 Foikestone in coastal waters during World War II | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSFolkestone |
| Builder | Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd.,Wallsend-on-Tyne |
| Laid down | 21 May 1929 |
| Launched | 12 February 1930 |
| Commissioned | 25 June 1930 |
| Identification | Pennant number L22 (later U22) |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Hastings-classsloop |
| Displacement | 1,045 tons |
| Length | 250 ft (76 m) |
| Beam | 34 ft (10 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 16knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
| Complement | 100 |
| Armament |
|
HMSFolkestone was aHastings-classsloop of theRoyal Navy that saw action inWorld War II. She was built bySwan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. ofWallsend-on-Tyne, laid down on 21 May 1929 and launched on 12 February 1930. She was commissioned on 25 June 1930 under the pennant number L22/U22.
She was sold on 22 May 1947 and broken up in November that year by Ward, ofMilford Haven.
Folkestone was one of twoHastings-class sloops ordered on 28 February 1928 as part of the 1928 construction programme, with two more ordered later in the year.[1] TheHastings class was an improved version of theBridgewater-class, with modified internal arrangements to improve habitability in tropical climates, and had a dual role of patrol service in overseas stations in peacetime and minesweeping during war.[2][3] She waslaid down atSwan Hunter'sWallsend shipyard on 21 May 1929, waslaunched without ceremony on 12 February 1930 and completed on 25 June that year.[4][5]
Folkestone was 266 feet 4 inches (81.18 m)long overall with abeam of 34 feet 1 inch (10.39 m) and adraught of 11 feet 3 inches (3.43 m) at full load.[6] Displacement was 1,045long tons (1,062 t)standard and 1,640 long tons (1,670 t)full load.[5] The ship was powered by two gearedsteam turbines, each driving onepropeller shaft, using steam provided by twoAdmiralty three-drum boilers. The turbines developed a total of 2,000shaft horsepower (1,500 kW) and were designed to give a maximum speed of 16.5knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).[6][5]
The main armament consisted of a pair ofQF four-inch (102 mm) Mk V guns on the ship's centreline, one forward and one aft, with the forward gun on a high-angle mount, capable of anti-aircraft fire and the second gun on a low-angle mount, for anti-surface use only. Two3-poundersaluting guns were also carried, while the anti-submarine armament initially consisted of fourdepth charges.[6][5] She had a crew of 100 officers and other ranks.[5]
Folkestone was converted to an unarmed survey ship in May 1939, but was rearmed in December 1939, having her forward four inch gun and depth charges (with stowage increased to 40 charges) restored. Two quadrupleVickers .50 machine gun mount were fitted for close-in anti-aircraft duties. A second 4-inch gun and twoOerlikon 20 mm cannons were fitted in July 1941, while in July 1942, two more Oerlikons were added, replacing the Vickers machine guns and aHedgehog anti submarine mortar was fitted.[6]
Following commissioning,Folkestone was ordered to thePersian Gulf Station,[6] replacing the oldArabis-class sloopCrocus, which had been condemned as unseaworthy and laid up in May that year,[7] arriving in the Gulf in August 1930.[6] In August 1931, she was sent for refit atColombo, Ceylon (nowSri Lanka), exchanging crews with the sloopFowey and on completion of the refit in November 1931, joined theChina Station based atHong Kong.[6] In January 1933,Folkestone and the sloopBridgewater were dispatched toQinhuangdao in North-east China to protect British interests as a result offighting between Chinese and Japanese troops atShanhai Pass at the eastern end of theGreat Wall of China.[8] On 6 March 1933 the British-owned steamerAntung ran aground atMofu Point onHainan.Folkestone was sent from Hong Kong toAntung's assistance, but most of the passengers and crew from the ship were rescued by the merchant shipAnhui, with about 100 more reaching the shore.Folkestone stood by the stranded ship while salvage attempts were made, but these were prevented by the heavy seas andAntung was wrecked, with about 50 passengers and crew missing.[9][10]Folkestone recommissioned at Hong Kong in April 1934 and atSingapore in October 1936.[6] On 15 May 1939Folkestone was near-missed by Japanese machine gun fire whenShantou was attacked by Japanese bombers.[11]
Later in May 1939,Folkestone began conversion to an unarmed survey ship in Hong Kong, with it being planned that the ship would be deployed to New Zealand. The outbreak of theSecond World War led to this conversion being abandoned, however, and after being partially rearmed, she was ordered back to British waters where she arrived in February 1940.[12]
Folkestone joined theWestern Approaches Command, based atLiverpool and operating in theNorth Atlantic.[13][14] On 4 June 1940, she collided with the coasterRiver Humber offAnglesey.River Humber was sunk, withFolkestone being repaired atCardiff.[13][15] On 17 October 1940 offIceland,Folkestone rescued seven survivors fromSS Doka, a Norwegian merchantman sunk by theGerman submarine U-93.[16] On 1 December 1940, the Britain-boundConvoy HX 90 came under attack before its escort had met up with the convoy. The convoy's escort, includingFolkestone joined the convoy on 2 December, and helped to drive away some of the attacking U-boats, but the convoy still lost 9 merchant ships before the attacks ended.[17]Folkestone was refitted atLiverpool in December 1940, and again in April–May 1941, when she was fitted withType 286 radar.[13][14] In October 1941,Folkestone was part of the 42nd Escort Group, based atLondonderry, employed on escorting convoys between Britain andFreetown inSierra Leone.[13][18] She was slightly damaged in a collision during November that year.[13]
Folkestone was refitted again at Cardiff from April–June 1942, being fitted with Centimetric Type 271 radar and a Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar.[13][14] On 16 August,Folkestone was part of the escort forConvoy SL 118 from Freetown to the United Kingdom, when the convoy was sighted by a German U-boat near theAzores, and awolfpack of seven U-boats directed against the convoy.Folkestone detected radio signals from a German submarine with the ship'sHigh-frequency direction finding gear, and running down the bearing foundU-333, and carried out a series of six depth-charge attacks on the submarine, which was badly damaged, with its starboard propeller shaft bent upwards, and forced to abort its patrol.U-333's commander,Peter-Erich Cremer, later reported that the attacks shook the submarine "to the breaking point". Attacks continued until 20 August, with four merchant ships sunk and three U-boats badly damaged.[19]Folkestone was refitted at Londonderry in October–November 1942.[13] By December, she was a member of the 44th Escort Group.[14]
In late February 1943, the 44th Escort Group, of four sloops, includingFolkestone, and two frigates, formed the close escort for the westboundConvoy UC 1, consisting of 32 merchant ships, including 17 unloaded oil tankers, with an American escort group of four modern destroyers in support. The convoy came under heavy attack by eleven U-boats. Four tankers were sunk and two damaged, with one U-boat,U-552, sunk by the sloopTotland.[20][21]Folkestone was refitted atGrimsby in April–May 1943 before joining the Western African Command, operating out of Freetown on convoy escort duties. She returned to England in September 1943 for a refit at Liverpool, during which she suffered a minor boiler explosion on 13 November. Following the refitFolkestone returned to Freetown. In March 1944, she joined the 56th Escort Group, still based at Freetown.[13]
In September 1944Folkestone returned to Britain, and after a survey indicated that she was beyond economic repair was laid up at Milford Haven.[13][14] After the end of the year she was used for bomb trials, and on 22 May 1947 was transferred toBISCO for disposal, being scrapped by Ward at their Milford Haven yard from November that year.[13][22]
