E Coast R.N. Named Ships

[E28]

As in the title i am starting this for all to contribute and enjoy for RN ships which have name associations only between the East coast towns Berwick in the north & Boston in the south.

Propose it comprises anything geographical and on a map or chart and upto a few miles inland ideally. Town, hamlet, hunt, hill, river, castle, whatever from any era. Incorporate whatever you are happy with.

Let's kick off with the 1922 Washington treaty cruiser Berwick, 1 of the 7 Kent class 8" cruisers limited to 10,000 tons standard and launched by Fairfields 30 March 1926.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5902&p=48618&hilit=berwick#p48618

This is not a historic record of her service and is extracted from this forum. She is also amongst the largest big guns for this area that can feature. She saw much action in WW2 with the home fleet and was the only RN 8" cruiser to see action one on one against another 8" cruiser. Not once, but twice.

Here she is port qtr in the China fleet colours she wore for many years from completion but after her first foreign commission when modified in Blighty before a second China stint pre WW2. Her appearance would change numerous times over the next 15 years but this is the era when she was a very 'tiddly' cruiser.

[E28]

Never HMS Rennington.

Most here will be familiar with this village rammed between the A1 and the East coast rail ironmongery to the East, a few miles North of Alnwick. This is the parish..
https://northumberlandparishes.uk/rennington/map

Rennington was built as a Ton class sweeper for the RN yard no 420 in Lowestoft and launched 27 Nov 1958 by Richards Ironworks.

Except she never flew the white ensign, languishing in reserve for years until with 5 other Ton's she was palmed off to the Argentinians in 1967, modified with enclosed bridges and other refinements to make them fit for service in those chilly South Atlantic seas, until stricken in 2003 and desplintered the following year.

This is Chaco, ex Rennington, in ARA service, named for a state in, wait for it, North East Argentina. These Tons were fitted with 2 x Napier Deltic diesels which assaulted ones ears with a most distinctive sound reminiscent of tinnitus. Chaco image credit Ton Class Association. Thanks lads.

[Hornbeam]

I wonder if the TCA source has got it wrong, unless she was sailed round to Gib by an RN Scratch Crew which was not unusual in those days as there was an Odd and Sods build of the Tons around the early years. Fortunately the Engineroom was fitted with the Soundproof Control Room with an Escape Ladder if I recall correctly, working around the running engines required ear protection and the ability to use sign language after of course you turned the engines over before starting to get rid of any “seepage” and then BANG they were away.

[E28]

River class torpedo boat destroyer Ouse of 1905.

Coal fired bunkerage of 180 tons ensured the average River at 16 knots would use 1.4 tons coal or travel 11.43 coal knots per ton, and tops of 25 knots use 12 tons or 2.08 coal knots per ton, moderately economical but these high freeboard seaworthy Rivers were a huge advance over all the previous TBD's where speed and more speed was contracted. Ouse could achieve 380 miles (using miles, easier to relate) in 24 hours equating to 7.3 times further than the length of this Yorkshire river from which she is named which with the Ure at 77 miles totals 129 miles combined.

Ordered to an identical design as Liffey in Cammell Laird's Wirrall yard as V0661and launched 7 Jan 1905 with 2 Irish named rivers for company, Liffey being 559, Moy 660, all the builders of the assorted River's had a high degree of autonomy, CL pleasing their lordships with their output.

Ouse loved the East coast so much a good grounding 19 Oct 1914 off Redcar on the outer reef opposite the Coatham Hotel amused the residents over breakfast before rescue from tugs, duly repeated 25 july 1916 off Blyth. In fact she was accident prone with many incidents during the hostilities, credit though for her contribution to the sinking of UC 70 and UB 115 these achievements being no accident both off the East coast in August and September 1918.

[E28]

Minesweeper HMS Bridlington, diesel Bangor class.

Leap year days only occur every 4 years, any ship launched on the 29th february is rare but in 1940 it was the date ship 1349 entered the chilly Clyde waters from her builder Denny of Dumbarton.

The RN had rarely used diesels in any ship, the Bangor's constructor Rowland Baker unwisely chose them for these dedicated wire sweep small sweepers which caused numerous issues with only 4 built for the RN ( Canada did build 10 ) the Denny pair Bridlington and Bridport and Harland & Wolff building Bangor and Blackpool in their Govan yard. H & W did the diesels for all 4, intriguing as neither they nor Denny had ever built a sweeper whilst Denny would never build another H & W would not build another Bangor class which with the diesel fiasco continued with the short lived turbine ships before accepting the reciprocating engine was ideal.

During the course of hostilities all the Bangors had increasing demands placed on them, duties for which they were never designed.
However, they had one design feature no other British warship had...a fully enclosed bridge. Remarkable, designed to keep all weather and goffers out.

Bridlington is proud of their sweeper and her post naval service, more details here...
https://bridlington.net/bridlington-his ... idlington/

[E28]

145 Isles class naval trawlers were built, their ancestry being Bassett in 1935 with the 52 Tree, Shakespearian and Dance classes inbetween.

Although classed as trawlers that only referred to their form, doubtful any ever cast a net in their careers.

Off the east coast the only group of islands are the Farne islands, it is their namesake H.M.Trawler Farne featured here.

Farne was amongst the 20 converted in build to dan layers recognisable by the two stump masts ahead of the bridge and long deckhouse extending almost to the stern for the 52 dan buoys and associated paraphernalia required for their use. As such dan layers followed the sweepers once a channel had been cleared to define the safe area with only a defensive armament of 3 x 20mm oerlikons, the lantern with radar 271 is above the bridge.

Post war numerous surplus Isles were sold out commercially and converted to myriad uses, many of these ships had unfortunate fates including Farne lost with all her men 27 December 1948 between Denmark and Sweden, retaing her original name, Farne, under the Norwegian flag and owners.

[northeast]

Re FARNE, according to our records:
12/1946 Rederi A/S Ranvik, Oslo
1946 converted to cargo vessel, lengthened to 154.0ft, 497grt, 180nrt
23/02/1949 presumed mined and sank in the Kattegat after sailing from Szczecin for Larvik with coal the previous day. Wreckage washed up near Halmsted the following day.

[E28]

Thanks for the valid observation George, i procrastinated whether to put her loss date in, especially as so many of these ships once converted to mercantile use sank or were wrecked.

However, i chose the 27 december 1948 as it is the date published in Lenton & College which pre dates most sources and wrecksite which also lists the 14 men who died from a Danish source. Details of her ownership are all consistent, intriguing that her name was retained.

With that we must leave it to the individual to draw their own conclusions.

[teesships]

Miramar also state 27th.
missing - sailed Szczecin 27.12.48 for Larvik, coal (all 14 lost)

Ron M

[Hornbeam]

I wonder if they have finally cleared the Mines out of that area yet, my first “experience “ of a Mine explosion was when we were moored at Scarborough in 1948? when a Coaster hit one and blew up.
It is indeed very surprising
that they had an Enclosed “Flying Bridge” on Minesweepers in those days the Lordships must have gone a bit soft in allowing that as they restricted vision when looking out for Mines or even the odd Torpedo Bubbles.
My understanding when it came to the “Tons” was they were designed in 1947 with the Open Flying Bridge ( the Ships Wheel and Engine Controls in the Wheelhouse below the Bridge with a Voice Pipe for communication between the Bridge and the also ran below) the first builds were ordered with that Spec, unfortunately the dastardly Russians exploded their first Nuclear Bomb in 1949 too late to change the build Spec the first “Ton” being launched in 1950.
Panic in Bath regarding anti Nuclear Measures to protect Ships Crews not only on the “Tons” but on other “War Canoes “ especially those converted from Destroyers to Anti Submarine Frigates in the 1950’s.





N