HMS Ocean (R68)

The fifth HMS "Ocean" was a Royal Navy "Colossus"-class light fleet aircraft carrier of 13,190 tons built in Glasgow by Alexander Stephen and Sons. Her keel was laid in November 1942, and she was commissioned on 30 June 1945.

In March 1944, a proposal was made by the Australian Government to purchase a light fleet carrier, specifically "Ocean".cite book |last=Wright |first=Anthony |title=Australian Carrier Decisions: the acquisition of HMA Ships Albatross, Sydney and Melbourne |origyear=1978 |edition= |series=Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs (No. 4) |year=1998 |month=June |publisher=Sea Power Centre |location=Canberra |isbn=0-642-29503-4 |id=ISSN|1327-5658 |pages=pp 55-109] The decision was rejected in early June 1945, and the carrier entered Royal Navy service.

On 3 December 1945 the first landing by a jet aircraft on an aircraft carrier took place when a Sea Vampire flown by Eric "Winkle" Brown landed on "Ocean". The last Fairey Swordfish to make an official flight from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier did so earlier in October 1945 from the deck of "Ocean". When British forces withdrew from Palestine in 1948, "Ocean" supported the withdrawal. "Ocean" twice deployed to Korea, firstly from May to October 1952 and then from May to November 1953.

In August 1954 she joined the Home Fleet's Training Squadron but saw an active role in the Suez crisis. In the first ever large-scale helicopter borne assault, Westland Whirlwind and Bristol Sycamore helicopters from "Ocean" and HMS "Theseus" landed 425 men of 45 Commando and 23 tons of stores into Port Said in 90 minutes. After Suez, the ship did not see much more active service. She went into Extended Reserve in 1958 and was scrapped in 1962 at Faslane.

References

* "Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present An Illustrated Encyclopedia" by Roger Chesneau - Brockhampton - ISBN 1-86019-875-9

External links

* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/aircraft_carriers/hms_ocean_68.htm Maritimequest HMS Ocean photo gallery]