HMS River, Loch & Bay Class Frigates (FG-1940/1943/1944)

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The Frigates designed and built by the Royal Navy were true warship classes and had to be built in naval shipyards because of the tolerances required for the equipment installed on them. This is in stark contrast to the Corvettes being designed and built at a similar time. (Maybe the Royal Navy should have gone to Chevrolet for some tips for their Corvettes!) The earlier River class had produced 111 RN ships with Australis and Canada producing another 87 of their own. The ships all shared similar dimensions but differences in armament abounded as to what was available when the ship was being built.

The following Loch class shared the same dimensions but introduced new equipment and more propulsion power to combat the latest U-Boat technology in the Type XXI submarines. Only 30 of these ships were completed prior to wars end. The biggest change was in the anti-submarine mortar where the Hedgehog type on the River made way for 1 or 2 Squid launchers on the Loch class.

The Bay type came from a request for more anti-aircraft escorts for 1944 where the anti-submarine escorts were going to be liable to be utilised close in shore with the invasion forces. Experience in the Mediterranean theater had shown this to be a necessary sub-class.

Twin 4" fore and aft replaced the singles of the Loch Type with further extra anti-aircraft weapons displacing some of the anti-submarine equipment. The Bay type also included the extra propulsion required to catch and/or intercept the faster late model Germanic States submarines. The Royal Navy built 18 of their Bay type while Australis built 15 of theirs. The difference between the two being the light turret fitted to the Australis type while the RN ships continued with the open mounting.

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