Shoreham-class sloop

HMSFowey(F15) in May 1942
Class overview
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Hastingsclass
Succeeded by	Grimsbyclass
Built	1930–1932
In commission	1931–1968
Completed	8
General characteristics
Displacement	1,105long tons(1,123 t)
Length	281 ft (86 m)
Beam	35 ft (11 m)
Draught	8 ft 3 in (2.51 m)
Propulsion	Geared turbines, 2 shafts, 2,000 shp (1,491 kW)
Speed	16knots(18 mph; 30 km/h)
Complement	95
Armament	2 ×QF 4 in (100 mm) Mk V guns(2×1) 4 ×.5 inch anti-aircraft machine guns(1×4)

TheShoreham-class sloopswere a class of eight warships of theRoyal Navybuilt in the early 1930s.

Developed from theBridgewater-class sloops,with a longer hull, theShoreham-class sloops were laid down between 1929 and 1931 atChathamandDevonport Naval Dockyards.

Ships

• HMSShoreham(originally L32, from May 1940 U32) was launched on 22 November 1930 at Devonport and sold for scrapping in 1946. From 1932, HMSShorehamserved in thePersian Gulfand, from the outbreak of war, in theRed Sea.She was active in the suppression of theRegia Marinain East Africa, participating in the sinking of the submarineTorricelli.Shorehamwas also involved in theinvasion of Iranin 1941, where she suppressed Iranian naval ships atAbadan.Apart from a spell in the Mediterranean - including theAllied invasion of Sicily- from February 1943 to September 1943,Shoreham's war was spent with theEastern Fleet,with which she served up untilVJ Day.Shorehamreturned to the UK in 1946, sold off in November and broken up in 1950. Her battle honours wereSicily 1943,Mediterranean 1943,Burma 1944-45.
• HMSFoweywas launched on 4 November 1930 and sold for merchant use in 1946. From 1940 to 1942, she was engaged in North Atlantic escort and anti-submarine duty.Foweyparticipated in the sinking ofU-55on 30 January 1940 and rescued survivors from various sinkings.
• HMSBidefordwas launched on 1 April 1931 and scrapped in 1949. After participating in theDunkirk evacuation(May 1940), she was used in anti-submarine sweeps and as a convoy escort in the North Atlantic. She rescued 63 survivors of the torpedoedMVEdward Blydenon 3 September 1941 and 31 more from theMVAbossoon 31 October 1942. In August 1943,Bideford,with the 40th Escort Group in theBay of Biscay,was damaged by aHenschel Hs 293glider bomb.
• HMSRochesterwas launched on 16 July 1931, and was operating in thePersian Gulfwhen war was declared. She returned to England with convoy SL 32 in December 1939. After refit atHumber,she was assigned to the 2nd Escort division in March 1940 patrolling theWestern Approachesfor theBattle of the Atlantic.On 7 May 1941 she participated in the attack onU-94while escorting convoy OB 218. She was then assigned to the37th Escort Groupin July afterType 271 radarwas installed during refit at Liverpool. She participated in sinkingU-204while escorting convoy HG 74 on 19 October 1941.Rochesterwas then transferred to the43rd Escort Groupand participated in sinkingU-82while escorting convoy OS 18 on 2 February 1942. After installation ofHF/DFand a new air search radar, she participated in sinkingU-213while escorting convoy OS 35 on 30 July 1942.Rochesterescorted convoy KMS 2 to theOperation Torchinvasion, and escorted convoys betweenGibraltarand North Africa until returning to England in February 1943 with convoy MKS 7. She then transferred to the 39th Escort Group and participated in sinkingU-135while escorting convoy OS 51 on 15 July 1943. In May 1944Rochestersailed toPortsmouth Harbourin preparation for theInvasion of Normandyand remained engaged inEnglish Channelescort duties with the41st Escort Groupuntil refit in November. The refit completed in March 1945 included modifications for service as the training ship for thePortsmouth Navigation School, HMSDryad.Rochesterserved as the navigation training ship until September 1949 and was scrapped in 1951.
• HMSFalmouthwas launched on 19 April 1932 and became theRNVRCalliopein 1952. Scrapped in 1968.Falmouthwas assigned to the China Station (later merged into the Eastern Fleet) where she was used as the Commander-in-Chief's yacht. In 1936, her new skipper wasFrederick "Johnny" Walkerwho later became a highly successful anti-submarine commander in theBattle of the Atlantic.In June 1940Falmouthsank the Italian submarineGalvanioff theGulf of Oman.She participated inOperation Countenance,the invasion of Iran, in August 1941. Her role was to transport infantry toKhorramshahrand, withHMASYarra,neutralise local Iranian land and sea forces. Her departure from theShatt al-ArabnearBasrawas delayed when she ran aground and had to wait for the tide to refloat her.
• HMSMilfordwas launched on 11 June 1932 and scrapped in 1949. On 28 March 1938,MilfordclaimedGough Islandin the South Atlantic Ocean for Britain.In the Second World War she was credited with sinking theVichy FrenchsubmarinePonceletoff the coast ofGabon,on 7 November 1940, though this was later credited to David Corkhill flying aSupermarine Walrusbiplane.On 30 May 1943, she went to the assistance of the freighterFlora McDonald,torpedoed off the coast of West Africa.
• HMSWestonwas launched on 23 July 1932 and scrapped in 1947. She spent the war years in home waters and the North Atlantic. On several occasions, she rescued survivors of torpedoed ships and on 31 May 1940,WestonsankU-13in theNorth Sea.
• HMSDundeewas launched on 20 September 1932 at Chatham and sunk on 15 September 1940 byU-48,while escorting a convoy.

References

• Campbell, N. J. M. (1980). "Great Britain (including Empire Forces)". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946.Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 2–85.ISBN0-85177-146-7.
• Hague, Arnold (1993).Sloops: A History of the 71 Sloops Built in Britain and Australia for the British, Australian and Indian Navies 1926–1946.Kendal, UK: World Ship Society.ISBN0-905617-67-3.
• Hepper, David; Johnson, Harold & Weatherhorn, Aryeh (2006). "Question 14/05: Loss of HMS Dundee (L 84)".Warship International.XLIII(2): 145–146.ISSN0043-0374.
• Lenton, H. T.(1998).British & Empire Warships of the Second World War.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-55750-048-7.
• Rohwer, Jürgen(2005).Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two(Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-59114-119-2.

External links

• Shorehamclass pictures
• Picture of HMSFowey
• Personal memories
• Ladislav Kosour,[email protected] Shoreham class^[usurped]