HMS Hermes Finally Sails Away
 

I wonder if they'll preserve or scrap her........

INS Viraat to be decommissioned today ? Details of the aircraft carrier, which served Navy for 30 years | Zee News

New Delhi - 8th May: A glorious era of the flagship of the Indian Navy, the INS Viraat, which has spent 30 years in the Navy, will end on Monday. INS Viraat, the second aircraft carrier in the Indian naval fleet, whch was earlier with in the Royal Navy of United Kingdom, will be decommissioned today.

Earlier known as HMS Hermes, the ship was in the Royal Navy from 1959. In the late 80s, Indian Navy purchased it at the cost of $65 million and was re-commissioned on 12 May, 1987.

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba - who was once the executive officer of the ship in 1998 - will be present for the momentous occasion, along with some officers and men from India and United Kingdom who serve with her, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command, Vice-Admiral Girish Luthra, said.

At sunset on March 6, the Naval Ensign and Commissioning Pendent will be lowered for the last time on board INS Viraat symbolising the end of her glorious era in Indian naval history, Vice-Admiral Luthra said taking around a media contingent on board the ship for the last time.

Presently, INS Vikramaditya is the only serving aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy and the second one, named Vikrant, is under construction at Cochin Shipyard Ltd.

It is the longest serving ship in the history, an official communication from the Western Naval Command said. Asked about the future of the ship, Luthra said the decision will be taken by the Union government.......

Laid down in 1944, and outliving all the Invincible-class carriers that were built to replace her.

A lot of history comes with the ship.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Hermes_(R12)
Has it got a big dent in the round-down from a Buccaneer, or it is just a myth?

The day before the official handover ($65M? I thought it was paid in trade offsets) we were at Culdrose, and the Indian brass were beside us in the Ward Room for lunch. Cooks had made umpteen different curries. An Admiral turned to us and said "I wanted fish and chips".

The contract said, everything on board at 12 noon belonged to India. Off they went with a crate of our Blue Fox Mk2 test equipment, which could never test their version. A few months later, they'd complained it didn't work, and we were told to sort it out. Contractors Working Party dispatched to India, quietly swap it and get home quick.

Has Argentina claimed the kill yet ?

Sorry - did I say that out loud :}

Don't remember that HS but I know that HMS Idefatigable went to the scrappy with a crease in the roundown left by Mog senior's Seafire!

That was very interesting. A friend of mine is just writing a book about HMS Hermes and the desinformation war. It looks like that, on certain point, the Argentine Air Force was pretty convinced Hermes was hit.

In fact, even the FCO challenged the MoD asking if that was true!

But...

http://i.imgur.com/eWoM6MO.jpg

Regards!

Mirages or Skyhawks may have gotten away with it, but I wouldn't give a rodent's behind for the chances of any Pucara giving it a shot.

I seem to recall the Argentinians claimed that Invincible was sunk and that Hermes was hit and damaged.

Both complete nonsense of course, but to be fair exaggeration and misdirection during wartime are SOP for most nations.

From my time on board in the 1980's:

"Doctor, doctor, I think I've got Hermes!"
"Hermes? What are you talking about, are you sure you don't mean herpes?"
"No, I think I'm a carrier!"

I thank you. I'll get me coat on the way out...............

It may still have some dents from my Scimitar.

My brother had his 5th birthday whilst we were under occupation in 82, his cake was made in the shape of HMS Hermes complete with marzipan harriers with the real thing flying overhead!

Are we buying it back...

Would love to hear some tales 4Greens. The cat stroke looks so short on the Hermes- must have been quite a ride!

Could this be 4greens in the fancy Tiger striped helmet? :) Great Scimitar launch sequence if you forward to ~10 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsE9oCdSEEI



Some other great Scimitar videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlSrUJg8mJY



Hermes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFzRtOuj5GQ



Victorious & Hermes

First Ever DLs A4Gs & S2Es Nov 1968 HMS Hermes

Tiger stripes were for 804 Squadron. The softest arrest I had was when they left a Gannet setting on the wires. My wire broke and I just managed a sharp right turn onto a fortunately clear flight deck. Me left wheel was right on the edge of the deck. A very close call.

Only thing is, many in Argentina still believe it to be true today. I was chatting with an Argentinean colleague a couple of years ago about this, and he was adamant that Invincible (he didn't mention Hermes) was hit and severely damaged during the war, and that "the truth will come out".

My arguments could not dissuade him. Not even when I pointed out that there were hundreds of personnel on the ship and thousands in the task force (with hundreds of thousands of relatives back home whom they would have spoken to), and yet in more than 30 years not one of them has ever said; "You know what, we were hit and we've covered it up all this time".

Once the UK nuclear sub sank the Belgrano the Argentine navy wisely never left port.

In fact, Belgrano was sunk on May 2nd, and the bulk of the fleet entered port on May 10th.

Regards!

It does make one wonder though why we sell on ships supposedly past their sell by date, that go onto serve another 30 years of front line service in another man's navy, it makes you wonder if we really are getting value for money from some of our assets.