Beskytteren (F340)

Beskytteren (F340) Admiral Pitka (A230)
Beskytteren- class
Overview
Type	frigate
Shipyard	Aalborg Værft, Denmark
1. Period of service
period of service	as Beskytteren (F340) in the Danish Navy
Commissioning	February 27, 1976
Decommissioning	November 21, 2000
Whereabouts	the Estonian Navy donated
2. Period of service
Namesake	Johan Pitka
period of service	as Admiral Pitka (A230) in the Estonian Navy
Commissioning	November 21, 2000
Decommissioning	13th June 2013
Whereabouts	Return to Denmark / canceled
Technical specifications
displacement	1970 tons
length	74.7 meters
width	12.2 meters
height	21 meters
Draft	5.3 meters
crew	43 (8 officers)
drive	3 B&W Alpha Mark 16 V23LU diesel engines (7,440 hp) 1 Ulstein Bow Thruster 1 VP propeller
speed	18.5 knots (34.3 km / h)
Range	6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at 13 knots (24 km / h)
Armament	1 × 76 mm KM / 61 LvSa naval gun 2 × 12.7 mm Browning M2HB HMGs
Sensors	2 × Litton Decca E (I-band) navigation radar
Aviation facilities	Helicopter deck for a medium sized helicopter
Outer shell	reinforced for ice operations (1A ice class)

The Beskytteren (F340) was a single ship in the Danish Navy . From 2000 to 2013 she served under the name Admiral Pitka (A230) as the flagship of the Estonian Navy and belonged to the anti-mine division ( Miinilaevade Divisjon ).

history

To complement and relieve the Offshore Patrol Vessel of Hvidbjørnen class had Denmark 1970 decided to build another ship early. On December 11, 1974 the keel was laid and on May 29, 1975 the launch of this unit at the Værft shipyard in Aalborg. Just over a year after the start of work, it was put into service with the Danish Navy on February 27, 1976 under the name Beskytteren .

At the beginning of the 1990s, the ships of the Hvidbjørnen class were replaced by those of the Thetis class . Since then, until it was decommissioned in 2000, the Beskytteren was based , together with these units, in the first squadron of the Danish Navy.

In the same year the ship was put back into service in Estonia as Admiral Pitka . It was named after Admiral Johan Pitka , who is considered to be the founder of the Estonian naval forces. The Admiral Pitka remained the flagship of the Estonian Navy for 13 years, until it was decommissioned on June 13, 2013 and returned to Denmark. Since no more meaningful use could be found for the ship, it was finally canceled.

First period of service (Danish Navy)

The Besky Mountains in 1979

The Beskytheren was built for the waters of the North Atlantic and around Greenland and had a reinforced cover for use in ice-covered waters. Thus it was possible for the ship to carry out the tasks of the coast guard and the fishery protection in Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands , which were taken over by the Danish Navy, without the otherwise seasonal restrictions. It could also be used for operations in the Arctic Ocean.

Second term of service (Estonian Navy)

After 24 years of service in Denmark, the ship was taken over by the Estonian Navy in November 2000.

tasks

The command and support frigate Admiral Pitka was the first modern frigate and the flagship of the Estonian naval forces. The ship was a platform for a command staff, which directed anti-mine operations and maneuvers. Admiral Pitka still had the task of supplying other ships of the subordinate unit with fuel, water and food. On board there were offices and accommodations for the staff members and facilities for medical treatment.

Ship coat of arms

The ship's motto was Pro Patria , which means for the fatherland in German. The ship's coat of arms was presented during a ceremony as part of the ship's return to service. It represented the honor of knight and the historical connections between Estonia and Denmark. The shape of the cross was reminiscent of the Estonian Freedom Cross and Admiral Johan Pitka's role in the Estonian War of Freedom . The coat of arms was designed by Priit Herod and the naval officer Jaan Kapp. The company AS Falck Baltic donated the coat of arms to the Navy.

In 2001, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Rakvere City Council and the Navy, which gave the ship the right to wear the city's coat of arms. In return, this should be presented in foreign ports.

Calls

The Admiral Pitka was part of the Miinilaevade Divisjon . She therefore took part in numerous international operations and maneuvers. She was also used as a command frigate in the Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON).

From May 2005 to March 2006, the Admiral Pitka was assigned as the lead ship of the Standing NRF Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) of NATO . Admiral Pitka was the first ship in the Baltic States to participate in this naval unit of the NATO Response Force . SNMCMG1 is one of the main NATO partners of the Estonian Navy.

Commanders

• Lieutenant Indrek Vinkel
• Vanemleitnant Jüri Saska (2005-2006)
• Lieutenant Peep Laanisto
• ?
• Lieutenant Argo Grasmann

Web links

Commons : Beskytteren (F340)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ A230 Admiral Pitka at www.worldwarships.com , accessed on August 4, 2014 (English)
2. ↑ F4340 Beskytteren at www.navalhistory.dk ( Memento of the original from February 26, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed on August 4, 2014 
3. ^ Estonian Navy Flagship Admiral Pitka Retired ( Memento from March 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
4. ↑ Picture gallery of the demolition work on www.ohtuleht.ee , accessed on April 10, 2015
5. ↑ ENS Admiral Pitka ( Memento from March 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
6. ↑ Navy ( Memento from August 31, 2009 in the Internet Archive )