HMS Urania (R05)

HMS Urania was a U-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. After the war she was converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate and was scrapped in 1971.

Urania in April 1944
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Urania
Builder:	Vickers-Armstrongs
Laid down:	18 June 1942
Launched:	19 May 1943
Commissioned:	18 January 1944
Identification:	pennant number R05/F08
Fate:	Scrapped 1971
General characteristics V-class destroyer
Class and type:	V-class destroyer
Displacement:	1,777 long tons (1,806 t) standard 2,058 long tons (2,091 t) full load
Length:	363 ft (111 m)
Beam:	35 ft 8 in (10.87 m)
Draught:	10 ft (3.0 m)
Propulsion:	2 × Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers Geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (29,828 kW) 2 shafts
Speed:	37 knots (43 mph; 69 km/h)
Range:	4,860 nmi (9,000 km) at 29 kn (54 km/h)
Complement:	180 (225 in flotilla leader)
Armament:	Original configuration : 4 × QF 4.7-inch (120-mm) Mk XII guns in single mountings CP Mk.XXII 2 × QF 40 mm Bofors guns in twin mount Mk.IV 6 × QF 20 mm Oerlikon guns; 2 × twin mounts Mk.V, 2 × single mounts Mk.III 2 × quadruple tubes for 21 in (533 mm) torpedo Mk.IX
General characteristics Type 15 frigate
Class and type:	Type 15 frigate
Displacement:	2,300 long tons (2,337 t) standard
Length:	358 ft (109 m) o/a
Beam:	37 ft 9 in (11.51 m)
Draught:	14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Propulsion:	2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, steam turbines on 2 shafts, 40,000 shp
Speed:	31 knots (36 mph; 57 km/h) (full load)
Complement:	174
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar Type 293Q target indication (later Type 993) Type 277Q surface search Type 974 navigation Type 262 fire control on director CRBF Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF Sonar: Type 174 search Type 162 target classification Type 170 attack
Armament:	1 × twin 4 in gun Mark 19 1 × twin 40mm Bofors Mk.5; 2 × Squid A/S mortar or; 2 × Limbo Mark 10 A/S mortar

Service history

Second World War service

Urania saw service during the Second World War as part of the British Pacific Fleet.

Post War service

From 1947 until 1950 Urania was held in reserve at Devonport Dockyard.[1] She was converted into a reserve fleet accommodation ship in 1949, and was based at Devonport.[2] On 11 November 1950 she arrived at Hawthorn Leslie on the Tyne for a refit and was again in reserve at Harwich in 1952.

On 23 April 1953 she arrived in Liverpool for conversion into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, by Harland and Wolff. Her pennant number was also changed from R05 to F08.[2]

On completion of her conversion she was commissioned on 2 January 1955 into the 6th Frigate Squadron, for service in the Mediterranean, with other Type 15 frigates Ursa, Undine and Ulysses. They collectively took part in the Suez Operation and Cyprus emergency before returning home.

In 1958 she was returned to the reserve at Devonport dockyard before another refit. On 7 January 1959 she re-commissioned for trials before returning to reserve.

Decommissioning and disposal

From 1962 until 1967 she was held in reserve at Devonport. In January 1967 she was transferred to the operational reserve. She was subsequently sold for scrap and arrived at Faslane for breaking up on 2 February 1971.[2]

Notes

1. Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 66. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.
2. Warlow, Ben (2000). Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy. Maritime Books. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-907771-74-6.

Publications

• 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.
• Marriott, Leo (1994). Royal Navy Destroyers since 1945. Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1817-0.
• Raven, Alan; Roberts, John (1978). War Built Destroyers O to Z Classes. London: Bivouac Books. ISBN 0-85680-010-4.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.