HMS Glengyle
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| History | |
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  United Kingdom
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| Class and type: | Landing ship, infantry (large) |
| Name: | HMS Glengyle |
| Builder: | Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Dundee |
| Launched: | 1939 |
| Commissioned: | 10 September 1940 |
| Out of service: | Returned to Glen Line 17 July 1946 |
| Renamed: | Deucalion in October 1970 |
| Fate: | Scrapped by June 1971 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 9,919 GRT |
| Length: | 507 ft 6 in (154.69 m) |
| Beam: | 66 ft 4 in (20.22 m) |
| Draught: | 30 ft 6 in (9.30 m) |
| Installed power: | 12,000 hp |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Capacity: | 34 officers 663 other ranks |
| Complement: | 523 |
| Armament: | |
HMS Glengyle was a 9,919 GRT cargo ship that served in the Second World War as an infantry landing ship (large) of the Royal Navy. She carried Commonwealth and other Allied troops in amphibious operations. Glengyle was able to make good speed on long ocean voyages to operational areas and then, by means of the many landing craft carried aboard, land assault infantry, vehicles, and stores on contested shores.
Glengyle was built by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Dundee, for the Glen Line. In 1938, whilst Glengyle and her sisters, Glenearn, Glenroy, and Breconshire were being built, the Inter-Service Training and Development Centre determined that they would be ideal for infantry landing ships. This class of four fast passenger and cargo liners then under construction were intended for the Far East trade route. The Admiralty acquired Glengyle shortly after her launch, and she was converted into a fast supply ship. During April and June 1940, she underwent further conversion into an infantry landing ship capable of transporting an embarked force of up to 34 officers and 663 other ranks and carrying 12 LCAs on Welin-McLachan davits and 1 LCM stored in chocks on deck and launched by 30-ton derricks. She was accepted into service on 10 September and, on 31 January 1941, Glengyle sailed around Africa to the Mediterranean, where she became part of Layforce.
Glengyle was part of the Bardia raid on 19–20 April 1941, and later that month was involved in the evacuation of Greece. She evacuated some 4,500 troops from Raphto and, in May, carried another 3,000 to Crete. Later in May, she and the Cameronia evacuated 6,000 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders as part of the evacuation of Crete. On 8 June, Glengyle was operating with the cruisers HMS Phoebe, HMAS Perth and HMS Calcutta at the start of the Syria-Lebanon Campaign. By January 1942, she was part of the Malta Convoys, carrying supplies from Alexandria, before returning to Britain in April for preparations for the Dieppe Raid. To keep secret the presence of an infantry landing ship, Glengyle was disguised as a tanker, and was present at the operation on 19 August, transporting The Essex Scottish Regiment to White Beach.
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