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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
CANADA
ESCORTS
early River frigates (WASKESIU) (1943, 1943-1944/1944)


Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate Modification
Annan K404   Hall Russell, Aberdeen, UK 6.1943 29.12.1943 6.1944 to UK 6.1945 British-built
Ettrick K254   Crown, Sunderland, UK 12.1941 22.2.1943 7.1943 // 1.1944 to UK 5.1945 British-built
Meon K269   Inglis, Glasgow, UK 12.1942 4.8.1943 2.1944 to UK 4.1945 British-built
Monnow K441   Hill, Bristol, UK 9.1943 4.12.1943 8.1944 to UK 6.1945 British-built
Nene K270   Smiths Dock, South Bank, UK 6.1942 9.12.1942 4.1943 // 4.1944 to UK 6.1945 British-built
Ribble (ex-Duddon) K525   Blyth, UK 12.1942 10.11.1943 7.1944 to UK 6.1945 British-built
Teme K458   Smiths Dock, South Bank, UK 5.1943 11.11.1943 2.1944 CTL 29.3.1945 British-built
Annan K297   Canadian Vickers, Montreal 10.1943 12.9.1942 12.1942 // --- to USA before completion 11.1942 (Natchez) early Canadian-built
Cape Breton K350   Morton, Quebec City 5.1942 24.11.1942 10.1943 paid off 1.1946, scuttled as breakwater 1948 early Canadian-built
Dunver (ex-Verdun) K03   Morton, Quebec City 5.1942 10.11.1942 9.1943 paid off 1.1946, scuttled as breakwater 1948 early Canadian-built
Grou K518   Canadian Vickers, Montreal 5.1943 7.8.1943 12.1943 paid off 2.1946, BU 1948 early Canadian-built
Matane (ex-Stormont) K444   Canadian Vickers, Montreal 12.1942 29.5.1943 10.1943 paid off 11.1946, scuttled as breakwater 1948 early Canadian-built
Montreal K319   Canadian Vickers, Montreal 12.1942 12.6.1943 11.1943 paid off 10.1945, BU 1948 early Canadian-built
New Glasgow K320, 1950- FFE315   Canadian Yarrow, Esquimalt 12.1942 5.5.1943 12.1943 paid off 1.1967, BU 1967 early Canadian-built
New Waterford K321, 1950- FFE304   Canadian Yarrow, Esquimalt 2.1943 3.7.1943 1.1944 paid off 12.1966, BU 1967 early Canadian-built
Outremont K322, 1950- FFE310   Morton, Quebec City 11.1942 3.7.1943 11.1943 paid off 6.1965, BU 1966 early Canadian-built
Port Colborne K326   Canadian Yarrow, Esquimalt 12.1942 21.4.1943 11.1943 paid off 11.1945, BU 1948 early Canadian-built
Prince Rupert K324   Canadian Yarrow, Esquimalt 8.1942 3.2.1943 8.1943 paid off 1.1946, scuttled as breakwater 1948 early Canadian-built
St. Catherine`s K325, 1950- FFE324   Canadian Yarrow, Esquimalt 5.1942 6.12.1942 7.1943 meteorological vessel 1950 early Canadian-built
Saint John K531   Canadian Vickers, Montreal 5.1943 25.8.1943 12.1943 paid off 11.1945, BU 1948 early Canadian-built
Stormont K327   Canadian Vickers, Montreal 12.1942 14.7.1943 11.1943 paid off 11.1945, sold mercantile 1947 early Canadian-built
Swansea K328, 1950- FFE306   Canadian Yarrow, Esquimalt 7.1942 19.12.1942 10.1943 paid off 10.1966, sold 8.1967 early Canadian-built
Valleyfield K329   Morton, Quebec City 11.1942 17.7.1943 12.1943 sunk 7.5.1944 early Canadian-built
Waskesiu K330   Canadian Yarrow, Esquimalt 5.1942 6.12.1942 6.1943 paid off 1.1946, to India 1950 (Hooghly) early Canadian-built
Wentworth K331   Canadian Yarrow, Esquimalt 11.1942 6.3.1943 12.1943 paid off 10.1945, BU 1948 early Canadian-built


Technical data


Data variantas completed modernization 1954-1958
Displacement standard, t

1310 - 1460

1570

Displacement full, t

1920 - 2180

2360

Length, m

86.3 pp 91.8 oa

91.8

Breadth, m

11.2

11.2

Draught, m

3.61 - 3.89 deep load

4,9 maximal deep load

No of shafts

2

2

Machinery

2 VTE, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers

Ettrick: 2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers

2 VTE, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers

Power, h. p.

5500

Ettrick: 6500

5500

Max speed, kts

20

Ettrick: 21

20

Fuel, t

Ettrick, Ribble: oil 440

late ships: oil 646

oil 720

Endurance, nm(kts)  9600(12)
Armament

Ettrick, Ribble: 2 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk XIX, (4 - 6) x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (126 - 150), mechanical minesweeping gear

others: 2 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk XIX, (4 - 6) x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog ASWRL, 8 DCT, 2 DCR (126 - 150)

1 x 2 - 102/45 Mk 19, 1 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 5, 4 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 9, 2 x 3 - 305 Squid Mk 4 ASWRL

Electronic equipment

British built: type 271 or type 272, type 291 or type 277 radars, type 144 sonar

Canadian built: SU radar, type 144 sonar

SU, SPQ-2, type 275, type 262 radars, type 147, type 162, type 164B sonars, TDY-1 ECM suite
Complement

140

140



Standard scale images


<i>Annan</i> 1944
Annan 1944
<i>St. Catherine's </i>1963
St. Catherine's 1963


Project history

Design of "River" class frigate was developed in 1941 when it became clear, that for service in Atlantic escorts are required larger than "Flower" class corvettes. Significantly increased dimensions have allowed to improve seaworthiness and conditions of habitability of crew, to place additional armament and to fit twin-shaft machinery (actually doubled machinery of "Flower" class corvettes) and to increase speed to 20kts. An exception made 5 ships which have received more powerful turbine machinery. Originally known as "twin-screw corvettes", "River" class ships, as well as their predecessors, were created on standards of merchant shipbuilding, but their hulls had outlines more habitual for a warship, and its slenderness has increased from 6 to 8. Thus the building technology, as well as  corvettes, as much as possible adapted for usage on the yards which do not have experience of construction of combat ships. First 24 British-built ships, besides anti-submarine armament, were equipped with the minesweeping equipment. On the subsequent ships it was absent, and fuel stowage has been increased from 440 to 646ts of oil. Ships of 2nd group were built in Canada under British order, 10 from them intended for transfer to US Navy which during this period felt the big requirement in escorts. However by the moment of completing of frigates intended to USN they have appeared are not necessary, as in the USA own program of building of the similar ships has been developed. Only 2 were transferred really to USN, remaining 8 (Barle, Cuckmere, Evenlode, Findhorn, Inver, Lossie, Parret and Schiel) have supplemented Royal Navy by lend-lease. The remaining 25 Canadian-built ships were a part of RCN.

Modernizations

1943 - 1944, all survived: DC stowage increased up to 150.

1943 - 1944, all survived ships: - (4 - 6) x 1 - 20/70; + 6 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV or (4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV)

1944-1945, many: - type 271, type 291 radars; + type 272, type 277 radars

1945, most survived Canadian-built frigates: - 2 x 1 - 102/40; + 1 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI

1954, New Glasgow; 1955, Outremont; 1957, Swansea; 1958, New Waterford, as given in the table.

Naval service

Valleyfield by German submarine U548 7.5.1944.

Thanks to the LCdr RW Stacey RCN (ret’d) for correcting the information on this page.

© Ivan Gogin, 2015, Navypedia, 2021