Allied Warships

HMS Capel (K 470)

Frigate of the Captain class

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Frigate
Class	Captain
Pennant	K 470
Built by	Boston Navy Yard (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.)
Ordered	25 Jan 1942
Laid down	11 Mar 1943
Launched	22 Apr 1943
Commissioned	16 Aug 1943
Lost	26 Dec 1944
Loss position	49° 50'N, 1° 41'W

History	On 26 December 1944 HMS Capel (Lt. Bevil Grenfell Heslop, DSC, RN) was torpedoed and sunk north-north-east of Cherbourg, France in position 49º50'N, 01º41'W by the German submarine U-486. 76 members of the crew went down with the ship. Hit by U-boat Sunk on 26 Dec 1944 by U-486 (Meyer).
U-boat Attack	See our U-boat attack entry for the HMS Capel
Former name	USS Wintle DE 266

Commands listed for HMS Capel (K 470)

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.

	Commander	From	To
1	Lt. Bevil Grenfell Heslop, DSC, RN	18 Nov 1943	26 Dec 1944 (+)

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Notable events involving Capel include:

11 Oct 1943
HMS Royal Sovereign (A/Capt. P. Skelton, RN) departed the Norfolk Navy Base for Argentia, Newfoundland. She is being escorted by the frigates and HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Inver (Lt.Cdr. F.H. Gray, RNR) and HMS Findhorn (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Dawson, RD, RNR). (1)

15 Oct 1943
HMS Royal Sovereign (A/Capt. P. Skelton, RN), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Inver (Lt.Cdr. F.H. Gray, RNR) and HMS Findhorn (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Dawson, RD, RNR) arrived at Argentia. (1)

16 Oct 1943
The battleship HMS Royal Sovereign (A/Capt. P. Skelton, RN) departed Argentia for Greenock. She is escorted by the frigates HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Cooke (Lt.Cdr. L.C. Hill, OBE, RD, RNR), HMS Inver (Lt.Cdr. F.H. Gray, RNR) and HMS Findhorn (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Dawson, RD, RNR). (1)

23 Oct 1943
HMS Royal Sovereign (A/Capt. P. Skelton, RN), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Cooke (Lt.Cdr. L.C. Hill, OBE, RD, RNR), HMS Inver (Lt.Cdr. F.H. Gray, RNR) and HMS Findhorn (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Dawson, RD, RNR) arrived at Greenock. (1)

10 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Awe (Lt.Cdr. H.P. Carse, DSC, RNVR), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HNoMS Tunsberg Castle and FFS Commandant d'Estienne d'Orves . (2)

11 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Awe (Lt.Cdr. H.P. Carse, DSC, RNVR), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HNoMS Tunsberg Castle and FFS Commandant d'Estienne d'Orves . (2)

12 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Awe (Lt.Cdr. H.P. Carse, DSC, RNVR), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN) and HNoMS Tunsberg Castle. (2)

16 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Evenlode (T/A/Lt.Cdr. G.B. Medlycott, RNR), HMS Loch Killin (Lt.Cdr. S. Darling, RANVR), HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN) and HNoMS Tunsberg Castle. (2)

17 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HNoMS Tunsberg Castle and HMCS Orangeville (Lt. F.R. Pike, RCNVR). (2)

22 May 1944
HMS Una (Lt. C.A.J. Nicholl, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Tobermory with HMS Capel (Lt. B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN), HMS Caprice (Lt.Cdr. G.W. McKendrick, RN) and HMCS Orangeville (Lt. F.R. Pike, RCNVR). (2)