Carnarvon Bay in September 1945
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMSCarnarvon Bay
Namesake	Caernarfon Bay
Ordered	25 January 1943
Builder	Henry Robb,Leith
Laid down	8 June 1944
Launched	15 March 1945
Completed	20 September 1945
Commissioned	September 1945
Decommissioned	May 1946
Identification	Pennant number K636
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 1959
General characteristics
Class & type	Bay-classfrigate
Displacement	1,600 long tons (1,626 t) standard 2,530 long tons (2,571 t) full
Length	307 ft (94 m)o/a
Beam	38 ft 7 in (11.76 m)
Draught	12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
Installed power	5,500 ihp (4,100 kW) 2 ×Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Propulsion	2 shafts 2vertical triple-expansion steam engines
Speed	20knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range	9,500 nmi (17,600 km; 10,900 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	157
Sensors & processing systems	Type 285 fire control radar Type 291 air warning radar Type 276 target indication radar High Frequency Direction Finder (HF/DF) IFF transponder
Armament	2 × twinQF 4-inch Mark XVIdual-purpose guns 2 × twin40 mm BoforsAA guns 4 × twin20 mm Oerlikon AA guns 1 × 24-barrelHedgehog A/S projector 2 rails and 4 throwers for 50depth charges

HMSCarnarvon Bay was aBay-classanti-aircraftfrigate built for theRoyal Navy during World War 2.

The Bay-class frigates were anti-aircraft versions of theLoch-class anti-submarine frigates intended for service in the Far East.^[1]Carnarvon Bay displaced 1,600 long tons (1,600 t) atstandard load and 2,420 long tons (2,460 t) atdeep load. The ship had anoverall length of 307 feet (93.6 m), abeam of 38 feet 7 inches (11.8 m) and adraught of 12 feet 9 inches (3.9 m).^[2] She was powered by twovertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by twoAdmiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of 5,500shaft horsepower (4,100 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 20knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).Carnarvon Bay carried a maximum of 724 long tons (736 t) offuel oil that gave her a range of 9,500nautical miles (17,600 km; 10,900 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). The ship's complement was 157 officers andratings.^[1]

The ships were armed with fourQF 4-inch Mark XVIdual-purpose guns in two twin mounts forward of the superstructure. Supplementing theiranti-aircraft (AA) defence, they had two twin mounts for40 mm Bofors and two twin mounts forOerlikon 20 mm cannon AA guns. Some ships had their Oerlikons replaced by two single Bofors guns. She was fitted with a 24-barrelHedgehogspigot mortar. Twodepth charge rails and four throwers were fitted for 50–60 depth charges.^[3]

HMSCarnarvon Bay, named afterCaernarfon Bay (anglicised as 'Carnarvon Bay') inGwynedd,Wales, was originally ordered as theLoch-class vesselLoch Maddy, but the order was changed in 1944. Built byHenry Robb ofLeith, the ship was laid down on 8 June 1944 and launched on 15 March 1945 by Lady Westwood.

Aftersea trialsCarnarvon Bay was assigned to theRosyth Flotilla, joining in November 1945. Deployed for training duties, she made a single voyage toOslo in January 1946, and toScapa Flow in February. In April she sailed toHarwich to be decommissioned. Laid-up in the Reserve Fleet at Harwich, she was used as anaccommodation ship for personnel of the Reserve Fleet.^[4]

Carnarvon Bay remained at Harwich until being sold on 28 August 1959.^[4]

• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press.ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969].Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing.ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.OCLC 67375475.
• Friedman, Norman (2006).British Destroyers and Frigates, the Second World War and After. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 1-86176-137-6.
• Lenton, H. T. (1998).British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN 1-55750-048-7.

• 1945 ships
• Bay-class frigates

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