HMS Endurance (1967)

HMS "Endurance" was a Royal Navy ice patrol vessel that served from 1967 to 1991. She came to public notice when she was involved in the Falklands War of 1982.

The first Royal Navy vessel named "Endurance", she was formerly a Danish vessel, the "Anita Dan", built in 1956 by Grogerwerft for the Lauritzen Lines. She was acquired by the Royal Navy in 1967, converted by Harland & Wolff and renamed. The vessel maintained a British presence in Antarctica and the Falkland Islands during the summer months. She also supported the British Antarctic Survey. Due to her bright red hull she was nicknamed 'The Red Plum'. The Royal Navy intended to decommission the vessel in 1982, following the defence review of John Nott, but the Falklands War intervened.

The Battle for the Falklands

On 19 March 1982 while the ship was at Stanley, South Georgia was occupied by Argentinian civilians. The "Endurance", commanded by Captain Nick Barker, was sent to order the Argentinians off the island. "Endurance" had a small Royal Marines detachment and took further Marines from NP ( Naval Party) 8901, and sailed on 21 March for South Georgia. Arriving on 25 March, she encountered the Argentinian transport "Bahia Buen Suceso", which had landed 100 troops, and Endurance landed her marines before returning to the Falklands on 30 March. She joined up with the British task force in April and landed SBS soldiers at Hound Bay on South Georgia on 22 April. With the threat of a submarine presence, other vessels moved into deeper waters but "Endurance" moved into sea ice near the shore. On 25 April two Wasp ASW helicopters flying from "Endurance" assisted in attacks on the submarine "Santa Fe", which was later abandoned by her crew. When the Argentinian forces surrendered on the 26th the "Endurance" remained in the vicinity of the island as a guard.

Afterwards

Toward the end of her life she acquired the nickname "HMS Encumbrance" due to reliability problems.

In 1989 she struck an iceberg and although she was repaired, a survey in 1991 declared that the hull was not sound enough for a return to Antarctica and she was finally decommissioned. She was replaced by the MV "Polar Circle", later renamed HMS "Endurance".

* Weight: 3,600 tons
* Length: 93 m
* Beam: 14 m
* Draught: 5.5 m
* Propulsion: 1 Burmeister & Wain diesel
* Top speed: 14.5 knots (27 km/h)
* Crew: 119
* Armament: 2 20 mm Oerlikons
* Aircraft: 2 Westland Wasp helicopters (2 Westland Lynx helicopters after refit in 1987)

External links

* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/aux_vessels/endurance_a171_1956_page_1.htm MaritimeQuest photo gallery: HMS "Endurance"]