2 NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2008
HMS Exeter
HMS Mersey
HMS Dasher
HMS Pursuer
HMS Ledbury Vikings/845NAS/846 NAS/FSMASU
HMS Sabre/Scimitar
HMS Ark Royal 539 ASRM/EOD Team
854 NAS HMS Kent
RFA Wave Ruler
HMS Iron Duke
HMS Endurance
HMS Chatham
HMS Montrose
HMS Ramsey
HMS Blyth
HMS Atherstone
HMS Chiddingfold
857 NAS
RFA Cardigan Bay
RFA Wave Knight
RF A Argus
FASLANE
ROSYTH
RFA Lyme Bay
HMS GANNET
HMS Argyll
800/801 NAS
RFA Black Rover
HMS Mersey
HMS Grimsby
HMS Clyde
HMS Blazer
HMS Ranger
YEOVIL
TON
3 Cdo Bde
HMS Liverpool
Plus one ballistic missile submarine on patrol somewhere beneath the Seven Seas
DEVONPORT
PORTSMOUTH
CULDROSE
HMS Cattistock
HMS Southampton
Satellite imagery courtesy of NASA
FFleet Focusleet Focus
● Return of the days of sail...
a Tall Ship as seen through
one of HMS Mersey’s
portholes
THERE’S a distinctly green ‘tint’ to our September
edition... and it’s only the appetiser for next six months.
Before September is out, 3 Commando Brigade begin
deploying to Afghanistan where they will relieve the Army and
take over Britain’s peacekeeping mission in Helmand.
The last act before heading east was a huge Mission Rehearsal
Exercise, or MRX, in Wiltshire and Wales involving the entire
brigade (see page 4) and its many eclectic parts, the most diverse
of which is probably the Commando Logistic Regiment (see
pages 14 and 15).
From MRX to JTFX... 3,000 miles away flagship HMS Ark
Royal was home to an equally eclectic mix of formations, this
time from the US Marine Corps, plus the Baggers of 854 NAS
for an amphibious Joint Task Force Exercise, or JTFX, off the
Eastern Seaboard of the USA (see opposite).
A few hundred miles to the south, HMS Iron Duke bagged her
second drugs bust in a month (admittedly minus the drugs, the
suspects probably ditched the bales over the side). It took some
sharpshooting from the marines to bring the go-fast boat they
were using to a halt (see page 6).
Drug trafficking at sea is not purely a problem in the Americas;
it is increasingly becoming an issue in the Gulf region. HMS
Montrose scored the biggest bust of the year (and also the most
demanding; see page 25).
Montrose is currently attached to the ‘forgotten fleet’ of CTF
152 which safeguards the southern Gulf and is currently under
RN control (see pages 25-27).
At the other end of the sea, HMS Chatham continues to
protect Iraq’s oil platforms with CTF 158. Both ships – and
both task forces – fall within the vast realm of the UK Maritime
Component Command in Bahrain (see pages 25-27).
Already in Afghanistan are the Sea Kings of 845 and 846 NAS,
providing aerial support for British forces (see pages 8 and 9).
Ice ship HMS Endurance is edging up the west coast of Africa
for her summer ‘tour’, while her more typical domain is being
ruled by HM Ships Clyde and Liverpool, which have both been
in South Georgia (see page 10).
It’s been the pleasure of a plethora of RN warships to chaperone
the magnificent Tall Ships on their 2008 tour. HMS Southampton
caught up with them in Rouen, then (deep breath) Argyll, Blazer,
A Tall order to follow
Ranger, Grimsby and RFA Lyme Bay in Liverpool (see page 18),
WHILE a substantial naval force Lough Foyle in Northern Ireland Away from the Minches, Mersey and delivered it to its
and finally HMS Mersey sailed with the sailing ships from her
had the pleasure of chaperoning where this leg of the race would winds picked up towards the destination.
namesake river to Norway (see right).
the maj estic Tall Ships out of actually begin, ending some Orkneys and Shetlands. This Next up was an exchange
Not all Royal Marines are deploying to Helmand this autumn.
the Mersey, one vessel was 850 nautical miles away off the proved a communication of sailors with TS Royalist.
Some are recently back (40 Commando, who were treated to
charged with guiding them coast off Måløy in Norway. problem as the stragglers, still Unbeknown to Mersey, the
a VIP tour of London; see page 24) and some have constant
safely to Norway. At 15-minute intervals, the in the Minches, were some 300 sailing vessel’s water plant had
global commitments (Fleet Protection Group RM, who’ve been
Fishery protection ship HMS ships slipped away from the miles behind the race leaders packed up, so the six women
training in Belize; see page 13).
Mersey was selected as the bay, dropping their sails from and Mersey’s race offi cials who came across to join the
NATO duties are just beginning for HMS Ledbury which has
escort for the sailing ships... their main masts to gather were struggling to pick up all of warship not only brought their
joined an international minehunting force (see page 6)... while
but only after a bit of nimble speed, leaving spectators with the positions on the radio. dirty washing for Mersey to
they’ve just ended after seven months for HMS Somerset, which
‘driving’. a sight they would never forget. The passage to Norway was clean but had also brought
finally returned to Devonport (see page 7). Also home after a
The ship was ordered to The next stop was the not without incident. The Jolie their toiletries and towels for a
lengthy deployment is destroyer HMS Edinburgh, which was
bring up the rear as the sailing Minches. Expecting the usual Brisse suffered a fl at battery, well-earned shower.
greeted by cheering families and typical summer weather (wind,
vessels departed Liverpool for strong winds and choppy seas, which limited the use of not Once cleaned up, they had
dark skies etc; see page 7).
HMS Kent
the Parade of Sail – a simple they didn’t come for the sailors only their navigation systems the chance of driving the River
sailed over the wreck of the previous HMS Exeter
manoeuvre on paper. and many Tall Ships even found but also her electrics and class around at high speed,
(recently discovered by an Australian team) in the Java Sea with
In reality, it meant racing themselves going backwards navigation lights. much to the annoyance of the
some of her survivors aboard to pay her respects (see page 32).
at 20kts down a river ebbing due to the strong tidal streams That meant a 25-mile trip for rest of the ship’s company who
Half a world away, today’s HMS Exeter was remembering
at 4kts with sailing ships in the area. Mersey to another ship first to were trying to get their heads
the sacrifices by the wartime generation first in Iceland, then in
northern Russia (see page 16).
everywhere. Mersey, on the other hand, collect a charger, then 80 miles down during a Sunday routine.
If that all sounds a bit chilly, then head to the Rock, mainstay
“It felt like driving down was having a great time, back the way she had came to The final hours passed
of the RN for over three centuries. We take a look at life behind
the wrong way of a dual basking in the sunshine and reach the Jolie Brisse... except without incident and Mersey
the scenes in Gib (see pages 20-21).
carriageway at 70mph,” said Lt enjoying the fl at calm seas. She that sighting the vessel was handed over race duties,
And finally, the clouds did part briefly for Meet Your Navy...
Cdr Allan Wilson, Mersey’s CO. even found time to conduct proving tricky as the sailing including the two offi cials, to a
although it was the men and women of the RN who really shone
Head-on collisions avoided, some perry buoy manoeuvres, ship unable to use her radio. Norwegian Coastguard vessel
(laboured journalistic cliché No.663 – Ed), while RFA Lyme Bay
Mersey safely followed the Tall allowing the two Tall Ship race Luckily the Shetland before heading south to do what
was on best form across the North Sea in Den Helder (see pages
Ships out of the estuary and offi cials on board to con a Coastguard Helicopter stepped she does best: fi shery patrol off
22-23).
made her way eventually to 2,100-ton warship. in, collected the charger from the coast of Lowestoft.
0002_NN_Sept.indd 102_NN_Sept.indd 1 119/8/08 12:21:099/8/08 12:21:09
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