HMS Cubitt

Frigate of the Royal Navy

History
United Kingdom
Name| HMS Cubitt
Builder| Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Laid down| 9 June 1943
Launched| 11 September 1943
Commissioned| 17 November 1943
Decommissioned| 4 March 1946
Stricken| 12 April 1946
Honours and
awards|

* Atlantic
* North Foreland
* North Sea[1]

Fate| Sold for scrapping, 7 March 1947
General characteristics
Class and type| Captain-class frigate
Displacement|

* 1,400 long tons (1,422 t) standard
* 1,740 long tons (1,768 t) full

Length|

* 306 ft (93 m) o/a
* 300 ft (91 m) w/l

Beam| 36 ft 9 in (11.20 m)
Draught| 9 ft (2.7 m)
Propulsion|

* 2 × Foster Wheeler Express "D"-type water-tube boilers
* GE 13,500 shp (10,067 kW) steam turbines and generators (9,200 kW)
* Electric motors 12,000 shp (8,948 kW)
* 2 shafts

Speed| 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Range| 5,500 nmi (10,200 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement| 186
Electronic warfare
& decoys|

* SA & SL type radars
* Type 144 series Asdic
* MF Direction Finding antenna
* HF Direction Finding Type FH 4 antenna

Armament|

* 3 × 3 in (76 mm) /50 Mk.22 guns
* 1 × twin Bofors 40 mm mount Mk.I
* 7–16 × 20 mm Oerlikon guns
* Mark 10 Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar
* Depth charges
* QF 2-pounder naval gun

Service record
Part of:|  21st Escort Group
Commanders:|  Lt. George Denys Gregory, RN[2]

HMS Cubitt (K512) was a Captain-class frigate of the British Royal Navy that served during World War II. The ship was laid down as a Buckley-class destroyer escort at the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard at Hingham, Massachusetts on 9 June 1943, with the hull number DE-83, and launched on 11 September 1943. The ship was transferred to the UK under Lend-Lease on 17 November 1943,[3] and named after Captain J. Cubitt, a Navy officer who commanded the frigate Mary Rose in 1661.[4]

## Service history

[edit]

Cubitt was assigned to Nore Command, serving in the 21st Escort Group based at Harwich. She did not take part in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, but was afterwards deployed escorting convoys to and from the landing beaches. Towards the end of 1944 Cubitt became a Coastal Forces Control Frigate (CFCF), controlling a flotilla of Motor Torpedo Boats operating in the Channel and North Sea to counter the threat of enemy E-Boats.[5]

On 29 January 1945 Cubitt was on patrol with HMS Caicos and three MTBs, the Caicos signalled contact with two groups of E-boats. Lt Cmdr Gregory ordered Caicos to take on the group to the north and turned Cubitt with his MTBs to engage the other group. The seas that night were choppy and the MTBs found themselves speed restricted to 20 knots, a clear 10 knots slower than the E-boats. Five miles behind their target Gregory decided to leave behind the slower MTBs and took off to engage the E-boats alone. Managing to close to just a mile away, his enemy closed on a minefield into which it could retreat. Gregory’s gunners’ visibility was still hugely impaired and Cubitt was forced to send up flares for a last ditch barrage. The E-boats, warned by the light, veered away: declining the challenge for a fight. Gregory was described in reports as ‘stamping in fury’ at their refusal to engage. Cubitt’s forward gunners fired off twelve rounds before losing range.

In February 1945 Cubitt was refitted at Tilbury. Her 2-pounder "pom pom" bow chaser was removed, the two 20 mm Oerlikons mounted in front of the bridge were replaced with two single 40 mm Bofors, and splinter shields were fitted to her 3-inch (76 mm) guns.[5]

On the night of 7/8 April 1945 Cubitt and Rutherford were on patrol with their MTB's when Cubitt encountered a large group of E-Boats. A Motor Gun Boat and an E-Boat collided, and Cubitt picked up casualties from another MGB that was on fire.[5]

Cubitt visited several Dutch ports immediately after they were liberated, and after VE Day escorted ships to Oslo and Brunsbüttel. Cubitt was then assigned to "Operation Deadlight", towing surrendered U-boats from Loch Ryan out into the North Atlantic where they were sunk.[5]

Cubitt was returned to the U.S. Navy on 4 March 1946, struck from the Navy List on 12 April 1946, and sold for scrapping on 7 March 1947.[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Tynan, Roy (2006). "Captain Class Frigate - Battle Honours". captainclassfrigates.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (2011). "Allied Warships of WWII - HMS Cubitt". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
3. ^ a b Smolinski, Mike (2010). "Destroyer Escort Photo Index - HMS Cubitt (K512)". navsource.org. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
4. ^ Tynan, Roy (2003). "Captain Class Frigates - HMS Cubitt (K512)". captainclassfrigates.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
5. ^ a b c d Tynan, Roy (2003). "Operations of the Nore Command Frigates". captainclassfrigates.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2011.

* v
* t
* e

Captain-class frigates

Ex-Evarts class
(diesel-electric (GMT) type)|

* Bayntun
* Bazely
* Berry
* Blackwood
* Burges
* Capel
* Cockburn / Drury
* Cooke
* Dacres
* Domett
* Foley
* Gardiner
* Garlies
* Gould
* Goodall
* Goodson
* Gore
* Grindall
* Inglis
* Inman
* Keats
* Kempthorne
* Kingsmill
* Lawford
* Louis
* Lawson
* Lindsay / Pasley
* Loring
* Mitchell / Hoste
* Moorsom
* Manners
* Mounsey

Ex-Buckley class
(turbo-electric (TE) type)|

* Affleck
* Aylmer
* Balfour
* Bentinck
* Bentley
* Bickerton
* Bligh
* Braithwaite
* Bullen
* Byard
* Byron
* Calder
* Conn
* Cosby
* Cotton
* Cranstoun
* Cubitt
* Curzon
* Dakins
* Deane
* Duckworth
* Duff
* Ekins
* Essington
* Fitzroy
* Russell / Halsted
* Hargood
* Holmes
* Hotham
* Narborough
* Redmill
* Retalick
* Riou
* Rutherford
* Rowley
* Rupert
* Stockham
* Seymour
* Spragge
* Stayner
* Thornborough
* Torrington
* Trollope
* Tyler
* Waldegrave
* Whitaker

* Preceded by: Colony class
* Followed by: Loch class

* List of frigates of the Royal Navy

* v
* t
* e

Buckley-class destroyer escorts

United States Navy|

* Buckley
* Bull (DE-52)
* Charles Lawrence
* Daniel T. Griffin
* Donaldson
* Donnell
* Fogg
* Formoe
* Foss
* Gantner
* Gary
* George W. Ingram
* Ira Jeffery
* Lamons
* Lee Fox
* Amesbury
* DE-67 (Unnamed)
* Bates
* Blessman
* Joseph E. Campbell
* Oswald
* Harmon (DE-72)
* McAnn
* Ebert
* Eisele
* Liddle (DE-76)
* Straub
* DE-78 — DE-90 (Unnamed)
* Reynolds
* DE-92 (Unnamed)
* DE-93 (Unnamed)
* Reeves
* DE-95 — DE-98 (Unnamed)
* Reuben James
* Sims
* Hopping
* Reeves (DE-156)
* Fechteler
* Chase
* Laning
* Loy
* Barber
* Lovelace
* Manning
* Neuendorf
* James E. Craig
* Eichenberger
* Thomason
* Jordan
* Newman
* Liddle (DE-206)
* Kephart
* Cofer
* Lloyd
* Otter
* Hubbard
* Hayter
* William T. Powell
* Scott
* Burke
* Enright
* Coolbaugh
* Darby
* J. Douglas Blackwood
* Francis M. Robinson
* Solar
* Fowler
* Spangenberg
* DE-563 — DE-574 (Unnamed)
* Ahrens
* Barr
* Alexander J. Luke
* Robert I. Paine
* Foreman
* Whitehurst
* England
* Witter
* Bowers
* Willmarth
* Gendreau
* Fieberling
* William C. Cole
* Paul G. Baker
* Damon M. Cummings
* Vammen
* Jenks
* Durik
* Wiseman
* Yokes
* Pavlic
* Odum
* Jack C. Robinson
* Bassett
* John P. Gray
* Weber
* Schmitt
* Frament
* Harmon (DE-678)
* Greenwood
* Loeser
* Gillette
* Underhill
* Henry R. Kenyon
* Bull (DE-693)
* Bunch
* Rich
* Spangler
* George
* Raby
* Marsh
* Currier
* Osmus
* Earl V. Johnson
* Holton
* Cronin
* Frybarger
* Tatum
* Borum
* Maloy
* Haines
* Runels
* Hollis
* Gunason
* Major
* Weeden
* Varian
* Scroggins
* Jack W. Wilke

Royal Navy
Part of Captain class|

* Affleck (ex-Oswald)
* Aylmer (ex-Harmon (DE-72))
* Balfour (ex-McAnn)
* Bentinck (ex-Bull (DE-52))
* Bentley (ex-Ebert)
* Bickerton (ex-Eisele)
* Bligh (ex-Liddle (DE-76))
* Braithwaite (ex-Straub)
* Bullen (ex-DE-78)
* Byard (ex-Donaldson)
* Byron (ex-DE-79)
* Calder (ex-Formoe)
* Conn (ex-DE-80)
* Cosby (ex-Reeves (DE-94))
* Cotton (ex-DE-81)
* Cranstoun (ex-DE-82)
* Cubitt (ex-DE-83)
* Curzon (ex-DE-84)
* Dakins (ex-DE-85)
* Deane (ex-DE-86)
* Duff (ex-Lamons)
* Duckworth (ex-Gary)
* Ekins (ex-DE-87)
* Essington (ex-DE-67)
* Fitzroy (ex-DE-88)
* Hargood (ex-DE-573)
* Holmes (ex-DE-572)
* Hotham (ex-DE-574)
* Narborough (ex-DE-569)
* Redmill (ex-DE-89)
* Retalick (ex-DE-90)
* Riou (ex-DE-92)
* Rowley (ex-DE-95)
* Rupert (ex-DE-96)
* Russell / Halsted (ex-Reynolds)
* Rutherford (ex-DE-93)
* Seymour (ex-DE-98)
* Spragge (ex-DE-563)
* Stayner (ex-DE-564)
* Stockham (ex-DE-97)
* Thornborough (ex-DE-565)
* Torrington (ex-DE-568)
* Trollope (ex-DE-566)
* Tyler (ex-DE-567)
* Waldegrave (ex-DE-570)
* Whitaker (ex-DE-571)

Post-World War II operators

Chilean Navy|

* Serrano (ex-Odum)
* Orella (ex-Jack C. Robinson)
* Riquelme (ex-Joseph E. Campbell)
* Virgilio Uribe (ex-Daniel T. Griffin)

Republic of China Navy|

* Wen Shan (ex-Gantner)
* Lu Shan (ex-Bull (DE-693))
* Chung Shan (ex-Blessman)
* Kang Shan (ex-George W. Ingram)
* Lung Shan (ex-Schmitt)

Colombian National Navy|

* Almirante Tono (ex-Bassett)
* Almirante Brión (ex-Burke)

Ecuadorian Navy|

* 25 de Julio / Morán Valverde (ex-Enright)

Republic of Korea Navy|

* Jon Nam (ex-Hayter)
* Kyong Puk (ex-Kephart)

Mexican Navy|

* Coahuila / Vincente Guerrero (ex-Barber)

Philippine Navy|

* Rajah Soliman (ex-Bowers)

* Preceded by: Evarts class
* Followed by: Cannon class

* List of destroyer escorts of the United States Navy
* List of frigates of the Royal Navy

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