LOCH Class Anti-Submarine Frigate ordered on
25th January 1943 from W. Pickersgill of Sunderland
and to be named LOCH KILBIRNIE. Orders were placed with several other shipyards
for this Class of Frigate at the same time. However in late 1943 the contract
was changed for construction of a new design of Anti-Aircraft Frigate
(BAY Class - See General Information). The ship was laid down on
23rd October 1944 and was launched as HMS MOUNTS BAY on 8th June 1945. No
previous RN warship had borne this name. Work was suspended in 1946 and a new
contract to complete her build was placed with John I Thornycroft.
The ship was transferred to Woolston, Southampton on
20th March 1946. Her build was completed on 11th April 1949.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r
KOREA 1950 - 53
M a n n
i n g D i v i s i o n
Chatham till
Centralised
S p e c i a l N o t e
Research Notes for the period 1949 to February 1953 are not at present
available.
S u m m
a r y o f S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search
1 9 5 0 t o 1 9 5 2
Commissioned for service in 4th Frigate Flotilla.
After
Acceptance Trials and work-up in Home waters took passage to join Flotilla in
Far East.
On
arrival deployed with United Nations Task Force based at Sasebo Japan with other
Commonwealth warships off Korea in
support of military operations in Korean waters.
Routine maintenance and R&R periods spent at Kure, Japan
Deployed for Squadron duties including patrols to protect British flagged
mercantiles trading
between ports in China and South
Chine Sea.
When
not deployed off Korea
carried out patrols off Malayan coast in support of British
anti-terrorist operations.
Took
part in Squadron and Fleet exercises and visits to ports in Far East.
Docking and refits carried out in
Hong Kong and Singapore
Ship
re-commissioned on Station in 1952.
1 9 5 3 t o 1 9 5 4
Commanding Officer
Captain A F P Lewis RN (Senior
Officer 4th Frigate Flotilla.)
1 9 5 3
January Deployed at
Hong Kong for Flotilla duties
to Passage
to Sasebo for service with UN Naval Forces for patrol and support
of military operations
May off
west coast of to
Korea.
(Note: This was the sixth Operational Tour and
included bombardment of shore positions.)
June Visited
Tokyo with HMAS ANZAC for Coronation Day. Passage to Hong Kong for refit
(Note: Statistics: 88,000 miles steamed, 15,300 tons Fuel used.)
July Under
refit by HM Dockyard Hong Kong. August
6th Carried
out Basin Trials.
15th Carried
out Full Power Trials.
20th Deployed
for Anti-submarine exercises with US Navy submarine.
22nd Squadron
Pulling Regatta.
(Note: Annual Inspection was carried out later this month.)
September Deployed at
Hong Kong for exercises.
(Note: Typhoon warning in force early in month.)
Exercises included Bombardment support, tow of HM Destroyer CONCORD and
Antisubmarine procedures with SUNDERLAND aircraft.)
19th Took
passage from Hong Kong to Sasebo.
(Note: Korean war armistice was signed on 27th July but UN Task Force operations were
continued including RN deployments based at Sasebo with R&R at Kure.)
24th At Sasebo
and disembarked passengers.
(Note: Carried cut exercises with HM Sloop
OPOSSUM on passage.)
25th Took
passage from Sasebo to carry out exercises with US navy submarine.
(Note: Other RN ships involved included HM Frigate ST BRIDES BAY, WHITESAND BAY
and
HM Australian Frigate HMAS CULGOA.)
30th New
Commanding Officer Captain FN Elliott, RN appointed as Senior Officer 4th
Frigate
Squadron
October Visited
Yokosuka, Japan on completion of exercises
2nd Took
passage from Yokosuka to Sasebo.
5th Deployed
for exercises based at Sasebo.
12th On
completion of exercises took passage for UN duties off west coast of Korea.
14th Deployed
as Guardship at Taechong Do.
20th Return
passage to Sasebo.
22nd At Sasebo.
24th Took
passage from Sasebo to Hong Kong.
29th Arrived
at Hong Kong
(Note: During passage escorted ss INCHARRAN through Mim
Kiang Channel.).
November Resumed
Squadron duties on completion of UN detachment.
1st
Captain Elliot joined.
5th Sailed
from Hong Kong for Formosa Strait patrol.
8th Deployed
for patrol
. to (Note:
Ship anchored during, daylight)
. 11th Escorted
ss INCHARRAN to sea after leaving estuary.)
12th Return
passage to Hong Kong.
13th Deployed
at Hong Kong.
to (Note:
Korean and UN Service Campaign Medals were distributed.)
30th Carried
out Squadron exercises in Junk Bay.
Visited by Flag Officer 2nd in Command,
Far East Station.).
December
1st
Deployed at Hong Kong with ships of Squadron.
to (Note:
Sea Exercises included Replenishment, Gunnery firings, Anti- submarine
11th
procedures with HM Submarine TIPTOE and aircraft tracking.
HM
Frigates CARDIGAN BAY, ST BRIDES BAY and WHITESAND BAY of Squadron
took
part.)
12th Passage
for Formosa Strait Patrol.
13th Patrol
deployment.
to (Note:
Investigated detainment of British ss HYDRALOCK by Chinese .
17th This ship
was released after 16 hours negotiation.
Darkened during patrol.
Assisted passage of as YUNNAN, sa INCHWELLS and ss NIGELOCK.)
18th Arrived
at Hong Kong on completion of patrol duties.
29th Took part
in Squadron exercises with HM Frigates CARDIGAN BAY, MORECAMBE. BAY,
ST
BRIDES BAY, HM Destroyers COCKADE, CONSORT and HM Sloop MODESTE.
(Note: Serials included Gunnery firing, convoy screening, night encounter and
anti-submarine
procedures with HM Submarine THOROUGH.)
1 9 5 4
January
1st Hong
Kong deployment in continuation.
6th Took
passage from Hong Kong to Kure.
(Note: Kure was Base for Commonwealth forces deployed with UN.)
12th Arrived
at Kure after exercises on passage.
14th Passage
to Kure for UN patrol and Guardship off Korean west coast.
16th Sailed
from Kure for patrol.
18th Relieved
HM Canadian Destroyer HURON at Paenyong Do as Guardship.
23rd Took
passage to Kure on relief as Guardshlp.
26th Arrived
at Kure.
February
4th Sailed
from Kure for Sasebo.
(Note: Call at Sasebo prior to surveillance duty in Formosa Strait during return to
Hong Kong.)
10th Arrived
at Hong Kong after assisting ss INCHISLAY.
14th Took
passage from Hong Kong with Squadron and Coastal Minesweepers to South China Sea
for
Fleet exercises.
25th On
completion of exercises returned to Hong Kong with HMS MORECAMBE BAY and Coastal
Minesweepers of the
Hong Kong
Coastal Minesweeping Squadron.
28th Arrived
at Hong Kong.
March Deployed at
Hong Kong.
8th Annual
Harbour Inspection
9th Annual
Sea Inspection.
16th Taken in
hand for refit period.
Station Leave granted.
April Completed
docking period.
Deployed at Hong Kong for local duties.
6th Took
part in local exercises
29th On
completion of exercises resumed Local duties at Hong Kong.
May
1st Carried
out Self Maintenance at Hong Kong.
13th Took part
in local Exercises including Night Encounter and Tow.
14th Flag
Officer's Inspection.
18th Took part
in local exercises including military operations support.
19th Resumed
Local Flotilla duties at Hong Kong on completion of exercises.
. 28th Took
passage for surveillance patrol in Formosa Strait.
June Nominated
for return to UK to
re-commission.
1st Sailed
from Formosa Strait to Sasebo.
4th Called
all at Sasebo
(Note: UN Task Force was administered by US Navy at Sasebo)
Took
passage to Kure.
5th Arrived
at Kure.
(Note: Open to Visitors during stay)
15th Took
passage for UN duties.
17th Relieved
HMS MORECAMBE BAY at Paengong Do.
24th Carried
exercises with HMS MORECAMBE BAY off Korean west coast.
28th Took
passage to Hong Kong on relief by HM Australian Destroyer ARUNTA.
July
3rd Arrived
at Hong Kong.
4th Prepared
for return passage to pay off in
UK.
8th Took
passage to Singapore on completion of exercises with HM Frigates WHITESAND
BAY
and
CARDIGAN
BAY.
13th Arrived
at Singapore with HMS WHITESAND BAY.
14th Visited
by Flag Officer Malayan Area.
15th Took
passage with HMS WHITESAND BAY to Colombo from Singapore.
(Note: During passage took Indonesian landing craft in tow after it had been in
collision
in
Indian Ocean.
Resumed passage after Indonesian patrol ship arrived with HMS WHITESAND BAY.)
22nd Took
passage from Colombo with HMS WHITESAND BAY.
August
1st Passage
from Aden.
6th Suez
Canal transit.
10th Arrived
at Malta to embark passengers.
13th Sailed
with HMS WHITESAND BAY from Malta.
20th Sailed
from Gibraltar independently.
(Note: HMS WHITESAND BAY sailed on 19th.)
25th Arrived
at Sheerness.
26th Arrived
at Chatham after de-ammunitioning.
Captain Elliot left ship.
September Paid off and
completed de-storing.
Prepared for refit prior to re-commissioning for General Service in West Indies
during January 1955
N o t e s o n l a t e r
S e r v i c e
HMS MOUNTS BAY continued her
record of service on foreign stations after being re-commissioned
in 1955 and again in 1957, both in
the West Indies and South Atlantic. Her final commission was for further
service in the Far East. On return to Portsmouth in May 1960 the ship was
placed in Reserve and not re-commissioned as planned. Placed on the
Disposal List in 1961 she was sold to Portugal and renamed VASCO DA GAMA.
Before Portuguese Navy service she
was modernised at Woolston by John I Thornycroft. The ship remained on the Active List until 1971 when
sold for demolition.
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