HMS Perim

HMS Perim (K593), ex-Sierra Leone, 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 Phillimore (PF-89) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.

History
United States
Name	USS Phillimore
Namesake	British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom
Reclassified	Patrol frigate, PF-89, 15 April 1943
Builder	Walsh-Kaiser Company, Providence, Rhode Island
Laid down	7 October 1943
Renamed	Sierra Leone, 1943
Namesake	Sierra Leone
Renamed	Perim, 1943
Namesake	Perim
Launched	5 November 1943
Identification	PG-197
Fate	Transferred to United Kingdom 16 March 1944
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Perim
Namesake	Perim
Acquired	16 March 1944
Commissioned	16 March 1944
Decommissioned	1945
Identification	Pennant number: K593
Fate	Returned to United States 22 May 1946, Scrapped 1947
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 Bofors 40 mm guns 9 × single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon 1 × Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar 8 × Y-gun depth charge projectors 2 × depth charge racks

Construction and acquisition

The ship, originally designated a "patrol gunboat," PG-197, was ordered by the United States Maritime Commission under a United States Navy contract as USS Phillimore. She was reclassified as a "patrol frigate," PF-89, on 15 April 1943 and laid down by the Walsh-Kaiser Company at Providence, Rhode Island, on 7 October 1943. Intended for transfer to the United Kingdom, the ship was first renamed Sierra Leone and then Perim by the British prior to launching and was launched on 5 November 1943.

Service history

Transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 16 March 1944, the ship served in the Royal Navy as HMS Perim (K593). Her first commanding officer was Nicholas Monsarrat. Conducting work-ups off Bermuda, she damaged her main bearings during each of her first 13 sea trials before the problem was identified and corrected and she completed trials successfully on her fourteenth try. She then served on patrol and escort duty until decommissioned in 1945.

Disposal

The United Kingdom returned Perim to the U.S. Navy on 22 May 1946. She was scrapped in 1947.

References

Bibliography

• Frigate Photo Archive HMS Perim (K 593) ex-Phillimore ex-PF-89 ex-PG-197 Navsource Online:
• British Escort Movements WW2 - Colony-class frigates naval-history.net