HMS ''Cayman'' (K506) was a of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

that served during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. She originally was ordered by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

as the patrol frigate USS ''Harland'' (PF-78) and was transferred to the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

prior to completion.

Construction and acquisition

The ship, originally designated a "patrol

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

," PG-186, was ordered by the United States Maritime Commission under a

contract as USS ''Harland''. She was reclassified as a " patrol frigate," PF-78, on 15 April 1943 and

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...

by the Walsh-Kaiser Company at

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

, on 15 July 1943. Intended for transfer to the United Kingdom, the ship was renamed ''Cayman'' by the British prior to launching and was launched on 6 September 1943.

Service history

Transferred to the United Kingdom under

Lend-Lease Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (),3,000 Hurricanes and >4,000 other aircraft) * 28 naval vessels: ** 1 Battleship. (HMS Royal Sovereign (05), HMS Royal Sovereign) * ...

on 20 January 1944, the ship served in the

as HMS ''Cayman'' (K506) on patrol and escort duty.

Disposal

The United Kingdom returned ''Cayman'' to the U.S. Navy on 23 April 1946. She was sold to the United Dock Corporation of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, on 1 July 1947 for scrapping.

References

Bibliography

Navsource Online: Frigate Photo Archive HMS Cayman (K 506) ex-Harland ex-PF-78 ex-PG-186
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cayman (K506), HMS 1943 ships Ships built in Providence, Rhode Island Tacoma-class frigates Colony-class frigates World War II frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States World War II frigates of the United Kingdom