Bay class frigate
Encyclopedia
The Bay class was a class
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of 26 anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
(A/A) frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s built for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
under the 1943 War Emergency Programme during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(one of which was cancelled and six completed as despatch vessels or survey ships). They were based on the hulls of incomplete Loch class
Loch class frigate
The Loch class was a class of anti-submarine frigate built for the Royal Navy and her allies during World War II. They were an innovative design based on the experience of 3 years of fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic and attendant technological advances.-Design:The Lochs were based upon the...
anti-submarine
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
(A/S) frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s.
In 1959 and 1961, four frigates of the class (Bigbury Bay, Burghead Bay, Morecambe Bay and Mounts Bay) were transferred to the Portuguese Navy
Portuguese Navy
The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....
. Between 1966 and 1968, based in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, these ships were part of the Portuguese naval deterrent force against the Royal Navy Beira Patrol
Beira Patrol
The Beira Patrol was a blockade of oil shipments to Rhodesia through Beira, Mozambique, resulting from United Nations trade sanctions after Rhodesia declared its independence...
. In 1966 the Portuguese Navy also bought the survey vessel Dalrymple which served until 1983.
Design
The Bay class made use of the hull, machinery, lattice mast and superstructure of incomplete Loch class frigates. The armament was altered to suit them to the A/A role, with twin QF 4 in Mark XVI guns fore and aft in mounts HA/LA Mark XIX fitted with remote power control (RPC), controlled by a rangefinder-director Mark V carried on the bridge and fitted with radar Type 285 for range taking. Due to a shortage of supply of 4 inches (10.2 cm) guns and mountings, many ships had these removed from laid up V and W class destroyerV and W class destroyer
The V and W class was an amalgam of six similar classes of destroyer built for the Royal Navy under the War Emergency Programme of the First World War and generally treated as one class...
"WAIR" conversions and Hunt class destroyer
Hunt class destroyer
The Hunt class was a class of Destroyer escort of the Royal Navy. The first vessels were ordered early in 1939, and the class saw extensive service in World War II, particularly on the British East Coast and Mediterranean convoys. They were named after British fox hunts...
s that were constructive total losses. A pair of Mark V "utility" mounts for twin 40 mm Bofors
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
guns were sited amidships, each with its own predictive Simple Tachymetric Director (STD) for fire control. The A/A armament was completed by a pair of mounts Mark V for twin 20 mm Oerlikon
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
guns, carried in the bridge wings. Later, the Oerlikons were replaced with single mounts Mark VII for Bofors guns, a further pair of which were added amidships on raised platforms. For A/S use, a Hedgehog
Hedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
projector was carried on the fo'c'sle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
and the quarterdeck carried two racks and four throwers for up to 50 depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s.
In addition to the Radar Type 285 fire control set, Radar Type 291 air warning was carried at the head of the topmast in addition to Radar Type 276 (later 293) target indication at the masthead. The associated IFF
Identification friend or foe
In telecommunications, identification, friend or foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military and national interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles, or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the...
transponders were also carried on the foremast to distinguish between friendly and enemy targets and a high frequency direction finder (HF/DF) was carried on a short pole mainmast aft.
Six Bays were completed to different designs. Dundrum Bay and Gerrans Bay were renamed Alert and Surprise and completed as "despatch vessels", Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
's (C-in-C) yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
s for the Mediterranean and Far East Stations. These ships omitted the Mark V Bofors mounts and the aft 4 inches (10.2 cm) guns and had the superstructure extended to provide additional flag accommodation and stepped a tall mainmast. The four other ships were completed as survey vessels, specifically to deal with the vast numbers of uncharted wrecks and mines around the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
from wartime. They were unarmed, except for four 3-pounder saluting guns. They had shorter forward shelter decks and carried survey boats under davits abreast the funnel and minesweeeping
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
gear aft.
Frigates
(ex- Loch Carloway) - built by Hall RussellHall, Russell & Company
Hall, Russell & Company, Limited was a shipbuilder based in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK-History:Brothers James and William Hall, Thomas Russell, a Glasgow engineer, and James Cardno Couper founded the company in 1864 to build steam engines and boilers. In 1867 the company built its first ship, the Kwang...
, laid down 30 May 1944, launched 16 November 1944 and completed 10 July 1945. Sold to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in 1959, becoming the NRP Pacheco Pereira (F337), serving until 1970. (ex- Loch Harport) - built by Charles Hill & Sons
Charles Hill & Sons
Charles Hill & Sons was a major shipbuilder based in Bristol, England, during the 19th and 20th centuries. Established in 1845, they specialised mainly in merchant and commercial ships, but also undertook the build of warships and governmental vessels especially during the First and Second World...
, laid down 21 September 1944, launched 3 March 1945 and completed 20 September 1945. Sold to Portugal in 1959, becoming the NRP Álvares Cabral (F336), serving until 1971. (ex- Loch Laxford) - built by Henry Robb
Henry Robb
Henry Robb, Limited, known colloquially as Robbs, was a British shipbuilding company based in Leith Docks on the east coast of Scotland. Robbs was notable for building small-to-medium sized vessels, particularly tugs and dredgers.-History:...
, laid down 14 April 1944, launched 28 December 1944 and completed 25 June 1945. (ex- Loch Maddy) - built by Henry Robb, laid down 8 June 1944, launched 15 March 1945 and completed 20 September 1945. (ex- Loch Roan) - built by Blyth Dry Dock, laid down 24 April 1944, launched 26 February 1945 and completed 13 November 1945. (ex- Loch Brachdale) - built by Smiths Dock
Smiths Dock Company
Smiths Dock Company, Limited, often referred to simply as Smiths Dock, was a British shipbuilding company.-History:The company was originally established by Thomas Smith who bought William Rowe's shipyard at St. Peter's in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1810 and traded as William Smith & Co. The company...
, laid down 27 May 1944, launched 31 October 1944 and completed 4 January 1946. (ex- Loch Fannich) - ordered from Smiths Dock, but cancelled, 1945. (ex- Loch Foin) - built by William Pickersgill
A&P Group
A&P Group Ltd is the largest ship repair and conversion company in the UK, with three shipyards located in Hebburn, Middlesbrough and Falmouth. The Company undertakes a wide variety of maintenance and repair work on commercial and military ships with projects ranging from a two day alongside repair...
, laid down 8 February 1944, launched 3 October 1944 and completed 26 January 1946. (ex- Loch Heilen) - built by William Pickersgill, laid down 30 April 1944, launched 11 November 1944 and completed 11 March 1946. Sold to Portugal in 1961, becoming the NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida (F479), serving until 1970. (ex- Loch Kilbernie) - built by William Pickersgill, laid down 23 October 1944, launched 8 June 1945 and completed 11 April 1949. Sold to Portugal in 1961, becoming the NRP Vasco da Gama (F478), serving until 1971. (ex- Loch Coulside) - built by Henry Robb, laid down 25 September 1944, launched 25 September 1945 and completed 11 March 1946. (ex- Loch Seaforth, ex- Loch Muick) - built by Charles Hill & Sons, laid down 22 November 1944, launched 14 June 1945 and completed 8 March 1946. Sold to Finland in 1962, becoming the FNS , serving until 1975. (ex- Loch Swannay) - built by Charles Hill & Sons, laid down 8 June 1944, launched 11 November 1944 and completed 13 May 1945. (ex- Loch Lyddoch) - built by Harland & Wolff, laid down 30 May 1944, launched 18 November 1944 and completed 29 May 1945. (ex- Loch Achility) - built by Harland & Wolff, laid down 30 May 1944, launched 16 January 1945 and completed 6 September 1945. (ex- Loch Arklet) - built by Harland & Wolff, laid down 31 August 1944, launched 15 February 1945 and completed 10 July 1945. (ex- Loch Arnish) - built by Harland & Wolff, laid down 31 August 1944, launched 29 March 1945 and completed 11 October 1945. (ex- Loch Lubnaig) - built by Harland & Wolff, laid down 8 August 1944, launched 16 December 1944 and completed 30 July 1945. (ex- Loch Frisa) - built by Harland & Wolff, laid down 24 April 1944, launched 19 October 1944 and completed 13 April 1945. (ex- Loch Garasdale) - built by Harland & Wolff, laid down 24 October 1944, launched 26 April 1945 and completed 19 January 1946.