HMS Torquay (F43)

HMS "Torquay" (F43) was a Type 12 "Whitby" class frigate of the Royal Navy. They were the first frigate to have the "V" form hull which is certainly the most outstanding small warship design of the 20th century. This evolutionary design made it possible to be driven in head sea without the usual slamming which occurs with conventional destroyers of the time. Each frigate cost 3.5 million pounds and the first ship completed was HMS "Torquay" in May 1956.

HMS "Torquay" was launched by Lady Monkton on 1 July 1954, and participated in the Suez operation in 1956. In 1958 she was diverted to Tobruk following the assassination of the Iraqi Royal Family.

Between 1967–1973 and 1983–1985 "Torquay" served as a navigation training ship based in Portsmouth. At an unknown time the ship was refitted with a solid main mast (as opposed to a lattice mast) and a large training navigation room was built where the forward set of triple-barrelled mortars used to be located (leaving one set of mortars). In 1974 she was refitted to undertake trials of "CAAIS" (Computer Assisted Action Information System). "Torquay" attended the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review off Spithead.

Replaced by the "Leander" class frigate HMS|Juno|F52 as the navigation training vessel for the Royal Navy, "Torquay" paid off on 23 March, 1985. At the time she was the longest serving ship of her class and the oldest frigate in the fleet. She was sold for scrap in 1987 and left Portsmouth on 1 July 1987 to be broken up in Barcelona, Spain.

External links

* [http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/whitby_class.htm Older photographs of HMS. Torquay]
* [http://www.leander-project.homecall.co.uk/Leander/torquay_01.jpgPhotograph showing the additional navigation classroom]