HMS Gardiner (K478) 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 O'Toole (DE-274), she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1946.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS O'Toole (DE-274) |
| Namesake | U.S. Navy Ensign John Albert O’Toole (1916-1942), killed in action during the Operation Torch amphibious landings in North Africa on 8 November 1942 |
| Ordered | 25 January 1942[2] |
| Builder | Boston Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Laid down | 20 May 1943 |
| Launched | 8 July 1943[1] |
| Completed | 28 September 1943 |
| Commissioned | Never |
| Fate | Transferred to United Kingdom 28 September 1943 |
| Acquired | Returned by United Kingdom 12 February 1946 |
| Fate |
|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Gardiner |
| Namesake | Captain Arthur Gardiner ( ? -1758), British naval officer killed in action as commanding officer of HMS Monmouth during the capture of the French ship Foudroyant in 1758 [4][5] |
| Acquired | 28 September 1943 |
| Commissioned | 28 September 1943[2] |
| Decommissioned | 1945[3] |
| Fate | Returned to United States 12 February 1946 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Captain-class frigate |
| 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 K478 |
Construction and transfer edit
The ship was laid down as the U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS O'Toole (DE-274), the first ship of the name, by the Boston Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts, on 20 May 1943 and launched on 8 July 1943. O'Toole was transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease upon completion on 28 September 1943.
Service history edit
Commissioned into service in the Royal Navy as HMS Gardiner (K478) on 28 September 1943[2] simultaneously with her transfer, the ship served on patrol and escort duty for the remainder of World War II.
The Royal Navy decommissioned Gardiner in 1945[3] after the end of the war and returned her to the U.S. Navy at the Boston Naval Shipyard on 12 February 1946.
Disposal edit
The United States sold Gardiner to the Atlas Steel and Supply Company on 10 December 1946 for scrapping. In 1947, she was resold to the Kulky Steel and Equipment Company of Alliance, Ohio, and finally was scrapped in June 1947.
Citations edit
- ^ a b c uboat.net HMS Gardiner (K 478)
- ^ a b According to uboat.net HMS Gardiner (K 478), the Royal Navy had removed Gardiner from its active list by October 1945, indicating her decommissioning prior to that.
- ^ FRIGATES IN MIXED ESCORT GROUPS
- ^ Sotheby's Catalogue Notes and Provenance
References edit
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here. (Gardiner)
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here. (O'Toole)
- Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive O'Toole (DE-274) HMS Gardiner (K-478)
- uboat.net HMS Gardiner (K 478)
External links edit