199508 by Navy News

NAVY NEWS. AUGUST 1995

Ships of the RovalNiavv No. 477

The Falcon that failed to lly. U

FIRST of the Royal Navy's seven HM ships Peacock was an 18-gun frigate taken as a prize by Capt James Peacock in November 1651.

Although officially named Falcon she was always referred to as the Peacock. She was sold in 1653. The second Peacock, again of 18 guns, was a brig sloop, in 1807. She commissioned " served as a channel cruiser and sank in action in 1813. Third in the line was another prize, taken in 1812. She was registered in the RN as a " sloop of 434 tons and 18 guns in 1813, but was lost with all " - hands the following year.

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A screw gunboat of 237 " . tons, laid down in 1855, late in " -

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Peacock's tale SINCE she was accepted into

service

1983

Peacock has HMS steamed over 216,000 nautical miles. She is one of the three Peacockclass Hong Kong patrol

craft making up the Hong Kong Squadron.

Partly financed by the Hong Kong Government, the squadron's principal role is to support the elected

administration. The ships

are based at HMS Tamar on Stone Cutters Island and their main tasks are maintaining territorial integrity,

control of illegal immigrants, anti-smuggling operations and search and rescue.

In all these roles the squadron works closely with the Hong Kong police and other government agencies. Like her sister vessels, HM ships Plover and Starling. HMS Peacock was built by Hall Russell Ltd, of Aberdeen. The yessels are of steel and aluminium construction and have the ability to stay at sea during typhDons.

Upperworks

HMS Peacock is armed with a single 76mm OTO Mclara gun and its associated British Aerospace tire control system. Up to four general purpose machine guns can be positioned about the upperworks and there are 2ins rocket launchers midships, High definition radar, direclion finding equipment, an echo sounder and a very accu-

rate gyro compass, along with other equipment, allow precise navigation through confined Hong Kong waters. Satellite navigation and long range radio aids give the Peacock distant sea capability. Boarding tasks are usually achieved using two rigid inflatable Avon Seandcrs,which arc widely used throughout the Service. Where the ships of the Hong Kong Squadron are tasked with search and rescue work, they can carry divers, a recompression chamber and equipment to help in the recovcry of vessels or aircraft in distress.

traditional role of showing the flag. Regular visits to the ship are arranged for schools and youth organisations. When HMS Peacock and HMS Plover visited Macau earlier in the year nearly 4,000 people took up the invitation to look them over. HMS Peacock is fitted with two Crossley/Pielstick diesel engines which give her a speed in excess of 25 knots. A retractable, hydraulically-powered Schottel steering and thrust unit provides the secondary

the war with Russia, was the fourth HMS Peacock. The peace of 1856 came before she was completed. She was scrapped in 1869. Another gunboat then took on the name. The fifth HMS Peacock was laid down in 1887 and took part in the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. Armed with six 4lns guns and having a top speed of 13 knots, she was finally sold in 1906. Most famous HMS Peacock to date was the sixth, a sloop of the modified Black Swan class, built by Thomycroft and completed in 1944.

Sinkings

POSTCARDS of Ships of the Navy are obtainable at 65p eaCh (minimum order £1.95) from News, HMS Nelson, PortsNavy mouth P01 314K. An order for 12 cards is prlc.d at £7 and a stand-1g Ord.r for the supply of each of 12 cards on pubilcadon can be arranged on receipt of £10.50! foreign £12.50.Prlc.a include postage and packing, and postcards wil be d.spatctied on receipt of stans, postal order or No are ch.que. postcards stocked of shipe which paid off before 1956.

Royal

During that year she was employed on Russian convoys as part of the 18th Escort Group based at Greenock. The following year she joined the Liverpool-based 22nd Escort Group and was involved in the sinking of several U-boats. She was refitted In Uverpool as an AA frigate and was armed with six 4ins guns and eight 2pdr pompoms. She spent the rest of the war in the Mediterranean and was reduced to the reserve In 1954 and scrapped in 1958. For her actions she was awarded the battle honours Arctic 1944 and Atlantic 1945.

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Worldwide HMS Peacock's cornprehensive communications lit enablcs her not only to communicate with boarding parties and shore authorities but also to send messages to any part of the world. She has accommodation for up to 44 officers and ratings. This is of a high standard, with recreational spaces and dining rooms for the rates and a wardroom for the officers. Large fridges, cool room and victualling stores ensure that the central galley, which caters for the whole ship's company, can produce food of an excellent quality. Each member of the ship's company has an important job to do, and a prime ingredient in HMS Peacock's success is teamwork. To maintain the high level of efficiency required for carrying out their tasks, ships of the HK Squadron deploy outside restricted waters to hone seamanship, navigation and gunnery, as well as for the

-Facts and figuresPennant no: P239. Laid down: January 1982. Named: by her sponsor, Princess Alexandra, June 1983. Accepted into service: October 1983. Commissioned: July 14,1984. Gross tonnage: 763 tonnes. Length: 63m. Beam: lOm. Draught: 2.7m. Ship's company: up to 44.

means of propelling the ship and this unique -loiter drive" capability provides power at selected low speeds. Main engines, loiter drive and steering are all controlled from the bridge, giving HMS Peacock a high degree of manocuvrability. Electrical power is supplied by diesel generators and the combined outputs are sufficient to supply the needs of a small town. The ship's two large air conditioning units allow for the varying climates in which she operates.

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