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|1954||1955|||Captain Joseph Charles Cameron Henley RN (later Rear Admiral Sir Joseph Henley [[Royal Victorian Order|KCVO]] [[Order of the Bath|CB]])

Revision as of 16:20, 17 March 2013

HMS Defender (D114)
HMS Defender leaving Malta
History
Royal Navy EnsignUK
NameHMS Defender
Ordered16 February 1945
BuilderAlexander Stephen and Sons[1]
Laid down22 March 1949
Launched27 July 1950[2]
Commissioned5 December 1952[1]
IdentificationPennant number: D114
Mottolist error: <br /> list (help)
Fendendo vince
("By defence I conquer")
Fatelist error: <br /> list (help)
Listed for disposal 1969
Used for target practice and sold to James A White & Co, Inverkeithing 10 May 1972 for breaking up.[1]
Badgelist error: <br /> list (help)
On a Field Red, a fencing buckler and rapier Silver and Gold
File:HMS Defender Crest.JPG
General characteristics
Class and typeDaring-class destroyer
DisplacementStandard: 2,830 tons, Full load: 3,820 tons
Length390 ft (120 m)
Beam53 ft (16 m)
Draught13.6 ft (4.1 m)
Propulsion2 Foster Wheeler boilers (650 psi, 850 °F), Parsons steam turbines, 2 shafts, 54,000 shp (40 MW)
Speed30 kn (56 km/h)
Range4,400 nmi (8,100 km) at 20 kn
ComplementApproximately 300
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament

HMS Defender was a Daring-class destroyer of the Royal Navy.

Built as yard number 609 [2] at Alexander Stephen and Sons, and originally intended to be named Dogstar, she was launched on 27 July 1950. After a career which saw her involved in the Korean War and conflicts in Malaya, Cyprus, Suez and Aden, she was listed for disposal in 1969, and was used for target practice in the Forth.[2] She was sold to James A White & Co Ltd, Inverkeithing, Fife for breaking in 1972.[3]

Career

In 1953 Defender took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II[4]. She had commissioned for the Far East during 1953 and 1954 and operated with US Navy in Japanese waters during October 1953, taking part in the Korean War.[5]

In 1954 she located the wreck of HMS Prince of Wales in position 3°33.6′N 104°28.7′E / 3.5600°N 104.4783°E / 3.5600; 104.4783. Taking part in the Malay Emergency, Defender carried out a coastal bombardment on the Johor coast, following which she steamed up the Johor River for nine miles (14 km), reminding any hostile watchers of the Royal Navy presence.[6] At some time between 1955 and 1958 she took part in operations against the terrorist organisation EOKA in Cyprus.[6]

On 19 July 1956 she brought Faisal II of Iraq across the Channel to Dover for a 3-day state visit to the UK.[7] Later the same year she served as escort to the Royal Yacht at Stockholm and Copenhagen and around the Baltic Sea. The ship was diverted to the Mediterranean and proceeded to Suez, where she took part in the hostilities.[6] In 1958 she conducted her first refit, losing her after torpedo tubes in the process and by July 1959 she was back in the Mediterranean - Able Seaman James Simpson of Defender is buried at Kalkara Naval Cemetery in Malta.[8]

From 1963 to 1965 she was refitted for the second and last time, losing the forward torpedo tubes and gaining the Type 903 fire-control radar. In 1966 she was deployed to St Vincent in the Caribbean as a precaution during a period of anticipated political unrest. The next year she was east of Suez again, providing anti-submarine cover for the task force withdrawal from Aden,[6] and then remaining in the Far East until 1969. That year she was listed for disposal and she spent her last days in the Firth of Forth as a target ship before being sold for breaking.

Commanding officers

From To Captain
1953 1953 Captain R F T Stannard OBE DSC RN
1954 1955 Captain Joseph Charles Cameron Henley RN (later Rear Admiral Sir Joseph Henley KCVO CB)
1956 ? Captain Hardy RN
1959 1960 Captain Geoffrey Harry Carew-Hunt RN (later Rear Admiral Carew-Hunt CB)
1967 1970 Commander George Vallings RN (later Vice Admiral Sir George Vallings KCB)

References

  1. ^ a b c "HMS Defender at Oldships.org". Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  2. ^ a b c "HMS Defender at Shipping Times - Clydebuilt Database". Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  3. ^ "HMS Defender at Battleships-cruisers.co.uk". Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  4. ^ Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
  5. ^ "Hired Military Transport". Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  6. ^ a b c d "Britain's Small Wars". Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  7. ^ "Archive footage - ITN Source". Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  8. ^ "Malta Memorials". Retrieved 20 May 2008.

Publications

  • McCart, Neil, Daring Class Destroyers. Fan Publications, 2008. ISBN 978-1-904459-33-0