French DIAMOND – the Type 45 Destroyer DIAMOND, outward bound to relieve sister ship DARING East of Suez, exercised in Mediterranean Sea with her French counterpart the Horizon Class Destroyer FS FORBIN a near identical ship.   Originally both classes were conceived under the same project that envisaged a single design for the British, French and Italians navies, but the UK subsequently decided to pursue its own design.   As specialist air defence platforms, both ships engaged in exercises that saw them defend themselves against attacking jets flown from the French aircraft carrier FS CHARLES de GAULLE.

The DIAMOND then proceeded to the Western Mediterranean making a pilgrimage to the spot where a previous DIAMOND, also a Destroyer, was lost 60 miles north of Crete being sunk by German aircraft in 1941, with the loss of 148 lives    The crew of the DIAMOND stood in silence at dawn to mark the sinking.