HMCS Nene

Nene was ordered on 24 January 1942 and built at Smiths Dock Co., Middlesbrough England. She was laid down on 20 June 1942 launched on 9 December later that year.{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/116.html |title=HMS Nene (K270) |work=uboat.net |access-date=24 May 2014}} The vessel was commissioned on 8 April 1943 into the Royal Navy.{{cite book|last=Hird |first=David M. |title=The Grey Wolves of Eriball |publisher=Bell & Bain Ltd. |place=Glasgow |date=2010}} A Warship Week National Savings effort led to the community of Oundle – which lies on the River Nene – in Northamptonshire adopting the ship.{{cite web| first=Geoffrey B. |last=Mason |title=HMS, later HMCS NENE (K 270) - River-class Frigate including Convoy Escort Movements |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-15Fr-River-Nene.htm|editor=Gordon Smith |work=naval-history.net |date=2005 |access-date=24 May 2014}}

The ship joined the Western Approaches Command at Derry, Northern Ireland, and crossed the Atlantic on convoy duty to St. John's. The ship was involved in operations of the Royal Navy Support Group, then attached to the 5th and later 6th Escort Group, Western Approaches Command.{{cite book|editor=Riley, Kenneth|title=Nene Lives: the Story of the H.M.C.S. Nene and Her Crew|place=Ottawa |date=1993|oclc=29468125}} In February 1944, the frigate was involved in anti-submarine operations off the west coast of Ireland, assisting in the sinking of submarine U-536 near the Azores.{{cite book|title=Frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy 1943–1974 |last=Macpherson |first=Ken |publisher=Vanwell Publishing |year=1989 |place=Lewiston, New York |isbn=0-920277-22-5}}

In March 1944 Nene arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, where the ship underwent a refit and was recommissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy, as HMCS Nene. In July the ship headed to Bermuda on a training run for the new crew, after which Nene joined Escort Group C5 Western Approaches Command. From the group's base at Derry, the ship escorted three transatlantic convoys with this group.

Nene served briefly as part of the convoy JW 61A, escorting personnel carriers, and then was assigned to Escort Group 9. After anti-submarine patrol around the British Isles, during which two of the group's ships were torpedoed, the frigate became one of many ships escorting convoys on the Murmansk Run.{{cite book|last=Ruegg |first=Bob |last2=Hague |first2=Arnold |title=Convoys to Russia 1941-1945 |publisher=World Ship Society |date=1992 |isbn=0905617665}} In April 1945, at Portsmouth harbour, SS Cuba, was torpedoed, and the crew of Nene rescued 265 sailors from the sinking ship.

In May 1945, as the war ended, Nene was called away from convoy duty to take part in the surrender of a group of fifteen German submarines, including {{GS|U-992||2}} and {{GS|U-997||2}}, which were escorted to Loch Eriboll, Scotland, for disposal.

On 11 June 1945 Nene was returned to the Royal Navy at Sheerness. Her Canadian crew were sent to the naval base at Greenlock, Scotland to await the trip home.

Nene was reclassified as a B2 reserve ship, was towed to Harwich and later to Barrow-in-Furness, and finally broken up for salvage in 1955 by Thos. W. Ward at Briton Ferry, Wales.

{{reflist}}

• {{Cite Colledge2006}}
• Geoffrey B Mason RN (edited Gordon Smith) [http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-15Fr-River-Nene.htm HMS, later HMCS Nene (K 270)] Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2 naval-history.net (2005)
• [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/116.html HMS Nene (K 270)] uboat.net
• [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5695.html HMCS Nene (K 270)] uboat.net

{{commons category-inline|River class frigates}}

{{River class frigate}}

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Category:River-class frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy

Category:1942 ships

Category:Ships built on the River Tees