HMS Barrosa (D68)

HMS Barrosa (D68) was a later or 1943 Battle-class fleet destroyer of the Royal Navy.

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Barrosa
Ordered: 1943
Builder: John Brown & Company, Clydebank
Yard number: 615
Laid down: 28 December 1943
Launched: 17 January 1945
Commissioned: 14 February 1947
Decommissioned: 1968
Fate: Broken up 1978
General characteristics
Class and type: Battle-class destroyer
Displacement: 2,480 tons standard
Length: 379 ft (116 m)
Beam: 40 ft 6 in (12.34 m)
Draught:
  • 12 ft 8 in (3.86 m) mean
  • 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) maximum
Propulsion: Oil fired, two three-drum boilers, Parsons geared turbines, twin screws, 50,000 hp (37 MW)
Speed: 35.75 knots (66.21 km/h)
Complement: 268
Armament:
Service record
Part of:
  • 4th Destroyer Flotilla
  • 4th Destroyer Squadron
  • 8th Destroyer Squadron
  • 24th Escort Squadron

Naming

She was named after the Battle of Barrosa, which took place in 1811 between British-Allied forces and France, and which ended in a French defeat. Barrosa was built by John Brown & Company. She was launched on 17 January 1945 and commissioned on 14 February 1947.

Operations

In 1948, Barrosa joined the 4th Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet.[1] In 1950, Barrosa with one of her sister ships and the aircraft carrier HMS Vengeance, where the small group performed a number of naval exercises and visits to a variety of ports. Barrosa was placed in Reserve that same year.

In 1953, Barrosa took part in the Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead in honour of the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II. Barrosa was positioned in the middle of her sister ships HMS Aisne and HMS Agincourt.[2] During the same year, Barrosa joined the 4th Destroyer Squadron, having spells with the Home and Mediterranean Fleets.

In November 1956 Barrosa formed part of the Royal Navy force deployed in the eastern Mediterranean during the Suez Crisis, as part of the 4th Destroyer Squadron.

Refit and conversion to radar picket

On 15 March 1959, Barrosa collided with her sister ship HMS Corunna in the Bay of Biscay.[3] Later that year, Barrosa entered an extensive programme of modification to become a radar picket, with the addition of the Sea Cat missile, as well as new anti-aircraft weaponry and new radar.[4] In 1963 Barrosa joined the 8th Destroyer Squadron, based in the Far East, before joining the 24th Escort Squadron.[5][6] As well as radar picket duties, tasks included operations against pirates, and on 10 February 1963, Barrosa intercepted a pirate boat, with a gun battle occurring between Barrosa' s search party, with one of the destroyer's crew killed.[7] The ship also carried out anti-infiltration patrols during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.[8] In December 1968 Barrosa was decommissioned and was listed for disposal in 1972.[5] By 1974 Barrosa was being used as a storage hulk at Portsmouth.[9] She arrived at Blyth in Northumberland for scrapping on 1 December 1978.[9][10]

References
  1. Critchley, Mike, "British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers", Maritime Books: Liskeard, UK, 1982. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2, page 115-6
  2. Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
  3. Critchley 1982, p. 115
  4. Marriott 1989, p. 79
  5. Critchley 1982, p. 116
  6. Marriott 1989, p. 80
  7. "A Barosa Rating Killed By Pirates". Navy News. March 1963. p. 8. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  8. "When Barrosa quelled a mutiny". Navy News. July 1966. p. 3. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  9. Critchley 1982, p. 118
  10. Marriott 1989, p. 82

Publications
  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Friedman, Norman (2008). British Destroyers and Frigates: The Second World War and After. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-015-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Hodges, Peter (1971). Battle Class Destroyers. London: Almark Publishing. ISBN 0-85524-012-1.
  • Marriott, Leo (1989). Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1817-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • HMS Barrosa (Clydebuilt Ships Database)] via Internet Archive Wayback Machine
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