HMS Fearless (L10)

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HMS Fearless (L10) 2001.jpg
history
Commissioned:
Keel laying: July 25, 1962
Launch: December 19, 1963
Commissioning: November 25, 1965
Decommissioning: March 18, 2002
Whereabouts: Scrapped in 2008
Technical specifications
Displacement: 12,120 tons (max.)
Length: 158.5 m
Width: 24.4 m
Draft: 6.2 m
Helicopter deck 50.3 × 22.9 m
Drive: two steam turbines with 8,200 kW (11,000 PS) each
Top speed: 21 knots (39 km / h)
Range: 9,250 km at 18 knots
Armament: 2 × 20 mm guns, 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS
Landing craft: 4 × LCM9 , 4 × LCVP ,
Helicopter: 7 × Westland Sea King , Westland Lynx , Aérospatiale Gazelle
Crew: 550 men + 488 marines
HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid launched in Portsmouth, 2006

The HMS Fearless was the first amphibious landing ship in the British Navy and the lead ship of the Fearless class . Together with her sister ship, HMS Intrepid , she was the centerpiece of the UK's amphibious armed forces until 2002.

history

In the 1960s, the Royal Navy recognized the advantages of a landing dock ship and commissioned the HMS Fearless from Harland & Wolff in Belfast . Commissioned in 1965, the ship was first used in November 1967 when she coordinated the withdrawal of British troops from Aden . In 1968 the talks between Harold Wilson and Ian Smith about the independence of the British crown colony of Rhodesia took place on board the Fearless . In 1971 she provided disaster relief in Pakistan after severe floods.

In 1982, she was as part of the Royal Navy Task Force as part of the Falklands War to the Falklands posted. As the command ship of the amphibious units, she coordinated the landing of the troops. While landing in San Carlos Bay on June 8th, it came under fire from Argentine fighter planes. In contrast to the landing ships Sir Tristram and Sir Galahad , she suffered no serious damage, but one landing craft was destroyed, two seamen and four Royal Marines died.

From 1989 to 1991 the Fearless underwent extensive modernization. In addition to replacing the weapon systems, the technical equipment in particular was modernized. Due to her old age, it was decided in 1996 to withdraw the ship. After its sister ship Intrepid was decommissioned in 1999, the Fearless was the last ship in the Royal Navy to be powered by steam boilers . In 2002 it was also taken out of service and towed from Portsmouth to Ghent , Belgium on December 18, 2007 , where it was scrapped by the end of 2008. The Fearless and Intrepid were replaced by the larger and more modern landing dock ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark .

construction

The HMS Fearless was designed for the transport and use of 488 marines or soldiers, in an emergency up to 670 could be taken on board. The ship had three vehicle decks on which up to 20 heavy battle tanks and 40 heavy trucks could be accommodated. For the landing of troops and material, four LCM9 landing craft were available , each of which can transport 100 tons of cargo, two tanks or 100 soldiers. They were transported and loaded in the 60 m long corrugated deck . This was connected to the vehicle decks via ramps to enable easy loading. In addition, four smaller LCVPs were carried, which could each transport 30 soldiers or two Land Rovers . These landing craft stood on deck and were lowered into the water with the help of davits . For air transport, the Fearless had a helicopter deck for up to seven helicopters. Usually the ship carried a mix of Sea King , Lynx and Gazelle helicopters.

The ship also had the necessary command and communication facilities to control sea, land and air forces during landing operations the size of a brigade.

Armament

The standard armament of the Fearless consisted of two 40-mm anti-aircraft guns, exchanged in 1990 for two 20-mm guns, and two Sea-Cat rocket launchers, exchanged in 1990 for two 20-mm Phalanx CIWS . This light armament of the ship is due to the fact that it always operated in association with frigates and destroyers , which should ensure its safety.

References

Web links

Commons : HMS Fearless  - collection of images, videos and audio files

There have been six other warships known as HMS Fearless in the history of the Royal Navy .

Individual evidence

  1. Falklands command ship to be recycled , Ministry of Defense . October 2, 2007.