HMS Ambuscade (F172)

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HMS Ambuscade (F172).jpg
Ambuscade firing her 4.5-inch gun
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Ambuscade
Builder Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yard number1008
Laid down1 September 1971
Launched18 January 1973
Commissioned5 September 1975
Decommissioned28 July 1993
Identification Pennant number: F172
Motto
  • Tempori insidior
  • ("I bide my time")
FateSold to Pakistan on 28 July 1993
NotesTo be returned to the United Kingdom for preservation as a museum ship
General characteristics
Class and type Type 21 frigate
Displacement3,250 tons full load
Length384 ft (117 m)
Beam41 ft 9 in (12.73 m)
Draught19 ft 6 in (5.94 m)
Propulsion
Speed32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range
  • 4,000  nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)
  • 1,200 nmi (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) at 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement177
Armament
Aircraft carried1 × Westland Wasp helicopter, later refitted for 1 × Westland Lynx

HMS Ambuscade is a retired Type 21 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland. She entered service in 1975. Ambuscade took part in the Falklands War of 1982.

Contents

Ambuscade was sold to Pakistan in 1993 and served their navy as PNS Tariq until 2023.

Service history

Ambuscade was launched on 18 January 1973 by Lady Griffin, wife of the Controller of the Navy, and was commissioned at Devonport on 5 September 1975. [1] During 1976 and 1977 her commander was Peter Abbott who subsequently attained Flag rank. [2]

Ambuscade took part in the Falklands War of 1982, serving as an Electronic Warfare picket ship to the Task Force, and taking part in several bombardments of Argentine positions. [1] On 25 May Ambuscade was targeted by two Exocet missiles fired by Argentine Super Étendard strike aircraft. Ambuscade detected the aircraft at 30 miles and the missile launch at 22 miles, first with radar then visually, and fired chaff decoys in an attempt to confuse the missiles' seekers. Both missiles then locked on to SS Atlantic Conveyor impacting her port quarter, and setting her on fire. Atlantic Conveyor sank whilst under tow on 28 May. [3] On the night of 13 June she fired 228 4.5-inch shells in support of 2 Para's assault of Wireless Ridge.

On 27 April 1983, Ambuscade was conducting tactical manoeuvres with ships of the United States Navy in the Indian Ocean. During the course of the exercise, she collided with the guided missile cruiser USS Dale, resulting in part of her bow being torn away. [4] Ambuscade was laid up in Bombay for six weeks while a new bow was constructed and fitted. [5] Whilst laid up, some of the crew performed as extras in the film On Wings of Fire. There was enough damage to have Dale dry docked when she returned to Jacksonville, Florida.[ citation needed ]Ambuscade was in collision with the trawler Ester Colleen in heavy fog off Torbay on 26 October 1983. The trawler was badly holed in the collision. [6]

From November 1983 to February 1984, Ambuscade served as a West Indies Guardship. [7] [8] On 8 June 1984, Ambuscade went to the assistance of the schooner Stena of Sitoo, which had struck an object in the North Sea and been holed below the waterline. [9]

In late 1984, suffering from cracking in her hull, she was taken in for refitting, with a steel plate being welded down each side of the ship. At the same time modifications were made to reduce hull noise and four Exocet launchers were added in front of the bridge.

In 1993, she was decommissioned and sold to Pakistan and recommissioned as PNS Tariq, and remains in active service.

In December 2021, it was announced that it was hoped that when decommissioned, she could be returned to the United Kingdom for preservation as a museum ship. [10]

In February 2023, it was announced that the Royal Navy was backing the plan to return her to the United Kingdom and will be preserved in Glasgow. [11]

List of deployments [12]
FromToDetailNote
19751976Sea trials
19771977 Standing Naval Force Atlantic 6 months
197819785th Frigate Squadron and cruiser HMS Blake. Western Atlantic and Pacific5 months
19791979UK waters
19791979Belize and West Indies Guardship
19801980Refit at Devonport
19811982Sea training. Armilla Patrol
19821982South Atlantic (Falklands War)
19831983Collision while on Armilla Patrol
19831984West Indies Guardship
19841986Refit at Devonport
19861987Falklands Guardship
19881988West Indies Guardship
19891989UK and Europe
19901990Falklands Guardship
19911991West Indies Guardship
19921992Falklands Guardship
19931993Sold to the Pakistan Navy
Ambuscade at the HM Dockyard Bermuda in 1988 HMS Ambuscade in Bermuda.jpg
Ambuscade at the HM Dockyard Bermuda in 1988

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References

  1. 1 2 Gough, Richie (30 August 2014). "Ambuscade Service History". Type 21 Club. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  2. ↑ Gough, Richie (30 August 2014). "HMS Ambuscade (F172)". Type 21 Club. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  3. ↑ The Atlantic Conveyor, Think Defence, 14 July 2021
  4. ↑ "HMS Ambuscade". ClydeBuilt Database. 5 March 2004. Archived from the original on 6 November 2004. Retrieved 8 November 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ↑ "Collision with USS Dale 1983". HMS Ambuscade Association. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
  6. ↑ "Trawler holed". The Times . No. 61674. 27 October 1983. p. 3.
  7. ↑ Critchley 1992 , p. 137
  8. ↑ "Ambuscade changes the guard" (PDF). Navy News . March 1984. p. 14. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "Air-sea aid for holed schooner". The Times. No. 61853. London. 9 June 1984. col A, B, p. 3.
  10. ↑ "Hope of bringing "Awesome Amazon" home to the Clyde". HMS Ardent Association. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  11. ↑ "Falklands warship launched in 1973 to be turned into museum". 21 February 2023.
  12. ↑ "RN Career and Programme". HMS Ambuscade Association. Retrieved 9 October 2019.

Bibliography

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