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HMS Marlborough (F233)

Portsmouth Dockyard from the water. - geograph.org.uk - 290678.jpg
HMS Marlborough in Portsmouth Harbour, 2005
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Marlborough
Operator: Royal Navy
Ordered: September 1986
Builder: Swan Hunter, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Laid down: 27 October 1987
Launched: 21 January 1989
Commissioned: 14 June 1991
Decommissioned: 8 July 2005
Motto:
Fate: Sold to Chile
Badge: Marlboroughcrest.jpg
Chile
Name: Almirante Condell
Operator: Chilean Navy
Commissioned: 2008
Badge: ESCU-00725.png
General characteristics
Class and type: 'Duke' Class Type 23 frigate
Displacement: 4,900 tonnes
Length: 133 m (436 ft)
Beam: 16.1 m (53 ft)
Draught: 7.3 m (24 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph)
  • 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) on diesel-electric
Range: 7,800 nautical miles (14,400 km; 9,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement: 185
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 × Lynx HMA8

HMS Marlborough was a 'Duke'-class Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the sixth ship to bear the name. She was named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough.

Marlborough was the third 'Duke' class Type 23 frigate to be commissioned, the first being Norfolk, F230 and the second Argyll, F231. She carried pennant number F233 rather than the sequential number of F232 which was considered unlucky, Form S.232 being the formal notification of a grounding or collision. The course 232 is also traditionally not given for the same reason, with a course heading of half degree either side of 232 being the alternative.

Marlborough was the first naval ship on the scene to assist the stricken USS Cole after she was attacked in Aden, Yemen in October 2000. Marlborough, under the command of Captain Anthony Rix, was on passage to the UK after a six-month deployment in the Gulf and had a full medical detachment on board; when her offer of assistance was accepted she immediately diverted to Aden.

Marlborough played a key role in the second Gulf War, under the command of Captain Mark Anderson.

In July 2004, it was announced that Marlborough would be one of three Type 23 ships to be decommissioned by the end of 2006.

In October 2004 Marlborough again came to the aid of a stricken ally when she was dispatched to assist HMCS Chicoutimi, adrift off the northwest Irish coast and arrived at the scene where RFA Wave Knight and Marlborough's sister-ship Montrose were present. Montrose had been the first ship to make contact with the boat. Other ships were also dispatched, including RFA Argus.

Prior to her decommissioning, Marlborough had a US Navy officer permanently assigned to her crew. Reciprocally, a Royal Navy officer is permanently assigned to the destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill.


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