10 NAVY NEWS, JULY 2008
THOSE Far East deployments.THOSO E Far r E
state was 2 and there was good visibility for
Hong Kong. Shanghai. SingaporHong KgKongo . SS e.
ten nautical miles.
The runs ashorThe rur ns ns as e. The different cultures.
And then the micro burst struck. The wind
The cheap electrTheTh chchc eapea ele onic gadgets. Cameras.
veered 120° and was gusting up to 40kts. The
MicrMicMi roo computers. Micr commputpuu e o bursts.
sea had grown worse by a couple of grades
MicrMicM croro bursts? Not something you’d pick bursts
(and the height of the waves increased
up frup from Comet or Currys, but a violent – and om Comet
fi vefold), visibility dropped to less than half a
thankfully short-lived – rain storm which thaankfully shoror
mile. And there was rain.
engulfed HMS Wengulfed e HMSMSS WWestminster.
How much rain? Well, anywhere between
The TThe TyTyype 23 frigate had been taking part in pe p 2323 23 f
16 and 50mm (2in) in an hour (the technical
the Orion 08 deployment, the task grthet OrOrO ionion 08088 deded oup led
term, so the meteorologists on Westminster
by HMS Illustrious in the Indian Ocean.by y HMSHMS IlIllusl trio
tell us, is ‘very heavy’).
She brShehee brbrokeoke away fr a om the task force to
(Beginning of Michael Fish bit.)
work with the Indian and Frworrk k wk ith thhe ench Navies in
The cloud systems which are responsible
the Indian Ocean initiallythethh I Indian O .
for these micro bursts regularly reach up
Then she was asked to wait in ThTheT nnsn sh
to 45,000ft (that’s 10,000ft higher than your
interintinntnterrnnational waters ofnatia on f Burma and
average airliner’s cruising altitude).
possibly ofppossibsis ly y offer assistance in the wake of
These systems or ‘super cells’ store a
Cyclone Nargis which brCyclonloone NNa ought death and
lot of moisture and energy… which can be
destruction to that land.destruction
dumped on any unsuspecting fl ier.
And it was as WAnd itit w estminster sailed
“They can cause horrendous conditions for
acrcrossoss the Bay of Bengal that her fl ththee iers
fl ying with many very real dangers such as
were given a taste of the region’s violent
lightning, down draughts that can drop you
and unpredictable weather.
thousands of feet with no chance of recovery,
The aircrew clambered into the
turbulence, changing wind directions and
helicopter, the rotors were
extremely poor visibility,” said pilot Lt ‘Stevo’
turning, the fl ight deck
Stevenson of 829 NAS.
team were preparing
(End of Michael Fish bit.)
to remove the strips
As for the ship, she remained on standby
binding helicopter to
off Burma, continuing training and working
ship.
closely with our allies, including RASing with
And then blam, a
the amphibious assault ship USS Essex,
micro burst – a severe and
before she was relieved by HMS Edinburgh.
very sudden mini storm.
How mini? Well, ten ● Okay, I’m changing the call sign to
minutes before this picture Wetminster... The microburst engulfs the
was taken the wind was ship as her Merlin prepares for launch
about 10kts, the sea Picture: PO Bob Sharples, 829 NAS
TM
What would
you write?
Sultan’s date with destiny
QUARTER to fi ve on Saturday their own, the Roaring Meg, for That triumph set the A side up
June 7 2008, a moment which will the best B team in the contest. for the fi nal against Heron and
go down in history. As for the A side (pictured Portsmouth Naval Base.
Not quite as much, perhaps, as above), they opened competition All three teams were cheered,
7.48am on Sunday December 7 day in good form and were in third clapped and bagpiped on to the
1941, 6.30am on Tuesday June 6 place with the fi nal fi ve runs left in track for the main event which was
1944 or even 5.30pm on Saturday rising temperatures and a growing as dramatic as it was raucous.
July 30 1966. atmosphere. Heron and Pompey were fastest
But 4.45pm on June 7 was the After a run of 1m 21.18s, the out of the box, while Sultan were in
only time and date which mattered A runners booked their place in the lead in the fi rst action; a swift
to the engineers of HMS Sultan. the grand fi nal. As they waited fi rst fi ring ensured the Gosport
By then they would know whether for the climax of three months’ crew kept their noses in front.
they had lifted the Brickwoods preparation, they cheered on the B The second fi ring, fi nal ‘button
Field Gun Trophy. crew who faced Gib in the Plate up’ and run home were but a blur
Twenty-one crews converged 2 fi nal. as Pompey and Sultan charged for
on the Marlborough Quadrangle The contest was too close to call; the line.
at HMS Collingwood, drawn from Gibraltar conducted a brilliant The engineers were across fi rst
all three Services (principally RN) second fi ring and pushed Sultan and now waited anxiously for the
What would you say to your loved
and all four corners of the British all the way to the line. judges’ decision. The run was
Isles, plus Gib and Naples. Neither crews nor spectators clean: no penalties.
ones if it were your last chance?
The Gosport engineering were able to tell who had won; it And so at 4.45pm on Saturday
establishment fi elded A and B was left to the six timekeepers to June 7 2008, the Brickwoods
sides in the contest; the latter were determine the victors – Sultan by Trophy was in HMS Sultan’s
determined to grab a trophy of .12 of a second. hands.
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0010_NN_July.indd 110_NN_July.indd 1 119/6/08 17:13:429/6/08 17:13:42
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