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KILKEEL was a Patrol Gunboat built in 1918.
During World War One the Royal Navy had a constant need for patrol craft which could be rapidly built by commercial shipbuilders. This resulted in the ‘KIL’ class. During 1917 a design for a Patrol Gunboat was approved and during that year orders for 85 ships were placed with several yards, but Smiths Dock at Middlesbrough was the ‘lead yard’.
They measured 895 tons; 182 feet x 30ft
Powered by coal fired triple-expansion steam engines, producing 1400 ihp giving 14 knots
They were armed with 1 x 4inch gun and depth charges.
They were all given names beginning with ‘Kil’, the first being KILDARY which was launched in November 1917. Just as production was getting underway the war was drawing to a close, and during 1918 several of the ships ordered were cancelled. Eventually 55 ‘Kil’ class ships were completed during 1918 - 1919, but with the end of the war the need had gone, and most never saw active service, being laid up and then put up for sale.
KILKEEL was built by Smiths Dock at Middlesbrough, being launched 27th March 1918. She was commissioned at Chatham in August 1918 under the command of Lieutenant John Rowe DSC.
She paid off during 1919 and was sold out of naval service, along with most of the other ’Kils’ in February 1920 to a company called Robinson, Brown & Joplin, who converted them to cargo ships.
KILKEEL was converted to the ‘FALCONER’
In 1929 she was sold to a Portuguese company, Moreira of Oporto, to become the CATALINA
She was torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat, the U-203, on 15. January 1942