......
Type 12 Sinkings
Sinking redundant warships is an effective way of testing new weapons and warships in as realistic a manner as possible. Whilst practice torpedoes are fired fairly frequently, they behave differently. Apart from other things, the practice torpedoes are designed to turn away from the target so they can be recovered, rather than hit it. In the wake of the Brent Spar incident (when Greenpeace protested over the sinking of a PB platform in the North Sea) it seemed environmental concerns would prevent future sinkings. However the sinking of Leander Class Frigate HMS Sirius in 1998, seems to suggest otherwise.
The following photographs depict the sinkings of four Type 12 Frigates, two of which served with the Royal Navy, one with the Royal Australian Navy and one with the Royal New Zealand Navy.
......
Above: (left) Rothesay Class Frigate HMS Lowestoft is struck by a Tigerfish Torpedo (right) Lowestoft is seen sinking shortly after the attack. Her pennant number- F103 - is still visible as she sinks. It is now common practice to remove pennant numbers and sink the warships anonymously, as a mark of respect to those who sailed in them.
Above: HMS Berwick, also Rothesay Class, is struck was by a Marconi Tigerfish Mod 2 Torpedo from the Fleet Submarine H.M.S Tireless during the October 1986 Sinkex exercise. Thanks to Andrew Cashmore for providing this picture.
......
Above: (left) The torpedo breaks HMS Berwick's back (right) With her stern disappearing beneath the waves Berwick's bow is left to sink. Thanks to Andrew Cashmore for providing these pictures.
Doug Shaw writes "Just found your site this evening. It brought back many memories - and not a little sadness. The sadness was seeing my last ship, HMS Berwick, being sunk by a Tigerfish Torpedo. I joined Berwick in 1963 on her second commission, spending several months in the USA before sailing out to the Far East. Took part in the forcing of the Lombock Straits when President Sukarno closed off the Sunda Strat during one of his sabre rattling episodes".
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) sunk HMAS Torrens on June 14th 1999 with a single Mk48 wire guided torpedo fired from the Collins Class submarine Farncomb. Torrens was the last of six Australian 'River Class' Type 12 Destroyer-Escort, the others (Derwent, Parramatta, Stuart, Swan and Yarra) having been disposed of previously. Before the sinking Torrens had been thoroughly cleaned of all fuels, oils and potentially environmentally harmful substances. Her gun turret was donated to the South Western City of Albany. Torrens was then towed from Fleet Base West (HMAS Stirling) 90km out to sea, west of Perth. The submarine Farncomb fired the torpedo at the stationary target from a submerged position over the horizon .
Above: Torrens is hit by the torpedo roughly amidships. Her back breaks and a plume of dirty smoke shoots out of her funnel. © Royal Australian Navy.
Above: Torrens' superstructure is engulfed in an 150 metre high cloud of water, dust and debris. There have been suggestions that explosives may have been added to the hulk for a more effective explosion. © Royal Australian Navy.
Above: After she broke her back, Torrens' stern rolled the opposite way from her bow. The stern is seen here entering the water vertically. © Royal Australian Navy.
Above: The stern section sunk some time before the bow. Picture by PO Scott Connolly. © Royal Australian Navy.
The sinking of the Torrens had been an awesome display of firepower and provided some much needed positive publicity for the Collins Class Submarines, plagued by numerous technical problems and critisized over troubles with the combat system and noise reduction. Ric Shalders, commander of the Submarine Squadron said " the requirement of new submarine trials, the new need to test war-stock and the availability of the Torrens all came together to produce a very satisfactory result".
After decommissioning from the Royal New Zealand Navy, the frigate Waikato served first as a viewing platform for the Americas Cup and was then purchased by Tutukaka Promotions Society so that she could be sunk as an artificial reef for divers. Following five months of cleaning and stripping, Waikato was sunk off Tutukaka on November 25th 2000 near to the location of another former navy ship, the oceanographic research vessel Tui. Waikato was sent to the bottom by twelve large holes blown in her hull by explosives and now lies 28 metres below the surface, listing slightly to port.
Above: The former New Zealand Frigate Waikato.
After decommissioning in 1993, the British Leander Class Frigate Scylla was laid up in Fareham Creek, Portsmouth under the care of the Disposal and Reserve Ships' Organisation (DRSO). After the departure of her sister ship Sirius in 1998, Scylla became the last remaining Leander class vessel left in the United Kingdom. This has prompted calls for Scylla, the last warship built in Plymouth, to be preserved for the nation as a museum ship. However interest in Scylla was expressed by the Artificial Reef Consortium (ARC).
The most dived wreck in British waters is that of the James Eagan Laine, a second World War American Liberty Ship lying in Whitsand Bay, off the Cornish coast. The volume of divers however has contributed to the degradation of the wreck while the other wrecks nearby- that of the early submarine A1 and the Rosehill - are too deep for less experienced divers. Consequently the Artificial Reef Consortium began to consider the option of sinking a former military vessel in Whitsand Bay to provide a newer, more accessible location for divers and relieving pressure on existing wrecks.
After approaching the Ministry of Defence (MoD), One possible option was the decommissioned Type 22 Frigate HMS Beaver. However at 148 metres in length and 4,100 tons in displacement, she was too large and was instead purchased by Turkish shipbreakers early in 2001. The smaller Leander Class Frigate Scylla seemed a more appropriate alternative.
The proximity to Looe and particularly to Plymouth makes Whitsand Bay the perfect location to sink Scylla. Plymouth is already an established diving centre with the Fort Bovisand Underwater Centre and Sound Diving at Queen Anne's Battery. Scylla was also based at Devonport for much of her career.
In order to meet Environmental and Health & Safety Standards Scylla would have to be thoroughly cleaned so that all dangerous material and potential contaminants (such as asbestos, refrigerants etc) were removed. Escape exits would also have to be created in the vessel, should divers encounter problems. Preparation could take as long as ten months and the former Power Station Wharf near Laira Bridge in Plymouth, once a scrapyard, has been identified as a possible location for the cleaning and stripping of Scylla.
Above: HMS Scylla moored in Fareham Creek, Portsmouth between 1993 and 2001.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
© Written and researched by Jeremy Olver. First uploaded 30th November 2000. Updated 8th April 2001. Disclaimer.