8 NAVY NEWS, JULY 2008
Miami
● And if you look to your right you can see HMS Richmond...
The frigate glides across the Andros Channel – as seen from
the cockpit of her Merlin
Nassau
Timmes Ses
Squuarar
e
Having a (thunder) ball
SUBMARINERS arSU e used to
they were given priority in queues.
TTyype 23s bearing down on p
● The Manhattan skyline (and Staten Island ferry terminal) as seen from
One group left the city behind and
HMS Richmond berthed in Brooklyn
them.the
headed to Orange County Choppers
(motorcycles, not helicopters) in, er,
Just Ju not American ‘deeps’.
Orange County, New York, to meet
But sevB eral hundred American
some of the US’ most famous bikers.
deedeeps experp ienced what their British
The garage and showroom produces
comcomrades have been subjected to for the
unique bikes and the OCC have earned
past past 15 years during Exercise Spartacus
a worldwide reputation thanks to the
arouaround Andros in the Bahamas.
TV show American Chopper... which is
HMS Richmond wH as invited to join
how the Richmond team came to visit.
Spartacus – a fi ve-day exercise with
The sailors were given a
three Los-Angeles class hunter-killer three
comprehensive tour of the site and
boats,t United States Ships Scranton,
Albuuquerque and Philadelphia.
had a chat/photo with the OCC’s
ThThe American trio needed a warship
founding father (and star of the TV
to pito pit their wits against as they hosted
documentary), Paul Teutal.
potepotential submarine COs and XOs for
For those who like their oil to be
the the Submarine Command Course,
olive rather than Castrol, there was a
the the US version of Perisher, around
taste of the high life.
AUAUTEC,T the underwater test ranges in
The WOs’ and Chiefs’ Mess held
the Bthe Bahamas.
their mess dinner in the restaurant
ThThe Bahamas are renowned for
Gordon Ramsey at The London... which
beinbeing (a) peaceful and (b) relaxed.
is actually a couple of blocks from
NNone of which was in evidence over
Central Park.
four four days in May when six wars raged Aidan Riley, the fl ight observer. For others being in the water was
Twenty-four senior rates attended
(forttunately, peace in each case was “Overall, they assessed that the more important than out of it. Twenty
the private function, sitting down to
decladeclared after ten hours). Merlin had been a great success.” sailors headed off on a diving expedition
seared tuna, fillet of beef in a red wine
TeTen hours is a long time in war All good things must come to an which took them to the wreck of the
jus, and a trio of desserts, all washed
(just(just ask the Japanese at Midway), end: the fl iers had to return to mother Tears of Allah (as seen in the Bond fi lm
down with ‘a little’ wine.
long enough for the hunter-killerlonng s to as Spartacus reached its climax. Never Say Never Again) and a mock-up
The cost of the dinner is a closely-
mount half a dozen amoou ttack runs against “The Americans proved to be Vulcan bomber (as used in the slightly
guarded secret... but the bill for water
Empir
e Stat
e
Richmond in thaRicch t historic game of cat testing opponents – but they all had different version of the same Bond
alone was £170, so it probably wasn’t
and mouse betwandd een submarine and great diffi culty escaping the combined story, Thunderball).
cheap.
shipshi . attentions of Richmond and her From the Bahamas, it was along
From one great city to another.
Building
The three T American boats had 32 Merlin,” enthused Richmond’s CO the Eastern Seaboard to the Hudson
Leaving New York, Richmond made
torpedoes to fip re at the frigate (all Cdr Mark Southorn. River and the unforgettable Manhattan
for Quebec, a city where her forebears
dummies,dum set to run beneath the ship, “Taking part in the American skyline.
haven’t always been welcomed.
but thaut t t didn’t take much pressure off Submarine Command Course was a The frigate was invited to take part
Indeed, in 1759 a previous
the brthe b idge and ops room teams). fantastic opportunity to hone the ship’s in Fleet Week, the annual gathering of
Richmond was at the forefront of
And Richmond wA as not going to anti-submarine warfare skills – we US naval might in New York.
Britain’s (successful) attempt to seize
let the mice plalet t y unimpeded. Her hope that this will become a regular Actually, Richmond was berthed
the city from the French.
Merlin had four exMer ercise torpedoes of occurrence for our frigates.” opposite Manhattan Island in Brooklyn
All that was forgotten, however, as
her oher wn to fi re at the US submarines, Once the American ‘Perishers’ – still close enough to the Big Apple for
Quebec celebrated its 400th birthday.
and there wand as the small matter of her and their boats departed, Richmond her sailors to play a full role in events.
Richmond faced an 11-hour passage
Sonar 2087 from which there wSon as remained at AUTEC for another ten They took part in official lunches,
down the St Lawrence to reach the
nowhere for the w Yanks to hide. days to conduct further trials of her ceremonies on Staten Island and the
famous city, where she took part in a
The Merlin Flight managed to T Sonar 2087, this time with a British assault ship USS Kearsarge, plus
sail past with vessels from the Canadian,
disembark to Andros Island and boat as her foe (unlike the American commemorations for US Memorial
French, US and Irish Navies and a
Blight
disd e
y
AUAUTEUTEC HQ (unlike many of their boats, we can’t tell you which one for Day.
21-gun salute in front of Canada’s
shishipmaipm tes). security reasons). New York is renowned for its
Governor General, Michaëlle Jean.
AAndros is renowned for its swimming During the sonar exercises, at least hospitality to visiting sailors – a
Visits to New York aren’t too
andand fi shing. There was little chance for half the crew were able to get ashore reputation it thoroughly lived up to.
frequent; visits to Quebec by the RN
thethe fl iers to partake in either as the to Andros at one time or another to “The ship’s company went
are far fewer, so a chance to explore
pupunishing schedule demanded the enjoy local hospitality… and locals ashore in uniform every day and the
the city from the imposing citadel
MeMerlin was either in the air… or being enjoyed Richmond hospitality, with 25 response from the local population to
on the shoreline to the panoply of
reareadied to be in the air. islanders being invited on to the frigate personnel was nothing but positive and
museums and art galleries (most of
IIndeed, the aircrew clocked up 50 for a day. welcoming,” said Lt Cdr Steve Spiller,
which, like Quebec, have a strong
hohours’ fl ying in 15 days (rather than Not all the time in the Bahamas Richmond’s weapon engineer officer.
French influence).
thethe two months it normally takes was spent at Andros; Richmond was “Our sailors were stopped in the Quebec was the last port of call on
thethem)… and the engineers clocked up berthed in Nassau for three days to fi t street to be thanked for their service by the frigate’s summer deployment.
mamany more on top of that, but at least and test some kit. members of the public or even asked It was now time to return home via
woworking ashore gave them far roomier While that was being done, 15 golfers if they could have their photographs the St Lawrence and the Atlantic.
accaccess to the helicopter than the much hit the Cable Beach Club (where taken.” And being summer, the Atlantic was
momore cramped confi nes of a Type 23. virtually every hole has some form of Such is the difference between in a foul mood. The ship steamed into
“We gained enormous amounts of water feature), weapon engineer offi cer Britain and the US that not only did the teeth of a Force 11 gale (that’s one
vavaluable dal ta and passed it back to the Lt Cdr Steve Spiller posted the best the Richmond sailors enjoy free entry below hurricane) and had to heave to
expexperts controlling the trials,” said Lt score with an impressive 72. to many attractions in New York, but for 24 hours to ride it out.
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