Dates: 1942 - 1955
H.M.S. Exe (K92)
Built by Fleming & Ferguson Ltd., Paisley
Laid Down: 11th February 1941
Launched: 16th May 1941
Commissioned: 19 March 1942
Paid Off: 6th August 1942 Placed in reserve 1946-1955
Fate: Sold for scrap on 20th September 1956. Scrapped at Preston
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
HMS Exe was flagship of the 40th Group during the defense of the Sierra Leone convoy SL.139 and North African convoy MKS.30 during a major battle with 31 U-boats in Nov 1943. She severely damaged U-333 early in the battle, and HMCS Snowberry helped sink U-536 a few days later. Two other U-boats were sunk, but only one of the 66 ships in convoy were sunk, and only one escort, HMS Chanticleer was damaged.
Notes on River Class Frigates
The River class frigate was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-sub Marine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic.
The majority served with the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy, with some serving in the other Allied navies; the Royal Australian Navy, the Free French Navy, the Royal Netherlands Navy and, post-war, the South African Navy. Ten ships built in Canada were assigned to the United States Navy to cover for a shortage of suitable convoy escorts until American built ships became available. In the event, only two were commissioned in the UNITED STATES NAVY, the remaining eight were commissioned in the RN and RCN.
After World War II they found employment in many other navies the world over; several RCN ships were sunk as breakwaters.
River class ships were designed by naval engineer William Reed to have the endurance and anti-submarine capabilities of the Black Swan class sloops, while being quick and cheap to build in civil dockyards using the machinery (eg reciprocating steam engines instead of turbines) and construction techniques pioneered in the building of the Flower-class corvettes.
The River class design was used as the basis for the United States Navy’s Tacoma class (known to the Royal navy as the Colony class frigate), and the hull design was later elaborated into the Loch class frigate, and subsequently the Bay class frigate.
Other River Class Frigates and their fates.
Royal Navy (Group I)
H.M.S. Ballinderry (K255)
Built by: Blyth Shipbuilding & Drydock, Blyth.
Laid Down: 6th November 1941.
Launched: 7th December 1942
Commissioned: 2nd September 1943
Paid Off: 1945
Fate: Transferred to Norway as Glomma 1946, scrapped 7 July 1961 by Ward Barrow.
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
H.M.S. Bann (K256)
Built by: Charles Hill & Sons Ltd., Bristol
Laid Down: 18th June 1942
Launched: 29th December 1942
Commissioned: 7 May 1943
Paid Off: 5th December 1945
Fate: Transferred to India as HMIS Tir (K256). Broken up 1979
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
H.M.S. Chelmer (K221)
Built by George Brown & Co., Greenock
Laid Down: 29th December 1941
Launched: 27th March 1943
Commissioned: 29th September 1943
Fate: Torpedoed 11th December 1943, damaged beyond repair. Scrapped in August 1957
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
H.M.S. Dart (K21)
Built by Blyth Shipbuilding & Drydock, Blyth
Laid Down: 8th September 1941
Launched: 10th October 1942
Commissioned: 13th May 1943
Paid Off: Sold for scrap in November 1956
Fate: Scrapped in 1957 by Cashmore Newport
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
H.M.S. Derg (K257)
Built by Henry Robb Ltd., Leith
Laid Down: 16th April 1942
Launched: 7th January 1943
Commissioned: 10th June 1943
Paid Off: Transferred in 1951 to RNVR as drill ship Wessex, later Cambria
Fate: Scrapped in September 1960 at Cashmore
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
H.M.S. Derg (K257) was one of the ships of the Allied navies of World War II present in Tokyo Bay on Victory over Japan Day (2 September 1945) when the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed on board the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63).
H.M.S. Ettrick (K254)
Built by John Crown & Sons Ltd., Sunderland
Laid Down: 31st December 1941
Launched: 22nd February 1943
Commissioned: 11th<
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving HMS Exe
" I’m not ex Navy but my experience was on HMS Exeter (Type 42 destroyer) when it was coming back from the Gulf zone about 1990, before Gulf 1. We went through a mega storm. The captain shut all the engines down, faced it into wind and rode the storm. The older naval guys were saying it was ..."
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" Aircraft Carriers. Ship Name, Launch Date, Displacement, Total Crew. HMS Invincible 1977--22,000--1051. HMS Illustrious 197--22,000--1051. HMS Ark Royal 1981--22,000--1051. Amphibious Assault Ships Ship. HMS Ocean 1995--20,700--265. HMS Albion 2001--18,500--363. HMS Bulwark ..."
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" Hello there, I am a new member and I am looking to get in contact with anyone that took part in the Battle of the River Plate in 1939, either aboard the: HMS Exeter HMS AJAX HMS Achilles If anyone knows of anyone then please let me know, I would really appreciate it. Thanks. Alex "
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" Hello everyone, Sorry if you are reading this again, I posted it in the New Members section, but I thought more people would see it on this part of the forum. I am currently researching the Battle of the River Plate and am looking to get in contact with anyone that served in the battle, either ..."
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" Quoting: Alex Ford Hello everyone, Sorry if you are reading this again, I posted it in the New Members section, but I thought more people would see it on this part of the forum. I am currently researching the Battle of the River Plate and am looking to get in contact with anyone that ..."
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