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Dakins (DE85)
HMS Dakins (K-550)

CLASS: BUCKLEY (lend-lease)
TYPE: TE (turbine-electric drive, 3" guns)
Displacement: 1,400 tons (std) 1,740 tons (full) Dimensions: 306' (oa), 300' (wl) x 36' 9" x 13' 6" (max)
Armament: 3-3"/50 Mk22 (1x3), 1-1.1"/75 Mk2 quad AA (4x1), 8-20mm Mk 4 AA (varied by ship),
1 Hedgehog Projector Mk10 , 4-Mk6 depth charge projectors, 2-Mk9 depth charge tracks
Machinery: 2 "D" Express boilers, G.E. turbines with electric drive, 12000 shp, 2 screws
Speed: 24 knots Range: 4,940 nm @ 12 knots Crew: 186
Operational and Building Data
Laid down by Bethlehem Hingham, Hingham MA on 23 June 1943
Launched 18 September 1943, Commissioned (USN) Never
To Britain as lend lease 23 November 1943
Stricken 7 February 1947
Fate: struck mine, 14 nm nw of Oostend Belgium, 25 December 1944, written off as a total loss.
hulk sold to Dutch shipbreaker 9 January 1947
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HMS Dakins 60k as seen from her sister HMS Ekins (ex-DE 87) exercising off the Bahamas while working-up Robert Hurst
HMS Dakins 205k taken while off Bermuda, photo credit P.W. Hayward Nick Tiberio
HMS Dakins 68k In drydock at Antwerp Belgium: After she was mined off Holland we had a struggle to prevent her from sinking and got her back to Harwich in England. After some work being done to make her seaworthy we sailed with just a steaming party to Antwerp after the liberation of that port and dry-docking in John Cockerills shipyard in Hoboken, a suburb of Antwerp to assess the damage we spent about five or six months tied up alongside. Ronald K. Overend
HMS Dakins 9/44 - 1/47
HMS Dakins 56k VE Day, 8 May 1945 at Antwerp Belgium: She was never repaired because there were lots of 'doodlebugs' and V2 rockets causing delays, and eventually, after VE Day we sailed back to Harwich where she was a depot ship for smaller ships being laid up in the River Stour at Harwich. She was a good and happy ship. We saw plenty of action in the North Sea against E-boats and U-boats. Ronald K. Overend
HMS Dakins 9/44 - 1/47
History of HMS Dakins (K-550), ex-DE-85
(No U.S. Navy service, History Not Available)
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Not Applicable To This Ship
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