Navy | The Royal Navy |
Type | Frigate |
Class | Loch |
Pennant | K 421 |
Built by | Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. (Wallsend-on-Tyne, U.K.) |
Ordered | 13 Feb 1943 |
Laid down | 6 Sep 1943 |
Launched | 23 Feb 1944 |
Commissioned | 10 Oct 1944 |
End service | |
History | Transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy on 3 September 1948 and renamed Taupo. |
Commands listed for HMS Loch Shin (K 421)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
Commander | From | To | |
1 | T/A/Lt.Cdr. Alfred Laurence Turner, RNR | 10 Mar 1944 | 13 Nov 1944 |
2 | A/Lt.Cdr. Charles William Leadbetter, RNR | 13 Nov 1944 | Jan 1945 |
3 | Cdr. John Percy de Winton Kitcat, RN | Jan 1945 | mid 1945 |
4 | T/A/Lt.Cdr. Percy Frederick Broadhead, RNR | mid 1945 | 31 Aug 1945 |
5 | T/A/Lt.Cdr. Graham Butcher, DSC, RNVR | 31 Aug 1945 | 21 Nov 1945 |
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Notable events involving Loch Shin include:
4 Feb 1945
German U-boat U-1014 was sunk in the North Channel east of Malin Head, in position 55°17'N, 06°44'W, by depth charges from the British frigates HMS Loch Scavaig (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Hancock, RNR), HMS Nyasaland (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J. Scott, DSC, RNVR), HMS Papua (A/Lt.Cdr. C.W. Leadbetter, RNR) and HMS Loch Shin (Cdr. J.P. de W. Kitcat, RN).
8 Mar 1945
HMS Uproar (Lt. J.N. Devlin, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Loch Shin (Cdr. J.P. de W. Kitcat, RN). (1)
16 Apr 1945
Operation Roundel, the passage of convoys JW 66 and RA 66 between the U.K. and Northern Russia vice versa.
Convoy JW 66.
This convoy departed the Clyde on 16 April 1945 for Northern Russia.
It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Albert C. Ritchie (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), August Belmont (American, 7240 GRT, built 1944), Benjamin H. Hill (American, 7198 GRT, built 1944), British Respect (British (tanker), 8479 GRT, built 1943), Cecil N. Bean (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), David B. Johnson (American, 7198 GRT, built 1944), Empire Garrick (British (tanker), 8128 GRT, built 1942), John Gibbon (American, 7247 GRT, built 1944), Joshua Thomas (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Keith Palmer (American, 7244 GRT, built 1944), Kong Haakon VII (Norwegian, 7073 GRT, built 1942), Kronprinsen (Norwegian, 7073 GRT, built 1942), Laurelwood (British, 7347 GRT, built 1929), Linn Boyd (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Lord Delaware (American, 7200 GRT, built 1942), Nelson W. Aldrich (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Owen Wister (American, 7240 GRT, built 1943), Park Benjamin (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Renald Fernald (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Samaritan (American, 7219 GRT, built 1943), Stevenson Taylor (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), William D. Byron (American, 7210 GRT, built 1944), William Tyler Page (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943) and Woodbridge N. Ferris (American, 7200 GRT, built 1943).
The RFA tanker Black Ranger (3417 GRT, built 1941) and Blue Ranger (3417 GRT, built 1941) were also with the convoy.
The rescue vessel Copeland (British, 1526 GRT, built 1923) was also with the convoy.
On departure from the Clyde the convoy was escorted by the sloop HMS Cygnet (Lt.Cdr. P.J. Cowell, DSC, RN) and the corvettes HMS Alnwick Castle (A/Lt.Cdr. H.A. Stonehouse, DSC, RNR), HMS Bamborough Castle (T/A/Lt.Cdr. H. Vernon, RNR) and HMS Farnham Castle (Lt. W.E. Warwick, RNR).
On 17 April 1944, the frigates HMS Loch Shin (Cdr. J.P. de W. Kitcat, RN), HMS Loch Insh (T/A/Lt.Cdr. E.W.C. Dempster, RNVR), HMS Cotton (Lt.Cdr. I.W.T. Beloe, RN), HMS Goodall (Lt.Cdr. J.V. Fulton, RNVR) and HMS Antigua (A/Lt.Cdr. E.L. Donkin, RNR) departed Scapa Flow to join the convoy.
On 19 April 1945, the corvettes HMS Honeysuckle (T/Lt. J.A. Wright, RNR), HMS Lotus ( T/Lt. T.S. Cox, RNVR), HMS Oxlip (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.K. Craig, RNVR) and HMS Rhododendron (T/Lt. R.S. Mortimer, RNR) departed Skaalefjord, Faeroer Islands to join the convoy. Also departing from there were sixteen Russian submarine chaser [identity currently unkown to us] which were to join the convoy for passage to Northern Russia.
On the 25th the russian destroyers Uritsky, Karl Libknekht, Valerian Kyubishev, Zarkij, Zostkij, Derzkij and Dostojnyj joined the convoy as did some smaller Russian vessels.
The convoy arrived in the Kola Inlet on 26 April 1945.
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Convoy RA 66.
This convoy departed the Kola Inlet on 29 April 1945 for the Clyde.
It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Benjamin Schlesinger (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Byron Darnton (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Charles A. McAllister (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Dolabella (British (tanker), 8142 GRT, built 1939), Eleazar Lord (American, 7247 GRT, built 1944), Eloy Alfaro (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944), Empire Stalwart (British, 7045 GRT, built 1943), Fort Boise (British, 7151 GRT, built 1943), Fort Massac (British, 7157 GRT, built 1943), Fort Yukon (British, 7131 GRT, built 1943), Grace Abbott (American, 7191 GRT, built 1942), Henry Lomb (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), James M. Gillis (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), John McDonough (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Lawrence J. Brengle (American, 7209 GRT, built 1944), Leo J. Duster (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Nicholas Biddle (American, 7191 GRT, built 1942), San Venancio (British (tanker), 8152 GRT, built 1942), Stage Door Canteen (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), W.R. Grace (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), Willard Hall (American, 7200 GRT, built 1943), William Pepper (American, 7176 GRT, built 1943), William Wheelwright (American, 7176 GRT, built 1944) and Windfred L. Smith (American, 7191 GRT, built 1943).
The RFA tanker Black Ranger (3417 GRT, built 1941) and Blue Ranger (3417 GRT, built 1941) were also with the convoy.
The rescue vessel Copeland (British, 1526 GRT, built 1923) was also with the convoy.
On departure from the Kola Inlet the convoy was escorted by the sloop HMS Cygnet and the corvettes HMS Alnwick Castle, HMS Bamborough Castle, HMS Farnwick Castle, HMS Honeysuckle, HMS Lotus, HMS Oxlip and HMS Rhododendron.
The convoy arrived in the Clyde on 8 May 1945. HMS Lotus had parted company on the 7th and arrived at Liverpool on the 8th.
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Cover for these convoys was provided by a force made up of escort carriers HMS Vindex (A/Cdr. J.D.L. Williams, DSC, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral A.E.M.B. Cunninghame-Graham, CBE, RN), HMS Premier (A/Capt. R.J. Gardner, RN), light cruiser HMS Bellona (Capt. G.S. Tuck, DSO, RN) and the destroyers HMS Zephyr (Capt. J.H. Allison, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Zealous (Cdr. R.F. Jessel, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Zest (Lt.Cdr. R.B.N. Hicks, DSO, RN), HMS Zodiac (Lt.Cdr. H.R. Rycroft, DSC, RN), HNoMS Stord (Lt.Cdr. H. Øi), HMS Offa (Lt.Cdr. E.M. Thorpe, DSO, RN), HMCS Haida (A/Lt.Cdr. R.P. Welland, DSC, RCN), HMCS Huron (Lt.Cdr. H.V.W. Groos, RCN) and HMCS Iroquois (Capt. K.F. Adams, RCN).
Around 1500B/17, HMS Vindex, HMS Premier, HMS Zealous, HMS Zephyr, HMS Zest, HMS Zodiac, HNoMS Stord, HMS Offa and HMCS Huron departed the Clyde to overtake and join the convoy which they did around 1200B/18.
Around 2030B/18, HMS Bellona joined the convoy coming from Scapa Flow which she had departed earlier in the day.
On 19 April 1944, the destroyers HMCS Haida and HMCS Iroquois departed Skaalefjord, Faeroer Islands to join the convoy. With them was also HMCS Huron which had fuelled at Skaalefjord after having been detached from the convoy earlier.
Around 0700B/25, HMS Vindex, HMS Premier, HMS Bellona, HMS Zealous, HMS Zest, HMS Zodiac, HMCS Haida, HMCS Huron and HMCS Iroquois parted company to proceed ahead of the convoy to the Kola Inlet where they arrived at midninght.
The cover force, still made up of HMS Vindex, HMS Premier, HMS Bellona, HMS Zealous, HMS Zephyr, HMS Zest, HMS Zodiac, HNoMS Stord, HMS Offa, HMCS Haida, HMCS Huron and HMCS Iroquois departed the Kola Inlet with convoy RA 66 on 29 April 1945.
Around 1300B/4, HMS Zealous, HMS Zephyr, HMS Zest, HMS Zodiac, HNoMS Stord, HMS Offa were detached to proceed at best speed to Scapa Flow where they arrived on the 5th.
Around 1730B/4, HMS Bellona also parted company with the convoy to proceed at best speed to Scapa Flow where she arrived around 1545B/5.
Around 2330B/6, HMS Vindex, HMS Premier, HMCS Haida, HMCS Huron and HMCS Iroquois arrived at Scapa Flow. (2)
Sources
- ADM 173/20181
- ADM 199/1440
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.