Salisbury Class Aircraft Direction Frigates (Type 61)

In the final years of the Second World War and the immediately post war years, studies identified the need for a common design of future frigate that would share the same basic hull and machinery design but could be adapted to suit various tasks: anti submarine warfare (ASW), aircraft direction (AD) and anti-aircraft (AA). This common hull would be built in pre-fabricated, all welded sections. In the event of a nuclear war, this would allow for quick assembly as the prefabricated sections could be transported to different shipyards around the country. A further advantage was the basic hull could be laid down and decision on the specific role could be made later in the construction process. Hence this design was both flexible and cost effective.

The aircraft direction variant, known as the Type 61, was designed to counter hostile aircraft by sailing ahead of a fleet or convoy to give early warning of an aircraft attack. They would then direct carrier or shore based aircraft towards the hostile target or engage the target themselves. For this they would be equipped with a range of radar, electronics and communication equipment and appropriate weaponry to provide limited, close range air defence. The principle differences between the Type 61 and the anti-aircraft variant, the Type 41 (Leopard Class), was that instead of a 4.5 inch turret aft, the Type 61 would have an Type 982 air search radar and an enlarged operations room.

When the Type 61 was in development no appropriate steam plant was available and it was feared this type of propulsion could be unsuitable in a crisis or conflict situation. As speed was not as essential as it was with the anti submarine variant, it was decided to use a diesel plant instead. These were designed by the Admiralty and built by Chatham Dockyard and the Type 61 frigates became the first major Royal Navy warships to be powered exclusively by diesels

The Type 61 frigates were designed with a displacement of 1,738 tons but this increased to 2,170 tons whilst they were under construction due to modifications and alterations. They measured 340ft in length, 40ft in beam and over 15ft in draught. Armament consisted of two 4.5 inch guns, two 40mm anti-aircraft guns and squid anti-submarine mortars. They had a speed of 24 knots and their complement varied in size between 207 and 237

The drawings for the Type 61 were approved in September 1950 and the first four vessels were ordered on June 28th 1951 and bore the names of Cathedral Cities: Salisbury, Chichester, Llandaff and Lincoln. Salisbury, the lead ship, was laid down on January 1st 1952 and was the first post war frigate built for the Royal Navy. Three further units named Exeter, Coventry and Gloucester were ordered under the 1956-1957 estimates from Fairfied Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Vickers Armstrong and HM Dockyard Portsmouth, respectively. However, the conversion of Battle and Weapon Class Destroyers into Aircraft Direction ships and the increasing preference for general purpose frigates led to the cancellation of the orders for Exeter and Gloucester in 1956, while Coventry was completed as the Leander Class Frigate Penelope. The names Exeter, Gloucester and Coventry were later assigned to Type 42 Destroyers.

The four ships of the Salisbury Class served world wide participating in the Beira Patrol, 'Cod Wars' and as guard ships at Hong Kong and Gibraltar. Although Lincoln and Salisbury were fitted with Seacat in the late 1960s, in later years the class became obsolete. Firstly, they were too slow to keep up with the aircraft carriers and other frigates. Whilst the Salisbury Class could only reach 24 knots, the Leander Class could travel at 30 knots as could the aircraft carriers Eagle and Ark Royal. Secondly their principle weaponry of anti-aircraft guns compared unfavourably with newer frigates and destroyers entering service with more sophisticated armaments, notably guided missiles. Consequently after relatively short careers with the Royal Navy, two vessels were sold for scrap, one was sold for service overseas and one was used in a training role before being sunk as a target.

Ship	History
Salisbury	Salisbury was originally to have been built at Portsmouth but in the event was the first post-war ship built at Devonport and the first pre-fabricated, all welded ship built for the Royal Navy. In 1959 Salisbury and Type 12 Whitby Class frigate Tenby entered lake Eire, the first RN ships to do so since the War of Independence. Between 1961 and 1962 Salisbury underwent a modernisation which saw her separate after funnel and lattice mast removed and replaced by a single funnel with an AD aerial on top. In 1964 she sailed with HMS Albion to quell a mutiny in Africa. Salisbury collided with the Destroyer HMS Diamond in the English Channel on June 23rd 1964 and was severely damaged. She undertook emergency repairs at Portsmouth before limping to Devonport for full repairs. In 1965? Salisbury was found to have severe corrosion to her hull plating and she was considered for scrapping. In June 1967 the German tanker Essberger Chemist had broken in half 90 miles off the Azores. Although the aft section had sunk, the forward section was proving a danger to shipping. The nuclear fleet submarine HMS Dreadnought tried and failed to sink the wreckage but it finally sank after Salisbury opened fire with her 4.5 inch guns. Between 1967 and 1970 Salisbury underwent a modernisation at Devonport during which she was fitted with Seacat. In 1972 Salisbury paid off into ‘Preservation by Operation’ and in 1973 began a refit at Chatham. However this was abandoned half way through. In Spring 1976 Salisbury undertook Fishery Protection duties in the second ‘Cod War’. On April 1st her port side was damaged in a collision with the Icelandic Gunboat Tyr and on May 20th she collided twice with another gunboat, Aegir, as it attacked a British trawler. In April 1977 she was the last Royal Navy ship to fire Squid Mortar. In 1977 she attended the Silver Jubilee Fleet Review before becoming guardship at Gibraltar. In April 1978 she joined the reserve fleet. Later that year she was sold for further service with Egypt. Whilst on route to her new owners, having travelled as far as Gibraltar, the sale was cancelled. Salisbury returned to Devonport where she became a Static Training ship for HMS Raleigh. She served in this role until 1985 when she was replaced by Leander Class Frigate Ajax. On September 30th 1985 Salisbury was sunk 300 miles off Ireland by a Harpoon missile fired from Trafalgar. Salisbury had been the last diesel powered frigate in Royal Navy service and last ship to carry out a Beira patrol.
Chichester	Between 1971 and 1972 Chichester underwent a conversion at Rosyth for service as Hong Kong guard ship. Her type 965 radar was removed and additional 40mm guns were added. She served in this role between July 1972 and June 1976. On July 23rd 1973 she arrived at Chatham to enter reserve. She was sold for scrap arriving at Queenbourgh on March 17th 1981 for breaking up.
Llandaff	On March 1st 1956 Llandaff was moored in the River Tyne in a storm, during which she broke he lines and collided with the cruiser Bermuda, frigate Russell and a merchant ship, sustaining damage in the process. Llandaff was sold to Bangladesh in 1976, being transferred at London on December 10th and renamed Oomar Farooq (F16). She was the first vessel in the Bangladesh Navy and served until 1996.
Lincoln	Between 1966 and 1968 Lincoln underwent modernisation at Devonport Dockyard during which she was fitted with Seacat. In April 1974 she paid off at Devonport and after a refit, joined that Standby Squadron at Chatham. In 1976 she was recommissioned for Fishery Protection duties in the second ‘Cod War’. For this her bows were reinforced with timber. However the conflict had been resolved before she arrived. Lincoln paid off into reserve in November 1976. Like her sister Salisbury, Lincoln was to have been sold to Egypt, but the sale was cancelled in 1978. In August 1979 she recommissioned for service as a Submarine Target Ship. On April 20th 1983 she was towed from Chatham for breaking up at Inverkeithing.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Ship	Pennant	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Commissioned
Salisbury	F32	HMD Devonport	January 1st 1952	June 25th 1963
Chichester	F59	Fairfield	June 26th 1963	April 21st 1955
Llandaff	F61	Hawthorne Leslie	August 27th 1953	November 30th 1955
Lincoln	F99	Fairfield	June 1st 1955	April 6th 1959