HMS Undine (R42)

HMS Undine was a U-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. On 27 March 1945, HMS Undine[1] detached from RN Fast Carrier TF57 to rescue the airmen of a downed RN TBF Avenger aircraft also rescues a USN Corsair pilot adrift for two days south of the Sakishima Gunto in the Philippine Sea.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Undine.

Undine in December 1943
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Undine
Builder: John I. Thornycroft and Company
Laid down: 18 March 1942
Launched: 1 June 1943
Commissioned: 23 December 1943
Decommissioned: 1960
Identification: pennant number R42
Fate: Sold for scrap, November 1965
General characteristics V-class destroyer
Class and type: V-class destroyer
Displacement:
  • 1,777 long tons (1,806 t) standard
  • 2,058 long tons (2,091 t) full load
Length: 363 ft (111 m)
Beam: 35 ft 8 in (10.87 m)
Draught: 10 ft (3.0 m)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers
  • Geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (29,828 kW)
  • 2 shafts
Speed: 37 knots (43 mph; 69 km/h)
Range: 4,860 nmi (9,000 km) at 29 kn (54 km/h)
Complement: 180 (225 in flotilla leader)
Armament:
  • Original configuration :
  • 4 × QF 4.7-inch (120-mm) Mk XII guns in single mountings CP Mk.XXII
  • 2 × QF 40 mm Bofors guns in twin mount Mk.IV
  • 6 × QF 20 mm Oerlikon guns; 2 × twin mounts Mk.V, 2 × single mounts Mk.III
  • 2 × quadruple tubes for 21 in (533 mm) torpedo Mk.IX
General characteristics Type 15 frigate
Class and type: Type 15 frigate
Displacement: 2,300 long tons (2,337 t) standard
Length: 358 ft (109 m) o/a
Beam: 37 ft 9 in (11.51 m)
Draught: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers,
  • steam turbines on 2 shafts,
  • 40,000 shp
Speed: 31 knots (36 mph; 57 km/h) (full load)
Complement: 174
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Radar
  • Type 293Q target indication (later Type 993)
  • Type 277Q surface search
  • Type 974 navigation
  • Type 262 fire control on director CRBF
  • Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF
  • Sonar:
  • Type 174 search
  • Type 162 target classification
  • Type 170 attack
Armament:

Post War service

In 1946 Undine returned from the Far East and went into reserve at Harwich. In May 1949 she underwent a refit at Chatham and between 1950 and 1952 was in the Sheerness reserve. From 1952 to 1954 she was converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, by John I. Thornycroft & Company and allocated the new pennant number F141.[2]

Undine after conversion to a Type 15 Frigate, leads ships of the 6th Frigate Squadron in line ahead on their passage to Gibraltar, for spring cruise, 27 January 1957 (IWM A 33691)

After re-commissioning in 1954 she was part of British 6th Frigate Squadron in the Mediterranean until 1960. In November 1956 she was part of the Royal Navy's forces that took part in the Suez Crisis. In the years 1958/59 she undertook bombardments of EOKA's positions in the Cyprus mountains.

Decommissioning and disposal

In 1960 Undine was again placed in reserve at Portsmouth. She was put on the Disposal List in 1965. She was de-equipped before tow and sold for breaking up at the breaker's yard of John Cashmore Ltd at Newport, arriving there during November 1965.[3]

Commanding officers

[4]

FromToCaptain
19431945Cdr Terence Corin Robinson RN[5]
19451945Cdr Cecil Hamilton Holmes OBE RN
19521954Refit and conversion to Type 15
19541955Captain Phillip F Powlett RN
19551956Captain J F D Bush RN
19571958Captain Raymond Hart RN DSC

Notes
  1. History of USN Operations WWII, Vol. 14 (Morrison) 1945
  2. Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 68. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.
  3. Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith (ed.). "HMS Undine (ii) (R 42) - U-class Destroyer". naval-history.net. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  4. Royal Navy Senior Appointments, Colin Mackie
  5. "HMS Undine (ii) (R 42)". uboat.net. Retrieved 2 May 2015.

References
  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • Marriott, Leo, Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. Ian Allan Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-7110-1817-0
  • Raven, Alan; Roberts, John (1978). War Built Destroyers O to Z Classes. London: Bivouac Books. ISBN 0-85680-010-4.
  • Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.


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