HMS ''Nubian'' was a of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
in service from 1962 and 1979. She was named after the
Nubian ethnic group, located in Egypt and Sudan. She was sunk as a target in 1987.
''Nubian'' was built by
Portsmouth Dockyard
His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth (HMNB Portsmouth) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport). Portsmouth Naval Base is part of the city of Portsmouth; it is l ...
,
[Gardiner, Robert & Chesneau, Roger (1995), p. 518.] at a cost of
£4,360,000. She was launched on 6 September 1960 by
Lady Holland-Martin, wife of Vice-Admiral Sir
Deric Holland-Martin
Admiral Sir Douglas Eric Holland-Martin, (10 April 1906 – 6 January 1977) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel from 1957 to 1959.
Naval career
Educated at West Downs School, Holland-Martin ente ...
, and commissioned on 9 October 1962.
Operational service
In 1964, ''Nubian'' suffered a collision that caused minor damage. She joined the
Beira Patrol
The Beira Patrol was a blockade of oil shipments to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) through Beira, Mozambique, resulting from United Nations trade sanctions on Rhodesia.
Background
Rhodesia's government unilaterally declared the former colony's inde ...
off
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
in 1967, supporting the enforcement of an oil blockade of
Rhodesia
Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...
. ''Nubian'' constituted the escort for the
Daily Mail Trans-Atlantic Air Race
The Daily Mail Trans-Atlantic Air Race was a race between London, UK and New York City, USA to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the first trans-atlantic crossing by John Alcock and Arthur Brown.
The race
Organised by the ''Daily Mail'' newsp ...
in 1969 that commemorated the 50th Anniversary of
Alcock and Brown
British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919. They flew a modified First World War Vickers Vimy bomber from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Clifden, County Galway, Ireland. The Secretary ...
's non-stop transatlantic flight from
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
to Britain. In 1971 she was present at Portsmouth Navy Days. In 1975, ''Nubian'' reinforced the British garrison in Belize after
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
intensified its threats to annex the territory.
''Nubian'' was present at the 1977
Spithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast. It receives its name from the Spit, a sandbank stretching south from the Hampshire ...
Fleet Review
A fleet review or naval review is an event where a gathering of ships from a particular navy is paraded and reviewed by an incumbent head of state and/or other official civilian and military dignitaries. A number of national navies continue to ...
, held in honour of
Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. At this time she was part of the
5th Frigate Squadron.
In 1978, ''Nubian'' assisted in the cleanup after the supertanker ''
Amoco Cadiz
''Amoco Cadiz'' was a VLCC (very large crude carrier) owned by Amoco Transport Corp and transporting crude oil for Shell Oil. Operating under the Liberian flag of convenience, she ran aground on 16 March 1978 on Portsall Rocks, from the coast ...
'' grounded off the coast of
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
; more than 200,000 tons (180,000 metric tons) of oil had polluted the Brittany coastline.
''Nubian'' entered the reserve in 1979, being placed in the
Standby Squadron
Standby may refer to:
* Standby (air travel), a list in which passengers may request to be placed on to request an earlier or more convenient flight
* Standby (theater), an actor or performer who will appear in a particular role if the regular per ...
and put on the disposal list in 1981. While in reserve, ''Nubian'' became a training ship and had parts cannibalised for three sister-ships sold to
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
in 1984. The frigate was sunk as a target on 27 May 1987.
[Colledge, J. J. & Warlow, Ben (2010), p. 284.]
References
Publications
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nubian (F131)
Tribal-class frigates
1960 ships
Ships built in Portsmouth