Saturday 2 April 2011

HMS Invincible makes final journey to Turkish scrapyard

Invincible-1
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Saw this news article on the BBC web site. 'The aircraft carrier HMS Invincible has left Portsmouth for the last time before it is broken up at a Turkish scrapyard. The carrier, which saw action in the Falklands War but has remained in dock since 2005, was sold through an internet site'. Link.
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Invincible
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This make me very sad as I was lucky enough to visit Invincible in 1998 (whilst working up in the English Channel) and see the Sea Harriers operating from it. The deck surface is like the non-slip tarmac surface you get on some roads, and of course it wears over time. I recall standing on the flight-deck near where that helicopter is on the photo, whilst a flight a four Harriers took off, and getting engulfed in a storm of grit thrown up from deck by the thrust from the Pegasus engines ! Awesome ! :)
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5 comments:

David said...

So no one in the UK wanted the Invincible, even for scrap?

Seems very sad to see such a valuable ship go, given that without it the UK would have probably had to kiss the Falklands goodbye. I understand that even ships wear out but it's just ... sad.

Monty said...

That is the attitude of successive British governments,none of whom have ever served I'm the Armed Forces; save a few quid on an easy target like Defence,but spunk up billions on spongers.They decided to bomb Libya after sacking 100 pilots,scrapping the Harrier & the Ark Royal,from which they could operate from. Britain's so-called Defence chiefs are nothing more than nodding dogs chasing Peerages who care nothing for their people...laughably tragic.

Shawn Carpenter said...

Where's Turner to paint her departure?

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

I thought it sad and a disgrace too

With the Illustrious barely in commission (helicopters but no fixed wing planes) the RN does not have an aircraft carrier left in service

This kind of expertise cannot be re-grown overnight

:(

Vulture said...

Geordie
Never a truer word spoken !
The whole thing is a national disgrace.
Vulture