HMS Bristol (D23)

HMS "Bristol" (D23) was the only Type 82 destroyer of the Royal Navy. Originally intended as the first of a class of new large destroyers to escort the CVA-01 aircraft carriers projected to come into service in the early 1970s, "Bristol" turned out to be a unique ship. The rest of the class were cancelled when the CVA-01 carriers fell victim to the 1966 Strategic Defence Review.

Origin

The CVA-01 "Queen Elizabeth" class aircraft carrier was designed to replace the World War II vintage aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy. The first plans were for two carriers and to protect these carriers 4 new Type 82 area air defence destroyers were to be built. In 1963, the then Minister of Defence Peter Thorneycroft, announced in Parliament that one new aircraft carrier would be built, at an estimated cost of £56 million. However, a change of government and competition from the RAF (the RAF and Navy were both expected to use the Hawker P.1154 supersonic V/STOL aircraft, a larger version of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier) saw the project being cancelled in the 1966 Strategic Defence Review This eliminated the requirement for the Type 82 class destroyer. Nevertheless, one hull of the original four was ordered on 4 October 1966 for use as a testbed for new technologies. HMS "Bristol" was launched in 1969, featuring four new weapons and electronics systems.

Weapon systems

"Bristol" saw a number of new systems introduced into the Navy, including the Sea Dart and Ikara missile systems, the former of which remains in service on board the Type 42 destroyers of the fleet in the early 21st century. "Bristol" was also the first ship to carry the new 4.5 inch (114 mm) Mk 8 main gun. Another new addition to the fleet was the advanced ADAWS-2 (Action Data Automation Weapons System Mk.2), a computer system designed to coordinate the ship's weapons and sensors. The latter feature, although not externally apparent, was perhaps one of the most pioneering of the new design. It was a leap forward from the rudimentary action information system of its predecessor the County class destroyers with its heavy reliance on manual data input.

Ship's missiles

The new Sea Dart missile was fired from a twin-arm launcher on the quarterdeck and there were a pair of radar Type 909 target illumination sets, an improvement over the single radar Type 901 set of the County design. The second weapon system was the Australian Ikara anti-submarine weapon; a rocket-powered glider capable of carrying a small homing torpedo out to convert|10|mi|km from the ship. The Ikara was backed up by a Mark 10 "Limbo" anti-submarine mortar.

Other weapons systems

The single Mark 8 114 mm gun was not intended as an anti-aircraft weapon, and as such had an elevation of only 55°. The weapon was designed specifically for reliability over rate of fire, allowing only a single mounting to be shipped, and the comparatively low rate of fire of 25 rounds per minute was more than suitable for the intended anti-ship and shore-bombardment roles. "Bristol", although capable of landing a Westland Wasp helicopter on the quarterdeck, lacked a hangar and aviation facilities and thus had to rely on external air support.

Active service

The role which "Bristol" was built for never materialised and as such she spent most of her service in the 1970s trialling and building up experience using the new weapons and computer systems. A major boiler fire in 1974 destroyed the steam plant. Older ships may have been crippled by this, but "Bristol" was able to operate for three years using only her gas plant, demonstrating the flexibility and utility of the latter. The steam plant was repaired in 1976 and it was not until 1979 that she was fitted out for frontline service with ECM, Corvus countermeasures launchers and a pair of World War II-era Oerlikon 20 mm cannons. During this refit the Limbo weapon was removed; the well subsequently saw service as a make-shift swimming pool.

Falklands War (1982)

Being a large ship "Bristol" was suitable for use as a flagship as she could embark the extra staff members necessary for this role. As such, she served as the Royal Navy flagship during ‘’Exercise Ocean Safari ‘81’’. After a short refit, during which the mortar well was plated over to allow the landing of large helicopters on the quarterdeck, she joined the Royal Navy task force in the South Atlantic in the 1982 Falklands War as a component of the carrier battle-group. After the conflict she remained "in situ" as flagship of the remaining Royal Navy forces. On return to the UK she entered a refit and, in light of the lessons of the conflict, she had her light anti aircraft weapons augmented with a pair of twin Oerlikon / BMARC 30 mm GCM-A03 and a pair of single Oerlikon / BMARC 20 mm GAM-B01 guns. Loral-Hycor SRBOC countermeasures launchers were also added to augment the elderly Corvus launchers.

Return from Falklands (1983–1987)

With the Royal Navy short on hulls after damages and losses incurred in the Falklands, "Bristol" remained in commission and made several overseas deployments until paid off for refit in 1984. Another boiler explosion when entering refit caused extensive damage and had to be repaired. The major work undertaken in the refit was to replace the obsolete radar Type 965 with the new radar Type 1022 for long range air search duties. In addition, the Ikara system was removed and it was intended that it be replaced with two triple STWS-1 launchers for 324 mm anti-submarine torpedoes, although these were never fitted.

As the 1990s dawned, the ship was increasingly becoming an anachronism. As the fleet downsized, maintaining a unique vessel over 20 years old when plenty of other AAW destroyers were in commission no longer seemed worthwhile. In 1987 she replaced "Kent" as the Dartmouth training ship, for which duties she had extra accommodation and classrooms added in the former Ikara and Limbo spaces.

Cadet training ship

HMS "Bristol" was decommissioned in 1991 and refitted to replace the County-class destroyer "Kent" as a cadet training ship.Bristol is permanently berthed at the RN shore training establishment HMS "Excellent", on Whale Island, Portsmouth. Many young people from the Sea Cadets, Sea Scouts (who hold three annual camps onboard) and CCF have their first experience of life on board a warship whilst on HMS "Bristol". The Air Training Corps and CCF(RAF) Units are also known to make use of the facilities. In addition, the ship is also used by a number of colleges who are running the Edexcel BTEC Public Services course. Students are able to visit the Naval installation, sleeping overnight on HMS Bristol while receiving careers advice and tours of the dockyards and vessels.

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