BRP Rajah Lakandula

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Lakandula.jpg
BRP Rajah Lakandula (PF-4)
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameCamp
Builder Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Texas
Laid down27 January 1943
Launched16 April 1943
Commissioned16 September 1943
Recommissioned31 July 1956
RenamedUSS Camp (DER-251)
ReclassifiedRadar Picket
Stricken30 December 1975
MottoIf by sea
FateTransferred to Republic of Vietnam Navy on 13 February 1971. [1]
Flag of South Vietnam.svg South Vietnam
NameTran Hung Dao
Operator Republic of Vietnam Navy
Acquired13 February 1971
Decommissioned1975
FateEscaped to the Philippines in 1975 after the fall of South Vietnam.
Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines
NameRajah Lakandula
Namesake Lakandula was the native ruler of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Tondo when the Spanish colonizers first came to the island of Luzon.
Operator Philippine Navy
Acquired5 April 1976 [1] [2]
Commissioned27 July 1976
Decommissioned1988 [1] [2]
Stricken1988 [1] [2]
FateDecommissioned from the Philippine Navy in 1988, used as a stationary barracks ship as until 1999. Probably sold as scrap.
General characteristics
Class and typeRajah Lakandula-class destroyer escort / frigate
Displacement1,200 tons standard, 1,590 tons full load
Length306 ft (93 m)
Beam36.83 ft (11.23 m)
Draft12.25 ft (3.73 m)
Installed power6,000 hp (4,500 kW)
Propulsion
  • 4 × Fairbanks-Morse Mod. 38d81/8 geared diesel engines
  • 4 generators
  • 2 motors
  • 2 shafts
Speed21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) (maximum)
Range9,100 nmi (16,900 km; 10,500 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Armament
  • 2 × Mk.30 5"/38 caliber gun dual purpose guns
  • 1 × Mk.1 Twin Bofors 40 mm gun
  • 8 × Mk.4 Oerlikon 20 mm cannons
  • 3 × Mk.15 21" Torpedo Tubes
  • 1 × Mk.10 Hedgehog Projector (144 rounds)
  • 8 × Mk.6 Depth Charge Projectors
  • 2 × Mk.9 Depth Charge Tracks

BRP Rajah Lakandula (PF-4) was a frigate of the Philippine Navy, and was its only ex-USN Edsall-class destroyer escort. She was also the flagship of the Philippine Navy from 1981 to 1988.

Contents

History

BRP Rajah Lakandula (PF-4) was originally an Edsall-class destroyer escort commissioned by the United States Navy as USS Camp (DE-251) in 1943. In 1956, she was converted to a radar picket ship and later served during the Vietnam War until being decommissioned in 1970.

She was transferred to South Vietnam on 13 February 1971. Renamed frigate RVNS Tran Hung Dao (HQ-1), the ship was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 December 1975. Following the surrender of the South Vietnamese government on 29 April 1975, Tran Hung Dao escaped to the Philippines.

She was then formally transferred to the Philippines on 5 April 1976, [2] she was commissioned into the Philippine Navy as frigate RPS Rajah Lakandula on 27 July 1976. Received two "E" marks and conferred the Philippine Navy Ship of the Year Award for two consecutive years from 1980 to 1981. Struck from the Navy List in 1988, [1] [2] she was still in use as stationary barracks ship in Subic Bay as of 1999. [3]

Notable operations

On 7 October 1980, Rajah Lakandula was in the vicinity of Sangbay Island in Basilan when Gunnery Officer Ensign Albert V. Majini (PN) died in the line of duty, during an encounter while directing his gunners. Standing in the open, risking his life, he wanted to get the right range until the enemy gunfire felled him.[ clarification needed ] This earned him the Philippine Medal of Valor. [4]

In 1981, The ship, together with BRP Mactan and BRP Aurora, were part of the Philippine Navy contingent that was sent for the search and rescue efforts for survivors of the destroyer escort BRP Datu Kalantiaw (PS-76), which capsized off Calayan Islands in the northern Philippines by a typhoon. [5]

Technical details

The two Mk.30 5"/38 caliber guns, the ship's primary weapons, have a range of up to 18,200 yards (16,600 m) and are also capable of anti-aircraft warfare. USS Camp is the only one of her class to be mounted with such guns after her bows were repaired from an accident. [3]

In addition to the above-mentioned guns, she also carries a total of one twin Mk.1 Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, and eight Mk.4 20 mm Oerlikon cannons.

Related Research Articles

<i>Edsall</i>-class destroyer escort Class of American destroyer escorts

The Edsall-class destroyer escorts were destroyer escorts built primarily for ocean antisubmarine escort service during World War II. The lead ship, USS Edsall, was commissioned on 10 April 1943 at Orange, Texas. The class was also known as the FMR type from their Fairbanks-Morse reduction-geared diesel drive, with a type of engine used in the submarines of the time. The FMR's substitution for a diesel-electric power plant was the essential difference from the predecessor Cannon ("DET") class. This was the only World War II destroyer escort class in which all the ships originally ordered were completed as United States Navy destroyer escorts. Destroyer escorts were regular companions escorting the vulnerable cargo ships. Late in the war, plans were made to replace the 3-inch (76 mm) guns with 5-inch (127 mm) guns, but only Camp was refitted. In total, all 85 were completed by two shipbuilding companies: Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas (47), and Brown Shipbuilding, Houston, Texas (38). Most were en route to the Pacific Theater when Japan surrendered. One of the ships participated in Operation Dragoon and two were attacked by German guided missiles.

<i>Cannon</i>-class destroyer escort Class of American destroyer escorts

The Cannon class was a class of destroyer escorts built by the United States primarily for antisubmarine warfare and convoy escort service during World War II. The lead ship, USS Cannon, was commissioned on 26 September 1943 at Wilmington, Delaware. Of the 116 ships ordered, 44 were cancelled and six were commissioned directly into the Free French Forces. Destroyer escorts were regular companions escorting vulnerable cargo ships.

USS <i>Camp</i> Edsall-class destroyer escort

USS Camp (DE-251) was an Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean the Pacific Ocean and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys.

USS <i>Booth</i> Cannon-class destroyer escort

USS Booth (DE-170) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and then the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys.

USS <i>Amick</i> Cannon-class destroyer escort

USS Amick (DE-168) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and then the Pacific Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys.

BRP <i>Rajah Humabon</i> (PS-11)

The BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-11) was a former destroyer escort of the United States Navy and a former frigate of the Philippine Navy. She was the last World War II-era destroyer escort/frigate active in her fleet, and one of the oldest active warships in the world, until 15 March 2018 when she was formally decommissioned after 75 years. She was one of three ex-USN Cannon-class destroyer escorts that served the Philippine Navy, the others being BRP Datu Sikatuna (PF-5/PS-77) and BRP Datu Kalantiaw (PS-76).

BRP <i>Datu Kalantiaw</i> (PS-76)

BRP Datu Kalantiaw (PS-76) was the first of three ex-USN Cannon-class destroyer escorts that served with the Philippine Navy, the others being BRP Datu Sikatuna (PS-77/PF-5) and BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-78/PF-11). She was also the flagship of the Philippine Navy from 1967 to 1981.

BRP <i>Sultan Kudarat</i>

BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22) was a Miguel Malvar-class corvette of the Philippine Navy. She was originally built as USS PCE-881, a PCE-842-class patrol craft for the United States Navy during World War II. In 1961 she was transferred to South Vietnam for service in the Republic of Vietnam Navy as RVNS Đống Đa II (HQ-07). She was acquired by the Philippine Navy on April 1976, and was commissioned later on as RPS Sultan Kudarat (PS-22). Along with other World War II-era ships of the Philippine Navy, Sultan Kudarat was considered one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world, until her retirement in July 5, 2019.

BRP Datu Marikudo (PS-23) was a Malvar-class corvette of the Philippine Navy. She was originally built as USS PCE(R)-853, a PCE(R)-848-class patrol craft for the United States Navy during World War II. She was renamed USS Amherst on 15 February 1956. In February 1970, Amherst was decommissioned and transferred to South Vietnam for service in the Republic of Vietnam Navy as RVNS Vạn Kiếp II (HQ-14). She remained in South Vietnamese service until the collapse of that country in 1975. Vạn Kiếp II was one of several ships that fled from South Vietnam to the Philippines. She was then commissioned into the Philippine Navy on 5 April 1976 and named in honor of Datu Marikudo. Along with other World War II-era ships of the Philippine Navy, Datu Marikudo was considered one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world until her decommissioning.

The BRP Datu Sikatuna (PF-5) was one of the three ex-USN Cannon-class destroyer escorts that served with the Philippine Navy, the others being BRP Datu Kalantiaw (PS-76) and BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11).

BRP <i>Cebu</i>

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BRP <i>Pangasinan</i>

BRP Pangasinan (PS-31) was a Miguel Malvar-class corvette of the Philippine Navy. She was originally built as USS PCE-891, a PCE-842-class patrol craft for the United States Navy during World War II. She was decommissioned from the U.S. Navy and transferred to the Philippine Navy in July 1948 and renamed RPS Pangasinan (E-31).

BRP <i>Iloilo</i>

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RPS <i>Rajah Soliman</i> (D-66)

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BRP <i>Gregorio del Pilar</i> (PS-15) Flagship of the Philippine Navy

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USS <i>LST-47</i> LST-1-class landing ship tank

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 NavSource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive. USS Camp (DE 251).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "USS Camp (DE 251)". uboat.net. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  3. 1 2 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Camp page.
  4. ↑ Medal of Valor.
  5. ↑ Timawa Forum RPS Datu Kalantiaw (PS-76) clips from old news articles Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Brown, Dale (1993). Sky Masters ISBN   978-1-55800-915-8
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