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HMS Marlborough (F233)
Encyclopedia
HMS Marlborough was a 'Duke'-class Type 23
frigate
of the Royal Navy
, and the sixth ship to bear the name. She was named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
.
after she was attacked in Aden, Yemen in October 2000. Marlborough, under the command of Captain Anthony Rix, was on passage to the UK after a six-month deployment in the Gulf and had a full medical detachment on board; when her offer of assistance was accepted she immediately diverted to Aden.
Marlborough played a key role in the second Gulf War, under the command of Captain Mark Anderson.
In July 2004, it was announced that Marlborough would be one of three Type 23 ships to be decommissioned by the end of 2006.
In October 2004 Marlborough again came to the aid of a stricken ally when she was dispatched to assist , adrift off the northwest Irish
coast and arrived at the scene where RFA Wave Knight
and Marlboroughs sister-ship were present. Montrose had been the first ship to make contact with the boat. Other ships were also dispatched, including RFA Argus
.
Marlborough has a US Navy
officer permanently assigned. Reciprocally, a Royal Navy
officer is permanently assigned to the destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill
.
The 2003 defence cuts committed Marlborough to pay off by March 2006. In June 2005, it was announced that Marlborough would be sold to the Chilean Navy
. The Chilean Navy officially welcomed their new Almirante Condell into the fleet at a Commissioning Ceremony on 28 May 2008. The vessel was the last of three former Royal Navy Type-23 frigates to be handed over to Chile, under a £134 million pound sales agreement arranged by the MOD’s Disposal Services Authority and signed in September 2005. She joins her sister ships in the Chilean Navy, the former and former , handed over in November 2006 and March 2007 respectively.
Type 23 frigate
The Type 23 frigate is a class of frigate built for the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. All the ships were first named after British Dukes, thus the class is also known as the Duke class. The first Type 23 was commissioned in 1989, and the sixteenth, was launched in May 2000 and commissioned in...
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, and the sixth ship to bear the name. She was named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
.
History
Marlborough was the first naval ship on the scene to assist the stricken USS ColeUSS Cole bombing
The USS Cole Bombing, or the USS Cole Incident, was a suicide attack against the United States Navy destroyer on October 12, 2000 while it was harbored and refueled in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen American sailors were killed, and 39 were injured...
after she was attacked in Aden, Yemen in October 2000. Marlborough, under the command of Captain Anthony Rix, was on passage to the UK after a six-month deployment in the Gulf and had a full medical detachment on board; when her offer of assistance was accepted she immediately diverted to Aden.
Marlborough played a key role in the second Gulf War, under the command of Captain Mark Anderson.
In July 2004, it was announced that Marlborough would be one of three Type 23 ships to be decommissioned by the end of 2006.
In October 2004 Marlborough again came to the aid of a stricken ally when she was dispatched to assist , adrift off the northwest Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
coast and arrived at the scene where RFA Wave Knight
RFA Wave Knight (A389)
RFA Wave Knight is a Wave-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary of the United Kingdom tasked with providing fuel, food, ammunition and other supplies to Royal Navy vessels around the world....
and Marlboroughs sister-ship were present. Montrose had been the first ship to make contact with the boat. Other ships were also dispatched, including RFA Argus
RFA Argus (A135)
RFA Argus is a ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, part of the Royal Navy. Italian-built, Argus was formerly the container ship MV Contender Bezant. The ship was requisitioned in 1982 for service in the Falklands War and purchased outright in 1984 for use as an Aviation Training Ship, replacing RFA...
.
Marlborough has a US Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
officer permanently assigned. Reciprocally, a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer is permanently assigned to the destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill
USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81)
USS Winston S. Churchill is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy. She is the 31st destroyer of a planned 62-ship class. The Churchill is named after the...
.
The 2003 defence cuts committed Marlborough to pay off by March 2006. In June 2005, it was announced that Marlborough would be sold to the Chilean Navy
Chilean Navy
-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
. The Chilean Navy officially welcomed their new Almirante Condell into the fleet at a Commissioning Ceremony on 28 May 2008. The vessel was the last of three former Royal Navy Type-23 frigates to be handed over to Chile, under a £134 million pound sales agreement arranged by the MOD’s Disposal Services Authority and signed in September 2005. She joins her sister ships in the Chilean Navy, the former and former , handed over in November 2006 and March 2007 respectively.