HMS Barbados (K504)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Halsted and HMS Barbados.

HMS Barbados 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 Halsted (PF-76) – sometimes spelled Halstead – and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.

History
United States
Name	USS Halsted (PG-184)
Namesake	Royal Navy Captain Sir Lawrence Halsted (1764-1841), commanding officer of HMS Namur at the Battle of Cape Ortegal in 1805 (British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom)
Reclassified	Patrol frigate, PF-76, 15 April 1943
Builder	Walsh-Kaiser Company, Providence, Rhode Island
Laid down	11 May 1943[1]
Renamed	Barbados, 1943
Namesake	Barbados (British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom)
Launched	27 August 1943
Sponsored by	Miss Anna M. Pacheco
Commissioned	never
Fate	Transferred to United Kingdom 18 December 1943
Acquired	Returned by United Kingdom 15 April 1946
Fate	Sold for scrapping 30 October 1947
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Barbados
Namesake	Barbados
Acquired	18 December 1943
Commissioned	18 December 1943[1]
Identification	Pennant number: K504
Fate	Returned to United States, 15 April 1946
General characteristics
Class & type	Colony-class frigate/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 inch/50 AA guns 2 × twin 40 mm guns 9 × single 20 mm 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-184, was ordered by the United States Maritime Commission under a United States Navy contract as USS Halsted. She was reclassified as a "patrol frigate," PF-76, on 15 April 1943 and laid down by the Walsh-Kaiser Company at Providence, Rhode Island, on 11 May 1943.^[1] Intended for transfer to the United Kingdom, the ship was renamed Barbados by the British prior to launching and was launched on 27 August 1943, sponsored by Miss Anna M. Pacheco.

Service history

Transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 18 December 1943, the ship served in the Royal Navy as HMS Barbados (K504) on patrol and escort duty.

Disposal

The United Kingdom returned Barbados to the U.S. Navy on 15 April 1946. She was sold to the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Chester, Pennsylvania, on 30 October 1947 for scrapping.