HMS Concord (R63)

HMS Concord was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy.

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

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Concord
Builder:	John I. Thornycroft & Company, Southampton
Laid down:	18 November 1943
Launched:	14 May 1945
Commissioned:	20 December 1946
Renamed:	Launched as Corso Renamed Concord in June 1946
Identification:	Pennant number: R63 (later D03)
Fate:	Arrived for breaking up on 22 October 1962
General characteristics
Class and type:	C-class destroyer
Displacement:	1,885 tons (1,915 tonnes) 2,545 tons full (2,585 tonnes)
Length:	362.75 ft (110.57 m) o/a
Beam:	35.75 ft (10.90 m)
Draught:	11.75 ft (3.58 m)
Propulsion:	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons single-reduction geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (29.8 MW), 2 shafts
Speed:	36 knots (67 km/h) / 32 knots (59 km/h) full
Range:	4,675 nmi (8,658 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h) 1,400 nmi (2,600 km) at 32 knots (59 km/h)
Complement:	186
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar Type 275 fire control on director Mk.VI
Armament:	4 × QF 4.5 in (114 mm) L/45 guns Mark IV on mounts CP Mk.V 2 × Bofors 40 mm L/60 guns on twin mount "Hazemeyer" Mk.IV, or; 4 × QF 2 pdr L/39 guns Mk.VIII on quad mount Mk.VII (Caprice only) 4 × anti-aircraft mountings; Single Bofors 40 mm Mk.III Single QF 2 - pdr Mk.VIII Mk.XVI Single Oerlikon 20 mm P Mk.III Twin Oerlikon 20 mm Mk.V 8 (2x4) tubes for 21 inch (533 mm) torpedoes Mk.IX 4 throwers and 2 racks for 96 depth charges

She was initially ordered as Corso during the Second World War, and was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company, Southampton. She was launched on 14 May 1945, renamed Concord in June 1946 and commissioned on 20 December 1946.

Operational service

Concord served in the Far East between 1947 and 1957 as part of the 8th Destroyer Squadron.[1] In 1949, she was involved in the Amethyst Incident. Concord entered the River Yangtze and proceeded to a point off the Woosung Fort, the location of a heavy gun battery 38 miles (61 km) from the mouth of the river. Lieutenant Commander Kerans, commanding the sloop Amethyst, had from the beginning requested that Concord should meet him there to give protection at the most critical point of his escape. Concord provided sailors to fill out the thinned ranks aboard Amethyst and the two ships made their way downriver There was no boom at the mouth of the river. After handing over the escort of Amethyst to other vessels, Concord was ordered to Japan. Concord went on to serve during the Korean War.

Decommissioning and disposal

Concord was withdrawn from active service in 1957. Following decommissioning she was attached to HMS Caledonia at Rosyth as a static training ship. Following her sale Concord arrived at the breakers yard of Thos W Ward at Inverkeithing on 22 October 1962.

References

1. Critchley, Mike (1982). British Warships Since 1945: Part 3: Destroyers. Liskeard, UK: Maritime Books. p. 102. ISBN 0-9506323-9-2.

Publications

• 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.
• Marriott, Leo (1989). Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-1817-0.
• Raven, Alan; Roberts, John (1978). War Built Destroyers O to Z Classes. London: Bivouac Books. ISBN 0-85680-010-4.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.