"Unforgettable" homecoming kicks off as Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dauntless returns home to Portsmouth
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An “unforgettable” moment for Portsmouth sailors has begun as a mighty warship has come home to Portsmouth.
Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless sailed past The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth at roughly 8am this morning (November 30). Personnel were greeted by bright winter sunshine and cheering loved ones with flags and banners.
Clusters of spectators were seen on The Hot Walls unperturbed by the early start and sharp cold. HMS Dauntless has been deployed as part of Operation Highmast for the past eight months, leaving Portsmouth alongside HMS Prince of Wales on April 22.
The deployment has taken her to the Indo-Pacific, showcasing her air defence process in Japan, Australia, India, and elsewhere. As part of the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG), HMS Dauntless provides the backbone of carrier support for HMS Prince of Wales - watching the skies for any potential adversaries.
As with the many intensive exercises, this homecoming to be one of the many moments the sailors will remember forever. “The long wait is almost over,” a Royal Navy statement said on Facebook. “Families will embrace their sailors, cheers will fill the air, and the joy of reunion will light up the shores.
“Every hug, every smile, every familiar face will make this homecoming unforgettable. It’s finally time to come home.”
According to the King’s Harbour Master (KHM) shipping movements, HMS Prince of Wales is scheduled to make sail past The Round Tower at roughly 12.30pm. Large crowds are expected to greet her on her return home. She will be followed by HNoMS Roald Amundsen at roughly 2.10pm, a Norwegian frigate that was part of the UKCSG throughout the deployment.
Over the course of Operation Highmast, upwards of 4,500 British military personnel have been involved, including nearly 600 RAF personnel and 900 soldiers accompanying 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines. Since leaving the UK, the force has sailed more than 40,000 nautical miles, one and a half times around the world, and their aerial components have completed 2,500 sorties.