MELLA (451)

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MELLA (451)

Post by shipstamps » Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:42 pm


Built under yard No 561 as a patrol frigate by Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co, Lauzon, Canada for the Royal Canadian Navy.
30 November 1943 keel laid down.
06 July 1944 launched as the HMCS CARLPLACE (K644) one of the River Class frigates. She was named after the town Carleton Place near Ottawa, Canada.
Displacement 1.445 ton standard, 2.217 ton full load, dim. 301.5 x 36.6 x 9ft. (draught).
Powered by two triple expansion steam engines, 5.500 hp., speed 19 knots.
Armament 2 – 4 inch, 4 – 20mm, Hedgehog.
13 December 1944 commissioned at Ottawa.

She was the last Royal Canadian Navy frigate to enter service during World War II.
When in route to Halifax on her maiden voyage she suffered serious ice damage to her hull, and after arrival Halifax she underwent several weeks of repairs there, later in Philadelphia.
From Philadelphia she steamed to Bermuda for a work up period.
24 March 1945 returned in Halifax.
In April she got orders to join EG 16 at Londonderry, Northern Ireland and sailed there via the Azores.
05 May she sailed from Londonderry for duty as an escort for a convoy between the U.K and Gibraltar.
Late May she returned to Canada for tropicalization refit in Saint John, New Brunswick which begun on 02 June. The refit to make her suitable to operate in tropical waters was continued on 10 July at Shelburne, Nova Scotia.
20 August the refit was called off, (end of World War II.)
13 November 1945 decommissioned at Halifax, and laid up at Shelburne.

1946 Sold to the Dominican Republic and converted in a presidential yacht, renamed PRESIDENTE TRUJILLO (F-101), named after at that time President of Dominican Republic.
1962 After the family Trujillo lost there grip of power on the country, she was renamed MELLA (451) and used as a yacht- training vessel by the navy of the Dominican Republic.
Armed with 1 – 76.2mm, 2 – 40mm and 4 – 20mm guns. Also fitted out with an American radar installation.
Based at Santo Domingo.

2003 Was she offered free by the Dominican Republic to Carleton Place, but they had to bring the vessel on their own account to Canada.
But she was in a bad shape and not much was left of the original vessel and the offer was not accepted.

2009 Most probably laying idle in some place or scrapped, can not find anything on her more on the internet.

Dominican Republic 1983 15c sg1527.

Source: http://www.gocadets.ca/carlplace/carlplace.html http://www.navyleague.ca Jane’s .

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