HMS Loch Arkaig (K603)

History
Loch Arkaig on completion in 1945
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Loch Arkaig
Namesake:	Loch Arkaig
Ordered:	2 February 1943
Builder:	Caledon Shipbuilding, Dundee
Yard number:	421
Laid down:	1 November 1943
Launched:	7 June 1944
Completed:	17 November 1945
Commissioned:	1 November 1945
Decommissioned:	1952
Identification:	pennant number K603
Fate:	Sold for scrapping, 1959
General characteristics
Class and type:	Loch-class frigate
Displacement:	1,435 long tons (1,458 t)
Length:	307 ft 9 in (93.80 m)
Beam:	38 ft 9 in (11.81 m)
Draught:	8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Propulsion:	2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers 2 shafts Parsons single reduction geared turbines, 6,500 shp (4,800 kW)
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range:	9,500 nmi (17,600 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement:	114
Armament:	1 × QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark V gun on mounting HA Mk.III** 4 × QF 2-pounder (40 mm) Mk.VII guns on quad mount Mk.VII 4 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon A/A on 2 twin mounts Mk.V (or 2 × 40 mm Bofors A/A on 2 single mounts Mk.III) Up to 8 × 20 mm Oerlikon A/A on single mounts Mk.III 2 × Squid triple barrelled A/S mortars 1 rail and 2 throwers for depth charges

HMS Loch Arkaig was a Loch-class frigate of the British Royal Navy, named after Loch Arkaig in Scotland. The ship was ordered from Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Dundee, Scotland, on 2 February 1943, and laid down on 1 November 1943. Launched on 7 June 1944, the ship was commissioned on 1 November 1945, and completed on 17 November. Unlike the rest of the class Loch Arkaig (along with Loch Tralaig) was fitted with Parsons single reduction geared turbines, rather than 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines. The ship served in the Home Fleet until laid-up and put into Reserve in 1952, and was sold for scrapping in 1959.^[1]

Service history

After sea trials and commissioning in November 1945 Loch Arkaig sailed to the Clyde in December for modifications to stiffen her hull. In January 1946 the ship carried out Squid anti-submarine mortar and radio direction finding calibration, before joining the Flotilla at Derry to take part in "Operation Deadlight". She sank the U-boat U-975 on 16 February, and U-3514 on 19 February with her Squid mortar and Shark 4-inch projectiles.^[1] U-3514 was the last U-boat to be sunk in "Operation Deadlight".^[2]

For the next few years Loch Arkaig carried out training duties for anti-submarine personnel and Flotilla duties at Derry. In February 1949 Loch Arkaig, along with the aircraft carrier Vengeance, and destroyers St. Kitts and Gabbard, sailed into the Arctic, around Jan Mayen island, to study the effects of very cold weather on the performance of naval personnel and equipment ("Operation Rusty").^[1]

In mid-1950 she took part in Flag Officer Submarines summer war exercises and Home Fleet visits, calling at Haugesund and Nordheimsund in Norway. In December, after a refit at Chatham Dockyard she joined the 6th Frigate Flotilla, Home Fleet. In April 1951 she took part in the search for the missing submarine Affray, before the usual programme of exercises and visits.^[1]

Disposal

In 1952 Loch Arkaig was decommissioned, and laid-up in Reserve at Hartlepool. In 1957 she was placed on the Disposal List, and sold to the British Iron & Steel Company (BISCO) in 1959 for demolition by J.J. King at Gateshead, arriving in tow at the breaker's yard on 28 January 1960.^[1]

References

1 2 3 4 5 Mason, Geoffrey B. (2005). Gordon Smith, ed. "HMS Loch Arkaig". naval-history.net. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
↑ "Operation Deadlight: History". operationdeadlight.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2010.

Publications

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. OCLC 67375475.
Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War II : HMS Loch Arkaig

External links

"Playing at War in the Arctic", The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 April 1949

Loch-class frigates

Royal Navy

Completed	Naver / Loch Achanalt Loch Achray Loch Alvie Loch Ard Loch Arkaig Loch Assynt / Derby Haven Loch Boisdale Loch Craggie Loch Cree Loch Dunvegan Loch Eck Loch Fada Loch Fyne Loch Glendhu Loch Gorm Loch Insh Loch Katrine Loch Killin Loch Killisport Loch Lomond Loch More Loch Morlich Loch Quoich Loch Ruthven Loch Scavaig Loch Shin Loch Tarbert Loch Torridon / Woodbridge Haven Loch Tralaig Loch Veyatie

Reordered as Bay class	Loch Achility / St Brides Bay Loch Amish / Tremadoc Bay Loch Arklet / Start Bay Loch Brachdale / Enard Bay Loch Carloway / Bigbury Bay Loch Carron / Gerrans Bay / Surprise Loch Coulside / Padstow Bay Loch Eil / Herne Bay / Dampier Loch Fannich / Hollesley Bay Loch Foin / Largo Bay Loch Frisa / Widemouth Bay Loch Garasdale / Wigtown Bay Loch Glass / Luce Bay / Dalrymple Loch Harport / Burghead Bay Loch Heilen / Morecambe Bay Loch Kilbernie / Mounts Bay Loch Laxford / Cardigan Bay Loch Lubnaig / Whitesand Bay Loch Lyddoch / St Austell Bay Loch Maddy / Carnarvon Bay Loch Mochrum / Pegwell Bay / Cook Loch Muick (K640) / Thurso Bay / Owen Loch Muick (K650) / Loch Seaforth / Porlock Bay Loch Roan / Cawsand Bay Loch Scamdale / Dundrum Bay / Alert Loch Swannay / Veryan Bay

Cancelled	Loch Affric Loch Awe Loch Badcall Loch Caroy Loch Clunie Loch Creran Loch Doine Loch Earn Loch Enoch Loch Ericht Loch Erisort Loch Eye Loch Eynort Loch Garve Loch Glashan Loch Goil Loch Griam Loch Harray Loch Hourn Loch Inchard Loch Ken Loch Kirbister Loch Kirkaig Loch Kishorn Loch Knockie Loch Laro Loch Linfern Loch Linnhe Loch Lurgan Loch Lyon Loch Maberry Loch Minnick Loch Nell Loch Odairn Loch Ossian Loch Ronald Loch Ryan Loch Scridain Loch Sheallag Loch Shiel Loch Skaig Loch Skerrow Loch Stemster Loch Stenness Loch Striven Loch Sunart Loch Swin Loch Tanna Loch Tilt Loch Tummell Loch Urigill Loch Vanavie Loch Vennachar Loch Watten

Other operators

Royal Canadian Navy	Loch Achanalt Loch Alvie Loch Morlich

Imperial Iranian Navy	Babr (ex-Derby Haven)

Royal Malaysian Navy	Hang Tuah (ex-Loch Insh)

Royal New Zealand Navy	Hawea (ex-Loch Eck) Kaniere (ex-Loch Achray) Pukaki (ex-Loch Achanalt) Rotoiti (ex-Loch Katrine) Taupo (ex-Loch Shin) Tutira (ex-Loch Morlich)

South African Navy	Good Hope (ex-Loch Boisdale) Natal (ex-Loch Cree) Transvaal (ex-Loch Ard)

Preceded by: Captain class
Followed by: Bay class

List of frigates of the Royal Navy

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