Dates: 1943 - 1949
H.M.S. Avon (K97)
Built by Charles Hill & Sons Ltd., Bristol
Laid Down: 8th January 1943
Launched: 19th June 1943
Commissioned: 18th September 1943
Fate: Transferred in 1949 to Portugal as Nuno Tristao
Displacement: 1,375 Tons
H.M.S. Avon (K97) was the sixth Royal Navy vessel to be named after the river Avon
The first Royal Navy vessel named after the river Avon was H.M.S. Avon an 18-gun Cruiser class brig-sloop launched in 1805. In 1814 she was sunk in action with the American Wasp in the English Channel.
The 2nd of the line was a 2-gun wooden paddle package ship transferred from the GPO to the Royal Navy in 1837. From 1843 she was used as a survey ship and she was sold in 1863.
The third H.M.S. Avon was a 2-gun wooden paddle gunboat purchased in 1862. She was used in the New Zealand land wars and sold in 1865 as a coal hulk. Later she became Clyde.
The fourth H.M.S. Avon was a 4-gun composite screw gun vessel launched in 1867. She was sold in 1890.
At the end of the 19th Century the fifth H.M.S. Avon was launched on 10th October 1896. Broken up in 1920.
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. D
