HMS Plymouth (F126)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Career
Ordered:
Laid down:	1958
Launched:	July 20, 1959
Commissioned:
Decommissioned:	1988
Fate:	Preserved
Struck:
Motto:

This is a page about an individual ship. For background information on her class, please see Rothesay class frigate. For other ships of the same name, see HMS Plymouth.

HMS Plymouth is a Rothesay class frigate, which served in the United Kingdom Royal Navy from 1959 to 1988. She was named after the English city of Plymouth. Since decommisioning as a warship, HMS Plymouth has been preserved, and opened to the public at various United Kingdom ports.

1 History
2 General characteristics
3 References
- 3.1 General
- 3.2 Specific
4 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Construction

Plymouth was built at Devonport Dockyard, in her namesake city of Plymouth, and was launched by Viscountess Astor on July 20, 1959.

[edit] Active service

During her lifetime, Plymouth served in a variety of locations, including the Far East and Australia. She saw action in the Cod Wars between the United Kingdom and Iceland and also the Falklands War in 1982.

Plymouth was one of the first Royal Navy ships to arrive in the South Atlantic following the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Plymouth alongside HMS Brilliant and HMS Endurance took part in the recapturing of South Georgia on April 28. Plymouth landed Royal Marines from her Westland Wasp helicopters and bombarded Argentine troop positions on the island. Later her Wasp helicopter took part in an attack on the ARA Santa Fe, which was badly damaged and later caputured by Royal Marines.

After South Georgia was liberated, Plymouth rejoined the main task force, taking part in many operations before the landings at San Carlos Waters. Plymouth supported troops on the ground by bombarding Argentine troop positions with her two 4.5 inch guns. On June 8, a lone Plymouth was attacked by Mirage fighters of the Argentine Air Force, and managed to shoot down two with her Sea Cat missile system. However, she was hit by bombs and cannon shells, causing considerable damage to the ship. Plymouth returned to Rosyth Naval Dockyards after the war for repair and refit.

[edit] In preservation

After decommissioning in 1988, the Warship Preservation Trust acquired the ship for preservation. In 1990 the ship was towed to Glasgow and placed on display at a berth on the River Clyde. Subsequently she was relocated to Birkenhead for display alongside other ships and submarines.

On 6 February 2006, the Warship Preservation Trust closed, citing financial difficulties. HMS Plymouth's future as a museum ship is now uncertain. A petition, on 10 Downing Street's E-petitions web site, is seeking to encourage the UK government to provide a berth for the ship.^[1]

[edit] General characteristics

Type 12I Rothesay class

General Characteristics
Displacement:	2,150 tons standard / 2,560 tons full load
Displacement as modified:	2,380 tons standard / 2,800 tons full load
Length:	370 ft o/a
Beam:	41 ft
Draught:	17.3 ft
Propulsion:	'Y-100 plant; 2 Babcock and Wilcox boilers, 2 English Electric steam turbines, 2 shafts, 30,000 shp
Speed:	30 knots
Range:	400 tons oil fuel, 5,200 nautical miles at 12 knots
Complement:	152, later 225, modified to 235
Armament (as built):	1 x twin 4.5in gun Mark 6 1 x 40mm Bofors gun Mark 7 2 x Limbo A/S mortar Mark 10 12 x 21-in A/S torpedo tubes (removed or never shipped)
Armament (as modified):	1 x twin 4.5in gun Mark 6 1 x Sea Cat GWS-20 SAM 2 x 20mm Oerlikon guns 1 x Limbo A/S mortar Mark 10 1 x Westland Wasp HAS.1 MATCH helicopter 2 x 8-barrel 3in Knebworth/Corvus countermeasures launchers
Electronics (as built):	Radar Type 293Q target indication Radar Type 277Q height finding Radar Type 275 fire control on director Mark 6M Radar Type 974 navigation Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF Sonar Type 174 search Sonar Type 162 target classification Sonar Type 170 attack
Electronics (as modified):	Radar Type 993 target indication Radar Type 903 fire control on director MRS3 Radar Type 978 navigation Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF Sonar Type 177 search Sonar Type 162 target classification Sonar Type 170 attack

[edit] References

[edit] General

Souvenir guide to HMS Plymouth, entitled HMS Plymouth, Falklands Veteran, Her Story, no publisher or publication date declared, but dating from the period the ship was on display in Glasgow.