HMS Brocklesby (M33)

HMS Brocklesby (M33)

HMS Brocklesby in Portsmouth, October 2008.

Career (UK)
Name: Operator: Builder: Launched: Sponsored by: Completed: Commissioned: Identification: Honours and awards: Status: HMS Brocklesby Royal Navy Vosper Thornycroft 12 January 1982 Viscountess Trenchard, the wife of Viscount Trenchard MC, then Minister of State for Defence Procurement 25 October 1982 3 February 1983 Pennant number: M33 Al Faw - 2003

in active service, as of 2013[1]

General characteristics
Class & type: Displacement: Length: Beam: Draught: Propulsion: Speed: Complement: Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel 750tons 60m 9.8m 2.2m 2 shaft Napier Deltic diesel, 3,540shp 17knots 45 (6 officers & 39 ratings)

Sensors and Sonar Type 2193 processing systems:

HMS Brocklesby (M33)

Armament:

30mm automatic small calibre gun 2 Mk44 minigun 3 7.62mm general purpose machine guns SeaFox mine disposal system Diver-placed explosive charges

Mine counter measures equipment:

HMS Brocklesby is a Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel of the British Royal Navy.

Operational History
Cherbourg incident
In 1993 she became involved in the Cherbourg incident, when Brocklesby challenged the French trawler La Calypso in the Channel Islands waters.[2]

2003 Invasion of Iraq

She gained a battle honour when she was among the first coalition ships into Umm Qasr during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. She was part of a group of mine countermeasure vessels who cleared a mined channel into the port, enabling access to it by sea.[3]

2011 Libya operations

In 2011 she took part in surveillance and embargo operations off the coast of Libya alongside HMSLiverpool, as part of Operation Ellamy, the UK's contribution to Operation Unified Protector.[4] In early May 2011, she took part in a mine-clearing operation to secure the waters of Misrata Port, Libya, after mines were dropped by Muammar Gaddafi's forces to prevent aid from being delivered to the besieged city. Brocklesby used her sonar and SeaFox mine disposal system to locate and destroy a mine that was located 1.6 km from the harbour entrance, making the waters safe for aid ships to enter.[5][6] Brocklesby's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Jim Byron DSC, said: The Royal Navy has always had a great reputation for mine clearance and it is precisely this type of operation that shows the world just how good we are. We are extremely proud that we could use our skills and knowledge to open that port and allow humanitarian aid back into Libya where it is so desperately needed. Without this capability there could have been hundreds of lives lost through the detonation of that mine. Captain Byron,Royal Navy interview[7] Brocklesby returned to Portsmouth on 5 July 2011 flying a special version of the Jolly Roger, indicating the successful destruction of a sea-mine.[6]

References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=HMS_Brocklesby_(M33)& action=edit [3] History of HMS Brocklesby (http:/ / www. royalnavy. mod. uk/ operations-and-support/ surface-fleet/ mine-countermeasure/ hunt-class/ hms-brocklesby/ history/ ) [6] http:/ / www. mod. uk/ DefenceInternet/ DefenceNews/ MilitaryOperations/ HmsBrocklesbyReturnsFromLibyaMission. htm

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

HMS Brocklesby (M33) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=568486843 Contributors: Antarctic-adventurer, Bellhalla, Benea, Blue1964, BobThePirate, Brad101, DagosNavy, Dawkeye, ENeville, Emoscopes, Fry1989, Greenshed, Hamish59, Haus, Ian Dunster, Lightmouse, Miyagawa, MrBeardface, 5 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Image:HMS Brocklesby M33 BB.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:HMS_Brocklesby_M33_BB.jpg License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: Brian Burnell File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Naval_Ensign_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: AnonMoos, Avicennasis, Bender235, Cycn, Dancingwombatsrule, Ec.Domnowall, Fry1989, Homo lupus, Pumbaa80, Stunteltje, Xiengyod, Yaddah, 3 anonymous edits

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/