HMS Iron Duke F234 Type 23 Frigate in Portsmouth
HMS Dauntless D33 Daring Class Type 45 Destroyer in Portsmouth
HMS York D98 Type 42 Destroyer in Portsmouth
The Royal Navy's Antarctic patrol ship HMS Endurance is pictured leaving her Portsmouth base on Wednesday November 28th 2007 for the longest mission in her history.

A Class 1 Icebreaker she was originally built in Norway in 1990 as MV Polar Circle. The RN chartered her in 1991 before she commissioned as HMS Polar Circle on 21 Nov 91. She was subsequently renamed HMS Endurance. Her Mission is "To patrol and survey the Antarctic and South Atlantic, maintaining Sovereign Presence with Defence Diplomacy and supporting the global community of Antarctica". This involves close links with the Foreign Office, United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and the British Antarctic Survey.

She deploys annually to the Antarctic, her operating area for 7 months of the year. Her base port is Portsmouth, which is also the ship's affiliated town. The Ship's motto is " Fortitudine Vincimus" -  'By Endurance We Conquer' The motto originates from that of the great Antarctic explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton who made history in his ship, 'Endurance' in his expedition south in 1914-15.
HMS Dauntless D33 Daring Class Type 45 Destroyer in Portsmouth
HMS Dauntless D33 Daring Class Type 45 Destroyer in Portsmouth
HMS Dauntless D33 Daring Class Type 45 Destroyer in Portsmouth
See photo in original gallery.