HMS Drury was a Captain-class frigate, originally commissioned to be built for the United States Navy as an Evarts-class destroyer escort. Before she was finished in 1942, she was transferred to the Royal Navy under the terms of Lend-Lease, and saw service during the Second World War. She has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to be named Drury, after Captain Thomas Drury, commander of HMS Alfred in the West Indies in 1795.

History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Drury
BuilderPhiladelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Laid down12 February 1942
Launched24 July 1942
Commissioned12 April 1943
Renamed
  • Planned as HMS Cockburn
  • Renamed HMS Drury before launching
IdentificationPennant number K316
FateReturned to United States Navy on 20 August 1945
United States
NameUSS Drury
Commissioned20 August 1945
Decommissioned22 October 1945
Stricken16 November 1945
FateSold for scrapping in June 1946
General characteristics
Class and typeCaptain-class frigate
Length289.5 ft (88.2 m)
Beam35 ft (11 m)
Draught9 ft (2.7 m)
Propulsion
  • Four General Motors 278A 16-cylinder engines
  • GE 7,040 bhp (5,250 kW) generators (4,800 kW)
  • GE electric motors for 6,000 shp (4,500 kW)
  • Two shafts
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range5,000 nmi (9,260 km; 5,750 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement156
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament

Wartime career

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She was originally to have been named HMS Cockburn, but the name was changed to HMS Drury prior to her launch on 24 July 1942 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 12 April 1943 and spent her wartime career on anti-submarine patrols and as a convoy escort. On 21 April 1945 Drury, Bazely and HMS Bentinck sank U-636 west of Ireland.

Post-War return to the United States

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Drury was transferred back to the US Navy on 20 August 1945 at Chatham, England. She was commissioned the same day. She departed Chatham on 28 August, joined Task Group 21.3 off Dover, and the following day sailed for the States. Drury arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 8 September and remained there at the Philadelphia Navy Yard where she was decommissioned on 22 October 1945. She was scrapped in June 1946.

References

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  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
  • 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.
  • Drury at Uboat.net
  • Drury at Captain class frigate association
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