HMS ''Portchester Castle'' was a built in 1943 and scrapped in 1958. She was the only ship 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 ...
to be named after
Portchester Castle
Portchester Castle is a medieval fortress that was developed within the walls of the Roman Saxon Shore fort of Portus Adurni at Portchester, to the east of Fareham in Hampshire.
The keep was probably built in the late 11th century as a ba ...
in Hampshire, and was used for the 1952 film ''
The Cruel Sea'', in which she played ''Saltash Castle''.
Construction and career
She was launched on 21 June 1943 at
Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter, formerly known as Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, is a shipbuilding design, engineering, and management company, based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England.
At its apex, the company represented the combined forces of three powe ...
shipyard in
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
.
Sinking of ''U-484''
On 9 September 1944 ''Portchester Castle'' and sank the in the North Atlantic north-west of Ireland, in position .
Sinking of ''U-1200''
As one of four ships in 30th Escort Group under the command of
Denys Rayner, ''Portchester Castle'' shared in the sinking of the south of Ireland (in position ) on 11 November 1944, along with her
sister ships , and .
[
]
Decommissioning
She was paid off in 1947.
Film appearances
In 1951 ''Portchester Castle'' was employed to represent the fictitious HMS ''Saltash Castle'' in the film '' The Cruel Sea'' (1953). The ship was also seen in the film ''The Man Who Never Was
''The Man Who Never Was'' is a 1956 British espionage thriller film produced by André Hakim and directed by Ronald Neame. It stars Clifton Webb and Gloria Grahame and features Robert Flemyng, Josephine Griffin and Stephen Boyd. It is base ...
'' (1955) and ''The Navy Lark
''The Navy Lark'' is a radio sitcom about life aboard a United Kingdom, British Royal Navy Frigate#Modern Age, frigate named HMS ''Troutbridge'' (a play on HMS Troubridge (R00), HMS ''Troubridge'', a Royal Navy destroyer) based in HMNB Portsm ...
'' (1959). In both ''Sea'' and ''Lark'' she is shown wearing the pennant number F362 rather than her own K362.
Fate
She was scrapped at Troon, Scotland on 14 May 1958.
References
Citations
Sources
*
* Rayner, D.A., Escort: The Battle of the Atlantic, London:William Kimber, pp. 224–229
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portchester Castle
Castle-class corvettes
1943 ships