HMS Montford

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(Redirected from BNS Vigilance)

History
United Kingdom
NameMontford
Launched10 October 1957
IdentificationP3124
FateSold on 9 September 1966 to Nigeria
NN EnsignNigeria
NameIbadan
Acquired9 September 1966
CapturedBy Biafra on 30 May 1967
NN EnsignBiafra
NameVigilance
Commissioned30 May 1967
FateSunk on 9 October 1967
General characteristics
Class and typeFord-class seaward defence boat
Displacement
  • 120 tons standard
  • 160 tons full load
Length117 ft 3 in (35.74 m)
Beam20 ft (6.1 m)
Draught6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Propulsion
  • 1 × Foden diesel (Centre shaft)
  • 2 × Paxman 12YHAX 550 hp (410 kW) Diesels (Outer shafts)
Speed20 knots (37 km/h)
Armament

HMS Montford was one of 23 boats of the Ford class of patrol boats built for the Royal Navy in the 1950s.

Their names were all chosen from villages ending in -ford. This boat was named after Montford, Shropshire. She was launched on 10 October 1957 and sold to Nigeria on 9 September 1966.[1] Renamed NNS Ibadan,[citation needed] she was captured at the declaration of independence of Biafra by independentists in Calabar.[2] She saw action as BNS Vigilance during Nigerian Civil War and was sunk on 9 October 1967 at Port Harcourt.

References[edit]

  1. ^ 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. p. 219. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  2. ^ Duyile, William Abiodun (August 2016). "Nature and Impact of Involvement of the Navy in the Nigerian Civil War, 1967-1970". International Journal of Naval History. Vol. 13, no. 2.