The story of HMS Ocean has probably not yet been fully told -from humble origins as a sea transport Ro-Ro vessel to get an Embarked Military Force (consisting of British Army / UK and Netherland Royal Marines) on their one-way ticket to Norway (and hopefully back) after 30 days, to Flagship of the Royal Navy. The story was never intended or designed as such. Hence in this story of the ugly duckling - for by any stretch of the imagination Ocean is an ugly ship compared, say, to HMAS Canberra and Adelaide - there is a degree of poignancy and greatness. Like any story of a ship, Ocean reflects the technology and the technology, the crew and social dynamics of the time. She would not be designed and built today - and therein lies the greatest pity. For, at its heart, Ocean was an experimental ship based upon a principled understanding of Amphibious Warfare and a desire to get Royal (as in Royal Marines) back to sea in their own dedicated ship.
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