early River frigates (WASKESIU) (1943, 1943-1944/1944)

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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD

CANADA

ESCORTS

Ships

Name	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 variant	as 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

Annan 1944

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.