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HMS Plymouth (F126)
Encyclopedia
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 decommissioning as a warship, HMS Plymouth has been preserved, and opened to the public at various United Kingdom ports.
, in her namesake city of Plymouth, and was launched by Viscountess Astor on 20 July 1959.
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 Antrim
, HMS Brilliant
and HMS Endurance
took part in the recapturing of South Georgia on 28 April during Operation Paraquet
. 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 captured by Royal Marines.
Plymouth rejoined the task force and supported troops on the ground by bombarding Argentine troop positions with her 4.5 inches (114 mm) guns.
On June 8, Plymouth was attacked by Dagger
fighter bombers of FAA Grupo 6. Able seaman Phil Orr fired her Sea Cat missile
system at them, claiming the destruction of two aircraft. Later it was determined that no Dagger was lost in action that day.
Plymouth was hit by four bombs and several cannon shells. One Bomb hit the flight deck, detonating a depth charge and starting a fire, one went straight through her funnel and two more destroyed her Limbo anti-submarine mortar
. All of the bombs failed to explode. Five men were injured in the attack and repairs were effected by LMEM Robin Cunningham, and 1st Class MEM's Gary Borthwick and John Fearon. She returned to Rosyth Dockyard
after the war for full repair and refit
The following year, Plymouth served as the West Indies Guardship which included several days anchored off Belize
.
On the 11th March 1984 Plymouth was involved in a collision with the German Frigate FGS Braunschweig
and in 1986 she suffered a boiler room fire, killing two sailors.
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 and, by default, is currently owned by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
(MDHC) following the demise of the Trust. Plymouth's future as a museum ship is now uncertain. Immediately after the demise of the Trust, rumours began circulating the Plymouth would be sold off to an independent company to be transformed into either a floating restaurant
or floating hotel.
Plymouth City Council had expressed an interest in HMS Plymouth, and the HMS Plymouth Preservation Trust undertook to raise the £250,000 needed to bring the warship back to her home city.
It had been hoped that the frigate could be berthed at Millbay Docks, but the offer of a berth was withdrawn in January 2007 by Associated British Ports.
A petition, on 10 Downing Street
's E-petitions web site sought to encourage the UK government to provide a berth for the ship.
. Despite surrender, Astiz continued his act as a combatant. His surrender was more pro forma than actual, but he was never tried for these actions.
Rothesay class frigate
The Rothesay class, or Type 12M frigates were a class of frigates serving with the Royal Navy, South African Navy and the New Zealand Navy....
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"...
, which served in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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...
from 1959 to 1988. She was named after the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
city of Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. Since decommissioning as a warship, HMS Plymouth has been preserved, and opened to the public at various United Kingdom ports.
Construction
Plymouth was built at Devonport DockyardHMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
, in her namesake city of Plymouth, and was launched by Viscountess Astor on 20 July 1959.
Active service
During her lifetime, Plymouth served in a variety of locations, including the Far EastFar East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. She saw action in the Cod Wars between the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and also the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
in 1982.
Plymouth was one of the first 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...
ships to arrive in the South Atlantic following the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
invasion of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
and South Georgia. Plymouth alongside HMS Antrim
HMS Antrim (D18)
HMS Antrim was a County-class destroyer of the Royal Navy launched on 19 October 1967. In the mid-1970s, the Royal Navy removed 'B' turret and replaced it with four Exocet launchers.-Falklands Conflict:...
, HMS Brilliant
HMS Brilliant (F90)
HMS Brilliant was a Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy.She was part of the Task Force that took part in the Falklands War, with Captain John Coward in command...
and HMS Endurance
HMS Endurance (1967)
HMS Endurance was a Royal Navy ice patrol vessel that served from 1967 to 1991. She came to public notice when she was involved in the Falklands War of 1982.-Service history:...
took part in the recapturing of South Georgia on 28 April during Operation Paraquet
Operation Paraquet
Operation Paraquet was the code name for the British military operation to recapture the Island of South Georgia from Argentine military control in April 1982 at the start of the Falklands War...
. Plymouth landed Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
from her Westland Wasp
Westland Wasp
The Westland Wasp was a British small first-generation, gas-turbine powered, shipboard anti-submarine helicopter. Produced by Westland Helicopters, it came from the same P.531 programme as the British Army Westland Scout, and was based on the earlier piston-engined Saunders-Roe Skeeter...
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 captured by Royal Marines.
Plymouth rejoined the task force and supported troops on the ground by bombarding Argentine troop positions with her 4.5 inches (114 mm) guns.
On June 8, Plymouth was attacked by Dagger
IAI Nesher
The Israel Aircraft Industries Nesher is the Israeli version of the Dassault Mirage 5 multi-role fighter aircraft...
fighter bombers of FAA Grupo 6. Able seaman Phil Orr fired her Sea Cat missile
Sea Cat missile
Sea Cat was a British short-range surface to air missile system intended to replace the ubiquitous Bofors 40 mm gun aboard warships of all sizes. It was the world's first operational shipboard point-defence missile system and was designed so that the Bofors guns could be replaced with minimum...
system at them, claiming the destruction of two aircraft. Later it was determined that no Dagger was lost in action that day.
Plymouth was hit by four bombs and several cannon shells. One Bomb hit the flight deck, detonating a depth charge and starting a fire, one went straight through her funnel and two more destroyed her Limbo anti-submarine mortar
Limbo (weapon)
Limbo, or Anti Submarine Mortar Mark 10 , was the final British development of a forward-throwing anti-submarine weapon originally designed during the Second World War. Limbo, a three-barreled mortar similar to the earlier Squid that it superseded, was developed by the Admiralty Underwater Weapons...
. All of the bombs failed to explode. Five men were injured in the attack and repairs were effected by LMEM Robin Cunningham, and 1st Class MEM's Gary Borthwick and John Fearon. She returned to Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard is a large naval dockyard on the Firth of Forth at Rosyth, Fife, Scotland, owned by Babcock Marine, which primarily undertakes refitting of Royal Navy surface vessels.-History:...
after the war for full repair and refit
The following year, Plymouth served as the West Indies Guardship which included several days anchored off Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
.
On the 11th March 1984 Plymouth was involved in a collision with the German Frigate FGS Braunschweig
Braunschweig class corvette
The K130 Braunschweig class is Germany's newest class of ocean-going corvettes. They supplement the Gepard class fast attack craft that are currently used.-Technical details:...
and in 1986 she suffered a boiler room fire, killing two sailors.
In preservation
HMS Plymouth was decommissioned on the 28th April 1988, and was the last Type 12 in service. After decommissioning, the Warship Preservation TrustWarship Preservation Trust
The Warship Preservation Trust was based in Birkenhead, Wirral, England and hosted Europe's largest collection of preserved warships.The collection was brought to Birkenhead in 2002 and was moored in the West Float of the Birkenhead docks complex....
acquired the ship for preservation. In 1990 the ship was towed to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and placed on display at a berth on the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
. Subsequently she was relocated to Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
for display alongside other ships and submarines. On 6 February 2006, the Warship Preservation Trust closed, citing financial difficulties and, by default, is currently owned by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company , formerly the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board , owns and administers the dock facilities of the Port of Liverpool, on the River Mersey, England...
(MDHC) following the demise of the Trust. Plymouth's future as a museum ship is now uncertain. Immediately after the demise of the Trust, rumours began circulating the Plymouth would be sold off to an independent company to be transformed into either a floating restaurant
Floating restaurant
A floating restaurant is a kind of vessel which is usually a type of steel barge used as a restaurant on water. For example, the Jumbo Palace at Aberdeen in Hong Kong is one such restaurant. Sometimes retired ships are given a second lease on life as floating restaurants. The former car ferry New...
or floating hotel.
Plymouth City Council had expressed an interest in HMS Plymouth, and the HMS Plymouth Preservation Trust undertook to raise the £250,000 needed to bring the warship back to her home city.
It had been hoped that the frigate could be berthed at Millbay Docks, but the offer of a berth was withdrawn in January 2007 by Associated British Ports.
A petition, on 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
's E-petitions web site sought to encourage the UK government to provide a berth for the ship.
Points of Particular Historical Interest
The wardroom of the Plymouth was where the surrender of Argentine Forces in South Georgia was signed by Lieutenant Alfredo AstizAlfredo Astiz
Alfredo Ignacio Astiz was a Commander, intelligence office and maritime commando in the Argentine Navy during the dictatorial rule of Jorge Rafael Videla in the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional...
. Despite surrender, Astiz continued his act as a combatant. His surrender was more pro forma than actual, but he was never tried for these actions.
General
- The history of HMS Plymouth
- 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.