Editing HMS Launceston Castle (section)

==Service history==
''Launceston Castle'' was ordered on 19 January 1943, one of 14 Castle-class corvettes ordered that day (of which three were cancelled and two completed as rescue ships). The ship was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at [[Blyth Shipbuilding Company|Blyth Shipbuilding]]'s [[Blyth, Northumberland]] shipyard as [[Yard number]] 295 on 27 May 1943, with the ship's machinery being built by [[White's Marine Engineering Company]] at [[Hebburn]].<ref name="Friedp344">{{harvnb|Friedman| 2008|p=344}}</ref><ref name="castlep215">{{harvnb|Goodwin|2007|p=215}}</ref><ref name="s&s">{{cite web |title=Launceston Castle |website=Shipping and Shipbuilders |url=http://shippingandshipbuilding.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=200643&vessel=LAUNCESTON+CASTLE |access-date=18 November 2024}}</ref> ''Launceston Castle'' was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 27 November 1943 and completed on 20 June 1944, and was allocated the [[Pennant number]] K397.<ref name="Friedp344"/> She was the first Royal Navy ship to be called ''Launceston Castle''.<ref>{{harvnb|Colledge|Warlow|2006|p=195}}</ref>

In the Second World War she carried out [[convoy]] escort duties and anti-submarine patrols in the [[Western Approaches]], the [[English Channel]] and the [[North Sea]].<ref>{{harvnb|Goodwin|2007|p=389}}</ref> After commissioning, ''Launceston Castle'' joined Escort Group B4.<ref name="castlep2156">{{harvnb|Goodwin|2007|pp=215–216}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Rohwer|Hümmelchen|1992|p=279}}</ref> In August 1944, Escort Group B4 was redesignated as the 30th Escort Group commanded by [[Denys Rayner]], who carried his flag on board {{HMS|Pevensey Castle}}.<ref name="castlep2156"/><ref>{{harvnb|Rayner|1955|p=218}}</ref> On 11 November 1944, ''Launceston Castle'', along with [[sister ship]]s of the 30th Escort Group, ''Pevensey Castle'', {{HMS|Kenilworth Castle|K420|2}} and {{HMS|Portchester Castle|K362|2}}, carried out a series of attacks against a sonar target with Squid and depth charges off the south of [[Ireland]], bringing up oil and a large air bubble, and were credited with sinking the submarine, which was later identified as the {{GS|U-1200}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Goodwin|2007|pp=46–47, 219–222}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Rayner|1955|pp=225–229}}</ref> In 1999, however, the wreck of ''U-1200'' was found south-east of [[Start Point, Devon]], with the cause of the submarine's loss uncertain. The 30th Escort Group is now believed to have attacked a non-submarine target.<ref>{{harvnb|Niestlé|2014|pp=97, 228}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Helgason |first=Guðmundur |title=U-1200 |website=U-boat.net |url=http://uboat.net/boats/u1200.htm |access-date=20 November 2024}}</ref> On 15 November and 26–29 December, 30 Escort Group, including ''Launceston Castle'' made more attacks against suspected submarine targets.<ref>{{harvnb|Goodwin|2007|pp=393–394}}</ref>

''Launceston Castle'' continued to serve with the 30th Escort Group for the rest of the war in Europe, but in July–October 1945, was employed on air-sea rescue duties operating out of [[Freetown]],<ref name="castlep2156"/> patrolling on the expected routes of flights repatriating American troops.<ref>{{harvnb|Goodwin|2007|p=54}}</ref> In 1947, the ship went into reserve at [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport]].<ref name="cp41">{{harvnb|Critchley1992|p=41}}</ref> In 1948, the Castle-class were redesignated from 'Corvettes' to 'Frigates (2nd Rate)', and so ''Launceston Castle''{{'}}s pennant number changed from K397 to F397.<ref>{{harvnb|Marriott|1983|pp=20, 22}}</ref> The frigate was refitted at Bristol in 1949.<ref name="cp41"/><ref name="castlep218">{{harvnb|Goodwin|2007|p=218}}</ref>

In October 1951, after a refit at [[Falmouth, Cornwall]],<ref name="cp41"/> ''Launceston Castle'' joined the 2nd Training Squadron, serving as an Air Training Target Ship, working with helicopters carrying out air-sea rescue training, cooperating with anti submarine aircraft and acting as a target for submarines.<ref>{{harvnb|Goodwin|2007|pp=58–60, 218}}</ref> In 1953 she took part in the [[Fleet Review]] to celebrate the [[Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II]].<ref>Souvenir Programme, ''Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15 June 1953'', HMSO, Gale and Polden</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Berthing Plan for the Spithead Review |newspaper=[[The Times]] |date=15 June 1953 |issue=52648 |page=15}}</ref> After two [[Avro Shackleton]] maritime patrol aircraft of the [[RAF]] went missing on 11 January off [[Fastnet Rock]] in the Atlantic Ocean, ''Launceston Castle'' took part in search operations for the missing aircraft,<ref>{{cite news|title=18 Missing in Two Aircraft |newspaper=The Times |date=13 January 1955 |issue=53138 |page=4}}</ref> while on 24 January that year she took part in search operations after a Fleet Air Arm [[Fairey Firefly]] ditched off [[Lands End]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Aircraft Crash near Land's End |newspaper=The Times |date=25 January 1955 |issue=53148 |page=8}}</ref> In November 1956, ''Launceston Castle'' returned to reserve at Devonport.<ref name="cp41"/><ref name="castlep218"/> On the night on 5/6 February 1957, ''Launceston Castle'' went to the assistance of the merchant ship ''Holdernore'', which was adrift between [[Skerryvore]] and [[Tiree]] in the [[Inner Hebrides]] off the west coast of Scotland in gale force winds, escorting ''Holdernore'' to safety in [[Tobermory, Mull|Tobermory Bay]].<ref>{{cite news |title=12 Feared Lost In Wrecked Trawler |newspaper=The Times |date=6 February 1957 |issue=53758 |page=8}}</ref>

In 1959, ''Launceston Castle'' was sold for scrap, arriving at J. A. White's yard at [[St Davids on Forth]] for breaking up on 3 August 1959.<ref name="castlep218"/>