HMS Bulwark is leading a fleet of 12 warships to the far east on an ambitious deployment codenamed Operation Taurus. The 300-strong crew is escorting 200 Royal Marines from Plymouthbased 40 Commando to prove that the navy can carry out a seaborne military invasion thousands of miles from home.
The Bulwark is an amphibious warship designed for rapid deployment of ground forces. It can carry three Merlin helicopters, more than 60 ground vehicles and 30 boats - including four flatbottomed troop carriers and four huge floating command centres. The ship in essence becomes a floating harbour as the stern gate opens and the well dock fills with a million gallons of seawater. The boats carried on the Bulwark then simply sail straight out of the back.
The warship breaks its journey east with a stopover at a major naval base in the Bay of Bengal. The halt means crewmembers can receive their long awaited mail and the marines can buy some last minute medical supplies before facing the swamps of Bangladesh. Most of them have never visited Asia before, and when they are offered Viagra over the counter, they begin to realise just how far they are from home.
The next day the ship heads 600 miles north to the east coast of Bangladesh. The marines are delivered to an island in an amphibious operation similar to the D-Day landings -much to the amazement of local villagers.
Having fought in Helmand Province last year, 40 Commando has combat experience - although half the company is now made up of new recruits. The company will be sent back to Afghanistan in March 2010, so the marines need to be prepared to face the enemy. The first training exercise consists of fighting a battle scenario and capturing a terrorist training camp. The enemy is played by the Bulwark's young sailors, who are excited to be taking part in a war games exercise.
Young stores assistant Kate Chaddock and aircraft engineer Mike McMahon are among the volunteers facing the full wrath of the marines. In the vicious 'battle' that ensues, the pair enjoy playing dead, and are deeply impressed by what they see of the commandos in action.
Back on the Bulwark, the sea around Bangladesh is playing havoc with the ship's fresh-water plant. Sediment from the mouth of the Ganges overwhelms one of the pumps, with the result that water on board has to be rationed. The Bulwark's captain, Wayne Keble OBE, decides to sail 80 miles south to cleaner water. Keble, a fitness fanatic, is keen to distance his crew from the stereotypical reputation of hard-drinking, hard-smoking sailors. He sets an example by taking part in at least one circuit training session a day.
Also this week, the Bangladeshi Navy joins the Bulwark for boarding-party training. Smuggling and piracy are on the increase in the Bay of Bengal and the local navy needs to be able to police its shores. There are a few language barriers to overcome - as Petty Officer Steve Waudby discovers when he demonstrates the rules of boarding. But the Bangladeshi sailors are impressed by their British counterparts and shower them with compliments - ensuring a promising start to the mission.
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