 HMSBarcross | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSBarcross |
| Owner | Royal Navy |
| Builder | Blyth Harbour and Dock Company, Blyth, Northumberland, England |
| Laid down | 15 April 1941 |
| Launched | 21 October 1941 |
| Decommissioned | 1947 |
| Out of service | Transferred to South African Naval Forces, 21 January 1943 |
| Renamed | HMSASSomerset in 1943 |
| Identification | Pennant number: Z185 |
 .svg) South Africa | |
| Name | HMSASSomerset |
| Namesake | Dick King's horse[Note 1] |
| Builder | Blyth Shipyard |
| Commissioned | 21 January 1943 |
| Renamed | SASSomerset, 1951 |
| Homeport | Simon's Town |
| Identification | Pennant number: P285[1] |
| Badge |  |
  South Africa | |
| Name | SASSomerset |
| Owner | South African Navy |
| Decommissioned | 31 March 1986 |
| Homeport | Simon's Town |
| Identification | Pennant number: P285[1] |
| Fate | Scrapped in April 2024 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Bar-classboom defence vessel |
| Displacement | 750 tons standard, 960 tons maximum |
| Length | 45.72 m (150.0 ft) |
| Beam | 9.76 m (32.0 ft) |
| Draught | 3.37 m (11.1 ft) |
| Propulsion | One vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine |
| Speed | 11.75 kn (21.76 km/h) |
| Range | 3000 mi |
| Complement | 32 |
| Armament | 1 ×12-pounder 12cwt gun |
SASSomerset, originally namedHMSBarcross, was aBar-class boom defence vessel of theSouth African Navy. It operated inSaldanha Bay, was transferred to South Africa Naval Forces during World War II, and was purchased by South Africa in 1947. From 1986 it was preserved as a museum ship inCape Town, before being scrapped in April 2024.
Somerset was originally built inBlyth,Northumberland, United Kingdom, byBlyth Shipbuilding Company[2] andcommissioned as HMSBarcross in 1941.[3] HMSBarcross and hersister ship HMSBarbrake arrived at theCape Station atSimon's Town,South Africa, in 1942. HMS Barcross was transferred toSaldanha Bay for boom defence operations thereafter. In 1943, she was re-designated as HMSASBarcross when she was transferred to theSouth African Naval Forces for the remainder ofWorld War II.[citation needed]
In 1946, theGovernment of South Africa purchasedBarcross and used it for the dumping of ammunition offCape Town andPort Elizabeth. On completion of these services, she was transferred toSalisbury Island inDurban and subsequently waslaid up at Salisbury Island.[citation needed]
In 1951, her name was changed toSomerset. In 1953, while stilldecommissioned,Somerset was used in the raising of the sunkenminelayerSkilpad (ex-Spindrift) at Salisbury Island.[citation needed]
In 1955,Somerset was recommissioned. During this period, she was tasked withsalvaging the remains of twoHarvardtrainer aircraft following a midair collision overTable Bay. Six weeks later, she recovered a third Harvard which had crashed into the sea offBok Point. During a refit in 1959,Somerset had hercoal-firedboilers converted to firing byfurnace oil. She was responsible for the laying of anoil pipeline at the port ofMossel Bay to serve theoil terminal there.
In 1961,Somerset salvaged theSouth African RailwaystugSchermbrucker, which had sunk in the harbour atEast London. In 1967, she was fitted with new boilers and a reconditioned main engine. In 1968, her services were called on again to assist thecable ship,John W. Mackay, in raising and repairing the newly inauguratedoverseas telephone cable in the shallow waters ofMelkbosstrand. In 1969, Somerset raised the oldwhale catcher,Wagter 11, in Saldanha Bay and subsequentlytowed her back to Simon's Town. During the same year, she salvaged afloating crane which hadcapsized and sunk at Port Elizabeth. In the early hours of 24 July 1974, Somerset was dispatched toCape Agulhas to assist with the salvage of theOriental Pioneer, but poor weather conditions and bad luck rendered this effort unsuccessful. In 1981,Somerset raised thefishing trawlerAldebaran, which had lain on the harbour bottom at Port Elizabeth for over two-and-a-half years.Somerset also acted as a standby vessel duringsubmarine shallow-water diving operations. In 1983, she assisted in salvaging abarge and two whale catchers at Saldanha Bay.
In March 1986,Somerset was finally paid off. In 1988, the old boom defence vessel was donated for use as amuseum ship, moored at the waterfront at Cape Town. Her original Royal Navy badge can be seen displayed on the side of theSelbornedrydock.[4]
Somerset was moored on theVictoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town from 2 September 1988 as museum ship[5] until its scrapping in April 2024.[6] At the time of its scrapping it was the only boom defence vessel remaining in the world,[7] as well as the only remaining South African warship that served in World War II.
| External image | |
|---|---|
 Photos of the exterior and interior of SASSomerset at sa-transport.co.za |
33°54′30″S18°25′03″E / 33.908426°S 18.417621°E /-33.908426; 18.417621