HMS Cardigan Bay

Cardigan Bay in June 1945
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Cardigan Bay
Namesake	Cardigan Bay
Builder	Henry Robb
Yard number	348
Laid down	14 April 1944
Launched	28 December 1944
Commissioned	25 June 1945
Decommissioned	April 1961
Identification	Pennant number: K630 (1945–1948) F630 (1948–1962)
Honours and awards	Korea 1950–53
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 1962
Badge	On a Field, Barry wavy of 10 White and Blue, a demi-dragon erased rampant red, armed and with pointed tongue Blue.
General characteristics
Class and type	Bay-class frigate
Displacement	1,600 long tons (1,626 t) standard 2,530 long tons (2,571 t) full
Length	286 ft (87 m) p/p 307 ft 3 in (93.65 m) o/a
Beam	38 ft 6 in (11.73 m)
Draught	12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
Propulsion	2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Speed	19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph)
Range	724 tons oil fuel, 9,500 nmi (17,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement	157
Sensors and processing systems	Type 285 fire control radar Type 291 air warning radar Type 276 target indication radar High Frequency Direction Finder (HF/DF) IFF transponder
Armament	4 × QF 4 inch Mark XVI guns on 2 twin mounting HA/LA Mk.XIX 4 × 40 mm Bofors A/A on 2 twin mounts Mk.V 4 × 20 mm Oerlikon A/A on 2 twin mounts Mk.V 1 × Hedgehog 24 barrel A/S projector 2 rails and 4 throwers for 50 depth charges

HMS Cardigan Bay was a Bay-class anti-aircraft frigate of the British Royal Navy, named after Cardigan Bay, off the coast of Ceredigion, Wales.

The ship was originally ordered from Henry Robb of Leith in 1943 as the Loch-class frigate Loch Laxford, and laid down on 14 April 1944 as Admiralty Job No. J11861. However the contract was then changed, and the ship was revised as a Bay-class anti-aircraft frigate, and launched on 28 December 1944 as Cardigan Bay, the first Royal Navy ship to carry the name. She was completed on 15 June 1945.^[1]