HMS Urchin (R99)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Urchin.
Urchin off Greenock, September 1943
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Urchin
Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs
Laid down: 28 March 1942
Launched: 8 March 1943
Commissioned: 24 September 1943
Decommissioned: 1964
Identification: pennant number R99/F196
Fate: scrapped 1967
General characteristics
Class and type: U-class destroyer

HMS Urchin was a U-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during the Second World War.

Service history

Second World War service

Urchin formed part of the British Pacific Fleet during the latter part of the War.

Urchin wearing the BPF pennant "D28", as seen from the aircraft carrier USS Randolph off Japan in August 1945.

Post War service

Following service in the Second World War Urchin was held in reserve at Harwich, then Chatham Dockyard until 1952.[1] Between 1952 and 1954 she was converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, by Barclay Curle, Glasgow. Following this she was allocated the new pennant number F196. She re-commissioned on the 3 June 1954 into the 3rd Training Squadron, based at Londonderry.

In 1956 she went back into reserve at Portsmouth Dockyard. In 1957 she was refitted as a training frigate and re-commissioned for service with the Dartmouth Training Squadron. She subsequently served off Iceland during the 'Cod wars' in 1959.

Decommissioning and disposal

Urchin was decommissioned in 1964 and placed on the Disposal List. Before sale for breaking-up her stern structure was removed and fitted in sister ship Ulster during 1966. The hulk was later towed to Troon where she arrived in August 1967 for demolition.[2]

Commanding officers

[3]

FromToCaptain
19431944Lt Cdr John Travis Beaufoy Birch DSO DSC RN
19441945Lt Cdr Archibald Ferguson Harkness OBE DSO RD RNR
19451946Lt Cdr Dennis Roy Newton Murdoch RN[4]
19471952In reserve
19521954Under conversion to Type 15 Frigate
19611963Captain T Lewin LVO DSC RN
19631964

References

  1. ↑ Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 66. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.
  2. ↑ Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith, ed. "HMS Urchin (R 99) - U-class Destroyer". naval-history.net. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Mackie, Colin. "II: Royal Navy- Captains Commanding Warships". British Armed Forces (1900–). Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "HMS Urchin (R 99)". uboat.net. Retrieved 2 May 2015.

Publications


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/28/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.