ST AUSTELL BAY HMS 1945

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
shipstamps
Posts: 0
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:12 pm

ST AUSTELL BAY HMS 1945

Post by shipstamps » Wed Oct 08, 2008 4:22 pm

Built as a frigate by Harland & Wolff at Belfast for the Royal Navy.
30 May 1944 keel laid down
18 November 1944 launched under the name ST AUSTELL BAY (K 634, later F 634 as seen on stamp) one of the Bay Class of which 25 were built.
Displacement: 1.600 tons standard, 2.530 ton full load. Dim. 307 x 38½ x 12¼ft.
Powered by two 4-cyl triple expansion steam engines, 5.500 ihp., speed 19½ knots. Bunker capacity 720 tons oil.
Armament 4 – 4 inch AA, 6 – 40mm AA guns 1 Hedgehog multiple spigot mortar, dept charge throwers and rails.
Crew 157.
29 May 1945 commissioned.

Her intended name was HMS LOCH LYDOCH but before completing renamed.

The class was mostly completed after the war, and some of the vessel put in reserve or refitted in dispatch or research vessel.
Of the HMS ST AUSTELL BAY I could not find much on her history, but the class was mostly used for peacetime patrol duty. During the Palestine campaign in the Mediterranean she served there from 1945 till 1948.
By the mid-1950s the usefulness of the class as front line warships was declining, the armament was no match for the new generation jet aircraft and submarines.
Early 1956 the HMS ST AUSTELL BAY went to the breakers.
She was sold to the Shipbreaking Industries, and arrived Charlestown 13 February 1956 for breaking up.
04 July 1959 commence breaking up.

On South Georgia & Sandwich Islands 2004 70p.


Source: Royal Navy Frigates since 1945 by Leo Marriott. Some web-sites.

Post Reply