HMS Odzani

HMS Odzani (K356) was a River-class frigate that served in the Royal Navy.

Odzani in August 1943
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Odzani
Builder	Smiths Dock Co., South Bank-on-Tees
Laid down	18 November 1942
Launched	19 May 1943
Commissioned	2 September 1943
Fate	Scrapped June 1957
General characteristics
Class and type	River-class frigate
Displacement	1,370 long tons (1,390 t) 1,830 long tons (1,860 t) (deep load)
Length	283 ft (86.26 m) p/p 301.25 ft (91.82 m)o/a
Beam	36.5 ft (11.13 m)
Draught	9 ft (2.74 m); 13 ft (3.96 m) (deep load)
Propulsion	2 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, reciprocating vertical triple expansion, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Speed	20 knots (37.0 km/h)
Range	646 long tons (656 t) oil fuel; 7,500 nautical miles (13,890 km) at 15 knots (27.8 km/h)
Complement	140
Armament	2 × QF 4 in (102 mm) /40 Mk.XIX, single mounts CP Mk.XXIII up to 10 x QF 20 mm Oerlikon A/A on twin mounts Mk.V and single mounts Mk.III 1 × Hedgehog 24 spigot A/S projector up to 150 depth charges

Construction and design

Odzani was one of three River-class frigates ordered by the British Admiralty on 15 July 1942. She was named after a river in Mashonaland (then part of Southern Rhodesia, now part of Zimbabwe) following the loss of the destroyer Mashona in 1941. The ship was laid down at Smith Dock's Middlesbrough shipyard on 18 November 1942, was launched on 19 May 1943 and completed on 2 September that year.

The River-class ships were 301 feet 4 inches (91.85 m) long overall and 283 feet 0 inches (86.26 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 36 feet 6 inches (11.13 m) and a draught of 11 feet 10 inches (3.61 m). Displacement was 1,397 long tons (1,419 t) standard and 1,925 long tons (1,956 t) deep load.

References

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Critchley, Mike (1992). British Warships Since 1945: Part 5: Frigates. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Press. ISBN 0-907771-13-0.
• Elliot, Peter (1977). Allied Escort Ships of World War II: A complete survey. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-356-08401-9.
• Friedman, Norman (2008). British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-015-4.
• Hobbs, David (2017). The British Pacific Fleet: The Royal Navy's Most Powerful Strike Force. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-0283-8.
• Manning, T. D.; Walker, C. F. (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam.
• "HMS Odzani (K 356)". Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 April 2009.