HMS Fearless (L10)

HMS "Fearless" (L10) was a Royal Navy ship which served from 1965 until 2002. One of two from the Landing Platform Dock (LPD) class she was based in HMNB Portsmouth and saw service around the world over her 37 year life.

Role

The LPDs provided support to a Royal Marines amphibious assault force and provided a platform for the Headquarters capability prior to, and during, the assault phase. The Royal Marines served aboard as the 4th Assault Squadron. The Squadron included crew for the 4 × LCU's, 4 × LCVP's, the Beach Party which was equipped with a Land Rover, Bedford 4 tonner, two tractor units one a track layer and the other a bucket, also a Centurion BARV. The squadron also had duties aboard ensuring equipment and troops got to shore as they were needed, and radio operators and administration.

ervice

"Fearless" was the first purpose built LPD used by Royal Navy. Built in Belfast at the Harland and Wolff yard, she was launched in 1963 before undergoing trials and commissioning in 1965.

Following commissioning her first operational tasking was acting as command platform for British Counter-Terrorism operations in Aden, operating Royal Air Force aircraft and Irish Guards prior to the British withdrawal as Flag of a 25 platform task group. Following the Aden experiences, in 1968, she was the venue for talks between Harold Wilson and Ian Smith over the future of Rhodesia. The latter had unilaterally declared independence(UDI) from Britain due to Britain's insistence on the removal of white minority rule.

The "Fearless" features in the 1977 James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me" as the ship which picks up Bond's escape pod.

As one of the vessels committed to Operation Corporate, the 1982 Falklands War, "Fearless", fitted with modern satellite communications equipment, hosted the staff of the amphibious force commander Commodore Amphibious Warfare (COMAW), Commodore Michael Clapp and Commanding Officer 3 Commando Brigade, Brigadier Julian Thompson and his staff, as well as elements of the landing force.

She was placed out of commission for three years in 1985 prior to a two year refit at Devonport, and recommissioning in 1991. During this refit her 1940's vintage 40mm Bofors cannons and 1960's vintage two Sea Cat anti-air missile launchers were replaced by 20 mm BMARC and Phalanx CIWS guns.

From 1991 until 1995 she supported the sea training phase of initial officer training, undertaken at Britannia Royal Naval College, as part of the Dartmouth Training Squadron.

She was due to undertake an operation in the Gulf but that was handed to HMS "Ocean" in 2000. Her last major duty was to take part in amphibious exercise shortly before decommissioning.

Decommissioned

"Fearless" was decommissioned in 2002 and awaited disposal in Fareham Creek, Hampshire, moored alongside her sister HMS "Intrepid". In October 2007, it was reported that "Fearless" is to be scrapped in Belgium, [citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7024769.stm|title=HMS Fearless heads for scrapyard|work=BBC News|date=2 October 2007] [citeweb|url=http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EquipmentAndLogistics/FalklandsCommandShipToBeRecycled.htm|title=Falklands command ship to be recycled|work=Ministry of Defence|date=2 October 2007] five years after it was officially mothballed in Portsmouth. On 17 December 2007, "Fearless" was towed to Ghent in Belgium to be broken up.

Replacement LPDs were ordered during the 1990s with HMS "Albion" and HMS "Bulwark". They were commissioned in 2003.

References

External links

* [http://www.hmsfearless.co.uk/ HMS Fearless Association]
* [http://www.f913westhinder.be/ Pictures of HMS Fearless being broken up]