Chinese destroyer Guangzhou (160)

Type 051 destroyer
History
China
Name	Guangzhou (广州)
Namesake	Guangzhou
Builder	Hudong Shipyard, Shanghai
Launched	28 April 1971
Commissioned	30 June 1974
Identification	Pennant number: 160
Fate	Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type	Type 051 destroyer
Displacement	3,670 tons
Length	132 m (433 ft 1 in)
Beam	12.8 m (42 ft 0 in)
Draught	4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	2 steam turbines 72,000 shp (53,700 kW)
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h)
Range	2,970 miles
Complement	280
Armament	16 anti-ship missiles 8 surface-to-air missiles + 16 spare (manual reload) 2 twin-barrel 130 mm dual purpose guns 4 Type 76A dual-37 mm anti-aircraft guns 2 Type 75 anti-submarine rocket systems 6 torpedo tubes Depth charges 38 naval mines

Guangzhou (160) was a Type 051 destroyer of the People's Liberation Army Navy.

Development and design[]

The PLAN began designing a warship armed with guided missiles in 1960 based on the Soviet Neustrashimy, with features from the Kotlin-class destroyer, but the Sino-Soviet split stopped work. Work resumed in 1965^[1] with nine ships being ordered.^[2][1] Construction started in 1968, with trials beginning in 1971. The ships nominally entered service in the early 1970s, but few were fully operational before 1985; workmanship was poor due to the Cultural Revolution.^[1]

Construction of the second batch began in 1977,^[3] with the last commissioning in 1991.^[4] The second batch may have been ordered due to the Cultural Revolution disrupting development of a successor class.^[1] These ships may be designated Type 051D.^[3] The PLAN initiated an abortive modernization program for the first batch in 1982. The ships would be reconstructed with British weapons and sensors acquired from British Aerospace. The Falklands War made the prospective upgrades less impressive and cost effective, and the project was cancelled in 1984. A 1986 upgrade project using American power plants, weapons, sensors, and computers was cancelled because of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.^[1]

Construction and career[]

Guangzhou was launched on 28 April 1971 at the Hudong Shipyard in Shanghai. Commissioned on 30 June 1974 into the South Sea Fleet.

Explosion in 1978[]

On 9 March 1978, While docked in Zhanjiang Port, Gaungdong Province, a sudden explosion shook the ship on 20:40 on the same day/exploded and sank on 22:55.

After nearly half a year of investigation by the three-level joint investigation team of the General Staff, the Navy, and the Fleet, the truth of the 160 explosion/bombing and sinking was finally revealed. The ship's commander named Lai Sanyang, after Lai was promoted to a cadre, he said that he wanted to sever the relationship with the rural girl. The girl later committed suicide for this. Now things are going to be a big deal. Soon afterwards, the Political Department of the detachment made a decision to deal with Lai's removal of cadres and demobilization as soldiers. But Lai begged his superiors that he was from the countryside, and now that the girl died, if he was sent back to the countryside, he would never have peace.

He was asked for demobilization as long as he doesn't return to his hometown, even if the troops raise pigs or help the detachment clean the dock every day. But the superior's order is very clear that he must be discharged back to his place of origin.

After Lai Sanyang was dismissed as a cadre, the destroyer did not immediately take necessary measures against him. Lai is in charge of sea mines, depth charges, underwater weapons and independently holds the key to the armory. After the punishment decision was issued, Lai alone hid in the ammunition depot and cried for a whole day to find death, but then a vicious idea gradually appeared in his mind. Lai Sanyang found a rust hammer (a tool for ship rust removal) behind the ship. The trigger system of the shells in the armory detonated alongside a chain reaction with the rest of the ammunitions.

Aftermath[]

Guangzhou went down with 134 sailors and injuring 28.^[5] A tomb with the lowest price was selected for re-burying at a place about 10 meters away from the monument to the ship. In the following days, naval divers continued to retrieve the remains of their comrades in the sea. Afterwards, statistics showed that more than 20 relatively complete remains and 6 large bags of incomplete remains were collected. 11 Type 56 submachine guns, 9 Type 54 pistols and a batch of precision instruments were salvaged.

In 1979, a tugboat located the wreck and towed the ship for scrap. Her stern was cut and converted to a floating dock.

References[]