Editing HMS Caistor Castle

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image   = HMS Caistor Castle FL7393.jpg
| Ship caption = ''Caistor Castle'', 25 January 1945
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header         = 
| Ship country        = United Kingdom
| Ship flag           = [[File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|60px|RN Ensign]]
| Ship name           = ''Caister Castle''
| Ship namesake       = [[Caister Castle]]
| Ship ordered        = 19 December 1942
| Ship builder        = [[John Lewis & Sons]], [[Aberdeen]]
| Ship laid down      = 28 August 1943
| Ship launched       = 22 May 1944
| Ship completed      = 29 September 1944
| Ship commissioned   = 
| Ship decommissioned = 1953
| Ship in service     = 
| Ship out of service = 
| Ship struck         = 
| Ship reinstated     = 
| Ship honours        = 
| Ship identification = [[Pennant number]]: K690
| Ship fate           = Sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]], 1956
| Ship notes          = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header       = 
|Header caption    = 
|Ship class        = {{sclass2|Castle|corvette}}
|Ship displacement = *{{convert|1010|LT|t|lk=on}} ([[Standard displacement|standard]])
*{{convert|1510|LT|t}} ([[deep load]])
|Ship length       = {{convert|252|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam         = {{convert|33|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught      = {{convert|14|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship power        = *2 [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s
*{{cvt|2880|ihp|lk=on}}
|Ship propulsion   = 2 shafts, 2 geared [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship speed        = {{convert|16.5|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range        = {{convert|6500|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn}}
|Ship complement   = 99
|Ship sensors      = *Type 145 and Type 147 [[ASDIC]]
*[[Type 277 radar|Type 277]] [[search radar]]
*[[HF/DF]] [[radio direction finder]]
|Ship armament     = *1 × single [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|{{cvt|4|in|mm|0}} gun]]
*2 × twin, 2 × single [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|{{cvt|20|mm|1}}]] [[AA gun]]s
*1 × 3-barrel [[Squid (weapon)|Squid]] [[anti-submarine mortar]]
*15 × [[depth charge]]s, 1 rack and 2 throwers
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Caister Castle''''' was one of 44 {{sclass2|Castle|corvette}}s built for the [[Royal Navy]] during [[World War II]].

==Design and description==
The Castle-class corvette was a stretched version of the preceding [[Flower-class corvette|Flower class]], enlarged to improve [[seakeeping]] and to accommodate modern weapons. The ships [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|1010|LT|t|lk=on}} at [[Displacement (ship)|standard]] load and {{convert|1510|LT|t}} at [[deep load]]. They had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|252|ft|m|1}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|36|ft|9|in|m|1}} and a deep [[draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|14|ft|m|1}}. They were powered by a pair of [[Marine steam engine#Triple or multiple expansion|triple-expansion steam engines]], each driving one [[propeller shaft]] using steam provided by two [[Admiralty three-drum boiler]]s. The engines developed a total of {{convert|2880|ihp|lk=on}} and gave a maximum speed of {{convert|16.5|kn|lk=in}}. The ''Castle''s carried enough [[fuel oil]] to give them a range of {{convert|6500|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}. The ships' complement was 99 officers and [[Naval rating|ratings]].<ref>Lenton, p. 297</ref>

The Castle-class ships were equipped with a single [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|QF {{convert|4|in|mm|adj=on|0}} Mk XVI gun]] forward, but their primary weapon was their single three-barrel [[Squid (weapon)|Squid]] [[anti-submarine mortar]]. This was backed up by one [[depth charge]] rail and two throwers for 15 depth charges. The ships were fitted with two twin and a pair of single mounts for [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|{{convert|20|mm|1|adj=on}} Oerlikon]] light [[AA gun]]s.<ref>Chesneau, p. 63; Lenton, p. 297</ref> Provision was made for a further four single mounts if needed. They were equipped with Type 145Q and Type 147B [[ASDIC]] sets to detect submarines by reflections from sound waves beamed into the water. A [[Type 277 radar|Type 277]] [[search radar]] and a [[HF/DF]] [[radio direction finder]] rounded out the Castles' sensor suite.<ref>Goodwin, p. 3</ref>

==Construction and career==
''Caistor Castle'' was [[laid down]] by [[John Lewis & Sons]] at their [[shipyard]] in [[Aberdeen]] on 26 August 1943 and [[Ship launching and naming|launched]] on 22 May 1944. She was completed on 29 September and served as a [[convoy]] escort until the end of the war in May 1945. After the war, ''Caistor Castle'' was in reserve at [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport]] from 1947 until 1948.<ref>Goodwin, pp. 120–122</ref> She represented the [[Reserve Fleet (United Kingdom)|Reserve Fleet]] at the 1953 [[Fleet Review, Royal Navy|Coronation Review]]<ref>Souvenir Programme, ''Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953'', HMSO, Gale and Polden</ref> and served in the Second Training Squadron at [[Isle of Portland|Portland]] from February 1953 until 1955.<ref>Goodwin, p. 122</ref> ''Caistor Castle'' was then placed in reserve at Devonport before being sold for scrap to Arnott Young in 1956; the ship arrived at [[Dalmuir]] in March to be broken up.<ref>Lenton, p. 298</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
* {{cite book|last1=Goodwin|first1=Norman |title=Castle Class Corvettes: An Account of the Service of the Ships and of Their Ships' Companies|date=2007|publisher=Maritime Books|location=Liskeard, UK|isbn=978-1-904459-27-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Lenton|first=H. T.|title=British & Empire Warships of the Second World War|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1998|isbn=1-55750-048-7|authorlink=Henry Trevor Lenton}}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2|authorlink=Jürgen Rohwer}}

{{Castle class corvette}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caistor Castle}}
[[Category:Castle-class corvettes]]
[[Category:1944 ships]]