HMS VIDAL – Chatham’s Last Surface Ship
HMS VIDAL – Chatham’s Last Surface Ship
HMS VIDAL was the last surface ship to be constructed at Chatham Dockyard for the Royal Navy. Her keel was laid down on 5 July 1950 and she was launched on 31 July 1951.
Two ships were ordered but the second (to-be-named Wharton) was subsequently cancelled. HMS VIDAL was the first RN survey ship to be specifically designed for the role of survey ship (hydrographic survey and production of navigation charts).
On commission VIDAL joined a fleet of nine existing RN survey ships, these vessels were all conversions of warship hulls; 4 ex-Loch class frigates, 4 ex-Fleet Minesweepers and 1 ex-Minelayer.
She is the only RN vessel to date to be named Vidal and was named after Captain Vidal RN, born in 1790, who carried out extensive surveys off the West Coast of Africa while in command of HMS Barracouta.
VIDAL was 315ft long overall x 40ft beam, displacement was 1940 tons standard, 2200 tons full load. Fitted with four Chatham-designed and built 12-cylinder Admiralty Standard Range 1 diesel engines coupled to twin screws giving a maximum speed of 15 knots. The ship’s compliment was 191 men.
VIDAL’s ‘lines’ were laid off and faired in the Mould Loft and construction was carried out in No 7 Covered Slip. The hull was built from prefabricated sections and as Chatham had no fabrication shop the sections were limited in size by the capacity of the slip and adjacent bays. Building undercover meant that no delays occurred due to bad weather.
She was the first all-welded surface ship constructed at Chatham, and the first survey ship equipped with a helicopter flight deck and hangar.
During her service, VIDAL underwent surveying duties in the West Indies from 1958 – 1965 and the Far East from 1966 – 1970.
In 1970, VIDAL suffered a serious fire and was repaired at Chatham, in addition to standard service refits that also took place at Chatham.
VIDAL returned to Chatham from the Persian Gulf in August 1971 to be de-commissioned and paid off from Naval Service.
VIDAL was broken up in Bruges in 1976.
