HMS Cam (K264)
 HMS Cam in 1944
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Cam |
| Namesake | River Cam |
| Builder | George Brown & Co., Greenock |
| Laid down | 30 June 1942 |
| Launched | 31 July 1943 |
| Commissioned | 31 January 1944 |
| Fate | Scrapped, July 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | River-class frigate |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | |
| Beam | 36.5 ft (11.13 m) |
| Draught | 9 ft (2.74 m); 13 ft (3.96 m) (deep load) |
| Propulsion | Parsons single reduction steam turbines , 6,500 shp (4,800 kW) |
| Speed | 20 knots (37.0 km/h) |
| Range | 440 long tons (450 t; 490 short tons) oil fuel; 7,200 nautical miles (13,334 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h) |
| Complement | 107 |
| Armament |
|
HMS Cam (K264) was a
North Atlantic during World War II
. Cam was built to the RN's specifications as a Group II River-class frigate, though Cam was one of the few powered by a turbine engine.
The River class was a
anti-submarine convoy escorts and were named for rivers in the United Kingdom. The ships were designed by naval engineer William Reed, of Smith's Dock Company of South Bank-on-Tees, to have the endurance and anti-submarine capabilities of the Black Swan-class sloops, while being quick and cheap to build in civil dockyards using the machinery (e.g. reciprocating steam engines instead of turbines) and construction techniques pioneered in the building of the Flower-class corvettes. Its purpose was to improve on the convoy escort classes in service with the Royal Navy
at the time, including the Flower class.
After commissioning in January 1944, Cam participated in anti-submarine warfare exercises off Tobermory, Mull and Lough Foyle before being assigned for convoy escort duty in the North Atlantic. In May and June 1944, Cam participated in the Normandy landings.[1]
On 18 July 1944, Cam was patrolling the
RNH Haslar. On 19 July, Cam was towed by tug to Portsmouth
where she was declared a total loss.
At a subsequent enquiry, it was determined that the depth charges likely hit the wreck of either the ammunition ship Ajax or Crestflower, both of which were sunk in the area on 8 August 1940. American small arm ammunition was found on the deck of Cam post-explosion.
On 22 June 1945, Cam was sold for scrap. In July 1945, she was broken up in Sunderland.[2]
References
- ^ "HMS Cam, frigate". www.naval-history.net. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ^ "HMS Cam (K 264) of the Royal Navy - British Frigate of the River class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
External links
- Kindell, Don. "World War 2 at Sea - Convoy Escort Movements of Royal and Dominion Navy Vessels". naval-history.net.
- Hague, Arnold. "Arnold Hague Convoy Database". convoyweb.org.uk.
