CASTLE-Class
Frigate ordered on 19th December 1942 from Lewis SB, Aberdeen and laid down on
1st July 1943 as Job Number 1851 (Yard Number 177) and to be named PETROLIA.
This name was changed and the ship
was launched on 11th January 1944
as BAMBOROUGH CASTLE, the first RN ship to bear this name. Build was
completed on 30th May 1944.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC 1944 - ARCTIC 1945
S u m m a r y 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
May
Contractors trials
Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials
On completion of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory.
July
Passage to join 5th Escort Group on completion of work-up and calibrations of weapon and
communications
equipment
Deployed for convoy defence in NW Approaches.
August Atlantic convoy defence in
continuation.
Nominated for detached
service in Home Flkeet as escort for Russian convoy.
September Passage
to join outward convoy JW60 during passage to Kola
Inlet.
15th Joined Close Escort for Convoy
JW60 with HM Destroyers BULLDOG, KEPPEL, WHITEHALL,
HM Sloop CYGNET and
HM Corvette ALLINGTON CASTLE.
For details of all Russian convoys including names of all warships and mercantiles involved, see
CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, ARCTIC CONVOYS
by R Woodman, THE RUSSIAN
CONVOYS by B Schoefield and HITLER’S
U-BOAT WAR by C Blair.)
23rd Detached
on arrival at Kola Inlet after an uninterrupted passage.
28th Joined escort for returning
Convoy RA60 with same ships
29th Under attack by U310 which sank one
merchant ship.
October
5th Detached from RA60 on arrival of convoy at Loch Ewe.
November Transferred to 20th Escort Group and
continued Atlantic convoy defence duty
29th. Detached for
Russian Convoy escort duty.
Joined escort of Russian Convoy
JW62 with HM Sloops CYGNET, LAPWING, LARK,
HM Frigates BAHAMAS, LOCH ALVIE, SOMALILAND, TAVY, TORTOLA,
MONNO (RCN),
COLBOURNE (RCN),
ST JOHN (RCN), STORMONT (RCN), HM Corvettes
ALLINGTON
CASTLE,
TUNSBERG (Norwegian) and EGLANTINE.
December
7th Arrived at Kola
Inlet without detection by enemy aircraft which had
recently been reinforced
9th Carried out A/S operation with other
escorts prior to departure of Convoy and sank U387 in
position
69 41N, 33.42E from
which there were no survivors.
See U-Boats
destroyed by P Kemp and above references.
On completion of
operations joined escort for RA62 on departure..
11th Under attack by U-Boats during which HM Destroyer CASSANDRA was
hit.
12th Sister CASTLE corvette, manned by Royal Norwegian Navy personnel, HNorMS TUNSBERG
CASTLE, detonated
mine and sank.
Under attacks by torpedo
aircraft which were repelled. See references.
13th Under threat of submarine attack.
(Note: U365 was
sunk by aircraft from HM Escort Carrier CAMPANIA before
reaching convoy.)
19th Detached on arrival at Loch Ewe and
resumed duty with 20th Escort Group.
30th Joined HM Destroyers KEPPEL, WALKER,
WESTCOTT, HM Sloops LAPWING, CYGNET,
and
LARK, with HM Corvettes ALLINGTON CASTLE and ALNWICK CASTLE
as the escort
during
passage to Kola Inlet of Russian
Convoy JW63. Sailed from Loch Ewe with convoy.
1 9 4 5
January
9th Arrived at Kola Inlet after undetected passage.
11th Joined escort for returning Convoy RA63
with same ships.
21st Detached at Loch Ewe on relief by local
escort after rough passage which forced convoy to shelter.
No enemy interference was encountered.
February
3rd Part of Close Escort for Russian Convoy
JW64 with HM Destroyer WHITEHALL, H.M. Sloop
CYGNET, HM Sloop
LARK, HM Corvettes RHODODENDRON, ALNWICK CASTLE, and
BLUEBELL.
6th After sighting by enemy air reconnaissance
came under sustained torpedo attacks by aircraft
lasting
until
10th.
10th. Under air
attacks during which poor fire-discipline amongst escorts hazarded aircraft
from HM
Escort Carriers
HMS CAMPANIA and NAIRANA. See above references.
13th Under attack by group of U-boats during
which HM Corvette DENBIGH CASTLE was hit by
torpedo
from U992.
(Note: Damaged
ship was towed to Kola Inlet but grounded and then sank
after capsizing.)..
15th Arrived at Kola Inlet with JW64.
16th Carried out A/S search outside
Kola Inlet before return convoy
RA64 sailed.
During this
operation attacked and sank U425 with HMS LARK.
See U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp.
17th Deployed as part of Close Escort for
RA64 with the same escort ships and HM Sloop LAPWING.
During the
assembly of the convoy outside Kola Inlet its ships were attacked by two U-Boats.
HMS LARK was hit
by a torpedo from U968 and had to be beached.
U711 sank HMS
BLUEBELL
20th Convoy under air attack after
experiencing extreme weather conditions
(Note: No ship was hit and enemy aircraft driven off by ship’s AA fire and
aircraft from HMS
NAIRANA.
23rd Convoy had to be rounded up after further
hurricane strength winds.
(Note: An
extensive air search failed to locate convoy.)
27th Detached from RA64 on arrival in Home
waters.
March Transferred to 8th Escort Group
and deployed for Atlantic convoy defence.
11th Detached for further Russian Convoy
escort duty.
Joined Close
Escort for Russian Convoy JW65 with HM Destroyers MYNGS, Norwegian
destroyer STORD, HM Sloop LAPWING, HM Corvettes CAMELLIA, HONEYSUCKLE,
OXLIP, ALNWICK CASTLE,
ALLINGTON CASTLE and LANCASTER CASTLE.
20th Under U-Boat attack during which HMS
LAPWING was sunk by U716.
21st Detached from JW65 on arrival at Kola
Inlet.
23rd Carried out A/S operation with same
ships as Close Escort for JW6t5 supplemented by
HM
Corvette FARNHAM CASTLE.
On completion of
operations joined returning Convoy RAS65.
April
1st Detached from convoy on arrival
after an uninterrupted passage.
Resumed
Atlantic convoy defence duty with 8th Escort Group.
16th Detached for Russian Convoy escort.
Joined Close Escort
for Russian Convoy JW66 with HM Corvettes ALNWICK CASTLE,
HONEYSUCKLE, LOTUS,
OXLIP, RHODODENDRON and FARNHAM CASTLE supported
by
ships of 19th Escort Group.
25th Carried out A/S operation prior to
arrival at Kola Inlet.
Detached
from JW66 on arrival without enemy interference.
29th Joined escort for returning Convoy
RA66 after extensive A/S operation by 19th Escort Group to
prevent
attacks from group of U-Boats known to be assembled at entrance to Kola Inlet.
30th Under U-Boat attacks during which
U307 and U286 were sunk by 19th Escort Group ships.
See U-BOATS
DESTROYED.
May
7th Detached on arrival in Home waters
with no further enemy attacks.
12th Resumed duty with 20th Escort Group
and deployed in Home Waters.
June Deployed with Escort Group
on Home Fleet duties.
to
August.
P o s t W a r N o t e
HMS BAMBOROUGH CASTLE was Paid
off after VJ-Day and reduced to Reserve status. The
ship remained in Reserve until placed on the Disposal List in 1958. She was
sold in 1959 to BISCO for demolition by E Rees at
Llanelly and arrived in tow at the
breaker’s yard on 22nd May 1959.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS BAMBOROUGH CASTLE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
10/08/44
|
11/08/44
|
OS 086KM
|
20/08/44
|
21/08/44
|
29/08/44
|
29/08/44
|
MKS 059G
|
30/08/44
|
30/08/44
|
30/08/44
|
30/08/44
|
SL 168MK
|
07/09/44
|
07/09/44
|
15/09/44
|
15/09/44
|
JW 060
|
23/09/44
|
23/09/44
|
28/09/44
|
28/09/44
|
RA 060
|
04/10/44
|
05/10/44
|
29/11/44
|
29/11/44
|
JW 062
|
07/12/44
|
07/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
RA 062
|
19/12/44
|
19/12/44
|
30/12/44
|
30/12/44
|
JW 063
|
08/01/45
|
08/01/45
|
11/01/45
|
11/01/45
|
RA 063
|
19/01/45
|
21/01/45
|
03/02/45
|
03/02/45
|
JW 064
|
15/02/45
|
15/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
17/02/45
|
RA 064
|
28/02/45
|
28/02/45
|
11/03/45
|
11/03/45
|
JW 065
|
21/03/45
|
21/03/45
|
23/03/45
|
23/03/45
|
RA 065
|
01/04/45
|
01/04/45
|
16/04/45
|
16/04/45
|
JW 066
|
25/04/45
|
25/04/45
|
29/04/45
|
29/04/45
|
RA 066
|
07/05/45
|
08/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)