HMCyS Vijaya
History | |
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Name | Flying Fish |
Ordered | as Tillsonburg |
Builder | Redfern Construction, Toronto |
Yard number | 55 |
Laid down | 30 October 1943 |
Launched | 16 February 1944 |
Completed | 14 October 1944 |
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Name | Vijaya |
Namesake | King Vijaya |
Acquired | 1951 |
Commissioned | 1951 |
Out of service | 1963 |
Homeport | Trincomalee |
Fate | broken up, 1964 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Template:Sclass- |
Displacement |
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Length | 225 ft (69 m) o/a |
Beam | 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m) |
Draught | 12.25 ft 6 in (3.89 m) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed | 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) |
Range | 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
Complement | 85 |
Armament | |
HMCyS Vijaya, named in honor of Vijaya, the first king of Sri Lanka, was an Template:Sclass- of the Royal Ceylon Navy, the first warship of that navy. Vijaya had been built as HMS Flying Fish (J370) for the Royal Navy during World War II, but was given to Ceylon by the United Kingdom upon the 1951 formation of Ceylon's navy.
Design and description
The reciprocating group displaced 1,010–1,030 long tons (1,030–1,050 t) at standard load and 1,305–1,325 long tons (1,326–1,346 t) at deep load The ships measured 225 feet (68.6 m) long overall with a beam of 35 feet 6 inches (10.8 m). They had a draught of 12 feet 3 inches (3.7 m). The ships' complement consisted of 85 officers and ratings.[1]
The reciprocating ships had two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by two Admiralty three-drum boilers. The engines produced a total of 2,400 indicated horsepower (1,800 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph). They carried a maximum of 660 long tons (671 t) of fuel oil that gave them a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[1]
The Algerine class was armed with a QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk V anti-aircraft gun[2] and four twin-gun mounts for Oerlikon 20 mm cannon. The latter guns were in short supply when the first ships were being completed and they often got a proportion of single mounts. By 1944, single-barrel Bofors 40 mm mounts began replacing the twin 20 mm mounts on a one for one basis. All of the ships were fitted for four throwers and two rails for depth charges.[1]
Construction and career
After the war she was given to Ceylon on indefinite loan by Britain in 1949 at Singapore with a formal transfer in Colombo.[3] When the Royal Ceylon Navy was formed in 1951 it became the first warship of the navy and was named after the first King of the Island. The First Sri Lankan Captain on the vessel was Lieutenant Commander (later Rear Admiral) Rajan Kadiragamar MVO, ADC, RCyN.
Since 1949 Vijaya became the training platform for the new navy and began undertaking anti-smuggling and anti-illicit immigration patrols in coastal waters. Thereafter it undertook cruises to the Maldives and Burma. In 1952 she sailed to Britain to represent the Royal Ceylon Navy at the fleet review on the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Although she did not take part in the fleet review due to repairs, the Royal Navy lent a ship of the same class for the RCyN for the review with the name Vijaya II
Vijaya was sunk in a strong storm in the Gulf of Mannar.
References
Bibliography
- Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7.
- "Flying Fish (6117869)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
External links