Text: LtCdr Klaus Randrup, PIO Admiral Danish Fleet

With the mother ship at the horizon the British landing craft today arrived at Naval Base Korsør to pick up parts of the Danish Field Hospital.

The hospital and HMS ALBION are scheduled to participate in the Disaster Relief Operation that takes place Monday at Jerup strand. Apart from ALBION also the Danish Emergency Management Agency, the police and of cause the Danish Navy are present Monday.

HMS ALBION is a very flexible and capable ship with room for 300 combat soldiers, four main battle tanks or 30 armoured personnel carriers. It is also capable of handling helicopters from the deck.

One of the British landing craft from  HMS ALBION  Photo: Frank Jacobsen, OPLOG  Korsoer

But the unique feature is the dock. This provides the possibility of docking up till four landing craft (LCU) that are each capable of carrying one Challenger tank, or four lorries or 120 soldiers.

To use the dock HMS ALBION needs to lower itself deeper in the water. This is provided through a sophisticated system or ballast tanks.

While the mother ship stays at a safe distance from the shore the LCUs can land personnel and equipment up to 600 nautical miles away.