Allied Warships

HMS Loch Katrine (K 625)

Frigate of the Loch class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeFrigate
ClassLoch 
PennantK 625 
Built byHenry Robb Ltd. (Leith, U.K.) : Plenty 
Ordered25 Jan 1943 
Laid down31 Dec 1943 
Launched21 Aug 1944 
Commissioned29 Dec 1944 
End service 
History

Transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy on 7 July 1949 and renamed Rotoiti.
Decommissioned in August 1965.
Sold to be broken up for scrap in September 1966.

 

Commands listed for HMS Loch Katrine (K 625)

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.

CommanderFromTo
1T/A/Lt.Cdr. Ronald Albert Cherry, RNR14 Oct 19449 Feb 1945
2Cdr. John Valentine Waterhouse, DSO, RN9 Feb 194523 Jan 1946

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Notable events involving Loch Katrine include:


2 Jan 1945
Around 2000A/2, the escort carriers HMS Ranee (A/Capt. A.A. Murray, RN), HMS Ravager (A/Capt. G.V.B. Faulkner, RN) and repair ship HMS Deer Sound (A/Capt. R.H. Johnson, DSC, RN) departed Rosyth for the Clyde. They were escorted by the destroyers HMS Cavendish (Cdr. R.H. Maurice, DSO, RN), HMS Zodiac (Lt.Cdr. H.R. Rycroft, DSC, RN) and the frigate HMS Loch Katrine (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.A. Cherry, RNR).

Around 0135A/3, the destroyer HMS Virago (Lt.Cdr. A.J.R. White, RN) joined.

Around 0200A/4, HMS Loch Katrine parted company and proceeded to Tobermory where she was to work up.

Around 1300A/4, the three destroyers parted company off the entrance to the Clyde. They arrived at Scapa Flow later the same day.

The two escort carriers and the repair ship then entered the Clyde. (1)

19 Jan 1945
HMS Upshot (Lt. A.J. Boyall, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Loch Katrine (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.A. Cherry, RNR) and HMS Denbigh Castle (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G. Butcher, DSC, RNVR). (2)

22 Jan 1945
HMS Upshot (Lt. A.J. Boyall, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Loch Katrine (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.A. Cherry, RNR) and HMCS Teme (T/Lt.Cdr. D.G. Jeffrey, DSO, MBE, RCNR). (2)

23 Jan 1945
HMS Upshot (Lt. A.J. Boyall, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Loch Katrine (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.A. Cherry, RNR), HMS Vestal (Lt. C.W. Porter, DSC, RN) and HMS Courier (A/Cdr. H.J.A.S. Jerome, DSO, RN). (2)

27 Feb 1945
HMS Vengeful (Lt. A.S. Melville-Ross, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Loch Alsh with HMS Loch Quoich (Lt.Cdr. G. MacClelland, DSC, RN) and HMS Loch Katrine (Cdr. J.V. Waterhouse, DSO, RN). (3)

2 Mar 1945
HMS Vengeful (Lt. A.S. Melville-Ross, DSC, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Loch Alsh with HMS Loch Quoich (Lt.Cdr. G. MacClelland, DSC, RN) and HMS Loch Katrine (Cdr. J.V. Waterhouse, DSO, RN). (4)

1 Apr 1945

Convoy KMF 42.

This convoy was assembled off Oversay on 1 April 1945.

It was made up of the following (troop) transports; Almanzora (British, 15551 GRT, built 1914), Aorangi (British, 17491 GRT, built 1924), Carnarvon Castle (British, 20122 GRT, built 1926), Empire Chieftain (British, 9904 GRT, built 1943), Empire Pride (British, 9248 GRT, built 1941), Highland Chieftain (British, 14135 GRT, built 1929), Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (Dutch, 19429 GRT, built 1930), Nieuw Holland (Dutch, 11066 GRT, built 1927), Orduna (British, 15507 GRT, built 1914), Potaro (British, 5410 GRT, built 1940), Ruys (Dutch, 14155 GRT, built 1937), Strathmore (British, 23428 GRT, built 1935), Strathnaver (British, 22283 GRT, built 1931), Tamaroa (British, 12405 GRT, built 1922), Waiwera (British, 12435 GRT, built 1934) and Winchester Castle (British, 20012 GRT, built 1930).

Also the the aircraft maintenance carrier HMS Pioneer (Capt. H.S. Murray-Smith, RN), escort carrier HMS Pursuer (Capt. T.L. Bratt, DSC, RN) and the fighter direction ship HMS Ulster Queen (A/Capt. M.H.J. Bennett, RD, RNR) were also part of the convoy.

The convoy was escorted by the frigates HMS Dart (Cdr. J.T. Jones, RD, RNR), HMS Evenlode (Cdr. V.F. Smith, DSO, RD, RNR), HMS Ness (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.S. Steel, RNR), HMS Loch Katrine (Cdr. J.V. Waterhouse, DSO, RN) and HMS Loch Quoich (Lt.Cdr. G. MacClelland, DSC, RN).

The convoy arrived at / was dispersed off Gibraltar in the morning of 7 April 1945. Some ships had been detached in the Atlantic though.

3 Jul 1945
HMS Vulpine (Lt. W.D.S. Scott, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Larne with HMS Loch Quoich (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.E.B. Healy, RNVR) and HMS Loch Katrine (Cdr. J.V. Waterhouse, DSO, RN). (5)

4 Jul 1945
HMS Vulpine (Lt. W.D.S. Scott, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Larne with HMS Loch Quoich (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.E.B. Healy, RNVR) and HMS Loch Katrine (Cdr. J.V. Waterhouse, DSO, RN). (5)

Sources

  1. ADM 53/121183 + ADM 53/122094 + ADM 53/122099
  2. ADM 173/20187
  3. ADM 173/20257
  4. ADM 173/20258
  5. ADM 173/20366

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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