- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- Yes - Squadron
- No - I would not like to see HMS Shoreham in game.
HMS Shoreham on escort duty in 1943, the Type 271 radome is clearly visible atop her bridge
Background:
Designed as an iterative improvement upon the Hastings-class sloops, which were themselves based upon the Bridgewater-class, the Shoreham-class mostly improved in the range and sea handling characteristics, with the longer and taller hull reducing the amount of water that came over the fo’c’sle in heavy weather, they inherited the improved crewing arrangement designed for hot climates from the Bridgewater-class, but with ever further improvements.
However, armament and its arrangement would stay the same as their predecessors, including the 4-inch armament and the ASW equipment, again in company with the other two classes that preceded them, this class featured no light AA as they commissioned, although they were designed to rapidly accept such weapons.
HMS Shoreham is the third of her name, and the first of her class of eight, the first and second ships of her name being 32-gun and 24-gun frigates, laid down in 1694 and 1744 respectively, the fourth vessel is a Sandown-class minehunter. This suggestion is for HMS Shoreham in her 1945 escort refit.
HMS Shoreham as completed, she still has the LA mount for her aft 4-inch gun.
History:
Laid down on the 19th of December 1929 by HM Dockyard, Chatham, she would launch on the 22nd of November 1930, completing and commissioning on the 2nd of November 1931. As completed she had 2x1 QF 4-inch Mk.V guns, with the fore gun being on a high angle (HA) mount, and the after gun being a low angle (LA) mount. This allowed the fore 4-inch gun to fire in an AA role, but the aft mount was restricted to surface warfare only. She also only carried four DCs total at this time, a greatly reduced number than what she was designed for.
Upon commissioning, she would sail for service in the Persian Gulf for colonial patrol duties. She would undergo a small refit Colombo in Ceylon in October 1932 as to correct minor faults, something that would occur often in her pre-war career. She would have her aft 4-inch gun removed during another refit the next year, in 1933, however in yet another refit, this time in 1934, she would regain it. Not much is known about her service in this area, as she did not engage in any unusual activities for vessels in her station. However in another refit at Colombo, this time in 1938, she would swap her aft LA 4-inch mount for a HA type, as well as gaining two quad 0.50" Vickers mounts.
On the 1st of January 1939, her annual refit would take place at Malta instead of Colombo, as she would gain her Type 127 ASDIC set and full DC load out of 60-90 DCs, but she would return to service in the Persian Gulf upon completion.
Upon the declaration of war in September 1939, HMS Shoreham would stay on the Persian Gulf station, however her duties would change to ASW and surface raider patrol, as well as shipping inspections for contraband.
HMS Shoreham being towed to the breakers in 1950, she has little altercations from her war service
By May 1940 she would transfer to the Red Sea as part of the Royal Navies counter to the Regia Marina’s Red Sea Flotilla, due to the Admiralty predicting an Italian declaration of war soon. On the 18th of June 1940, the Italian submarine Galileo Galilei was spotted off Aden by two RAF bomber aircraft, HMS Shoreham and the K-class Destroyer, HMS Kandahar were sent to intercept the submarine, but Kandahar’s DC attack was unsuccessful, and the resulting missed DC’s shockwave disrupting ASDIC operations, allowing the Italian submarine to escape.
However five days later on the 23rd, the Shoreham, and the K-class Destroyers Kandahar, Khartoum, and Kingston encountered the Italian submarine Toricelli off Perim Island. A gun duel began between the ships, with both Shoreham and Khartoum taking hits from the submarine’s 100mm gun. Damage to the Shoreham was light, and Toricelli was scuttled by her crew after being crippled by gunfire, but several hours after the fact the Khartoum would explode after her crew failed to extinguish a fire in of her torpedo compressed air chambers caused by the Italian’s gunfire, leading to her sinking.
On the 3rd of August 1940, Italy invaded British Somaliland, and with the position becoming untenable, it was decided to withdraw British troops from Berbera. This began on the 14th, with Shoreham taking part, at the end of these operations on the 19th of August, 7,140 people had been evacuated to Aden. By the 23rd of May 1941, HMS Shoreham would intercept the German merchant vessel Oder, who then proceeded to scuttle themselves.
Through April to May 1941, HMS Shoreham was in refit at Bombay, however she would move back to the Persian Gulf upon it’s completion. By the 25th of August 1941 the Allied invasion of Iran began, with the Shoreham assigned to the force attacking Abadan, covering the landing of the 24th Indian Infantry Brigade. During these operations, she would sink the Iranian Babr-class gunboat Palang, which was berthed in the city at the time. After these operations she would move to the Suez region, acting as an anti-air guard ship, but would move back to Colombo to join the Eastern Fleet for ASW work.
She underwent a large refit from October 1942 to February 1943, fitting HF/DF, as well as Type 271 radar. Her armament during this refit was also altered, with her quad 0.50" Vickers MGs being removed for three 20mm Oerlikons. After the completion of this refit she would move to Alexandria, where she would take part in Operation Husky. She would stay here until September 1943 when she moved back to the Eastern Fleet, again for ASW work out of Bombay. She completed a small refit at Capetown from March to July 1944, where she gained Type 291 Radar in place of the Type 271 set.
On the 2nd of January 1945, HMS Shoreham would join Operation Lightning off the Akyab Peninsular, Burma, Shoreham would cover troops of the 3rd Commando Brigade. She had another refit at Durban in April 1945, adding a single QF-2pdr Pom-Pom to complete her light AA armament. From the completion of this refit, she would continue escort operations near Indian waters.
After war’s end she would be sent back to operations off the Persian Gulf, where she began her service in 1932. She would serve here until July 1946, when she would return to British waters, her first time back in UK waters since she commissioned in 1931. Upon arrival she was laid up for disposal.
She was sold on the 4th of November 1946 for civilian conversion. Very little of her structure was actually changed for this service, with her superstructure remaining almost identical to her war years. She was renamed to Jorge F El Joven upon completion of her demilitarization. She was scrapped at Zeebrugge in November 1950
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMS Shoreham | |||||
| Country: Britain | |||||
| Type: Sloop | |||||
| Class name: Shoreham | |||||
| Year of commission: 1931 | |||||
| Refit: 1945 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 281ft 4in (85.75m) | |||||
| Beam: 35ft (10.67m) | |||||
| Draught: 8ft 3in (2.51m) | |||||
| Displacement: 1,150t standard | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 2x oil fired boilers, driving 2x geared steam turbines @ 2,000shp (1,500kW) across two screws | |||||
| Speed: 16.5kt | |||||
| Endurance: 290t of oil, 0.6t/h @ 10kt | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 104 | |||||
| Primary armament: 2x1 QF 4-inch Mk.V on HA mount | |||||
| Secondary armament: 3x1 20mm Oerlikon, 1x1 QF-2pdr Pom-Pom | |||||
| Tertiary armament: 2x DC chutes,60-90 DCs | |||||
| Radar: HF/DF, Type 271 | |||||
| Sonar: Type 127 |
Sources:
A. Hague (1993). Sloops, 1926-1946 (pp.32-37)
J.Colledge & B.Warlow (2006) Ships of the Royal Navy. (p.321)
HMS Shoreham (L32) - Wikipedia
HMS Shoreham (L 32 / U 32) of the Royal Navy - British Sloop of the Shoreham class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net
HMS Shoreham, sloop
