HMS Antrim in 1976
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Antrim
NamesakeCounty Antrim
Ordered5 January 1965
BuilderUpper Clyde Shipbuilders
Laid down20 January 1966
Launched19 October 1967
Sponsored byMrs Roy Mason, wife of then Minister of Defence (Equipment), Roy Mason
Commissioned14 July 1970
Decommissioned1984
IdentificationPennant number: D18
Honours and
awards		Falklands War
FateSold to Chile on 22 June 1984
Chile
NameAlmirante Cochrane
NamesakeThomas Cochrane
Acquired22 June 1984
Decommissioned7 December 2006
FateSold for scrap 11 December 2010
General characteristics
Class and typeCounty-class destroyer
Displacement6,200 tons (6,800 tons full load)
Length522 ft (159 m)
Beam53 ft (16 m)
Draught20 ft (6.1 m)
PropulsionCOSAG (Combined steam and gas) turbines, 2 shafts
Armament
Aircraft carried1 × Wessex HAS Mk 3 helicopter
Aviation facilitiesFlight deck and enclosed hangar for embarking one helicopter

HMS Antrim was a County-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy launched on 19 October 1967. In the Falklands War, she was the flagship for the recovery of South Georgia, participating in the first ever anti-submarine operation successfully conducted exclusively by helicopters. In 1984, she was commissioned into the Chilean Navy, and renamed Almirante Cochrane.

Background

Antrim first commissioned in 1970 and served her first commission in home and Mediterranean waters.[1] In the mid-1970s, the Royal Navy removed 'B' turret and replaced it with four Exocet missile launchers to give her a greater anti-ship capability. After installation of the Exocet missiles it was found that the missile could be activated by small arms fire, so armoured plates were fitted to the outer sides of the missiles containers.

Operational history

In 1976 her commission included a visit to Stockholm, where she represented the Royal Navy at the wedding of the King of Sweden.[2]

Falklands War

In 1982 she formed part of the Royal Navy task force for service in the Falklands War.

Antrim was the flagship of Operation Paraquet, the recovery of South Georgia in April 1982,[3] where she took part in a 400-shell bombardment.[4] Her helicopter, a Westland Wessex HAS.Mk3, was responsible for the rescue of 16 SAS men from Fortuna Glacier, and the crew of two previous rescue helicopters that had crashed. The aircraft played a key role in the detection and disabling of the Argentinian submarine Santa Fe.[4] This was the first ever anti-submarine operation successfully conducted exclusively by helicopters.[5] Captain Lagos, commander of the Argentine forces on South Georgia, signed the surrender document for the Argentine forces there in her wardroom. Lieutenant-Commander Alfredo Astiz signed a separate document shortly afterwards aboard HMS Plymouth.

While supporting the main landing at San Carlos Water, 12 bombs narrowly missed, but a 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb penetrated Antrim. It did not explode or kill anyone, and it took 10 hours to remove.[4] Antrim fired her Sea Slug missile system at an Argentine Air Force Douglas A-4 Skyhawk without hitting it.

A name board formerly belonging to her now resides in the Falkland Islands Museum, Stanley.[6]

Antrim's Wessex helicopter XP142 Humphrey

Chilean Navy

Chilean destroyer Almirante Cochrane

Antrim was decommissioned in 1984 and sold to Chile on 22 June 1984. The Chileans renamed her Almirante Cochrane after Thomas Cochrane, who had commanded the Chilean Navy from 1817 to 1822. In 1994, Almirante Cochrane underwent the same refit as her sister ship Blanco Encalada (HMS Fife). This entailed removing her Sea Slug launcher and extending her deck aft to allow the installation of a new, larger hangar. In 1996 she received the Barak SAM in place of her Seacat launchers.

The Chilean Navy decommissioned Almirante Cochrane on 7 December 2006. On 11 December 2010, she was towed to China for scrap.

Affiliates as HMS Antrim

As part of her relationship with County Antrim, she carried a piece of the Giant's Causeway mounted in the ship's main passageway, appropriately also named the Giant's Causeway.[8]

Commanding officers

Notable commanding officers include D A Loram 1971-1973 and B G Young 1981-1983.

Notes

  1. ↑ "HMS ANTRIM (November 1970 - September 1972)" (PDF). axfordsabode.org.uk.
  2. ↑ "HMS ANTRIM (1976)" (PDF). axfordsabode.org.uk.
  3. ↑ "Antrim's War" (PDF). axfordsabode.org.uk.
  4. 1 2 3 "Antrim comes home". Navy News p.28. August 1982.
  5. ↑ "Captain Brian Young obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 12 January 2010.
  6. ↑ HMS Gloucester delivers Task Force South exhibit to Falklands Museum
  7. ↑ "HMS Antrim and the Royal Irish Rangers". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  8. ↑ "Navy News – Fact Card – HMS Antrim". Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2009.

Sources

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