HMS Somaliland

HMS Somaliland (K594) 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 Popham (PF-90) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.

HMS Somaliland at Greenock, Scotland, on 21 September 1944.
History
United States
Name	USS Popham
Namesake	British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom
Reclassified	Patrol frigate, PF-90, 15 April 1943
Builder	Walsh-Kaiser Company, Providence, Rhode Island
Laid down	11 October 1943[1]
Renamed	Somaliland, 1943
Namesake	British Somaliland
Launched	11 November 1943
Commissioned	never
Identification	PG-198
Fate	Transferred to United Kingdom 22 February 1944[1] or 24 July 1944[2]
Acquired	Returned by United Kingdom 22 May 1946
Fate	Scrapped 1947
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Somaliland
Namesake	British Somaliland
Acquired	22 February 1944[1] or 24 July 1944[2]
Commissioned	22 February 1944[1] or 24 July 1944[2]
Identification	Pennant number: K594
Fate	Returned to United States 22 May 1946
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 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-198, was ordered by the United States Maritime Commission under a U.S. Navy contract as USS Popham. She was reclassified as a "patrol frigate," PF-90, on 15 April 1943 and laid down by the Walsh-Kaiser Company at Providence, Rhode Island, on 11 October 1943.^[1] Intended for transfer to the United Kingdom, the ship was renamed Somaliland by the British prior to launching and was launched on 11 November 1943.

Service history

Transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on, according to different sources, either 22 February 1944^[1] or 24 June 1944,^[2] the ship served in the Royal Navy as HMS Somaliland (K594) on patrol and escort duty.

Disposal

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