No 12545, Saturday 09 Feb 2019, Gridman

Across

1. Estimate again: to be diverted are ships carrying drug (8) REASSESS {ARE*}{SS}{E}{SS}
5. Strange drink tossed back. As a result, there's uproar (6) RUMPUS {RUM}{SUP<=}
9. Men in lockup and I get to see old British author (7) CORELLI {C{OR}ELL}{I} Got this only due to the crossings
10. That woman's dress is said to be hairy (7) HIRSUTE {~ HER SUIT}
11. Flood's ended. Good! (9) OVERSWELL {OVER}{SWELL}
12. Daughter’s free to hesitate and postpone (5) DEFER {D}{FREE*}
13. Finishes objectives (4) ENDS (DD)
14. Guess girl after girl gets a liquor holder (4,5) SHOT GLASS {SHOT}{G}{LASS}
17. In favour of bee entrant having no second driving force (9) PROPELLER {PRO}{sPELLER}
19. Con makes rogue lose power (4) SCAM {SCAMp}
23. Was driven to old horse show (5) RODEO {RODE}{O}
24. Opening popular Russian course after one month (9) INAUGURAL {IN}{AUG}{URAL}
25. Time // for some smooth activity? (7) EVENING (D&CD)
26. Demolished theatre at that place (7) THEREAT {THEATRE*}
27. He gets nearer by foul means (6) EARNER {NEARER*}
28. People give a damn for suits (8) MENSWEAR {MEN}{SWEAR}

Down

1. Thought the ruined one reported to single daughter (8) RECKONED {~WRECK}{ONE}{D}
2. Fool's help to catch bird (7) AIRHEAD {AI{RHEA}D}
3. Diver's creation // requiring page-one display (6) SPLASH (DD)
4. Croon about long and cold range — it's macabre (5-8) SPINE CHILLING {S{PINE}-{C}{HILL}ING}
6. Figure out how gun and griddle both got broken at tip (8) UNRIDDLE {gUN}{gRIDDLE}
7. Principal officer to suffer endlessly with small footstools (7) POUFFES {PO}{sUFFEr}{S}
8. One range held by classier racer (6) SIERRA (T)
10. Bat –//  what one who began well achieved? (4,3,6) HALF THE BATTLE (Rebus&D)
15. A very quiet old place would be apt! (8) APPOSITE {A}{PP}{O}[SITE}
16. One who will imitate bird afterwards, we are told (8) EMULATOR {EMU}{~LATER}
18. Revolutionary rush back to see European grazer (3,4) RED DEER {RED}{REED<=}
20. Get back into the middle of procession (7) CORTEGE {COR{GET<=}E}
21. Get wind // that it's easy job (6) BREEZE (DD)
22. Way out, say, on the ship (6) EGRESS {EG}{RE}{SS}

Reference List

Ships=SSSS, Drug=E, Men=OR, Daughter=D, Girl=G, Second=S, Power=P, Old=O
Cold=C, Principal Officer=PO, Small=S, Very quiet=PP, Say=Eg, On=Re, Ship=SS

Colour/Font Scheme

Definition, Solution, Component letters, Embedded links, Theme word,  Anagram Indicator, C/C indicator, Reversal Indicator, Hidden word Indicator, Letter Pick indicator, Deletion Indicator, Homophone Indicator, Movement Indicator, Positional Indicator, Substitution, Indicator, Link/Connector, Extraneous

GRID