| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | unnamed (DE-571) |
| Builder | Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard,Hingham,Massachusetts |
| Laid down | 20 October 1943 |
| Launched | 12 December 1943 |
| Completed | 28 January 1944 |
| Commissioned | never |
| Fate | Transferred to United Kingdom 28 January 1944 |
| Stricken | 19 May 1945 |
| Acquired | Returned by United Kingdom 3 December 1945 |
| Fate | Sold 9 January 1947 for scrapping |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSWhitaker (K580) |
| Namesake | Vice Admiral SirEdward Whitaker (1660–1735), British naval officer who distinguished himself ascommanding officer ofHMS Dorsetshire in 1704 |
| Acquired | 28 January 1944 |
| Commissioned | 28 January 1944 |
| Decommissioned | March 1945[1] |
| 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 K580 |
The secondHMSWhitaker (K580), and the first to enter service, 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 1944 to 1945.
The ship waslaid down as the unnamed U.S. Navy destroyer escortDE-571 byBethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., inHingham,Massachusetts, on 20 October 1943 andlaunched on 12 December 1943. She was transferred to the United Kingdom upon completion on 28 January 1944.
The ship wascommissioned into service in the Royal Navy[1] as the frigate HMSWhitaker (K580) on 28 January 1944 simultaneously with her transfer. She served on patrol and escort duty and operated in support of theinvasion ofNormandy in the summer of 1944.
TheGermansubmarineU-483torpedoedWhitaker at 0210 hours on 1 November 1944, offMalin Head on the north coast ofIreland at position55°30′00″N007°39′00″W / 55.50000°N 7.65000°W /55.50000; -7.65000 (HMSWhitaker (K580) torpedoed). Damage control measures brought the resultant fires under control by 0320 hours but not before the ship had lost much of herbow and suffered 79 dead.[2] Towed first toLondonderry Port,Northern Ireland, and then toBelfast, Northern Ireland,Whitaker was declared aconstructive total loss, remained inactive for the rest of World War II, and wasdecommissioned in March 1945.[1] The U.S. Navy struck her from itsNaval Vessel Register on 19 May 1945.
The Royal Navy returnedWhitaker to the U.S. Navy on 3 December 1945.
After her return to the U.S. Navy,Whitaker remained in the United Kingdom for ultimate disposition. She was sold to John Lee of Belfast on 9 January 1947 for scrapping.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1944 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
