HMS Berwick leaves Portsmouth Harbour without a scrape in 1971

HMS Berwick and HMS Phoebe unfortunately bumped into each other.HMS Berwick and HMS Phoebe unfortunately bumped into each other.
HMS Berwick and HMS Phoebe unfortunately bumped into each other. | JPIMedia
HMS Berwick, an anti-submarine frigate that had collided with her ‘travelling companion’ HMS Phoebe as the ships tried to leave Portsmouth Harbour a few days previously for the West Indies, got away without incident.

As wives, children, parents and sweethearts stood on the dockside waving farewell to 2,800-ton Berwick a few days earlier, she ‘bumped’ into HMS Phoebe.

Reputations and several yards of guard rail were damaged and both ships underwent repairs. Portsmouth Dockyard’s smithy worked tirelessly to provide Berwick with new stanchions so she could sail to the West Indies.

The ships stayed together for the passage to Bermuda where Berwick would go on to visit the Bahamas and San Juan.

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