HMS Borage (K120)
 HMS Borage underway. As originally built with minesweeping gear on bow. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name: | HMS Borage |
| Namesake: | Borage |
| Builder: | George Brown & Co, Greenock |
| Yard number: | J1161 |
| Laid down: | 27 November 1940 |
| Launched: | 22 November 1941 |
| Completed: | 29 April 1942 |
| Decommissioned: | 1946 |
| Identification: | Pennant number: K120 |
| Fate: | Transferred to the Irish Naval Service |
| General characteristics [1][2] | |
| Class and type: | Flower-class corvette |
| Displacement: | 925 long tons (940 t; 1,036 short tons) |
| Length: | 205 ft (62.48 m)o/a |
| Beam: | 33 ft (10.06 m) |
| Draught: | 11.5 ft (3.51 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 16 knots (29.6 km/h) |
| Range: | 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h) |
| Complement: | 85 |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
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| Armament: |
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HMS Borage was a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy during World War II.
Construction
Borage was ordered in July 1939 as part of the Royal Navy's 1939 War Emergency building programme. She was laid down by George Brown & Co. of Greenock on 27 November 1940, launched 22 November 1941 and completed 29 April 1942. After working up and trials she joined Western Approaches Command for anti-submarine warfare and convoy escort duties
Service history
From July 1942 onwards Borage served with close escort groups for convoys on the North Atlantic, Gibraltar and South Atlantic routes. In three years she helped guard more than 50 merchant convoys (outbound and homebound); from these just two ships were damaged and none were lost. Borage contributed to the safe and timely arrival of more than 1,000 merchant ships. In December 1943 she was part of the close escort to convoy JW 55B, which was subject to a failed attack resulting in the sinking of the Scharnhorst. With the end of hostilities Borage was decommissioned and in 1946 she was sold.
Post-war service
In 1946 Borage was sold to the Irish Naval Service where she was commissioned as LÉ Macha.[3] She was scrapped in November 1970.
Notes
Publications
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
- Gardiner R, Chesnau R: Conways All the Worlds Fighting Ships 1922–1946 (1980) ISBN 0-85177-146-7
- Elliott, P : Allied Escort Ships of World War II (1977) ISBN 0 356 08401 9
- Ruegg, B, Hague A: Convoys to Russia 1941-1945 (1992) ISBN 0 905617 66 5
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