Royal Canadian Navy Frigates (Loch Class): HMCS Loch Achanalt (K424), HMCS Loch Alvie (K428), and HMCS Loch Morlich (K517)

Royal Canadian Navy Frigates (Loch Class): HMCS Loch Achanalt (K424), HMCS Loch Alvie (K428), and HMCS Loch Morlich (K517)

The Loch class was a class of anti-submarine (A/S) frigate built for the Royal Navy and her Allies during the Second World War. They were an innovative design based on the experience of three years of fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic and attendant technological advances. Some shipyards had trouble building these larger ships, which led to widespread use of the Castle-class corvette, introduced around the same time.

HMCS Loch Achanalt (K424)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Loch Achanalt (K424). Built at Leith, Scotland, she was commissioned  on 31 Jul 1944. She worked up at Tobermory and joined EG 6 in Sep 1944 at Londonderry. Loch Achanalt served with the group until VE-Day on A/S patrol and support duty in U.K. waters, based for brief periods at Portsmouth and Plymouth. When the group was transferred to Halifax in Apr 1945, she accompanied it, but left Halifax on 29 May 1945 for Sheerness and there was paid off on 20 Jun 1945 and returned to the RN. She remained in reserve at Sheerness until 1948, when she was sold to the Royal New Zealand navy and renamed Pukaki. She was broken up at Hong Kong in 1966.

(IWM Photo, FL14690)

HMCS Loch Achanalt (K424)

HMCS Loch Alvie (K428)

(IWM Photo, FL 6093)

HMCS Loch Alvie (K428).

HMS Loch Alvie was a Loch-class frigate of the Royal Navy, named after Loch Alvie in Scotland. She was ordered by the Royal Navy during the Second World War, but did not see action with them, having transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy before commissioning. After the war she returned to the Royal Navy and would pass in and out of service until 1963.

(IWM Photo, FL 14695)

HMCS Loch Alvie (K428).

HMCS Loch Morlich (K517)

(RCN Photo)

HMCS Loch Morlich (K517)

HMS Loch Morlich was a Loch-class frigate that never saw service with the Royal Navy. Ordered during the Second World War, she saw service instead with the Royal Canadian Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was named for Loch Morlich in Scotland. After the war she was returned to the Royal Navy and she was sold to the Royal New Zealand Navy and renamed Tutira.Loch Morlich which was ordered from Swan Hunter on 13 February 1943. She was laid down 15 July 1943 and launched 25 January 1944. Upon completion she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and commissioned on 17 July 1944, at Wallsend-on-Tyne.