4 NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2007
The ultimate Luni welcome
fi ghting for Merlin
machine
THE Merlin fliers of HMS
Northumberland were given a
possible glimpse of the future
WOE to the foe who has to face
when they dropped in on their
the men and women of HMS
Italian counterparts.
Kent because there’s probably no
The helicopter, which is
more battle-hardened unit in the
increasingly becoming the
Fleet.
backbone of Type 23 operations,
The Portsmouth-based frigate
is an Anglo-Italian collaboration.
collected a bevy of trophies for
Luni, near to the major naval
her fighting efficiency during last
base of La Spezia, is the spiritual
year’s tour of duty in the Gulf.
home of the Italian Merlin.
Kent should be able to defend
And it would be rude
herself admirably against fast-
not to call in on Luni while
attack craft, earning the HMS
Northumberland prowled the
Hibernia Gunnery Award for her
Mediterranean on NATO duties.
aptitude in close-range gunnery.
1 Gruppo Elicotteri (1st
The ship’s team also picked
Helicopter Group) operates four
up the Sopwith Pup Trophy (not
different variants of Merlin at
for shooting down biplanes but
Luni, from a rather ugly general
for the outstanding contribution
purpose model with a radar on its
made by her ship’s flight from
nose, to an eye-in-the-sky variant
815 NAS last year), the Fleet
with a large circular airborne
Anti-Submarine Warfare Trophy
radar mounted under its hull – a
and last, but not least, the VT
possible solution to the Fleet Air
Communications Trophy.
Arm’s requirements when the
Rear Admiral Philip Wilcocks,
‘Bagger’ Sea Kings are eventually
Chief-of-Staff Capabilities to
retired.
the Commander-in-Chief Fleet,
After an obligatory espresso,
told Kent’s ship’s company he
Flight Commander Lt Andy
could not remember one of HM
Naylor and observer Lt Jim
warships collecting such a haul of
Lock exchanged pictures with
trophies in a single year.
the squadron commander and
thanked the Italian naval aviators
Sabre rattling
for their hospitality, “sowing the
seeds for a future formal visit by
the Merlin force headquarters
by Bulwark
later in the year”.
After the work came the
fun. Luni is relatively close to
WHILE her sister was at the hub
Lake Garda (well, considerably
of an invasion of Hampshire
closer than either Culdrose or
(see pages 16-17), HMS Bulwark
● Argus’ fl ight deck crew carry out fi re-
Devonport at any rate).
practised for war in the waters
fi ghting training ahead of helicopters ferrying
The two fliers hit the road for
of Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.
the fi rst ‘casualties’ aboard
a 3½-hour drive to Italy’s largest
South West Sabre was Picture: Jannine Hartmann, FRPU Whale Island
lake, famed for its beauty...
the climax of training for the
and windsurfing... and pizza
assault ship as a team from
MORE than 180 surgeons, dentists and ship’ – effectively a floating accident and Plymouth, Queen Alexandra in Portsmouth
(apparently, “the biggest pizza
the Flag Officer Sea Training
medical experts spent two weeks at sea to emergency department which allows and, on a smaller scale, Friarage Hospital
ever encountered”).
ticked all the relevant boxes to
ensure the Navy could cope with casualties battlefield casualties to receive vital in Northallerton, and the Royal Centre for
The duo arrived at the
ensure Bulwark would be fit for
on a large scale in time of war. treatment in theatre before being flown to a Defence Medicine in Birmingham.
picturesque lakeside village of
operational duties.
Medical Endeavour sucked in medics hospital ashore to recover. After a week bonding to ensure the diverse
Torbole to find the wind calmed,
Given the size, capability
from Hampshire, Devon, North Yorkshire It’s a role Argus last performed during the team of medics could work together, the
so they ordered pizza.
and potential of Bulwark,
and the West Midlands, all of whom 2003 Iraq campaign when her hospital staff second stage of Medical Endeavour merged
They were about to tuck in
she receives bespoke
converged on RFA Argus to work alongside cared not merely for wounded Allied troops, with the much larger Grey Heron war games
when the wind picked up... so it
training from the FOST team
musicians from the RM Band Service acting but also injured Iraqis. (see pages 16 and 17) in the Solent, for key
was down with the pizza and up
alongside traditional tests of
as stretcher bearers. “It offers a level of care to deployed to any amphibious operation is the ability to
with the boards and wetsuits for
firefighting, damage control and
Although she possesses a 100-bed personnel on a par with that of the NHS,” treat casualties as quickly as possible.
an afternoon on the water.
engineering prowess.
hospital with three state-of-the-art operating said Surg Cdr Tom McAuslin, in charge of ‘Casualties’ from the ‘invasion’ of
The rest of the day was spent
Two weeks of amphibious
theatres and intensive care facilities, Argus the facility. Browndown beach in Gosport were rapidly
riding the choppy waves... and
operations, supported by 42
is not a hospital ship. The ‘primary casualty receiving facility’ transferred to Argus to see whether the
(narrowly) avoiding the Lady of
Commando, 59 Independent
Instead, the aviation training vessel draws its staff from the MOD Hospital medical team could cope with numerous
the Lake ferry.
Commando Squadron RE, the
doubles as a ‘primary casualty receiving Units within NHS hospitals at Derriford in serious injuries in quick succession.
Thoroughly exhausted by their
Commando Logistics Regiment
exertions, Andy and Jim returned
and 29 Commando Regiment
their boards and suits and
RA, were arranged for Bulwark,
Something old, something new...
presented a Fly Navy frisbee to
in company with the German
the activity centre staff. “To our
frigate FGS Rheinland Pfalz.
dismay,” says Jim, “we noticed we
Various raids and landings
had been outdone by the signed
were staged in Plymouth
Apache crew print on the wall.”
Sound, Mevagissey Bay,
Predannack and Lulworth.
... IN FACT, something
borrowed too, as HMS
Back to Wales
Clyde is on lease to the
Senior Service.
Anyhow, one of the older
for Pembroke
warships in Britain’s inventory
bumped into the new kid on
A YEAR after being granted
the block when HM Ships
the freedom of not one but two
Southampton and Clyde (nearest
towns, HMS Pembroke returned
the camera here) met in the middle
to Pembroke and Pembroke
of the South Atlantic.
Dock.
The Saint was bound for
In the autumn of 2006, the
Uruguay having coming from the
minehunter’s ship’s company
Falklands; brand-new Clyde was
paraded through the Welsh towns
bound for the Falklands having
with flags flying, bayonets fixed
partied in Rio after a Brazilian
and drums beating.
naval review.
All banners, weapons and
Southampton spent five days
musical instruments, were left
alongside in Montevideo, home
firmly on the Sandown-class
Fox goes
to the remnants of the Graf Spee,
warship.
very impressive steaks (according
On this occasion Pembroke
to our assistant editor), and an
hosted her affiliates, notably a
a huntin’
Anglo-friendly populace.
trio of Sea Cadet units – TS
Uruguay was country number
Warrior (Pembroke Dock), TS
nine on Southampton’s deployment
Skirmisher (Fishguard) and TS
FORGIVE the rather grainy (the destroyer has added 17,000
Harrier (Milford Haven) – her
nature of the image – this is, after miles to her odometer so far on affilated Army formation, Welsh
all, a mine on the seabed as seen this deployment) and coincided Transport Regiment, as well as
through the eyes of the newest with a celebration of Anglo- RNA veterans, local dignitaries
piece of minehunting kit. Uruguayan friendship. and the ship’s sponsor Stephanie
HMS Chiddingfold Two hundred years ago, the Gretton.
successfully tested SeaFox British sent troops to occupy
– the successor to the ‘yellow Montevideo, a move which lit the to the graves of our dead from Just to add to the ‘fun’ a number gunnery officer to collect the
submarines’ used by Hunt and powder keg on two decades of two centuries of conflict in the of tourists managed to get lost in Grytviken Trophy for proficiency Tour de Lynx
Sandown-class warships – for the fighting and revolution, ending approaches to Montevideo, the rugged island wilderness. in naval gunfire support.
first time on a major exercise, with Uruguay’s independence in especially the victims of the 1939 On the plus side, the exercise Southampton’s duties ‘down TWO Lynx from 815 NAS acties
Neptune Warrior. 1830. Battle of the River Plate. allowed most of Southampton’s south’ are ending. as ‘sentries’ for the start of the
SeaFox was dispatched every To mark the bicentennial of The destroyer then headed for sailors to get ashore, watch the After being away from second stage of the Tour of
time the command team picked that British expedition, sailors South Georgia with a company antics of elephant seals, have Portsmouth since April, she Britain cycle race.
up a suspicious contact on the from Southampton joined the from the Princess of Wales Royal passports stamped in the post returns to the UK next month, That wasn’t extremely
ship’s sonar. Ambassador to Uruguay, Hugh Regiment and tanker RFA Gold office, and pause for reflection at while sister HMS Nottingham surprising as the 105-mile leg
It beamed live images back to Salvesen, and Montevideo’s Rover to test the response of forces Shackleton’s grave. heads in the opposite direction kicked off in Yeovilton, home of
the mother ship. Some ‘contacts’ city leader as a memorial was based in the Falklands (750 miles A few hardy souls attempted to replace her after a final spell of the Lynx force.
turned out to be rocks; others, unveiled. away) in the event of a cruise ship the RN Fitness Test in the snow training and maintenance. The 815 aircraft conducted
like this one, proved to be Southampton’s sailors also running aground in the isolated and even hardier souls lowered Clyde’s duties in the South displays in the sky while on the
practice mines laid by the war paid their respects in Buceo island. kayaks into the water for a paddle Atlantic are just beginning as she ground their crews explained
game’s organisers... requiring the British Cemetery, helping the In this case, a fictitious liner had around Grytviken. has just taken over from venerable the role of the helicopter and
ship’s divers to enter the water Commonwealth War Graves not merely grounded, but spilled And there could be no more Dumbarton Castle (see centre the FAA to racers, race officials
and recover them. Commission caretaker to tend oil into South Georgian waters. fitting a location for Southampton’s pages). and cycling buffs.
NNEW 004_NN_Nov.indd 1EW 004_NN_Nov.indd 1 118/10/07 09:50:028/10/07 09:50:02
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