RIVER-Class Frigate ordered by the US Navy on
30th September 1941 was under the UK/US Lend/Lease Programme for transfer to
the Royal Navy. The ship was laid down on 6th October 1941 from Canadian
Vickers at Montreal, Canada. The ship was designated PG103 US Navy. She was
launched on 26th September 1942 and build was completed on 30th April 1943. It
is not known whether she was launched as HMS BARLE, but was she transferred to
the Royal Navy on completion. One other RN snip had borne the name during WW1
and been hired for minesweeping duties. This ship was fitted with radar Type
271 on build to provide surface warning, (See RADAR AT SEA by D Howse for details of the development and use of radar by
RN). After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in 1942 this
ship had been adopted by the civil community of Whitefield, Lancashire.
B a t t l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1943
H e
r a l d i c D
a t a
No details are given in the official Record of Heraldic Crests,
but this is not uncommon for ships built during
WW2 and having
names not previously used by major warships.
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
April
Contractor's trials and commissioning.
30th Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
May
Transferred to RN as HMS BARLE.
On
completion of trials and initial storing took passage to UK.
June Arrived
in UK and after
storing for RN operational service took passage to
Tobermory.
Nominated for service in Western Approaches Command for Atlantic convoy
defence.
July On
completion of work-up for operational service joined 5th Escort Group.
August Nominated for
escort of military convoy.
For
details of Atlantic convoy defence operations see THE BATTLE OF THE
ATLANTIC by D. Macintyre, U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO)
and
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C. Blair
17th Joined HM Escort Carrier
HUNTER, HM Cruiser
SHROPSHIRE, HM
Destroyer WRESTLER, HM Sloops CHANTICLEER, WESTON, HM
Indian Sloop NARBADA, HM Cutter TOTLAND, HM Frigates ETTRICK
and
USK as Ocean Escort for combined military convoy WS33 to Middle East
KMF22
to Mediterranean during passage to Gibraltar.
24th Detached
from convoy on arrival after uninterrupted passage.
28th Return
passage to UK as escort for inward convoy.
September Atlantic convoy
defence in continuation.
October Transferred
to 41st Escort Group and joined HM Sloops BIDEFORD
FLEETWOOD, HM Cutter BANFF, HM Frigate ODZANI, HM Corvettes
AUBRETIA, CYCLAMEN and STONECROP for escort of convoys to
Gibraltar.
(Note: For details of weapons and tactics used in convoy defence see SEEK
AND
STRIKE by
W Hackmann and above references.)
Part
of escort for combined convoy OS56 to Sierra Leone and KMS29 to
Gibraltar.
November Atlantic convoy
defence with Group in continuation.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January Atlantic
convoy defence with Group in continuation.
to
September
October Nominated
for duty in Far East and prepared for foreign service.
to
November
December Passage to
Australia for
service with British
Pacific Fleet.
1 9 4 5
January On arrival
at Sydney allocated for duty in Task Force 112 Fleet Train.
February Prepared for
service in British Pacific Fleet with Fleet Train.
(Note: Joined HM Sloops CRANE, REDPOLE, WOODCOCK, WHIMBREL,
PHEASANT, HM Frigates HELFORD and PARRET in Force 112.)
March Deployed
with Fleet Train
(Note: One source suggests ship was used in support of operations in SW
Pacific by British Pacific Fleet ships of Task Force 57, and based at
Manus, the British Forward base in the
Admiralty islands.
This
is not confirmed in WAR IN THE PACIFIC (HMSO) or THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton. (Operation ICEBERG ONE).
April British
Pacific Fleet deployment in continuation.
to (Note:
Deployment in support of ICEBERG TWO to be confirmed.)
May
June Nominated
for service in Logistics Support Group of TF 112 in support of
attacks on Japanese mainland by BPF ships attached to US Third Fleet as Task
Force
37.
See
above references and OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray.)
Passage to Manus with ships of Fleet Train
July Passage
to operational area with Logistics Group for the defence of Fleet Train
during replenishment of ships of Task Force 37.
16th Task
Force 37 ships commenced operations with US Fleet.
See
above references.
(Note: Fleet tankers left operational area to refuel and would be provided
with
an escort.
August Fleet Train
duty in continuation.
6th Provided
air defence to Logistics Group during replenishment.
(Note: Other ships in Logistics Group included four tankers, two Supply
Ships, HM Escort Carriers ARBITER, CHASER and RULER, HM
Destroyers NORMAN, NIZAM, HM Sloops PHEASANT, CRANE,
HM
Australian Minesweepers BURNIE and BALLARAT, and
Hospital Ship TJITYJALENGA.)
11th Provided
defence to Logistics Group during replenishment.
(Note: Other ships in Logistics Group included five tankers, a Supply Ship, HMS
RULER, HMS PHEASANT, HM Frigate USK, HMAS BURNIE, HMAS
BALLARAT, HMAS GERALDTON, HMAS
IPSWICH.
A
Hospital Ship also with Logistics Unit.)
12th Ships of
British Pacific Fleet other than those transferred to Token Force as
Task
Group
38.5, were withdrawn from operations.
See
above references.
Passage to Manus with ships of Logistics Group.
P o s
t W a r N o t e s
HMS BARLE
returned to UK later in 1945 and was Paid-off from RN service. The ship, manned
by a steaming crew, sailed for the USA and was handed back the US Navy on 27th
February 1946. She was later sold for
demolition.
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
BARLE
by Don Kindell
This convoy list has not been cross-checked with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date convoy sailed |
Joined convoy as escort |
Convoy No. |
Left convoy |
Date convoy arrived |
|
|
|
|
|
15/06/43
|
18/06/43
|
HX 244
|
29/06/43
|
30/06/43 |
19/08/43
|
01/09/43
|
MKF 022
|
09/09/43
|
09/09/43 |
17/09/43
|
17/09/43
|
OS 055KM
|
28/09/43
|
28/09/43 |
28/09/43
|
28/09/43
|
KMS 027G
|
29/09/43
|
29/09/43 |
29/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
KMS 027
|
05/10/43
|
11/10/43 |
14/10/43
|
20/10/43
|
MKS 028
|
23/10/43
|
23/10/43 |
23/10/43
|
23/10/43
|
MKS 028G
|
24/10/43
|
24/10/43 |
24/10/43
|
24/10/43
|
SL 138MK
|
05/11/43
|
05/11/43 |
01/11/43
|
01/11/43
|
KMS 030
|
11/11/43
|
11/11/43 |
17/11/43
|
17/11/43
|
GUS 022
|
29/11/43
|
17/12/43 |
14/11/43
|
03/12/43
|
UGS 024
|
12/12/43
|
12/12/43 |
21/12/43
|
22/12/43
|
MKS 035
|
01/01/44
|
01/01/44 |
09/01/44
|
09/01/44
|
KMS 037
|
20/01/44
|
20/01/44 |
04/02/44
|
04/02/44
|
GUS 030
|
15/02/44
|
08/03/44 |
25/01/44
|
15/02/44
|
UGS 031
|
21/02/44
|
21/02/44 |
01/03/44
|
01/03/44
|
MKS 042
|
13/03/44
|
13/03/44 |
17/03/44
|
17/03/44
|
KMS 044
|
26/03/44
|
27/03/44 |
04/04/44
|
04/04/44
|
GUS 036
|
11/04/44
|
11/04/44 |
24/03/44
|
15/04/44
|
UGS 037
|
18/04/44
|
19/04/44 |
29/04/44
|
30/04/44
|
MKS 048
|
10/05/44
|
10/05/44 |
15/05/44
|
15/05/44
|
KMS 050
|
25/05/44
|
25/05/44 |
03/06/44
|
03/06/44
|
GUS 042
|
11/06/44
|
29/06/44 |
28/06/44
|
29/06/44
|
MKS 054
|
10/07/44
|
10/07/44 |
13/07/44
|
13/07/44
|
KMS 056
|
22/07/44
|
23/07/44 |
27/08/44
|
27/08/44
|
MKS 060
|
07/09/44
|
07/09/44 |
12/09/44
|
12/09/44
|
KMS 062
|
22/09/44
|
22/09/44 |
02/10/44
|
03/10/44
|
GUS 054
|
08/10/44
|
28/10/44 |
22/09/44
|
13/10/44
|
UGS 055
|
18/10/44
|
17/10/44 |
26/10/44
|
26/10/44
|
MKS 066
|
06/11/44
|
06/11/44 |
21/03/45
|
29/03/45
|
SU 001/2
|
10/05/45
|
13/04/45 |
|
|
|
|
|
(Note on Convoys)