HMS Hecla (A133)
Template:Short description Template:Other ships Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsHMS Hecla was the lead ship of the Template:Sclass, an oceangoing survey ship type in the Royal Navy. She was ordered in the mid-1960s, along with her sister ships Template:HMS and Template:HMS. A fourth ship, Template:HMS, was completed in the early 1970s. The ship served for thirty years in this role, and various others, before finally being replaced by Template:HMS in 1997. Hecla was sold to private interests, being renamed "Bligh" after Vice-Admiral William Bligh. After this, the vessel was used in a hydrographic survey of Irish waters, and was based in Waterford, Ireland.
Design and construction
The Hecla class were designed as combined hydrographic and oceanographic survey ships, built to merchant ship standards and of similar design to Template:Ship.<ref name="jfs79p616">Template:Harvnb</ref> She was laid down at Yarrow Shipbuilders' Blythswood, Glasgow shipyard on 6 May 1964, was launched on 21 December 1964 and was commissioned on 9 September 1965.<ref name="jfs79p616" /> She had the pennant number A133.<ref name="cf86p204">Template:Harvnb</ref>
Hecla was Template:Convert long, with a beam of Template:Convert and a draught of Template:Convert. Displacement was Template:Convert light and Template:Convert full load, with a gross tonnage of 2,898.<ref name="jfs79p616"/> She had diesel-electric propulsion, with three Paxman Ventura 12-cylinder diesel engines rated at Template:Convert powering two electric motors, rated at a total of Template:Convert and driving one propeller shaft, giving a speed of Template:Convert. She had a range of Template:Convert at a speed of Template:Convert and Template:Convert at Template:Convert.<ref name="cf86p205">Template:Harvnb</ref> The ship had a complement of 127 officers and other ranks.<ref name="jfs79p616"/> She was fitted with a hangar and helideck aft to allow operation of a single Westland Wasp helicopter, while two surveying launches were carried.<ref name="jfs79p616"/><ref name="cf86p205"/>
Service
In 1982, Hecla was used as an ambulance ship for the duration of the Falklands War. In this role, she ferried wounded from both sides to the main hospital ship, Template:SS.
Citations
References
External links
Template:Hecla class survey ship Template:Falklands War British ships