HMS Sarawak

History
United States
Name	Patton
Namesake	British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom
Reclassified	Patrol frigate, PF-87, 15 April 1943
Builder	Walsh-Kaiser Company, Providence, Rhode Island
Laid down	29 September 1943
Renamed	Sarawak, 1943
Namesake	Sarawak
Launched	25 October 1943
Identification	PG-195
Fate	Transferred to United Kingdom, 7 February 1944
Acquired	Returned by United Kingdom, 31 May 1946
Fate	Scrapped, 1947
United Kingdom
Name	Sarawak
Namesake	Sarawak
Commissioned	7 February 1944
Decommissioned	1945
Identification	Pennant number: K591
Fate	Returned to United States, 31 May 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 Sarawak (K591) 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 Patton (PF-87) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.

Construction and acquisition[edit]

The ship, originally designated a "patrol gunboat," PG-195, was ordered by the United States Maritime Commission under a United States Navy contract as USS Patton. She was reclassified as a "patrol frigate," PF-87, on 15 April 1943 and laid down by the Walsh-Kaiser Company at Providence, Rhode Island, on 29 September 1943.^[1]^{[Note 1]} Intended for transfer to the United Kingdom, the ship was renamed Sarawak by the British prior to launching^{[citation needed]} and was launched on 25 October 1943.^[3] She was completed on 7 February 1944.^[1]

Service history[edit]

Transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 7 February 1944, the ship served in the Royal Navy as HMS Sarawak (K591)^[1]^{[Note 2]} until decommissioned in 1945.^[4]

Disposal[edit]

The United Kingdom returned Sarawak to the U.S. Navy on 31 May 1946. She was scrapped in 1947.^[1]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

^ Uboat.net and Friedman give 28 September 1943.^[2]^[3]
^ Friedman gives a date of 25 July 1944.^[3]

Citations[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Lenton 1998, p. 291
^ uboat.net HMS Sarawak (K 591)
^ ^a ^b ^c Friedman 1987, p. 466
^ According to uboat.net HMS Sarawak (K 591), Sarawak is not listed as an active unit on the October 1945 Navy List, strongly implying that the Royal Navy decommissioned her sometime earlier that year.

Bibliography[edit]

Friedman, Norman (1987). U.S. Small Combatants, including PT-Boats, Subchasers and the Brown-Water Navy: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-713-5.
Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.

External links[edit]

Navsource Online: Frigate Photo Archive HMS Sarawak (K 591) ex-Patton ex-PF-87 ex-PG-195

[4] Uboat.net and Friedman give 28 September 1943.^[2]^[3]

[5] Friedman gives a date of 25 July 1944.^[3]

[l1-1] Lenton 1998, p. 291

[uboatnet-2] uboat.net HMS Sarawak (K 591)

[fried_p466-3] Friedman 1987, p. 466

[decommissioning-6] According to uboat.net HMS Sarawak (K 591), Sarawak is not listed as an active unit on the October 1945 Navy List, strongly implying that the Royal Navy decommissioned her sometime earlier that year.

[1]

[Note 1]

[3]

[Note 2]

[4]

[2]