HDMS Peder Skram (1965)

Type

Frigate

Period

20th Century

Nation

Denmark

Overview: HDMS Peder Skram (F352) was the lead ship of the two-vessel Peder Skram-class frigate, built for the Royal Danish Navy and launched in 1965. She is named after the 16th-century Danish admiral Peder Skram and is today preserved as a museum ship at Holmen in Copenhagen, operated by the Royal Danish Naval Museum. Specifications: Built by Helsingør Skibsværft (Elsinore), she had a full-load displacement of about 2,755 tonnes, length of 112.65 m, beam of 12.25 m, and draught of 5.2 m. She was notable for her CODOG propulsion arrangement — two gas turbines (derived from Pratt & Whitney JT4 jet engines) plus two General Motors diesels — giving a top speed around 32 knots, and was, as built, armed with twin 5"/38 gun mounts, 40 mm Bofors guns, torpedo tubes, and depth charges. Service History: Laid down 25 September 1964 and commissioned 25 May 1966, she served as part of the Royal Danish Navy's Cold War frontline force, patrolling Danish waters and the Baltic approaches. In 1976–1978 she underwent a mid-life modernization that added Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles and Harpoon anti-ship missiles in place of half her original gun armament. She was decommissioned on 5 July 1990 after roughly 25 years in service. Notable Facts: The frigate was built in 1965 and was the first large warship in the world to have both diesel engines and gas turbines. In 1982 Peder Skram was involved in the accidental launch of a Harpoon missile, fortunately without inflicting bodily harm. Following restoration in the 1990s, she was reopened to the public and today sits alongside the submarine HDMS Sælen and fast attack craft HDMS Sehested as part of the historic ships collection at Holmen, Copenhagen — a rare chance for modelers to study an intact Cold War-era CODOG frigate up close.