CUS Huron (FCC-1944+)

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The Lake class Fast Combat Craft came from a request for a ship that could undertake several duties as a multi-role combat craft. The duties were to be, radar picket, fast escort, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine, plus the usual minor roles of an escort. The type was not to be just another destroyer escort or destroyer, rather something inbetween. The CUS Navy had enought of the Drummond/Lawson destroyer types built/building or ordered to satisfy the forseeable needs of the Navy. What was required was a smaller cheaper version that could do most of those ships duties at half the price.

They were eventually marketed as Fast Frigates and sold overseas postwar in large numbers.The high flared bow told of the speed the ships could make from the powerful machinery installed. The three twin automatic 3" gave the ships a more than reasonable main armament. The auto 3" had a range of almost 17,000 yards which was more than sufficient for ship-to-ship duels. While the range as anti-aircraft guns was just over 30,000 feet which brought those aircraft likely to attack them well within range. Half a dozen post-war fitouts were designed to enhance the desirability of the ships to overseas buyers. One of the twin 3" aft being replaced with a light anti-aircraft missile (such as Seacat) with the required radar arrays being fitted in the aft deckhouse and mast. The single 40mm were the low tech solution for when the 3" were not required. (eg. boarding suspect ships the 40mm were quite sufficient and menacing enough to fire a shot accross the bows).

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