Sailors' farewell to families as new Royal Navy destroyer HMS Daring sets off on maiden deployment

The Daily Mail, UK ^ | 12th January 2012

[sukhoi-30mki]

On its way: HMS Daring, the largest and most powerful destroyer warship ever built for the Royal Navy, leaves Portsmouth Harbour on its maiden voyage to the Middle East

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2085416/Royal-Navy-HMS-Daring-sets-seven-month-mission-Middle-East.html#ixzz1jD1lfwlg

[vetvetdoug]

I hope that history doesn’t repeat itself with what happened to the HMS Hood on her maiden voyage.

[NorCoGOP]

Fair Winds and Following Seas, HMS Daring.

[neodad]

Best thing about the queens ships? They’re wet!

[sukhoi-30mki]

Which HMS Hood are you referring to?

[ken5050]

I’m looking at the picture and asking myself..”Why does she have a tugboat mounted on her foredeck??

[Cold Heart]

Tug even brought its own bow wave to the foredeck:)

[redlegplanner]

If you are referring to the Bismark engagement, Prince of wales was on her maiden voyage, Hood was a veteran - I think CS Forester called her a “fighting termagant”

[katana]

Hood was an older ship and veteran, I think, of Jutland in WWI. Pride of the British Navy but the girl was no virgin by the time of her fatal encounter with the Bismark. G*d bless all the men who went down with her.

[jmacusa]

Not to take away anything from The Royal Navy, but right now this is the best the Brits have. A destroyer. Man, how they have fallen.

[GATOR NAVY]

No, Hood missed WWI, commissioned in 1920.

[vetvetdoug]

I had to look up the history as I remembered incorrectly that it was the Prince of Wales' maiden voyage, not HMS Hood. I also remembered that one of the survivors was a carpenter and refitting part of the ship when it went down so I incorrectly remembered it was unfinished. The HMS Hood was built in 1916. Thanks for steering me correct.

[GATOR NAVY]

I understand exactly why this ship looks like she does. That being said, that is one fugly ship.

[Little Pig]

The term “Destroyer” these days has changed meaning. It’s much closer to a “Cruiser” than the small escort ships of yore. This thing carries a bunch of short and medium-range missiles, a torpedo-armed helicopter, and several medium guns, and a radar system that can track more than 400 targets simultaneously, and can easily tear most unfriendly navies a new a$$hole all on its own. Only Russia, the US, and Peru operate anything heavier that isn’t an aircraft carrier.

[jpsb]

That looks to big a ship to be a destroyer

[Ramius]

Yah... I was thinking cruiser, before reading the caption.

[jpsb]

Here is what a cruiser looks like these days

Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser

The destroyer looks bigger.

[Dundee]

The South Korean King Sejong the Great class destroyer is bigger than a Type 45.

[sukhoi-30mki]

If you want to call it a cruiser, it’s pretty poorly armed. It’s not been fitted with anti-ship or land attack missiles and its torpedoes are meant for its helicopters.

I believe the USN’s Arleigh Burke and Japan’s Kongo class destroyers are comfortably bigger. And far more heavily armed.

[jmacusa]

Yeah but considering what the RN once was....