Initially described as having an “emerging mechanical problem”, the £3 billion Nato flagship went down off the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight after a starboard propeller shaft coupling failed. The 65,000-tonne aircraft limped back into Stokes Bay in Gosport, Hampshire, on Monday at four knots, accompanied by tugs. It is expected to return to Portsmouth with a single propeller, again with the help of a tug, but this will depend on the weather and tides. Once the crew and equipment are offloaded, she is likely to travel as far as Rosyth in Scotland to be repaired at a dock. It was to conduct training exercises with the US Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and the US Marine Corps. The program was also expected to include exercises with F-35B Lightning aircraft. Image: Engineers inspect HMS Prince of Wales HMS Queen Elizabeth was due to visit the Baltic and Mediterranean. Navy chiefs are believed to be considering which of the US commitments require the presence of a carrier and which can be performed by other ships in the fleet. Rear Admiral Steve Moorhouse, director of Force Generation, responsible for ensuring the Royal Navy’s ships are ready to deploy, said HMS Queen Elizabeth “will depart Portsmouth next week to undertake elements of the Prince of Wales in the United States”. Regarding HMS Prince of Wales, he said: “Royal Navy divers have inspected the starboard shaft and adjacent areas and confirmed that there is significant shaft damage to the propeller and some surface damage to the rudder, but no damage to the rest of the ship. “Our initial assessment indicated that the coupling joining the last two sections of the shaft failed. “This is an extremely unusual failure and we continue to pursue all repair options.”
