HMS Falmouth (F113)

Falmouth displaced {{convert|2150|LT|t}} at normal load and {{convert|2560|LT|t}} at deep load. The ship had an overall length of {{convert|370|ft|m|1}}, a beam of {{convert|41|ft|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|17|ft|m|1}} at deep load. She was powered by a pair of geared steam turbines, each driving one shaft, which developed a total of {{convert|30000|shp|lk=in}} and gave a maximum speed of {{convert|29|kn|lk=in}}. Steam for the turbines was provided by a pair of Babcock & Wilcox boilers. Falmouth had a range of {{convert|4500|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|12|kn}}. The ship's complement was 200–35 officers and ratings.{{harvnb|Gardiner|Chumbley|Budzbon|1995|pp=514, 519}}

The ship mounted a pair of 4.5-inch (114 mm) Mk 6 guns in a single twin-gun turret forward. Her secondary armament consisted of a twin-gun STAAG mount for the Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60#Naval versions anti-aircraft gun aft. Falmouth mounted two triple-barrelled mounts for the Limbo anti-submarine mortar. The ship carried eight fixed torpedo tubes and two twin-tube rotating mounts for British 21-inch torpedo torpedoes. The Rothesay-class ships were equipped with a Type 170 sonar for the Limbo as well as a general-purpose Type 174 sonar. They were fitted with a Type 293Q target-indication radar and a Type 277Q surface-search radar.{{harvnb|Friedman|2006|loc=Chapter 10}}

Falmouth was laid down on 23 November 1957 by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, launched on 15 December 1959 and was completed on 25 July 1961.{{harvnb|Gardiner|Chumbley|Budzbon|1995|p=519}}

In August 1961 Falmouth joined the 20th Frigate Squadron based at Londonderry Port, Northern Ireland.{{harvnb|Critchley|1992|p=106}} On 5 December that year, Falmouth collided with the oiler {{Ship|RFA|Tideflow|A97|6}} in Lyme Bay and was badly damaged.{{cite web|last=Watson|first=Sam|title=Near Disaster to a New Ship|publisher=Maritime Quest|date=6 March 2013|url=http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/frigates/falmouth_f113__near_disaster_to_a_new_ship.htm|access-date=13 August 2016}}{{cite web|last=White|first=Christopher J.|title=RFA Tideflow|publisher=Historical RFA|url=http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-tideflow-ships-details|access-date=13 August 2016}} From December 1963, Falmouth served as leader of the 30th Frigate Squadron.{{cite web|last=Mackie|first=Colin|title=Royal Navy Senior Appointments, 1865–|work=British Armed Forces 1860–|date=July 2016|page=236|url=http://www.gulabin.com/|access-date=13 August 2016}} The 30th Flotilla, including Falmouth, served as part of the Far East Fleet from September 1964 to December 1964, and again from June 1965 until December that year.{{cite web|last=Watson |first=Graham|title=Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1947–2013|work=Royal Navy, Post 1945|publisher=Naval-history.net|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGW-RNOrganisation1947-2013.htm|access-date=13 August 2016}} Falmouth took part in the Beira Patrol, a naval blockade enforcing an oil embargo against Rhodesia, patrolling off Mombasa in January 1967.{{cite news |title=Warship breakdown off Mombasa |newspaper=The Times |date=3 January 1967 |issue=56829 |page=1}}

From August 1968 to 6 January 1971, Falmouth was refitted at Portsmouth Dockyard, being fitted with a hangar and flight deck to allow operation of a single Westland Wasp helicopter, while a Seacat launcher was fitted on top of the hangar. One of the Limbo mortars and the Bofors guns were removed in compensation.{{cite news|title=Falmouth's Back With the Fleet|newspaper=Navy News|date=February 1971|page=23|url=https://issuu.com/navynews/docs/197102|access-date=29 September 2018}}

On the evening of 6 May 1976, after the outcome of the Third Cod War had already been decided, the Icelandic gunboat V/s Týr was trying to cut the nets of the fishing trawler Carlisle, when Captain Gerald Plumer of Falmouth ordered it rammed. Falmouth rammed the Týr at the speed of 22+ knots (41+ km/h), almost capsizing her. Týr did not sink and managed to cut the nets of Carlisle, after which the Falmouth rammed it again. The Týr was heavily damaged and found herself propelled by only a single screw and pursued by the tug-boat Statesman. As a response Captain Guðmundur Kjærnested gave orders to man Týr{{'}}s guns to deter any further ramming.Óttar Sveinsson, Útkall : Týr er að sökkva. Útkall. [Reykjavík] 2004. {{ISBN|9979-9569-6-8}} (ib.) Falmouth also sustained serious structural damage on her bow during the incident,{{harvnb|Roberts|2010|p=119}} and had to enter dry dock at Portsmouth for repairs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/retro/cod-war-battles-raged-at-sea-between-uk-and-iceland-retro-1-8956312|title=Cod War battles raged at sea between UK and Iceland - Retro|website=www.portsmouth.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2019-08-30}}

In January 1977, when the United Kingdom enlarged its Exclusive economic zone to {{convert|200|nmi|km}}, Falmouth was deployed in the North Sea, protecting fishing stocks and oil fields.{{cite news|title=Frigates on the Fish Beat|newspaper=Navy News|date=February 1977|pages=1, 40|url=https://issuu.com/navynews/docs/197702|access-date=10 October 2018}}

Falmouth left active service in 1980, when she was transferred to the Standby Squadron at Chatham, and by early 1982 she was being considered for disposal as a result of the 1981 Defence White Paper, which proposed cuts in the Royal Navy's surface fleet.{{Harvnb|Sturtivant|Ballance|1994|p=415}}{{Harvnb|Marriott|1983|p=58}} Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands in April 1982 changed these plans, and Falmouth was given a refit and returned to active duty, although she did not take part in the Falklands War. Falmouth carried out a patrol in the South Atlantic from May 1983, returning to Britain in September that year. In March 1984, she was deployed to the Middle and Far East, returning home in August that year.

Falmouth was laid up as a stationary training ship at {{HMS|Sultan|shore establishment|6}} in December that year, and was scrapped in Spain from 4 May 1989.{{Harvnb|Prézelin|Baker|1990|p=716}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{Cite Colledge2006}}
• {{cite book|last=Critchley |first=Mike|title=British Warships Since 1945: Part 5: Frigates |year=1992|publisher=Maritime Books|location=Liskeard, UK|isbn=0-907771-13-0}}
• {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Destroyers and Frigates, the Second World War and After|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2006|isbn=1-86176-137-6|edition=epub}}
• {{cite book|last1=Gardiner|first1=Robert|last2=Chumbley|first2=Stephen|last3=Budzbon|first3=Przemysław|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995|year=1995|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=1-55750-132-7|name-list-style=amp}}
• {{cite book|last=Marriott|first=Leo|year=1983 |title=Royal Navy Frigates 1945–1983|publisher=Ian Allan Ltd|location=Shepperton, Surrey, UK |isbn= 0-7110-1322-5}}
• {{cite book|editor1-last=Prézelin |editor1-first=Bernard|editor2-last=Baker |editor2-first=A. D. III|title=The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1990/1991|year=1990|publisher= Naval Institute Press|location= Annapolis, Maryland, USA |isbn=0-87021-250-8}}
• {{Cite book|title=Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy|last=Roberts|first=John|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|year=2010|isbn=978-1848320437}}
• {{cite book|last1=Sturtivant|first1=Ray|last2=Ballance|first2=Theo|title=The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm|year=1994|publisher=Air Britain (Historians) Ltd.|location=Tonbridge, Kent, UK|isbn=0-85130-223-8}}

• [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/frigates/falmouth_f113_page_1.htm MaritimeQuest HMS Falmouth pages]

{{Rothesay class frigate}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Falmouth}}

Category:Rothesay-class frigates

Category:1959 ships

Category:Ships of the Fishery Protection Squadron of the United Kingdom