RIVER-Class
Frigate ordered by the US Navy on 30th
September 1941 was under the UK/US Lend/Lease
Programme for transfer tothe 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 waslaunched
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 tothe 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 Type271 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 thisship 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, mannedby a steaming
crew, sailed for the USA and was handed back
the US Navy on 27th February 1946. She
was later sold fordemolition.
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)