Royal Naval Reserve crewed minesweepers operating together in October 1987. Additional images taken during a ships visit to the French naval port of Lorient in Brittany.
River Class Minesweeper - HMS Carron
M2004 'on patrol'
HMS Carron built in 1984. Sold to the Bangladeshi Navy in 1994; still in service.
HMS Carron
RNR crewed River Class Minesweepers
Operating together off Milford Haven in the western approaches.
Alongside in Lorient Naval Base, Brittany - Oct 13th to 16th 1987
HMS Carron
HMS Arun
Four sweepers moored abreast.
View of the bridge from the sweep deck
1943 vintage Bofors 40/60
Decommissioned French warships
Chateaurenault class cruiser
Surcouf class destroyer
The left-hand image shows a decommissioned French Chateaurenault class cruiser. One of two ships built for the Italian Navy as Capitani Romani-class light cruisers in 1938. It was transferred to the French navy as war reparations in 1948. Finally, paid off in the early 1960s.
The right-hand image is a French T47 or Surcouf class destroyer (possibly FS Bouvet which served as a breakwater at Lorient).
Built in the early 1950s, most were decommissioned by the end of the 1980s.
Lorient naval base
FS Lyle - a Tripartite Class minehunter
French naval boom defence vessels.
Images taken whilst alongside in Lorient. Note the German WWII submarine pens in the background of the right-hand image.
The Great Storm - October 15th to 16th, 1987
On the evening of October 15th, 1987 the Great Storm struck Lorient. Some hours later it made landfall in southern England.
The left-hand picture shows the harbour the day before the storm.
The centre and right-hand images show the aftermath of the storm. Note the Chinese freighter has broken its moorings and grounded on the mole.
The right-hand picture shows the damage caused to small craft moored in the civilian yacht marina, beached on the lee shore. Several people lost their lives whilst sleeping overnight on their craft.
