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%2c_steaming_in_the_Persian_Gulf_(330-CFD-DN-SD-01-04933).jpg) HMSNottingham in 1998 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSNottingham |
| Ordered | 1 March 1977 |
| Builder | Vosper Thorneycroft,Woolston yard |
| Laid down | 6 February 1978 |
| Launched | 18 February 1980 |
| Sponsored by | Lady Leach (wife of the thenFirst Sea Lord Admiral SirHenry Leach) |
| Commissioned | 14 April 1983 |
| Decommissioned | 11 February 2010 |
| Homeport | HMNB Portsmouth,Hampshire |
| Identification | |
| Motto | Foy pour devoir (French: "Faith for Duty") |
| Fate | Scrapped |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type 42 destroyer |
| Displacement | 4,820 tonnes |
| Length | 125 m (410 ft) |
| Beam | 14.3 m (47 ft) |
| Draught | 5.8 m (19 ft) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h) |
| Complement | 271 (27 officers, 71 senior rates, 173 junior rates) |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | Westland Lynx HMA8 |
HMSNottingham was a batch twoType 42 destroyer of theRoyal Navy, named after the city ofNottingham,England. She waslaunched on 18 February 1980, andcommissioned on 8 April 1983 as the sixth warship to bear the name.
Her commanding officer at commissioning was CommanderNigel Essenhigh (in his first major command role) who went on to becomeFirst Sea Lord.
On her first cruise toOporto,Portugal and thenGibraltar the destroyer lost two sailors to a drowning incident while on shore leave visiting a beach in Oporto.
In November 2000,Nottingham completed a major refit, which was intended to extend her operational life to 2012, although she was later placed in reserve and decommissioned on 11 February 2010.[1][2]
On 7 July 2002,Nottingham ran aground on the submerged but well-chartedWolf Rock nearLord Howe Island, 370 miles (600 km) off the coast ofAustralia causing £26 million worth of damage.[3] A 160-foot (49 m) hole was torn down the side of the vessel from bow to bridge, flooding five of her compartments and nearly causing her to sink.HMNZSTe Mana andHMNZSEndeavour provided relief for the crew for approximately 2–3 weeks.
The accident happened in poor weather[4] after a set of manoeuvres to allow a sailor with an emergency medical condition to be evacuated to Lord Howe Island. The captain, Commander Richard Farrington, had been ashore having dinner with the island's marine services manager thanking him for the assistance rendered to his crewman. Farrington had just returned and at the time of the incident the Executive Officer (XO), Lt Commander John Lea, was in-charge of the vessel.[5]Nottingham ran aground on Wolf Rock owing to a navigational error and the vessel immediately went into damage control mode. Commander Farrington returned to the bridge whereby he took command and controlled the breached compartments.[6]
TheMinistry of Defence (MoD) salvage department (SALMO) was contacted and assisted with logistics through local marine expert Graeme Mackenzie. The SALMO team, assisted byNottingham's crew, stabilized her at sea making her ready for the journey into Newcastle.
On 6 August,Nottingham set out on her journey to the port ofNewcastle, north ofSydney, towed stern-first because of the damage to her bow.[7] In Newcastle, herSea Dart missiles were removed and further repairs were carried out. Royal Navy personnel, Operations Manager Mr Graeme Mackenzie, RN Commander Anthony Holberry and SALMO Mr James Ward took charge of the shore-side recovery programme without incident.[8]
It was not clear whether it was economic to repair her, butNottingham had recently undergone major modifications to her radar and other electronics, and it was determined that it would be less expensive to return her to the UK and repair her than to bring another Type 42 destroyer up to her new specification.
After arriving in Sydney on 15 October, the damaged ship was lifted on board theheavy lifting vesselMV Swan and welded to her deck for transport. On 28 October,Nottingham left Sydney harbour on board MVSwan for the journey back to the UK. By 9 December, she had arrived at Portsmouth Harbour for repairs atFleet Support Limited. The destroyerGlasgow was temporarily reactivated to cover forNottingham while she was being repaired.
On 7 July 2003, the anniversary of the collision,Nottingham was refloated. In April 2004 she sailed again following the £39m repair and refit. The ship returned to duty in July 2004.[9]
On 23 August 2004,Nottingham metSAS Mendi, aValour-classfrigate of theSouth African Navy at the site where thetroopshipSS Mendi was sunk during theFirst World War. The crew laid wreaths in remembrance to those who died in service for their country.
In April 2008, she was placed in a state of "extended readiness" at Portsmouth. With her crew dispersed, she did not sail again before being decommissioned on 11 February 2010.[2] She was put up for auction on 28 March 2011,[10] which resulted in her sale for scrap to Leyal Ship Recycling. She was towed out of Portsmouth en route to Turkey on 19 October 2011.[11]
 Royal Navy | |
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 Argentine NavyHércules class | |
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 2002 | |
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| Other incidents |
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