- Yes
- No
- 1956 (4 x 102mm, 2 x 40mm, 2 x 20mm)
- mid-1960’s (4 x 102mm, 2 x 40mm, 2 x 20mm, 2 x 12.7mm)
- I said ‘No’ in the first question.
Hello everyone, today I’m going to suggest a Israeli Hunt-class destroyer escort with a rather interesting story!
This is the INS Haifa (K-38)!
Source: File:INSHaifa1966.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Quick note:
Israeli naval vessels are not the easiest things to find sources for. So sadly I’ve had to resort to using Wikipedia more then I’d like for this suggestion. I’ve done my best to not copy paste everything, but since the history for the INS Haifa is rather short I was left with only a few options.
History
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The INS Haifa started it’s life as the Type I Hunt-class destroyer HMS Mendip (L60). She was put into service in October 1940 where she was put into the Home Fleet. She would carry on to partake in various different campaigns. But I’m not going to touch on that here since we’re here to talk about her in Israeli service.
HMS Mendip would be lent to the Chinese Navy in May 1948, together with another destroyer,HMS Aurora. Mendip was renamed Lin F,u, after major general Zhang Lingfu. After Aurora (renamed Chung King) defected to the communists in February 1949, she was repossessed by the Royal Navy in June 1949 and re-commissioned.
In November 1949 Mendip was sold to the Egyptian navy, becoming ENS Mohammed Ali el-Kebir on the 15th November. She was renamed ENS Ibrahim el-Awal later in 1951. In 1956 the Suez Crisis broke out. ENS Ibrahim el-Awal took part in some naval operations during the crisis, and on the 30th of October 1956, she was dispatched to Haifa with the aim of shelling the city’s coastal oil installations.
On 31 October she reached Haifa and started her bombardment of the city with her four 102 mm (4-inch) guns. The French destroyer Kersaint, which was deployed in the harbour of Haifa, opened fire on ENS Ibrahim el-Awal but scored no hits.
Soon after, the two Israeli Z-class destroyers joined the fight and attacked ENS Ibrahim el-Awal. The Egyptian warship immediately retreated, but the Israeli warships chased after her. Together with the Israeli Air Force the two destroyers succeeded in damaging the vessel’s turbo generator and rudder. Left without power and unable to steer, ENS Ibrahim el-Awal surrendered to the Israeli Navy.
ENS Ibrahim el-Awal captured by the Israeli Navy, and being towed away to Haifa:
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Source: File:Ibrahim al-Awwal1956.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Source: File:IbrahimElAwalCapturedTowed101956.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
The ENS Ibrahim el-Awal was towed to Haifa, and later incorporated into the Israeli Navy. She was renamed to INS Haifa. As captured the ship can be seen with the standard two primary turrets, but also a twin AA gun turret seems to be present on the ship aswell together with two 20mm Oerlikon autocannons near the bridge. It is rather hard to make out the exact shape of the twin AA turret, but it is very likely to be a 40mm Mark V mount.
Sometime later (around the mid-1960’s I would imagine) two extra 12.7mm M2 machine guns seem to have been added to the front of the ship, just behind the forward turret. While it is very hard to make out, the previously mentioned weapons all seem to still be present on the ship aswell.
During the Six Day War INS Haifa managed to hit an Egyptian submarine and drew it out of the entrances into the Haifa Bay. During the rest of the way she was mainly patrolling the coasts, but did not get into any mayor conflicts afterwards.
If you want to read more about what INS Haifa did during the war then this site is a very good read: http://moreshetyamit.net/קרבות-והפלגות/אלמ-יהודה-בן-צור-אחי-חיפה-במלחמת-ששת-הי/
In 1968 she was relegated to duty as a target ship. She was sunk in 1970 after being hit by a Gabriel missile.
Source: File:INSHaifaK-38.jpg - Wikimedia CommonsOne of her twin 4-inch gun turrets and a depth charge thrower are preserved at the Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum, Haifa.
Specifications
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Displacement: 1,430 long tons (1,450 t) full load
Length: 85.3 m (279 ft 10 in)
Beam: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught: 2.51 m (8 ft 3 in)
Propulsion: 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers connected to 2 shaft Parsons geared turbines, 19,000 shp (14,170 kW)
Speed: 27.5 knots (31.6 mph; 50.9 km/h)
Complement: 164
Armament (1956)
2 x 2 QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark XVI guns
1 x 2 40 mm Mark V Bofors guns
2 x 1 20 mm Oerlikon
Depth charge throwers and racks
Armament (mid-1960’s)
The two 12.7mm M2 machine guns that were added to the front.
Source: File:INSHaifaBackView.jpg - Wikimedia Commons2 x 2 QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mark XVI guns
1 x 2 40 mm Mark V Bofors guns
2 x 1 20 mm Oerlikon
2 x 1 12.7mm M2
Depth charge throwers and racks
Ingame
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The INS Haifa would be the Israeli starter destroyer. We already have the Hunt-class ingame so we know exacly what it would feel like ingame. The 4-inch guns have a great rate of fire, but due to the low number of guns carried, and the small caliber the INS Haifa would only be effective again other starter destroyers.
The secondairy weaponry is not bad. The 40mm is effective against enemy aircraft, and the 20mm and 12.7mm weapons will come in handy for when an enemy gets a bit to close.
That is all for today, I hope you enjoyed reading about this interesting ship!
See you on the battlefield!
More images
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Source: File:INSHaifa RoughSea.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Source: File:INSHaifaMTBMilitaryQuay.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Sources
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Vessel sources:
ENS Ibrahim el-Awal: captured at sea – wwiiafterwwii
HMS Mendip (L60) - Wikipedia
http://www.amutayam.org.il/?CategoryID=595&ArticleID=1057
HAIFA frigate (1940/1956)Historical sources:
http://moreshetyamit.net/קרבות-והפלגות/אלמ-יהודה-בן-צור-אחי-חיפה-במלחמת-ששת-הי/
https://he.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/אבראהים_אל-אוולImage source:
Search media - Wikimedia Commons