12 NAVY NEWS, MAY 2007
618
A
PRIL saw landing
ship RFA Mounts
Bay celebrate with
her affiliated town
of Falmouth in Cornwall,
with Naval helicopters fly-
ing overhead in salute and
What a glorious Bay
RFA sailors forming up for a
parade in the town’s heart.
It has been barely seven months
since the dedication of the massive
Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary)
in the same town, but it’s been a
busy period with the RFA ship
sailing 14,000 miles, visiting
both the Equator and the Arctic
Circle, in the brief months before
Christmas.
She started 2006 with trials
along the British coast, running
through the myriad tests and
inspections needed for any new
ship in a new class.
With her successes tucked
securely under her belt, she offi-
cially entered service in July, and
by October could be found in the
waters off West Africa, working
Korea .......................1950-53
Battle Honours
alongside 12 other ships in the
Navy’s Amphibious Task Group.
Class: Bay-class Landing Ship
The Royal Marines of 40
Dock (Auxiliary)
Pennant Number: L3008
Commando travelled in some
Builder: BAE Systems, Govan
style in this next-generation land- Laid down: February 24 2003
ing ship, with roomy cabins and Launched: April 9 2004
wide passageways that stand in
In service: July 13 2006
some contrast to her Knight pred-
Dedication: September 15 2006
ecessors.
in Falmouth
Displacement: 16,160 tonnes
Their vehicles also enjoyed a
Length: 176 metres
more spacious ride, with Mounts
Beam: 26.4 metres (32.2 metres
Bay able to carry more than twice with Mexeflotes)
as many vehicles as Sir Galahad,
Draught: 5.8 metres
with swifter load and unload from
Speed: 18 knots (max) es
her floodable dock, two 30-tonne
Complement: Approx. 60
Military lift: 356 troops (can be
cranes, and a flight-deck that is
increased to 500)
expansive enough to welcome the
Landing craft: Two LCPV or one
MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. LCU Mk10
The Bay-class stand apart from
Mexeflotes: Two – transported
the other large ships of the RFA
fixed to hull sides
and RN fleet as they are equipped
Vehicle deck: 1,200 linear
with bow thrusters and steerable
metres
Picture: LA(Phot) Dave Gallagher● RFA Mounts Bay off West Africa on the Op Vela deployment, with HMS Albion in the distance
Aviation: Flight deck capable
azimuth thrusters, allowing these
of operating British military
ships to hover on the spot. during the Vela deployment. Royal Fleet Auxiliary to be named class of incomplete hulls built She later transferred to the West helicopters up to and including
They are able to position them- Two months later and Mounts Mounts Bay, but there was an by Pickersgill shipbuilders in Indies Station, and served in the Chinook
selves dynamically, discharging Bay was setting another first, HMS Mounts Bay within the RN Sunderland in 1945, but finished Indian Ocean and the Far East.
Propulsion: Diesel electric
men, vehicles and equipment heading into the Arctic Circle and fleet – although this anti-aircraft by Thorneycroft in 1949. In 1961 she was sold to Portugal
propulsion with bow thruster and
without the need to anchor – a reaching the furthest north of any frigate herself was originally the As her battle honours show she where as the Vasco da Gama she
azimuth thrusters
Armament: Self defence
skill that was displayed to perfec- of the four Bay-class ships. Loch Kilbirnie. was at the Far East Station and served with the Portugese Navy
capability
tion in the waters off Sierra Leone The current ship is the first She was one of the Loch-Ness served in the Korean War. until broken up in 1971.
Facts and figur
HEROES OF THE ROYAL NAVY No.37
Skipper Joseph Watt RNR VC
NOT many Victoria Crosses barrage including the Gowan
were awarded to Naval men Lea.
whose crew consisted of just In the early hours of May
eight men and a terrier... But 15 the cruisers began to shred
Skipper Joe Watt wasn’t your their miniature rivals, ordering
usual Naval man, and his thea- the crews to abandon ship then
tre was not one of the usual sinking the drifters with gunfire.
Naval operations. Despite the fact that the
Between the island of Corfu Austrians’ guns far outweighed
and the heel of Italy, with the the drifters with their 6-pound-
Adriatic to the north and the ers, a number of boats chose to
Mediterranean to the south, lie stand up to their mighty coun-
the Straits of Otranto. terparts.
This 62-mile wide open- The Novara approached
ing was the only passageway Watt’s drifter, as it had with
through which the Austro- countless others, and ordered
Hungarian navy was able to them to abandon ship.
reach the theatres of war in and beyond the Watt replied with orders for full steam ahead
Mediterranean. and urged on his crew with “three cheers for a
■ First to see the latest Navy News from around the world
In 1915 fears that the Austro-Hungarian Navy fight to the finish”.
may interfere with Allied operations in the The Gowan Lea fired on the Novara, to the
2. CHOOSE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION 05/07
Mediterranean were voiced and a blockade larger ship’s undoubted surprise, but a swift
Region Years Rate Tick
was set up. and harsh response from the cruiser’s guns
www.navynews.co.uk
UK One £20.50
The blockade consisted of motor launches saw the drifter’s gun taken out of action and
and net drifters, equipped with depth charges, an ensuing explosion from a nearby box of
YES, I would like to subscribe to Navy News
UK Two £37.00
metal nets and small defensive guns. A smat- ammunition.
(please refer to the table opposite for prices)
UK Three £55.00
tering of Italian, French and British destroyers, Dented and bashed, riddled with gunfire,
Send the completed form and payment to: Overseas* One £24.50
sloops and aircraft supported the 120 drifters the Gowan Lea presented a woeful sight, and
and 30 motor launches. believing her to be sinking, the Novara moved
Subscriptions,
Overseas* Two £43.00
The Austrians, although only occasionally on down the line.
Navy News, HMS Nelson,
Overseas* Three £62.50 hampered by the blockade, became increas- However, Watt and his crew got the boat
ingly angered by its existence and attacked a moving and came to the aid of the other small
Queen Street, Portsmouth
*Overseas Surface Mail including Republic of Ireland, Europe,
number of times in 1915, 1916 and 1917. ships caught up in the clash – in just over an
Hampshire PO1 3HH, England
Canada, USA & Australia. (Airmail rates available on request)
It was during one of these attacks on the hour, 14 of the 47 drifters were sunk.
3. COMPLETE YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS
Tel: +44 023 9273 4448 (24hr answerphone)
Otranto Barrage, as it became known, in May Helping those she could, the Gowan Lea
email: subscriptions@navynews.co.uk
I enclose 1917 that the 29-year-old Joseph Watt earned eventually made it back to port in Otranto.
his Victoria Cross. Joseph Watt received his VC from the King in
Cheque Postal Order IMO
1. COMPLETE YOUR DETAILS
Watt was a fisherman of fisherman stock, April 1918. His other commendations included
in £ Sterling made payable to ‘Navy News’
born in the fishing village of Gardenstown the Croix de Guerre and an Italian Silver Military
I wish to pay by in Banffshire. After his father’s death at sea, Medal for Valour, and he held a Serbian Gold
Name Visa Mastercard Delta Switch/Solo
he and his mother moved along the coast to Medal from his earlier wartime career.
Fraserburgh, and most of the men on his drifter Besides Watt’s VC the driftermen won five
Address
Payment Amount £ shared his Fraserburgh roots. DSCs, a bar to a DSC, five GCMs, 18 DSMs and
Credit Card orders cannot be accepted under £5.00 He volunteered for the Patrol Service at the a bar to a DSM.
Card Number
outbreak of war, aged 27, and by 1915 he was After the war Watt returned to his old way of
posted to Italy where, aboard his drifter HMS life as a fisherman, every day braving the waters
Start Date Expiry Date Issue No. CSC No. Gowan Lea, he was one of those tasked to pre- of the North Sea.
vent free passage of Austro-Hungarian vessels. This modest fisherman dodged the welcom-
As Austrian patience with the motley block- ing committee and brass band on his return to
Signature Date
ade ran out, the decision was taken to break the his Scottish home, and had scant patience for
Allied line. On the night of the May 14 1917 three the journalists who sought his VC story.
Postcode Country
This is a
Austrian light cruisers, SMS Novara, SMS Saida He became known as ‘VC Joe’ but adamantly
New subscription Renewed subscription
and SMS Helgoland, converged on the barrage refused to talk of his exploits during the war
Phone Number in order to destroy it and open the Otranto with anyone – even his wife.
Start my subscription from month
Straits to Austrian shipping. In 1955 he died of cancer at his home in
Email
That night there were 47 drifters in the Fraserburgh where he is buried beside his wife.
Due to administration costs, a refund cannot be given if the subscription is cancelled during the
first six months, and thereafter would be subject to a £5.00 admin charge.
0012_NN_may07.indd 112_NN_may07.indd 1 117/4/07 11:23:017/4/07 11:23:01
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57