| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | unnamed (DE-89) |
| Ordered | 10 January 1942[1] |
| Builder | Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard,Hingham,Massachusetts |
| Laid down | 14 July 1943 |
| Launched | 2 October 1943 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. James E. Hamilton |
| Completed | 30 November 1943 |
| Commissioned | never |
| Fate | Transferred to United Kingdom 30 November 1943 |
| Acquired | Returned by United Kingdom 20 January 1947 |
| Fate | Sold for scrapping 30 January 1947[2] or 4 February 1947[3] |
| Stricken | 7 February 1947 |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSRedmill (K554) |
| Namesake | CaptainRobert Redmill (ca. 1765-1819), British naval officer who wascommanding officer ofHMS Polyphemus during theBattle of Trafalgar in 1805[4] |
| Acquired | 30 November 1943 |
| Commissioned | 30 November 1943 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 1,400 long tons (1,422 t) |
| Length | 306 ft (93 m) |
| Beam | 36.75 ft (11.2 m) |
| Draught | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 24 knots (44 km/h) |
| Range | 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement | 186 |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
| Notes | Pennant number K554 |
The secondHMSRedmill (K554), and the first ship to see service under the name, was a BritishCaptain-classfrigate of theRoyal Navy in commission duringWorld War II. Originally constructed as aUnited States NavyBuckley classdestroyer escort, she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1945.
The ship waslaid down as the unnamed U.S. Navy destroyer escortDE-89 byBethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., inHingham,Massachusetts, on 14 July 1943 andlaunched on 2 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. James E. Hamilton, the wife ofCaptain James E. Hamilton of the U.S. Navy'sBureau of Ships. The ship was transferred to the United Kingdom upon completion on 30 November 1943.
Commissioned into service in the Royal Navy as the frigate HMSRedmill (K554) on 30 November 1943 simultaneously with her transfer, the ship served on patrol and escort duty. On 27 March 1945 she joined the British frigatesHMS Byron (K508) andHMS Fitzroy (K553) in adepth charge attack which sank theGermansubmarineU-722 in theNorth Atlantic Ocean near theHebrides at57°09′00″N006°55′00″W / 57.15000°N 6.91667°W /57.15000; -6.91667 (Submarine U-722 sunk).[1]
On 27 April 1945, the German submarineU-1105 detected three British frigates in the North Atlantic 25nautical miles (46 km) west ofCounty Mayo,Ireland, and fired twoG7es – known to theAllies as "GNAT" –torpedoes at them. Fifty seconds later, the first torpedo struckRedmill at54°23′00″N010°36′00″W / 54.38333°N 10.60000°W /54.38333; -10.60000 (Redmill torpedoed), followed a few seconds later by the second, together blowing 60 feet (over 18 meters) of herstern off.U-1105 evaded counterattack. Assisted by the British frigateHMS Rupert (K561),Redmill managed to remain afloat and was towed toLisahally,Northern Ireland.[1][5]
Found to be beyond economical repair,Redmill was declared aconstructive total loss. The Royal Navy returned her hulk to U.S. custody on 20 January 1947.[3]
The United States soldRedmill on either 30 January 1947[2] or 4 February 1947[3] (sources vary) to theAthens Piraeus Electricity Company, Ltd., ofAthens,Greece, for scrapping. The U.S. Navy struckRedmill from itsNaval Vessel Register on 7 February 1947.[3]
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere. (misspelled "Redmil")Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in April 1945 | |
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| Other incidents |
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