BRISTOL URNU

HMS Trumpeter

Bristol URNU, in common with other URNUs, operates an inshore training ship of the P2000 or Archer class. Bristol's ship is HMS Trumpeter; she is 20 metres in length, powered by two Rolls-Royce Perkins diesel engines, capable of 21 knots and has accommodation for 12 crew and trainees on board.

In addition to the Officer-in-Charge of the URNU, who is also HMS Trumpeter 's Captain, the ship has a crew of four Royal Navy personnel. The craft's primary peacetime role is to give members of the Unit training in navigation, operations and seamanship. She has a number of subsidiary roles including Small Ship Navigator training and the provision of sea experience for members of the Combined Cadet Forces and Sea Cadet Corps.

History

   The current HMS Trumpeter is the fourth ship of this name to see service with the Royal Navy. She belongs to the P2000 or 'Archer' class of coastal training craft and is one of 14 such vessels in service with the Royal Naval Reserve. Her hull was built by Watercraft at Shoreham and her fitting out was completed by Vosper-Thorneycroft at Hythe. She was commissioned on 5 November 1988 and was initially used by the Southampton Division of the Royal Naval Reserve as a junior officer seamanship training ship. In February 1991 she was allocated as one of two P2000 craft used by the RN's Gibraltar Squadron as a Gibraltar Guard Ship. In April 2003 she returned to the UK and became Bristol University Royal Naval Unit's tender.

   The first HMS Trumpeter was a trawler of 192 gross tons, built in 1913 and requisitioned by the Royal Navy for war work between 1914 and 1919. In naval service she was armed with a 3-pdr gun.

   The second HMS Trumpeter was a WWII escort carrier of the Ruler class. Built by Commercial Iron Works, Seattle-Sacoma, USA, she was laid down on 25 August 1942 as USS Bastian, launched on 15 December 1942, and completed on 4 August 1943. She was 496 ft in length, with a beam of 69 ft 6 inches, a draught of 23 ft 3 inches and displaced 14,000 tons. Powered by twin geared steam turbines driving a single screw, she had a maximum speed of 18 knots. She was armed with 2 x 5-inch, dual purpose guns, 8 x twin 40 mm and a large number of single 20 mm AA guns, and carried 18-24 aircraft. Her complement was 646 including the air group.

The 2nd HMS Trumpeter

   On completion, she was transferred to the Royal Navy and commissioned as HMS Trumpeter. The Ruler class, comprising HM Ships Ameer, Arbiter, Atheling, Begum, Emperor, Empress, Khedive, Nabob, Patroller, Premier, Puncher, Queen, Rajah, Ranee, Reaper, Ruler, Shah, Slinger, Smiter, Speaker, Thane, Trouncer in addition to Trumpeter, were used by the RN principally as convoy escorts, as support carriers for amphibious operations (eg the invasions of North Africa, Sicily and Italy) and as aircraft ferries in the Far East.

   Trumpeter's first operations, in late 1943 and early 1944, were ferrying aircraft and escorting North Atlantic convoys from New York to the Clyde. In the summer of 1944 she was allocated to the Home Fleet and equipped with American Avenger and Wildcat aircraft. Between August and the end of 1944 she took part in a series of offensive operations against enemy shipping in the North Sea and against enemy occupied Norway including Operation Goodwood, the RN, carrier based, aerial attack on the German battleship Tirpitz.

   In early 1945 she undertook escort duties with Russian convoys. She subsequently returned to anti-shipping operations in the North Sea and took part in the last air strike of the European War, when, on 4 May, her aircraft shared the sinking of the German Submarine U711 with aircraft from HMS Queen. She subsequently covered the Allied liberation of Denmark.

The 2nd HMS Trumpeter

   After the end of the war in Europe, she was refitted in the Clyde, and then allocated to the Eastern Fleet. Arriving in Colombo in July 1945, she took part in operations in the Ceylon area. Following the end of the war in the Far East on 15 August 1945, British fleets were tasked to cover the Japanese surrender on the numerous islands and coastlines where they were still in control, in many cases facing the risk of continued resistance from Japanese forces. In September Trumpeter was part of a large RN force in Operation Zipper, the recapture of Malaya.

   The crew of the 2nd HMS Trumpeter apparently did not think the official ship's crest was sufficiently warlike and created an alternative unofficial crest which they felt better reflected the spirit of the ship.

HMS Trumpeter's alternative crest

   HMS Trumpeter was returned to the US Navy on 6 April 1946, where she reverted to her original name of USS Bastian before being sold into merchant service as the Alblasserdijk. In 1966 she was renamed the Irene Valmas and was eventually scrapped at Castellon, Spain in 1971.

    The third HMS Trumpeter was a Landing Ship (Tank), launched and initially serving as LST 3524. She was 330 ft long, 54 ft in the beam, displaced 2256 tons and was armed with 4 x 40 mm and 6 x 20 mm guns. She was renamed HMS Trumpeter in 1947, and later, on transfer to the Ministry of Transport in 1956, was further renamed Empire Fulmar. She was sold at Singapore in 1968.

Technical Specification

Type	P2000 (Archer) class 20m coastal training craft
Dimensions	Length Overall (LOA)	20 metres
	Length at Waterline (LWL)	18 metres
	Beam (maximum)	5.8 metres
	Draught (maximum)	2 metres
	Air draught	10 metres
Displacement	light	42.5 tonnes
	half load	46.0 tonnes
	full load	49.0 tonnes
Maximum speed	25 knots
Maximum complement	20
Normal complement (with students embarked)	18
Construction	Moulded GRP (glass reinforced plastic), double chine hull stiffened by foam filled web frames and longitudinal members. Deck and superstructure of GRP/Balsa wood sandwich. Six watertight bulkheads.
Engines (2)	Manufacturer	Perkins (Rolls-Royce)
	Capacity	26.11 litres
	Type	CV12 diesel, 60ºV, two banks of 6 cylinders
	Weight	2.242 tonnes
	Rating (max continuous)	710 BHP @ 2000 rpm
Fuel	Type	Dieso F-76
	Capacity	1200 gallons
Propellors	Fixed pitch, outward turning, 0.8 metres diameter
Rudders	Twin, semi-balanced, unpowered
Generators (2)	G & M Power Plant generator sets, powered by Perkins 4.236 diesels running driving 25 kW alternators
Electrical power	240V, 60 Hz, single phase AC and 24V DC