HMS Eskimo (F119)

Last updated

27 taking the tow to HMS Eskimo Sept 1975.jpg
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Eskimo
Operator Royal Navy
Builder J. Samuel White
Laid down22 October 1958
Launched20 March 1961
Commissioned21 February 1963
DecommissionedAugust 1980
IdentificationF 119
Motto
  • Sikumi Ungaskitumi
  • ("Fire and Ice")
FateScrapped in 1992
General characteristics
Class and type Tribal-class frigate
Displacement
  • 2,300 long tons (2,300 t) standard
  • 2,700 long tons (2,700 t) full load
Length
  • 360 ft 0 in (109.73 m) oa
  • 350 ft 0 in (106.68 m) pp
Beam42 ft 3 in (12.88 m)
Draught
  • 13 ft 3 in (4.04 m)
  • 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) (propellers) [1]
Propulsion
Speed27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) (COSAG)
Range4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement253
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Radar type 965 air-search
  • Radar type 993 low-angle search
  • Radar type 978 navigation
  • Radar type 903 gunnery fire-control
  • Radar type 262 GWS-21 fire-control
  • Sonar type 177 search
  • Sonar type 170 attack
  • Sonar type 162 bottom profiling
  • Ashanti and Gurkha;
  • Sonar type 199 variable-depth
Armament
Aircraft carried1 × Westland Wasp helicopter

HMS Eskimo was a Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy in service from 1963 to 1980. She was scrapped in 1992.

Contents

Eskimo was built by J. Samuel White, of Cowes, [2] at a cost of £4,670,000. [3] The frigate was launched on 20 March 1961 and commissioned on 21 February 1963 with the pennant number F119. [2]

Service

'Eskimo' began her third commission in October 1966. Sailing from Portsmouth in May 1967, she arrived off Port Said on the morning of 5 June, but due to the outbreak of war between Israel and the surrounding Arab states (the six day war), she was unable to transit the Suez Canal as planned. ‘Eskimo’ then spent some three months in the Mediterranean (based primarily in Malta) before eventually sailing to the Middle East via Gibraltar, Simonstown (South Africa), two Beira patrols, and Mombasa, arriving on station in Bahrain in December of that year. She subsequently replaced her sister ship Ashanti off Aden in 1968 in support of the withdrawal of British troops from that colony. ‘Eskimo’ finally returned to the UK in May 1968 having spent a full twelve months away from home. Later in the year she took part in Portsmouth 'Navy Days'. [4] Between 1966 and 1967 she was commanded by Simon Cassels.

During 1974 and 1975 she was commanded by Alan Grose.

Due to a manpower shortage in the Royal Navy, [5] Eskimo was reduced to the reserve in 1980, being placed into the Standby Squadron, and in 1981 was put on the disposal list. [6] In 1984 she was cannibalised for spare parts for three Tribal-class frigates sold to Indonesia. On 16 January 1986, Eskimo was towed from Portsmouth to Pembroke Dock to be used as a target, but was not used as such. [7] In May 1992 she was towed from Pembroke to Bilbao, Spain to be scrapped. [8]

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Guardian</i> (1932)

HMS Guardian was a net laying ship of the Royal Navy, launched in 1932 and scrapped in 1962. She was also equipped for target towing and gunnery photography. A second net-layer, HMS Protector, was built to a modified design. Launched in 1936 Protector was scrapped in 1970.

HMS <i>Eagle</i> (R05) 1952 Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy

HMS Eagle was an Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy, in service 1951–1972. Until the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers in the 21st century, she and her sister Ark Royal were the two largest Royal Navy aircraft carriers ever built.

HMS <i>Lynx</i> (F27) Leopard-class Type 41 anti aircraft frigate

HMS Lynx (F27), was a Leopard-class Type 41 anti aircraft frigate of the British Royal Navy, named after the lynx.

HMS <i>Tiger</i> (C20) Tiger-class cruiser

HMS Tiger was a conventional cruiser of the British Royal Navy, one of a three-ship class known as the Tiger class. Ordered during World War II, she was completed after its end.

HMS <i>Tartar</i> (F133) Type 81 or Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy and Indonesian Navy

HMS Tartar (F133) was a Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). She was named after the Tartar people, most of whom were located in Asia and Eastern Europe. She was sold to the Indonesian Navy in 1984 as KRI Hasanuddin (333).

HMS <i>Gurkha</i> (F122) Type 81 or Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy and Indonesian Navy

HMS Gurkha (F122) was a Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was named after an ethnic group located in Nepal, and who continue to serve in the British Army. She was sold to the Indonesian Navy in 1984 and renamed KRI Wilhelmus Zakarias Yohannes (332).

HMS <i>Ashanti</i> (F117) 1961 Type 81 or Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Ashanti was a Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy. She was named after the Ashanti people, an ethnic group located in Ghana. The frigate was sunk as a target in 1988.

HMS <i>Nubian</i> (F131) Frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Nubian was a Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy in service from 1962 and 1979. She was named after the Nubian ethnic group, located in Egypt and Sudan. She was sunk as a target in 1987.

HMS <i>Mohawk</i> (F125) 1963 Type 81 or Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Mohawk was a Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy in service from 1963. She was named after a tribe of Native Americans located in southeast Canada and New York State. Mohawk was scrapped in 1983.

HMS <i>Zulu</i> (F124) Type 81 or Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy and Indonesian Navy

HMS Zulu (F124) was a Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy in service from 1964 to 1984. She was the third ship bearing the name of HMS Zulu, having been named after an ethnic group located primarily in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Zulu was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons, of Govan. She was launched on 3 July 1962 and commissioned on 17 April 1964.

HMS <i>Battleaxe</i> (D118) Weapon-class destroyer

HMS Battleaxe was a Weapon-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, completed just after the Second World War.

HMS <i>Berwick</i> (F115) Royal Navy frigate of the Type 12M, Rothesay Class

HMS Berwick was a Rothesay- or Type 12I-class anti-submarine frigate of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Harland & Wolff and launched on 15 December 1959.

HMS Iveston was a Ton-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy launched on 1 June 1954 by Philip and Son in Dartmouth. After her decommissioning in 1992, HMS Iveston became the Sea Cadet training ship T.S. Iveston. She was sold and scrapped in March 2015.

HMS <i>Mermaid</i> (U30) Sloop of the Royal Navy

HMS Mermaid was a Modified Black Swan-class sloop of the Royal Navy. Mermaid saw service as a convoy escort during the Second World War, taking part in the sinking of two German submarines while escorting Arctic convoys to and from the Soviet Union.

<i>Astraea</i>-class cruiser

The Astraea class was an eight ship class of protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy during the 1890s. The ships served on a number of foreign stations during their careers, particularly in the waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and around the Cape of Good Hope. Already obsolete by the outbreak of the First World War, most continued to see service in a variety of roles, though rarely in a front line capacity. By the end of the war the majority were being used as training or depot ships, and they were soon sold out of the service and scrapped. However, one ship, HMS Hermione, was bought by the Marine Society and used as a training ship until 1940.

HMS Brereton (M1113) was a Ton-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. Brereton was built by the Lowestoft shipbuilder Richard Ironworks, and was launched in 1953 and entered service in 1954.

HMS <i>Eggesford</i> Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Eggesford was a Type III Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She entered service in January 1943, carrying out convoy escort, patrol and anti-shipping attacks for most of the rest of the Second World War. In 1957, she was sold to the West German Navy, serving as a training ship for the submarine weapons school until 1968.

HMS <i>Oakley</i> (L98) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Oakley was a Type II Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was originally to have been named Tickham, however she was renamed after her sister ship Oakley was transferred to Poland and was renamed ORP Kujawiak (L72). She entered service in May 1943, carrying out convoy escort, patrol and anti-shipping attacks for most of the rest of the Second World War. She was adopted by the Civil community of Leighton Buzzard in Bedforshire as part of Warship Week in 1942. In 1957, she was sold to the West German Navy, serving as a training ship for the German Naval Gunnery school until scrapped in 1972.

HMS Vesuvius was an experimental torpedo-armed warship of the British Royal Navy. Built by Pembroke Dockyard in 1873–1874, she was the first purpose-designed torpedo vessel built for the Royal Navy. Vesuvius was intended for night attacks against enemy harbours, and was armed with a single tube for Whitehead torpedoes in her bow. She was used for experimental and training purposes, and was not disposed of until 1923.

HMS <i>Modeste</i> (U42) Modified Black Swan-class sloop

HMS Modeste was a modified Black Swan-class sloop of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Chatham Dockyard, during the Second World War, being launched on 29 January 1944 and commissioned on 3 September 1945. Post war, Modeste served with the British Far East Fleet, and took part in the Suez Crisis. She was paid off into reserve for the last time in 1958 and scrapped in 1961.

References

  1. Blackman 1971, p. 356.
  2. 1 2 Gardiner, Robert & Chesneau, Roger (1995). p. 518
  3. "News in Brief". The Times (55970): Col B, p. 6. 26 March 1964
  4. Programme, Navy Days at Portsmouth August 31st-September 2nd 1968, p. 19.
  5. "Armed Forces Manpower (1979)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Written-Answers. 28 June 1979. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  6. "Standby Squadron (1982)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Written-Answers. 26 April 1982. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  7. "HMS Eskimo F119". helis.com. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  8. http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8257 shipstamps.co.uk: HMS Eskimo

Publications