HMS Blake (C99)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Career
HMS Blake post-conversion
Ordered:	1942 Additional Naval Programme
Laid down:	17 August 1942
Launched:	20 December 1945
Commissioned:	18 March 1961
Decommissioned:	December 1979
Fate:	Sold for scrap August 1982
General Characteristics
Displacement:	11,560 tons as built 12,080 tons after conversion
Length:	555.5 ft (169.3 m) overall 538 ft (166 m) between perpendiculars
Beam:	64 ft (19.5 m)
Draught:	21 ft (6.43 m)
Propulsion:	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 400 psi Parsons geared Steam turbines 4 shafts, 80,000 shp
Speed:	31.5 knots
Range:	8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 16 knots
Complement:	716 (885 after conversion)
Armament:	As built: 4 × 6 in guns (2 × 2) 6 × 3 in (3 × 2) After Conversion: 2 × 6 in (1 × 2) 2 × 3 in (1 × 2) 2 × Seacat quad missile launchers
Aircraft, after conversion:	4 helicopters (originally Westland Wessex, then Sea King)

HMS Blake (C99) was a guided missile cruiser of the Tiger class of the Royal Navy; the only class to have ever served in Royal Navy and the last of the RN cruisers. She was named after Admiral Robert Blake, a 17th century admiral who was the "Father of the Royal Navy". She was ordered in 1942 as one of the Minotaur class of light cruisers. They had a low construction prioity due to more pressing requirements for other ship types during World War II, particularly anti-submarine craft. Blake was laid down in 1942. In 1944, Blake was renamed Tiger, then Blake again in 1945, the year she was launched partially constructed at the Fairfield Shipyard at Govan. Construction of Blake was suspended in 1946.

In 1954, Construction of Blake resumed, but to a new design. The new design was approved in 1951, but construction did not resume until 1954. She would have fully-automatic 6 inch guns in twin high-angle mounts with each gun capable of shooting 20 rounds per minute, and a secondary battery of fully-automatic 3 inch guns which delivered 90 rounds per minute per gun. She would have no lighter anti-aircraft armament or torpedo tubes. Air conditioning was fitted throughout the ship, and a 200-line automatic telephone exchange was installed. Each 6 inch and 3 inch mounting had its own director, linked to a dedicated radar on the director. In 1961, Blake finally commissioned into the Royal Navy, the last cruiser to do so. Just two years later, she was placed in reserve.

From 1965 to 1969, she underwent a major conversion to become a Helicopter and Commando Cruiser. This reconstruction included replacing the after 6 inch mount and 3 inch mounts with a flight deck and hangar. She also had new radars and taller funnels. She had excellent command, control, and communications facilities installed, and found use as a flagship to task groups. The refit was very expensive; some say the many millions to convert Blake, and her sister ship Tiger to helicopter cruisers drained much needed resources better used elsewhere. In 1971, she was present during the emotional Withdrawal from Malta, and in 1977 took part in the Fleet Review of the Royal Navy during the Silver Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II, which took place off Spithead, site of many Fleet Reviews.

The cruiser was host to the Westland Wessex HAS MK3 helicopters of No. 820 Naval Air Squadron from 1969 until Blake was withdrawn from service in 1979, when the ship became the last ship in the Royal Navy to fire a six-inch gun. Her large crew made her an expensive ship to operate and maintain. Blake was refitted in 1980, and due to a defense manpower drawdown that resulted in manpower shortages, became part of the Standby Squadron. She was sold for scrap in 1982. The ship's bell of the Blake has been preserved and is on display in Saint Mary's Church, Bridgwater.

See HMS Blake for other ships of the same name.

[edit] References

Robert Gardiner, ed., Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1922 - 1946 (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1980)
Robert Gardiner, ed., Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947 - 1982 (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1983)
Jane's Fighting Ships 1950-51 (Janes Publishing, London, 1950)
Alan Raven and John Roberts, British Cruisers of World War II, (Arms and Armour Press, London, 1980)
M. J. Whitley, Cruisers of World War Two: An Illustrated Encyclopedia (Arms and Armour Press, London, 1995)