Type 42 destroyer

Type 42

guided missile destroyer

The cancellation of the planned CVA-01 aircraft carrier project of the late 1960s, and the related requirement for large guided missile destroyers (of which only one Type 82 ship, BRISTOL, was actually built) for carrier escorts which was now redundant, resulted in the smaller Type 42 design. Considerably cheaper to build than the Type 82 design, the Type 42s lacked Ikara and the obsolete Limbo ASW mortar, and the COSAG (Combined Steam and Gas) propulsion plant was replaced with a COGOG (Combined Gas turbine or Gas turbine) one. A hangar and landing platform for the Lynx helicopter more than makes up for the deletion of the Ikara launcher. The Batch 1 and 2 ships of this class are hampered by the budget constraints placed upon their construction, the most apparent signs of which are the shorter beam and length than their Batch 3 sisters. They are also quite cramped, and have very limited room for improvement through the addition of new equipment. The Batch 3 ships therefore have increased beam and length giving better seakeeping characteristics and a larger Sea Dart magazine than the previous ships. During the Falklands War, SHEFFIELD was hit by an Argentine Exocet missile which among other things disabled the fire fighting mains, and although the fires were put out she sank under tow several days later. COVENTRY was sunk by Argentine bombs during the same campaign. The oft repeated story about the loss of these ships due to the use of aluminum in their superstructures is a myth. As a result of these two losses, the remaining ships of the class were fitted with additional guns and countermeasures and a Phalanx CIWS.

See also a tour of HMS MANCHESTER.

Type 42 destroyers

Specifications

Batch 1 and 2
Batch 3

Displacement:
4,350 tons full load
5,350 tons full load

Dimensions:
125 x 14 x 5.8 metres (410 x 46 x 19 feet)
141.1 x 14.9 x 5.8 metres (463 x 49 x 19 feet)

Propulsion:
2 shafts, COGOG;
2 Rolls Royce Olympus TM3B boost gas turbines, 50,000 shp;
2 Rolls Royce Tyne RM1A cruise gas turbines, 8000 shp;
18 knots cruise, 30 knots top speed
2 shafts, COGOG;
2 Rolls Royce Olympus TM3B boost gas turbines, 50,000 shp;
2 Rolls Royce Tyne RM1A cruise gas turbines, 8000 shp;
18 knots cruise, 30 knots top speed

Crew:
312
312

Aviation

Helicopters:
1 Westland Lynx helicopter

Surface Action

Guns:
1 - 4.5"/55 Mk.8 dual purpose single mount

Missiles:
Helicopter launched Sea Skua anti-ship missiles

Radar:
Type 992Q/993 surface / low level air search and target indication (replaced by Type 996 3D air / surface search)
Type 1006 navigation

Air Defence

Batch 1
Batch 2 and 3

Guns:
1 - 4.5"/55 Mk.8 dual purpose single mount
2 - 20mm single mounts (retrofitted during Falklands War)
2 - 30mm Oerlikon dual mounts (retrofitted during Falklands War)
1 - Phalanx 20mm CIWS (retrofitted during or after Falklands War)
same

Missiles:
1 - Sea Dart GWS30 dual launcher
same

Radar:
Type 965 AKE-2 air search (replaced with Type 1022)
Type 992Q/993 surface / low level air search (replaced by Type 996 3D air / surface search)
same except Type 1022 air search in place of Type 965 AKE-2

Fire Control:
Type 909 tracker for Sea Dart
same

Undersea Warfare

Armament:
2 - STWS triple torpedo launcher (similar to US Mk.32) firing Mk.44 or Mk.46 light ASW torpedoes (later Stingray)
Helicopter launched Mk.44 or Mk.46 (later Stingray) torpedoes

Sonar:
Type 184M medium range search (replaced by Type 2050 in Batch 1 and 2, Type 2016 in Batch 3)
Type 162 bottom search

Electronic Warfare

Attack: 2 Type 670/675 jammer, 4 decoy, Type 182 towed decoy
ESM:
ComInt: UAA-2 intercept

Ships:

Name

Pendant

Batch

Completed

Comments

Fate

SHEFFIELD D 80
1
1975
Participated in the Falklands conflict. Hit by one Exocet missile which cut fire mains, and caused extensive fires. Sunk under tow several days later.
Sunk May 1982.

BIRMINGHAM
D 86
1
1976

Paid off 1999.

CARDIFF
D 108
1
1979
Participated in the Falklands and Gulf War conflicts.

COVENTRY
D 118
1
1978
Participated in the Falklands conflict. Hit by three bombs on May 25, and sank.
Sunk May 1982.

NEWCASTLE
D 87
1
1978

GLASGOW
D 88
1
1979
Participated in the Falklands conflict. Hit by bomb that didn't explode.

EXETER
D 89
2
1980
Participated in the Falklands conflict.

SOUTHAMPTON
D 90
2
1981
Arrived at the Falklands days after war's end, damaged by collision in the Persian Gulf in 1991.

NOTTINGHAM
D 91
2
1982
Heavily damaged in 2002 after running aground off Australia. Floated back to the UK and repaired.

LIVERPOOL
D 92
2
1982

MANCHESTER
D 95
3
1982
Participated in the Gulf War.

GLOUCESTER
D 96
3
1985
Participated in the Gulf War. Intercepted an Iraqi Silkworm missile headed for USS MISSOURI.

YORK
D 98
3
1985

EDINBURGH
D 97
3
1985

Photos:

(click on thumbnail for bigger image)

GLASGOW presumably returning from her Falklands War deployment. The black stripe painted down her side was to distinguish her from the two Type 42 destroyers sold to the Argentine Navy. M.D. Thomas photo.

GLASGOW was the first RN ship to reach the Falklands, and did not receive the new equipment occasioned from the lessons learned there until after her return to the UK. She still has her original Corvus chaff launcher, along with her boats, which were later removed to reduce topweight. M.D. Thomas photo.

A good aft-on view of both BIRMINGHAM and CARDIFF in their original configuration. M.D. Thomas photo.

BIRMINGHAM lowering one of her boats. These boats were replaced with inflatables after the Falklands War to reduce topweight to allow the addition of more equipment and weapons. M.D. Thomas photo.

Starboard midships view of CARDIFF. The aft Type 909 tracker is under the dome to the left, and the 8-barrelled Corvus launcher is visible at the base of the mast. The triple STWS torpedo launcher is just aft of the boat davits, and the Type 965 AKE-2 double bedstead radar antenna is shown at the right above the forward Type 909. M.D. Thomas photo.

A good forward view of EXETER, with her 4.5" gun and Sea Dart launcher (with dummy missiles mounted) forward of the bridge. The forward Type 909 tracker does not yet have its fibreglass dome cover mounted. EXETER was the first ship fitted with the new Type 1022 air search radar, which replaced the Type 965 AKE-2 shown in the previous photo of CARDIFF. EXETER commissioned with this radar. M.D. Thomas photo.

The forward superstructure and bridge of GLOUCESTER, along with her Sea Dart launcher (with dummy missiles mounted), Type 909 tracker dome, and Type 1022 radar. A Batch 3 ship, GLOUCESTER has not yet received the hull lateral strengthening beam later added to her and her Batch 3 sisters. M.D. Thomas photo.

In this photo, GLOUCESTER has lost her port boat davits (to reflect the replacement of the boats with inflatables) and her Corvus chaff launcher has been replaced with an new model. M.D. Thomas photo.

LIVERPOOL is shown alongside. She has not yet received the domes for her Type 909 trackers. M.D. Thomas photo.

Another view of LIVERPOOL, this time from farther aft. M.D. Thomas photo.

MANCHESTER shown alongside. She has received the hull strengthening beam seen here on her port side at deck level, and note the addition of the Phalanx 20mm CIWS midships alongside the funnel. A rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) can be seen just forward of the hangar. The Type 993 radar is mounted atop the aft mast, and has not yet been replaced by the Type 996 in this photo. M.D. Thomas photo.

NEWCASTLE with her original equipment fit. M.D. Thomas photo.

NEWCASTLE again, this time dressed up. M.D. Thomas photo.

A dressed SHEFFIELD at anchor. She has not yet received the domes for her Type 909 trackers in this photo. Note the 'Loxton Bends' on each side of her funnel; this device was intended to reduce the ship's infra-red signature, but was apparently not a success as no other ships of the class received them. M.D. Thomas photo.

SHEFFIELD. M.D. Thomas photo.

SOUTHAMPTON is shown here in a graving dock, undergoing work. M.D. Thomas photo.

YORK is shown here with her hull strengthening beams and Phalanx mounted. Note the longer foc'st'le of the Batch 3 over the earlier two batches. M.D. Thomas photo.