HMSAntelope(F170)

For other ships with the same name, seeHMS Antelope.

HMSAntelopewas aType 21 frigateof theRoyal Navythat participated in theFalklands Warand was sunk by Argentine aircraft.

HMSAntelopeatSan Carlos Wateron 23 May 1982. Note damaged mast (mostly hidden by smoke) and bomb entry hole on hull below funnel.
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMSAntelope
Builder	Vosper Thornycroft
Laid down	23 March 1971
Launched	16 March 1972
Commissioned	19 July 1975
Motto	"Audax et vigilans"
Fate	Sunk 23 May 1982
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 21 frigate
Displacement	3,250 tons full load
Length	384 feet (117 metres)
Beam	41+3⁄4feet (12.7 metres)
Draught	19+1⁄2feet (5.9 metres)
Propulsion	2 ×Rolls-Royce Olympus 2 ×Rolls-Royce Tyne
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range	4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi)at 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph) 1,200 nmi (2,200 km; 1,400 mi)at 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement	177 crew
Armament	1 ×4.5-inch Mark 8 naval gun 2 ×Oerlikon 20 mm cannon 1 × quadrupleSea Cat missiles 2 × triple ASW torpedo tubes 2 ×Corvus Chafflaunchers 1 × Type 182 towed decoy
Aircraft carried	1 ×Westland Wasp 1 ×Westland Lynx(refitted)

Construction and commissioning

Her keel was laid down 23 March 1971 byVosper Thornycroftin Woolston,Southampton,England.

Initial budget costs for this class were £3.5 million, with final costs exceeding £14 million. She was commissioned on 17 July 1975, and was the only unit of the class never to be fitted withExocetlaunchers.

In 1977, she attended thefleet reviewfor theSilver Jubilee of Elizabeth II.At this time, she was part of the 7th Frigate Squadron.

Falklands War

Bombing

Antelopetook part in theFalklands War,arriving in the area of operations on 21 May 1982. Two days later, while on air defence duty at the entrance toSan Carlos Water,protecting the beachhead established two days before, she came under attack by four ArgentineA-4B Skyhawksof Grupo 5. The first pair attacked from astern, with the flight leader breaking off his attack after one ofAntelope'sSea Cat missilesexploded under the port wing of his aircraft.

The pilot, CaptainPablo Carballo,managed to nurse his aircraft back toRio Gallegos.The second aircraft on this flight pressed home his bomb run and put a 1,000-pound bomb inAntelope's starboard side, killing one crewman, Steward Mark R. Stephens. The bomb did not explode and the Argentine aircraft was damaged by small arms fire. The second pair of Skyhawks attacked minutes later from the starboard quarter. During this attack, one of the Argentine jets, piloted by First Lieutenant Luciano Guadagnini, was hit by the ship'sOerlikon 20 mm cannonbefore colliding withAntelope's main mast and disintegrating. Guadagnini had released the bombs before being brought down, and one bomb penetratedAntelope's hull amidships, but like the first bomb hitting the ship failed to explode.

Antelopefired a Sea Cat at what she believed to be a fifth attacker, but this was Captain Carballo, trying to establish if his aircraft was fit to fly. The missile missed, but passed less than 10 metres (33 ft) from Carballo's cockpit.

Unexploded ordnance

After initial damage control efforts,Antelopeproceeded to more sheltered waters so that twobomb disposaltechnicians from theRoyal Engineerscould come aboard and attempt to defuse the two unexploded bombs. One of the bombs was inaccessible because of wreckage; the other had been damaged and was thought to be in a particularly dangerous condition. Three attempts by the bomb disposal team to withdraw the fuse of this bomb by remote means failed.

Sinking

A fourth attempt using a small explosive charge detonated the bomb, killing Staff Sergeant James Prescott instantly and removing an arm of Warrant Officer John Phillips, the other member of the bomb disposal team.

The ship was torn open from waterline to funnel, with the blast starting major fires in both engine rooms, which spread very quickly. The starboard fire main was fractured, the ship lost all electrical power, and the commanding officer, Commander Nick Tobin, gave the order to abandon ship. Tobin was the last person to leave the ship; about five minutes after his departure, the missile magazines began exploding.

Explosions continued throughout the night. The following dayAntelopewas still afloat, but her keel had broken and her superstructure melted into a heap of twisted metal.Antelopebroke in half and sank that day. TV and still pictures ofAntelope's demise became some of the iconic images of theFalklands Warand appear repeatedly in histories of the event.

Aftermath

Corporal Alan White received a commendation from the Task Force Commander, Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse, for his part in rescuing 41 crew fromAntelopeusing aMark 2 LCVP,one of four carried by the assault shipFearless.The landing craft, Foxtrot 7, is now located in the Royal Marines Museum in Portsmouth, with detailed accounts from Corporal Alan White of the missions he took part in, including the landings at San Carlos.

In January 2002, a diving team from the frigateMontrosereplaced thenaval ensignonAntelope.The wreck is designated as a prohibited area under theFalkland Islands Protection of Wrecks Act.

References

Bibliography

• 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.ISBN978-1-86176-281-8.

External links

• The Official Board of Inquiry into the loss of HMS Antelope
• Video Interview with Warrant Officer John Phillips about events on HMS Antelope