Ark Royal, Southampton taking part in Operation Pedestal event

Two Royal Navy ships, the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and the destroyer HMS Southampton are expected in Malta on September 26 for the 60th anniversary of the Operation Pedestal convoy.

The two ships will be taking part in the commemoration which will be attended by veterans of Operation Pedestal, known also as the Santa Marija convoy.

A flotilla of 15 merchant ships in the company of a huge British naval escort, the convoy Operation Pedestal, entered the Mediterranean on the night of August 10, 1942, on its way to Malta to bring badly needed food, fuel and spare parts. Only five of the merchant ships survived the onslaught of enemy action.

On August 15, the heavily damaged American tanker Ohio limped into Grand Harbour, sending the country into signs of jubilation - the convoy making port meant salvation from starvation and the fear of having to give in to the enemy.

The Ark Royal and the Southampton left the UK on Monday for an annual exercise in the Western Mediterranean with Nato partners.

The two vessels will not be playing a direct role in the re-enactment of the arrival of the Ohio but their officers will provide support by being present.

The fifth vessel to bear the name Ark Royal was built by Swan Hunters Ship Builders' yard at Wallsend in December, 1978, and launched by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

HMS Ark Royal was accepted into service on July 1, 1985. After a four-year period of extended readiness, Ark Royal was towed to Rosyth in May, 1999, for a major refit and rejoined the fleet in November, 2001.

HMS Ark Royal is larger than her two sisters, Invincible and Illustrious, at 210 metres (683 feet) long. She has a maximum beam of 36 metres (117 feet) and a displacement of 20,000 tonnes.

Four Olympus gas turbine engines, like Concorde's, propel the ship, which give it a maximum speed of over 30 knots.

A steeper ski jump than in the other ships of this class is fitted at the forward end of the flight deck.

HMS Ark Royal is planned to remain in active service until 2015 when the next generation of aircraft carriers will enter service. The ship's motto is 'Zeal Does Not Rest'.

HMS Southampton was built by Vosper Thornycroft Ltd at Southampton. She was launched on January 29, 1979, and is the sixth vessel to bear the name.