The River Mersey - Royal Navy

There are no Royal Navy ships based on the Mersey, some of the smaller ships do visit the Albert Dock.

Patrol Boats - P2000 Class	P270 - HMS Biter P292 - HMS Charger P294 - HMS Trumpeter
Patrol Boats - Island Class	P283 - HMS Mersey
Mine Detectors - Hunt Class	M36 M39 - HMS Hurworth
Mine Detectors - Sandown Class	M103 - HMS Banger M104 - HMS Walney M108 - HMS Grimsby M110 - HMS Ramsey M111 - HMS Blyth M112 - HMS Shoreham
Frigates - Type 23	F231 - HMS Argyll
Destroyers - Type 42	D92 - HMS Liverpool D95 - HMS Manchester D97 - HMS Edinburgh
Destroyers - type 45	D32 - HMS Daring
Aircraft Carriers - Invincible Class	R05 - HMS Invincible R06 - HMS Illustrious R07 - HMS Ark Royal
Landing Craft - Albion Class	L14 - HMS Albion L15 - HMS Bulwark
Landing Craft - Bay Class	L3009 - RFA Cardigan Bay L3007 - RFA Lyme Bay

Patrol Boats - P2000 Class (URNU)

University Royal Navy Units. These are 20 metres long

P270 - HMS Biter
In 2003 the two patrol boats: HMS Charger (P292) and HMS Biter (P270) visited as part of the Battle of the Atlantic Celebrations.

P292 - HMS Charger
In 2002 two patrol boats visited the Albert Dock HMS Charger (pictured) and HMS Biter for the start of the clipper race

P294 - HMS Trumpeter
Two patrol boats, HMS Trumpeter and HMS Charger berthed in the Albert Dock as part of the 2004 Mersey River Festival

River Class Fishery Protection Vessels

Dimensions of standard ships (79.5*13.6*3.8) with a displacement of 1,677 tonnes with a speed of 20 knots. Note that HMS Clyde based in the Falkland Islands has a helicopter deck and is consequently longer and slightly heavier than the other ships.

P283 - HMS Mersey
While watching the Tall Ships leaving I spotted HMS Mersey.

Mine Hunters - Hunt Class

Mine sweeping and mine detection, made of glass re-inforced plastic.

M36
Another mine detector (that is what the M in the number signifies) visited the Albert Docks in the summer (2000).

M38 - HMS Atherstone
In March 2005 a hunt class mine detector visited the dock (M38).

M39 - HMS Hurworth
In early July another mine detector, HMS Hurworth (M39)came to take on supplies.

The ship shown below was preparing to berth at the Albert Dock (late Spring 2000) when I took this picture.

Mine Hunters - Sandown Class

Mine detection.

M103 - HMS Banger
In 2000 I saw m103, a sandown class mine detector in the Albert Dock.

M104 - HMS Walney
In May (2006) HMS Walney found a bomb at Twelve Quays.

In 2003 the mine sweeper HMS Walney (M104) visited as part of the Battle of the Atlantic Celebrations.

M108 - HMS Grimsby
In July 2008 I saw the end of the Clipper race. HMS Grimsby was there as part of the celebrations.

M110 - HMS Ramsey
HMS Ramsey visited during the Mersey River Festival (June 2001). To discourage people making unofficial tours there was an armed guard.

M111 - HMS Blyth
The mine detector, HMS Blyth also berthed in the Albert Dock during the Mersey River Festival.

M112 - HMS Shoreham
In June 2005 another mine detector, HMS Shoreham (m112) visited the dock as part of the Mersey River Festival.

Frigates - Type 23

TBA

F231 - HMS Argyll
TBA

Destroyers - Type 42

These destroyers are designed to have anti-air capability, though they can also be effective against surface targets. There are two specifications,
batch 2: length 125m, width 14.3m, displacement 4820 tonnes.
batch 3: length 141m, width 15.2m, displacement 5200 tonnes.

D92 - HMS Liverpool
On a gloomy morning in Summer 2002, a type 42 (batch 2) destroyer HMS Liverpool briefly visited the Mersey.

In the background is the Mersey Viking, sister ship to the Lagan Viking.

D95 - HMS Manchester
In September 2008 the destroyer berthed at the cruise terminal.

D97 - HMS Edinburgh
In September 2003 the round the world clipper race finished in Liverpool. Several military ships joined in the celebrations. HMS Edinburgh a type 42 (batch 3) destroyer led the clippers to the finish line.

Destroyers - type 45

Dimensions 152.4*21.2 with a displacement of 7350 tonnes.

D32 - HMS Daring
The first of the air defence destroyers seen berthed at the cruise terminal at Liverpool, May 2009.

Aircraft Carriers - Invincible Class

Anti-submarince warfare carriers.
Dimensions 209(210) * 36 with a tonnage of 22,000.

R05 - HMS Invincible
Decommissioned in August 2005. Will still be available for service until 2010.

In preparation for visit of the carrier Invincible (June 2000), moorings were setup mid-river.

The aircraft carrier HMS Invincible served as flag ship for the Battle of the Atlantic Celebrations.

Work started on Invincible in 1973 and she was launched in 1977, the first of the invincible class of carriers.

R06 - HMS Illustrious
The second of the invincible class built. She was commissioned in 1982.
I saw her berthed at the Liverpool cruise terminal on 18th October 2008.

R07 - HMS Ark Royal
Built in 1978 and accepted into service 1st July 1985. Ark Royal is slightly longer than her sister ships.
The carrier berthed in Liverpool (for the last time?) I took this picture on January 17th 2009.

The carrier berthed at the cruise terminal on Friday June 6th 2008 and departed on Monday 9th June 2008.

Landing Craft - Albion Class

The LPD (Landing Platform Dock) despite being an amphibous assault ship, also has a flight deck from which two transport helicopters can operate.
The main dock carries four 120 LCUs (Landing Craft Utility).
Dimensions 176 * 28.9 * 7.1 with a tonnage of 18,500.

L14 - HMS Albion
The amphibious assault ship HMS Albion.

In September 2008 ship berthed at the cruise terminal for the weekend.

I took this picture in Canada Dock at the end of the Clipper 2002 - 2003 Race

HMS Albion returned to Canada Dock in the Summer of 2006 at the same time as several tall ships.

L15 - HMS Bulwark
In the Summer of 2004, the sister ship of HMS Albion, HMS bulwark entered one of the dry docks at a local shipyard.

In July 2006 she was involved in the evacuation of British citizens from the Lebanon.

Landing Ships - Bay Class

This class of ship are slightly smaller than the Albion Class and carry fewer landing craft - one 120 ton LCU (Landing Craft Utility).
Dimensions 176 * 26.4 * 5.8 with a tonnage of 16,160.

L3009 - RFA Cardigan Bay
In February 2007 I spotted the ship berthed in the dry dock of a Birkenhead based shipyard.

L3007 - RFA Lyme Bay
Berthed at the cruise terminal as part of Tall Ships Celebrations.

The River Mersey - Shipping
Battle of the Atlantic celebrations
Historic Warships - UK
Historic Warships - US

Related Topics
RFA - Support ships
Royal Navy - official site
Royal Navy - Evacuation from the Lebanon
Shipping Cross Reference
The Mersey River Festival
The Albert Dock
Places of Interest
Getting Places
Wallasey Docks... including historic warships

Map Index.