HMS Papua (K588)

HMS Papua (K588) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigate USS Howett (PF-84) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.

History
United States
Name: USS Howett
Namesake: British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom
Reclassified: Patrol frigate, PF-84, 15 April 1943
Builder: Walsh-Kaiser Company, Providence, Rhode Island
Laid down: 7 September 1943[1]
Renamed: Papua, 1943
Namesake: Territory of Papua
Launched: 10 October 1943
Sponsored by: Mrs. William Eastham
Commissioned: never
Identification: PG-192
Fate: Transferred to United Kingdom, 25 July 1944
Acquired: Returned by United Kingdom 13 May 1946
Fate:
  • Sold for scrapping
  • Scrapping cancelled
  • Resold 1950 for use as civilian passenger ship in Egypt
  • Sunk in collision 17 May 1953[1]
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Papua
Namesake: Territory of Papua
Acquired: 25 July 1944
Commissioned: 25 July 1944[1]
Decommissioned: 1945[2]
Identification: K587
Fate: Returned to United States 13 May 1946
General characteristics
Class and type: Colony/Tacoma-class patrol frigate
Displacement: 1,264 long tons (1,284 t)
Length: 303 ft 11 in (92.63 m)
Beam: 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
Draft: 13 ft 8 in (4.17 m)
Propulsion:
  • 3 × boilers
  • 2 × turbines, 5,500 shp (4,100 kW) each
  • 2 shafts
Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement: 190
Armament:

Construction and acquisition

The ship, originally designated a "patrol gunboat," PG-192, was ordered by the United States Maritime Commission under a United States Navy contract as USS Howett. She was reclassified as a "patrol frigate," PF-84, on 15 April 1943 and laid down by the Walsh-Kaiser Company at Providence, Rhode Island, on 7 September 1943.[1] Intended for transfer to the United Kingdom, the ship was renamed Papua by the British prior to launching and was launched on 10 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. William Eastham.

Service history

Transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 25 July 1944, the ship served in the Royal Navy as HMS Papua (K588) on patrol and escort duty. On 4 February 1945, she shared credit with the British frigates Loch Scavaig, Nyasaland, and Loch Shin for sinking the German submarine U-1014 in a depth-charge attack in the North Channel off Malin Head, Ireland, at 55°17′N 006°45′W.[1] She was decommissioned later in 1945.[2]

Final disposition

The United Kingdom returned Papua to the U.S. Navy on 13 May 1946. She was sold to the Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland, for scrapping, but her scrapping was cancelled and she was resold 1950 to the Khedivial Mail Line of Alexandria, Egypt, for use as the civilian passenger ship SS Malrouk. Afterwards she was acquired by the Egyptian government, rearmed and commissioned as Misr.[3]

Misr sank after a collision in the Gulf of Suez on 17 May 1953.

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References

Notes
  1. uboat.net HMS Papua (K 588)
  2. According to uboat.net HMS Papua (K 588), Papua' is not listed as an active unit on the October 1945 Navy List, strongly implying that the Royal Navy decommissioned her sometime earlier that year.
  3. wrecksite.eu about Misr

Bibliography
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