Inquiry into HMS Daring collision with Svitzer tug

HMS Daring, the first of the radical Type 45 destroyers to be built – in Govan and Scotstoun – and naming the class, has been damaged along a 30 foot length of her hull in a collision with a tug preparing for a routine operation to berth her.

The 7,500 tonne Portsmouth-based warship was returning to Southampton Water from normal operations and preparing to be berthed at Marchwood when she collided with the tug Svitzer Sussex, manoeuvering to tow her in to berth.

It is understood that the tug lost engine power and was unable to clear Daring’s passage as the warship approached.

The MoD has launched an enquiry to establish the cause of the collision and the damage is currently being assessed.

Ironically, Daring had only just been declared ready for action, after intensive sea trials.

One lively blogger who saw the incident first hand says says that Daring: ‘…has a couple of not inconsiderable dents in her starboard side amidships, just above the waterline at tug-level, and a scrape running all the way down to the aft section. Hopefully it looks worse than it is, but it seems that half of the tugs black paint came off onto Daring too! Looks like somebody’s going to be doing some warship-sized panel beating’.