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MIL004 - Edition 2,000

HMS Edinburgh

There have been five previous warships to carry the name Edinburgh, the first in 1707 being a fifth rate warship carrying only 32 guns. The second was the forty year old Warspite which in 1715 was rebuilt and renamed Edinburgh. She had a long and distinguished career culminating in the award of battle honours "USHANT 1747" and "CAPE FRANCOIS 1757".
The third Edinburgh was a third rate of 70 guns, launched in 1811. She also had a busy career, distinguishing herself gaining the battle honours "SYRIA 1840" against the Egyptians and "BALTIC 1854/55" in the war against the Russians.
In 1882, a steel plated turret ship of 9,150 tons was launched to become the fourth Edinburgh. She was the first battleship to carry breech loading guns and was heavily armoured.
The last, and most famous, warship to bear the name was the cruiser built in 1939. She played a major part in many actions gaining the honours "NORWAY 1940/41", "ATLANTIC 1941", "MALTA CONVOYS 1941" and "ARCTIC 1941/42". On 30th April 1942 whilst on convoy duty to Murmansk she was torpedoed by the German U-Boat U456 and later sank. 57 men along with her cargo of £5 million in gold bullion, en route to us as war payment, were lost. In 1981 the ship was again in the news when the gold, then worth £45 million, was salvaged from her.
The sixth and current HMS Edinburgh is a Batch III Type 42 destroyer built by Cammell Laird Shipbuilders at Birkenhead. Laid down in July 1980, she was launched by Mrs Anne Heseltine on 14 April 1983.Displacing some 4,800 tons and 140 metres long, Edinburgh is complemented for 26 Officers and 260 Ratings. She is powered by two Tyne gas turbines for cruising and two Olympus gas turbines which give a maximum speed in excess of 30 knots. A comprehensive radar and sonar suite inputs into the ship's computer system to allow an effective use of her weapons; Sea Dart anti-air or anti-surface missile system, a single 4.5 inch automatic gun, and 20mm guns for close range defence and policing roles. Also available is a multi-role Lynx helicopter capable of deploying missiles and torpedoes. Modern electronic warfare and communications equipment along with data links to exchange computer information with other ships makes Edinburgh, along with her Batch III sisters York, Gloucester and Manchester one of the most capable surface ships in the Royal Navy today. Thanks to Roderick Morris who suggested this and we dedicate this model to all those who lost their lives during the sinking of the fifth warship 60 years ago.

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