HMS Tartar (F133)

HMS "Tartar" (F123) was a Tribal-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). She was named after an ethnic group (the Tatars), most of whom were located in Asia and Eastern Europe.

"Tartar" was built by Devonport Dockyard. She was launched on the September 19, 1960 and commissioned on the February 26, 1962.

"Tartar" undertook deployments to the West Indies and Far East and in 1968, "Tartar" deployed to the Persian Gulf, which was, at that time, quiet a tense period for diplomatic relations between the UK and Iran, which was then ruled by Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. In 1975, "Tartar" began a Fishery Protection Patrol in the Barents Sea, and in 1976, "Tartar" got involved in the Third Cod War during the fishery disputes with Iceland. "Tartar" was in the thick of it for much of the deployment, with a number of encounters with the notorious Icelandic gunboats, specifically with "Tyr", who often got entangled with RN warships and British fishing trawlers during the Cod Wars. On the 1st April, "Tartar" was rammed twice by "Tyr" and in May, she further encounters with Iceland's Navy when she was rammed twice by another Icelandic gunboat "Aegir".

Later that year, "Tartar", while deployed to the West Indies as guardship, began a search for the wreckage of a Cubana DC8-40 passenger plane, which was lost off Barbados after a bomb onboard had exploded. Seventy-three people were killed in the tragic incident. "Tartar" successfully found the wreckage. In 1977, "Tartar", along with many warships from a variety of nations, took part in the last, so far, Fleet Review of the Royal Navy, in honour of HM the Queen's Silver Jubilee.

In 1980, "Tartar" was placed in Reserve when she joined the Standby Squadron. In 1982, in response to the Falklands War, "Tartar" was taken out of Reserve, first undertaking a refit before returning to active service, though she would not see action in the Falklands, simply performing a variety of duties in Home Waters, due to the gaps made by the many warships that had joined the Task Force, headed by the aircraft carrier "Hermes", for the South Atlantic. In 1984, "Tartar" decommissioned from the Royal Navy and was subsequently sold to Indonesia. She was renamed "Hasanuddin". "Hasanuddin" remains in service with the Indonesian Navy.