HMS Ocean to be scrapped in 2018

[anonymous-user]

As announced in Parliament today, which would leave just Bulwark and Albion as landing craft/assualt/helicopter etc vessels.

[Lurking Lawyer]

It's only 20 years old! "End of its life"....? Seems unlikely to me, especially bearing in mind it had a significant refit recently.

Sounds more likely that it's being sacrificed to find bodies to man the carriers.

Whatever the reason, it smacks heavily of bean-counting and/or manning issues rather can than operational considerations

Edited by Lurking Lawyer on Wednesday 25th November 07:57

[cannedheat]

I recall reading that Ocean was built to 'commercial' rather than 'military' standards so was always expected to have a shorter life. Same as some of the new RFA tankers which are being built in a Korean commercial yard.

[castex]

I had this down as recently-launched.

[Oily Nails]

Remember her being fitted out in Barrow when I were a lad.

Must be time for me to be retired as well then!!

Edited by Oily Nails on Tuesday 24th November 20:04

[Elroy Blue]

Ocean was a rare example of a smart buy in defence procurement. Cost £150 million and has been worth every penny. She's just had a £65 million refit, so was definitely due for the chop.

[aeropilot]

Elroy Blue said:

She's just had a £65 million refit, so was definitely due for the chop.

Yup......the classic MOD way of spending a shed load of money on something then decide to sell/scrap it

[Hugo a Gogo]

bit of a rubbish name for a ship, was there HMS Sea and HMS Water too?

or was it named after Billy? When the going gets tough?

[DMN]

Elroy Blue said:

Ocean was a rare example of a smart buy in defence procurement.

She was a very smart buy, but done on the cheap. As posted above she was built to civilian standards, not Naval. She has however been worked like a Naval ship and that it what has taken its toll on her.

Its a shame she can't be kept, as RFA Argus is even older and creaking even more. The Navy/MOD really needs to look at replacing the pair of them. Ideally with something like the French Mistral or Japanese Ōsumi class. Then they can be rotated between the Training and Hospital Ship role that Argus covers and the LPH role of Ocean.

[aeropilot]

Hugo a Gogo said:

bit of a rubbish name for a ship

It's the sixth HMS Ocean. The first ship to bear the name was built in 1761.

[Hugo a Gogo]

unimaginative and rubbish, then

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Since the original HMS Ocean was a Prize, having been the French Océan, you might want to blame the French.

[davepoth]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

you might want to blame the French.

We need a reason to blame the French?

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Extra ammunition is always useful.

[Hugo a Gogo]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

Since the original HMS Ocean was a Prize, having been the French Océan, you might want to blame the French.

wiki says the Océan was captured and admired before being scrapped, then the HMS Ocean was built, so I'm going to have to dock you points for that one

the HMS Ocean was never a prize, it was named after one

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Sorry?

Wiki as the basis of your argument?

[Hugo a Gogo]

laugh it up, but you were wrong, and we know how forgiving you are of others' errors

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Of course it was a Prize you muppet.

Maybe you should go away and, you know, LEARN about Prizes before you resort to Wiki.

People who resort to Wikipedia are (IME) people who don't have the ability to research, but who wish the quick 'fix' because they are too incapble of actually finding stuff out for themselves.

[Evanivitch]

HMS Ocean was always planned for retirement in 2018, people seem to confuse refits with life-extension, they're not one and the same thing.

Anyway, we need the crew to fill for WE build up, we're somewhat short of Marine Engineers.

[Hugo a Gogo]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

Of course it was a Prize you muppet.

Maybe you should go away and, you know, LEARN about Prizes before you resort to Wiki.

People who resort to Wikipedia are (IME) people who don't have the ability to research, but who wish the quick 'fix' because they are too incapble of actually finding stuff out for themselves.

yeah, I'll just nip down to Whitehall and ask if I can get into the archives to do some research, you muppet

but I can't because I'm 'incapble'


http://www.oceanrevival.org/en/mergulhar/mergulhar...

here you can see the remains of the original French Ocean, driven aground and destroyed in the Battle of Lagos, August 19th, 1759

the first British HMS Ocean was built in 1761, in Chatham, named after that destroyed ship

Edited by Hugo a Gogo on Thursday 26th November 09:59