HMS Bickerton (K466)

HMS "Bickerton" was a "Buckley" class "Captains class" frigate during World War II. Named after Sir Richard Bickerton commander of HMS "Terrible" at the First Battle of Ushant during the American Revolutionary War.

Originally this ship was provisionally given the name USS "Eisele" (this name was reassigned to DE 34) however the delivery was diverted to the Royal Navy before the launch. The Commanding Officers were Lt. EM Thorpe RN and Cdr. D.G.F.W. MacIntyre, DSO RN (Senior Officer 5th Escort Group).

Actions

HMS "Bickerton" served exclusively with the 5th Escort Group earning battle honours for service in the Arctic (Russian Convoys), North Atlantic, off Normandy and in the English Channel.

On 6 May 1944 the submarine U-765 was sunk in the North Atlantic, in position coord|52|30|N|28|28|W|display=inline, by depth charges from HMS "Bickerton", operating alongside 2 Swordfish aircraft (Sqdn. 825) of the British escort carrier HMS "Vindex" and the British frigates HMS "Bligh" and HMS "Aylmer". Of the crew of U-765 37 died and 11 survived.

The submarine U-269 was also sunk in the English Channel south-east of Torquay, in position coord|50|01|N|02|59|W|display=inline, by depth charges from HMS "Bickerton" on 25 June 1944. Of the crew of U-269 13 died and 39 survived.

inking

HMS "Bickerton" was escorting the second group of "Escort Carriers" (HMS "Trumpeter" and HMS "Nabob") from the Home Fleet (Adm Moore), which covered the convoy JW-59 and launched further attacks (Operation Goodwood) on the German battleship "Tirpitz" in the Altenfjord. Before the group was able to launch an attack on the battleship, the submarine U-354 encountered them on her search for the convoy Northwest of the North Cape in the Barents Sea. At about 01.00 hours on 22 August 1944 U-354 badly damaged HMS "Nabob" with a FAT torpedo spread and tried to sink her at 01.22 hours with a Gnat, which struck HMS "Bickerton". HMS "Bickerton" was subsequently scuttled by a torpedo from HMS "Vigilan"t at position 71.42N, 19.11E.

General Information

*Pennant (UK): K 466
*Pennant (US): DE 75
*Built by: Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard Inc. (Hingham, Massachusetts, U.S.A.)

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b6/bickerton-i.htm Bickerton - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5484.html Uboat.net page for HMS Bickerton]
* [http://uboat.net/boats/u765.htm Uboat.net page for U-765]
* [http://uboat.net/boats/u269.htm Uboat.net page for U-269]
* [http://uboat.net/boats/u354.htm Uboat.net page for U-354]
* [http://www.captainclassfrigates.co.uk/ captainclassfrigates.co.uk]

References

* "The Captain Class Frigates in the Second World War" by Donald Collingwood. published by Leo Cooper (1998), ISBN 085052 615 9.
* "The Buckley-Class Destroyer Escorts" by Bruce Hampton Franklin, published by Chatham Publishing (1999), ISBN 086176118X.
* "German U-Boat Losses During World War II" by Axel Niestle, published by United States Naval Inst (1998), ISBN 1557506418.