BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20)

The BRP "Magat Salamat" (PS-20) is one of several "Miguel Malvar" class of Patrol Corvettes in service with the Philippine Navy. She is formerly an ex-USN Fleet Minesweeper based on the Admirable class minesweeper hull that were produced during World War II, and is now classified as a corvette protecting the vast waters of the Philippines. Along with other ex-World War II veteran ships of the Philippine Navy, she is considered as one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world today."Armed Forces of the Philippines Order of Battle". [http://www.hueybravo.net/Philippine%20Navy%20Main.htm Philippine Navy] ]

History

US Navy

Commissioned in the US Navy as the USS Gayety (AM-239) in 1945, she was assigned in the Pacific theatre of operations, specifically around the Japanese home islands providing minefield sweeping and anti-submarine warfare patrols in the Ryukyus and off Okinawa. She suffered a near-miss from a 500-pound bomb and was damaged, although she was quickly put back to fighting shape. After the war she was decommissioned on June 1946 and placed under the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.

"Gayety" was recommissioned on 11 May 1951 as a training ship, and was again decommissioned on 1 March 1954, and re-entered Atlantic Reserve Fleet. As part of the reserves, she was reclassified as MSF-239 on 7 February 1955."Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships". [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/mine/am239.htm Gayety page] .]

Republic of Vietnam Navy

She was then transferred to the Republic of Vietnam on 17 April 1962. She served the Vietnamese Navy as RVN "Chi Lang II" (HQ-08) up until her escape to the Philippines in 1975, together with other South Vietnamese Navy ships and their respective crew. [VMAF MAMN. [http://www.vnafmamn.com/VNNavy_inventory.html The Inventory of VNN's Battle Ships] ]

Philippine Navy

She was commissioned into the Philippine Navy and was renamed RPS (now BRP) "Magat Salamat" (PS-20) in November 1975. She is currently assigned with the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet.NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive. [http://www.navsource.org/archives/11/02239.htm Gayety (MSF 239) ex-AM-239] .]

Technical details

Originally the ship was armed with one 3"/50 caliber dual purpose gun, two twin Bofors 40 mm guns, 1 Hedgehog depth charge projector, four depth charge projectiles (K-guns) and two depth charge tracks.

The same configuration applies up until the late 1980s when the Philippine Navy removed most of its old anti-submarine weapons and systems, and added three 20 mm Oerlikon guns and four 12.7 mm general purpose machine guns were placed, making it lighter and ideal for surface patrols, but losing its limited anti-submarine warfare capability.

The ship is originally powered by two Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines, but was replaced by two GM 12-567ATL diesel engines, then later by two GM 12-278A diesel engines, with a combined rating of around 2,200 bhp driving two propellers. The main engines can propel the 914 tons (full load) ship to a maximum speed of around convert|16|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] .]

There are slight difference between the BRP "Magat Salamat" as compared to her sister ships in the Philippine Navy, since her previous configuaration was as minesweeper, while the others are configured as Patrol Craft Escorts. These includes the weapons compliment and some minor structural differences.

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.hazegray.org/worldnav/asiapac/philip.htm Hazegray World Navies Today: Philippines]
* [http://timawa.net/pn.htm Opus224's Unofficial Philippine Defense Page]

ee also

* Philippine Navy
* Admirable class minesweeper