HMS Galatea (F18)

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Career

Ordered:
Laid down:	29th December 1961
Launched:	23rd May 1963
Commissioned:	25th April 1964
Decommissioned:	31st January 1987
Fate:	Sunk as target 21st July 1988
General Characteristics
Displacement:	2,450 tons
Length:	372 ft
Beam:	41 ft
Draught:	18 ft
Propulsion:	Twin oil fired steam turbines, 30,000 HP (22 MW)
Speed:	30 knots maximum
Range:
Complement:	251 (257 after Ikara upgrade)
Armament:	Twin 4.5 inch (114 mm) guns (subsequently replaced by Ikara anti-submarine missile launcher), two 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, Limbo antisubmarine mortar, Wasp helicopter
Aircraft:
Motto:

HMS Galatea (F18) was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham on the Tyne. She was launched on the 23 May 1963 and commissioned on the 25 April 1964. She was nicknamed the "Black Pig".

Upon her commission, Galatea was immediately stationed in the Mediterranean. The following year, Galatea was involved in exercises in that region, and in 1966 joined the 27th Escort Group which were also based in the Mediterranean. Later that year, Galatea returned to United Kingdom waters when she joined the Home Fleet, a fleet soon to be consigned to the history books. In 1968, Galatea was present in West Germany during the Kieler Woche event, which combines a yachting race and festival entertainment.

In 1971, Galatea began a modernisation refit, which included the fitting of the Ikara and SeaCat weapons systems. The refit was completed in 1974. The following year, Galatea took part in the Third Cod War with Iceland, patrolling against any aggression towards British fishing trawlers from Icelandic vessels, including gunboats. In 1976, Galatea truly got involved in the 'war', when she was rammed by the Icelandic gunboat Baldur, a gunboat that became notorious for such actions during the Cod Wars.

In 1977, Galatea underwent a refit, and later that year as part of the 1st Frigate Squadron, Galatea was leader of the squadron during the last ever, so far, Fleet Review of the Royal Navy, in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Galatea was positioned in between her sister-ship HMS Phoebe and the cruiser HMS Blake. In 1978, Galatea was stationed once again in the Mediterranean where she took part in a number of patrols, as well as exercises. In 1981, she had another refit, this time in Gibraltar, and the following year, remained in sunny climes when she deployed to the Persian Gulf on Armilla Patrol during the tense times of the Iran-Iraq War, where she remained until about 1983. Her career was coming to an end like many Batch 1 Leanders, and in January 1987, Galatea's career did come to an end when she was decommissioned. The following year in July, Galatea came to an explosive end when she was sunk as a target during naval exercises in the North Sea.