WHITBY and ROTHESAY class frigates

WHITBY and ROTHESAY Class (Type 12)

frigate

One of the classic post-war designs, the WHITBY class was intended to counter the newer and faster submarines that were being introduced after the Second World War. These ships possessed excellent sea-keeping characteristics, and were fitted with the latest in anti-submarine weaponry developed during and immediately after the war. Some of these features were essentially trialed through the Type 15 frigate refits of war built destroyers prior to 1950. These ships were some of the first to be fitted with a separate operations room, from which the ship could be fought. Unlike their half-sisters in the LEOPARD and SALISBURY classes, the WHITBYs were fitted with a Y100 steam plant. The Y100 plant (and derivatives) was also used in following classes, as well as the ST. LAURENT class of destroyer escorts of the Canadian Navy which were developed at the same time along similar lines. The ROTHESAY class that followed these ships was nearly identical, with minor changes to the internal arrangement. Although four of the six WHITBYs were retired prior to 1980, the ROTHESAY class all underwent major refits to bring them up to the standard of the later LEANDER class which could also trace its lineage to the WHITBYs. Included in this modernization was the addition of a helicopter deck and hangar, for a light helicopter. Of the original number of planned ROTHESAYs, the final three were completed as LEANDER class frigates instead. Two members of the ROTHESAY class, YARMOUTH and PLYMOUTH, were active (if not overly effective) during the Falklands War.

Some of the information on this page is courtesy of Mike Potter.

WHITBY and ROTHESAY Class

Specifications

WHITBY

ROTHESAY

Displacement:
2,560 tons full load
2,560 tons full load (2,800 as modernized)

Dimensions:

112.7 x 12.5 x 3.9 meters (370 x 41 x 17 feet)

Propulsion:
2 shafts;
2 - double reduction geared turbines, 30,430 shp;
2 - Babcock and Wilcox boilers;
29 knots
2 shafts;
2 - double reduction geared turbines, 30,000 shp;
2 - Babcock and Wilcox boilers;
29 knots

Crew:
231 max
235 max

Aviation

WHITBY

ROTHESAY

Helicopters:
None.
Refitted with deck and hangar for 1 light helicopter (1 Wasp)

Surface Action

WHITBY

ROTHESAY

Guns:

1 - 4.5"/45 Mk.6 DP Vickers dual mount

Radar:
Type 293Q surface / low-level air search
Type 974 / 978 navigation
Type 293Q surface / low-level air search (later Type 993)
Type 974 / 978 navigation

Air Defence

WHITBY

ROTHESAY

Guns:
1 - 4.5"/45 Mk.6 DP Vickers dual mount
1 - 40mm STAAG Mk.2 dual mount (later 1 - 40mm Mk.9 single mount)
1 - 4.5"/45 Mk.6 DP Vickers dual mount
1 - 40mm STAAG Mk.2 dual mount (later 1 - 40mm Mk.9 single mount, later 2-20mm single mounts)

Missiles:
None.
Refitted with GWS20 Seacat SAM

Radar:
Type 293Q surface / low-level air search
Type 277Q height finder
Type 293Q surface / low-level air search (later Type 993)
Type 277Q height finder

Fire Control:
Type 262 tracker for STAAG (later removed)
Type 275 tracker on Type 6M fire control director
Type 262 tracker for STAAG (later removed)
Type 275 tracker on Type 6M director (later Type 903 tracker for MRS3 director)

Undersea Warfare

WHITBY

ROTHESAY

Armament:
12 - 21in homing torpedoes (8 fixed tubes and 2 dual trainable launchers) (first four ships, removed by early 1960s)
2 Limbo Mk.10 ASW mortars
2 (later 1) Limbo Mk.10 ASW mortars
Refitted to carry Wasp helicopter with Mk.44/46 homing torpedoes

Sonar:

Type 174 medium range search
Type 162 bottom search
Type 170 attack set for Limbo

Electronic Warfare

Attack: Corvus 8-barreled chaff
ESM:
ComInt:

Ships:

Name

Pendant

Completed

Comments

Fate

WHITBY class

WHITBY
F 36
1956
Paid off 1974.
Scrapped 1979.

TORQUAY
F 43
1956
Navigation training ship 1967-1973
Trialed CAAIS computer combat information system.
Paid off 1985.
Scrapped 1987.

TENBY
F 65
1957
Paid off 1972.
Sale to Pakistan aborted.
Scrapped 1976.

SCARBOROUGH
F 63
1957
Paid off 1972.
Sale to Pakistan aborted.
Scrapped 1977.

EASTBOURNE
F 73
1958
Stripped of armament 1973-1976 as engineering trainer.
Paid off 1984.
Scrapped 1985.

BLACKPOOL
F 77
1958
Loaned to RNZN during 1966-1971.
Paid off 1971.
Target ship and shock trial ship.
Scrapped 1978.

ROTHESAY class

ROTHESAY
F 107
1960
Paid off 1988.
Scrapped.

LONDONDERRY
F 108
1961
Armament removed 1979, recommissioned as trials ship.
Evaluated pump jet propulsion.
Paid off 1982, recomissioned during Falklands War.
Paid off 1984.
Harbour training ship 1984-1988.
Sunk as target 1989.

BRIGHTON
F 106
1961
Paid off 1981.
Cannibalized for spare parts.
Scrapped 1985.

FALMOUTH
F 113
1961
Paid off 1982?
Recomissioned during Falklands War.
Paid off 1984.
Harbour training ship 1984-1988.
Scrapped.

YARMOUTH
F 101
1960
Participated in the Falklands War.
Paid off 1984.
Sunk as target 1987.

RHYL
F 129
1960
Paid off 1983.
Sunk as target 1985.

LOWESTOFT
F 103
1961
Sonar trials ship 1977-1981 for Type 2031 towed array.
Paid off 1985.
Sunk as target 1986.

BERWICK
F 115
1961
Paid off 1985.
Sunk as target 1986.

PLYMOUTH
F 126
1961
Participated in the Falklands War.
Paid off 1988.
Museum at Birkenhead.

Photos:

(click on thumbnail for bigger image)

A starboard box view of WHITBY. M.D. Thomas photo.

A stern view of WHITBY, showing the low quarterdeck and twin Limbo mounts. The Limbo ASW mortars could train to either side of the ship. M.D. Thomas photo.

TORQUAY. M.D. Thomas photo.

A starboard bow view of TORQUAY. This shows the older Type 275 tracker mounted on the Type 6M fore control director located above the bridge, with the Type 293 radar at the mast head. M.D. Thomas photo.

TENBY laid up in South Wales just prior to scrapping. M.D. Thomas photo.

A broadside view of ROTHESAY. Already refitted, she has the new helicopter deck and hangar. M.D. Thomas photo.

LONDONDERRY. In this photo, her gun has been removed and a second mast added, during her use as a trials ship. M.D. Thomas photo.

LONDONDERRY, prior to her conversion to a trials ship. Her hangar is still present, with the Seacat launcher mounted on top. M.D. Thomas photo.

LONDONDERRY in a graving dock. In this photo, her hangar has been stripped although the landing deck markings are still visible. A third mast has been added where the hangar used to be, but all armament has been removed. M.D. Thomas photo.

FALMOUTH. M.D. Thomas photo.

FALMOUTH again, presumably during her period as a harbour training ship. She appears to have been stripped of all armaments and sensors. LONDONDERRY appears to be in the background. M.D. Thomas photo.

YARMOUTH. This photo of her amidships shows the superstructure arrangement to good effect, and the placement of the various sensors. M.D. Thomas photo.

YARMOUTH again, this time from the aft port quarter. Her Limbo mount is visible just aft of the landing deck, and the Seacat launcher is visible on top of the hangar, uncovered and trained slightly aft with four missiles mounted. M.D. Thomas photo.

RHYL. M.D. Thomas photo.

LOWESTOFT. M.D. Thomas photo.

LOWESTOFT in a graving dock. This photo will likely have been taken during her conversion to trial the Type 2031 towed array sonar, which evidently necessitated the removal of the Limbo mortar mount. The Seacat is still mounted atop the hangar, but is covered. A deckhouse of some sort seems to be installed on the landing deck, and a jack-post is also present there. M.D. Thomas photo.

PLYMOUTH. M.D. Thomas photo.

A good close-up of PLYMOUTH's funnel, mast, and the newer MRS3 fire control director above the bridge (to the right of the photo). M.D. Thomas photo.

An early photo of PLYMOUTH, prior to her refit to carry a helicopter. At this time, she carried two Limbo mortars in a well aft of the superstructure. M.D. Thomas photo.

The 4.5" gun mounted on PLYMOUTH's foc'st'le. M.D. Thomas photo.

PLYMOUTH is now a museum ship in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, England. The following photos were taken in 1999.

A Wasp light helicopter on deck. The Wasp was used for anti-submarine as well as light utility duties. For the former, she could carry two Mk.44 or Mk.46 torpedoes, an example of which is on the deck beside the helicopter. Sandy McClearn photo.

The operations room is set up as it might have appeared during action, under red-light conditions. Sandy McClearn photo.

The wheelhouse on PLYMOUTH is actually one deck below the bridge, at main deck level. A small port is the only view the helmsman had to the outside view, and helm instructions were piped down from the bridge. Sandy McClearn photo.

The interior of the bridge, with the captain's position at the forward end in an alcove. This provided the captain with a good view forward and to the sides of the ship. Sandy McClearn photo.

The port turbine control in the main engine room. The large wheel controlled the main forward turbine, while the inner wheel controlled the astern turbine. Also visible is the port telegraph, the turbine RPM gauge, and Bailey tubes for monitoring steam pressure and temperature in the turbines and boilers. The two main turbines were located in the same compartment, with the boilers located in a separate forward compartment. Sandy McClearn photo.

The view looking aft from the bow. Sandy McClearn photo.

The 4.5"/45 Mk.6 Vickers twin gun. This gun could be used again both surface and airborne targets. Sandy McClearn photo.

Looking aft and up from the port bridge wing. In the foreground, above the bridge windows, is the MRS3 fire control director with the Type 903 tracking radar mounted. Above this are the navigation radar and the Type 994 radar antenna at the mast head. Sandy McClearn photo.

The port bridge wing, with a 20mm gun and a 8-barreled Corvus chaff launcher. Sandy McClearn photo.

Looking forward from the stern. The remaining Limbo mortar is visible, with the Wasp on the landing deck forward. Sandy McClearn photo.

The Limbo mortar mount, located in a well just aft of the landing deck. Originally there were two of these mortars, but the forward mount was removed to make way for the landing deck during the modernization of this class of ship. The Limbo could train to either side of the ship to fire, and to reload would train down to the port side where ammunition would be passed out through hatches in the side of the well; these hatches can been seen to the left of the photo. Sandy McClearn photo.

The Seacat launcher, with dummy missiles mounted. Sandy McClearn photo.