HMS Loch Lomond (K437)

Frigate of the Royal Navy

Loch Lomond in October 1944

History
United Kingdom
Name| HMS Loch Lomond
Namesake| Loch Lomond
Ordered| 2 February 1943
Builder| Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Dundee, Scotland
Laid down| 7 December 1943
Launched| 19 June 1944
Completed| 16 November 1944
Commissioned| November 1944
Decommissioned| April 1946
Recommissioned| 22 September 1950
Decommissioned| 19 December 1964
Stricken| February 1965
Identification| Pennant number K437/F437
Motto|

* Si je puis
* ("If I can")

Fate| Sold for scrap, 1968
General characteristics
Class & type| Loch-class frigate
Displacement| 1,435 long tons (1,458 t)
Length| 307 ft 9 in (93.80 m)
Beam| 38 ft 9 in (11.81 m)
Draught| 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Propulsion|

* 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
* 2 shafts
* 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)

Speed| 20 knots (37 km/h)
Range| 9,500 nautical miles (17,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement| 114
Armament|

* 1 × QF 4 inch Mark V on 1 single mounting HA Mk.III**
* 4 × QF 2-pounder Mk.VII on 1 quad mount Mk.VII
* 4 × 20 mm Oerlikon A/A on 2 twin mounts Mk.V (or 2 × 40 mm Bofors A/A on 2 single mounts Mk.III)
* Up to 8 × 20 mm Oerlikon A/A on single mounts Mk.III
* 2 × Squid triple barreled A/S mortars
* 1 rail and 2 throwers for depth charges

HMS Loch Lomond was a Loch-class frigate of the British Royal Navy. The ship was named after Loch Lomond in Scotland.

The ship was ordered from Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Dundee, Scotland on 2 February 1943, and laid down on 7 December 1943. Launched on 19 June 1944, and completed on 16 November 1944, the ship was commissioned soon after.[1]

## Service history

[edit]

### World War II

[edit]

Attached to the 17th Escort Group from 11 December 1944, until May 1945 the ship patrolled the waters off Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in the English Channel escorting convoys. After V-E Day the ship was nominated for service in East Indies. After modifications she sailed on 28 June for Ceylon. In August she was set to take part in "Operation Zipper", the recapture of British Malaya, though this was cancelled after the surrender of Japan. She remained at Singapore, supporting local operations until returning to the UK in April 1946 to be decommissioned.[1]

While in reserve in 1948 her pennant number was changed to F437.[1]

### 1950-1959

[edit]

Loch Lomond was recommissioned on 22 September 1950 and served in the Mediterranean Fleet based at Malta, also seeing service in the Red Sea. She returned to the UK and was decommissioned on 21 October 1952.[1]

She underwent modernisation between 1953 and 1955 before being recommissioned on 19 April 1955, returning to the Mediterranean Fleet, also seeing service in the Persian Gulf and as part of the East Coast of India Patrol. She returned to the UK in April 1956 to refit, sailing on 14 November for the Persian Gulf via the Cape of Good Hope, because of the closure of the Suez Canal. Duties in the Gulf and Indian Ocean occupied her until her return to the UK on 12 November 1957. Another major refit took up 1958 and most of 1959, before Loch Lomond was recommissioned in September.[1]

### 1960-1968

[edit]

Loch Lomond returned to the Persian Gulf in February 1960 for further patrols and exercises. The ship returned to the UK on 26 January 1961. In July she joined the 9th Frigate Squadron, returning to the Gulf in November. She then sailed to Singapore and joined the 3rd Frigate Squadron of the Far East Fleet on 18 October 1962.[1]

In March 1963 she supported military operations in the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, the Konfrontasi, then served as Guard ship at Gan in the Maldives. Mr Abdulla Afeef Didi, the rebel leader of the Maldives and his family were transported to the British colony of Seychelles on Sunday, 29 September 1963 on board HMS Loch Lomond, reaching the destination on Friday, 4 October 1963. Exercises and patrol duties in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea occupied her until her return to the UK on 19 December 1964 for decommissioning.[1]

Placed on the Disposal List in February 1965 she remained at Portsmouth until 1967 when she was taken to Chatham to be stripped of equipment before being sold for scrap in 1968.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Mason, Geoffrey B. (2003). Gordon Smith (ed.). "HMS Loch Lomond, frigate". naval-history.net. Retrieved 8 March 2010.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* 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.
* Marriott, Leo (1983). Royal Navy Frigates 1945–1983. Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0-71101-322-5.

## External links

[edit]

* Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships

* v
* t
* e

Loch-class frigates

Royal Navy|

| Completed|

* Naver / Loch Achanalt
* Loch Achray
* Loch Alvie
* Loch Ard
* Loch Arkaig
* Loch Assynt / Derby Haven
* Loch Boisdale
* Loch Craggie
* Loch Cree
* Loch Dunvegan
* Loch Eck
* Loch Fada
* Loch Fyne
* Loch Glendhu
* Loch Gorm
* Loch Insh
* Loch Katrine
* Loch Killin
* Loch Killisport
* Loch Lomond
* Loch More
* Loch Morlich
* Loch Quoich
* Loch Ruthven
* Loch Scavaig
* Loch Shin
* Loch Tarbert
* Loch Torridon / Woodbridge Haven
* Loch Tralaig
* Loch Veyatie

|

Reordered as
Bay class|

* Loch Achility / St Brides Bay
* Loch Amish / Tremadoc Bay
* Loch Arklet / Start Bay
* Loch Brachdale / Enard Bay
* Loch Carloway / Bigbury Bay
* Loch Carron / Gerrans Bay / Surprise
* Loch Coulside / Padstow Bay
* Loch Eil / Herne Bay / Dampier
* Loch Fannich / Hollesley Bay
* Loch Foin / Largo Bay
* Loch Frisa / Widemouth Bay
* Loch Garasdale / Wigtown Bay
* Loch Glass / Luce Bay / Dalrymple
* Loch Harport / Burghead Bay
* Loch Heilen / Morecambe Bay
* Loch Kilbernie / Mounts Bay
* Loch Laxford / Cardigan Bay
* Loch Lubnaig / Whitesand Bay
* Loch Lyddoch / St Austell Bay
* Loch Maddy / Carnarvon Bay
* Loch Mochrum / Pegwell Bay / Cook
* Loch Muick (K640) / Thurso Bay / Owen
* Loch Muick (K650) / Loch Seaforth / Porlock Bay
* Loch Roan / Cawsand Bay
* Loch Scamdale / Dundrum Bay / Alert
* Loch Swannay / Veryan Bay

Cancelled|

* Loch Affric
* Loch Awe
* Loch Badcall
* Loch Caroy
* Loch Clunie
* Loch Creran
* Loch Doine
* Loch Earn
* Loch Enoch
* Loch Ericht
* Loch Erisort
* Loch Eye
* Loch Eynort
* Loch Garve
* Loch Glashan
* Loch Goil
* Loch Griam
* Loch Harray
* Loch Hourn
* Loch Inchard
* Loch Ken
* Loch Kirbister
* Loch Kirkaig
* Loch Kishorn
* Loch Knockie
* Loch Laro
* Loch Linfern
* Loch Linnhe
* Loch Lurgan
* Loch Lyon
* Loch Maberry
* Loch Minnick
* Loch Nell
* Loch Odairn
* Loch Ossian
* Loch Ronald
* Loch Ryan
* Loch Scridain
* Loch Sheallag
* Loch Shiel
* Loch Skaig
* Loch Skerrow
* Loch Stemster
* Loch Stenness
* Loch Striven
* Loch Sunart
* Loch Swin
* Loch Tanna
* Loch Tilt
* Loch Tummell
* Loch Urigill
* Loch Vanavie
* Loch Vennachar
* Loch Watten

Other operators

Royal Canadian Navy|

* Loch Achanalt
* Loch Alvie
* Loch Morlich

Imperial Iranian Navy|

* Babr (ex-Derby Haven)

Royal Malaysian Navy|

* Hang Tuah (ex-Loch Insh)

Royal New Zealand Navy|

* Hawea (ex-Loch Eck)
* Kaniere (ex-Loch Achray)
* Pukaki (ex-Loch Achanalt)
* Rotoiti (ex-Loch Katrine)
* Taupo (ex-Loch Shin)
* Tutira (ex-Loch Morlich)

South African Navy|

* Good Hope (ex-Loch Boisdale)
* Natal (ex-Loch Cree)
* Transvaal (ex-Loch Ard)

* Preceded by: Captain class
* Followed by: Bay class

* List of frigates of the Royal Navy

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