HMS Aberdeen (U97)

History

United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Aberdeen
Ordered:	1 March 1935
Builder:	Devonport Dockyard
Laid down:	12 June 1935
Launched:	22 January 1936
Sponsored by:	Mrs E Watt
Commissioned:	17 September 1936
Identification:	Pennant number: L97 (later U97)
Motto:	Bon accord ("Good fellowship")
Honours and awards:	Atlantic 1939–45 North Africa 1942
Fate:	Sold for scrapping, 16 December 1948
Badge:	On a Field Red, a triple towered castle surrounded by a double treasure all Silver.
General characteristics
Class and type:	Grimsby-class sloop
Displacement:	990 long tons (1,006 t) standard 1,300 long tons (1,321 t) full
Length:	250 ft (76.2 m) p/p 266 ft (81.1 m) o/a
Beam:	36 ft (11.0 m)
Draught:	7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
Propulsion:	Parsons geared steam turbines 2 × Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers 2 shafts 2,000 shp (1,500 kW)
Speed:	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Range:	5,700 nmi (10,600 km; 6,600 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement:	100
Armament:	2 × 4 in (100 mm) QF guns 4 × 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) AA machine guns 4 × 3-pounder guns 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar (from late 1942)

HMS Aberdeen was a Grimsby-class sloop in the British Royal Navy. Built in Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, UK by Thornycroft (Southampton, UK), she was launched on 22 January 1936.

Aberdeen was fitted for use as despatch vessel during construction, and was used by the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet up until the outbreak of World War II.

On 3 September 1939 Aberdeen was recalled to the UK and deployed with the 1st Escort Division of Western Approaches Command for convoy escort duty in the English Channel and the Southwest Approaches, based at Plymouth.

In May 1940 her pennant number was changed from L97 to U97.

In June, after the Fall of France, Atlantic convoy traffic was routed further north, and Aberdeen was transferred to Rosyth to escort of convoys in the North Sea and Northwest Approaches. In November she was transferred to the Liverpool Sloop Division for Atlantic convoy escort duty.

In June 1941 she was transferred to the 41st Escort Group based at Derry for the defence of convoys between the UK and Freetown.

In early 1942 Type 271 radar and HF/DF direction finding equipment was fitted.

In October Aberdeen escorted military convoys to Gibraltar in preparation for the landings in North Africa ("Operation Torch"), and on 8 November was deployed off Oran in support of the landings.

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