HMS Leopard (F14)
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | HMS Leopard (F14) |
Namesake | Leopard |
Ordered | 21 August 1951 |
Builder | HM Dockyard, Portsmouth |
Laid down | 25 March 1953 |
Launched | 23 May 1955 |
Commissioned | 30 September 1958 |
Decommissioned | 12 December 1975 |
Fate | Scrapped 1977 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Leopard-class frigate |
Length | 101 metres (331 ft) |
Beam | 10.6 metres (35 ft) |
Draught | 3 metres (9.8 ft) |
Propulsion | 8 × Admiralty Standard Range ASR1 diesels, 14,400 shp (10,738 kW), 2 shafts |
Speed | 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) |
Range | 7,400 miles (11,900 km) at 18 kn |
Complement | 200 (22 officers) |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Armament |
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HMS Leopard (F14), was a
.Construction and design
The Leopard-class, or Type 41, frigates were designed for a main role of providing anti-aircraft protection for convoys. As such they were provided with a heavy gun armament but did not require high speed. They shared a common hull and machinery with the Salisbury-class (or Type 61) aircraft direction frigates.[1][2]
Leopard was 339 ft 10+1⁄2 in (103.59 m)
The ship's main gun armament consisted of two twin
Leopard was laid down at Portsmouth dockyard on 25 March 1953, was launched on 23 May 1955 and commissioned on 30 September 1958.[5] Cost was £3,545,000.[10]
Service
The ship, first commanded by Commander R.G. Gaunt, was to serve in the South Atlantic and South America upon commission,[11] as part of the 7th Frigate Squadron.[8][12] In 1960 she sailed 1,144 miles up the River Amazon to Godajas.[13] In 1961, Leopard sailed for the island of Tristan da Cunha after a volcanic eruption. Her crew assisted in the relief effort, as well as the recovery of personal belongings left behind by the island's inhabitants.[14][15]
In 1963, Leopard suffered serious damage when she collided with the South African minesweeper Pietermaritzburg during exercises off Cape Point.[10] One man was killed, and Leopard put into Simonstown for temporary repairs before returning to Portsmouth for more permanent repairs.[12] In February 1966 she commissioned for the fourth time and in August 1966 sailed for the Far East where she spent a busy year of exercises.[16] During the period 1967 to 1968 she was commanded by N R D King who later achieved flag rank.[17] In 1968, she was diverted to Bermuda in response to civil unrest.[18] In the same year she took part in Portsmouth 'Navy Days' and completed her fourth commission in that year.[16]
During Britain's
She was scrapped at Dartford in 1977.
References
- ^ Gardiner & Chumbley 1995, pp. 511, 516
- ^ Marriott 1983, pp. 45, 51
- ^ a b Friedman 2008, p. 322
- ^ a b c Blackman 1971, p. 357
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gardiner & Chumbley 1995, p. 516
- ^ Marriott 1983, p. 47
- ^ Friedman 2008, p. 205
- ^ a b c Marriott 1983, p. 51
- ^ Friedman 2008, p. 206
- ^ a b "Seaman Killed As Warships Collide". The Times (55765): Col C, p. 8. 29 July 1963.
- ^ "Latest recruit to frigate fleet". The Times (54269): Col D, p. 12. 30 September 1958.
- ^ a b Critchley 1992, p. 87
- ^ Mason, Geoffrey B. (10 July 2011). "Royal Navy post-World War 2: Chronolgy, Part 2 - 1951-60". Naval-history.com. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ "Tristan Da Cunha Salvage Work". The Times (55213): Col B, p. 9. 16 October 1961.
- ^ "News in Brief". The Times (55539): Col C, p. 6. 3 November 1962.
- ^ a b Programme, Navy Days at Portsmouth August 31st – September 2nd 1968, p. 11.
- ^ Debrett's People of Today 1994
- ^ "Troops and frigate sent to Bermuda ". The Times (57238): Col E, p. 1. 29 April 1968.
- ^ "Britain rejects Icelandic complaint over frigate". The Times (58825): Col F, p. 6. 4 July 1973.
- ^ "Icelanders force lone skipper back to fleet". The Times (59568): Col C, p. 6. 3 December 1975.
- ^ "End of the Cod Patrol...after 49 collisions". Navy News. July 1976. p. 8. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
Publications
- Blackman, Raymond V.B. (1971). Jane's Fighting Ships 1971–72. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd.
- ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Critchley, Mike (1992). British Warships Since 1945: Part 5: Frigates. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Press. ISBN 0-907771-13-0.
- Friedman, Norman (2008). British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-015-4.
- Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen, eds. (1995). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
- Marriott, Leo (1983). Royal Navy Frigates 1945–1983. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-1322-5.