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)