HMS Loch Achanalt (K424)

History
HMCS Loch Achanalt
United Kingdom
Name:	Loch Achanalt
Ordered:	24 July 1942
Builder:	Henry Robb, Leith
Yard number:	342
Laid down:	14 September 1943
Launched:	23 March 1944
Completed:	11 August 1944
Fate:	loaned to Canada 1944, returned 1945. Sold to New Zealand, March 1948
Canada
Name:	Loch Achanalt
Commissioned:	31 July 1944
Decommissioned:	July 1945
Honours and awards:	English Channel 1945
Fate:	returned to UK 1945
New Zealand
Name:	Pukaki
Acquired:	March 1948
Commissioned:	13 September 1948
Decommissioned:	May 1965
Fate:	Sold for scrapping, October 1965
General characteristics
Class and type:	Loch-class frigate
Displacement:	1,435 tons
Length:	286 ft (87 m) p/p 307.25 ft (93.65 m) o/a
Beam:	38.5 ft (11.7 m)
Draught:	8.75 ft (2.67 m) standard 13.25 ft (4.04 m) full
Propulsion:	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines, 5,500 ihp or Parsons single reduction geared turbines, 6,500 shp
Range:	730 tons oil fuel, 9,500 nautical miles (17,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement:	114
Armament:	1 × QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark V gun on one single mounting HA MkIII** 4 × QF 2-pounder (40 mm) MkVII guns on 1 quad mount MkVII 4 × 20 mm Oerlikon A/A on 2 twin mounts MkV (or 2 × 40 mm Bofors A/A on 2 single mounts Mk.III) up to 8 × 20 mm Oerlikon A/A on single mounts MkIII 2 × Squid triple barreled A/S mortars 1 rail and 2 throwers for depth charges

HMS Loch Achanalt was a Loch-class frigate of the Royal Navy that was loaned to and served with the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. Ordered from Henry Robb, Leith, on 24 July 1942 as a River-class frigate, the order was changed, and ship laid down on 14 September 1943, and launched by Mrs. A.V. Alexander, wife of the First Lord of the Admiralty on 23 March 1944 and completed on 11 August 1944.^[1] After the war she was transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy and renamed Pukaki.

Service history

As Loch Achanalt (K424)

Loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy, the ship was commissioned on 31 July 1944, and joined the 6th Canadian Escort Group at Derry for convoy defence and anti-submarine operations in the North-Western Approaches. On 16 October Loch Achanalt and Annan engaged and sank the German submarine U-1006 off the Faroe Islands.^[1]

In January 1945 the 6th Escort Group was transferred to convoy defence duties in the English Channel based at Portsmouth. From 14 March to 20 April, the group were deployed from Plymouth to the English Channel and South-Western Approaches on convoy defence duties.^[2] Later in April they sailed to Halifax for convoy defence duties. Following the German surrender, the Group was disbanded on 23 May 1945. Loch Achanalt was returned to the Royal Navy in July and put into reserve at Sheerness.^[1]

In March 1948 Loch Achanalt was sold to Royal New Zealand Navy with five other Loch-class frigates. On 13 September 1948 she was formally transferred and renamed HMNZS Pukaki (F424).^[1]

As Pukaki (F424)

On 15 October 1948 Pukaki sailed from Portland with three other Loch-class frigates, arriving at Auckland in January 1949 to join the 11th Frigate Flotilla for patrols and exercises.^[1]

On 25 June 1950 Pukaki was placed at the disposal of the UN Forces in Korea. In August Pukaki and sister-ship Tutira arrived at Sasebo to join the UN naval command. Initially attached to Task Group 96.5 for escort duties between Japan and Korea, in September she was transferred to Task Group 90.7 to support of landings by the US 1st Marine Division at Inchon, rejoining Task Group 96.5 in October to protect minesweeping operations prior to the landings at Wonsan. In November she was relieved by the frigate Rotoiti and returned to Auckland to refit, after which she was placed in reserve.^[1]

Recommissioned in December 1952 for service in the 11th Frigate Flotilla, Pukaki was assigned to detached service with the Royal Navy's Far East Fleet 4th Frigate Squadron based at Singapore in September 1953. In January 1954 the frigate was deployed in the Yellow Sea for trade protection and as back-up to UN forces in Korea if required. In May she was transferred to Singapore for anti-terrorist operations in the Malayan Emergency, returning to Auckland in September.^[1]

She rejoined the 4th Frigate Squadron in the Far East Fleet in June 1955, for trade protection and Korean coast guard ship duties, while also carrying out joint exercises with United States Navy ships, returning to Auckland in May 1956. In December she escorted the supply vessel Endeavour during the initial stage of the journey to McMurdo Sound in Antarctica.^[1]

In 1957 and 1958 the ship was deployed as a weather reporting ship during the "Operation Grapple" nuclear tests at Christmas Island. Between 1959 and 1962 she once more joined the Far East Fleet for SEATO exercises and patrols. From 1963-1965 she supported the United States "Operation Deep Freeze" Antarctic operations.^[1] Pukaki alternated with an American Edsall-class DER picket frigate operating from Dunedin in summer months to track United States Navy Lockheed C-130 Hercules deployments and other flights from Harewood airport in Christchurch to McMurdo Base in the Ross Dependency, offering the potential for search and rescue in the Southern Ocean and service to the weather station on Campbell Island. Sea conditions probably shortened by two years the service life of Pukaki and the other surviving Loch-class frigate, Rotoiti. This forced the United States Navy to deploy two Edsall-class DERs to Dunedin for the final three deployments in 1966-68.

Put into reserve in May 1965 Pukaki was sold in October. The ship was towed to Hong Kong and scrapped in January 1966.^[1]

References

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "HMS Loch Achanalt". naval-history.net. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
↑ Rohwer, p. 400

Bibliography

Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships : Loch Achanalt
McDougall, R J (1989) New Zealand Naval Vessels. Page 37-41. Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0-477-01399-4
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939—1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Revised & Expanded ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.

External links

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Loch-class frigates

Royal Navy

Completed	Naver / Loch Achanalt Loch Achray Loch Alvie Loch Ard Loch Arkaig Loch Assynt / Derby Haven Loch Boisdale Loch Craggie Loch Cree Loch Dunvegan Loch Eck Loch Fada Loch Fyne Loch Glendhu Loch Gorm Loch Insh Loch Katrine Loch Killin Loch Killisport Loch Lomond Loch More Loch Morlich Loch Quoich Loch Ruthven Loch Scavaig Loch Shin Loch Tarbert Loch Torridon / Woodbridge Haven Loch Tralaig Loch Veyatie

Reordered as Bay class	Loch Achility / St Brides Bay Loch Amish / Tremadoc Bay Loch Arklet / Start Bay Loch Brachdale / Enard Bay Loch Carloway / Bigbury Bay Loch Carron / Gerrans Bay / Surprise Loch Coulside / Padstow Bay Loch Eil / Herne Bay / Dampier Loch Fannich / Hollesley Bay Loch Foin / Largo Bay Loch Frisa / Widemouth Bay Loch Garasdale / Wigtown Bay Loch Glass / Luce Bay / Dalrymple Loch Harport / Burghead Bay Loch Heilen / Morecambe Bay Loch Kilbernie / Mounts Bay Loch Laxford / Cardigan Bay Loch Lubnaig / Whitesand Bay Loch Lyddoch / St Austell Bay Loch Maddy / Carnarvon Bay Loch Mochrum / Pegwell Bay / Cook Loch Muick (K640) / Thurso Bay / Owen Loch Muick (K650) / Loch Seaforth / Porlock Bay Loch Roan / Cawsand Bay Loch Scamdale / Dundrum Bay / Alert Loch Swannay / Veryan Bay

Cancelled	Loch Affric Loch Awe Loch Badcall Loch Caroy Loch Clunie Loch Creran Loch Doine Loch Earn Loch Enoch Loch Ericht Loch Erisort Loch Eye Loch Eynort Loch Garve Loch Glashan Loch Goil Loch Griam Loch Harray Loch Hourn Loch Inchard Loch Ken Loch Kirbister Loch Kirkaig Loch Kishorn Loch Knockie Loch Laro Loch Linfern Loch Linnhe Loch Lurgan Loch Lyon Loch Maberry Loch Minnick Loch Nell Loch Odairn Loch Ossian Loch Ronald Loch Ryan Loch Scridain Loch Sheallag Loch Shiel Loch Skaig Loch Skerrow Loch Stemster Loch Stenness Loch Striven Loch Sunart Loch Swin Loch Tanna Loch Tilt Loch Tummell Loch Urigill Loch Vanavie Loch Vennachar Loch Watten

Other operators

Royal Canadian Navy	Loch Achanalt Loch Alvie Loch Morlich

Imperial Iranian Navy	Babr (ex-Derby Haven)

Royal Malaysian Navy	Hang Tuah (ex-Loch Insh)

Royal New Zealand Navy	Hawea (ex-Loch Eck) Kaniere (ex-Loch Achray) Pukaki (ex-Loch Achanalt) Rotoiti (ex-Loch Katrine) Taupo (ex-Loch Shin) Tutira (ex-Loch Morlich)

South African Navy	Good Hope (ex-Loch Boisdale) Natal (ex-Loch Cree) Transvaal (ex-Loch Ard)

Preceded by: Captain class
Followed by: Bay class

List of frigates of the Royal Navy

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