NAVY NEWS, JULY 2007 5
● HMS Richmond sails past her
SSuperstars’ job uperstars’ job
sister HMS Sutherland into the
Egyptian port of Safaga
AWAY from the HMS Cornwall
inquiries, the highest profi le
naval event these past few
weeks has been the launch of
HMS Astute. The boat must be
the bargain of the century. She
cost a mere £3.5m according
to the Daily Telegraph and has
torpedoes which can travel
iis completes complete
1,240 miles (I’ll think twice about
using the Gosport ferry now
– Asst Ed). The correspondent
of The Times was rather more
FRIGATE HMS Sutherland is on her way home having
accurate: handed over Gulf duties to her sister, eight months
after leaving Britain’s shores.
HMS Astute is a submarine
The waters off the Egyptian conjure up the halcyon days of
like no other.
port of Safaga were the setting television, then Sutherland’s flight
She could detect the QE2
for the transfer of responsibilities deck evoked such memories by
an ocean away and she
– and some kit – between bringing back 70s sports
whispers through the water
Sutherland and show Superstars.
leaving no more sonar trace
Richmond. The original TV
than a large dolphin.
The former has been away programme pitted some
BAE Systems boasts
from home in Devonport of the leading names in
that the Astute is more
since September 25 British sport against
complicated than a space
last year, spending the each other in a
shuttle.
bulk of that time in variety of physical
It is the product of more
the northern Arabian challenges, including
than 700 designs and
Gulf safeguarding 100-metre dash, 800
more than one million
Iraq’s oil platforms. metre, weightlifting,
components.
More recently she rowing, tennis, bicycle
For all her size and
has diverged from the racing, a gym test, and
menace, Astute remains
Gulf to operate in the swimming.
the strange, silent, stealthy
Indian Ocean on security Of course, not all these
place submarines have
operations and exercises with sports could be replicated
always been – an enclosed
Allied navies. on a Type 23 frigate, but Jack
and artificial world that
Those maritime security has a wonderful knack at
only a few could learn to
operations persisted improvisation.
live inside.
into the Red Sea, before And so each mess
– The Times
Sutherland put into Safaga submitted at least one
to give her crew a break. team of six superstars to
The sailors divided grapple with a 500-
their time between metre row, 40 bench
REDUCTIONS in the size sightseeing (the Valley presses, 50 squat
of the Royal Navy’s attack of the Kings proved thrusts, 50 sit-ups,
submarine force could especially popular) a foam drum carry
jeopardise the Service’s and scuba diving. and finally three rope
ability to meet current and With official duties climbs.
likely future operational with Richmond done, Oh yes, and it was
requirements, warns a Sutherland headed all done in the blazing
RUSI report. through Suez and into the Middle East heat with
Current force levels “are Mediterranean for yet more temperatures over 35˚C.
already stretched to meet security work, while Richmond Perhaps not surprisingly,
operational demands”. headed east to take up station. Sutherland’s Royal Marines
– Jane’s Defence Weekly And if the names Brian Jacks, boarding party set the fastest time
Jonah Barrington and David Vine of all competitors.
Another new ship has been
making headlines even before
9 O U R F R I E N D L Y A F F O R D A B L E
her launch. Type 45 destroyer
HMS Diamond is courting
controversy in Sheffi eld.
A liberating
, O N D O N # L U B
SHEFFIELD has snubbed
the Royal Navy by turning
time for Tyne
down the rare honour of
being affi liated with a new
ship.
HMS Tyne paid a return visit – in the town hall, and the ship
The city council has
refused to be associated
to Jersey to help islanders
returned the favour by inviting
with HMS Diamond, saying
mark the 62nd anniversary
dignitaries aboard for lunch.
it only wants a ship named
of liberation from the Nazi
Somehow, the small ship’s
after the city.
yoke.
company also found time
“The links we have with
The Portsmouth-based
to squeeze in a football
the Royal Navy are part of
fishery patrol vessel was at
tournament and a golf match
Sheffield’s heritage,” said
the heart of commemorations
against the Princess of
Cllr Jackie Drayton.
marking 60 years since the end
Wales Royal Regiment (the
“We are sure the
of war in 2005, celebrations
sailors were victorious on the
people of Sheffield want
which were attended by the
fairways and runners-up in the
to continue these links
Queen.
football).
through a ship called HMS
Two years on, the
And on the short trip
Sheffield and not HMS
anniversary was a
across the Channel
Diamond.”
more muted affair
from her home port,
– Sheffield Star
– but celebrated
the patrol ship hosted
nonetheless.
youngsters from
With the Channel
TS Jersey, the Air
And fi nally... The Sun gets in a
Islands being the
Cadets Corps
tizz about the fate of its topless
only part of the
and Combined
s # L O S E T O - A R B L E ! R C H A N D / X F O R D 3 T R E E T
beauties...
home islands
Cadet Force to
to be occupied
give them a taste
s ! F F O R D A B L E R O O M R A T E S
during the 1939-
of life at sea,
TOP brass torpedo topless
1945, liberation day
complete with man
totty.
is a public holiday.
overboard drills s # H O I C E O F R E S T A U R A N T S A N D B A R S
Sailors, submariners and
The ship’s company
– using a dummy, not
Royal Marines have been
provided a White Ensign
the cadets – the chance s # O N C E S S I O N A R Y . # 0 # A R 0 A R K R A T E S
warned they will be fined
Colour Party and a 15-man
to steer and to tackle (mock)
if they disobey orders to
guard to lead the liberation
fires. See page 44 for more s & U N C T I O N R O O M S F O R D I N N E R S R E C E P T I O N S
take down pin-ups of Page
day parade through the streets
details.
3 girls.
of Jersey’s capital, St Helier,
After the Jersey visit came
R E U N I O N S A N D P R I V A T E P A R T I E S
Ex-Navy man Lee
a parade which ended in
another island for the patrol
Madden said: “It will cause
Liberation Square, where the
ship: Anglesey.
4 H E 6 I C T O R Y 3 E R V I C E S # L U B
a riot.”
salute was taken by the Duke
Tyne spent four days in the
A Navy source added:
of Kent, followed by a service
port of Holyhead – instead of 3 E Y M O U R 3 T R E E T
“There are more serious
of thanksgiving.
the overnight stay she normally
things to worry about than
Tyne also supplied a guard
makes when taking a break
, O N D O N 7 ( &
the type of posters on our
of honour for a wreath-laying
from fishery protection duties
walls.”
ceremony and remembrance
in the Irish Sea.
– The Sun
service organised by Arctic
The highlight of the weekend
4 E L
Convoy veterans.
in Wales was opening an
Indeed there are... but not in Away from ceremonials, the exhibition championing
& A X
The Sun evidently. Anyway, sailors got stuck in with the Holyhead’s wartime role in a
% M A I L I N F O V S C C O U K
despite the sensationalism island’s fire brigade to see how refurbished air raid shelter.
Page 3 is not banned. ‘Top the two could work together to The ship also hosted North 7 E B W W W V S C C O U K
brass’ have, however, asked tackle blazes at sea. Wales police officers, not for a
personnel to act sensitively, Tyne’s presence in St Helier reception but for a joint training
respect their shipmates/ was honoured with a vin exercise to see how the Royal - E M B E R S H I P / P E N T O A L L 3 E R V I N G A N D 2 E T I R E D - E M B E R S
comrades and be aware that d’honneur – not, as it sounds, Navy and police could react to
some of the pictures within its a fine wine, but a reception a security incident. O F T H E ! R M E D & O R C E S A N D T H E I R F A M I L I E S
pages might cause offence.
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