The ship was destroyed in the United Kingdom's first nuclear weapon test, Operation Hurricane in 1952.

Plym was built to the Royal Navy's specifications as a Group II River-class frigate.

She was laid down by Smiths Dock Co. at their yard in South Bank-on-Tees on 1 August 1942 and launched on 4 February 1943.

Plym was used as the detonation platform for the UK's first nuclear weapon in Operation Hurricane.

Although data acquisition would have been simplified by detonating the bomb from a tower above the ground or sea surface, it was conducted aboard Plym in order to simulate the effects of a nuclear weapon being smuggled into a British harbour aboard a ship.