The second HMS ''Fitzroy'' (K553) was a British
Captain-class frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
in commission during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Originally constructed as a
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
''Buckley''-class destroyer escort, she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1945.
Construction and transfer
The ship was
laid down
Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship.
Keel laying is one o ...
as the unnamed U.S. Navy destroyer escort DE-88 by
Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., in
Hingham,
, on 24 August 1943 and
launched on 1 September 1943.
She was transferred to the United Kingdom upon completion on 16 October 1943.
Service history
Commissioned into service in the Royal Navy as the frigate HMS ''Fitzroy'' (K553) on 16 October 1943 simultaneously with her transfer, the ship served on patrol and escort duty. On 27 March 1945 she joined the British frigates and in sinking with
depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...
s the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
''U-722'' in the
North Atlantic Ocean near the
Hebrides
The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebrid ...
at . On 8 April 1945 she joined ''Byron'' in a
depth-charge attack which sank the German submarine
''U-1001'' in the North Atlantic south-west of
Land's End,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, at .
The Royal Navy
decommissioned ''Fitzroy'' later in 1945 and returned her to the U.S. Navy on 5 January 1946.
Disposal
The U.S. Navy struck ''Fitzroy'' from its
Naval Vessel Register on 7 February 1946. She was sold on 23 May 1946 for scrapping.
References
External links
Photo gallery of HMS ''Fitzroy'' (K553)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzroy (K553)
Captain-class frigates
Buckley-class destroyer escorts
World War II frigates of the United Kingdom
Ships built in Hingham, Massachusetts
1943 ships