HMS Spiraea (K08)

Summary

HMS Spiraea was a Flower-class corvette of the British Royal Navy. Named for a genus of shrub, Spiraea served in the Second World War as an escort.

HMS Spiraea, 25 April 1942
History
RN EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Spiraea
Ordered21 September 1939
BuilderHarland and Wolff[1] (A&J Inglis)
Yard number1056[1]
Laid down31 May 1940
Launched31 October 1940
Completed27 February 1941[1]
Commissioned27 February 1941
Decommissioned1945
IdentificationPennant number: K08
FateSold to Greece, renamed Thessaloniki
General characteristics
Class and typeFlower-class corvette
Displacement925 long tons
Length205 ft (62 m) o/a
Beam33 ft (10 m)
Draught11 ft 6 in (3.51 m)
Propulsion
  • 1 × 4-cycle triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
  • 2 × fire tube Scotch boilers
  • Single shaft
  • 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Speed16 kn (30 km/h)
Range3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h)
Complement85
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × SW1C or 2C radar
  • 1 × Type 123A or Type 127DV sonar
Armament

The corvette was launched on 31 October 1940 at Glasgow, Scotland and entered nominal service on 27 February 1941. In 1943, she recovered the survivors of two separate sinkings (the merchant vessels Oporto and Fort Howe), of which the Fort Howe effort was in conjunction with HMS Alisma.

Fate edit

Spiraea was sold to Greece in August 1945 and became the Thessaloniki.

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b c McCluskie, Tom (2013). The Rise and Fall of Harland and Wolff. Stroud: The History Press. p. 148. ISBN 9780752488615.

References edit