HMS ''Eskimo'' was a
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
in service from 1963 to 1980. She was scrapped in 1992.
''Eskimo'' was built by
J. Samuel White
J. Samuel White was a British shipbuilding firm based in Cowes, taking its name from John Samuel White (1838–1915).
It came to prominence during the Victorian era. During the 20th century it built destroyers and other naval craft for both the ...
, of
Cowes
Cowes () is an England, English port, seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked b ...
,
[Gardiner, Robert & Chesneau, Roger (1995). p. 518] at a cost of
£4,670,000. The frigate was launched on 20 March 1961 and commissioned on 21 February 1963 with the pennant number F119.
Service
'Eskimo' began her third commission in October 1966. Sailing from Portsmouth in May 1967, she arrived off Port Said on the morning of 5 June, but due to the outbreak of war between Israel and the surrounding Arab states (the six day war), she was unable to transit the Suez Canal as planned. ‘Eskimo’ then spent some three months in the Mediterranean (based primarily in Malta) before eventually sailing to the Middle East via Gibraltar, Simonstown (South Africa), two Beira patrols, and Mombasa, arriving on station in Bahrain in December of that year. She subsequently replaced her sister ship
''Ashanti'' off
Aden
Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...
in 1968 in support of the withdrawal of British troops from that colony. ‘Eskimo’ finally returned to the UK in May 1968 having spent a full twelve months away from home. Later in the year she took part in Portsmouth 'Navy Days'. Between 1966 and 1967 she was commanded by
Simon Cassels
Admiral (United Kingdom), Admiral Sir Simon Alastair Cassillis Cassels, (5 March 1928 – 6 March 2019) was a senior Royal Navy officer who served as Second Sea Lord, Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel from 1982 to 1986.
Naval career
...
.
During 1974 and 1975 she was commanded by
Alan Grose
Vice Admiral Sir Alan Grose KBE (born 24 September 1937) is a former Royal Navy officer who became Flag Officer, Plymouth.
Naval career
Educated at Strode's School and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Grose joined the Royal Navy in 1957.Debre ...
.
Due to a manpower shortage in the Royal Navy, ''Eskimo'' was reduced to the reserve in 1980, being placed into the
Standby Squadron, and in 1981 was put on the disposal list. In 1984 she was cannibalised for spare parts for three Tribal-class frigates sold to
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. On 16 January 1986, ''Eskimo'' was towed from Portsmouth to Pembroke Dock to be used as a target, but was not used as such. In May 1992 she was towed from Pembroke to Bilbao, Spain to be scrapped.
[http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8257 shipstamps.co.uk: HMS Eskimo]
References
Publications
* Blackman, Raymond V.B. ''Jane's Fighting Ships 1971–72''. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co, 1971. .
*
* Gardiner, Robert & Chesneau, Roger (1995), ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995'', Conway Maritime Press, London, .
* Marriott, Leo, 1983. ''Royal Navy Frigates 1945-1983'', Ian Allan Ltd.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eskimo (F119)
Tribal-class frigates
1960 ships