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By: - 19th March 2012 at 20:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I've been wondering the same thing... I'll make some inquiries on the local boards...
Zeb
By: - 19th March 2012 at 21:36 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I believe the Wasp has found a new home, with the exact details being made public via a press release in the near future.
Jon
By: - 19th March 2012 at 21:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I believe the Wasp has found a new home, with the exact details being made public via a press release in the near future.Jon
Well that is good news at least! "B" shame about HMS Plymouth though.
By: - 19th March 2012 at 21:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks Jon... good news indeed... :)
Zeb
By: - 20th March 2012 at 10:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I am staggered that HMS Plymouth couldnt be just moved across to the maritime museum at Liverpool !
By: - 20th March 2012 at 11:22 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Ive kept up with the Plymouth news over the years and its a real shame its ending up scrapped, it seems crazy that with over 7000 miles of coast line there isnt space for a 370ft ship.
Only 30 miles away down the ship canal there's the newly refurbished Salford Quays, completely devoid of boats due to high berthing fees.
The whole collection from Birkenhead seems to be heading towards an unhappy ending. HMS Bronington was supposedly bought but there is no news and I believe is still in Liverpool, HMS Onyx was meant to be part of a new submarine museum that never opened so is languishing in Barrow and even though U-534 was saved they did cut it into three chunks, positioned seemingly at random.
Great shame for what was a unique collection and a great day out. I think there was a landing craft there too though Im not sure what happened to that.
Is the Wasp still onboard?
MH
By: - 20th March 2012 at 11:30 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I’ll never understand this country; how can we, in the year of the thirtieth anniversary, let an irreplaceable veteran of the Falklands War, HMS Plymouth, be sold-off for scrap?
It is nothing short of a national disgrace!
This country, and successive governments, spends millions every year ‘saving’ paintings for the National Gallery; to go with the thousands that the gallery already owns (and many of which do not see the light of day for decades) but it cannot spare a few million to preserve the last warship to see service during the Falklands War.
There is (or maybe, was) another veteran of another forgotten (by the government) conflict, the Battle-of-the-Atlantic (a little skirmish that lasted from the first to the last day of World War Two): HMS Whimbrel. There were attempts to bring this amazing survivor back from Egypt as a memorial to those that served and died on the Atlantic Convoys (and who saved this nation from certain defeat and starvation) but I guess that this is seen as a lower priority than an(other) ‘important’ painting! :rolleyes:
By: - 20th March 2012 at 11:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
HMS Plymouth
When it was decommissioned the City of Plymouth was offered it as it was built in Devonport dockyard(last ship I think?)and it would have been fitting for it to stay there.But as usual Plymouth city council were against it and a great opportunity was lost.Just like the airport fiasco.
By: - 20th March 2012 at 12:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
When it was decommissioned the City of Plymouth was offered it as it was built in Devonport dockyard(last ship I think?)and it would have been fitting for it to stay there.But as usual Plymouth city council were against it and a great opportunity was lost.Just like the airport fiasco.
It was "preserved" in Plymouth for a while at Milbay docks just west of the Hoe. I visited it there, 1994 I think, during a rare visit back home. But, alas it's name city was unwilling to keep her. Must be the same thinking in that one-time so progressive city, that caused Plymouth airport to be closed permanently a few months ago.
Bill
By: - 20th March 2012 at 12:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Reading on the net it appears the Wasp has already been removed and headed to deepest Lancashire to join other machines of a rotary nature!
By: - 20th March 2012 at 13:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The Westland Wasp HAS1 that was preserved on HMS Plymouth was XS570 which unfortunately had no participation in the Falklands War.
The actual Wasp carried by HMS Plymouth during the Falklands War was XT429 but this helicopter was sold to Malaysia in 1992 and was retired in 2002; I wonder if it still survives?
Wasp XT429 carried-out a follow-up attack on the Argentine submarine ARA Santa Fe with AS12 missiles off South Georgia on 25th April 1982.The submarine had, earlier that day, been damaged by a depth-charge dropped by a Westland Wessex HAS3 from HMS Antrim and had then been attacked by a Westland Lynx HAS2 from HMS Brilliant with a Mark 46 torpedo. ARA Santa Fe was also attacked by two Wasp helicopters from HMS Endurance; a total of eight AS12 missiles were fired at the submarine by XS527 (after re-arming twice) and XS539 which destroyed the periscopes and most of the aerials with hits on the conning tower. The submarine was then beached at Grytviken on South Georgia and abandoned by her crew; this was the first and only time that a submarine has been put out of action by helicopter attack.
Fortunately both XS527 and XS539 have made it into preservation in the UK as has the Wessex HAS3 (XP142) involved in the above action.
By: - 22nd March 2012 at 12:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Plymouth Wasp
The Wasp has arrived at its new home in Lancashire. We extracted it out of the hangar and lifted it onto the low loader for its journey up the motorway. We also took all the manuals etc to go with it. After a good clean and wipe down it looks like it will be more than presentable. Great that it is complete and with the depth charge and torpedo slung underneath.
H1HU
By: - 22nd March 2012 at 15:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Many thanks for the info... glad shes gone to a very good home...! there is a set of pictures on the Ships AIS forum showing the removal... or Jaspers Liberation as its titles...!
http://forum.shipais.com/index.php?showtopic=15528&st=40
You'll need to register to see them...
Zeb
By: - 23rd March 2012 at 17:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Plymouth Wasp
It's a shame that Plymouth is not to see such a happy ending as the Wasp, as she is due to depart our shores in the next few weeks to go to Turkey for recycling. We had a fascinating day removing the Wasp and exploring Plymouth. It was both a pleasurable and a very poignant day with it being the 30th anniversary of the Falklands. Such as shame that another piece of our history is about to be lost forever.
H1HU
By: - 23rd March 2012 at 17:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Imagine getting to 1970.....and then scrapping the last Spitfire to take part in the Battle-of-Britain! :rolleyes:
I’ll say it again; it is nothing short of a national ****ing disgrace! :mad:
By: - 23rd March 2012 at 19:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Goodbye HMS Plymouth.....and thank you!
By: - 23rd March 2012 at 21:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Historic Madness
What do you expect from a Country that wastes Squillions on 'so called art' yet does not see the tourist value from a few War Ships around the Country.
The best idea they can come up with for Ark Royal is to sink her in Torbay so a few hundred divers can 'explore the sanitized hulk', rather than tens of thousands of paying tourists getting to see her as she was.
We are the Pits when it comes to preserving at least a few items of historic interest, we have not even bothered to preserve a Battle of Britain airfield in a near original state (Could have been Kenley),wheras Pearl Harbour is a National shrine.
By: - 25th March 2012 at 12:02 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
pobkoy pete,
"..we are the pits when it comes to preserving at least a few items..."
How on earth can such a statement even be thought let alone made? As a country we are stacked to the brim with museums, preserved collections of all sorts, restored machinery of every conceivable kind and have one of the most active warbird preservation movements on the face of the earth.
There have been constant attempts to preserve HMS Plymouth ever since she was retired from service. It is phenomenally expensive to preserve something as large and complex as a warship of Frigate size and takes an awful lot of work as well as enormous amounts of cash.
I fail to see how this is some kind of "national disgrace" and as for comparing it to the preservation of world famous and world renowned paintings, I am left just totally perplexed.
Sense of perspective needed here methinks.
By: - 25th March 2012 at 14:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Not strictly true -HMS Plymouth since leaving service has effectively been preserved. She has been open to the public for long periods of time. Her problem at her present location has been one of cost of mooring and in many ways not an ideal location to draw attention to her -the area of Birkenhead she is in is not high on tourist footfall.
In an area high in maritime heritage I find it particularily sad that some better arrangement couldnt have been made. Across the water is Liverpool and that would have made perfect sense for her . Within the docks of the Albert docks area there is very little of great interest -a light ship hardly represents the shipbuilding industry of the area.
In terms of complexity -whilst the ship is a large object-its not a full size restoration . It is purely care and maintainance -this can be done in this country.
By: - 25th March 2012 at 14:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I wonder how long HMS Belfast will survive before she is scrapped? It will happen...!
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By: paul178 - 19th March 2012 at 20:20
It now looks like the museum ship HMS Plymouth is for the breakers I wonder what will happen to her Wasp?