River-class frigate

HMCS Waskesiu
Class overview
Operators	World War II:  Royal Navy  Royal Australian Navy  Royal Canadian Navy  Free French Naval Forces  Royal Netherlands Navy  South African Navy  United States Navy Post–World War II  Argentine Navy  Royal Ceylon Navy; (later, the  Sri Lanka Navy)  Chilean Navy  Royal Danish Navy  Dominican Navy  Egyptian Navy  Indian Navy  Israeli Navy  Royal Malaysian Navy  Royal Moroccan Navy  Myanmar Navy  Royal New Zealand Navy  Royal Norwegian Navy  Pakistan Navy  Peruvian Navy  Portuguese Navy
Succeeded by	Loch class
Subclasses	RN group I, RN group II, RAN group I, RAN group II, RCN group
In commission	1942
Planned	30
Completed	151
Cancelled	2
Active	1 as training ship 1 converted to yacht
Lost	5 World War II 2 Suez Crisis 10 expended
Preserved	4
General characteristics RN group I
Displacement	1,370 long tons (1,392 t) 1,830 long tons (1,859 t) (deep load)
Length	283 ft (86.3 m) p/p 301.25 ft (91.8 m) o/a
Beam	36 ft 6 in (11.1 m)
Draught	9 ft (2.7 m); 13 ft (4.0 m) (deep load)
Propulsion	2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, reciprocating vertical triple expansion, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW) (except Cam, Chelmer, Ettrick, Halladale, Helmsdale, and Tweed; Parsons single reduction steam turbines, 6,500 shp (4,800 kW)
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph) (turbine ships)
Range	7,200 nmi (13,300 km; 8,300 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) with; 440 long tons (447 t) oil fuel
Complement	107
Armament	2 × QF 4 in (102 mm)/40 Mk.XIX guns, single mounts CP Mk.XXIII Up to 10 × QF 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon A/A on twin mounts Mk.V and single mounts Mk.III 1 × Hedgehog 24 spigot A/S projector 8 × depth charge throwers, 2 × rails, Up to 150 depth charges
General characteristics (RN group II)
Range	646 long tons (656 t) oil fuel; 7,500 nmi (13,890 km; 8,631 mi) at 15 knots (27.8 km/h; 17.3 mph)
Notes	Other data per RN group I
General characteristics (RCN group)
Displacement	1,445 long tons (1,468 t) 2,110 long tons (2,144 t) (deep load)
Range	646 long tons (656 t) oil fuel; 7,500 nmi (13,890 km; 8,631 mi) at 15 knots (27.8 km/h; 17.3 mph)
Complement	157
Armament	2 × QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) XVI guns on twin mount HA/LA Mk.XIX 1 × QF 12-pdr 12 cwt (3-inch (76.20 mm)) Mk. V gun on mounting HA/LA Mk.IX (not all ships) 8 × 20 mm QF Oerlikon A/A on twin mounts Mk.V 1 × Hedgehog 24 spigot A/S projector Up to 150 depth charges
Notes	Other data per RN group I
General characteristics (RAN group I)
Displacement	1,420 long tons (1,443 t) 2,020 long tons (2,052 t) (deep load)
Range	500 long tons (508 t) oil fuel; 5,180 nmi (9,593 km; 5,961 mi) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h; 13.8 mph)
Complement	140
Armament	2 × QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk.XVI guns, single mounts HA/LA Mk.XX 8 × QF 20 mm Oerlikon, single mounts Mk.III, later; 3 × QF 40 mm Bofors, single mounts Mk.VII 4 × QF 20 mm Oerlikon, twin mounts Mk.V 1 × Hedgehog 24 spigot A/S projector Up to 50 depth charges
Notes	Other data per RN group I
General characteristics (RAN group II)
Displacement	1,545 long tons (1,570 t) 2,185 long tons (2,220 t)
Complement	177
Sensors and processing systems	SC radar
Armament	4 × QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk.XVI guns, twin mounts HA/LA Mk.XIX 3 × QF 40 mm Bofors, single mounts Mk.VII 4 × QF 20 mm Oerlikon, twin mounts Mk.V 1 × Hedgehog 24 spigot A/S projector Up to 50 depth charges
Notes	Other data per RAN group I

The River class was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic. The majority served with the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), with some serving in the other Allied navies: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Free French Naval Forces, the Royal Netherlands Navy and, post-war, the South African Navy.

The first orders were placed by the Royal Navy in 1940, and the vessels were named for rivers in the United Kingdom, giving name to the class. In Canada, they were named for towns and cities, though they kept the same designation.^[1] Originally called a "twin-screw corvette", the name "frigate" was suggested by Vice-Admiral Percy W. Nelles of the Royal Canadian Navy.^[2] Canada originally ordered the construction of 33 frigates in October 1941.^[1][2] The design was too big for the locks on the Lachine Canal so it was not built by the shipyards on the Great Lakes and therefore all the frigates built in Canada were built in dockyards along the West Coast or along the St. Lawrence River below Montreal.^[2] In all, Canada ordered the construction of 70 frigates, including ten for the Royal Navy, which transferred two (USS Asheville and USS Natchez) to the United States Navy.^[1] These served as the basis of the US Navy Tacoma class frigate series. Twelve were built in Australia for the RAN (four to a modified design).

After World War II, they found employment in many other navies the world over; several RCN ships were sunk as breakwaters. One, HMCS Stormont, was purchased by Aristotle Onassis and converted into the luxury yacht Christina O.