HMS Undine (R42)

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
Identification:	pennant number R42
General characteristics
Class and type:	U-class destroyer

HMS Undine was a U-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II.

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.^[1]

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.^[2]

Commanding officers

^[3]

From	To	Captain
1943	1945	Cdr Terence Corin Robinson RN[4]
1945	1945	Cdr Cecil Hamilton Holmes OBE RN
1952	1954	Refit and conversion to Type 15
1954	1955	Captain Phillip F Powlett RN
1955	1956	Captain J F D Bush RN
1957	1958	Captain Raymond Hart RN DSC

Notes

1. Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 68. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.
2. Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith, ed. "HMS Undine (ii) (R 42) - U-class Destroyer". naval-history.net. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
3. Royal Navy Senior Appointments, Colin Mackie
4. "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. OCLC 67375475.
• Marriott, Leo, Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. Ian Allen 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.

External links

• British units serving in Cyprus 1955 - 1959