HMS Berwick (F115)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Berwick (F115)
Operator:	Royal Navy
Builder:	Harland and Wolff
Laid down:	16 June 1958
Launched:	15 December 1959
Completed:	1 June 1961
Homeport:	Plymouth
Identification:	Pennant number: F115
Fate:	Sunk as target, August 1986
General characteristics
Class and type:	Rothesay class frigate
Displacement:	2,490 tonnes
Length:	112.8 m (370 ft)
Beam:	12.5 m (41 ft)
Crew:	250
Armament:	2 × 4.5" ( 114mm ) guns, seacat missile & triple barrelled a/s mortars
Aircraft carried:	Wasp helicopter

HMS Berwick was a Rothesay or Type 12I class anti-submarine frigate of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Harland & Wolff and launched on 15 December 1959.

Operational Service

Between 1963 and 1965 Berwick was leader of the 21st Escort Squadron.^[1] During the Beira Patrol, she stopped and arrested SS Manuella for attempting to run the oil blockade of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) on Easter 1966. Berwick was re-fitted with helicopter landing facilities in 1967.

From July 1975 to April 1976, she went around the world via the Suez and Panama canals. Other ships in the flotilla included Ajax, Plymouth, Llandaff, Rothesay and Glamorgan. Destinations included Gibraltar, Malta, Egypt (Port Said), India (Madras), Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia (Fremantle, Hobart and Sydney), New Zealand (Nelson and Timaru),^[2] Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii, California (San Diego and Long Beach), Panama and finally Curaçao.

In 1977, she attended the Silver Jubilee Fleet Review with sisterships Plymouth and Rothesay. At this time she was part of the 8th Frigate Squadron.^[3] Manpower shortages saw HMS Berwick transferred to the standby squadron in 1979 and conversion of the frigate to operate a towed array was scheduled, but didn't take place due to the Nott defence cuts and industrial action. Nevertheless the Falklands War saw Berwick reactivated in a couple of months, to conduct two successful post war tours with the South Atlantic task forces, in 1982-83. Her final years saw her active on West Indian training cruises, and she was paid off in 1985.

Berwick was sunk as a target ship in August 1986 by a Tigerfish torpedo fired from the submarine Tireless.

Commanding Officers

From	To	Captain
1961	1963	Commander David Dunbar-Nasmith RN
1963	1965	Captain Richard K M Emden RN
1965	1966	Commander F E Dick RN
1966	1966	Commander Richard Fitch RN
1977	1977	Commander W W F Chatterton-Dickson RN
1977	1982	Commander John Tolhurst RN
1982	1983	Commander Robin Fisher RN

References

1. Royal Navy Senior Appointments, Colin Mackie
2. Timaru Herald. Jan 1976. HMS Berwick described as exactly like the Leander depicted in the Warship TV drama series.
3. Official Souvenir Programme, 1977. Silver Jubilee Fleet Review, HMSO

Publications

• 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. OCLC 67375475.
• Marriott, Leo, 1983. Royal Navy Frigates 1945-1983, Ian Allen Ltd. ISBN 07110 1322 5