HMS Fearless (L10)

1965-2003

Flight Deck:	FS
Call Sign:	GKYQ
Shipyard:	Harland and Wolff

Timeline

Date	Event
Jul 25, 1962	Laid down	Yard No 1651.
Dec 19, 1963	Launched
Nov 25, 1965	Commissioned	at Harland & Wolff
May 6, 1966	Port Visit	first foreign port visit, to Brest for four days.
Jul 15, 1966	Trials	Mediterranean and UK waters propeller trials for 5 weeks
Sep 13, 1966	Deployment	left HMNB Portsmouth. To support the Civil Power in Aden, until Oct 1966.
Oct 25, 1966	Deployment	Hauf Deployed to support the Irish Guards in a security operation around the Hauf region of Yemen, near its border with Oman. Operation Fate
Nov 25, 1966	Port Visit	4 day visit to Durban
Mar 9, 1967	Deployment	sailed from Singapore in company with HMS Bulwark for assault exercise off Penang.
Oct 17, 1967	Aircraft	RAF Sharjah embarked first 8 Wessex of 78 Squadron, for transport to Sharjah.
Nov 1967	Deployment	until Dec 1967, part of Task Force 318 to cover the British withdrawal from Aden during Operation Magister.
Nov 21, 1967	Aircraft	off Aden embarked the three Sioux of 45 Commando Air Troop, as part of Operation Magister in preparation for their final return to UK. TF 945
Oct 4, 1968	Deployment	Departed UK. Hosted senior level negotiations from 8 Oct between Britain and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) over its declaration of independence (UDI), off Gibraltar. Operation Diogenes
Jan 15, 1969	Deployment	sailed from HMNB Devonport for a 3 month Mediterranean and West African deployment, returning on 10 Apr.
Mar 1969	Deployment	off Lagos off Lagos (Nigeria), for talks between UK and Nigeria over the Biafra crisis.
Jun 4, 1969	Deployment	sailed from HMNB Devonport for a 13 month Far East deployment, returning on 12 Jun 1970.
Sep 22, 1969	Port Visit	visit to Tokyo for cultural, industrial and educational British Week, until 6 Oct.
1970	Refit	Recommissioned 12 Feb 1971, after refit which included adding Skynet satellite communications equipment.
Aug 29, 1970	Port Visit	HMD Devonport present at Plymouth Navy Days 1970. Navy Days 1970
Aug 28, 1971	Port Visit	HMD Devonport Ship open to visitors at Plymouth Navy Days 1971. Navy Days 1971
Sep 1, 1971	Deployment	departed HMNB Devonport for 10 week Mediterranean deployment, returning on 18 Nov.
Nov 1972	Deployment	participated in Exercise Corsica 72 off W coast of Corsica with HMS Ark Royal, HMS Bulwark, and HMS Intrepid.
Aug 28, 1976	Port Visit	HMD Devonport Ship open to visitors at Plymouth Navy Days 1976. Navy Days 1976
Jun 24, 1977	Deployment	Present at Silver Jubilee Fleet Review, off Ryde Sand Fleet Review: Silver Jubilee of HM The Queen
Aug 26, 1978	Deployment	HMD Devonport present for Plymouth Navy Days, with 3 CBAS Scout AH.1 XP893/S embarked. Navy Days 1978
Jul 1980	Refit	refitting on the Tyne, until Nov 1981.
Nov 18, 1981	Trials	deck landing trials with Army Lynx AH.1 off Portland.
Apr 6, 1982	Deployment	South Atlantic Departed HMNB Portsmouth with some 3 CBAS airframes and three Sea King HC.4 of 846 Squadron embarked, leaving theatre on 24 Jun 1982. Operation Corporate
Sep 29, 1983		collision with German bulk carrier Gerhardt, off Portland.
Nov 28, 1983	Deployment	off Lebanon ordered from UK with 4 Assault Squadron, RM embarked, on 20 Nov with RFA Brambleleaf in support and arrived on station off Beirut, to relieve HMS Glamorgan. Operation Offcut
1985		into low readiness reserve for 3 years, until 1988.
1989	Refit	refit at HMD Devonport, including replacement of guns and her 4x quadruple Seacat launchers for new 20mm and Phalanx CIWS. Completed 1991. CIWS Phalanx 20 mm
Oct 10, 1991	Deployment	deployed to Sevastopol, Ukraine with 2x 656 Sq Lynx AH.1 Exercise Burmese Argonaut
Jan 1997	Deployment	departed UK as lead of Far East Amphibious Task Unit with 40 CDO and elements of 3 CDO Brigade embarked, returned end of Aug. Task Group 327 Ocean Wave 97 deployment
Aug 28, 1998	Deployment	HMNB Portsmouth Participated in IFoS 1998. International Festival of Sea
Nov 2, 2000	Deployment	serious boiler fire while operating c 150nm off Sicily, brought under control with difficulty and much skill by the ships company. Damage caused her to sail for Malta for assessment and to be relieved from her planned mission to Sierra Leone (Operation Basilica) by RFA Argus. Accident
Aug 20, 2001	Deployment	left HMNB Portsmouth for 7 month Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean deployment, returning 18 Mar 2002.
Aug 3, 2002	Homeport	paid off for final time at HMNB Portsmouth
2003	Decommissioned
Jul 2005		Fareham Creek by Jul 2005 was laid up in Fareham Creek
Dec 17, 2007	Fate: scrapped	Ghent towed from Portsmouth to Van Heyghen yard at Ghent, Belgium for scrapping Breakers Yard

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