HMS Cooke

HMS Cooke (K471) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy in commission during World War II. Originally constructed as the United States Navy Evarts-class destroyer escort USS Dempsey (DE-267), she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1946.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Dempsey.

History
United States
NameUSS Dempsey (DE-267)
NamesakeU.S. Navy Lieutenant, junior grade Richard John Dempsey (1919-1942), killed in action aboard the heavy cruiser USS Vincennes (CA-44) when she was sunk in the Battle of Savo Island
Ordered25 January 1942[1]
BuilderBoston Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts
Laid down11 March 1943[2]
Launched22 April 1943
Sponsored byMrs. J. A. Dempsey
Commissionednever
FateTransferred to United Kingdom 23 August 1943
AcquiredReturned by United Kingdom 5 March 1946
FateSold 3[1][3] or 10[2][4] June 1947 for scrapping
Royal Navy EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Cooke
NamesakeCaptain John Cooke (c. 1762-1805), British naval officer killed in action as commanding officer of HMS Bellerophon at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805[4]
Acquired23 August 1943
Commissioned23 August 1943[1]
FateReturned to United States 5 March 1946[2]
General characteristics
Displacement1,140 long tons (1,158 t)
Length289.5 ft (88.2 m)
Beam35 ft (11 m)
Draught9 ft (2.7 m)
Propulsion
  • Four General Motors 278A 16-cylinder engines
  • GE 7,040 bhp (5,250 kW) generators (4,800 kW)
  • GE electric motors for 6,000 shp (4,500 kW)
  • Two shafts
Speed20 knots (37 km/h)
Range5,000 nautical miles (9,260 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement156
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
NotesPennant number K471

Construction and transfer

The ship was laid down as the U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Dempsey (DE-267), the first ship of the name, by the Boston Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts, on 11 March 1943[2] and launched on 22 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. J. A. Dempsey, mother of the late Lieutenant, junior grade Richard John Dempsey (1919-1942), for whom the ship was named. Dempsey was transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease upon completion on 23 August 1943.

Service history

Commissioned into service in the Royal Navy as HMS Cooke (K471) on 23 August 1943[1] simultaneously with her transfer, the ship served on patrol and escort duty. On 29 June 1944 she joined the British frigates Domett, Duckworth, and Essington and a Royal Air Force Liberator aircraft of No. 244 Squadron in a depth charge attack that sank the German submarine U-988 in the English Channel west of Guernsey at 49°37′00″N 003°41′00″W. On 26 July 1944, she sank the German submarine U-214 with depth charges in the English Channel southeast of the Eddystone Rocks in position 49°58′00″N 003°30′00″W.[1]

The Royal Navy returned Cooke to the U.S. Navy on 5 March 1946.

Disposal

The United States sold Cooke on 3[1][3] or 10[2][4] June 1947 (sources vary) for scrapping.

Citations
  1. uboat.net HMS Cooke (K 471)
  2. Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive DE 267 Dempsey HMS Cooke (K-471)
  3. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships: Dempsey
  4. Captain Class Frigate Association HMS Cooke K471 (DE 267)

References


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