RIVER-Class
Frigate
ordered on 24th January 1942 the 1941
War Programme from Smiths Dock at Middlesbrough
and laid down on 20th June 1942
as Job Number 4534 (Yard Number 1110). The ship
was launched on 9th December
1942 as the first RN Warship to carry the name.
Build was completed on 8th
April 1943 and this frigate had been adopted by
the civil community of Oundle,
Northamptonshire in
March
1942 after a successful WARSHIP WEEK National
Savings campaign.
B a t
t l
e H o n o
u r s
BISCAY
1943 - ARCTIC 1943-44 - ATLANTIC
1943-44 - NORTH SEA
1945
H e r
a l d i c
D a
t a
Many
ships built during WW2 did not have an official
Badge although
several
did
have a suitable unofficial emblem for display on
ship's boats
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
March
Contractor's
sea
trials and commissioned for service in Western
Approaches Command.
April
8th -
Build
completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.
On
completion
of trials and storing took passage to Tobermory.
May
Passage
from
Tobermory to join 5th Support Group for Atlantic
convoy defence after working-up
for operational service.
June
Took
part
in combined RN/RAF Coastal Command offensive
against U-Boats in Bay of Biscay to
intercept submarines in transit on the surface
to and from Atlantic. (Operations
MUSKETRY and SEASLUG - See CONFLICT OVER THE BAY
by N Franks).
12th to
30th - Carried
out anti-submarine operations with ships of 1st,
2nd, 40th Support Groups west
of Bay
of Biscay with cover provided by HM Cruisers
SCYLLA,
GLASGOW and BERMUDA against attacks from German
destroyers.
July
Bay
of Biscay
anti-submarine operations in continuation.
August
2nd -
Resumed
Atlantic convoy defence duties with Group
21st
- Deployed
in further ant-submarine operations west of Cape
Finisterre to deny use of Spanish coastal
waters by U-Boats. (Operation PERCUSSION).
Joined
ships of
40th Escort Group with HM Frigate TWEED, HM
Canadian Corvettes EDMUNSTON,
CALGARY and SNOWBERRY in support of RAF Coastal
Command operations and
with cover from HM Cruiser BERMUDA.
25th
- Under
attack by German Hs293 Glider Bombs controlled
by Do217 aircraft. (Note:
This was first occasion that this weapon had
been used against Support Groups.)
September
Resumed
Atlantic
convoy support role.
October
Provided
support
for passage of outward Convoy ON204 with ships
of Group.
November
Provided
support
for inward Convoy HX261. Sent to assist escort
for combined
inward Convoy MKS30/SL139 from Gibraltar which
was under attacks
by SCHILL Group of U-Boats.
19th
- Joined
MKS30/SL169 with HMS TWEED and Canadian
Corvettes CALGARY, SNOWBERRY and
EDMUNDSTON.
20th
- After
attacks on escorts from U-Boats using acoustic
(T5) torpedoes forced U536 to
surface after two hours of depth charging.
Engaged
and sank submarine by gunfire with ships of
Group. (See U-BOATS
DESTROYED by P Kemp for details.)
December
Atlantic
support
duty in continuation.
1
9 4 4
January
Deployed
with
HMS TWEED, HMCS CALGARY, HMCS SNOWBERRY, HMCS
EDMUNDSTON and
HMCS CAMROSE in search for reported blockade
runner in SW Approaches.
5th -
Under
attacks by BORKUM Group of U-Boats which are
engaged in operation against outward
bound joint convoy OS62/KMS36 to Gibraltar.
6th -
T5
attacks from BORKUM Group continued.
7th -
HM
Frigate TWEED sunk by acoustic torpedo during
further attack.
February
Atlantic
convoy
defence and support in continuation. Detached
for
duty with 6th Canadian Escort Group.
24th
- Took
part in sinking of U257 with HM Canadian Frigate
WASKESIU whilst part of escort
of inward Convoy SC153 with ships of 3rd Escort
Group.
March
Atlantic
convoy
escort in continuation.
Nominated
for transfer to Royal
Canadian Navy after refit
April
Under
refit
6th -
Transferred
to RCN during refit. (Note: Commissioned as HMCS
NENE.)
S
e r v i c e a
s H M C S N E N E
May
to August
On
completion
of refit carried out post refit trials and took
passage to Tobermory.
Joined 9th Canadian Escort Group on completion of work-up.
Deployed
for Atlantic convoy defence.
September
Transferred
to
5th Canadian Escort Group for detached service
in Home Fleet. Deployed
with HM Frigate HELMSDALE, HM Corvette
PORCHESTER CASTLE.
Part
of escort for outward Convoy ON252 with HM
Canadian Frigate DUNVER, HM Canadian Corvettes
HESPELER and HUNTSVILLE.
9th -
Took part
in anti-submarine operations against U-Boats
attempting to carry out attacks on
convoy. (Note: The sinking of U484 is not
confirmed in U-BOATS
DESTROYED.)
October
Passage
to
Liverpool for escort of Russian Convoy.
31st
- Escorted
ss EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA and ss SCYLLA from
Liverpool for first part of passage
to Murmansk with HM Destroyers BEAGLE, WESTCOTT,
and HM Sloop CYGNET. (Note:
Convoy JW61A - These ships were taking Russian
nationals captured in Normandy back
to Russia.
For
details
of all Russian convoys see CONVOYS TO RUSSIA by
RA Ruegg, CONVOY
! by P Kemp, THE RUSSIAN CONVOYS by B Schoefield
and ARCTIC CONVOYS
by R Woodman.)
November
2nd -
Detached
from RA61A after arrival of main escort.
29th
- Deployed
with HM Canadian Frigates MONNOW, PORT
COLBOURNE, ST JOHN, STORMONT
and LOCH ALVIE of Group, HM Frigates TAVY,
TORTOLA, BAHAMAS and
SOMALILAND to provide anti-submarine support
during passage of Convoy JW61 to
Murmansk. Joined convoy on departure from Loch
Ewe. (Note:
HM Escort Carriers CAMPANIA and NAIRANA provided
air cover.)
December
7th -
Detached
from JW62 on arrival at Kola Inlet.
10th
- Carried
out anti-submarine operations with other Escorts
against an assembly of U-Boats outside
Kola Inlet before convoy sailed.
On
completion of anti-submarine
operations joined escort for returning Convoy
RA61 with same ships.
17th
- Detached
from RA62 before arrival at Loch Ewe and resumed
Atlantic convoy duty.
1
9 4 5
January
to April
Deployment
for
Atlantic convoy defence with 9th Escort Group in
continuation. (Note:
During this period Schnorkel-fitted U-Boats were
concentrating attacks in UK
coastal waters - See U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC
(HMSO), ENGAGE THE
ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett, SEEK AND
STRIKE by W
Hackmann and HOLD THE NARROW SEA by P Smith).
May
30th
- Deployed
with ships of Group for support of last Russian
Convoy JW67 and return Convoy
RA67.
June
12th
- Joined
HM Escort Carrier QUEEN. HM Destroyers OBDURATE
and ONSLOW and 4th British
Escort Group Frigates. No attacks were made by
U-Boats as required by surrender terms.
23rd
- Sailed
with same ships as escort for returning convoy.
Navigation
lights were burned during passage.
30th
- Detached
on arrival in Clyde.
July
Nominated
for
reduction to Reserve
11th
- Returned
to RN control.
Paid-off
and de-stored at Sheerness.
On
completion
laid-up in Reserve at Sheerness.
P
o s t W a r N o t
e s
HMS
NENE was later
transferred to Harwich and when Harwich
Division of Reserve Fleet
closed, went to Barrow-in-Furness.
Placed on the Disposal List in 1955 the ship
was sold to BISCO
for demolition by T W
Ward at Briton Ferry. The ship arrived in tow at
the
breaker’s yard on
21st July 1957.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS NENE
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
07/05/43
|
08/05/43
|
ONS
007
|
21/05/43
|
25/05/43
|
19/05/43
|
25/05/43
|
HX
240
|
30/05/43
|
04/06/43
|
05/06/43
|
10/06/43
|
SC
133
|
16/06/43
|
19/06/43
|
24/06/43
|
26/06/43
|
ON
190
|
01/07/43
|
09/07/43
|
23/06/43
|
01/07/43
|
HX
245
|
02/07/43
|
07/07/43
|
08/07/43
|
14/07/43
|
HX
247
|
19/07/43
|
22/07/43
|
16/07/43
|
19/07/43
|
ON
193
|
23/07/43
|
31/07/43
|
30/07/43
|
05/08/43
|
HX
250
|
06/08/43
|
12/08/43
|
15/09/43
|
24/09/43
|
SC
142
|
24/09/43
|
29/09/43
|
16/09/43
|
25/09/43
|
HX
257
|
28/09/43
|
30/09/43
|
27/09/43
|
02/10/43
|
ON
204
|
06/10/43
|
15/10/43
|
11/10/43
|
17/10/43
|
HX
261
|
21/10/43
|
26/10/43
|
22/10/43
|
27/10/43
|
ONS
021
|
31/10/43
|
05/11/43
|
06/11/43
|
11/11/43
|
HX
265
|
16/11/43
|
21/11/43
|
06/11/43
|
17/11/43
|
SC
146
|
17/11/43
|
22/11/43
|
16/11/43
|
19/11/43
|
SL
139MK
|
22/11/43
|
26/11/43
|
25/11/43
|
01/12/43
|
OS
060KM
|
03/12/43
|
07/12/43
|
17/11/43
|
05/12/43
|
MKF
026
|
06/12/43
|
09/12/43
|
02/12/43
|
06/12/43
|
ON
214
|
08/12/43
|
20/12/43
|
25/12/43
|
30/12/43
|
SL
143MK
|
03/01/44
|
06/01/44
|
29/12/43
|
02/01/44
|
ONS
026
|
03/01/44
|
18/01/44
|
31/12/43
|
04/01/44
|
ON
218
|
05/01/44
|
18/01/44
|
14/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
OS
065KM
|
19/01/44
|
26/01/44
|
12/01/44
|
19/01/44
|
SL
145MK
|
22/01/44
|
24/01/44
|
15/01/44
|
19/01/44
|
KMF
028
|
23/01/44
|
29/01/44
|
28/01/44
|
09/02/44
|
HX
277
|
10/02/44
|
13/02/44
|
12/02/44
|
15/02/44
|
ONS
029
|
19/02/44
|
29/02/44
|
14/02/44
|
19/02/44
|
ON
224
|
20/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
13/02/44
|
21/02/44
|
SC
153
|
25/02/44
|
02/03/44
|
08/03/44
|
09/03/44
|
ON
227
|
17/03/44
|
22/03/44
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
and
as HMCS NENE
|
|
|
|
|
|
25/08/44
|
30/08/44
|
HX
305
|
09/09/44
|
10/09/44
|
22/09/44
|
23/09/44
|
ON
255
|
04/10/44
|
09/10/44
|
05/10/44
|
10/10/44
|
HX
312
|
20/10/44
|
21/10/44
|
31/10/44
|
31/10/44
|
JW
061A
|
02/11/44
|
06/11/44
|
29/11/44
|
29/11/44
|
JW
062
|
07/12/44
|
07/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
10/12/44
|
RA
062
|
17/12/44
|
19/12/44
|
(Note
on Convoys)