NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2007 7
MMonuments and onuments and
mmountainsountains
ANOTHER month, another
monument he helped build two the sailors managed to find yet
‘Stugeron-sponsored’
years ago. more former Argentine positions
image from the good folk
Several sailors spent a week and gained a feeling for how
on adventurous training while difficult it had been for British
of HMS Southampton in their ship patrolled the islands,
troops to storm them a generation
the South Atlantic.
beginning with a mountain bike
ago.
In fairness, it’s not always like
tour of some of the wreck sites
The final full day of the
this (right) for the Portsmouth-
around Stanley.
adventurous training was spent
based Type 42 destroyer – the
The next morning saw the
clay pigeon shooting, before the
Navy News team just like dramatic
Saints heading up Mount Harriet,
team headed back to Southampton
images.
captured by 42 Commando in
after a week which was good fun,
The Saint has completed her
June 1982; the hill is still scarred
challenging and informative at
first spell ‘on station’ around the by the remains of Argentine
times – and never boring.
Falkland Islands. positions, with communications
The Falklands winter also made
As well as calling in at Mare equipment, weapon mounts and
life tricky for Saints’ football
Harbour and Stanley, she has clothing lying where they were left
sides – but mercifully not her
visited some of the more remote 25 years ago.
settlements such as Port Howard, On the top of Harriet the sailors
swimmers.
The ship that never stops
Goose Green and San Carlos, took the opportunity to polish the
The ship mustered six teams
to chat with locals and pay plaque on the memorial to the
(from Southampton Sharks to the
DESPITE being the crucible of We say ‘breaks’, but not (again in blistering heat) with
their respects at the numerous Royal Marines.
less conventional Toopy’s Turtle
effort by the Senior Service for always ‘breaks’ in the traditional Doha RFC on the football pitch
memorials to the 1982 conflict A visit to the Reclus Hut, a
Backs) for a swimming gala in the
almost 20 years, the waters of sense of the word. (the visitors lost).
which pepper the Falklands. preserved Antarctic expedition
MPA complex.
the Arabian Gulf are surprisingly One such ‘break’ from survey Back at sea, the ship
At Port Howard on West hut from the 1950s made the
There were some traditional
poorly charted. work was filled by the mobile deployed a new piece of kit:
Falkland, AB Craig ‘Buster’ Southampton sailors appreciate
events – relay, backstroke,
So enter the good ship HMS FOST team from Devonport, a vertical line array – a buoy
Brown climbed Clippy Hill where the comforts of life aboard their
butterfly – and some rather more
Enterprise to put that right. determined to test every which collects information on
a monument was erected by the ship.
fun, It’s A Knockout-esque races,
There is, says her CO Cdr member of the ship’s company noise in the water column.
men of HMS Alacrity 25 years ago A real test of everybody’s
including the novelty relay and
David Robertson, “a vast in every manner of crisis and Once the gadget had done
to the dead of both sides. determination – and sense of
‘brick fishing’.
volume of work” to be carried emergency. its work, it was recovered and
Alacrity sank the Argentine humour – came during a day-
Having finished her first patrol
out in the Gulf – and although There have been more the data collected sent back to
supply ship Islas de los Estados, long battlefield tour of Mounts
period around the Falklands, the
Enterprise will be in the region traditional breaks, such as Blighty for boffins to analyse.
blowing the vessel out of the water Tumbledown and Longdon, and
destroyer headed for Santos in until next year, she will only Doha in Qatar – although it “Enterprise has gatherd
with her 4.5in gun. Wireless Ridge as the Falklands Brazil – the country’s largest port, have scratched the surface of proved rather strenuous. a significant amount of data
Among the Type 21 frigate’s weather conspired against the trip close to its largest city Sao Paulo
the surveying work required The sailors were hosted and made a positive impact
crew that fateful night was AB with gale-force winds and hail. – for a brief overhaul, allowing her
by the time she returns to by the Qatar Hash House on navigational safety, though
Brown’s father, who re-visited the Despite the inclement weather crew some R&R.
Devonport. Harriers on their first night, who she’s by no means finished
Of course, she can’t challenged the Enterprisers to yet,” said Cdr Robertson.
continually be at sea until 2008, a run (in the desert heat). “There’s still a huge amount
so there are some breaks in the The sporting theme continued to do – it never stops, and
‘Like a Bentley...’
programme. on the second day of the visit neither do we.”
BRITAIN’S next-generation destroyer has used a fraction of the fuel which a Type
surpassed expectations on her fi rst outing at 42 destroyer or Type 23 frigate would have
sea. devoured conducting the same trials.
A month around the waters of western “This is the best first-of-class warship I
Scotland saw HMS Daring sail faster, turn have seen in my 44 years in shipbuilding,”
better and stop more quickly than her builders enthused Vic Emery, head of surface
expected – or the RN asked of her. shipbuilding at BAE Systems which has built
The Type 45 destroyer’s handling was Daring jointly with the VT Group.
tested extensively in the Firth of Clyde, “She moves like a Bentley or a Rolls.”
chiefly off the Isle of Arran, as well as in Ian Chambers, head of sea trials for BAE,
the more open – and considerably rougher added: “You get a sense of what she’s going
– waters off Benbecula. to be like while you’re building her, but it’s
A mix of RN and civilian crew took Daring only at sea that it really hits you.
to sea for her maiden voyage. “She’s absolutely awesome.”
The destroyer conducted various speed and Daring is now alongside at Scotstoun on
engine trials, turning and general handling the Clyde to complete fitting out and work
manoeuvres, clocking up 4,500 miles on the on her combat systems before she resumes
counter. trials next March/April.
To date, the top speed achieved by the The PAAMS missile system which is the
ship is 31½ knots – the Navy wanted 28 from ship’s principal weapon is due to be tested
her. in the Mediterranean this winter using a
Also tested during the trials were Daring’s specially-adapted barge, Longbow.
4.5in main gun and her 30mm weaponry. Also fitting out at Scotstoun is Daring’s
“We have learned a tremendous amount,” sister Dauntless ahead of her sea trials in
said Cdr David Shutts, Daring’s Senior Naval late 2008.
Officer. “She’s not the finished product, but Type 45 No.3, HMS Diamond, will be
you can see where she’s going. launched further up the Clyde at Govan this
“What has surprised us most is her autumn.
acceleration – 0 to 26 or 27 knots in little Picture: BAE Systems
over a minute.” marina Daring in Superb’s sights, page 5; at sea with
Despite reaching those speeds, Daring Daring, centre pages
0007_NN_Sept.indd 107_NN_Sept.indd 1 221/8/07 13:06:031/8/07 13:06:03
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