HMS Pitcairn (K589)

History
United States
Name	USS Piflord
Namesake	British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom
Reclassified	Patrol frigate, PF-85, 15 April 1943
Builder	Walsh-Kaiser Company, Providence, Rhode Island
Laid down	14 September 1943[1]
Renamed	Pitcairn, 1943
Namesake	The Pitcairn Islands
Launched	15 October 1943
Commissioned	never
Identification	PG-193
Fate	Transferred to United Kingdom 6 July 1944
Acquired	Returned by United Kingdom 11 June 1946
Stricken	3 July 1946
Fate	Sold for scrapping 5 November 1947
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Pitcairn
Namesake	Pitcairn Island
Acquired	6 July 1944
Commissioned	7 July 1944[1]
Identification	K589
Fate	Returned to United States 11 June 1946
General characteristics
Class and type	Colony/Tacoma-class patrol frigate
Displacement	1,264 long tons (1,284 t)
Length	303 ft 11 in (92.63 m)
Beam	37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
Draft	13 ft 8 in (4.17 m)
Propulsion	3 × boilers 2 × turbines, 5,500 shp (4,100 kW) each 2 shafts
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	190
Armament	3 × single 3 in (76 mm)/50 cal. AA guns 2 × twin 40 mm guns 9 × single 20 mm 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar 8 × Y-gun depth charge projectors 2 × depth charge racks

HMS Pitcairn (K589) was a Colony-class frigate of the United Kingdom that served during World War II. She originally was ordered by the United States Navy as the Tacoma-class patrol frigate USS Pilford (PF-85) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.

Construction and acquisition[]

The ship, originally designated a "patrol gunboat," PG-193, was ordered by the United States Maritime Commission under a U.S. Navy contract as USS Pilford. She was reclassified as a "patrol frigate," PF-85, on 15 April 1943 and laid down by the Walsh-Kaiser Company at Providence, Rhode Island, on 14 September 1943.^[1] Intended for transfer to the United Kingdom, the ship was renamed Pitcairn by the British prior to launching and was launched on 15 October 1943.

Service history[]

Transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 6 July 1944, the ship was commissioned by the Royal Navy on 7 July 1944^[1] as HMS Pitcairn (K589). She served on patrol and escort duty.

Disposal[]

The United Kingdom returned Pitcairn to the U.S. Navy on 11 June 1946. She was stricken from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register on 3 July 1946 and transferred for disposal to the U.S. Maritime Commission, which sold her to the of Quincy, Massachusetts, on 5 November 1947 for scrapping.

References[]

Notes[]

Bibliography[]

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Navsource Online: Frigate Photo Archive HMS Pitcairn (K 589) ex-Pilford ex-PF-85 ex-PG-193

External links[]

• Photo gallery of USS Pilford and HMS Pitcairn