HMS Bulwark (R08)

The sixth HMS "Bulwark" (R08) of the Royal Navy was a 22,000 tonne "Centaur"-class light fleet aircraft carrier, launched in 1948 and built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast.

History

1950s

She was not commissioned until 1954, but once underway, demonstrated the ship's and its crew's dedication to duty. In 1956 she took part in her first operation, during the Suez Crisis, she launched up to 600 sorties in what was then known as Operation Musketeer. In 1958 she assisted two tankers which had collided in the Persian Gulf. She towed one of the tankers, "Melika", to Muscat, winning an award for this, namely the Boyd Trophy.

Final fixed wing compliment as embarked in 1957, the Gannet squadron was dropped in 1958 [http://www.btinternet.com/~a.c.walton/navy/rn-cv3.html]
*801 & 898 sqn. 16 Sea Hawk FGA6 Fighter-Attack
*891 sqn. 8 Sea Venom FAW21 Night/All Weather Fighter
*820 sqn. 6 Gannet AS4 Anti-Submarine Warfare
*849 sqn. D flt. 4 Skyraider AEW1 Airborne Early Warning
*845 sqn. 5 Whirlwind HAS7 Helicopter Anti-Submarine Warfare
*Ships Flight 1 Dragonfly HR5 Helicopter Search and Rescue

In 1958 she paid off at Portsmouth for conversion into a commando carrier. Her sister-ship "Albion" would not do so until 1961.

1960s

In 1960, "Bulwark" was recommissioned with 42 Commando, Royal Marines and 848 Squadron attached to the carrier. In 1961, due to an increasing threat of invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, "Bulwark" landed 42 Commando in Kuwait. In the same year, she became the first Royal Navy warship since World War II to commission outside the UK, commissioning instead in Singapore. She also took part in the campaign against Indonesia, during the Indonesian Confrontation. In June 1966 she carried out sea trials with the Kestrel the forerunner of the Harrier [http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Ships/Bulwark.html] In 1967 she again commissioned in Singapore Naval Dockyard, (HMS Terror), and following her work up, proceeded to Aden to cover the withdrawal and relieve "Eagle", spending three months at sea off the coast of Aden and embarking a detachment of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. These were disembarked in Plymouth following a visit to Cape Town. A period of dry docking took place in Portsmouth followed by service in the Arctic with 45 Commando embarked for Exercise Polar Express. Exercises were carried out around the Mediterranean with various allied Navies, with visits to southern France, Italy and Cyprus. Following these exercises she returned to Plymouth RND for decommissioning in 1969.

1970s and 1980s

In September 1971 "Bulwark" took part in exercises in the eastern Mediterranean with 845 Squadron embarked. While close to the coast of the (then) Yugoslavia she suffered an engine room fire and limped home on one engine.

In 1972, "Bulwark", like her sister-ship "Albion", was involved in withdrawals across the declining empire. In 1972 she was HQ ship for Operation Exit, the withdrawal from Malta, an emotional withdrawal for the Royal Navy. Bulwark lay in Grand Harbour for 11 weeks and flew more than 1,000 missions.

Later in 1972 she took part in exercises in the Caribbean and visited Florida with 845 Squadron embarked.

Under the command of Captain Derek Bazalgette RN, she saw service in the Mediterranean in 1973 visiting Malta, Piraeus, Istanbul, Gibraltar and, in December 1973, Travemünde, the port of Lübeck. Owing to a delayed start date for refit, she embarked a company of Royal Netherlands Marines and spent early 1974 in the Dutch Caribbean, also visiting Cartagena, Colombia; she suffered damage during the storms of January 1974 in the eastern Atlantic. The 1974 refit was undertaken in Devonport Dockyard, during which time command transferred to Captain Johnnie R C Johnston RN. In 1975 she returned to the Mediterranean, visiting Gibraltar, Villefranche and Malta before returning to her home port of Plymouth in July.

In March 1976 she was withdrawn from service and placed in Reserve. In 1979 she was recommissioned as an anti-submarine warfare carrier, due to delays with "Invincible", earning her the nickname 'The Rusty B', originating from her motto "Under Thy Wings I Will (T)rust". She even saw trials of the Sea Harrier in 1979 giving her a short return to limited fixed wing operations. [http://www.btinternet.com/~a.c.walton/navy/rn-cv3.html] In 1980 just a year into her new commission, a major fire badly damaged the forward hangar and numerous mess decks. In March 1981 she returned to Portsmouth for the last time. In April of that year she was put on the disposal list.

Nonetheless, the carrier remained intact for over a year, and during the early stages of the Falklands War it was announced that "Bulwark" would be reactivated. However, she had deteriorated too much for this to be practical. [ [http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Ships/Bulwark.html Fleet Air Arm Archive: Bulwark] ] The carrier was eventually scrapped in 1984.

Timeline

*20 March 1978 - refitted at Portsmouth
*23 February 1979 - recommissioned in Portsmouth
*28 June 1979 - took part in exercise Whiskey Venture with 820 Squadron flying Sea Kings and 45 Royal Marine Commando
*22 February 1980 - took part in exercise Safe Pass off the US East Coast
*15 March 1980 - Philadelphia USA. A1 Boiler room destroyed by fire and was not repaired
*2 April 1980 - returned to Portsmouth
*15 April 1980 - embarked 45 commando for Exercise Dawn patrol in the Mediterranean off Sardinia
*August 1980 - took part in exercise Teamwork 80 off Norway
*9 November 1980 - major fire damaged forward hangar and many mess decks
*27 March 1981 - entered Portsmouth for last time
*April 1981 - made ready for disposal
*10 April 1981 - taken in tow from Portsmouth to breaker's yard
*17 April 1984 - scrapping at Cairnryan started

References

External links

* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/aircraft_carriers/hms_bulwark_r08.htm Maritimequest HMS Bulwark photo gallery]