HMS Mersey is currently undergoing a significant upgrade in the form of a new paint job.
The work involves the application of the ‘Western Approaches’ paint scheme, a nod to naval history and tactics employed during World War II.
This repainting effort is being undertaken by teams from BAE Systems and the A&P Group.
We felt a bit left out… teams from @apgroupuk and @BAESystemsInc continue to work hard getting us ready for a return to operations later this year 💪 @hmssevern @hms_tyne #WesternApproaches #NewYearNewPaintJob #NewYearNewYou https://t.co/AvA4JzwTPi pic.twitter.com/aMFuUwZECu
— HMS MERSEY (@hms_mersey) January 11, 2024
The new scheme, featuring a mix of blue and green hues, is designed to align HMS Mersey visually with her sister ships.
In World War I, ‘dazzle boats’ were painted in stark, contrasting patterns to confuse enemy forces about their trajectory and speed. The ‘Western Approaches’ scheme on HMS Mersey is a contemporary take on these earlier designs.
Would have been happier if they’d announced it was being fitted with the 40mm bofors gun or the BAE 57mm- and that these weapons were being fitted across the river class and would be replacing all 30mm DS-30 mounts. Oh well we can live in hope.
Still at least the emperor (in this case HMS Mersey) has some jazzy new clothes.
57mm would be a perfect fit…. 1700 tons with a single 20mm gun seems a tad under armed even for a patrol boat. A spitfire carried four 20mm guns/cannons…..Even a Flower Class had a 100mm gun and they were half the size !
Come on,the mod civil servants don’t want our armed forces actually armed, if they were they might win and that would never do to the civil servants Kremlin based paymasters
Nearly 300 Flower class corvettes were built and they served in every theatre during World war 2. They used depth charges, hedgehogs and the like to sink many U-Boats, but perhaps you can tell me something: in all that time did any of those ships successfully hit anything mobile with the 4″ gun? My web searches are coming back with nothing. I found an interesting quote though. If a corvette was lucky enough to find a U-Boat and blow it to the surface with depth charges, it was nearly impossible to hit it with the 4” gun due to the… Read more »
that’s interesting, does anyone know if Type 31 and 26 bows will allow for ramming.
Read somewhere that this was reintroduced in the code wars with Iceland after being removed as a requirement
would be interesting to see if it still is a requirement
The Flowers didn’t, but they were so cheap and nasty, damaging the ship beyond repair was deemed a price well worth paying to take out a U-boat. There is a version of the T31 that Babcock designed for ice breaking. I’d go for one of those, with a big red dragon figurehead to ram with attitude!
My Grandad served on Flowers, HMS Kelly and HMS Azealia, he never spoke about his 6 years at sea….
My father (army) spent some time on the Atlantic convoys, on prisoner escort. He also didn’t talk about it.
My grandad spent 39-45 in India with flying boats. Always talking about it. Had photos from leave time travelling round India.
You read way too much into my post mate…. it was just simple observation.
👍
HMS Mersey getting a 57mm gun is such an outlandish idea, I’m not sure if it’s a serious suggestion or a mickey-take. You can’t fight anything that needs that sized gun in an older OPV, due to be decommissioned around 2028. Does it even have a combat management system?
In the Picture…. I can’t see the Gun…… please tell me it’s not been removed to save costs !!!!!
Removed for Maintenance.
Yes but, can we afford to re-fit it !!!!!😂
I have refitted/exchanged plenty of 20mm mounts in my time. Its an easy job. No need for a contractor so its nice and cheap to do by ships staff. You need a crane and a rachet socket. Just don’t lose the training safety firing stops …As someone I knew on another vessel did…
Its under the cover fwd of the bridge. Barrel is removed hence the stubby look of it
To be fair, I did see it…. was just being a bit sarky !
Could we not do this to all our ships ? Actually would like to see our Typhoons in camouflage .But there’s much more to worry in Defence I suppose. 🙄
The dazzle camouflage is more ceremonial than functioning camouflage. It’s rather redundant with modern technology.
Unfortunately the Mk1 eyeballs still can easily get confused and this does still work even today. All one colour is just cheaper and easier to apply, maintain.
Why not paint them with that new ultra black paint that absorbs almost all light?
They stored it all in a dark room somewhere and can’t seem to find it…..😎
A significant upgrade? That’s how far we have fallen. A new paint job classes as an upgrade.
Thats what I thought too.
The colour needs to suit the pronouns. A ship is she, but maybe now it is lbgtq trans?
Agree with you on that the Alphabet brigade can’t wait for all the colours too be applied to She/her/he/him/they/Them Woof/Meow
Why not redeploy the turret and gun from an old Challenger tank. That would make a difference.
Or even better, how about an AS90 turret?
I still cant get over how the Batch 1 ships were procured on a lease basis exactly the same as the C17s.
A paint job? Wonderful. No weapons of any note but never mind.