HMS Blake (C99)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Blake.

HMS Blake was a light cruiser of the Tiger class of the British Royal Navy, the last (traditional) Royal Navy gun-armed cruiser of the 20th century. She was named after Robert Blake, a 17th-century admiral who was the "Father of the Royal Navy".

Blake in 1975 with the US carrier Nimitz
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Blake
Namesake	Robert Blake
Ordered	1942 Additional Naval Programme
Builder	Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan
Laid down	17 August 1942
Launched	20 December 1945
Commissioned	18 March 1961
Decommissioned	December 1979
Identification	Pennant number: C99
Nickname(s)	'Snakey Blakey'
Fate	Sold for scrap August 1982
General characteristics
Class and type	Tiger-class light cruiser
Displacement	11,560 tons as built 12,080 tons after conversion
Length	555 ft 6 in (169.32 m) overall 538 ft (164 m) between perpendiculars
Beam	64 ft (20 m)
Draught	21 ft (6.4 m)
Propulsion	HuFour Admiralty-type three drum boilers (400 psi) Four shaft Parsons steam turbines 80,000 shp
Speed	31.5 knots (58.3 km/h)
Range	8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h)
Complement	716 (885 after conversion)
Armament	As built: Four × QF 6 inch Mark N5 guns (2 × 2) Six × 3 in (3 × 2) After conversion: Two × 6 in (1 × 2) Two × 3 in (1 × 2) Two × Seacat quad missile launchers
Aircraft carried	After conversion: Four helicopters (originally Westland Wessex, then Sea King)

Construction and commissioning

She was ordered and laid down in 1942 as one of the Minotaur class of light cruisers. They had a low construction priority due to more pressing requirements for other ship types during World War II, particularly anti-submarine craft. In 1944, she was renamed Tiger, then back to Blake again in 1945, the year she was launched partially constructed at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company at Govan, by Lady Jean Blake, wife of Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Blake. Construction was suspended in 1946 and she was laid up at Gareloch.

In 1954, construction of Blake resumed, but to a new design. The new design was approved in 1951, but construction did not resume until 1954. She would have fully automatic 6 inch guns in twin high-angle mounts with each gun capable of shooting 20 rounds per minute, and a secondary battery of fully automatic 3 inch guns which delivered 90 rounds per minute per gun. She would have no lighter anti-aircraft armament or torpedo tubes. Air conditioning was fitted throughout the ship, and a 200-line automatic telephone exchange was installed. Each 6 inch and 3 inch mounting had its own director, linked to a dedicated radar on the director. On 18 March 1961, Blake finally commissioned into the Royal Navy, to date the last (traditional) cruiser to do so. Just two years later, she was placed in reserve.

Conversion

From 1965 to 1969, she underwent a major conversion to become a helicopter and command cruiser. This reconstruction included replacing the aft 6 inch and 3-inch mounts with a flight deck and hangar. She also had new radars and taller funnels. She had excellent command, control, and communications facilities installed, and found use as a flagship to task groups. The refit was very expensive; during the conversion, a major fire broke out causing considerable damage and raising the costs still further. There were concerns that the money used to convert Blake and her sister ship Tiger to helicopter cruisers drained much-needed resources better used elsewhere.

Later career

Blake off Key West in November 1978.

In 1969 Blake deployed to Gibraltar along with other Royal Navy units in order to ‘fly the flag’ in response to Spanish hostility following the closure of the Gibraltar-Spain border by General Franco. Also in 1969 a Royal Air Force (RAF) Harrier jet landed on Blake. In 1971, she was present during the emotional withdrawal from Malta, supporting the commando carrier Bulwark. In 1977 she took part in the Fleet Review of the Royal Navy during the Silver Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II, which took place off Spithead, site of many Fleet Reviews.

The cruiser carried Westland Wessex HAS.3 helicopters of 820 Naval Air Squadron from June 1969; these were replaced by the Westland Sea King HAS.1 helicopter in December 1972, continuing until Blake was withdrawn from service in 1979. Blake was the last ship to fire a six-inch gun in the Royal Navy. Her large crew made her an expensive ship to operate and maintain.

Decommissioning

Blake was refitted in 1980, and due to a defence manpower drawdown that resulted in manpower shortages, became part of the Standby Squadron in HMNB Chatham. The advent of the Falklands War led to a rapid ship survey in early April 1982 and work was immediately begun to recommission her and sister ship Tiger for service in the conflict, but work was stopped on both in late May when it was clear neither could be ready in time to be deployed. Chile showed some interest in acquiring both her, and Tiger in June–July, but a proposed deal did not go through for the ships, despite both being in good shape and that a good deal of reactivation work had been accomplished the past April–May. She was sold for scrap on 25 August 1982 to Shipbreaking (Queenborough) Ltd for £210,000. She was the last cruiser serving with the Royal Navy upon her decommissioning. She was sold for breaking up in August 1982 and on 29 October 1982, she was towed from Chatham for Cairnryan, near Stranraer in Scotland, arriving 7 November 1982.

The 1961-1963 ship's bell of Blake has been preserved and was on display in Saint Mary's Church, Bridgwater, until 2016. Following the reordering of the church it was transferred to Blake Museum, Bridgwater where it forms part of the display about Robert Blake.

Commanding officers

A Westland Sea King HAS.2 of 820 Naval Squadron wearing the 'BL' code of HMS Blake in 1977

From	To	Captain
1961	1962	Captain David Clutterbuck RN
1962	1969	In reserve and conversion
1968	1970	Captain Roland F Plugge RN
1970	1972	Captain Ronald D Butt RN
1972	1974	Captain Bruce M Tobey RN
1974	1975	Captain Peter Herbert RN
1975	1976	Captain David M Eckersley-Maslin RN
1976	1979	Captain Herbert B Parker RN
1979	1979	Captain David J Mackenzie RN

Sources

• 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.
• Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922 - 1946. London: Conway Maritime Press.
• Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1983). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947 - 1982. London: Conway Maritime Press.
• Jane's Fighting Ships 1950-51. London: Janes Publishing. 1950.
• Raven, Alan; Roberts, John (1980). British Cruisers of World War Two. London: Arms and Armour Press.
• Sturtivant, Ray; Ballance, Theo (1994). The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
• Whitley, M J (1905). Cruisers of World War Two: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. London: Arms and Armour Press.
• HMS Blake at Uboat.net
• A history of the Tiger class