91 Years Ago – the Type 45 Destroyer DAUNTLESS marked an anniversary that was out of the ordinary when in American waters   174 Sailors and Royal Marines aboard new destroyer (of the 200) recreated an historic ship’s company photograph from 91 years ago when they assembled on the forecastle as their forebears did 91 years ago under solemn circumstances on the 19^th September 1921 in New York harbour,

The Light Cruiser DAUNTLESS had the sombre duty of sailing across the Atlantic to repatriate the dead of the airship R38, which had been designed for the Royal Navy, but sold to the Americans at the end of the Great War.   The airship was the largest in the world – nearly 700ft long – with a crew of 49, and was intended to carry out six day long patrols scouting for enemy submarines and, if necessary, attacking them with bombs and machine guns.   On the fourth test flight, the R38 suffered structural failure over Hull, exploded in mid air, sixteen (of the seventeen) American crew and twenty eight of the thirty two Britons aboard the airship were killed.

The Type 45 Destroyer had just completed Exercise UNITAS – billed as the largest and longest-running naval exercise in the Northern Hemisphere – involving thirteen warships from seven nations, operating from Key West (Florida).   The DAUNTLESS is now conducting anti drug running patrols as part of the international clampdown on the narcotics trade in Caribbean waters, before returning to the UK at the end of the month.