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HMCS Loch Alvie
History
United Kingdom
Name	Loch Alvie
Namesake	Loch Alvie, Scotland
Ordered	2 February 1943
Builder	Barclay, Curle & Company, Whiteinch, Glasgow
Yard number	700
Laid down	31 August 1943
Launched	14 April 1944
Commissioned	1950
Decommissioned	November 1963
Canada
Name	Loch Alvie
Commissioned	10 August 1944
Decommissioned	11 June 1945
Honours and awards	Arctic 1944–45 English Channel 1945
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 20 September 1965
General characteristics
Class and type	Loch-class frigate
Displacement	1,435 long tons (1,458 t)
Length	307 ft 9 in (93.80 m)
Beam	38 ft 9 in (11.81 m)
Draught	8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Propulsion	2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers 2 shafts 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines, 5,500 hp (4,100 kW)
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h)
Range	9,500 nautical miles (17,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement	114
Armament	1 × QF 4 inch Mark V on 1 single mounting HA Mk.III** 4 × QF 2-pounder Mk.VII on 1 quad mount Mk.VII 4 × 20 mm Oerlikon A/A on 2 twin mounts Mk.V (or 2 × 40 mm Bofors A/A on 2 single mounts Mk.III) Up to 8 × 20 mm Oerlikon A/A on single mounts Mk.III 2 × Squid triple barreled A/S mortars 1 rail and 2 throwers for depth charges

HMS Loch Alvie was a Loch-class frigate of the Royal Navy, named after Loch Alvie in Scotland. She was ordered by the Royal Navy during World War II, but did not see action with them, having transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy before commissioning. After the war she returned to the Royal Navy and would pass in and out of service until 1963.

Construction and design

Loch Alvie was ordered 2 February 1943. She was laid down on 31 August 1943 by Barclay, Curle & Company at Glasgow and launched on 14 April 1944. She was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and commissioned on 10 August 1944 at Dalmuir, Scotland.

Loch Alvie was 307 feet 0 inches (93.57 m) long overall and 286 feet 0 inches (87.17 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 38 feet 6 inches (11.73 m) and a draught of 12 feet (3.7 m). Displacement was 1,435 long tons (1,458 t) standard and 2,260 long tons (2,300 t) deep load. She was powered by two 4-cylinder triple expansion steam engines fed with steam from two Admiralty 3-drum boilers and rated at 5,500 indicated horsepower (4,100 kW). This gave a speed of 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph). Sufficient fuel was carried to give a range of 4,800 nautical miles (8,900 km; 5,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) in tropical waters.

The ship's main gun armament was a single 4 inches (102 mm) QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk V gun forward, with an anti-aircraft armament of a quadruple 2-pounder (40-mm) pom-pom aft and at least six Oerlikon 20 mm cannon (two twin powered mountings and at least two single mounts). Two Squid anti-submarine mortars were fitted, with 120 rounds carried, backed up by 15 conventional depth charges. As built, the ship had a complement of 114 officers and men.

Loch Alvie underwent significant modification when under refit from 1952 to 1954, with the ship's gun armament being heavily revised. The 4-inch gun was replaced by a twin Mk XVI 4-inch dual-purpose mount, while the close-in anti-aircraft armament was replaced by an outfit of six Bofors 40 mm guns (1 twin and 4 single mounts), while communications equipment was also upgraded.

Service history

World War II

After commissioning, Loch Alvie worked up at Tobermory. She joined the 9th Escort Group at Londonderry Port on 19 September 1944. After escorting convoys to and from Gibraltar, on 29 November she sailed as part of the escort of Russian Convoy JW 62, arriving at Murmansk on 7 December, and the return convoy RA 62, which left Kola Bay on 10 December, with Loch Alvie leaving the convoy on 17 December. She then returned to Liverpool for repairs.

The ship returned to convoy escort and anti-submarine operations in the English Channel in February 1945. The frigate deployed into the English Channel with the 9th escort group from 14 March to 20 April 1945. Later Loch Alvie joined Task Group 122.3 for anti-submarine operations and support duties in the South-Western Approaches and Irish Sea while based at Milford Haven.

After the German surrender in May Loch Alvie returned to the Clyde and took part in escorting Convoy JW67 – the last convoy to Russia – before being sent to Trondheim to escort fourteen U-boats to Loch Eriboll as part of "Operation Deadlight".

In June 1945 Loch Alvie was returned to the Royal Navy, paid off officially from the Royal Canadian Navy on 11 July and put into reserve at Sheerness. Lock Alvie and Monnow were the only two Canadian ships of the war never to visit a Canadian port.

Post-war

Loch Alvie was recommissioned in April 1950 to serve in the 6th Frigate Flotilla of the Home Fleet. In 1951 she took part in the search operation to find the missing submarine HMS Affray. The ship was again decommissioned in April 1952 and placed in reserve at Chatham.

In October 1952, she started a major modernisation and refit at Portsmouth dockyard where her armament was revised, with the refit continuing until January 1954. On completing the refit she was re-commissioned for service in the Persian Gulf.

In October 1960 Loch Alvie completed another refit before returning to the Persian Gulf. In April 1961, when the passenger liner Dara suffered an explosion, Loch Alvie took part in attempts to stop the resulting fires and salvage the ship. Later that year she was deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Vantage, a deployment of British forces to Kuwait in response to Iraqi threats of invasion.

Loch Alvie was decommissioned at Singapore in November 1963. During 1964 she was stripped of equipment, and the hulk sold to Hong Huat Hardware, Singapore, for scrapping on 20 September 1965.

References

1. "Battle Honours". Britain's Navy. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMCS Loch Alvie (K428)". uboat.net. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
3. ^ Macpherson & Barrie 2002, p. 101
4. ^ Elliott 1977, p. 234.
5. Marriott 1983, p. 24.
6. ^ Friedman 2008, p. 321.
7. Friedman 2008, p. 151.
8. ^ Marriott 1983, p. 25.
9. ^ Critchley 1992, p. 51.
10. ^ "HMS Loch Alvie, frigate". naval-history.net. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
11. Ruegg & Hague 1993, pp. 69–70.
12. Rohwer, p. 400
13. "42,000 miles in 16 months". Navy News. March 1962. p. 11. Retrieved 2 September 2018.

Publications

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) . 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.
• Critchley, Mike (1992). British Warships Since 1945. Vol. Part 5: Frigates. Liskeard: Maritime Press. ISBN 0-907771-13-0.
• Elliott, Peter (1977). Allied Escort Ships of World War II: A complete survey. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers. ISBN 0-356-08401-9.
• Friedman, Norman (2008). British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-015-4.
• Macpherson, Ken; Barrie, Ron (2002). The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–2002 (Third ed.). St. Catharines, ON: Vanwell Publishing. ISBN 1-55125-072-1.
• Marriott, Leo (1983). Royal Navy Frigates 1945–1983. Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 07110-1322-5.
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Revised & Expanded ed.). Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
• Ruegg, Bob; Hague, Arnold (1993). Convoys to Russia 1941–1945. Kendal: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-66-5.
• Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships : Loch Alvie

v t e 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

• Ships of the Royal Canadian Navy
• 1944 ships
• Loch-class frigates
• World War II frigates of the United Kingdom
• Cold War frigates of the United Kingdom
• Ships built on the River Clyde