RN Frigates: Type 21 Amazon Class

[jbryce1437]

Some ships of the Amazon Class.
The Type 21 frigate, or Amazon-class frigate, was a British Royal Navy general-purpose escort that was designed in the late 1960s, built in the 1970s and served throughout the 1980s into the 1990s.
Except for HMS Amazon, all the class took part in the 1982 Falklands War as the 4th Frigate Squadron. They were heavily involved, performing extensive shore-bombardment missions and providing anti-submarine and anti-aircraft duties for the task force. On 10 May, HMS Alacrity and Arrow probed through Falkland Sound at night searching for minefields that might have impeded landings and operations, almost as expendable hulls. Alacrity engaged and sank an Argentine naval supply vessel in the Sound. On exiting the Sound at daybreak, they were attacked by the Argentine submarine San Luis, which fired two torpedoes; one hit Arrow's submarine towed decoy (as intended) and the other bounced off her hull, having failed to arm itself. Two ships were lost: Ardent was hit by bombs dropped by Argentine aircraft on 21 May and consumed by fire; Antelope was hit by bombs on 23 May, one of which was set off by the bomb disposal team attempting to defuse it on 24 May, causing the ship to catch fire and setting off her magazines, resulting in her breaking her back and sinking.
The six surviving Type 21 frigates were sold to Pakistan in 1993–1994 as the Tariq Class.


Active

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Alacrity

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Amazon

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Ambuscade

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Antelope

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Ardent

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Arrow

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Avenger

HMS Avenger on builders trials.jpg

[Pelican]

ARROW's INVOLVEMENT IN THE FALKLANDS WAR

Falklands War service

During the 1982 Falklands War, Arrow was the first British ship to see action when she shelled Argentine positions around Port Stanley airfield on 1 May and the first to be hit by an Argentine Air Force aircraft, sustaining several cannon shell hits to her funnel uptake and one casualty from shell splinters.

On 2 May Arrow was assigned to a three-ship Surface Action Group against what was thought to be an Argentine surface ship south of East Falkland. The mission was aborted when the ship's navigator identified the target as a small island.

On 4 May she assisted in extinguishing the fires and evacuating the crew of the Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield, which had been struck by an Exocet missile, rescuing 225 of the 261 surviving crew. Arrow's captain, Commander (later Captain) Paul Bootherstone was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for this action.

On 6 May Arrow shelled Argentine positions around Fox Bay West Falkland.

On the night 10 /11 May, Arrow lay at the northern end of Falkland Sound the channel which separates West and East Falkland whilst her sister ship, HMS Alacrity transited it from south to north to assess if the channel was mined. Alacrity left the channel just before dawn and Arrow was waiting to accompany her back to the Task Force when the Argentine submarine San Luis, Captained by Fernando Azcueta fired two SST-4 torpedoes at a range of 5000 yards. One didn't leave its tube, the other missed and was heard to detonate after hitting the sea bottom.

On 28 May, Arrow provided Naval gunfire support the Second Battalion the Parachute Regiment assault of Goose Green. She fired 22 star shells and 135 rounds of 4.5" high-explosive, during a 90-minute bombardment.

Arrow remained in Bomb Alley (San Carlos Water anchorage) longer than any other ship while receiving temporary repairs to hull cracks by having Seadart lifting beams welded to her upper decks.

On passage east toward Fitzroy on the night of 5 June Arrow detected an unknown surface target close to the shore and fired 3, star shells over what turned out to be a UK Landing Craft Mechanised (LCM) which was then escorted to Berkeley Sound. These were the last Mk 8 Illumination rounds fired during the conflict. In early June 1982 Arrow gave supporting fire in the battles that led up to the Argentine surrender.

She returned home to Devonport Naval Base on 7 July 1982, welcomed home by the Red Arrows display team, with whom she had an association.


From :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Arrow_(F173)

[jbryce1437]

HMS Arrow was adopted by the City of Sunderland and she visited the port several times. I think Commander Nick Barker was her captain at one time. In this sequence of shots she is lying at the Corporation Quay at Sunderland and the end of shipbuilding at Sunderland can be see in the background on the opposite side of the river. The shipyard in the background is that of JL Thomson and Son, which designed the Liberty Ship, which played a vital role in World War 2.
Some years ago I was browsing through stuff at a flea market and came across her commissioning booklet, which I still have.


Jim

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[Pelican]

AMBUSCADE - See attached.

[Pelican]

AMBUSCADE

“Falls of Clyde International” announce plan to return ex-HMS Ambuscade (PNS Tariq currently in serice with Pakistani Navy) to be museum ship at Maritime Heritage Centre on the Clyde.
See:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/ur ... 832452608/
https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 0225022982
https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 27/photo/1
https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 3720451076
https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 7492649988
https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 3601135620
You may need to scroll down after clicking some links.

[Pelican]

ABUSCADE - FOR THOSE WHO MAY HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE PREVIOUS POST:


“Falls of Clyde International” announce plan to return ex-HMS Ambuscade (PNS Tariq currently in serice with Pakistani Navy) to be museum ship at Maritime Heritage Centre on the Clyde.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/ur ... 9UWO-BjPUQ
HMS Ambuscade was constructed by Yarrow Shipbuilders at Scotstoun in Glasgow - the yard is now owned by BAE Systems and will used for the fitting out of the Type 26 frigates.
Ambuscade was one of 8 Type 21 frigates built for the RN in the 1970s. They were popular with crews but not the most effective fighting ships. She survived service during the Falklands War (Her sisters HMS Ardent and Antelope were sunk)
There is great affection for the Type 21s and we wish this project well. Even if you can obtain the vessel, get her home and find a good waterfront location, it has consistently proved difficult to preserve warships as vistor attractions on a sustained basis.
Photos at - https://www.facebook.com/NavyLookout/ph ... 544816315/

[Pelican]

A Royal Navy heritage attraction on the Clyde – bringing the former HMS Ambuscade home

A Scottish maritime heritage group, Falls of Clyde International (FOCI), has embarked on a project that will return the Type 21 frigate PNS Tariq, (formerly HMS Ambuscade) to her birthplace on the Clyde. Here we look at the history of the vessel and consider the plan to preserve her as a museum ship.
Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/a-royal-nav ... cade-home/

[Brian James]

Type 21 or Amazon Class Frigate HMS Ardent pictured c 1978...Built by Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd, Glasgow and commissioned in 1977, she was completed with Exocet launchers in 'B' position. Ardent took part in the Falklands War, where she was sunk by Argentine aircraft in Falkland Sound on May 21st 1982 with the loss of 22 men.........RIP Lest We Forget.