HMS Blackpool
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Blackpool
Ordered	6 March 1951
Builder	Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Laid down	20 December 1954
Launched	14 February 1957
Commissioned	14 August 1958
Out of service	Leased to the Royal New Zealand Navy between 7 June 1966– 30 June 1971
Identification	Pennant number: F77
Fate	Sold for scrapping in 1978
General characteristics
Class and type	Whitby-class frigate
Displacement	2,150 tons (2,185 tonnes) 2,560 tons full load (2,600 tonnes)
Length	360 ft (109.7 m) w/l 370 ft (112.8 m) o/a
Beam	41 ft (12.5 m)
Draught	17 ft (5.18 m)
Propulsion	Y-100 plant; 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 2 English Electric steam turbines, 2 shafts, 30,000 shp (22 MW)
Speed	30 kn (56 km/h)
Range	370 tons oil fuel, 4,200 nmi (7,780 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement	152, later 225
Sensors and processing systems	Radar Type 293Q target indication. Radar Type 277Q height finding (later removed) Radar Type 275 fire control on director Mark 6M Radar Type 262 fire control on STAAG Radar Type 974 navigation Type 1010 Cossor Mark 10 IFF Sonar Type 174 search Sonar Type 162 target classification Sonar Type 170 attack
Armament	1 × twin 4.5 in (114 mm) gun Mark 6 1 × twin 40 mm Bofors gun Mark 2 STAAG, later; 1 × single 40 mm Bofors gun Mark 7 2 × Limbo A/S mortar Mark 10 12 × 21 in A/S torpedo tubes (removed or never shipped)

HMS Blackpool was a Whitby-class or Type 12 anti-submarine frigate of the Royal Navy.

Service history

Blackpool was leader of the 6th Frigate Squadron between 1958 and 1960 and was commanded by Edward Ashmore.^[1] Between 1962 and 1964 she was part of the 25th Escort squadron consisting of HMS Rothesay (Capt Place VC) (Capt D), HMS Cavendish, HMS Brighton, HMS Blackpool and HMS Llandaff (Canteen boat). Twelve months east of Suez, six months at home, and another six months in the Far East. Between 1964 and 1966 she was leader of the 28th Escort Squadron.^[2]

She was leased to the Royal New Zealand Navy between 7 June 1966 and 30 June 1971. In 1969, Blackpool was present at the Melbourne-Evans collision.

See also

• Frigates of the Royal New Zealand Navy

References

Sources

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Gerry Wright, The Story of HMNZS Blackpool (Wellington: Printshop, 2012).