HMS Hardy (F54)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Hardy.
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Hardy
Namesake: Thomas Masterman Hardy
Builder: Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down: 4 February 1953
Launched: 25 November 1953
Acquired: 8 December 1955
Commissioned: 15 December 1955
Identification: Pennant number: F54
Fate: Sunk as target 3 July 1984
General characteristics
Class & type: Blackwood-class frigate

HMS Hardy was an anti-submarine warfare frigate of the Blackwood class or Type 14. She was named after Thomas Masterman Hardy, Captain of HMS Victory at Trafalgar. Hardy was the first Type 14 frigate built, completed on 8 December 1955, by Yarrow Shipbuilders.

Operational Service

On commissioning Hardy served in the Third Training Squadron at Londonderry before transferring to the Second Training Squadron in Portland in 1957. In 1960 she underwent a major modernisation and refit, before joining the Twentieth Frigate Squadron in Londonderry.[1] In 1967 Hardy transferred to the Second Frigate Squadron and attended Portsmouth Navy Days.[2] The after 40 mm guns in these ships were removed early in their careers due to hull strengthening problems.

Serving mainly in the Londonderry and Portland areas, Hardy attended the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review off Spithead when she was part of the 2nd Frigate Squadron.[3]

She paid off to the Standby Squadron in August 1977, then, after another short spell of operational service at Portland, became a stores accommodation ship in Portsmouth in October 1979. She was used as a target for Exocet missiles and was finally sunk, by torpedo, in the Western Approaches 3 July 1984.

Commanding Officers

FromToCaptain
19651966Lieutenant Commander N Bearn RN
19661967Lieutenant Commander J T Lord RN
1973?1975?Lieutenant Commander M Jones RN
19771977Lieutenant Commander M J Larmuth RN

References

  1. Programme, Portsmouth Navy Days, August 26, 27, 28th 1967, HMSO, p.13
  2. Programme, Portsmouth Navy Days, August 26, 27, 28th 1967, HMSO, p.13
  3. Official Souvenir Programme, 1977. Silver Jubilee Fleet Review, HMSO

Publications

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, October 27, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.