BRP Andres Bonifacio (PF-7)

The BRP "Andres Bonifacio" (PF-7) was a frigate of the Philippine Navy that served from 1975 to 1985. She is part of six ex-USN "Barnegat" class Small Seaplane Tender / ex-USCG "Casco" class Weather High Endurance Cutter received from the United States after the Vietnam War.

"Andres Bonifacio" is considered the lead ship of her class in the Philippine Navy, and together with her 3 other sisterships, they were the mainstay as the largest Philippine Navy ships of her time.

She was decommissioned in June 1985, but was reactivated as an auxiliary fleet flagship. ["Hazegray.org. [http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/us_sea3.htm#avp24 World Aircraft Carriers List: US Seaplane Tenders: Small Tenders] ] ["NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive. [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/161064.htm LST-1064 Nansemond County] ] Plans for reactivation in 1995 ["Philippine Naval Forces News Bulletin. [http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/barracks/7248/navy2.htm Naval News Bulletin #1] ] did not materialized due to lack of funds. She sunk at her berthing area in Fort San Felipe (part of Naval Base Cavite), and was resurfaced and ultimately scrapped in 2003 after rendering her unusable. The sale helped the Philippine Navy to finance the upgrade program for its 3 "Jacinto" class corvettes.

History

United States Navy

Commissioned in the US Navy as USS "Chincoteague" (AVP-24), she sailed from San Diego in June 1943 for Saboe Bay in the Santa Cruz Islands, where she tended seaplanes in support of operations in New Guinea. Less than two weeks after her arrival, she was badly damaged in multiple Japanese air attacks by a bomb hit in the after engine room and numerous near misses. She was towed back to the Mare Island Navy Yard, where repairs were completed in December 1943.

"Chincoteague" left Pearl Harbor in February 1944 and commenced a seven month period of duty in the western Pacific. She tended seaplanes and also carried freight, mail, and passengers in the Solomons, Marshalls, Gilberts, Marianas, and New Hebrides as well as in other locations. Following overhaul, she commenced salvage and rescue duty in the Palaus in December 1944 and in February 1945 joined the Iwo Jima assault force. After a period of duty at Ulithi she sailed in June 1945 for an overhaul at the Terminal Island repair facility at San Pedro, California. She tended seaplanes at Okinawa and at Tsingtao, China, between October 1945 and 1946 and then proceeded to Orange, Texas, for inactivation. She was decommissioned in December 1946.

United States Coast Guard

In March 1949 "Chincoteague" was loaned to the Coast Guard as the cutter "Chincoteague" (WAVP-375, later WHEC-375). She served out of Norfolk, primarily on weather station duty. She was again decommissioned in June 1972. ["Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c8/chincoteague.htm Chincoteague page] .]

Republic of Vietnam Navy

Due to the Vietnamization Program of the US Government, she was transferred to South Vietnam Navy, and was named RVN "Tran Binh Trong" (HQ-05). She participated in the Paracel Islands Battle on 19 January 1974 between South Vietnamese Navy and China People's Liberation Army - Navy, she was hit by heavy fire of the Chinese Hainan Class Submarine Chaser #274 wherein 3 sailors were killed and 16 injured. She also successfully knocked out the chinese ship # 274 and returned to Da Nang Naval Base for emergency repair. After the Fall of South Vietnam in 1975, she had escaped from Vietnam to Subic Bay, Philippines with her crew. ["The Inventory of VNN's Battle Ships. [http://www.vnafmamn.com/VNNavy_inventory.html HQ-05 History] .]

Philippine Navy

She was then formally transferred to the Philippines on 5 April 1976, and she was commissioned into the Philippine Navy as frigate RPS "Andres Bonifacio". She served the navy until she was decommissioned in June 1985. ["NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive. [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/43/4324.htm USS Chincoteague (AVP-24)] .]

Technical details

The single Mk12 5"/38 caliber gun is the ships' primary weapons. It is mounted in a Mk30 Mod0 enclosed base ring and has a range of up to convert|18200|yd|m yards. This gun is a dual purpose type, and is also capable of anti-aircraft warfare. Originally the ship carried four Mk12 5"/38 guns, but modifications made by the US and Philippine navies needed the removal of the other three units. The most obvious alteration is the aft helideck added in 1979 by the Philippine Navy in cooperation with Hatch & Kirk, Inc. [ "Philippine Naval Forces News Bulletin [http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/barracks/7248/navy2.htm Naval News Bulletin # 1] .]

In addition to its primary gun, she also carry a total of two twin Mk1 Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, four Mk4 single 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, and four 50 caliber general purpose machine guns. ["DLSU N-ROTC Office. [http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/sps/rotc/pdf/ms2/namingPNships.pdf Naming and Code Designation of PN Vessels] .]

Plans were made to upgrade and equip the entire ship class with new radar systems and the BGM-84 Harpoon long range SSMs, but this did not materialize due to the worsening political and economic crisis in the mid 1980s. ["Harpoon Database Encyclopedia [http://www.harpoondatabases.com/Encyclopedia/Entry1757.aspx AVP-10 Barnegat class] ]

The ship is powered by two Fairbanks-Morse 38D diesel engines with a combined power of around 6,200 bhp driving two propellers. The main engines can propel the 1,766 ton (standard load) ship at a maximum speed of around convert|18|kn|km/h|0. It has a maximum range of convert|8000|nmi|km|-1 at an economical speed of convert|15.6|kn|km/h|0. ["DLSU N-ROTC Office. [http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/sps/rotc/pdf/ms2/namingPNships.pdf Naming and Code Designation of PN Vessels] .]

The helideck at the aft portion can carry a MBB Bo 105C helicopter used by the Philippine Navy for utility, scout, and maritime patrol purposes.

Notable Operations and Incidents

The "Andres Bonifacio" is well known as the ship wherein renegade Col. Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan, leader of the nearly successful coup against the Aquino government, was detained after his capture in December 1987. Together with his 13-man guard escort, he escaped on 2 April 1988. [ "The New York Times [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE0DC1030F931A35757C0A96E948260 Leader of a Failed Coup Attempt Escapes Detention in Philippines] .]

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.navy.mil.ph Philippine Navy Official website]
* [http://philfleet.mil.ph/ships.htm Philippine Fleet Official Website]
* [http://timawa.net/forum Philippine Defense Forum]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/43/4324.htm NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/asiapac/philip.htm Hazegray World Navies Today: Philippines]
* [http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/sps/rotc/pdf/ms2/namingPNships.pdf Naming and Code Designation of PN Ships]