HMS Hampshire (D06)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Hampshire.
HMS Hampshire
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Hampshire
Ordered: 27 January 1956
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotland
Laid down: 26 March 1959[1]
Launched: 16 March 1961[1]
Commissioned: 15 March 1963[1]
Decommissioned: 1976[1]
Identification: pennant number: D06
Fate: Sold for scrap in 1979
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: County-class destroyer
Displacement:
  • 5,200 long tons (5,300 t) normal
  • 6,800 long tons (6,900 t) full load
Length:
  • 505 ft (154 m) pp
  • 521 ft 6 in (158.95 m) oa
Beam: 54 ft (16 m)
Draught: 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m)
Propulsion:
  • 2 shaft COSAG (Combined steam and gas) turbines
  • Geared steam turbines, 30,000 shp (22,000 kW)
  • 4× G6 gas turbines, 30,000 shp (22,000 kW)
Speed:
  • 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
  • (25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) steam only)[2]
Range: 3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Complement: 471[3]
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Type 965 air search radar
  • Type 277 height finder radar
  • Type 992 target indication radar
  • Type 901 Seaslug fire control radar
  • Type 902/903 Seacat fire control radar
  • Type 177 Sonar
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 × Wessex helicopter

HMS Hampshire was a County-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Laid down, in March 1959 a couple of weeks behind the class leader Devonshire, she was classified as a guided missile destroyer, as the Sea Lords regarded the concept of the cruiser and big gun ship as discredited by the perceived failure of the Tiger class and the obsolescence of the heavy gun. The description of guided missile destroyer seemed more likely to win approval from the Treasury and Government for an adequate number of warships the size of small cruisers, which could play many traditional cruiser flagship and command functions, but had no armour around its gun and missile magazine.

Operational service

From her third Commission in 1967 Hampshire flew the flag of the Flag Officer, Western Fleet (United Kingdom).[4] In July 1969 she was present at Torbay for the Royal Review and presentation of a new colour to the Western Fleet (United Kingdom).[4]

Decommissioning and disposal

In the late 1960s there were plans to upgrade Hampshire and sister destroyers armed with Seaslug Mk 1, with Seaslug Mk 2 and a digital combat system being fitted, but the upgrade of Hampshire and Devonshire was cancelled on 31 March 1967 because of the amount of the time the ships would be out of the operational fleet, with the remaining two upgrades cancelled in 1968.[5]

In 1976 she was the first of the County-class destroyers to be decommissioned. This was at a time the Labour Government was making severe defence cuts under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She was cannibalised for spares to service her sister ships and subsequently sold for scrap in 1979.

Commanding Officers

FromToCaptain
19621964Captain Robert White RN
19641966Captain F W Hayden DSC RN
19661967Captain Ian W McLaughlan RN
19671969Captain R A Trowbridge RN
19691970Captain R P Clayton RN
19701973In refit
19731975Captain I F Beeson RN
19751976Captain Michael C Henry RN

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p. 508.
  2. ↑ Moore 1985, p. 621.
  3. ↑ Blackman 1971, p. 346.
  4. 1 2 HMS Hampshire (D06), HMS Hampshire 1967-1969 (cruise book), accessed January 2009
  5. ↑ Friedman 2008, pp. 192–193.

Publications

See also

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