HMS Ajax (F114)

HMS Ajax

The sister ship HMS Apollo 1976

Ship data flag  United Kingdom Ship type frigate class Leander class Shipyard Cammell, Laird & Company , Birkenhead Keel laying October 12, 1959 Launch August 16, 1962 Commissioning December 10, 1963 Decommissioning May 31, 1985 Whereabouts Scrapped in 1988

Ship dimensions and crew length 113 m ( Lüa ) width 12 m Draft Max. 5 m displacement Standard: 2,450  ts Maximum: 2,860 ts   crew 251 men, after Ikara conversion 257 men

Armament When commissioning: 2 × 11.4 cm cannon in Mk VI twin tower 1 × Seacat anti-aircraft missile system 2 × 2.0 cm anti-aircraft cannon in single mount 1 × Mk10 Limbo depth charge launcher 1 × Westland Wasp ASW helicopter after Ikara (batch I) conversion: 1 × Ikara ASW rocket launcher 2 × Seacat anti-aircraft missile system 2 × 4.0 cm anti-aircraft cannon in single mount 2 × 32.4 cm triple STWS-1 for Stingray or Mk 46 torpedoes 1 × Mk10 Limbo depth charge launcher 1 × Westland Wasp ASW helicopter

The HMS Ajax was a frigate in the British Royal Navy . She belonged to the Leander class (also Type 12I or Type 12 Improved Frigate). Originally built as a multi-purpose frigate, after its conversion it was used almost exclusively as a submarine hunt unit. Almost as with all units of the Leander class, they were named after a figure in Greek or Roman mythology. In 1988 it was scrapped.

Shipyard and drive

Naiad with Ikara (batch 1) conversion, 1982

The Ajax was built on the Cammell, Laird & Company Ltd. Shipyard in Birkenhead . Their drive system consisted of two oil-fired Babcock & Wilcox steam boilers which in turn drove two English Electric steam turbines . The maximum speed was 27 knots and the engine power was 22,370 kW or 30,000 shp .

Mission history

Argonaut (F56) with Batch 2 Exocet and Batch 2TA conversions, 1995

Batch 3A Seawolf conversion, approx. 1987

In the Royal Navy, the Ajax served mainly as an anti-submarine frigate, very often also in carrier combat groups . She also took part in crisis operations, u. a. she helped evacuate British citizens from Cyprus in 1974 . In 1964 the Ajax moved to the Far East and became the flagship of the 24th Escort Group there. She remained in the area of ​​the Far East Fleet until she was moved back in 1968. In 1970 she was stationed in Gibraltar and remained there until it was rebuilt as part of the Ikara program. This conversion is often referred to as a “batch 1” conversion and was completed in 1973. The armament of the ships originally consisted of two 114-mm guns in a twin turret, two 20-mm Oerlikon cannons and an anti-submarine mortar. Later the 20mm flak were replaced by more modern Sea Cat anti-aircraft missile systems. In order to be able to counter the increasing threat posed by the Soviet submarine fleet , the 114 mm guns were also replaced by the Australian Ikara anti-submarine missile system. In 1976, the team visited Ajax , the Canadian city of Ajax (Ontario) . This city was named after the famous predecessor ship Ajax , which fought in the sea ​​battle off the Río de la Plata together with the Exeter and Achilles against the Admiral Graf Spee . During this visit, Ajax was awarded the Freedom of the City honor , which u. a. says:

"... allowing them the privilege to march into the city with drums beating, colors flying, and bayonets fixed."

In German: "... grants them the privilege of marching into the city with a sounding game, troop flag and bayonet attached."

After a stay at the shipyard, she was relocated to the Mediterranean in 1979 , where she was overhauled in Gibraltar for a year in 1980. Upon completion of the shipyard overhaul in 1981, the Ajax became the flagship of the 1st Frigate Squadron. She did not take part in the Falklands War, but was moved to the Persian Gulf as escort for tankers , where the first Gulf War was taking place at that time . In her last active year, the Ajax was allowed to accompany the royal yacht Britannia , which was the high point of her career for the Ajax . On May 31, 1985, she was deactivated and a stationary training ship in Plymouth . It stayed there until 1988, after which it was scrapped in Millom . Her anchor is on display in the city of Ajax.

literature

• Robert Jackson (Ed.): The Encyclopedia of Warships, From World War Two to the Present Day. ISBN 1-59223-627-8 .
• CJ Meyer: Modern Combat Ships 1: Leander Class. ISBN 0-7110-1385-3 .
• Leo Marriott: Royal Navy Frigates since 1945. ISBN 0-7110-1915-0 .
• Jim Allaway: Leander Class Frigates. ISBN 0-11-772458-0 .
• Richard Osborne, David Sowdon: Leander Class Frigates, History of their Design and development. ISBN 0-905617-56-8 .

Web links

• Link about the Leander class, accessed on July 9, 2011 ( Memento from December 12, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
• Link to Leander-class frigates with picture gallery, accessed on July 9, 2011
• Via HMS Sirius (F40) with picture gallery, accessed on July 9, 2011
• Via HMS Bacchante (F69) with picture gallery, accessed on July 9, 2011
• Via HMS Minerva (F45), accessed July 9, 2011
• Via HMS Penelope (F127), accessed July 9, 2011
• Via HMS Naiad (F39), accessed July 9, 2011

Footnotes

1. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original dated December 24, 2009 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. http://www.veterans.gc.ca/ accessed on July 9, 2011