: type 271 or type 277 radar, type 144, type 147 sonars
Complement	120

Graphics

Project history

The further development of successful "Flower" class. The dimensions of the hull have been increased for elimination of the basic lacks of a prototype: bad habitability and a small fuel stowage. Though machinery practically without changes copied previous class at the expense of increase in the L/B ratio, maximal speed remained practically the same. Larger dimensions allowed to place more powerful anti-submarine armament: "Castle" class corvettes became the first British ships carrying newest Squid ASWRL. In total under the 1942 and 1943 Programmes it was planned to built 59 ships, however only 39 entered service under an original design. 5 more (Empire Shelter, Empire Rest, Empire Lifeguard, Empire Peacemaker and Empire Comfort) have been completed as convoy rescue ships and carried a merchant flag, formally not being a part of the Royal Navy. Instead of regular armament they had 2 х 1 76mm/40 guns and 4 х 1 20mm Oerlikons. Remaining ships were cancelled, as well as on 36, planed to building in Canada.

Modernizations

None.

1/1946: 1 x 1 - 102/40 CP Mk XXIII, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, (2 - 6) x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 1 x 3 - 305 Squid Mk III ASWRL, 2 DCT, 1 DCR (15), type 271 or type 272 or type 277 radar, type 144, type 147 sonars

Naval service

Hurst Castle 1.9.1944 was sunk by German submarine U482 W of Ireland, Denbigh Castle 13.2.1945 was sunk by U992 in Barents Sea. All were reclassified to frigates in 1947. Berkeley Castle was turned over in dock in February 1953 and never repaired. Meteorological vessels were armed by 1 40/60-mm Bofors gun and 1 Squid.

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