HMS Nyasaland

History
United States
Name	USS Hoste
Namesake	Captain Sir William Hoste (1780-1826), British naval officer (British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom)
Reclassified	Patrol frigate, PF-83, 15 April 1943
Builder	Walsh-Kaiser Company, Providence, Rhode Island
Laid down	7 September 1943
Renamed	Nyasaland, 1943
Namesake	Nyasaland (British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom)
Launched	6 October 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. William A. Cahir
Commissioned	never
Identification	PG-191
Fate	Transferred to United Kingdom, 31 July 1944
Acquired	Returned by United Kingdom 15 April 1946
Fate	Sold for scrapping 10 November 1947
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Nyasaland
Namesake	Nyasaland
Acquired	31 July 1944
Commissioned	31 July 1944
Identification	Pennant number: K587
Fate	Returned to United States 15 April 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;

HMS Nyasaland (K587) 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 Hoste (PF-83) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.

Construction and acquisition

The ship, originally designated a "patrol gunboat," PG-191, was ordered by the United States Maritime Commission under a United States Navy contract as the first USS Hoste. She was reclassified as a "patrol frigate," PF-83, on 15 April 1943 and laid down by the Walsh-Kaiser Company at Providence, Rhode Island, on 7 September 1943.^[1] Intended for transfer to the United Kingdom, the ship was renamed Nyasaland by the British prior to launching and was launched on 6 October 1943, sponsored by Mrs. William A. Cahir.

Service history

Transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 31 July 1944, the ship served in the Royal Navy as HMS Nyasaland (K587) on patrol and escort duty. On 17 December 1944, she sank the German submarine U-772 with depth charges in the North Atlantic Ocean south of Cork, Ireland, at 51°16′N 008°05′W / 51.267°N 8.083°W / 51.267; -8.083 (U-772 sunk). On 4 February 1945, she shared credit with the British frigates Loch Scavaig, Papua, and Loch Shin for sinking the German submarine U-1014 in a depth-charge attack in the North Channel off Malin Head, Ireland, at 55°17′N 006°45′W / 55.283°N 6.750°W / 55.283; -6.750 (U-1014 sunk). On 2 March 1945, she rescued 42 survivors of the British merchant ship SS King Edgar, which the German submarine U-1302 had sunk in St. George's Channel at 52°05′N 005°42′W / 52.083°N 5.700°W / 52.083; -5.700 (SS King Edgar sunk).^[1]

Disposal

The United Kingdom returned Nyasaland to the U.S. Navy on 15 April 1946. She was sold to the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company of Chester, Pennsylvania, on 10 November 1947 for scrapping.