HMS COVENTRY
The name "COVENTRY" first appeared on a Royal Navy warship in 1658 when a captured 20 - gun spanish ship "San Miguel" was renamed .
In 1665 the second HMS Coventry was launched. She was a 48 - gun 4th rate ship of the line with a Lion figurehead, circular wreathed gun ports and a carved gilded stern.
In 1757 the third HMS Coventry was built at Bucklers Hard, a 28 - gun 6th rate ship of the line and one of the Navy's new "frigates".
The fourth HMS Coventry was a ship of two ages. Launched in 1918 as a cruiser during WW1 she continued until 1936 - 1937 when she was converted into a anti - aircraft cruiser. Serving with the Home Fleet from 1939 - 40, she then transferred to the Mediterranean . On 14th September 1942, she was bombed and sunk off Tobruk.
The fifth HMS Coventry a Type 42 destroyer (D118) entered service in 1979. She was powered by Rolls - Royce gas turbines, two Olympus for full power and two Tyne for cruising. Her main task was air defence, with powerful radar and the Sea Dart missile system. For anti - submarine work she carried two triple torpedo tubes and a Lynx helicopter with homing torpedoes. For surface targets she could use Sea Dart, the Lynx with Sea skua missiles or her 4.5 inch automatic gun.
BATTLE HONOURS
QUIBERON 1759 TRINCOMALEE 1782 SPARTIVENTO 1940 ATLANTIC 1940 NORWAY 1940 GREECE 1941 CRETE 1941 LIBYA 1941 MEDITERRANEAN 1941 FALKLAND ISLANDS 1982
