View source for HMS Londonderry (F108)

{{short description|1960 Type 12M or Rothesay-class frigate of the Royal Navy}}
{{Other ships|HMS Londonderry}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Londonderry (F 108) off Miami 1964.jpg
|Ship caption=HMS ''Londonderry'' off [[Miami]], Florida, in 1964
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[United Kingdom]]
|Ship flag=[[File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|60px|Royal Navy Ensign]]
|Ship class=[[Rothesay-class frigate|''Rothesay''-class]] [[frigate]]
|Ship name=HMS ''Londonderry''
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[J. Samuel White]], [[Cowes]]
|Ship laid down=15 November 1956
|Ship launched=20 May 1958
|Ship christened=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship first commissioned=20 July 1960
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=29 March 1984
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=
|Ship captured=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship motto=''Non recedam''
|Ship identification=[[Pennant number]]: F108
|Ship fate=Sunk as target, 25 June 1989
|Ship homeport=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship displacement=*As built: 2,150 tons standard
*2,560 tons full load
*As modified: 2,380 tons standard
*2,800 tons full load
|Ship length={{convert|370|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|41|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|17.3|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft=
|Ship propulsion=*Y-100 plant
*Two [[Babcock & Wilcox]] boilers
*Two [[English Electric]] steam turbines
*2 shafts
*30,000 shp
|Ship speed={{convert|30|kn|km/h|0}}
|Ship range=400 tons oil fuel, {{convert|5200|nmi|km|-2}} at {{convert|12|kn|km/h|0}}
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship boats=
|Ship capacity=
|Ship complement=152, later 225, modified to 235
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=
*(as built):
*Radar Type 293Q target indication. Later Type 993
*Radar Type 277Q height finding
*Radar Type 275 fire control on director Mark 6M. Removed as trials ship.
*Radar Type 974 navigation. Later Type 978
*Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF
*Sonar Type 174 search
*Sonar Type 162 target classification
*Sonar Type 170 attack
|Ship armament=
*(as built):
*1 × twin 4.5 in (11.4&nbsp;cm) gun Mark 6
*1 × 40 mm Bofors gun Mark 7
*2 × Limbo A/S mortar Mark 10
*12 × 21-in A/S torpedo tubes (removed or never shipped)
*(as modified):
*1 × twin 4.5 in (11.4&nbsp;cm) gun Mark 6
*1 × Sea Cat GWS-20 SAM
*2 × 20 mm Oerlikon guns
*1 × Limbo A/S mortar Mark 10
*1 × [[Westland Wasp|Westland Wasp HAS.1]] helicopter
*2 × 8-barrel 3 in Knebworth/Corvus countermeasures launchers?
* As a trials ship all armament was removed.
|Ship armour=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Londonderry''''' was a [[Rothesay-class frigate|''Rothesay''-]] or Type 12-class [[anti-submarine warfare|anti-submarine]] [[frigate]] of the British [[Royal Navy]] in service from 1960 to 1984.

==Design==
The ''Rothesay''-class was an improved version of the [[Whitby-class frigate|''Whitby''-class]] anti-submarine frigate, with nine ''Rothesay''s ordered in the 1954–55 shipbuilding programme for the Royal Navy to supplement the six ''Whitby''s.<ref name="conways47 p519">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Chumbley|1995|p=519}}</ref>

''Londonderry'' was {{convert|370|ft|0|in|m}} [[length overall|long overall]] and {{convert|360|ft|0|in|m}} [[length between perpendiculars|between perpendiculars]], with a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|41|ft|0|in|m}} and a [[Draft (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|13|ft|6|in|m}}.<ref name="fried p321-2">{{Harvnb|Friedman|2008|pp=321–322}}</ref> The ''Rothesay''s were powered by the same Y-100 machinery used by the ''Whitby'' class. Two [[Babcock & Wilcox]] [[water-tube boiler]]s fed steam at {{convert|550|psi|kPa}} and {{convert|850|F|C}} to two sets of geared [[steam turbine]]s which drove two propeller shafts, fitted with large ({{convert|2|ft|m}} diameter) slow-turning propellers. The machinery was rated at {{convert|30000|shp|kW}}, giving a speed of {{convert|29.5|kn|mph km/h}}.<ref>{{Harvnb|Friedman|2008|pp=206, 208, 322}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Marriott|1983|pp=58, 64}}</ref> Crew was about 212 officers and men.<ref name="fried p321-2"/>{{#tag:ref|Conway's states the crew of a ''Rothesay'' ranged from 200–235,<ref name="conways47 p519"/> while Jane's Fighting Ships 1962–63 states a crew of 200 (9 officers and 191 ratings)<ref name="jfs62p265">{{harvnb|Blackman|1962|p=265}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}}

A twin [[QF 4.5-inch Mk I – V naval gun#Variants|4.5-inch (113 mm) Mark 6]] gun mount was fitted forward, with 350 rounds of ammunition carried. It was originally intended to fit a twin [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/70|40 mm L/70 Bofors]] anti-aircraft mount aft, but in 1957 it was decided to fit the [[Seacat missile|Seacat]] anti-aircraft missile instead. Seacat was not yet ready, and ''Londonderry'' was completed with a single [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60]] mount aft as a temporary anti-aircraft armament.<ref name="Fried p208-9,322">{{Harvnb|Friedman|2008|pp=208–209, 322}}</ref> The design anti-submarine armament consisted of twelve 21-inch torpedo-tubes (eight fixed and two twin rotating mounts) for [[British 21-inch torpedo#21 inch Mark 20 Bidder|Mark 20E Bidder]] homing anti-submarine torpedoes, backed up by two [[Limbo (weapon)|Limbo]] anti-submarine mortars fitted aft. The Bidder homing torpedoes proved unsuccessful however, being too slow to catch modern submarines, and the torpedo tubes were soon removed.<ref>{{Harvnb|Marriott|1983|pp=55, 58}}</ref>

The ship was fitted with a [[Type 293 radar|Type 293Q]] surface/air search radar on the [[foremast]], with a [[Type 277 radar|Type 277]] height-finding radar on a short mast forward of the foremast. A Mark 6M fire control system (including a Type 275 radar) for the 4.5 inch guns was mounted above the ship's bridge, while a Type 974 navigation radar was also fitted.<ref name="conways47 p484,519">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Chumbley|1995|pp=484, 519}}</ref><ref name="marp55">{{Harvnb|Marriott|1983|p=55}}</ref> The ship's sonar fit consisted of Type 174 search, Type 170 fire control sonar for Limbo and a Type 162 sonar for classifying targets on the sea floor.<ref name="marp55"/>

==Construction==
''Londonderry'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at [[J. Samuel White]]'s [[Cowes]], [[Isle of Wight]], shipyard on 15 November 1956,<ref name="Fried p337">{{Harvnb|Friedman|2008|p=337}}</ref> and was [[ceremonial ship launching|launched]] by [[Cynthia Brooke, Viscountess Brookeborough]], wife of [[Basil Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough]], the [[Prime Minister of Northern Ireland]], on 20 May 1958.<ref>{{cite news|title=H.M.S. Londonderry Launched at Cowes|newspaper=[[Navy News]] |date=June 1958|page=8|url=https://issuu.com/navynews/docs/195806|access-date=18 September 2018}}</ref> She was completed on 20 July 1960.<ref name="Fried p337"/>{{#tag:ref|While Friedman,<ref name="Fried p337"/> Marriott<ref name="marp58">{{Harvnb|Marriott|1983|p=58}}</ref> and Conways<ref name="conways47 p519"/> have ''Londonderry'' completing on 18 October 1961, Jane's Fighting Ships<ref name="jfs62p265"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Blackman|1971|p=352}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Moore|1979|p=604}}</ref> say she was completed on 22 July 1960, while a contemporary report in ''[[Navy News]]'' says she was commissioned on 20 July 1960.<ref>{{cite news|title=Two fine ships join the Fleet the same day|newspaper=[[Navy News]]|date=August 1960|page=1|url=https://issuu.com/navynews/docs/196008|access-date=19 September 2018}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}}

===Modernisation===
From 1967 to 1969 ''Londonderry'' underwent a major modernisation, which brought the ship close in capacity to the [[Leander-class frigate|''Leander'' class]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Critchley|1992|pp=100, 104}}</ref><ref name="marp58">{{Harvnb|Marriott|1983|p=58}}</ref> A hangar and flight deck was added aft to allow a [[Westland Wasp]] helicopter to be operated, at the expense of one of the Limbo anti-submarine mortars, while a Seacat launcher and the associated GWS20 director was mounted on the hangar roof. Two 20-mm cannons were added either side of the ship's bridge. A MRS3 fire control system replaced the Mark 6M, and its integral Type 903 radar allowed the Type 277 height finder radar to be removed. A Type 993 surface/air-search radar replaced the existing Type 293Q radar, while the ship's defences were enhanced by the addition of the Corvus [[Chaff (countermeasure)|chaff]] rocket dispenser.<ref name="marp58"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Friedman|2008|pp=208–210}}</ref>

==Fleet service==
After commissioning on 20 July 1960, ''Londonderry'' completed manufacturer's trials and then was formally taken over by the Royal Navy. She then carried out time in the Home Fleet before departing Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK, on 1 May 1961 for her first cruise in the Caribbean area. Between 1961 and 1964 the frigate was deployed four times to the West Indies, also visiting [[Argentina]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hmslondonderry.org/events.html|title=HMS Londonderry major events of the Commission 1960 – 1962|access-date=1 December 2016}}</ref> In October 1961 she was diverted to assist the Italian liner {{ship|MV|Bianca C.||}} when the latter caught fire in the port of [[St. George's, Grenada]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Ops-Events1961-70.htm|title=Royal Navy, including Administration, 1961–1970|access-date=1 December 2016}}</ref> In August 1965 she was present at Portsmouth Navy Days.<ref>Programme, Portsmouth Navy Days, 28–30 August 1965, HMSO, p. 12.</ref> On 1 April 1963, ''Londonderry'' ferried 17 suspected members of an anti-Castro group who had been arrested by [[Bahamas Police]] on a [[Cay]] in the [[Cay Sal Banks]]s to [[Nassau, Bahamas]].<ref>{{cite news |title=17 Held on a Bahamas Island: British Frigate Aids Police |newspaper=[[The Times]] |date=2 April 1963 |issue=55665 |page=12}}</ref> On 31 August 1965 ''Londonderry'' left [[Portsmouth]] for service in the [[Far East]]. She returned in 1967 and was modernised until 1969 at [[Rosyth]]. The most distinctive features of her modernization were the helicopter deck and hangar aft for a [[Westland Wasp]] helicopter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hmslondonderry.org/1sthomecruise.html|title=HMS Londonderry – 1st Home Cruise|access-date=1 December 2016}}</ref>

Following her modernization she was sent to [[Malaysia]] in 1970. She also took part in the [[Beira Patrol]] and was then sent to the [[Bahamas]] where she rescued 148 Cuban refugees. In 1973 she replaced {{HMS|Yarmouth|F101|2}} in the [[NATO]] [[Standing NRF Maritime Group 1|Standing Naval Force Atlantic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hmslondonderry.org/later.html|title=HMS Londonderry – What Happened Later|access-date=1 December 2016}}</ref>

== Trials ship ==
[[File:HMS Londonderry, Aug 1980.jpg|left|thumb|''Rothesay''-class Type 12M anti-submarine frigate HMS ''Londonderry'' under major conversion to a weapons-trials ship with the 4.5-inch gun turret removed, a helicopter pad fitted, and no less than three radar-electronic masts erected (instead of the one as built). At Portsmouth Navy Days, August 1980.]]
In November 1975 she entered the [[Rosyth Dockyard]] to be refitted as a trials ship for Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment. Up to October 1979 ''Londonderry'' had her armament removed, and an extra mast added for her new role as a trials ship. The original propellers were replaced and new, low-cavitation propellers were installed. Additional navigational equipment and accommodation were installed to provide berths for both midshipmen from Dartmouth and apprentices from {{HMS|Caledonia|1946 shore establishment|6}} who were undergoing sea training.

In early 1982, ''Londonderry'' accompanied {{HMS|Fearless|L10|2}} on a sea training trip to the [[West Indies]] and the United States, visiting [[Virgin Gorda]] in the [[British Virgin Islands]] and [[New Orleans]] during the [[Mardi Gras]] celebrations. Returning home she was paid off into reserve on 31 March 1982. Originally she should have been put on the disposal list, but due to the [[Falklands War]] she became the Dartmouth Training Ship of the [[6th Frigate Squadron (United Kingdom)|6th Frigate Squadron]]. From 20 January to 29 March ''Londonderry'' made her last cruise from Portsmouth for the Dartmouth Training Squadron's deployment to the West Indies and USA. She then became a Harbour Training Ship attached to the shore base {{HMS|Sultan|shore establishment|6}} at [[Gosport]]. She remained in this role until 1988. On 25 June 1989 ''Londonderry'' was finally sunk as a target off [[Scotland]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Olver|first=Jeremy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070621174940/http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/Postwar/Frigates/rothesay.htm|url=http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/Postwar/Frigates/rothesay.htm|title=Rothesay Class Anti Submarine Frigates (Type 12 Modified)|date=23 January 2003|archive-date=21 June 2007|access-date=19 September 2018}}</ref>

During her service ''Londonderry'' steamed approximately 125,500&nbsp;km, four times crossing the [[Atlantic]] and transiting the [[Panama Canal]] three times. She visited 50 ports in 35 different countries. Although never deployed in a war the ship's guns fired 1,232 rounds of 4.5-inch ammunition and 442 rounds of 40&nbsp;mm ammunition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hmslondonderry.org/statistics.html|title=HMS Londonderry – Statistics|access-date=1 December 2016}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha|100em}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Publications==
* {{cite book|last=Blackman|first=Raymond V. B.| title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1962–63|year=1962|publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd|location=London}}
* {{cite book|last=Blackman|first=Raymond V. B.| title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1971–72|year=1971|publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd|location=London|isbn =0-354-00096-9}}
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
* {{cite book|last=Critchley |first=Mike |title=British Warships Since 1945: Part 5: Frigates|year=1992| publisher=Maritime Press|location=Liskeard, UK|isbn=0-907771-13-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After|year=2008|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-015-4}}
* {{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Chumbley|editor2-first=Stephen|title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995|year=1995|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland, USA|isbn=1-55750-132-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Marriott|first=Leo|year=1983 |title=Royal Navy Frigates 1945–1983|publisher=Ian Allan Ltd|location=Shepperton, Surrey, UK |isbn= 0-7110-1322-5}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Moore|editor-first=John|title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1979–80|year=1979|publisher=Jane's Yearbooks|location=London|isbn=0-354-00587-1}}

==External links==
* [http://hmslondonderry.org/index.html HMS ''Londonderry'' veterans' website]

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{{Rothesay class frigate}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Londonderry}}
[[Category:Rothesay-class frigates]]
[[Category:1958 ships]]