She was laid down by William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton on 13 June 1941, launched on 9 November 1942 and commissioned on 10 May 1943, with the pennant number U23.

[1] She saw active service during the Second World War, initially performing convoy escort roles in the Atlantic before supporting the Normandy landings.

In the final months of the war, Crane joined the British Pacific Fleet and saw service during the Battle of Okinawa.

[9] HMS Crane was laid down at William Denny and Brothers' Dumbarton shipyard on 13 June 1941 and was launched on 9 November 1942 and was completed on 10 May 1943, with the pennant number U23.

[17][18] In August 1943, in order to avoid attacks by aircraft of RAF Coastal Command in the Bay of Biscay, German U-boats on course for the north Atlantic started to hug the coast of France and Northern Spain.

German attacks on the convoy continued, and on 21 November 1943 Crane and the frigate Fowey sank U-538 with depth charges.

[21][22] Crane and Cygnet depth charged and sank the German submarine U-962 on 8 April 1944 in the North Atlantic northwest of Cape Finisterre.

[23][24][25] In May 1944, the 7th Escort Group, including Crane she was transferred to the English Channel to support the Allies planned Normandy landings for Operation Neptune.

[32] Following a refit during which Hedgehog was fitted and the ship's anti-aircraft outfit upgraded, Crane returned to active service in August 1951, joining the 3rd Frigate Squadron in the Far East.

While there, she was attacked by five Israeli Air Force Dassault Mystère IV fighter aircraft after supposedly being mistaken for an Egyptian warship.

Crane was hit by rocket fire from the aircraft and small bombs which exploded around the stern, spraying the ship with shrapnel.

[32][33] The ship was paid off at the end of 1962 at Portsmouth, and was transferred to BISCO for disposal in 1965, being scrapped at the Queenborough, Kent yard of Lacmots Ltd from March 1965.