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Brief History of HMS Plymouth
The keel of the ship was laid down on
the 1st July 1958 and was launched on the 20th July 1959, just over a
year later. The fitting out of the ship was completed to years
later in Plymouth.
Her first commissions as part of the 4th Frigate Squadron and the 22nd and 29th Escort Squadrons were to take her to the Far East, participating in various exercises and
operations. During 1966 the ship returned to the Naval Dockyard at Chatham for a substantial re-fit.
On completion of the re-fit in January of 1969 the conversation work had entailed. The provision of a flight deck for the Wasp helicopter along with the subsequent removal of one of the Mortars, the installation of a Sea Cat missile system to replace her 40mm guns, and a program of general modernisation work throughout the vessel.
For the next few years where spent in the Indian Ocean, Far East, Australia and a number of European ports, before returning home to Devonport, for another re-fit. The next commission took
HMS Plymouth to the West Indies for the first time, returning home eighteen months later in the February 1973. After a short period in Icelandic waters and the Mediterranean she docked in Gibraltar for further maintenance, returning to Britain on 11th December 1974.
Leaving the UK in 1975 as a member of the 8th Frigate Squadron to take
part in exercises in the Mediterranean, South China Sea and Australia.
The return journey being via the USA and Caribbean, before further exercises en-route back to Britain whilst crossing the Atlantic. The remainder of the decade she would be found in more local waters being engaged in coastal patrols as well as work in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. In July 1978
HMS Plymouth returned to the UK for a major re-fit, being re-commissioned on 23rd January 1981.
1982 was to become the most significant chapter in HMS Plymouth’s history when she was to take part in every campaign in the Falklands conflict, from the recapturing of South Georgia Island, to the British re-entry into Port Stanley harbour. Her darkest hour of the conflict came when on 8th June she was attacked, whilst alone, by Argentinean Mirage fighters. Although destroying two of the jets and damaging two others, several bombs and multiple cannon shells hit
the ship causing considerable damage, but fortunately no fatalities amongst the crew. Emergency repairs were carried out to restore most of
the ships fighting capability, returning to the action on 14th June. After the Argentinean surrender
she left the task force, returning home to a tumultuous welcome in Rosyth on 11th July 1982.
Following repairs HMS Plymouth was to spend the bulk of her remaining service in and around the Caribbean along with some time in home waters before returning to port for de-commissioning on 28th April 1988.
Before being saved by the Warship Preservation Trust in 1990 HMS Plymouth seemed, like many of her sister ships, to be heading for a watery grave as a missile
target. After discussions with various local authorities and spell in the Cammel Laird Shipyard undergoing some essential maintenance she was finally moved to East Float Dock, Birkenhead. In a joint partnership with Wirral Borough Council she opened to the public for the first time in May 1992. Accompanied by a growing collection of other historical vessels, including a salvaged German U-boat,
HMS Plymouth now plays a central role in this fascinating new venture.
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