EML ''Admiral Pitka'' (A230) was a ''Beskytteren''-class ocean patrol vessel and former flagship of the Estonian Navy, belonging to the Mineships Division. She was named after Estonian Admiral Johan Pitka.

History

As HDMS ''Beskytteren'' (F340) the ship, an improved version of the ''Hvidbjørnen''-class patrol vessel, was laid down at the Aalborg Shipyard, in Aalborg,

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on 15 December 1974. She was launched on 29 May 1975 and entered service a year later on 27 February 1976.Moore 1979, p. 126. The Danish Navy decommissioned ''Beskytteren'' in 2000 and donated the vessel to the Estonian Navy. The Estonian flag was hoisted on the ship on the anniversary of the Estonian Navy, 21 November 2000. The 75-meter frigate was at the time the biggest vessel of the navy. The EML ''Admiral Pitka'' served more than once as command ship with the joint Baltic mine countermeasures squadron

BALTRON The Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) was inaugurated in 1998. The main responsibility of BALTRON is to improve the co-operation between the Baltic states in the areas of naval defence and security. Constant readiness to contribute units to NATO ...

and NATO's mine countermeasures group. The flagship of the Estonian Navy, the ''Admiral Pitka'', was retired on Thursday, 13 June 2013, and the symbolic title of flagship passed on to the mine-hunter EML ''Admiral Cowan'' (M313). Navy Chief Captain Sten Sepper handed the vessel's flags and symbols over to the naval school that from now on has a classroom named after Admiral Pitka, military spokespeople said. Defence Chief Maj. Gen. Riho Terras said in his remarks at the retirement ceremony that the ''Admiral Pitka'' was the first unit of the Defence Forces to begin service under the NATO flag only a year after Estonia's accession to the alliance. The vessel was to be given back to Denmark, but the Danes declined and the vessel was scrapped in 2014.

Mission

The command and support frigate ''Admiral Pitka'' was the flagship vessel of the Estonian Navy and the Mineships Division and also the first modernized frigate in the navy. The ship was a platform for the staff that conducts mine countermeasure (MCM) operations and exercises. The ship's responsibilities also included supporting other participating units with fuel, water, food etc. She was equipped with office and living quarters for staff members, as well as special facilities to provide medical support. The ship was built in Denmark for North Atlantic and Greenland waters; therefore she has strengthened structure for ice operations.

Traditions

The ship's Latin motto was ''Pro Patria'', which translates into English as "For Fatherland". The vessel's coat of arms was designed by

Priit Herodes Priit Herodes (born 14 January 1948) is an Estonian heraldist. From 2000 to 2006, Herodes was the chairman of the Estonian Heritage Society and is currently a member of their board. He has designed numerous hues and flags, including the emblems ...

and

Captain-Lieutenant Captain lieutenant or captain-lieutenant is a military rank, used in a number of navies worldwide and formerly in the British Army. Northern Europe Denmark, Norway and Finland The same rank is used in the navies of Denmark (), Norway () and Finl ...

Jaan Kapp and was donated to the navy by AS Falck Baltic, being presented during a ceremony on 21 November 2000.http://mil.ee/?menu=merevagi&sisu=pitka ENS Admiral Pitka (A230) The colors of the coat of arms represented the

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

honor Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...

on the

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

field and also the connections and joint

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

between

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

and

. The shape of the cross pointed to the Estonian Liberty Cross and pointed out Admiral Johan Pitka's important role during the

Estonian War of Independence The Estonian War of Independence ( et, Vabadussõda, literally "Freedom War"), also known as the Estonian Liberation War, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Bolshevik westw ...

. In 2001 a cooperation contract was signed between the Rakvere city council and the frigate ''Pitka'' which gave the vessel the right to wear the Rakvere town coat of arms and to introduce the city in all foreign harbors across the world.

References

* Moore, John. ''Jane's Fighting Ships 1979–80''. London: Jane's Yearbooks, 1979. .

External links

Estonian Navy

{{DEFAULTSORT:Admiral Pitka Naval ships of Estonia EML Admiral Pitka (A230) 1975 ships Ships built in Aalborg

History

Mission

Traditions

See also

References

External links