HMS Louis (K515)
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | unnamed (DE-517) |
| Builder: | Boston Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Laid down: | 9 July 1943 |
| Launched: | 13 August 1943 |
| Completed: | 9 November 1943 |
| Commissioned: | never |
| Fate: | Transferred to United Kingdom 9 November 1943 |
| Acquired: | Returned by United Kingdom 20 March 1946 |
| Fate: | Sold 17 June 1946 |
 United Kingdom | |
| Class and type: | Captain class frigate |
| Name: | HMS Louis (K515) |
| Namesake: | Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Louis (1758-1807), British naval officer who was commanding officer of HMS Minotaur at the Battle of the Nile in 1798[1] |
| Acquired: | 9 November 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 9 November 1943[2] |
| Fate: | Returned to United States 20 March 1946 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 1,140 tons |
| 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 K515 |
The second HMS Louis (K515) 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 DE-517, she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1946.
Construction and transfer
The ship was laid down by the Boston Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts, on 9 July 1943 as the unnamed U.S. Navy destroyer escort DE-517 and launched on 13 August 1943. The United States transferred the ship to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 9 November 1943.
Service history
The ship was commissioned into service in the Royal Navy as HMS Louis (K515) under the command of Acting Lieutenant Commander Robert Johnston, RNR, on 9 November 1943[2] simultaneously with her transfer. She served on antisubmarine patrol and convoy escort duty in the Bay of Biscay, North Atlantic Ocean, and Arctic Ocean. On 24 August 1944, she sank the German submarine U-445 with depth charges in the Bay of Biscay west of St. Nazaire, France, at position 47°21′00″N 005°50′00″W / 47.35000°N 5.83333°W.[2]
The Royal Navy returneed Louis to the U.S. Navy at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 20 March 1946.
Disposal
The United States Government sold Louis to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on 17 June 1946.
References
- 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-517 HMS Louis (K-515)
- uboat.net HMS Louis (K 515)
- Captain Class Frigate Association HMS Louis K515 (DE 517)
