CAPTAIN Class
Turbo-Electric BUCKLEY-Type Frigate ordered under the UK/US Lease-Lend Agreement
on 10th January 1942 and laid
down on 15th March 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Shipyard at Hingham, Mass. USA The ship was
launched on 19th June1943 as the first RN ship to carry the name of William
Essington who was captain of the 3rdc Rate TRIUMPH at the Battle of Camperdown in 1797. Build completion date was 7th Sept. 1943. This ship was not adopted by a civil community in UK in 1941-42 after a National Savings WARSHIP WEEK
campaign. The original ship selected for transfer was laid down at Mare Island in April 1942 but retained
by the US Navy and was named HAROLD C THOMAS. 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
BISCAY 1943-44 - ATLANTIC 1943-45 -
ARCTIC 1944
- NORMANDY 1944 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1944-45
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: None is recorded in the Official List of Heraldic Crests.
(Note: Many
ships built during WW2 had 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
September
Contractor's Trials
7th Commissioned for service and commenced Acceptance Trials in Casco
Commanding Officer:
Act/Lieut. Commander Wilfred Lambert
RNVR (arrived with ship's company
at Bethlehem Yard in March 1943 to take over command. Commissioned her 19 June
1943.)
October
On completion of local trials and Shakedown took passage to Bermuda to work-up
for operational service
Carried out sea work-up and shore training at
Bermuda.
November On
completion of working-up took passage to St Johns, Newfoundland.
8th Took passage to UK from St Johns as part of escort for convoy
Transferred on passage to join escort for Convoy
MKS30/SL139 which was under
attack by SCHILL Group of U-Boats
21st Took part in defence of MKS30/SL139 with ships of 4th Escort Group against U-Boat
attacks. See HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR, Volume 2 by C
Blair.
On release from escort took passage to Belfast.
December
Under modification to suit RN requirements for deployment.
(Note: In addition to changes made to equipment
fit some other alterations were
made to domestic arrangements. These including
change to 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 for
communications facilities.)
Ship’s Company were given leave during the
refit.
25th Completion of refit.
1 9 4 4
January
Joined sister ships DUCKWORTH, DOMETT, BLACKWOOD
and COOKE in 3rd Escort Group based at Belfast.
Nominated for special duties and took passage to
Scapa Flow.
5th Sailed from Scapa Flow with ships of Group as escort for HM
Battleships VALIANT,
QUEEN ELIZABETH, HM Battlecruiser RENOWN, HM
Aircraft Carriers
ILLUSTRIOUS and UNICORN during passage to Suez.
(Note: These ships were to join the Eastern
Fleet at Colombo.)
7th Called at Gibraltar after rough passage in Atlantic.
12th Detached with Escort on arrival at Suez.
14th Sailed for UK from Alexandria with ships of Group as escort for HM
Battleship
RAMILLIES returning to UK from Eastern Fleet for
support of planned allied landings
in Europe.
20th Called at Gibraltar.
26th Carried out attack on submarine contact in NW Approaches during
passage.
February
After arrival Group resumed Atlantic convoy defence duties.
21st Deployed for anti-submarine patrol in NW Approaches.
26th Returned to Belfast.
March
9th Deployed for ant-submarine patrol and convoy escort in NW
Approaches
April NW Approaches deployment in continuation.
5th Returned to Belfast for maintenance.
On completion deployed in SW Approaches for
ant-submarine patrol
May Channel and SW Approaches deployment in continuation.
Replenishment from HM Dockyard Devonport.
(Note: Many support stores peculiar to this
Class of US built ships were not available.)
15th Returned to Belfast.
June Nominated for further service in Channel and SW
Approaches
with ships of Group to prevent access by U-Boats
during allied landings in Normandy.
(Note: Other ships of Group deployed were HM
Frigates BLACKWOOD,
BRAITHWAITE, COOKE, DOMETT and DUCKWORTH.
For details of Western Approaches Command ships
detached for service in
Plymouth Command during Operation NEPTUNE See LANDINGS IN
NORMANDY, June 1944 (HMSO) and OPERATION NEPTUNE by K
Edwards.
7th Deployed for anti-submarine patrols in Channel with Group.
(Note: HM Frigate BLACKWOOD was hit by a torpedo
from U764 and later sank off
Portland.
HM Frigates DUCKWORTH, COOKE and DOMETT carried
out attack on
submarine target NW of Guernsey believed to be
U988 but this is now in
doubt. However credit for a sinking was given to
these ships and an RAF
aircraft of 224 Squadron. See U-BOATS DESTROYED
by P Kemp.)
July
6th Returned to Belfast with Group for maintenance
11th Sailed from Belfast with Group for further duties in Channel based
at Plymouth
12th Ant-submarine patrols in continuation.
August
Devonport deployment for patrol.
14th Responded to aircraft report of submarine sighting by LIBERATOR
aircraft of 53 Sqdn
RAF and carried out
depth charge attacks on bottomed target with HM DUCKWORTH.
Sinking of U618 was credited to these ships and
the aircraft.
There were no survivors. See U-BOATS DESTROYED
by P Kemp.
22nd Returned to Belfast.
September
1st Deployed with ships of Group for interception of U-Boats in NW
Approaches.
(Note: Extensive deployments of escorts were
made in Western Approaches Command
to intercept submarines on passage to attack
Atlantic convoys from Bases in
Norway.)
21st Returned to Belfast.
29th Temp/Acting Lt Cdr Stanley
Lampard RNVR took over command from Lt Cdr Lambert.
October
Nominated for detached service with Home Fleet for defence of Russian convoys.
(Note: For details of mercantiles and escorts in
all Russian convoys
see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by RA Ruegg, CONVOY by
P Kemp, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield and
ARCTIC CONVOYS by R Woodman.)
18th Passage to Loch Ewe prior to departure of Convoy JW61.
19th Deployed in Atlantic and Barents Sea to provide cover against
to submarine attacks on Convoys JW61 and JW61A.
27th (Note: Convoy JW61A was on passage with Russian nationals
captured during Normandy invasion. See
references.
Close escort was provided by Home Fleet and
other ships
from Western Approaches Command.)
28th At Polyarno, North Russia.
30th Sailed from Polyarno to carry out anti-submar8ine search operations
before departure of return Convoy RA61.
November
Provided cover during passage of Convoy RA61 to UK from Kola
Inlet.
3rd Returned to Murmansk with ships of Group.
9th Took passage from Murmansk to Belfast.
16th Arrived at Belfast.
December
Deployed for ant-submarine operations in Irish Sea with Group.
(Note: Withdrawn from operations after fire in
electrical
switchboard and taken in hand for repair at
Belfast.)
1 9 4 5
January
Deployed with Group in Irish Sea in continuation of support of convoy passages.
(Note: Increased activity by SCHNORKEL fitted
U-Boats was taking place and
special operation (CE) was carried out to
search the area including
St George’s Channel.)
February
On completion of Maintenance Period in Belfast deployed in
SW Approaches to carry out anti-submarine
operations in defence of Atlantic convoys
now re-routed through English Channel and
subject to attack by SCHNORKEL fitted
U-Boats.
March
Remained in Channel and SW Approaches for anti-submarine patrol and convoy
support
to duties.
April
May Returned to Belfast on release from Channel
deployment.
Nominated for service in Far East after refit
for installation of modified communications
equipment to suit proposed use in Pacific Fleet.
(Note: This ship only served in the 3rd Escort
Group during war service.)
June Paid off and taken in hand for refit.
to
July
August
Refit terminated after VJ Day and ship returned to Belfast.
Po
s t W a r N o t e s
HMS ESSINGTON was prepared
for return passage to USA and after removal of RN Stores took passage from
Belfast in October 1945. The ship was formally returned to
the US Navy on 19th October 1945 and remained in Reserve until December 1947
when she was sold
S p e c i a l N o t
e
Fit of HEDGEHOG Ahead
Throwing Anti-submarine Mortar in Turbine ships is to be confirmed (see
General Introduction). Both Types
of the Class had Depth Charges for anti-submarine attacks.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
ESSINGTON
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
06/11/43
|
09/11/43
|
SC 146
|
13/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
06/11/43
|
14/11/43
|
HX 265
|
16/11/43
|
21/11/43
|
16/11/43
|
18/11/43
|
SL 139MK
|
23/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
15/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
MKF 027A
|
27/01/44
|
27/01/44
|
13/02/44
|
23/02/44
|
SC 153
|
25/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
23/03/44
|
25/03/44
|
ON 229
|
29/03/44
|
07/04/44
|
21/03/44
|
29/03/44
|
HX 284
|
05/04/44
|
06/04/44
|
13/09/44
|
14/09/44
|
ON 253
|
15/09/44
|
28/09/44
|
11/11/44
|
14/11/44
|
RA 061A
|
16/11/44
|
17/11/44
|
17/11/44
|
02/12/44
|
SC 161
|
03/12/44
|
04/12/44
|
02/12/44
|
03/12/44
|
SC 162
|
05/12/44
|
17/12/44
|
07/04/45
|
07/04/45
|
TBC 121
|
10/04/45
|
10/04/45
|
12/05/45
|
12/05/45
|
ON 302
|
12/05/45
|
27/05/45
|
03/05/45
|
17/05/45
|
HX 354
|
18/05/45
|
18/05/45
|
(Note on Convoys)