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HMS Cornwall (F99)

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For other ships with the same name, see HMS Cornwall.

HMS Cornwall in the Persian Gulf
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Cornwall
OperatorRoyal Navy
BuilderYarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down14 December 1983
Launched14 October 1985
Sponsored byDiana, Princess of Wales
Commissioned23 April 1988
Decommissioned30 June 2011[1]
HomeportHMNB Devonport, Plymouth
Identification
Motto
  • Unus et omnes
  • "One and all"
Nickname(s)
  • "The Fighting 99"
  • "Ice cream frigate"[1]
FateScrapped October 2013
BadgeShip's badge
General characteristics
Class and typeType 22 frigate
Displacement5,300 tons
Length148.1 m (485 ft 11 in)
Beam14.8 m (48 ft 7 in)
Draught6.4 m (21 ft 0 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (cruise)
  • 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) (maximum)
Complement250 (max. 301)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Type 1007 navigation radar
  • Type 967 and 968 surveillance radar
  • 2 × Type 911 Sea Wolf tracking radars
  • UAT Electronic Surveillance System Type 2050 active sonar
Armament
Aircraft carried
  • 2 × Lynx Mk.8 helicopters (but only 1 Lynx in peacetime)
  • Armed with
    • 4 × Sea Skua anti-ships missiles
    • 2 × Sting Ray anti-submarine torpedoes
    • 2 × Mk 11 depth charges
    • 2 × Machine guns

HMS Cornwall was a Batch 3 Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was the first Batch 3 to be built, and the last to decommissioned. Cornwall was based at HMNB Devonport in Devon, England, part of the Devonport Flotilla.

She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders and launched by Diana, Princess of Wales at Scotstoun on the River Clyde in October 1985 and commissioned at Falmouth in 1988 by the ship's sponsor, Diana, Princess of Wales (who was also the Duchess of Cornwall).

Service

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Originally lead ship (Captain F) of the Devonport-based 8th Frigate Squadron and upon its disbandment in 1993, lead ship of the 2nd Frigate Squadron, HMS Cornwall had battle honours from Barfleur in 1692, the Falkland Islands in 1914 and the Dardanelles in 1915.

Cornwall was affectionately dubbed "the Fighting Ice Cream" by her crew due to her pennant number of F99. She undertook duties in the North and South Atlantic Ocean, Adriatic, Mediterranean, Caribbean and Baltic Seas throughout her time in service, and completed several patrols to the Persian Gulf and deployments to the Far East.

During 1988 and 1989 she was commanded by Captain Chris Wreford-Brown.[4]

In 1992 she deployed to the West Indies as West Indies Guard ship, visiting Bermuda, Tortola, Belize, The Bahamas, Pensacola, Key West and Curaçao before making her way home up the East Coast of the US and Canada via Norfolk, Boston and Halifax. In 1993 she deployed to the Gulf with a mid-deployment break to Mombasa in Kenya. 1994 saw her return again to the Gulf but this time visiting Singapore, Penang, Tioman Island and Sri Lanka whilst off station. En route back from the Far East, the ship took the opportunity to stop and lay a wreath at the site of the sinking of the previous HMS Cornwall, a County Class heavy cruiser sunk by Japanese dive bombers in April 1942.

Between 1996 and 1998 she was commanded by Captain Anthony Dymock.[4]

In 1996 she served as flagship of the First Sea Lord in Saint Petersburg, during the 300th anniversary celebrations of the Russian Navy, followed by a period as flagship of NATO's Standing Naval Force Atlantic. In 2001 she was part of the Royal Navy Task Force engaged in the invasion of Afghanistan. In 2003 she was again committed to Standing Naval Force Atlantic, supporting Operation Active Endeavour in the Mediterranean

HMS Cornwall alongside and dressed overall at Zeebrugge, Belgium, July 2006

Following the death of the Princess of Wales in 1997, the role of sponsor was assumed by Mary Holborow, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall.

Between 1999 and 2001 she was commanded by Captain Timothy McClement.[4]

Ceremonial activities have included acting as flagship for the Battle of the Atlantic Fleet Review in 1993, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, and in 2002 delivering a 21-gun salute as part of celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

On 28 January 2006 Cornwall was rededicated, following a period of docked maintenance, in a ceremony at Falmouth attended by Lady Mary Holborow.

On 23 March 2007, fifteen sailors and Royal Marines from HMS Cornwall were detained by elements of the Navy of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution following a routine search of a vessel suspected of smuggling, in the vicinity of disputed territorial waters.[5]

In February 2011, while operating in the Gulf of Aden as part of the Combined Maritime Forces, boarding teams from HMS Cornwall participated in the rescue of five Yemeni fishermen and the capture of 17 Somali pirates from a fishing dhow, which had been seized by pirates on 11 November 2010.[6]

HMS Cornwall enters Devonport for the final time, 26 April 2011

Decommissioning and disposal

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On 26 April 2011 she returned to Plymouth for the last time, and decommissioned on 30 June 2011.[7] Her decommissioning pennant was presented to the Davidstow Airfield and Cornwall at War Museum on 5 October 2011. The ship's bell was presented to Truro Cathedral on 18 October 2011.[8]

She was later towed to HMNB Portsmouth, where she lay with sister ships HMS Cumberland, HMS Campbeltown, HMS Chatham. All four were put up for sale in January 2013[9] and in July sold to Swansea Drydocks for demolition. She left Portsmouth, being towed to Swansea, on 24 October 2013.[10][11]

Cornwall in Portsmouth harbour prior to scrapping, October 2013

Should a future ship be named Cornwall, her ship's company will be able to visit Truro to revive the Royal Navy's links with the county and return the Bell to the county's affiliated ship.[12]

Affiliations

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Cornwall was affiliated with a number of military and civilian organisations and bodies:[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b "HMS Cornwall F99". Helis.com. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Royal Navy Bridge Card, February 2009" (PDF). Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Royal Navy Major Surface Vessels". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  4. ^ a b c Mackie, Colin. "II: Royal Navy- Captains Commanding Warships". British Armed Forces (1900–). Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  5. ^ "UK sailors captured at gunpoint". BBC News. 23 March 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  6. ^ "British Navy confirms rescue of pirated ship in Gulf of Aden". CNN News. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  7. ^ "HMS Cornwall returns to Plymouth base for final time". BBC News. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  8. ^ "Ship's Bell presented to Cathedral". Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  9. ^ "Four Royal Navy frigates in Portsmouth Harbour for sale". BBC News. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  10. ^ "Third frigate leaves Portsmouth for the scrapyard". BBC News. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  11. ^ Breaking News Ships Monthly January 2014 page 15
  12. ^ "HMS Cornwall presents Ship's Bell to Truro Cathedral". Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  13. ^ "HMS Cornwall at Royal Navy website". Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2009.

Publications

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