HMS Duff (K352)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Duff and USS Lamons.

HMS Duff (K352) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy that served during World War II. Originally constructed as the United States Navy Buckley class destroyer escort USS Lamons (DE-64), she was transferred to the Royal Navy before she was completed.

History
United States
Name	USS Lamons (DE-64)
Namesake	Boatswain's Mate Second Class Kenneth Tafe Lamons, who performed heroically during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 before dying of wounds
Builder	Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Laid down	22 February 1943
Launched	22 May 1943
Completed	23 August 1943
Commissioned	never
Fate	Transferred to United Kingdom 23 August 1943
Acquired	Returned by United Kingdom 28 August 1945
Stricken	17 September 1945
Fate	Sold May 1947 for scrapping
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Duff (K352)
Namesake	Captain George Duff (1764-1805), British naval officer who was killed in action as commanding officer of HMS Mars at the Battle of Trafalgar
Acquired	23 August 1943
Commissioned	23 August 1943
Fate	Constructive total loss after 30 November 1944 Returned to U.S. Navy 28 August 1945
General characteristics
Displacement	1,400 long tons (1,422 t)
Length	306 ft (93 m)
Beam	36.75 ft (11.2 m)
Draught	9 ft (2.7 m)
Propulsion	Two Foster-Wheeler Express "D"-type water-tube boilers GE 13,500 shp (10,070 kW) steam turbines and generators (9,200 kW) Electric motors for 12,000 shp (8,900 kW) Two shafts
Speed	24 knots (44 km/h)
Range	5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement	186
Sensors and processing systems	SA & SL type radars Type 144 series Asdic MF Direction Finding antenna HF Direction Finding Type FH 4 antenna
Armament	3 × 3 in (76 mm) /50 Mk.22 guns 1 × twin Bofors 40 mm mount Mk.I 7–16 × 20 mm Oerlikon guns Mark 10 Hedgehog antisubmarine mortar Depth charges QF 2-pounder naval gun
Notes	Pennant number K352

Construction and transfer

The ship was laid down as the U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Lamons (DE-64) by Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., in Hingham, Massachusetts, on 22 February 1943 and launched on 22 May 1943. Lamons was transferred to the United Kingdom upon completion on 23 August 1943.

Service history

Commissioned into service in the Royal Navy as the frigate HMS Duff (K352) on 23 August 1943 simultaneously with her transfer, the ship served on patrol and escort duty. At 0745 on 30 November 1944, she struck a mine in the North Sea off Ostend, Belgium, suffering three dead. Although badly damaged, she managed to limp back to port at Harwich, England.

Damaged beyond economical repair, Duff was declared a constructive total loss. The Royal Navy returned her to the U.S. Navy on 28 August 1945.

Disposal

The U.S. Navy struck Duff from its Naval Vessel Register on 17 September 1945. She was sold in May 1947 for scrapping in the Netherlands.

References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
• Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive Lamons (DE-64) HMS Duff (K-352)
• uboat.net HMS Duff (K 352)
• Destroyer Escort Sailors Association DEs for UK
• Captain Class Frigate Association HMS Duff K352 (DE 64)