HMS Cooke (K471) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy in commission during World War II. Originally constructed as the United States Navy Evarts-class destroyer escort USS Dempsey (DE-267), she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1946.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Dempsey (DE-267) |
| Namesake | U.S. Navy Lieutenant, junior grade Richard John Dempsey (1919-1942), killed in action aboard the heavy cruiser USS Vincennes (CA-44) when she was sunk in the Battle of Savo Island |
| Ordered | 25 January 1942[1] |
| Builder | Boston Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Laid down | 11 March 1943[2] |
| Launched | 22 April 1943 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. J. A. Dempsey |
| Commissioned | never |
| Fate | Transferred to United Kingdom 23 August 1943 |
| Acquired | Returned by United Kingdom 5 March 1946 |
| Fate | Sold 3[1][3] or 10[2][4] June 1947 for scrapping |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Cooke |
| Namesake | Captain John Cooke (c. 1762-1805), British naval officer killed in action as commanding officer of HMS Bellerophon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805[4] |
| Acquired | 23 August 1943 |
| Commissioned | 23 August 1943[1] |
| Fate | Returned to United States 5 March 1946[2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 1,140 long tons (1,158 t) |
| Length | 289.5 ft (88.2 m) |
| Beam | 35 ft (11 m) |
| Draught | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h) |
| Range | 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement | 156 |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
| Notes | Pennant number K471 |
Construction and transfer edit
The ship was laid down as the U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Dempsey (DE-267), the first ship of the name, by the Boston Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts, on 11 March 1943[2] and launched on 22 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. J. A. Dempsey, mother of the late Lieutenant, junior grade Richard John Dempsey (1919-1942), for whom the ship was named. Dempsey was transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease upon completion on 23 August 1943.
Service history edit
Commissioned into service in the Royal Navy as HMS Cooke (K471) on 23 August 1943[1] simultaneously with her transfer, the ship served on patrol and escort duty. On 29 June 1944 she joined the British frigates Domett, Duckworth, and Essington and a Royal Air Force Liberator aircraft of No. 244 Squadron in a depth charge attack that sank the German submarine U-988 in the English Channel west of Guernsey at 49°37′00″N 003°41′00″W / 49.61667°N 3.68333°W. On 26 July 1944, she sank the German submarine U-214 with depth charges in the English Channel southeast of the Eddystone Rocks in position 49°58′00″N 003°30′00″W / 49.96667°N 3.50000°W.[1]
The Royal Navy returned Cooke to the U.S. Navy on 5 March 1946.
Disposal edit
The United States sold Cooke on 3[1][3] or 10[2][4] June 1947 (sources vary) for scrapping.
Citations edit
References edit
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive DE-267 Dempsey HMS Cooke (K-471)
- uboat.net HMS Cooke (K 471)
- Captain Class Frigate Association HMS Cooke K471 (DE 267)
External links edit