HMNZS Otago (F111)

	USS Bennington refueling Otago, 1968
History
New Zealand
Name	HMNZS Otago
Namesake	Otago Province
Builder	John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston, Hampshire
Launched	11 December 1958
Commissioned	22 June 1960
Decommissioned	7 November 1983
Fate	Sold and broken up, 1987
General characteristics
Class and type	Rothesay-class Type 12M frigate
Displacement	2,144 tonnes standard; 2,577 tonnes full load;
Length	370 ft (113 m)
Beam	41 ft (12 m)
Draught	17.4 ft (5 m)
Propulsion	2-shaft double-reduction geared steam turbines
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h)
Range	400 tons oil fuel, 5,200 nautical miles (9,630 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement	originally 219, later 240
Armament	2 × 4.5 in (114 mm) guns; 1 × 40 mm gun; 1 × quadruple Seacat launcher; 2 × Limbo anti-submarine mortars; 12 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (later replaced by 6 × 12.75 in (324 mm) Mk.32 torpedo tubes);

HMNZS Otago (F111) was a Rothesay-class (Type 12M) frigate acquired from the United Kingdom by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) before completion.

Otago and Taranaki were the only two Otago-class frigates; they differ from the Rothesays that served in the Royal Navy as they were not reconstructed to the Type 12I Leander-class standard with hangar and landing pad for a Westland Wasp anti-submarine helicopter as the main weapon system with torpedoes, depth charges and SS.12/AS.12 missiles to engage fast attack craft and surfaced submarines.

Otago was launched on 11 December 1958 by Princess Margaret,^[1] and was commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy on 22 June 1960. The ship was named after the province of Otago in New Zealand's South Island, and associated with the city of Dunedin.

The sensors of the Otago were generally updated in line with those of the Royal Navy's Rothesays to year 1980 standard but Otago unlike the RN frigates, was not fitted as a specialised anti-submarine frigates and retained the medium range air- and surface-warning Type 277Q radar, and original Type 275 and Type 262 fire control.

Otago had Seacat anti-aircraft missiles fitted in New Zealand in 1963-64.

^ ^a ^b "Picture Gallery", The Times, no. 54332, London, p. 10, 12 December 1958, GALE CS168647564, retrieved 7 June 2020
^ "News In Brief", The Times, no. 54805, London, p. 7, 23 June 1960, GALE CS117923543, retrieved 7 June 2020

[Times12Dec58-1] "Picture Gallery", The Times, no. 54332, London, p. 10, 12 December 1958, GALE CS168647564, retrieved 7 June 2020

[2] "News In Brief", The Times, no. 54805, London, p. 7, 23 June 1960, GALE CS117923543, retrieved 7 June 2020

[1]

[2]

History
USS Bennington refueling Otago, 1968
New Zealand
Name	HMNZS Otago
Namesake	Otago Province
Builder	John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston, Hampshire
Launched	11 December 1958^[1]
Commissioned	22 June 1960^[2]
Decommissioned	7 November 1983
Fate	Sold and broken up, 1987
General characteristics
Class and type	Rothesay-class Type 12M frigate
Displacement	2,144 tonnes standard 2,577 tonnes full load
Length	370 ft (113 m)
Beam	41 ft (12 m)
Draught	17.4 ft (5 m)
Propulsion	2-shaft double-reduction geared steam turbines
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h)
Range	400 tons oil fuel, 5,200 nautical miles (9,630 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement	originally 219, later 240
Armament	2 × 4.5 in (114 mm) guns 1 × 40 mm gun 1 × quadruple Seacat launcher 2 × Limbo anti-submarine mortars 12 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (later replaced by 6 × 12.75 in (324 mm) Mk.32 torpedo tubes)