HMS Folkestone (L22)
Foikestone in coastal waters during World War II
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History | |
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United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Folkestone |
Builder | Wallsend-on-Tyne |
Laid down | 21 May 1929 |
Launched | 12 February 1930 |
Commissioned | 25 June 1930 |
Identification | Pennant number L22 (later U22) |
Fate |
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General characteristics | |
Class and type | Hastings-class sloop |
Displacement | 1,045 tons |
Length | 250 ft (76 m) |
Beam | 34 ft (10 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
Complement | 100 |
Armament |
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HMS Folkestone was a
She was sold on 22 May 1947 and broken up in November that year by Ward, of Milford Haven.
Construction and design
Folkestone was one of two Hastings-class sloops ordered on 28 February 1928 as part of the 1928 construction programme, with two more ordered later in the year.
Folkestone was 266 feet 4 inches (81.18 m)
The main armament consisted of a pair of
Folkestone was converted to an unarmed survey ship in May 1939, but was rearmed in December 1939, having her forward four inch gun and depth charges (with stowage increased to 40 charges) restored. Two quadruple Vickers .50 machine gun mount were fitted for close-in anti-aircraft duties. A second 4-inch gun and two Oerlikon 20 mm cannons were fitted in July 1941, while in July 1942, two more Oerlikons were added, replacing the Vickers machine guns and a Hedgehog anti submarine mortar was fitted.[6]
Service
Following commissioning, Folkestone was ordered to the
Later in May 1939, Folkestone began conversion to an unarmed survey ship in Hong Kong, with it being planned that the ship would be deployed to New Zealand. The outbreak of the
Folkestone joined the
Folkestone was refitted again at Cardiff from April–June 1942, being fitted with Centimetric Type 271 radar and a Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar.[13][14] On 16 August, Folkestone was part of the escort for Convoy SL 118 from Freetown to the United Kingdom, when the convoy was sighted by a German U-boat near the Azores, and a wolfpack of seven U-boats directed against the convoy. Folkestone detected radio signals from a German submarine with the ship's High-frequency direction finding gear, and running down the bearing found U-333, and carried out a series of six depth-charge attacks on the submarine, which was badly damaged, with its starboard propeller shaft bent upwards, and forced to abort its patrol. U-333's commander, Peter-Erich Cremer, later reported that the attacks shook the submarine "to the breaking point". Attacks continued until 20 August, with four merchant ships sunk and three U-boats badly damaged.[19] Folkestone was refitted at Londonderry in October–November 1942.[13] By December, she was a member of the 44th Escort Group.[14]
In late February 1943, the 44th Escort Group, of four sloops, including Folkestone, and two frigates, formed the close escort for the westbound Convoy UC 1, consisting of 32 merchant ships, including 17 unloaded oil tankers, with an American escort group of four modern destroyers in support. The convoy came under heavy attack by eleven U-boats. Four tankers were sunk and two damaged, with one U-boat, U-552, sunk by the sloop Totland.[20][21] Folkestone was refitted at Grimsby in April–May 1943 before joining the Western African Command, operating out of Freetown on convoy escort duties. She returned to England in September 1943 for a refit at Liverpool, during which she suffered a minor boiler explosion on 13 November. Following the refit Folkestone returned to Freetown. In March 1944, she joined the 56th Escort Group, still based at Freetown.[13]
In September 1944 Folkestone returned to Britain, and after a survey indicated that she was beyond economic repair was laid up at Milford Haven.
Notes
- ^ Hague 1993, p. 6
- ^ Hague 1993, pp. 10, 12
- ^ Campbell 1980, pp. 55–56
- ^ Hague 1993, pp. 6, 26
- ^ a b c d e Campbell 1980, p. 56
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hague 1993, p. 26
- ^ "Unseaworthy Sloop: Fifteen-Year-Old Warship Condemned". The Straits Times. Singapore. 29 May 1930. p. 12. Retrieved 30 April 2021 – via Newspapers.sg.
- ^ "Clash in the East: British Gunboats for Ching-Wangtao". Daily Mercury. Mackay, Queensland, Australia. 6 January 1933. p. 7. Retrieved 30 April 2021 – via Trove.
- ^ "Navy Standing By". Malaya Tribune. 7 March 1933. p. 9. Retrieved 30 April 2021 – via Newspapers.sg.
- ^ ""Antung" Wreck: Hope Diminishing for Missing Passengers". Malaya Tribune. 17 March 1933. p. 4. Retrieved 30 April 2021 – via Newspapers.sg.
- ^ "Bullets Near British Ships". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. 16 May 1939. p. 3. Retrieved 30 April 2021 – via Trove.
- ^ Hague 1993, pp. 26–27
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hague 1993, p. 27
- ^ "SS River Humber (+1940)". www.wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Folkestone (L 22 / U 22)". U-boat.net. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 42–43
- ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, pp. 89–90
- ^ Blair 2000a, pp. 672–673
- ^ Blair 2000b, pp. 197–198
- ^ Rohwer & Hümmelchen 1992, p. 195
- ^ Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 130
References
- Blair, Clay (2000a). Hitler's U-boat War: The Hunters 1939–1942. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-35260-8.
- Blair, Clay (2000b). Hitler's U-boat War: The Hunted 1942–1945. New York: Modern Library. ISBN 0-679-64033-9.
- Campbell, N. J. M. (1980). "Great Britain (including Empire Forces)". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 2–85. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Hague, Arnold (1993). Sloops: A History of the 71 Sloops Built in Britain and Australia for the British, Australian and Indian Navies 1926–1946. Kendal, UK: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-67-3.
- Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-117-7.
Further reading
- ISBN 1-55750-048-7.
- ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Folkestone". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.