CAPTAIN Class
Turbo-Electric BUCKLEY Type Frigate ordered under the UK/US Lease-Lend Agreement
on 1st November 1941 and laid down on 4th August 1943 by the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard at Hingham, Mass. USA. The ship was launched on 23rd October 1943 as the first RN ship to carry the name of William
George
Rutherford who was one of Nelson’s
captains at Trafalgar and in command of HMS SWIFTSURE. Build was completed date was 16th December
1943. This ship was not
adopted by a civil community in UK in 1941-42 after a National Savings WARSHIP WEEK campaign. Details of arrangements made for manning this Class of
warship in the USA are given in THE CAPTAIN CLASS FRIGATES IN WW2 by D Collingwood.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1944 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1944 -
NORTH SEA 1944-45
H e r a l d i c D a t
a
No Badge is recorded in the Official List of Heraldic
Crests.
(Note: Many ships built during WW2 had an unofficial
crest but
these
were never given formal approval.)
D e t a i l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search
1 9 4 3
December
Contractor's trials.
16th Commissioned for service and commenced Acceptance Trials in Casco
Bay.
1 9 4 4
January
On completion of local trials and Shakedown took passage to Bermuda to work-up
for operational service
February
Carried out sea work-up and shore training at Bermuda.
March
On completion of working-up took passage to Halifax
Sustained damage in collision with submerged
wreckage during passage from
Bermuda.
Taken in hand for repair at Halifax.
Took passage to Belfast on completion
(Note: Award of Battle Honour ATLANTIC 1944
suggests that ship may have
been involved in convoy defence whilst on
passage to UK but no record of
any specific incident has been found in HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR,
Volume 2 by C Blair and further investigation is
needed.
26th Taken in hand for modification on arrival at Belfast.
April Under modification to suit RN requirements for
deployment.
(Note: In addition to changes made to equipment
fit some other alterations were made
the domestic arrangements. These including use
of RN Canteen Messing
instead of the US Navy Cafeteria System and
replacement of steel furniture by
wooden items which is quite astounding !)
Equipment changes included improvement of Depth
Charge allowances and stowage, improvement of
the
Sonar (ASDIC) equipment and communications.)
Ship’s Company were given leave during the
refit.
May On completion of modifications allocated for service
with 1st Destroyer Flotilla,
Nore Command and took passage to Harwich for
service as a Coastal Forces Control
Frigate (CFCF) and for convoy escort duties.
(Note: This category of warship was used to
control groups of Motor Torpedo Boats
for interception of enemy craft on passage to
attack North Sea and Channel
coastal convoys or for minelaying.
As the radar equipment fitted on MTB’s was not
able to detect enemy craft at
long range the use of CAPTAIN-Class Frigates
with a far superior radar
fit was able to overcome this deficiency. In
order to ensure efficient tactical
control Special
Officers from RN Coastal Forces
were embarked to provide
the necessary experience for control of
movements of the attached MTB’s.)
June Deployed at Harwich with sister ships HMS COSBY and
HMS CUBITT.
(Note: Ship was not deployed for escort of
convoys during the Assault Phase of
the Normandy landings (Operation NEPTUNE. See
LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY (HMSO).)
Nominated for escort of Follow-up convoys from
Thames Estuary to Normandy
Beach Heads and return convoys.
Commenced escort duties
July Military convoy escort duties in continuation.
to
August
September
Resumed duties at Harwich for North Sea convoy defence and as
CFCF for control of MTB’s.
(Note: Sister ships, HM Frigates CUBITT, CURZON,
DAKINS and EKINS were
also deployed in Nore Command as CFCFs.)
October
North Sea and Thames estuary duties in
continuation.
to November
December
CFCF patrol duties off Dutch and Belgian coasts in defence of military convoys
in continuation.
During this period engaged enemy E-Boats
reported by aircraft and carried out attacks
during which several enemy craft were hit.
1 9 4 5
January
Deployed for patrol and CFCF duties off Scheldt estuary.
to (Note: Aircraft were also used to report movement
of enemy warships and to report
March
these direct to CFCFs.)
April Deployed with HMS CUBITT for interception patrol off
the Low Countries for
defence of convoys.
7th Took part in action against E-Boats during which two were seriously
damaged and in
subsequent engagement by MTB’s at close range
assisted in rescue of crew of HM
MTB 494 and HM MTB 5001 which had
been damaged and later sank.
9th Engaged group of E-Boats sighted by aircraft off Ostend and
during brief action two enemy craft were sunk.
(Note: For details of Coastal Forces actions in
Home Waters
during WW2 see THE BATTLE OF THE NARROW SEAS by
P Scott and
HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith)
May Nominated for service in Pacific as a Fighter
Direction Ship after conversion
Took passage to commercial shipyard for
conversion after VE Day.
(Note: One source records that this work was
done in the Isle of Man but needs
confirmation as no suitable shipyard for such
work is known there.
The visit may well have been arranged for
recreational purposes before start of
refit work at Liverpool or Glasgow for example.)
June Under conversion
to July
August
Refit work suspended after VJ Day
P o s t W a
r N o t e s
The contribution made to the
safety of convoys especially in the North Sea and
Channel is recognised by the award of these two Battle Honours. HMS RUTHERFORD was Paid-off and destored before
taking passage to USA with a steaming party. RN Equipment was removed before
sailing and the ship was returned to the US Navy on 25th October 1945. She was never re-commissioned and was sold for scrap
in May 1946.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
RUTHERFORD
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked
with the text above
|
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|
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Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No. |
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
06/03/44
|
11/03/44
|
HX 282
|
20/03/44
|
22/03/44
|
19/04/44
|
19/04/44
|
CW 263
|
20/04/44
|
20/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
21/04/44
|
CE 261
|
22/04/44
|
22/04/44
|
31/07/44
|
31/07/44
|
ETC 054
|
01/08/44
|
01/08/44
|
02/08/44
|
02/08/44
|
FTC 055
|
03/08/44
|
03/08/44
|
05/08/44
|
05/08/44
|
ETM 056
|
06/08/44
|
06/08/44
|
07/08/44
|
07/08/44
|
FTM 061
|
08/08/44
|
08/08/44
|
10/08/44
|
10/08/44
|
ETM 059
|
11/08/44
|
11/08/44
|
12/08/44
|
12/08/44
|
FTM 066
|
13/08/44
|
13/08/44
|
15/08/44
|
15/08/44
|
ETM 061
|
15/08/44
|
16/08/44
|
19/08/44
|
19/08/44
|
ETM 063
|
20/08/44
|
20/08/44
|
21/08/44
|
21/08/44
|
FTM 072
|
22/08/44
|
22/08/44
|
25/08/44
|
25/08/44
|
ETM 066
|
26/08/44
|
26/08/44
|
06/09/44
|
06/09/44
|
ETM 072
|
07/09/44
|
07/09/44
|
08/09/44
|
08/09/44
|
FTM 001A
|
09/09/44
|
09/09/44
|
29/11/44
|
29/11/44
|
ON 269
|
01/12/44
|
15/12/44
|
19/11/44
|
04/12/44
|
HX 321
|
05/12/44
|
05/12/44
|
|
|
|
|
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(Note on Convoys)