Whitby class frigate

British Whitby-class frigate HMS Blackpool (F77).

The Type 12 Whitby-class frigates were a twelve-ship class of anti-submarine frigates of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy that entered service late in the 1950s. They were designed as first-rate ocean-going convoy escorts in light of experience gained during World War II. At this time the Royal Navy were designing single-role escorts, and the Whitbys were designed as fast convoy escorts capable of tackling high-speed submarines. However, this made the Whitbys more expensive and sophisticated to produce in large numbers in the event of a major war, and so the Type 14 anti-submarine frigate was developed to complement the Type 12. Although themselves rapidly outdated, the Type 12 proved to be an excellent basis for a series of frigate designs used by the British and Commonwealth navies for the next 20 years.

Specifications

• Type: Frigate
• Service Period: 1956-1985
• Characteristics:
  • Length: 370 feet (112.78 meters)
  • Beam: 41 feet (12.5 meters)
  • Draught: 17 feet (5.18 meters)
  • Displacement: 2,150 tons (Standard); 2,560 tons (Full Load)
• Crew: 152-225
• Propulsion: Y-100 plant; 2 x Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 2 x English Electric steam turbines, 2 x shafts, 30,000 shp (22 MW)
• Range: 4,200 nautical miles (7,778.4 kilometers) at 12 knots (22.22 km/h)
• Speed: 30 knots (55.56 km/h)
• Sensor Suite:
  • Type 974 Navigation RDF
  • Type 277Q Height Finding RDF - later removed
  • Type 293Q Target Indication RDF - replaced by Type 993
  • Type 262 STAAG Fire Control RDF
  • Type 275 Fire Control RDF
  • Type 1010 Cossor Mk.10 IFF
  • Type 174 Search ASDIC
  • Type 162 Target Classification RDF
  • Type 170 Attack ASDIC
• Armament:
  • 2 x QF 4.5"/45-caliber Mk.VI dual purpose naval guns (2x1)
  • 3 x Bofors 40mm/60-caliber anti-aircraft guns (1x1, 1x2)
  • 2 x Limbo Mk.X ASW mortars
  • 12 x 21" torpedo tubes (6x2) - fires Mk.20E Bidder ASW torpedoes

Unit Run

Royal Navy

• HMS Whitby (F36)
• HMS Torquay (F43)
• HMS Scarborough (F63)
• HMS Tenby (F65)
• HMS Eastbourne (F73)
• HMS Blackpool (F77) - loaned to New Zealand from 1966 to 1971.

Royal Indian Navy

• HMIS Talwar (F140)
• HMIS Tarkash (F141)
• HMIS Trikand (F142)
• HMIS Trishul (F143)
• HMIS Tabar (F144)
• HMIS Teg (F145)\

Bulgarian Navy

• BG Smeli
• BG Druzki

See Also

• Rothesay-class frigate - a "modified" Type 12M frigate
• Leander-class frigate - an "improved" Type 12I frigate
• River-class destroyer escort - Australian ships based on the Type 12
• St. Laurent-class - Canadian ships based on the Type 12
  • Restigouche-class - Follow-on to the St. Laurent-class destroyers