HMS Nyasaland (K587)

History
United States
Name:	USS Hoste
Namesake:	Captain Sir William Hoste (1780-1826), British naval officer (British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom)
Reclassified:	Patrol frigate, PF-83, 15 April 1943
Builder:	Walsh-Kaiser Company, Providence, Rhode Island
Laid down:	7 September 1943[1]
Renamed:	Nyasaland, 1943
Namesake:	Nyasaland (British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom)
Launched:	6 October 1943
Sponsored by:	Mrs. William A. Cahir
Commissioned:	never
Identification:	PG-191
Fate:	Transferred to United Kingdom, 31 July 1944
Acquired:	Returned by United Kingdom 15 April 1946
Fate:	Sold for scrapping 10 November 1947
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Nyasaland
Namesake:	Nyasaland
Acquired:	31 July 1944
Commissioned:	31 July 1944[1]
Identification:	K587
Fate:	Returned to United States 15 April 1946
General characteristics
Class and type:	Colony/Tacoma-class patrol frigate
Displacement:	1,264 long tons (1,284 t)
Length:	303 ft 11 in (92.63 m)
Beam:	37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
Draft:	13 ft 8 in (4.17 m)
Propulsion:	3 × boilers 2 × turbines, 5,500 shp (4,100 kW) each 2 shafts
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement:	190
Armament:	3 × single 3 in (76 mm)/50 cal. AA guns 2 × twin 40 mm guns 9 × single 20 mm 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar 8 × Y-gun depth charge projectors 2 × depth charge racks

HMS Nyasaland (K587) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigate USS Hoste (PF-83) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.

Construction and acquisition

The ship, originally designated a "patrol gunboat," PG-191, was ordered by the United States Maritime Commission under a United States Navy contract as the first USS Hoste. She was reclassified as a "patrol frigate," PF-83, on 15 April 1943 and laid down by the Walsh-Kaiser Company at Providence, Rhode Island, on 7 September 1943.^[1] Intended for transfer to the United Kingdom, the ship was renamed Nyasaland by the British prior to launching and was launched on 6 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. William A. Cahir.

Service history

Transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 31 July 1944, the ship served in the Royal Navy as HMS Nyasaland (K587) on patrol and escort duty. On 17 December 1944, she sank the German submarine U-772 with depth charges in the North Atlantic Ocean south of Cork, Ireland, at 51°16′N 008°05′W / 51.267°N 8.083°W / 51.267; -8.083 (U-772 sunk). On 4 February 1945, she shared credit with the British frigates Loch Scavaig, Papua, and Loch Shin for sinking the German submarine U-1014 in a depth-charge attack in the North Channel off Malin Head, Ireland, at 55°17′N 006°45′W / 55.283°N 6.750°W / 55.283; -6.750 (U-1014 sunk). On 2 March 1945, she rescued 42 survivors of the British merchant ship SS King Edgar, which the German submarine U-1302 had sunk in St. George's Channel at 52°05′N 005°42′W / 52.083°N 5.700°W / 52.083; -5.700 (SS King Edgar sunk).^[1]

Disposal

The United Kingdom returned Nyasaland to the U.S. Navy on 15 April 1946. She was sold to the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company of Chester, Pennsylvania, on 10 November 1947 for scrapping.

References

Notes

Bibliography

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Navsource Online: Frigate Photo Archive HMS Nyasaland (K 587) ex-Hoste ex-PF-82 ex-PG-191

External links

• Photo gallery of USS Hoste (PF-83) and HMS Nyasaland (K 587)