HMS Bullen

HMS Bullen (K 469) was a Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy during World War II. She was named after Charles Bullen who was captain of HMS Britannia at the Battle of Trafalgar. Originally laid down as DE-78, a turbo-electric (TE) type Buckley-class destroyer escort, she was diverted to the Royal Navy and named HMS Bullen before the launch.

History
United Kingdom
Name	Bullen
Builder	Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard Inc
Laid down	17 May 1943
Launched	7 August 1943
Commissioned	25 October 1943
Fate	Sunk on 6 December 1944
General characteristics
Displacement	1,800 long tons (1,829 t) fully loaded
Length	306 ft (93 m) overall
Beam	36 ft 6 in (11.13 m)
Draught	11 ft (3.4 m) fully loaded
Speed	24 kn (44 km/h)
Endurance	5,500 nmi (10,200 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement	168

Sinking

While part of the 19th Escort Group, Bullen was torpedoed by the German submarine U-775 northwest of Strathy Point, Sutherland, Scotland on 6 December 1944, striking her midships. Of the crew of HMS Bullen, 71 died and 97 survived. The wrecksite is designated as a 'protected place' under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.

References

• Donald Collingwood The Captain Class Frigates in the Second World War Leo Cooper (1998), ISBN 0-85052-615-9.
• Bruce Hampton Franklin The Buckley-Class Destroyer Escorts Chatham Publishing (1999), ISBN 1-86176-118-X.
• Niestle, Axel (1998). German U-Boat Losses During World War II. United States Naval Institute. ISBN 1-55750-641-8.

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• uboat.net page for HMS Bullen
• uboat.net page for U-775
• captainclassfrigates.co.uk
• SI 2008/950 Designation under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986