Refits of RN ships in USA
January 2nd, 2009 From
>From: “Ian L. Buxton”
>To: MARHST-L@QUCDN.QUEENSU.CA, mahan@microwrks.com
>Date: Mon, 2 Jun 1997 08:44:11 GMT0BST
>Subject: Refits of RN ships in USA
>Priority: normal
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>Sender: mahan-owner@microworks.net
>
>A few names of major British warships refitted in U S yards in WW2
>have been mentioned, so I dug out some notes from RN sources.
>
>The first such to arrive was the battleship MALAYA which was at
>Brooklyn Navy Yard from 6 Apr 1941 to 9 Jul 41 following her
>torpedoing off W Africa 20 Mar 41. This was of course eight months
>before the US entered WW2. Other notable vessels included: (dates are
>approximate; sometimes they may be arrival/departure at first/last US
>port, others may be actual start/finish of repair; references are not
>clear).
>
>WARSPITE general refit at Bremerton 11 Aug 1941 to 7 Jan 42 (I think
>the only major RN vessel to go there, the Atlantic yards being more
>convenient).
>
>Battleship RODNEY general refit Boston Navy Yard 13 Jun 41 to 27 Aug.
>
>Carrier FURIOUS refit Philadelphia NY 7 Oct 41 to 14 Mar 42.
>
>Cruiser MANCHESTER repaired at Philadelphia 23 Sep 41 to 15 Feb 42
>after torpedoing in Med 23 Jul 41.
>
>Cruiser PHOEBE repaired Brooklyn NY 20 Nov 41 to 15 Apr 42 after
>torpedoing in Med 27 Aug 41. She was back at Brooklyn 15 Jan 43 to 14
>Jun 43 after being torpedoed again 23 Oct 42 off W Africa. There is a
>picture of her long trunk 5.25-inch Q twin turret being lifted out
>(or in). Probably the former, as she came down to four turrets about
>that time with the fifth replaced by a US quad 40mm Bofors.
>
>Cruiser LIVERPOOL was one of the few done at Mare Island NY 16 Jun 41
>to 3 Nov 41 after torpedoing in Med 14 Oct 40 and temporary repairs at
>Alexandria.
>
>Carrier INDOMITABLE was at Norfolk NY 12 Nov 41 to 12 Dec following
>her grounding in the West Indies which prevented her accompanying
>PRINCE OF WALES and REPULSE. She was back at Norfolk 1 Sep 43 to 20
>Apr 44 following torpedoing near Malta 16 Jul 43.
>
>VICTORIOUS was at Norfolk 1 Jan 43 to 30 Jan prior to her US service
>and again at the end of it 1 Sep to 15 Sep 43, before returning to UK
>for full overhaul at Liverpool lasting until 4 Mar 44.
>
>Battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN was refitted at Philadelphia NY 21 Oct 42
>to 22 Sep 43. Lent to USSR from May 1944.
>
>Cruiser UGANDA was repaired at Charleston NY 27 Nov 43 to 14 Oct 44
>following damage from Fx 1400 glider bomb off Salerno 13 Sep 43.
>
>Battleship NELSON steamed more or less straight from Operation Neptune
>(D-Day) to Philadelphia NY 7 Jul 44 to 14 Jan 45.
>
>Bassett in his 1946 paper to the Institution of Naval Architects said
>that 180 RN ships and auxiliaries were refitted in USA. Vice Admiral
>C P Talbot (Director of Dockyards) reckoned that the US refits were
>the equivalent of two more home dockyards to the RN.
>
>Can anyone advise what was the payment mechanism (if any) for such
>work?
>
>Ian Buxton
>
>
>