HMS BULWARK - L15

[MadMaxLab]

3/5/2013

[Dennis Maccoy]

Bulwark in Sunderland this morning, in preparation for this weekend's Sunderland Airshow. Quite possibly her last visit for a few years as Albion is completeing refit at Devonport and will soon take over from Bulwark as the operational LPD.

[Dennis Maccoy]

Sailing from Sunderland this morning, ready for today's airshow events.

In her secondary role - as a cruise ship.

Don't mess with these folk.

[Dennis Maccoy]

During Bulwark’s November 2011 visit to the Tyne I had the opportunity to visit her at sea:

Bulwark sailing, 4 November 2011

Our transport - LCU Mk 10, B1, 4 November 2011

Rather damp trip out

Our transport parked on the left

Better weather for the return trip.

[E28]

Originally just Dock, then the town became Plymouth-Dock which always grated with the residents being associated with the riff-raff to the east especially as the westerly naval towns population was 50% greater than mere Plymouth with superior employment and opportunities to boot. Change again when on 1st january 1824 the monarch approved the name change to Devonport, and it is this town name, never Plymouth, where the dockyard is located.

The old south yard in Devonport was the centre of most naval activity with some peculiar arrangements where for example access to no 2 dock could only be gained through no 3 dock and there was a large structure simply referred to as junk store for junk, not junk as in Chinese.
In 1914 the burghers of Plymouth finally merged with Devonports grafters to form the borough which duly became the city of Plymouth in 1928.

Amongst the idle naval tonnage in Devonport is the amphib ship Bulwark which is now the property of Brazil, renamed Oiapoque and will sail for her new home later in 2026, the first of her new complement will arrive this month. Bulwark has been in extended readiness and then an extensive refit for donkeys, not clear what she will be equipped with and the other detail need clarifying is if Brazil will also buy/get sister Albion, now since paying off little more than a surplus hulk.

Brazil also has the Atlantico, ex Ocean...

viewtopic.php?f=129&t=15917&p=54477&hilit=atlantico#p54477

Bulwark and Albion were the largest RN tonnage Devonport based, now just a few frigates.