'Royal Marines Set Sail For Gulf On January 16
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EXCLUSIVE: Royal Marines set sail for Gulf on January 16
By Tom Newton, Dunn Defence Correspondent
THE Royal Marines will set sail for the Gulf on January 16, ready for
war with Iraq.
The 600-strong 40 Commando on board the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean
will be the first British troops to leave home shores for the region ahead
of a new conflict to topple Saddam Hussein.
The unit - nicknamed the Sunshine Commandos and battle-hardened from
duty in Afghanistan - are set to spearhead Britain's contribution to a mass
landing with US Marines on Iraq's small southern coastline and target the
key port city of Basra.
Urgent orders went out in the past week to prepare for Ocean's
departure from Portsmouth, with Taunton-based 40 Commando on reduced notice
to move within 48 hours.
She will carry 18 assault helicopters and four heavy landing crafts.
Escorted by two warships, Ocean will steam into the southern Mediterranean
where she will be just five days sailing through the Suez Canal from Iraq's
coastline.
Officially, Ocean will be on sea trials. Tony Blair and Defence
Secretary Geoff Hoon are reluctant to make any open announcements until UN
weapons inspectors in Iraq send their report to the Security Council on
January 27. But a Royal Navy source confirmed yesterday: "Ocean's deployment
on January 16 is the start of our physical build-up in Iraq."
Royal Marines 42 and 45 Commandos are expected to join their
colleagues in the Gulf. The total 3,500 force of green berets will make up
at least a tenth of the overall British contribution to a US-led assault on
Iraq.
US oil prices soared five per cent yesterday - the highest for two
years - on fears of war.
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