LOCH-Class Twin Screw Frigate ordered from Henry Robb,
Leith on 25th January 1943 and laid down as Job No
J11859 (Yard Number 846) on 1?th November 1943. The ship was launched on 10th
May 1944 as the 1st RN ship to carry the name. Her build was completed on 20th
October 1944. The ship. was adopted by the
civil community of Northampton after entering
service.
G e o g r a p h i c
D a t a
Inland
Loch in Inverness
Grid Reference: NH8304
B a t
t l e H o n o
u r s
ATLANTIC
1944 - ARCTIC 1945
H e r
a l d i c D a
t a
Badge:
On a Field barry wavy of 10 white and Blue,
On
a pomme a salmon hook Gold
(Explanation: The pomme (Green disc) represents an island.
Loch Insh means the Loch of the Isle. The
salmon
hook refrers to the fishing on the Loch.)
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 4
October
Contractors trials and commissioned for service in 19th Escort Group.
Commanding Officer: Commander E C W Dempster
20th Build
completion
29th
Completed trials and storing.
took passage to Tobermory with call at Aberdeen.
November Carries out
work-up for operational service.
28th On
completion took passage to join Group at Liverpool.
December Deployed
with Group for convoy defence in NW Approaches and Irish Sea.
6th Sank
U297 in defence of Carrier Group off Cape Wrath with HM Frigate GOODALL.
(Note: HM Frigate BULLEN of Group had been sunk earlier that day.
See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)
1 9 4 5
January
Transferred with Group to English Channel for anti-submarine operations.
(Note: This deployment was made to counter increased attacks by U-Boats on
coastal
convoys which included re-routed Atlantic traffic.)
February
1st
Under repair in Belfast.
2nd
Rejoined Group for convoy defence in Irish Sea and SW Approaches.
Based at Milford Haven and Liverpool. Convoy defence with Group in continuation.
March Nominated
for service with Group for support of Russian Convoy.
April
18th Joined
escort for Russian Convoy JW66 with HM Frigates LOCH SHIN, COTTON, GOODALL
and ANGUILLA of Group.
25th
Arrived off Kola Inlet with JW66 after uninterrupted passage.
Carried out anti-submarine search operation to clear entrance for mercantiles.
Detached with snips of Group after entry of convoy and deployed to provide
antisubmarine
cover for minelaying operation (Operation TRAMMEL)
(Note: Minelay was carried out by HM Minelayer APOLLO, HM Destroyers OBEDIENT,
OPPORTUNE and ORWELL. See Naval Staff History (MINING).)
29th
Carried out anti-submarine operation off Kola Inlet with Group before departure
of return
Convoy RA66.
Sank U307 using SHARK projectiles and SQUID in the attacks.
14
survivors were rescued.
(Note: U286 was also sunk by other ships of Group later on 29th.)
May
Nominated for service in East Indies after refit.
Detached from RA66 with ships of Group before arrival in Clyde.
6th Taken
in hand for refit at build yard in Leith.
(Note during refit ventilation arrangements were modified and AA armament
increased.
June Under
refit.
July
Carried out post refit trials.
27th
Passage to Rosyth to prepare for foreign service.
August
23rd Took
passage from Rosyth to join East Indies Escort Force.
September Passage to
East Indies with calls at Gibraltar and Malta.
October
1st At
Aden
25th At
Colombo and briefed for deployment for escort duty and the support of military
operations
in
Sumatra and Java.
Deployed in Indian Ocean and visited Port Blair
November Based at
Colombo and deployed in Indian Ocean for convoy escort.
New Commanding Officer appointed: Lieut.. Commander E M Skinner RN.
29th
Passage to Singapore in continuation of escort of repatriation convoys
(See SEAGULLS IN MY BELFRY by CC Anderson.)
December Convoy
escort from Singapore to Padang and Colombo in continuation.
Deployed for East African coast visit
1 9 4 6
January
Passage to Kilindini.
5th At
Kilindini
February Deployed
at Kilindini.
23rd
Nominated for return to UK to Pay-Off into Reserve.
Took passage to Trincomalee.
March
8th
Arrived at Trincomalee.
Took passage to UK on relief by HM Frigate LOCH QUOICH.
April Paid
Off and reduced to Reserve status at Devonport.
May Laid-up
at Devonport.
to
December
1 9 4 7 t o 1 9 4 9
Laid-up at Devonport.
Refitted for Reserve service by Brigham and Cowan, Hull (1949).
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to F433.
1 9 5 0
January Laid up
in Reserve at Devonport.
to
February
March Nominated
for service with 6th Frigate Flotilla, Home Fleet.
April
Prepared for service and refitted by HM Dockyard, Devonport.
to
July
August Carried
out post refit trials.
September
21st
Commissioned for service with 6th Frigate Flotilla, Home Fleet.
Commanding Officer: Commander R S Foster-Brown RN.
October Carried
out weapon trials and anti-submarine training at Londonderry.
November Joined
Flotilla at Gibraltar during Home Fleet exercise.
On
completion of Exercise visited Bayonne
December Deployed at
Plymouth.
1 9 5 1
January Took part
with Flotilla in Home Fleet exercises including visits to Gibraltar,
to
Aranci Bay, Savona and Monaco.
March Returned
to Devonport on completion.
April
Routine docking at Devonport.
Despatched to join Home Fleet search for HM Submarine AFFRAY in English Channel
May AFFRAY
search operations in continuation.
June On
release resumed Flotilla duties.
July
Flotilla deployment in continuation including visits to Milford Haven,
and
Falmouth.
August Under repair
at Devonport.
September Deployed with
Flotilla in Home waters and visited Portland and Troon.
October Took part in
Flotilla training at Londonderry.
to
Deployed with Flotilla for Home Fleet Exercises in Atlantic.
November After stay at
Gibraltar took part in Home Fleet visits programme during return.
December Routine Docking
at Devonport.
Selected as Prototype for LOCH Class Frigate modernisation.
1 9 5 2
January Took part
in Home Fleet Exercise programme with Flotilla.
to
During R&R periods visited Gibraltar, Nice and Malta.
March Relieved
by HM Frigate VIRAGO in Flotilla (March)
April On
return to Devonport for Leave period placed in Care and Maintenance pending
modernisation.
Paid off with reduced complement retained.
May In Care
and Maintenance at Devonport
to
December
1 9 5 3
January
In Care and Maintenance at
Devonport.
to
April
May Taken
in hand for modernisation by HM Dockyard Devonport.
June Under
Dockyard Control
to
December
1 9 5 4
January Under
Dockyard Control.
to
Selected for service in Persian Gulf on completion as relief for HMS LOCH QUOICH.
July
August Carried
out post refit trials.
September
6th
Commissioned for service.
Commanding Officer: Commander A J T Harris RN.
Completed sea trials and weapon calibrations before passage to Malta for
work-up.
October Worked-up
at Malta with Destroyer Command, Mediterranean Fleet.
November On
completion of work-up took passage to Aden.
December Arrived at
Bahrain for Persian Gulf duties.
Joined HM Frigate LOCH ALVIE on Station.
Deployed for patrol in southern Gulf area with visits to Dohar.
Took passage to Trincomalee.
1 9 5 5
January Passage
to Colombo from Trincomalee for routine docking.
Nominated for east coast of India patrol on completion.
February Deployed
for patrol duties.
Visited Nicobar, Chittagong and Madras.
March Returned
to Trincomalee.
Took passage to Bahrain for Persian Gulf deployment.
April
Deployed in southern Persian Gulf with visits to Dubai, Sharjah, Um-al-Qupin
and Ras-al-Khaima.
May
Deployed for patrol off Batina coast.
Visited Masirah, Kuria Maria Islands and Salalah.
20th
Diverted to assist HM Frigate LOCH KILLISPORT in fire-fighting and salvage of
the Dutch
tanker ss ARGEA PRIM.
(Note: ARGEA PRIM had collided with Dutch mv TABIAN at entrance to Straits of
Hormuz
on
19th May and was badly damaged with extensive fires on board.)
23rd Joined
HMS LOCH KILLISPORT in company with ARGEA PRIM which was under tow by ss
ESMERALDA.
25th
Remained with ARGEA PRIMA until arrival at Bahrain under own power.
(Note: Salvage awards were paid only to HMS LOCH KILLISPORT.)
June
Deployed in northern Persian Gulf and visited Fao, Kuwait and Danman.
July
Deployed for patrol off Batina coast with visits to Muscat. Mikalla and Socotra.
On
relief took passage to UK from Aden.
August Passage
through Mediterranean.
Arrived at Devonport to Pay-Off and recommission.
September Under refit.
October
Re-commissioned for service in Persian Gulf.
Commanding Officer: Commander T E Fanshaw DSC RN.
November Under refit.
to Carried
out post refit trials.
December
1 9 5 6
January On
completion of sea trials deployed for weapon trials at Portland.
February Worked-up
at Portland.
March After
repair at Devonport took passage to Aden.
Arrived in Aden with call at Gibraltar.
Deployed at Aden for Batina coast patrol and visited Kuria Maria Islands.
April Called
at Masira on passage to Bahrain.
Deployed at Bahrain for Persian Gulf patrol duty.
May Took
part in joint exercises and patrol off Oman.
Visited Muscat.
June
Deployed in Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf.
to
(Note: During this period various deployments were made in view of the current
July
problems with Egypt.
August Deployed
in southern Persian Gulf and visited Ras-al-Khaiirar and Sharjah.
After return to Bahrain for R&R took passage for patrol in northern Gulf.
September Visited
Basra.
October Returned
to Bahrain and deployed off Oman coast.
Visited Muscat.
During passage carried out salvage of mv HANGKONG.
(Note: Ship was found adrift and abandoned south of Bahrain and taken in tow.
Salvage awards were paid later.)
November Deployed at
Aden in view of Suez crisis (Operation MUSKETEER)
to
Carried out joint exercises with other RN warships.
December Returned to
Bahrain after release from MUSKETEER.
1 9 5 7
January Relieved
by HM Frigate LOCH RUTHVEN and took passage to return to UK to
re-commission.
(Note: Passage made via Mombasa and Simonstown as Suez Canal was closed.)
February Passage in
Atlantic with calls at Freetown and Gibraltar.
March Paid-Off
at Devonport and taken in hand for Extended Refit.
April Under
refit
to
Extensive changes were made to equipment fit.
December Centralised
Air Conditioning was
installed for all compartments in forward structure.
1 9 5 8
January
7th
Recommissioned for General Service Commission.
On
completion of sea trials took passage to Portland.
Carried out weapon calibrations and trials before beginning work-up.
February Worked-up
at Portland.
March Carried
out anti-submarine training at Londonderry.
Joined tone Fleet for exercises and visits programme.
Visited Liverpool.
April
Visited Le Havre.
Returned to Devonport to prepare for foreign service.
May Passage
to Aden to embark Somali crew.
Arrived at Bahrain.
June
Deployed at Bahrain and took part in Flotilla exercises after Maintenance
Period.
to
Passage to Shatt-el-Arab for Guardship duty.
July (Note: After the assassination of King Faisal II of Iraq, Jordan had asked for
Royal Navy
assistance.
Primary object of deployment was the protection of
British tanker shipping using
the waterway).
Visited Fao during deployment in northern Gulf
August Returned
to Bahrain.
Deployed for patrol in southern Gulf and visited Dubai
September .Patrol
deployment based at Bahrain in continuation.
(Note: Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf Command established.)
October Passage
to Karachi.
Took part with other RN ships in multi-national Exercise MIDLINK In Indian Ocean
based at Karachi.
November On
completion of MIDLINK remained at Karachi for routine docking and refit.
December Deployed for
visits to Cochin and Bombay.
Took passage from Bombay to resume Persian Gulf duties.
1 9 5 9
January Visited
Muscat and carried out Flotilla exercises.
Embarked British Resident at Bahrain for attendance at Enthronement of the New
Ruler
of
Dubai.
Embarked Commodore ASPG at Bahrain for Official Visit to Sultan of Qatar.
February Passage to
Muscat
Guard landed at Muscat for the Presentation of Ship's Bell from HM Minesweeper
WELCOME to the Ruler at Muscat.
(Note: HMS WELCOME had an association with the Oman in 1945.)
Took passage from Muscat to Mombasa.
March Deployed
for East African coast visits and called at Tanga, Mtawara and Zanzibar.
Returned to Mombasa and took passage to Aden.
April
Passage from Aden to Massawa to give SHOP WINDOW Demonstration.
On
completion took passage to UK to re-commission.
Arrived at Devonport.
May
Paid-Off and taken in hand for Refit.
June Under
refit.
July
Re-commissioned for service in Persian Gulf.
(Note: Royal Marines Detachment Detachment was part of complement.).
Commanding Officer: Captain T N Catlow RN.
August Post refit
trials carried out on completion of dockyard work.
September Carried out
further sea trials off Plymouth.
Passage to Port-land for weapon trials and work-up.
October Worked-up
at Portland and returned to Devonport to prepare for foreign service.
November
16th
Passage to Gibraltar and encountered heavy weather with flooding of
compartments.
23rd Under
repair to weather damage including ASDIC Dome at Gibraltar
. 24th
Resumed passage to Aden.
December
8th
Met HM Cruiser GAMBIA in Fed Sea
9th
Embarked Somali crew at Aden.
17th Took
part in SHOP WINDOW Demonstrations.
18th
Arrived at Bahrain for Persian Gulf duties.
22nd At
Mina-al-Ahmadi for Xmas period.
28th
Deployed with HM Frigate LOCH FYNE for exercises on passage.
1 9 6 0
January
1st
Provided Guard for annual parade for Ruler of Bahrain.
Carried out Dhow patrol in southern Gulf area.
7th
Landed RM Detachment at Muscat and patrolled off Batina coast.
17th
Intercepted suspect Dhow and escorted it to Muscat.
27th
Carried out Flotilla exercises and consort for Sea Inspection of HMS LOCH FYNE.
February
8th
Carried out anti-submarine exercises with HM Frigate LOCH KILLISPORT.
11th
Visited Umm Said.
14th
Visited Dubai.
17th At
Bahrain for machinery repairs.
23rd At
Dubai with Consul General and Political Agent.
27th At
Muscat with Political Agent.
29th
Passage to Bahrain.
March
1st
Passage to Karachi for Interim Docking and Refit.
12th Under
refit, and docking.
Damaged Shaft A-Bracket for propeller repaired.
April
16th Took
part in Pakistan naval exercises after repair of bearing on 14th.
18th Landed
Guard for Queens Birthday Parade at Bombay with CinC Far East present.
24th
Passage to Bahrain to resume Persian Gulf duties.
May
1st Took
part in exercise with HMS LOCH LOMOND and Iran Navy off Kharg Island.
(Exercise KHARGEX II).
9th
Deployed as consort of Sea Inspection of HMS LOCH KILLISPORT.
17th
Deployed with ships of Squadron for anti-submarine exercises at Jebel Dharsna
and Daz
(Exercise CASPEX5)
30th
Embarked Political Resident for visits to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
June
1st
Returned to Bahrain from Dubai.
8th Sea
Inspection by Cdre ASPG.
9th
Embarked Commandant General Royal Marines for visit to Abadan.
Took passage with HMS LOCH KILLISPORT.
10th At
Abadan.
12th Took
part in Queens' Birthday Parade at Khorramshah, Iran.
13th Return
passage to Bahrain with Commandant General Royal Marines.
24th Took
passage to Mombasa after exchange of defect Fan with HMS LOCH KILLISPORT.
July
2nd
Arrived at Mombasa. Took passage to Dar-es-Salaam.
3rd
Embarked Cdre ASPG.
Visit to Zanzibar cancelled due to machinery defect.
7th Visit
to Tanga with Cdre ASPG.
12th Sailed
for Mombasa with HM Coastal Minesweeper BASSINGHAM.
14th
Passage to Mahe, Seychelles from Mombasa.
18th
Embarked Governor of the Seychelles at Victoria for visit to dependencies.
(Note: Including calls at Bird, La Digue, Dennis and Frigate Islands.)
22nd Death
of Electrical Mechanic W. McCarthy during return passage to Mahe.
23rd Burial
of EM MacCarthy at Mahe.
24th Took
passage to Aden.
30th
Arrived at Aden after machinery defects en passage.
August
2nd Embarked
Commander British Land Forces at Aden for passage to Mombasa.
9th Arrived
at Mombasa.
Station Leave granted.
(Note: During Maintenance Period, assistance provided by HM Commando
Carrier
BULWARK)
18th Sailed
for exercises with HMS BULWARK before taking return passage to Bahrain.
25th Steering
breakdown in Strait of Hormuz.
26th Ran
aground at Sitra, Bahrain Oil Fuel Depot and refloated by tugs.
September
2nd Flag
Officer Middle East visited ship prior his departure for UK.
3rd Sailed
for UK.
Further Machinery defects repaired except shaft alignment problem.
9th Carried
out Amphibious Warfare Exercises off
Muscat till 11th.
27th
Called at Malta.
October Passage to
Rosyth for refit and re-commissioning.
5th At
Rosyth and Paid Off.
Taken
in hand for refit.
(Statistics: Miles steamed - 35,372, hours underway - 3,465.)
November Under refit.
January 10th
to
December
1 9 6 1
January Refit in
continuation.
10th
Re-commissioned for service in Persian Gulf.
RM
Detachment embarked.
Commanding Officer: Captain I G Raikes DSC RN.
February Post refit
trials.
March Took passage
to Portsmouth after further sea trials.
18th Worked-up
at Portland.
April Work-up
in continuation.
Visited Southampton and Leave Period at Devonport.
May
4th Passage
to Londonderry from Portland on completion of work-up
26th Passage
to Bournemouth for visit on completion of anti-submarine training.
June Prepared
for foreign service at Devonport as relief for HM Frigate LOCH RUTHVEN.
4th Took
passage for Malta with call at Gibraltar
Embarked crated stores for upper deck stowage and sailed Aden from Malta.
(Note: The deck cargo was for support, of operations (Operation VANTAGE).
Sealed boxes believed to contain money.)
15th Sailed
from Aden to Bahrain with seven Coastal Minesweepers
16th Total
loss of power was restored.
22nd Arrived at
Bahrain after meeting HMS LOCH RUTHVEN on passage.
August
2nd Took
passage to Kuwait to relieve HMS LOCH ALVIE in British Task Force 317.
(Note: This Task Force was assembled following the Iraqi threat to Kuwait.
(Operation VANTAGE.).).
14th
Returned to Bahrain for Patrol off Trucial Oman
17th
Deployed for patrol and Dhow interception.
24th
Stood-by Spanish tanker mv MEQUINENZA which was aground on Shah Alum Shoal,
near Bahrain (26.25N 52..99E.
Assisted in refloating.
25th Left
scene after mv DURANGO arrived.
(Note: Salvage awards ware paid later.)
26th
Passage to Muscat for visit
September
3rd
Returned to Bahrain.
4th
Sailed from Bahrain with HMS LOCH FYNE after refuelling.
5th Took
part in Exercise FOMEX 10 with ships of Squadron off Daz Island.
9th
Returned to Bahrain on completion.
11th At
Kuwait with HM Frigate CHICHESTER in continuation of VANTAGE support.
(Note: Air Conditioning plant was defective for three days )
14th Operation VANTAGE
terminated.
27th Returned
to Bahrain with HM Frigate CHICHESTER.
October At Bahrain.
13th Deployed for Dhow patrol
of Trucial coast with calls at Sir Adu Musa and Das.
23rd Took
passage to Aden from Bahrain.
31st
Arrived at Aden after further air conditioning problems.
November
3rd Took
passage from Aden for Karachi with three Coastal Minesweepers in company.
8th
Arrived at Karachi after heavy weather passage to take part in CENTO Exercise
(Note: Called at Al Mukalla, Yemen on passage).
17th Took part in sea serials
for MIDLINK IV with CENTO warships and HMS LOCH
ALVIE.
(Note: Participation restricted by boiler contamination problem.)
20th
Rejoined MIDLINK IV after repair.
27th Sailed
from Karachi for visit to Bombay after completion of MIDLNK IV.
29th
Arrived at Bombay.
December
2nd Return
passage to Karachi for Interim Docking and refit.
4th Taken
in hand for refit.
1 9 6 2
January
4th On
completion of post refit trials took passage from Karachi to resume Persian Gulf
duties at Bahrain.
8th
Arrived at Bahrain.
18th Took
part in FOME Exercises,
(Note: During exercises visited Sharjah, Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Yas Island.
22nd On
completion deployed for Dhow patrol in southern Gulf area.
February
1st
Returned to Bahrain.
13th
Embarked Flag Officer Middle East and took passage to Bombay.
19th
Arrived at Bombay.
23rd Took
passage to Bahrain and carried out exercises in Persian Gulf before arrival.
March
1st At
Bahrain.
15th
Visited Bandar Mashur
17th
Carried cut Dhow Interception patrol off Trucial coast.
April On
return to Bahrain prepared for annual inspection by Flag Officer Middle East.
12th Sea
Inspection.
13th Sailed
from Bahrain for East African coast visits.
19th
Diverted on passage for Guardship duty at Gan following shore riots.
23rd
Arrived at Gan.
May
6th Took
passage from Gan to Seychelles.
10th
Arrived at Victoria, Seychelles..
14th
Embarked FOME and took passage to Mombasa
17th
Arrived at Mombasa and sailed for Aden same day.
23rd At
Aden.
25th Sailed
from Aden with two Inshore minesweepers in tow.
28th
Delayed at Port Suez pending arrival of relief which had been delayed by defects
June
2nd Suez
Canal transit.
Minesweepers detached at Port Said.
8th
Arrived in Malta after rough passage and sailed same day for Gibraltar.
15th Sailed
from Gibraltar for Devcnport.
20th
Arrived at Plymouth.
22nd Paid
off and began reducing to Reserve status.
(Statistics: Miles steamed 47,042.)
F i n a l P h a s e
HMS LOCH INSH was placed on the Disposal
List and sold to the Royal Malayan Navy in 1963. After a very extensive refit
at Portsmouth which included change to after the superstructure and the
provision of Helicopter landing facilities, the ship was renamed HANG TUAH. She sailed for
Malaya on 12th November 1964 and served as the Flagship of the Royal Malaysian
Navy until 1971 when she was used as a training ship until withdrawn from service
6 years later.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
LOCH INSH
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
Date convoy sailed
|
Joined convoy as escort
|
Convoy No. |
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
23/01/45
|
unknown
|
HX 334
|
unknown
|
06/02/45
|
09/02/45
|
16/02/45
|
MKS 082G
|
17/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
14/03/45
|
unknown
|
HX 344
|
unknown
|
28/03/45
|
17/03/45
|
18/03/45
|
ON 291
|
19/03/45
|
06/04/45
|
19/03/45
|
19/03/45
|
TBC 102
|
22/03/45
|
22/03/45
|
16/04/45
|
16/04/45
|
JW 066
|
25/04/45
|
25/04/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)