History
United States
Name	USS Harland (PG-186)
Namesake	British name assigned in anticipation of ship's transfer to United Kingdom
Reclassified	Patrol frigate, PF-78, 15 April 1943
Builder	Walsh-Kaiser Company, Providence, Rhode Island
Laid down	15 July 1943[1]
Renamed	Cayman, 1943
Namesake	The Cayman Islands
Launched	6 September 1943
Commissioned	never
Fate	Transferred to United Kingdom, 20 January 1944
Acquired	Returned by United Kingdom 23 April 1946
Fate	Sold for scrapping 1 July 1947
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Cayman (K506)
Namesake	The Cayman Islands
Acquired	20 January 1944
Commissioned	20 January 1944[1]
Fate	Returned to United States 23 April 1946
General characteristics
Class & type	Colony/Tacoma-class 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 inch/50 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 Cayman (K506) 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 Harland (PF-78) and was transferred to the Royal Navy prior to completion.

Construction and acquisition

The ship, originally designated a "patrol gunboat," PG-186, was ordered by the United States Maritime Commission under a United States Navy contract as USS Harland. She was reclassified as a "patrol frigate," PF-78, on 15 April 1943 and laid down by the Walsh-Kaiser Company at Providence, Rhode Island, on 15 July 1943.^[1] Intended for transfer to the United Kingdom, the ship was renamed Cayman by the British prior to launching and was launched on 6 September 1943.

Service history

Transferred to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease on 20 January 1944, the ship served in the Royal Navy as HMS Cayman (K506) on patrol and escort duty.

Disposal

The United Kingdom returned Cayman to the U.S. Navy on 23 April 1946. She was sold to the United Dock Corporation of New York, New York, on 1 July 1947 for scrapping.

References

Bibliography

• Photo gallery of HMS Cayman at NavSource Naval History