HMS Dragon Explores Tristan da Cunha

HMS Dragon called at Tristan da Cunha – one of the most remote islands on the planet – on the latest stage of her Atlantic deployment.

There is no land to the west for more than 2,000 miles, South Africa is 1,750 miles to the east and the nearest inhabited locality is another British Overseas Territory 1,510 miles away.

With no airfield, the volcanic isle, home to 257 British citizens – almost all of them living in the ‘Capital’, Edinburgh of the Seven Sea – can only be reached by sea.

It has been over a year since a Royal Navy warship called at Tristan – the last visitor was the Type 23 Frigate HMS Richmond in November 2013.

With a small harbour the island is not able to accommodate an 8,500-tonne warship, so the Portsmouth-based destroyer used her sea boats and Lynx helicopter to ferry personnel and supplies from ship to shore.

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Image: Royal Navy