View source for HMS Portchester Castle (K362)

{{Short description|British corvette}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=
|Ship caption=
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{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=HMS ''Portchester Castle''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=6 February 1943
|Ship builder=Swan Hunter, Wallsend
|Ship laid down=17 March 1943
|Ship launched=21 June 1943
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification=Pennant number: K362
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=[[Ship commissioning#Ship decommissioning|paid off]] 1947 and broken up 14 May 1958
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Ship class={{sclass2|Castle|corvette}}
|Ship displacement=1,060 [[long ton|tons]]
|Ship length={{convert|252|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|37|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|10|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship power={{convert|2750|hp|MW|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=
*Two water-tube boilers
*One 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine
*Single screw
|Ship speed={{convert|16.5|kn|km/h|abbr=on}}
|Ship range={{convert|9,500|nmi|km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn|km/h}}
|Ship complement=112
|Ship sensors=
*Type 272 radar
*Type 144Q sonar
*Type 147B sonar
|Ship armament=
*One [[QF 4 inch Mk XIX naval gun|4-inch Quick Firing Mk.XIX]] High Angle/Low Angle combined air/surface gun
*One [[Squid (weapon)|Squid]] Anti-submarine mortar
*One [[Depth charge]] rail, 15 depth charges
*Two [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm]] twin anti-aircraft cannon
*Six 20 mm single anti-aircraft cannon
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Portchester Castle''''' was a {{sclass2|Castle|corvette}} built in 1943 and scrapped in 1958. She was the only ship of the [[Royal Navy]] to be named after [[Portchester Castle]] in Hampshire, and was used for the 1952 film ''[[The Cruel Sea (1953 film)|The Cruel Sea]]'', in which she played ''Saltash Castle''. Also seen in ‘The man who never was’ when the body was delivered to the submarine.
==Construction and career==
She was launched on 21 June 1943 at [[Swan Hunter]] shipyard in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]].
===Sinking of ''U-484''===
On 9 September 1944 ''Portchester Castle'' and {{HMS|Helmsdale|K253|2}} sank the {{GS|U-484}} in the North Atlantic north-west of Ireland, in position {{coord|55|45|N|11|41|W}}.<ref name=PCU>{{cite web|url=http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/52.html|title=HMS ''Portchester Castle'' at u-boat.net|accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
===Sinking of ''U-1200''===
As one of four ships in 30th Escort Group under the command of [[Denys Rayner]], ''Portchester Castle'' shared in the sinking of the {{GS|U-1200}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uboat.net/boats/u1200.htm|title=''U-1200'' at u-boat.net|accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref> south of Ireland (in position {{coord|50|24|N|09|10|W}}) on 11 November 1944, along with her [[sister ship]]s {{HMS|Launceston Castle|K397|2}}, {{HMS|Pevensey Castle|K449|2}} and {{HMS|Kenilworth Castle|K420|2}}.<ref name=PCU/>
===Decommissioning===
She was paid off in 1947.
===Film appearances===
In 1951 ''Portchester Castle'' was employed to represent the fictitious HMS ''Saltash Castle'' in the film ''[[The Cruel Sea (1953 film)|The Cruel Sea]]'' (1953). The ship was also seen in the film ''[[The Man Who Never Was]]'' (1955) and ''[[The Navy Lark (film)|The Navy Lark]]'' (1959). In both ''Sea'' and ''Lark'' she is shown wearing the pennant number F362 rather than her own K362.
===Fate===
She was scrapped at [[Troon, Scotland]] on 14 May 1958.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/castle_class_corvettes.htm|title=HMS ''Portchester Castle'' at Battleships-Cruisers website|accessdate=2009-04-26}}</ref>
==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}
===Sources===
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
* Rayner, D.A., Escort: The Battle of the Atlantic, London:William Kimber, pp.&nbsp;224–229
{{Castle class corvette}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portchester Castle}}
[[Category:Castle-class corvettes]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]