A foggy grey Cornish afternoon was the setting for the first landings of an amphibious exercise taking place this week off the south west coast of Britain involving Royal Navy ships and Royal Marines and soldiers.
Exercise South West Sword was designed to test Plymouth-based assault ship HMS Albion's capabilities as the amphibious flagship, and started at Pentewan Sands in Cornwall on Monday 18 January 2010.
Over the next few days there will be a series of assaults and raids along the Cornish and Devon coasts.
Plymouth-based 42 Commando Royal Marines are also taking part as is the support ship Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Mounts Bay.
Commander Geoff Wintle, of HMS Albion, said:
"Despite the gloomy weather, the exercise has got off to a good start. We are delighted that 42 Commando Royal Marines are working with us on this one.
"We will also see them for Exercise Auriga later in the year, when we will take HMS Albion to the USA where 42 Commando will exercise alongside the US Marine Corps."
HMS Albion is in her final phase of operational sea training under the direction of Flag Officer Sea Training and has embarked the Royal Marines from Bickleigh Barracks.
Commander Wintle added:
"The ship is in an excellent state and the sailors and Royal Marines will be working closely together over the next two weeks. The ship will be tested as a command and control platform and the result will be a fully worked-up fleet amphibious flagship capable of hosting Commander Amphibious Task Group and 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, ready for operations anywhere in the world."
The ten-day exercise will see HMS Albion, RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Liverpool ranging up and down the coasts of Cornwall and Devon practising maritime operations and embarking on a series of amphibious raids and assaults.
On Thursday 21 January 2010, Gosport's Browndown Beach is set to be invaded as part of the exercise by more than a hundred Royal Marines and soldiers.
The Marines will launch their assault from HMS Albion, anchored in the Solent, with RFA Mounts Bay close by to provide logistic support.
Soldiers from the King's Royal Hussars and the Royal Logistic Corps, two Challenger 2 tanks, one Chinook helicopter and a variety of smaller reconnaissance vehicles will also take part in the assault on board a number of landing craft.
HMS Albion will return to Devonport before sailing in early February for Norway where the ship will work with 45 Commando Royal Marines in a more testing Arctic environment.
