HMS Bickerton (K466)

HMS Bickerton was a Buckley class Captains class frigate during World War II. Named after Sir Richard Bickerton commander of HMS Terrible (1762) at the First Battle of Ushant during the American Revolutionary War.

Originally this ship was provisionally given the name USS Eisele (this name was reassigned to USS Eisele (DE-34)) however the delivery was diverted to the Royal Navy before the launch. The Commanding Officers were Lieutenant EM Thorpe RN and Commander D. MacIntyre, (Senior Officer 5th Escort Group).

Actions
Bickerton served exclusively with the 5th Escort Group earning battle honours for service in the Arctic (Russian Convoys), North Atlantic, off Normandy and in the English Channel.

On 6 May 1944, the German submarine GERMAN SUBMARINE U-765 was sunk in the North Atlantic — in position 52.5°N, -28.46667°W — by depth charges from Bickerton, operating alongside two Fairey Swordfish (No. 825 Squadron) of the escort carrier HMS Vindex (D15) and frigates HMS Bligh (K467) and HMS Aylmer (K463). Of the crew of U-765, 37 died and 11 survived.

On 25 June, GERMAN SUBMARINE U-269 was sunk in the English Channel south-east of Torquay — in position 50.01667°N, -2.98333°W — by depth charges from Bickerton. Of the crew of U-269, 13 died and 39 survived.

Sinking
Bickerton was escorting the second group of escort carriers (HMS Trumpeter (D09) and HMS Nabob (D77)) from the Home Fleet (under Admiral Moore), which covered the convoy JW-59 and launched further attacks (Operation Goodwood) on the German battleship GERMAN BATTLESHIP Tirpitz in the Altenfjord. Before the group was able to launch an attack on Tirpitz, GERMAN SUBMARINE U-354 encountered them on her search for the convoy Northwest of the North Cape in the Barents Sea. At about 01:00 on 22 August, U-354 badly damaged Nabob with a pattern-running FAT torpedo spread. The U-boat then tried to sink her at 01:22 with a GNAT homing torpedo, which struck Bickerton. She was subsequently scuttled by a torpedo from HMS Vigilant (R93) at position 71.7°N, 19.18333°W.

General information

 * Pennant (UK): K 466
 * Pennant (US): DE 75
 * Built by: Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard Inc. (Hingham, Massachusetts, U.S.A.)