HMS Dampier

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Dampier
Namesake	William Dampier
Ordered	23 January 1943
Builder	South Bank, Middlesbrough
Laid down	7 August 1944
Launched	15 May 1945, as Herne Bay
Commissioned	4 May 1948, as Dampier
Decommissioned	31 January 1968
Identification	Pennant number K611/A303
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 1968
Badge	On a Field White in front of 3 bars couped wavy Blue, a Roebuck's head erased Proper, gorged with a ducal crown Gold
General characteristics
Class and type	Bay-class frigate
Displacement	1,600 long tons (1,626 t) standard; 2,530 long tons (2,571 t) full;
Length	286 ft (87 m) p/p; 307 ft 3 in (93.65 m) o/a;
Beam	38 ft 6 in (11.73 m)
Draught	12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
Propulsion	2 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion reciprocating engines, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Speed	19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph)
Range	724 tons oil fuel, 9,500 nmi (17,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement	133
Armament	4 × 3-pounder saluting guns; Minesweeping gear aft;

HMS Dampier was a

survey ship of the Royal Navy, named after the explorer, author and privateer, William Dampier (1652–1715). Originally intended as a Bay-class anti-aircraft frigate

, the ship was in commission from 1948 to 1968, spending her entire career based at Singapore, carrying out survey work.

Construction

The ship was ordered on 23 January 1943 from

survey ship. She was renamed Dampier and assigned the pennant number A303.^[1]

Service history

Dampier was commissioned on 4 May 1948, and in June arrived at Singapore, which would be her home port for almost the next twenty years. There she was employed in carrying out oceanographic and hydrographic surveys around the coasts of Malaya, Borneo, and Hong Kong, in the South China and Java Seas, with annual refits in Hong Kong, and inspections at Singapore.^[1]

On 5 October 1967 Dampier finally left Singapore to return to the UK, arriving at

square sails. With the assistance of this rig, Dampier arrived at Chatham on 23 December to be greeted by Flag Officer Medway and the Hydrographer of the Navy.^[1]

Dampier was decommissioned at Chatham on 31 January 1968 and reduced to the Reserve. The ship was later placed on the Disposal List, and then sold to a Belgian shipbreaker. She was towed away for breaking-up on 17 January 1969.[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith (ed.). "HMS Dampier, British survey ship". naval-history.net. Retrieved 26 January 2011.

Publications

ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8
.

External links

Photo of HMS Dampier Archived 5 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine

[naval-history.net-1] Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith (ed.). "HMS Dampier, British survey ship". naval-history.net. Retrieved 26 January 2011.

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