HMS Tintagel Castle (K399)

{{Infobox ship | Ship image = | Ship caption =

|module= Career (United Kingdom) Name: Tintagel CastleNamesake: Tintagel CastleOrdered: 23 January 1943Builder: Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, TroonLaid down: 29 April 1943Launched: 13 December 1943Commissioned: 7 April 1944Identification: Pennant number: K399Fate: Scrapped, June 1958 |module2= General characteristics Class & type: Castle-class corvetteDisplacement:

• 1,010 long tons (1,030 t) (standard)
• 1,510 long tons (1,530 t) (deep load)Length:

252 ft (76.8 m)Beam: 33 ft (10.1 m)Draught: 14 ft (4.3 m)Installed power:

• 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
• 2,880 ihp (2,150 kW)Propulsion:

2 shafts, 2 geared steam turbinesSpeed: 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)Range: 6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)Complement: 99Sensors and
processing systems:

• Type 145 and Type 147 ASDIC
• Type 277 search radar
• HF/DF radio direction finderArmament:
• 1 × single 4 in (102 mm) gun
• 2 × twin, 2 × single 20 mm (0.8 in) AA guns
• 1 × 3-barrel Squid anti-submarine mortar
• 15 × depth charges, 1 rack and 2 throwers

|}

HMS Tintagel Castle was one of 44 Castle-class corvette built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was named after Tintagel Castle in Tintagel. Completed in 1943, she was used as a convoy escort during the war and was scrapped in August 1960.

Design and description

The Castle-class corvette was a stretched version of the preceding Flower class, enlarged to improve seakeeping and to accommodate modern weapons. The ships displaced 1,010 long tons (1,030 t) at standard load and 1,510 long tons (1,530 t) at deep load. They had an overall length of 252 feet (76.8 m), a beam of 36 feet 9 inches (11.2 m) and a deep draught of 14 feet (4.3 m). They were powered by a pair of triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines developed a total of 2,880 indicated horsepower (2,150 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph). The Castles carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 6,500 nautical miles (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The ships' complement was 99 officers and ratings.

The Castle-class ships were equipped with a single QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk XVI gun forward, but their primary weapon was their single three-barrel Squid anti-submarine mortar. This was backed up by one depth charge rail and two throwers for 15 depth charges. The ships were fitted with two twin and a pair of single mounts for 20-millimetre (0.8 in) Oerlikon light AA guns. Provision was made for a further four single mounts if needed. They were equipped with Type 145Q and Type 147B ASDIC sets to detect submarines by reflections from sound waves beamed into the water. A Type 277 search radar and a HF/DF radio direction finder rounded out the Castles' sensor suite.

Construction and career

Tintagel Castle was laid down by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company at their shipyard at Sunderland, on 19 April 1943 and launched on 13 December 1943. She was completed on 7 April 1944 and served as a convoy escort. She was decommissioned and scrapped in June 1958, at Troon.

HMS Tintagel Castle and HMS Vanquisher sank U-878 by depth charges off Bay of Biscay on 10 April 1945.

References

• 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 (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475. 
• Goodwin, Norman (2007). Castle Class Corvettes: An Account of the Service of the Ships and of Their Ships' Companies. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. ISBN 978-1-904459-27-9. 
• Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7. 
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.