RIVER-Class
Frigate ordered on 9th December 1941 by
the US Navy from Canadian Vickers, Montreal,
Canada and identified as PG108. The ship was
laid down on 1st
October 1942 and launched on 30th April 1943 as
HMS LOSSIE.
She was transferred to the Royal
Navy
under the 1940 US/UK Lend-Lease
Agreement. and
was the 1st Royal Navy ship to carry the name
which is
that of a Scottish river.
Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign In March 1942
this ship was adopted by the civil community of
Cannock, Staffordshire. Build
was completed on 14th August 1943.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
ATLANTIC
1943-44
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
August
Contractors trials
14th
Build completion date and commenced Acceptance
trials.
On completion of trials prepared for ocean
passage.
September
Passage to
UK
with call at St Johns.
On arrival prepared for work-up and completed
storing for war service.
October
Joined Western Approaches Command on completion
of work-up for operational service.
November
Deployed in NW Approaches for Atlantic convoy
defence.
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Joined 10th Support Group and deployed with an
Escort Carrier and HM Frigates
SPEY,
ROTHER and FINDHORN to reinforce escorts of
convoys under threat from
U-Boat
attacks.
(For details of defence measures against newly
deployed U-Boats using Acoustic
(T5
- ZAUNKONIG) torpedoes and fitted with
Schnorkel breathing apparatus see
U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC (HMSO). RELENTLESS
PURSUIT by D Weymss
and HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR by C Blair. )
February
Atlantic
support duty in continuation.
17th
Deployed with HM Escort Carrier STRIKER and
frigates of 10th Support Group to
reinforce
defence of Convoy ONS29 against U-Boats of the
HAI Group.
18th
Took part in attacks on U-boats during which
U406 was sunk by HMS SPEY.
(For details see U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp and
HITLER’S U-BOAT WAR.)
March
Group support deployment in continuation.
April
Nominated for transfer to Eastern Fleet and
prepared for foreign service.
May
Passage
to join Fleet in Ceylon.
June
Deployed
for convoy defence in Indian Ocean.
July
Joined an anti-submarine
Hunting Group with Escort Carrier for search
operations
in Indian Ocean for Japanese and German
submarines known to be active in Indian
Ocean.
(See WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)
August
Deployed with HM Escort Carriers BEGUM, SHAH, HM
Frigates FINDHORN, INVER
and PARRET in search for U-Boat reported in
Arabian Sea.
10th
U198 sunk by ships of Group after sighting by
aircraft from HMS SHAH.
(See U-BOATS DESTROYED for details.)
September
Deployment
with Hunting Group in Indian Ocean in
continuation.
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Indian Ocean convoy defence duty in
continuation.
to
May
June
Deployed in Bay of Bengal and off Burma for
convoy defence and patrol.
to
Supported military operations in Burma.
August
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS LOSSIE returned to UK after
the end of hostilities against Japan and was
Paid-off and de-stored. The ship was later
manned by a steaming
party for return
passage to USA and handed over to US
Navy on 26th January 1946. Sold for
mercantile use and renamed TEN in 1947 she was
resold to a Greek ship owner in
1955 and re named ADRIATIKI. This mercantile was
wrecked
in the Aegean Sea on 16th January 1968.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS LOSSIE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
02/12/43
|
06/12/43
|
SC
148
|
15/12/43
|
16/12/43
|
22/01/44
|
03/02/44
|
HX
276
|
05/02/44
|
07/02/44
|
07/02/44
|
10/02/44
|
ON
223
|
11/02/44
|
24/02/44
|
05/02/44
|
16/02/44
|
HX
278
|
17/02/44
|
20/02/44
|
12/02/44
|
17/02/44
|
ONS
029
|
19/02/44
|
29/02/44
|
14/02/44
|
17/02/44
|
ON
224
|
18/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
03/03/44
|
03/03/44
|
KMF
029A
|
17/03/44
|
17/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
28/03/44
|
AJ
002/2
|
04/04/44
|
04/04/44
|
16/04/44
|
16/04/44
|
CJ
023B
|
18/04/44
|
18/04/44
|
20/07/44
|
20/07/44
|
XC
024
|
22/07/44
|
22/07/44
|
09/07/45
|
09/07/45
|
KR
016/1
|
11/07/45
|
11/07/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)