The largest battleship in the United Kingdom capsized today off the south coast of England owing to “damage to its propeller shaft” after leaving port for a significant mission to the United States.
A Royal Navy spokeswoman said that the HMS Prince of Wales, the second of the Royal Navy’s two aircraft carriers, which is five years old, had a “developing technical problem” close to the Isle of Wight.
This comes after a technical glitch forced the £3 billion carrier to postpone her departure on Friday from Portsmouth Naval Base, Hampshire, by a day.
According to reports, the 65,000-ton battleship is now moored to the south-east of the Isle of Wight while the issue is being investigated.
According to The Navy Lookout, “It may not be relevant, but the wake evident in the accompanying picture, taken while she was sailing yesterday, seems to suggest just the port shaft rotating.”
‘HMS Prince of Wales continues in the South Coast Exercise Area whilst undertaking investigations into an emergent technical problem,’ the Royal Navy official told Sky News.
The online news source The UK Defence Journal, which broke the story initially, said that the issue was directly connected to damage to the starboard propeller shaft.
It stated: “A source informed me that divers were dispatched down to investigate when problems aboard were discovered, and upon their return, the divers expressed worry about the starboard propellor shaft.”
“The shaft itself seems to be damaged, I was informed, but I don’t feel it’s acceptable to comment on the degree of any possible damage at this time, since the details of any damage cannot be verified,” the source said.
According to Navy Lookout, a different specialized news outlet, the carrier had a “major technical failure.”
The unsubstantiated reports of “damage to the starboard propeller shaft” and “divers had been examining the ship below the waterline” were again referenced.
The second of the two aircraft carriers in the Royal Navy, the five-year-old HMS Prince of Wales
The NATO flagship will participate in training drills with the US Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, and US Marine Corps. The program is anticipated to involve F-35B Lightning jet exercises.
The Royal Navy said that the voyage, if it proceeds, would “define the future of stealth jet and drone operations off the coast of North America and in the Caribbean.”
The NATO flagship will participate in training drills with the US Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, and US Marine Corps. The program is anticipated to feature F-35B Lightning jet exercise.
Thousands of music enthusiasts at the Victorious music festival on Southsea Common in Portsmouth on Saturday gave the battleship a colorful send-off as it sailed by them.
Thousands of music enthusiasts at the Victorious music festival on Southsea Common in Portsmouth gave the battleship a colorful send-off as it went by on Saturday (dancer Sally Turner of Hoop Shaker is pictured)
When HMS Prince of Wales sailed sail on Saturday, family and friends waved to the sailors on board.
The carrier left a day later than expected, but a Royal Navy spokesman would not comment on the delay.
Although a Royal Navy official refused to comment on the cause for the delay, it left a day later than expected. The departure of HMS Prince of Wales has been postponed, they said. She won’t be affected by this for her future plans.
However, it seems that the carrier has now anchored. The UK Defence Journal was told by the Ministry of Defence: ‘Having sailed from Portsmouth, HMS PRINCE OF WALES remains in the South Coast Exercise Area.’
However, according to Navy Lookout, the operation is still scheduled to go place. A representative for the Royal Navy told the website, “We anticipate her to complete her WESTLANT 22 deployment as planned in the coming days.”
The HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are two ships of the Queen Elizabeth class of carriers, which can daily manufacture 500 tonnes of fresh water from seawater, according to a diagram.
Pictured: The Queen Elizabeth class features HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales