HMS Penelope (F127)
| HMS Penelope (F127) | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Overview | |
| Keel laying | March 14, 1961 |
| Launch | 17th August 1962 |
| 1. Period of service |
|
| Commissioning | October 31, 1963 |
| Decommissioning | 1991 |
| home port | Derry |
| 2. Period of service |
|
| Commissioning | 1991 |
| Decommissioning | 2008 |
| Whereabouts | scrapped |
| Technical specifications | |
| Handover to Ecuador |
Presidente Eloy Alfaro (FM 01) |
The HMS Penelope (F127) was a Leander- class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN).
Like other ships in its class, the HMS Penelope was named after a figure from Greek mythology . She was laid down on August 17, 1962 . The commissioning took place on October 31, 1963.
The Penelope was to become one of the Salisbury-class frigates named Coventry , but was later reclassified to the Leander- class. After commissioning, the ship was assigned to the 20th Frigate Squadron in Derry ( United Kingdom ).
In 1966 the Penelope was overhauled. At the same time, the task was changed, giving her the role of a test ship. A large part of all weapon systems were removed as part of the renovation.
Two years later, the Penelope was involved in the search and recovery of wreckage from Aer Lingus Flight 712 , which had crashed into the Irish Sea . There are a number of conspiracy theories surrounding this crash and the role of Penelope. The main allegation is that the Aer Lingus machine was mistakenly mistaken for a drone during a missile test and shot down. These and other conspiracy theories have been rejected by the Ministry of Defense (MoD).
In 1969 the frigate attended the Kiel Week . From 1970 to 1977 she took part in extensive tests, including the Sea Wolf anti-ship missile . In 1981 it was equipped with Exocet for test purposes .
In the Falklands War , the Penelope was used, together with two other Leander-class frigates, as part of the Bristol Combat Group , but did not reach the operational area around the Falkland Islands until May 26, about three weeks before the end of the war. After her arrival she was used as escort , including for the HMS Argonaut (F56), which had been damaged by gunfire and bombs. On June 13, a Westland Lynx stationed on the Penelope shot at the already stranded patrol boat Rio Iguazu with an anti-ship guided missile of the Sea Skua type .
After the fighting ended, the HMS Penelope patrolled the waters around the Falkland Islands and finally returned to Great Britain in June 1983. In 1984 the Penelope set sail again for the South Atlantic to patrol the waters again.
In 1988 the Penelope was badly damaged in a collision with the starboard side of the Canadian supply ship HMCS Preserver after losing the rudder . The damage has been estimated at several million pounds sterling .
In 1991 the Penelope was decommissioned and sold to the Ecuadorian Navy together with the HMS Danae (F47) . It was after the 1912 assassinated President Eloy Alfaro in the name of Presidente Eloy Alfaro baptized. After 17 years of service in the Ecuadorian Navy, she was finally decommissioned on March 19, 2008.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Private Homepage ( Memento from February 15, 2005 in the Internet Archive )
