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Malta 27 - 30 November 1960

Ship's details on commissioning

  Rothesay Class Anti-submarine Frigate (Modified Type 12)
Launched May 20th 1958
Commissioned July 20th 1960 at J.Samuel White & Co. Ltd. Cowes, I.O.W.
Length Overall 370 feet
Beam 41 feet
Tonnage 2,500 tons
Speed 30 knots plus
Armament Twin 4.5" turret
12 Torpedo tubes amidships (removed early in commission)
2 Limbo three barrelled depth charge mortars
1 Single 40/60 Bofor A.A. gun (was to be replaced with Seacat)
Peacetime Complement 200 (9 officers, 191 ratings)
Boats
1 motor whaler 27 feet
1 motor boat 25 feet
1 dinghy 14 feet
10 twenty man liferafts
 

Navigational Statistics
During the 1st commission HMS Londonderry steamed approximately 78,000 miles, three times around the earth. Her screws turned over 30 million revolutions, giving an average speed of just on 14 knots for the 5,600 hours the ship will have been underway. She visited 50 ports from New York to Naples and Valparaiso to Vancouver, in 35 different countries and islands. From the commissioning date to the day of arival back in Portsmouth she spent exactly one third of her time at sea. She crossed the Atlantic four times, and went through the Panama Canal three times.

Gunnery Statistics
The ship fired 1,232 rounds of 4.5" ammunition, and 442 rounds of 40/60 ammunition at various targets, and tore large holes in the horizon when no better target offered itself.

Anti-submarine Mortar & TAS Statistics
Bill and Ben was responsible for nigh on 20,000 lbs of HE going into the water, and the Mighty Mouse below squeaked at least 40,000 times, deafening submarines of six different nationalities including the USS Nautilus.

Supply & Secretariat Statistics
128,136 eggs and 58,772 lbs of bread was eaten, and one would not dare to count the chips!

Sporting Statistics
Allegedly the ship had the best soccer, rugby, cricket, hockey, and shooting teams in the Royal Navy but I only have their words for that.

 

Ship's details after modernisation

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Class and type: Rothesay class frigate
Name: HMS Londonderry
Builder: J. Samuel White, Cowes
Laid down: 15 November 1956
Launched: 20 May 1958
Commissioned: 20 July 1960
Decommissioned: 29 March 1984
Fate: sunk as target, 25 June 1989

General characteristics
Displacement: As built: 2,150 tons standard
2,560 tons full load
As modified: 2,380 tons standard
2,800 tons full load
Length: 370 ft (110 m)
Beam: 41 ft (12 m)
Draught: 17.3 ft (5.3 m)
Propulsion: 'Y-100 plant
Two Babcock and Wilcox boilers Two English Electric steam turbines
2 shafts
30,000 shp
Speed: 30 knots (56 km/h)
Range: 400 tons oil fuel, 5,200 nautical miles (9,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement: 152, later 225, modified to 235

Electronics:
* 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

Armament (as built):
* 1 x twin 4.5 in (11.4 cm) gun Mark 6
* 1 x 40 mm Bofors gun Mark 7
* 2 x Limbo A/S mortar Mark 10
* 12 x 21-in A/S torpedo tubes (removed)

Armament (as modified):
* 1 x twin 4.5 in (11.4 cm) gun Mark 6
* 1 x Sea Cat GWS-20 SAM
* 2 x 20 mm Oerlikon guns
* 1 x Limbo A/S mortar Mark 10
* 1 x Westland Wasp HAS.1 helicopter
* 2 x 8-barrel 3in Knebworth/Corvus countermeasures launchers

Pennant number F108
Radio Callsign MXRV
Motto: Non Recedam

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Ponta Delgada, Azores - October 1960





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