Dates: 1943 - 1946
H.M.S. Evenlode (K300)
Built by Canadian Vickers, Montreal
Laid Down: 28th May 1942. Ordered by United States Navy as USS Danville (PG-105).
Launched: 9th November 1942
Commissioned: 4th June 1943
Fate: Transferred to RN before completion under the lend-lease program. Returned to the United States Navy on 5th March 1946
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
Commanding Officers:
T/A/Lt.Cdr. A.L. Turner, RNR
4th June 1943 – 7th March 1944
T/A/Lt.Cdr. G.B. Medlycott, RNR
7th March 1944 – 1st July 1944
Cdr. Vivian Funge Smith, DSO, RD, RNR
1st July 1944 – 28th May 1945
T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.F. McAusland, RNVR
28th May 1945 – still in command in October 1945 according to the Navy List
The only ship of this name to have served in the Royal Navy.
Noteable events involving H.M.S. Evenlode include:
23rd August 1943
On the 23trd August 1943 the 40th Escort Group (Cdr. Dallison), consiting of the sloops H.M.S. Landguard, H.M.S. Bideford, H.M.S. Hastings and the frigates H.M.S. Exe, H.M.S. Moyola and H.M.S. Waveney were deployed on a u-boat hunt off Cape Ortegal. The whole operation was covered by the British light cruiser H.M.S. Bermuda.
On the 25th August the Canadian 5th Support Group (Cdr. Tweed), consiting of the British frigates H.M.S. Nene, H.M.S. Tweed and the Canadian corvettes HMCS Calgary, HMCS Edmundston and HMCS Snowberry were deployed to relieve the 40th Escort Group. While this was in progress the ships were attacked at 1415 hrs by 14 Dornier Do-217’s and 7 Ju-88’s. with the new German weapon, the Henschel Glider Bombs, (the "Hs293 A-1"). Designed by the German Professor Herbert Wagner. H.M.S. Landguard and H.M.S. Bideford were the first of the Allied and R.N. ships to be attacked and damaged by them. This being the first time of their being brought into action against Allied ships. Several sailors were injured on H.M.S. Bideford and one sailor was killed.
Another two days later on the 27th August 1943 the Canadian 5th Support group was relieved by the 1st Support group (Cdr. Brewer) consisting of the sloops H.M.S. Pelican, H.M.S. Egret and the frigates H.M.S. Jed, H.M.S. Rother, H.M.S. Spey and H.M.S. Evenlode. Also the covering cruiser H.M.S. Bermuda was relieved by the Canadian destroyer HMCS Athabaskan and the British destroyer H.M.S. Grenville. These ships were also attacked by the Germans. This time with 18 Dornier Do-217’s also carring Henschel Glider Bombs. HMCS Athabaskan was heavily damaged and H.M.S. Egret was sunk with the loss of 194 of her crew. After this loss the u-boat hunt was blown off.
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.
