HMS Euryalus (F15)

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Career

Ordered:
Laid down:	2nd November 1961
Launched:	6th June 1963
Commissioned:	16th September 1964
Decommissioned:	31st March 1989
Fate:	Sold for scrap 1990
Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement:
Length:
Beam:
Draught:
Propulsion:
Speed:	31 Knts
Range:
Complement:	256
Armament:	1 x Ikara: 2 x Seacat: 2 x 40/60 Bofors
Aircraft:	Wasp HAS Mk1
Motto:	Omnia Audax (Daring in all things.)

HMS Euryalus (F15) was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). Like the rest of the class, Euryalus was named after a figure of mythology. Euryalus was built by Scotts Shipbuilders of Greenock. Euryalus was launched on the 6th June 1963 and commissioned on the 16th September 1964.

Upon her commissioning, Euryalus became the leader of the 26th Escort Squadron which was based in the Far East. While based in the Far East, Euryalus took part in the Indonesian Confrontation, with Euryalus having few incidents during her participation in the conflict, mainly patrolling the waters around Borneo.

In 1966, Euryalus deployed to the Mediterranean, at a time when there was a substantial RN presence in that region. Euryalus was part of the Nato fleet in 1967, visiting Norway, Iceland, Canada (for Expo 67), and America. She deployed to the far east November 1967 spending Christmas in Cape Town South Africa. Early 1968 she carried out her first Beira Patrol followed by a few weeks of Guard ship in Mauritus during their troubles. This deployment to the Far East conitinued with visits to Sydney Australia, Wellington NZ, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore before returning home via S.F USA and the Panama Canal.

In 1969, Euryalus again returned to the Far East, which also had a substantial RN presence at the time.

In 1970,, Euryalus became the Gibraltar guardship, a role that a number of Leanders performed. In 1972, Euryalus undertook a Beira Patrol, designed to prevent oil reaching Rhodesia via Mozambique. The following year, Euryalus began her modernisation at Devonport Dockyard, which included the removal of her one twin 4.5-in gun to accommodate the Australian designed Ikara anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missile system. The modernisation was completed in 1976.

In 1977, Euryalus took part in the annual Group Deployment that visited a number of South American and West African ports, and which included the cruiser Tiger and the nuclear submarine Churchill. In June that year, Euryalus participated in the last, so far, Fleet Review of the Royal Navy, in celebration of HM the Queen's Silver Jubilee. She was positioned in the middle of her sister-ships Scylla and Danae.

In 1981, Euryalus undertook a Middle East patrol during the tense times in that region, specifaclly the Iran-Iraq War which had begun the previous year. In 1982, Euryalus, along with her sister-ship Leander, came to the aid of the Portuguese vessel MV Ave Maria which was ablaze off the Essex coast, rescuing 45 people. In 1984, Euryalus joined the Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT), a NATO multi-national squadron. In 1986, Euryalus became the leader of the 1st Frigate Squadron. Euryalus decommissioned on the 31st March 1989 and was bought by Devonport Management Limited with the intention of then selling her to a foreign navy, but this was not to be, and in 1990, Euryalus was sold for scrap.