HMS Boxer (F121) facts for kids
HMS Boxer fitted out as a fighter direction ship
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Boxer |
| Ordered | 6 March 1941 |
| Builder | Harland and Wolff |
| Yard number | 1155 |
| Launched | 12 December 1942 |
| Completed | 1 May 1943 |
| Commissioned | 10 April 1943 |
| Identification | Pennant number: F121 |
| Fate | Scrapped 1958 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Landing Ship, Tank Mark I |
| Displacement | 3,620 |
| Speed |
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| Capacity | 13 Churchill infantry tanks, 27 vehicles, 193 men |
| Complement | 169 |
| Sensors and processing systems |
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| Service record | |
| Operations: | |
HMS Boxer was a special kind of ship called a Landing Ship, Tank (LST). These ships were built to carry tanks, vehicles, and soldiers directly onto beaches during wartime. Launched in December 1942, HMS Boxer played an important part in big invasions during World War II.
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Ship Design and Purpose
HMS Boxer was designed to be a powerful transport ship. It could carry 13 Churchill tanks, 27 other vehicles, and 193 soldiers. Because it needed to be fast, even when full, it couldn't sit too low in the water. This meant it needed a very long ramp at the front, about 140 ft (43 m) long, to reach the beach. This long ramp took up a lot of space inside the ship.
Building the Boxer
The ship was built at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast. Work began on 31 July 1941. She was officially launched on 12 December 1942 and finished on 1 August 1943. HMS Boxer had only two sister ships. Plans to build more like her in the United States changed. Instead, a simpler, slower design was chosen. This new design could carry a similar amount of cargo but sat much lower in the water.
Service History
HMS Boxer first saw action as part of the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II.
Role in Normandy Landings
In 1944, the ship was changed to become a fighter direction ship. This meant she could help control fighter planes during the Normandy landings. She used ground-controlled interception radar to guide aircraft.
Later Years and Retirement
After the war, in 1946, HMS Boxer became a training ship. She was used to teach sailors about radar systems. In 1953, she took part in a special event called the Fleet Review. This event celebrated the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. HMS Boxer was put into reserve in 1956, meaning she was no longer actively used. Finally, she was taken apart for scrap metal in 1958 at Barrow-in-Furness.
Famous Passenger
During her service, HMS Boxer carried a well-known writer and comedian named Spike Milligan. He traveled on the ship from North Africa to Italy while serving in the military.
