Summary
HMS Duff (K352) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy that served during World War II. Originally constructed as the United States Navy Buckley class destroyer escort USS Lamons (DE-64), she was transferred to the Royal Navy before she was completed.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Lamons (DE-64) |
| Namesake | Boatswain's Mate Second Class Kenneth Tafe Lamons, who performed heroically during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 before dying of wounds[2] |
| Builder | Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts |
| Laid down | 22 February 1943[1] |
| Launched | 22 May 1943[1] |
| Completed | 23 August 1943[1] |
| Commissioned | never |
| Fate | Transferred to United Kingdom 23 August 1943[1] |
| Acquired | Returned by United Kingdom 28 August 1945[3] |
| Stricken | 17 September 1945[1] |
| Fate | Sold May 1947 for scrapping[1] |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Duff (K352) |
| Namesake | Captain George Duff (1764-1805), British naval officer who was killed in action as commanding officer of HMS Mars at the Battle of Trafalgar[4] |
| Acquired | 23 August 1943[1] |
| Commissioned | 23 August 1943[3] |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 1,400 long tons (1,422 t) |
| Length | 306 ft (93 m) |
| Beam | 36.75 ft (11.2 m) |
| Draught | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 24 knots (44 km/h) |
| Range | 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement | 186 |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
| Notes | Pennant number K352 |
Construction and transfer edit
The ship was laid down as the U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Lamons (DE-64) by Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., in Hingham, Massachusetts, on 22 February 1943 and launched on 22 May 1943. Lamons was transferred to the United Kingdom upon completion on 23 August 1943.[1]
Service history edit
Commissioned into service in the Royal Navy as the frigate HMS Duff (K352) on 23 August 1943 simultaneously with her transfer, the ship served on patrol and escort duty. At 0745 on 30 November 1944, she struck a mine in the North Sea off Ostend, Belgium, suffering three dead. Although badly damaged, she managed to limp back to port at Harwich, England.[1][3]
Damaged beyond economical repair, Duff was declared a constructive total loss.[3] The Royal Navy returned her to the U.S. Navy on 28 August 1945.[1]
Disposal edit
The U.S. Navy struck Duff from its Naval Vessel Register on 17 September 1945. She was sold in May 1947 for scrapping in the Netherlands.[1]
Citations edit
- ^ "Lamons (DE-743)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- ^ a b c d e uboat.net HMS Duff (K 352)
- ^ Captain Class Frigate Association: HMS Duff K352 (DE 64)
References edit
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive Lamons (DE-64) HMS Duff (K-352)
- uboat.net HMS Duff (K 352)
- Destroyer Escort Sailors Association DEs for UK
- Captain Class Frigate Association HMS Duff K352 (DE 64)