Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Royal Navy — Frigate K556

HMS Halsted (K556)

Buckley-class destroyer escort

Displacement
1,400 long tons (1,422 t)
Length
93.27 m (306 ft)
Beam
11.2 m (36.7 ft)
Speed
24 knots (44.4 km/h, 27.6 mph)
Complement
186
Main gun
76 mm (3 in)

Service

  1. United States Navy as unnamed (DE-91)1946 — 1 November 1946
  2. Royal Navy as HMS Halsted (K556)3 November 1943 — 11 June 1944221 days of the war
Buckley-class destroyer escort Particulars
Name
HMS Halsted
Pennant / hull number
K556
Builder
Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Ordered
10 January 1942
Laid down
28 July 1943
Launched
14 October 1943
Commissioned
3 November 1943
Struck
13 November 1944
Fate
Declared constructive total loss after 11 June 1944
Nominally returned to U.S. Navy 1946 (1944)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, standard
1,400 long tons (1,422 t)
Length
93.27 m (306 ft)
Beam
11.2 m (36.7 ft)
Draught
2.74 m (9 ft)
Speed
24 knots (44.4 km/h, 27.6 mph)
Range
5,500 nmi (10,186 km)
Complement
186
Main gun
76 mm (3 in)

HMS Halsted was a frigate of the Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy. She carried the pennant number K556. Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts laid her keel on 28 July 1943. Launched on 14 October 1943, she entered service on 3 November 1943.

Her class ran to 98 ships. The class followed the Evarts-class destroyer escort and was succeeded by the Cannon-class destroyer escort.

Displacement was 1,400 long tons. She measured 93.3 m (306 ft) long with a beam of 11.2 m (37 ft). Her designed speed was 24 knots, and she carried a complement of 186.

Her main battery was three 76 mm (3 in) guns.

She served with the United States Navy as unnamed (DE-91) until 1 November 1946. She then passed to the Royal Navy, serving as HMS Halsted (K556) from 3 November 1943. She was in commission for 221 days of the Second World War. She was struck from the register on 13 November 1944.

She was sunk on 11 June 1944. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • Two Foster-Wheeler Express "D"-type water-tube boilers
  • GE 13500 shp steam turbines and generators (9,200 kW)
  • Electric motors for 12000 shp
  • Two shafts
Armament
  • 3 × 3 in /50 Mk.22 guns
  • 1 × twin Bofors 40 mm mount Mk.I
  • 7–16 × 20 mm Oerlikon guns
  • Mark 10 Hedgehog A/S projector
  • Depth charges
  • QF 2-pounder naval gun

Sister ships

73 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from HMS Halsted (K556) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.