World navies comparative frigate strengths from 1939 to 1958.
| Year | USN | RN | Fr | Ne | USSR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | 43 | 46 | 5 | |||
| 1941 | 22 | |||||
| 1945 | 482 | 598 | 35 | 6 | 48 | |
| 1948 | 13 | |||||
| 1950 | 11 | |||||
| 1951 | 36 | 44 | 16 | |||
| 1952 | 89 | |||||
| 1954 | 33 | |||||
| 1955 | 60 | |||||
| 1957 | 71 | 26 | 61 | |||
| 1952 | 18 |
Source: Friedman, Norman. The Postwar Naval Revolution. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1986.
Maybe the translation from Korean to English isn’t up to snuff, or maybe the Koreans have delusions of grandeur, but these Gumdoksuri/PKG hulls rate as a corvette at best. A up-gunned OPV if nothing else. Jeez! This pup only displaces 500 tons. A true destroyer like the Type 45 displaces 8,500 and an Arleigh Burke displaces 9,200. Still… nice to have domestic yards producing a steady stream of vessels for a government that sees the importance of naval power (British govt take note!).
S. Korean Navy receives its 12th guided-missile destroyer
SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) — The South Korean Navy has taken delivery of its 12th domestically built guided-missile destroyer, which will join patrol missions to defend the nation’s shoreline and harbor waters, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Monday.
STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co. delivered the newest PKG-class (Patrol Killer, Guided Missile) patrol ship to the Navy command, located in Jinhae, some 410 kilometers south of Seoul.
The 450-ton high-speed ship can sail at a top speed of 40 knots and is equipped with anti-ship missiles that have a range of 140 kilometers.
It is also fitted with 76mm and 40mm guns, and can accommodate 40 crew members.
The ship will join Navy patrol missions after two months of deployment, the DAPA said.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2013/11/04/43/0301000000AEN20131104001100315F.html
(END)
70-years ago today…
U-244, a Type VIIC u-boat, was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine, Oblt. Ruprecht Fischer commanding. The boat conducted 4 war patrols before surrendering at Loch Eriboll in 1945.
Ruprecht Fischer, Kriegsmarine crew photo.
U-616, a Type VIIC u-boat, Oblt. Siegfried Koitschka commanding, sunk the American destroyer USS Buck (DD 420) with a G7e acoustic torpedo off Salerno, Italy in position 39.57N, 14.28E. The destroyer lost 150 dead and there were 97 survivors. Koitschka was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz (in gold) on completion of his patrol.
USS Buck (DD 420)
U-645, a Tupe VIIC u-boat, torpedoed and sunk the US merchantman SS Yorkmar (5,612 GRT) during an attack on convoy SC-143 approx. 475 miles south of Iceland. The ship sank by the stern after 15-minutes. 13 crew members were lost and 54 survivors were picked up by HMCS Kamloops (K176) and HMS Duckworth (K351).
Type VIIC U-boat.
U-737, a Type VIIC u-boat, Kptlt. Paul Brasack commanding, came under fire from a shore battery at Barentsburg, Spitsbergen. The u-boat managed to dive before it sustained any damage. (The moral of this story is that littoral combat is bleedin’ dangerous, chum!)
Barentsburg, Spitsbergen.
The Battle of Atlantic was most decidedly not over. It continued apace. Indeed, on this day 70-yrs ago (9 October 1943), Großadmiral Dönitz had 95 U-boats at sea.
And yet the Allied naval forces continued to grow in strength…
USS Sand Lance (SS-381), a Balao-class submarine built at Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine, was commissioned into the United States Navy, Cdr. Malcolm Everett Garrison, USN. Garrison would win the Navy Cross twice while in command of Sand Lance and retire from the US Navy as a Rear Admiral.
HMS Goodson (K480), a Captain-class frigate built under Lend Lease at the Boston Navy Yard, was commissioned into the Royal Navy, Lt.Cdr. Frank Brown Allen, RNR commanding.
HMS Stratagem (P234), an S-class submarine built at Cammell Laird, was commissioned into the Royal Navy, Lt. Reginald Lewis Willoughby, RNR commanding.
HMS Stratagem (P234).
USS Kingfish (SS-234), a Gato-class submarine, Lt.Cdr. V.L. Lawrence, USN commanding, torpedoed & damaged the Japanese fleet oiler Hayatomo (14,050 GRT) in the Sibitu Channel, Borneo.
USS Wahoo (SS-238), a Gato-class submarine, Cdr. Dudley W. “Mush” Morton, USN commanding, sank the Japanese army cargo ship Hankow Maru (2,995 GRT) off the Oga Peninsula, Japan.
USS Puffer (SS-268), a Gato-class submarine, Lt.Cdr. M.J. Jensen, USN commanding, torpedoed & damaged the Japanese tanker Kumagawa Maru (7,508 GRT) in the Makassar Strait, Borneo. Japanese escorts damaged Puffer with depth charges and the submarine was forced to abandon its attack on the tanker.
Kumagawa Maru auxiliary oiler.
USS Rasher (SS-269), a Gato-class submarine, Cdr. E.S. Hutchinson, USN commanding, torpedoed & sank the Japanese army cargo ship Kogane Maru (3,131 GRT) about 30 nautical miles west of Ambon, Maluku Islands.
The ‘Boikiy’ (Бойкий) is a Steregushchy-class corvette (Project 20380) commissioned into the Russian Navy in May 2013. The ‘Karlsruhe’ is a Bremen-class frigate commissioned into the Bundesmarine (now the Deutsche Marine) in 1982. A ‘PASSEX’ is a passing exercise that tests communication between two navies.
Russian, German Warships to Train Jointly in Baltic Sea
MOSCOW, October 7 (RIA Novosti) – Russian-German naval exercises, codenamed PASSEX, will be held on Monday in the Gulf of Finland, the press service of Russia’s Western Military District said.
Russian corvette Boiky.
The exercises will involve Russia’s newest Baltic Fleet warship, the Project 20380 Boiky corvette and Germany’s Karlsruhe frigate.
«During the joint exercise in the Gulf of Finland the ships will test communication and train joint maneuvers,” the press service said in a statement.
The naval maneuvers will be the final part of the German frigate’s visit to St. Petersburg, which began on October 2.
German frigate Karlsruhe.
China’s first independently-developed new-generation guided missile frigate “Bengbu” in the live guided missile fire training in a certain sea area of the East China Sea. (China Military Online/Wan Fusheng, Wu Shangrui)
China’s first independently-developed new-generation guided missile frigate “Bengbu” in the live guided missile fire training in a certain sea area of the East China Sea. (China Military Online/Wan Fusheng, Wu Shangrui)
China’s first independently-developed new-generation guided missile frigate “Bengbu” in the live guided missile fire training in a certain sea area of the East China Sea. (China Military Online/Wan Fusheng, Wu Shangrui)
China’s first independently-developed new-generation guided missile frigate “Bengbu” in the live guided missile fire training in a certain sea area of the East China Sea. (China Military Online/Wan Fusheng, Wu Shangrui)
Iran talks of numbered fleets like cheap hotels talk about how many rooms they have. If you start numbering from 26 or 27 then people might not realise how few ships you have.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy currently has 3 Alvand-class (Vosper Thornycroft Mk5) frigates, 3 Moudge-class (reverse-engineered Mk5) frigates, and 2 Bayandor-class (US PF-103) corvettes. From this they conjure a 27th Fleet.
It was also a nice touch by the Iranian media to claim the the Karg is a “helicopter carrier” instead of an Ol-class replenishment oiler. Bless ’em… they mean well.
Iran naval fleet to secure oil tankers in international waters
File photo shows Iran’s Kharg helicopter carrier.
Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says the Islamic Republic’s 27th naval fleet has been dispatched to international waters.
“The 27th naval fleet of the Navy has set sail for high seas in order to secure commercial vessels and oil tankers of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Sayyari said in a Tuesday interview.
The naval fleet comprises the Sabalan destroyer and Kharg helicopter carrier warship, he said.
The Iranian commander noted that the new naval fleet was dispatched after the Navy’s 26th fleet –which comprised Bandar Abbas logistic warship and Alvand destroyer — ended its mission in the Gulf of Aden and returned to Iran on Monday.
The Navy’s 26th fleet was dispatched on June 2 to patrol waters in the north of the Indian Ocean and pass through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea.
The Iranian Navy also plans to dispatch its 28th fleet to the Atlantic, Pacific or South Indian oceans in the near future.
In recent years, Iran Navy has been increasing its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.
In line with the international efforts to combat piracy, the Iranian Navy has also been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 to safeguard the vessels involved in maritime trade, especially the ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.
ASH/KA
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/08/20/319641/iran-naval-fleet-to-secure-oil-tankers/
The Nigerian Navy has killed 12 pirates in a 30-minute gun battle in the Gulf of Guinea. BZ to the Nigerians for what they do. But we can (and should!) do more to help them.
The Nigerian Navy currently boasts a 1970s German frigate, a 1960s US Coast Guard cutter rebadged as frigate, and four 1960s/70s Vosper Thronycroft corvettes. A couple of decommissioned Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates under the Foreign Assistance Act wouldn’t go amiss. Nor would paid off Type 22 frigates that were sold at a pittance for scrap. It is well-and-good for the US, UK, EU and allied partners to provide standing naval forces in the fight against piracy, but regional navies must be brought up to strength with adequate equipment and training in order to truly defeat the scourge.
Nigerian navy says kills 12 pirates in gun battle
(Reuters) – The Nigerian navy killed 12 pirates in a gun battle as they tried to flee from a fuel tanker they hijacked off the coast of the Gulf of Guinea last week, the navy said on Monday.
Pirates took control of the St. Kitts and Nevis-flagged MT Notre on August 15, but an emergency signal was sent to the navy and several gunships were deployed to recover the vessel, Navy Flag Officer Rear Admiral Sidi-Ali Hassan told reporters.
Navy gunships caught up with the vessel and forced it into Nigerian waters but while negotiating the ship’s release, the pirates tried to escape on a speed boat. The navy boats pursued but were fired upon by the hijackers.
“The gun battle lasted for about 30 minutes after which they were overpowered. On taking over the speed boat, four of the militants were alive and unhurt while the rest of the pirates were killed in the crossfire,” Sidi-Ali Hussan said.
The crew were all rescued unharmed from the MT Notre, which was carrying 17,000 metric tons of gasoline, he said.
Pirate attacks off West Africa’s mineral-rich coastline have almost doubled from last year and threaten to jeopardize the shipping of commodities from the region. They have already jacked up insurance costs.
It is rare for the navy to engage pirates in gun battles offshore, as vessels are usually released after being robbed of cargo and valuables. Sometimes crew are kidnapped for ransom.
(Reporting by Tife Owolabi; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/19/us-nigeria-piracy-idUSBRE97I0PY20130819
EMPIRE’S SHIELD Royal Navy Main Title (IWM 551).
The Korean Incheon-class frigate is a ‘coastal defence frigate’ that will replace the aging Pohang-class corvettes in their patrol and maritime security rôle. The building programme is scheduled to place 15 ships in service by 2020.
South Korea launches second Incheon frigate
South Korea has launched its second Incheon-class FFX coastal defense vessel, Yonhap news agency reported.
SEOUL, July 25 (UPI) — South Korea has launched its second Incheon-class FFX coastal defense vessel, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and senior naval officials attended the launching ceremony for the 2,300-ton frigate Gyeonggi at Hyundai Heavy Industry’s shipyard in the southeastern city of Ulsan.
The Incheon, lead vessel in the class, was designed under the government’s Future Frigate Experimental program and launched in January.
Yonhap reported naval officials said the Gyeonggi — named after Gyeonggi province that surrounds Seoul — will be delivered to the navy next year and deployed for operation in 2015.
The Incheon is expected to be commissioned next year.
About 20 frigates will be built to replace the country’s aging Ulsan and Pohang patrol escort ships by 2020. The vessels were built between the early 1980s and the early 1990s.
The Pohang-class vessels were built by Korea Shipbuilding Corp., Hyundai Heavy Industries, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Korea Takoma. Hyundai Heavy Industries also built the Ulsan guided missile ships.
The Incheon and Gyeonggi vessels are South Korea’s first coastal patrol vessels built after the sinking of the patrol ship Cheonan — a Pohang-class ship — allegedly by North Korea in March 2010. The incident raised many questions by South Korean politicians and defense analysts about the condition of the navy’s equipment.
The 1,200-ton naval corvette Cheonan sank rapidly after an explosion from a suspected torpedo ripped the vessel in half. It sank just more than 1 mile southwest of Baeknyeong Island near the de facto sea border with North Korea.
North Korea consistently denies it had anything to do with the sinking.
The South Korean government also became concerned the country’s maritime protection was left wanting in the face of increasing intrusions by foreign fishing ships, especially Chinese and North Korean, into its economic zones.
In December 2011, then-South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called for “strong” measures to protect the country’s coast guard sailors during an increasing crackdown on illegal fishing by Chinese boats. Lee said he wanted no repeat of the attack earlier that month on two coast guard sailors during a raid on a Chinese boat suspected of fishing illegally in South Korean waters earlier.
A coast guard officer allegedly was stabbed by the captain of the Chinese fishing boat and died shortly after in hospital. Another coast guard member was stabbed but lived, Yonhap reported.
The confrontation between the coast guard and Chinese fishing vessel was one of the most difficult in years, said the team that boarded the ship, a report in Joongang Daily said at the time.
70-years ago today…
Palpable hits:
USS George E. Badger, “flush deck” Clemson class destroyer, sank U-613 (KrvKpt. Helmut Köppe commanding) with depth charges South of the Azores.
Grumman Avenger aircraft from the escort carrier USS Bogue (Capt. Joseph Brantley Dunn, USN commanding) sank U-527 (Kptlt. Herbert Uhlig commanding) with depth charges in the mid-Atlantic.
Near misses:
HMS Newfoundland, Colony class light cruiser, flagship of the 15th Cruiser Squadron, was torpedoed by U-407 (Kptlt. Ernst-Ulrich Brüller commanding) off Syracuse, Sicily and hit in the stern. Newfoundland lost her rudder, but was able to reach Malta, steering using her propellers. After repairs, Newfoundland went on to serve with the Far East Fleet and was present at Tokyo Bay on 2 Sept 1945 when the instrument of surrender was signed aboard USS Missouri.
U-466 (Oblt. Gerhard Thäter commanding) was attacked by American B-18 Bolo and B-24 Liberator bombers East of French Guyana, surviving a first attack by returning fire with anti-aircraft guns, and subsequent attacks by diving.
U-591 (Ltn. Joachim Sauerbier commanding) was attacked twice by an American B-24 Liberator bomber off Cape de Sao Roque, Brazil, but escaped damage by diving during each attack.
In the shipyards:
HMCS Orangeville (K 491), Castle class corvettes, laid down at Henry Robb, Leith. Originally ordered as HMS Hedingham Castle.
HMCS West York (K 369), Flower class corvette, laid down at Midland Shipyards, Ontario.
HMCS West York (K 369)
Naval Matters 