HMS Fitzroy (K553)

	HMS Fitzroy on 25 April 1944
History
United States
Name	unnamed (DE-88)
Ordered	10 January 1942
Builder	Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Laid down	24 August 1943
Launched	1 September 1943
Completed	16 October 1943
Commissioned	never
Fate	Transferred to United Kingdom 16 October 1943
Acquired	Returned by United Kingdom 5 January 1946
Stricken	7 February 1946
Fate	Sold for scrapping 23 May 1946
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Fitzroy (K553)
Namesake	Vice Admiral Sir Robert FitzRoy (1805–1865), British naval officer who was commanding officer of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's voyage of 1831–1836
Acquired	16 October 1943
Commissioned	16 October 1943
Decommissioned	1945
Fate	Returned to United States 5 January 1946
General characteristics
Displacement	1,400 long tons (1,422 t)
Length	306 ft (93 m)
Beam	36.75 ft (11.2 m)
Draught	9 ft (2.7 m)
Propulsion	Two Foster-Wheeler Express "D"-type water-tube boilers; GE 13,500 shp (10,070 kW) steam turbines and generators (9,200 kW); Electric motors for 12,000 shp (8,900 kW); Two shafts;
Speed	24 knots (44 km/h)
Range	5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement	186
Sensors and ; processing systems	SA & SL type radars; Type 144 series Asdic; MF Direction Finding antenna; HF Direction Finding Type FH 4 antenna;
Armament	3 × 3 in (76 mm) /50 Mk.22 guns; 1 × twin Bofors 40 mm mount Mk.I; 7–16 × 20 mm Oerlikon guns; Mark 10 Hedgehog antisubmarine mortar; Depth charges; QF 2-pounder naval gun;
Notes	Pennant number K553

The second HMS Fitzroy (K553) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy in commission during World War II. Originally constructed as a United States Navy Buckley-class destroyer escort, she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1945.

Construction and transfer

The ship was laid down as the unnamed U.S. Navy destroyer escort DE-88 by Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., in Hingham, Massachusetts, on 24 August 1943 and launched on 1 September 1943.^[2] She was transferred to the United Kingdom upon completion on 16 October 1943.^[2]