L-12 Ocean
HMS Ocean was built by Kvaerner Govan on the Clyde taking advantage of commercial build methods and facilities, before sailing from Barrow-in-Furness for fitting out prior to acceptance into service with the Royal Navy. She was launched on 11 October 1995 and named by Her Majesty The Queen on 20 February 1998, at the yard of the prime contractor Vickers Shipbuilding Engineering Limited, prior to the delivery voyage to her base port of Devonport.
She was commissioned on 30 September 1998 and completed her trials programme and initial BOST (Basic Operational Sea Training) in the spring of 1999.
The Amphibious Helicopter Carrier was originally conceived in the mid 1980's to provide the sort of amphibious assault capabilities last offered by HM Ships Albion and Bulwark. The ship's primary role is to carry an Embarked Military Force (EMF) supported by 12 medium support helicopters, 6 attack helicopters and 4 Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) Mk 5 Landing Craft. Her secondary roles include afloat training, a limited anti-submarine warfare (ASW) platform and a base for anti-terrorist operations.
HMS Ocean is the sixth ship to bear the name, the most recent being a Light Fleet Carrier also built on the Clyde and commissioned on 30 June 1945. She became renowned for the first true jet aircraft landing onboard a ship at sea by a Vampire Jet on 3 December 1945, her part in the Korean war and later the Suez crisis. After an extensive work package undertaken during her 4 month docking period, HMS Ocean emerged ahead of schedule from dry dock in Portsmouth in early December 2002. Subsequent enhancements of the ship's engines mean the she will be ready for service in advance of Christmas leave.
During the few months of yard time the ship benefited from several new acquisitions. There was much new equipment onboard, such as the 1008 Radar and the new message handling system, MPS2000. So too, many other areas of the ship had been refurbished.
An important milestone during the initial weeks will be an OST inspection of all aspects of ship life. Inspections, emergency drills and a certain amount of cleaning will leave Ocean and her ship's company on top form as they prepare for the New Year.
The First Ocean
The amphibious helicopter carrier HMS OCEAN, pennant number L12, is the sixth vessel in the Royal Navy to bear the name OCEAN. The first was a 90 gun 2nd rate of 1,833 tons built in Chatham in 1761. It saw extensive service in the channel fleet, took part in successful actions against the French and was paid off in 1783.
The Second Ocean
The second OCEAN was launched at Woolwich just three days after the battle of Trafalgar. She was a 98 gun 2nd rate of 2,291 tons and from 1806 served for three years as Vice Admiral Lord Collingwood's flagship in the Mediterranean. In 1817 the ship was reclassified as a 110 gun First Rate. She was retained on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations until 1830. She served variously as harbour duty flagship and guardship at Sheerness until 1848 when she became Flagship, the Nore. In 1852 she became a coal depot ship and was finally broken up in 1875.
The Third Ocean
The third OCEAN was originally ordered to be built as a wooden screw ship intended to carry 91 guns. However, the order was changed and she was eventually launched in 1863 as an iron clad of 24 guns. In the late 1860's she served as Flagship to the Commander in Chief of the China Station and after an active life of only 6 years, was paid off in 1872.
The Fourth Ocean
The next HMS OCEAN was a battleship. Displacing 12,950 tons and armed with four 12-inch and twelve 6-inch guns she was launched in 1898. She was designed to be able to transit through the Suez Canal. From the Mediterranean Station she transferred to the China Station in 1901 before paying off in 1905 and becoming part of the Chatham Reserve. In 1906 she joined the China Fleet and returned to the Mediterranean in 1908. In 1910 she returned home and joined the Fourth Division of the Home Fleet.
Two months after the outbreak of World War One she was despatched to the East Indies for the protection of the Persian Gulf convoys. In January 1915 she defended the Suez Canal against the Turks and then sailed to take part in operations against the Dardanelles. She became part of a squadron comprising HM Ships ALBION, IRRESISTABLE, MAJESTIC,TRIUMPH and VENGEANCE, which from March 1st bombarded various forts and straits' defences. On the 18 March, after standing by the disabled IRRESISTABLE, HMS OCEAN herself struck a mine and was almost simultaneously crippled by shelling. She sank that night.
The Fifth Ocean
The fifth OCEAN was a Colossus Class light fleet carrier of 13,190 tons built in Glasgow very close to where the present OCEAN originated. Laid down in November 1942, she commissioned in August 1945, fully equipped with the latest radar and aircraft detection aids. On 3 December 1945 a Sea Vampire landed on board, the first ever jet aircraft to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Earlier, in October 1945, the last Swordfish to make an official flight from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier did so from the deck of HMS OCEAN. In 1948 HMS OCEAN supported the withdrawl from the Palestine before troop carrying duties between the UK and the Far East. From May to October 1952 and May to November 1953 she took part in operations off Korea. After the first period her air group had flown an average of 76 sorties a day. of her activities the Commander of the Commonwealth and Allied Forces wrote:
"OCEAN's record is outstanding and is an example of what can be achieved by bold leadership and good teamwork. The spirit, courage and skill of her well led squadrons have resulted in much damage to the enemy and have been backed up by the consistently high standard of the conduct and high tempo of her maintenance and deck operations".
In August 1954 she joined the Home Fleet Training Squadron but saw an active role in the Suez crisis. Whirlwind and Sycamore helicopters from OCEAN and HMS THESEUS landed 425 men of 45 Commando and 23 tons of stores into Port Said in 90 minutes. The ship went into Extended Reserve in 1958 and was scrapped in 1962 at Faslane.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
