NAVY NEWS MARCH 1975
SHIPS OF THE ROYAL NAVY
"
No. 232: H.M.S. ASHANTI
THE WANDERING WARRIOR Varied role for Tribal leader
Life is a mixed bag for H.M.S. Ashanti. leader of the Tribal Class of general purpose frigates. In the past year. for example, foreign visits have ranged from Casablanca in the heat of July to Oslo in the cold of December and there have been well-remembered calls at several U.K. towns as well as the honour of royal escort duty.
-'5
-
FACTS AND FIG
-
T
1L
Length: 360ft. Beam: 42ft. Draught: 18ff. Displacement: 3,000 tons. Propulsion: Impulse steam turbine (13,500 shp) with gas turbine boost (7,500 shp). Armament: two 4.5in. mountings, two quadruple Seacat mountings, two 20mm. one Limbo three-barrelled depth charge mortar. Aircraft: Wasp helicopter. Complement: 16 officers, 264 ratings.
On the other side of the coin, having captured the Fleet Seacat Missile Aimers' Efficiency Trophy last year the ship lives up to the reputation of the Ghanaian tribe after which she is named by proving herself to be skilled in the arts of Built by Yarrow and Co.. Ltd.. of Scotstoun. Glasgow. the Ashanti was launched in March. 1959. and is now a member of the Fifth Frigate Squadron. based on Portsmouth. Her captain is ('dr. J. P. J. Roberts-West. Highlight of her West Indies deployment early last year was a week in West Palm Beach. Florida. After returning to Portsmouth. the ship spent the rest of the year showing her face around Europe and trying to evade Portland's tender clutches for more than the minimum time that an inter-refit work-up entails, The Ashanti visited the Clyde three times, both for operational training and as the Royal Yacht's escort for the cruise around the Western Isles and a tour of North Sea oil rigs. "Navy Day" visits were made to Portsmouth, Rosyth and Den Helder at which the Ashanti's all-star Royal
Marines detachment showed their prowess at unarmed combat on 71 p,jmjn.Fumcss Newcastle and Grimsby all met the Navy in the form of the Ashanti and hundreds of schoolchildren, naval visitors and members of the general public toured the ship.
Southend link
The ship's sports teams have played their part most manfully both before and after the matches and the ship's teams have won the squadron sports trophy and at the time of going to press had reached the final of the Fleet MidiCup hockey competition. The first Ashanti was paid for by the people of Southend-on-Sea during a warship week and the liaison has continued. The ship now has affiliations with Sea Cadet units in the area as well as Fairfax High School and the John Groom's home. Her other link, with the Ashanti people, has made her rich in trophies - a solid silver bell and handsome gold shield.
Destroyer in thick of the action A Naafi Budget Account
The first H.M.S. Ashanti was a destroyer of the Tribal Class, built and engined by Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton, and completed on December 21, 1938. At the outbreak of the Second World War she was serving in the Sixth Destroyer flotilla at Scapa Flow.
She took onrt In the Norway Campaign, which Included comtal sweepa and the raid on the IA)IOten islands, and during 1942 and 1943 took part in the escort of convoys to and from North Rumla and escaped unscathed after many enemy attacks. On completing the voyage with PQI6 she was congratulated on bringing the convoy through an estlmeted 288 sortIes by enemy aircraft. In November, 1942, the A.shanti took part in Operation Torch, the allied landing In North Africa. for which she was attached to Force 11. Gibraltar. She remained in the ~term~ with the Sixth Flotilla after the landing, taking part In various operations until June. 1943. when she returned hosne for a refit in the Thames. In .,k.
duties on the Russian run. In 1944 the A,shantl was in the F.tern Atlantic from the Azores
and the Channel islands to the Normandy Landings. Afterwards she continued her watch on the Biscay ports until October, 1944. when she went to the Tyne for refit and to be prepared for service In the East Indies. On March 22, 1945, however, repairs not having been cornpleted. her allocation to the Eastern Fleet was cancelled and the finished the war in Europe In May, 1945, as she began, as a unit of the Home Fleet. She was scrapped in 1949.
honours i
1940; Atlantic 1940;
._ _
tail.
i
A1&..,.,
1942-3; Arctic 1942-3; English Channel 1942-3; Normandy. 1944; Biscay 1944.
PHOTO POSTCARDS Postcards of H.M.S. Ashanti or any other ships in the series are obtainable from Navy News. Dept. P.C.. H.M.S. Nelson. Portsmouth P01 3HH. Price: 5p each (Sop per dozen). stamps, postal orders, or cheque. A standing order for the supply of each card on publication for 12 issues can be arranged on receipt of postal order or cheque for 70p. Albums to hold 63 Navy News postcards are 95p each (including postage). Other ships in the ~ are: Abdi.l. Acheron. Achilles. Adamant. Agincourt. Alan.. Aax. Alamo-n, Aiblon (pro-mod.), Aiblon (mod.), Alderney. Amazon. Andrew, Andromeda. Antrim, Apollo (minelayer). Apollo (Leander-class frigate). Areihusa. Argonaut. Arladn.. Ark Royal (pro-mod). Ark Royal (mod). Armada. A.hwtl. Aurigs. Aurora. B.cchante. Barrosa, Beegle. Bellt. Bermuda. Berry Hued.
Berwick (pro-mod). Bo-wick (mod.). Blackpool. Black~. Blake (pro-mod.). Blake (mod.). Brays Bordersr. Brighton (promod.). Brighton (mod.). Bristol. BrIt.annla (pro-mod.). Britannia Broadaword. Bulldog. Bulwark (pro-mod.). Bulwark (mod.). (mod.). Cschalot. Carnpsrdown. Caprice. Cerron, Carysio.'t. Cavalier. Contour. Charybdis. Cho-'ron. O'ilchester (pro-n~.). QUchss*er (mod.). Churchlfl. Cleopatra, Conqueror. Corunna (pro-mod.). Corunna (mod.). Courageous. Cure' ~and. Dainty. Dumpier. Owing. Oanas. D.rtington. 051andar.
Cambrian.
Dot~. Devonshire (19t4). Devonshire (1974). DIamond. Diana. Oldo. Dlom.d.. Ore~~. Duchess. Oundas.
You can open an account ith the minimum formality, order or arrange payment by naval allotment, banker's of to eight Giro and et immediate and continuous credit up is No And that's it. deposit times your monthly payment. necessary with successi' c purchases .
Battle Norway
is essential to the Service man - or woman
Eagle (pta-mod.). Eagle (mod.). Eastbourne, Echo. Endurance. Engadine. Eskimo. Explorer. Excalibur. Exmouth. Fatmouth. Fear~. Fife. Finwhsl.. First Fast Training Boat Squadron (Cutlass. Sabre. Scimitar). Forth. Gaistea. Gambia. Girdle Ness. Glamorgan. Glasgow. G,afton (No. 1). Grafton (No. 2). Grenvilie. Gurkha. Hampshire (pro-mod.). Hampshire (mod.). Hartland Point. Hecate. Hardy. Hecla. ~rim (pro-mod.). Hermes (mod.). Hermione. Hubborston. Hydra. Intrepid. Jaguar, Juno. Jupiter. Jutland. Kent. Kenya. Laybum. Lesnder. Leopard (pro-mod.). Leopard (mod.). Lincoln, Lion. Liverpool Liandaff. Loch Fade. Loch Loch Kiilisport. LornOod. Lofot.n. LonOdo. L000000erry. Lowestoft. Lynees. Lynx (pro-mod.). Lynx (mod.). Manxman. Matepan. Mermaid. Msnerva. Mohawk, Mounts Bay, Murray. Naiad. Newcastle. Newfoundland. Norfolk, Nubian. Oberon, Ocean, Ocelot. Odin. Olmeda. ON~ (formerly Olynthus). Onslaught. Onyx. Orpheus. Osiris. PaHier. Penelope. Phoebe, Protector. Plymouth. Porpoise. Puma. Rapid. Reclaim (promod.). Reclaim (mod.). Redpoie. Relent~. Renown, Repulse. Resolution. Revenge. Rhyl. Roebuck. Rorqual. Rot~. Rus' sell.
Salisbury
Salisbury (pro-mod.). (mod.). Scarborough. Scor5e.llon. Sttoulton. Sidiesham. pion. Scylta. Sh.fflsld. Sir Geraint. Sirius. Stromn.sa. Taciturn. Talent. Tartar. Tenacity, Theeeus. Tidesurge. Tenby, Tiger (p15-mod.). Tiger (mod.),
Token. Triumph. tJater. unlorquay. Troubodge. Tyne. daunted. Undino. Ursa. Valiant. Vanguard, Victorious, Vld.i, Vigo. Wakeful. Walrus (pro-mod.). Walrus (mod.), Virago. Warrior. Waixpite. Whitby. Wilton, Woolaston. Yaimoulh, Z.st. and Zulu.
You can use 'our budget account to buy uniforms, civilian clothing and anything you choose from the fully illustrated annual Naafi Catalogue or the Naafi Sports Catalogues gifts for every member of the family, electrical and other equipment for the home, electric Tazors, watches. cameras. record players, tape recorders, radios, 'bicycles for children and adults, motor car accessories, electric drills, nursery equipment, toys by famous manufacturers, prams ...
Monthly payments:
t?iaxit?iiit~i £16
MAXIMUM CREDIT NOW £128 monthly payment of £16 it'll/i
Full details from your canteen manager
5