HMS Penelope (F127)
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| Ordered: |
| Laid down: | 14th March 1961 |
| Launched: | 17th August 1962 |
| Commissioned: | 31st October 1963 |
| Decommissioned: | Decommissioned from the RN in 1991 |
| Fate: | Sold to Ecuador in 1991. She was renamed Presidente Eloy Alfaro |
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HMS Penelope (F127) was a
Leander-class frigate of the
Royal Navy (RN). Like other ships of the class,
Penelope was named after a figure of mythology. HMS
Penelope was launched on the 17th August
1962 and commissioned on the 31st October
1963.
Penelope was intended to be part of the
Salisbury-class and was to have been named
Coventry (and before that
Panther), but instead became part of the Leander-class.
Upon commissioning,
Penelope joined the
20th Frigate Squadron which was based in the
UK. In
1966,
Penelope underwent a refit that re-roled her into a trials ship and led to the removal of much of her weapons including her one twin 4.5-in gun and later the whole turret.
In
1968,
Penelope assisted in the aftermath of the
Aer Lingus Flight 712 crash in the
Irish Sea, killing all sixty-one passengers and crew. There has been a number of conspiracy theories about the crash, including the alleged involvement of
Penelope. The theory goes that
Penelope, while performing tests, mistook the aircraft for a target drone and shot her down. All conspiracy theories have been refuted by the
Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The following year,
Penelope was present in
West Germany during the
Kieler Woche festival which combined a yachting race and festival events.
Penelope took part in a variety of tests in the
1970s, including
SeaWolf missile tests in
1977. In
1981,
Penelope was fitted with the
Exocet missile with the intention of using
Penelope to test it.
In
1982,
Penelope took part in the
Falklands War as part of 'Bristol Group', which included two other Leanders, and did not reach the
Falkland Islands area of operations until the 26th May. Upon arrival,
Penelope mainly performed escort duties, including escorting the damaged Leander
Argonaut in late May, who had suffered damage after being hit by cannon fire and bombs.
On the 13th June,
Penelope's Lynx helicopter struck the Argentinian patrol boat
Rio Iguazu with a
Sea Skua missile. Also that day,
Penelope, along with
Nordic Ferry, a merchant ship she was escorting, came under attack from Argentinian aircraft, one firing an Exocet missile. Thankfully,
Penelope's crew acted quickly, taking evasive action and firing her AA weapons as-well as
Chaff, the missile missed
Penelope thanks to the quick response of her crew.
Penelope returned home in September 1982.
Soon after,
Penelope undertook a Falklands patrol in the tense aftermath of the war, and did not return home until June
1983. The following year,
Penelope deployed to the South Atlantic yet again, patrolling and performing other duties in that region. In
1988,
Penelope lost steering and collided with the starboard side of the
HMCS Preserver, a Canadian supply ship. The
Penelope caught the
Preserver's starboard anchor, cutting her port side open. The Canadian vessel suffered $260,000 damage, while the
Penelope suffered damage estimated in the millions.
In
1991,
Penelope was decommissioned and subsequently sold, along with
Danae, to
Ecuador, being renamed
Presidente Eloy Alfaro.
See
HMS Penelope for other ships of the name.
