2 NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2008
HMS Gloucester HMS Dasher
HMS Pursuer
HMS Campbeltown
3 Cdo Bde/Naval Strike Wing/
Vikings/845 NAS/846 NAS/
847 NAS/Fleet FS( Air)
HMS Sabre/Scimitar
SPAG
539 ASRM/EOD T
HMS Echo
eam
HMS Cumberland
HMS Chatham
RFA Wave Ruler
HMS Roebuck
HMS Iron Duke
HMS Ledbury
HMS Liverpool
HMS Northumberland
HMS Lancaster
HMS Ramsey
HMS Kent
HMS Blyth
HMS Atherstone
HMS Chiddingfold
857 NAS
RFA Cardigan Bay
RFA Wave Knight
FASLANE
Joint W
arrior
ROSYTH
HMS GANNET
820 NAS
800/801 NAS
RFA Black Rover
HMS Endurance
YEOVIL
TON
HMS Clyde
Plus one ballistic missile submarine on patrol somewhere beneath the Seven Seas
DEVONPORT
CULDROSE
PORTSMOUTH
Satellite imagery courtesy of NASA
Fleet Fleet FocusFocus Echo enjoys a Korea change
AS YOU might expect from their nature, the men of
FLEET reviews are neither
3 Commando Brigade have hit the ground running on
the preserve of the Royal
beginning their tour of duty in Afghanistan.
42 Commando has conducted a series of aggressive patrols
Navy nor purely the
around Kandahar while the Taleban revealed their presence
domain of Spithead as
to 45 Commando in Sangin. The latter, and other British units HMS Echo found.
in theatre, depend on the Commando Logistic Regiment to
5,706½ miles (the ½ is
support their operations. See pages 14-15 for a round-up from
important – Ed) as the crow
the region.
flies from the RN’s most famous
Several hundred miles to the south, HMS Lancaster has
roadstead, the survey ship joined
relieved HMS Chatham of her duties safeguarding Iraq’s oil
two dozen warships off the port
platforms in rather stormy weather (see page 5). Following
of Pusan for the Republic of
Chatham on the long road home shortly will be HM Ships Blyth
Korea (ROK) International Fleet
and Ramsey whose two-year stint in the Gulf is drawing to a
Review.
close (see page 4).
The Koreans promised an
HMS Montrose is already home from the Gulf region after a
experience crammed with
successful drug-busting patrol (see page 4).
unforgettable memories... which
Oddly, it is not Afghanistan, or even Iraq, which have dominated
began as soon as Echo came
the military news agency in the past month, but piracy. Talk of
alongside in the southern port.
HMS Northumberland’s involvement in the crackdown on piracy
CO Cdr Gary Brooks was
have been somewhat exaggerated, but the frigate is patrolling
greeted by two youngsters in
waters off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden (see page 7).
traditional garb who promptly
She’ll soon be joined east of Suez by HMS Cumberland
placed a flower garland around
attached to a NATO task group (see page 5) and by HMS Kent,
his neck.
heading west after her Far Eastern odyssey, which most recently
He and some of his sailors then
took her to Qingdao and Hong Kong (see page 8).
gathered aboard two of South
Nearby (relatively speaking...), survey ship HMS Echo has been
Korea’s newest ships, Munmu ● Echo’s sailors pay their respects to Korean War dead at the UN memorial cemetery in Pusan
taking part in a South Korean fleet review in Pusan (see right).
the Great and Chungmugong Yi
In the Mediterranean, HMS Roebuck led a major NATO
Sunshin (good score at Scrabble There 885 British servicemen flags before being treated to Echo remains just that, a team, the
minehunting exercise involving HMS Ledbury among other Allied
– Ed) for an offical reception/ who lost their lives during the yet more Korean dancing and sailors were ‘delighted’ to welcome
vessels (see the centre pages).
welcome with national delicacies, three-year struggle to prevent drumming. aboard the expert trainers and
Half a world away, HMS Iron Duke is continuing her Caribbean
dancing and music... although communist forces overrunning “The ROK Navy promised us assessors from the Flag Offi cer Sea
patrol (see page 13).
the final tune of the evening the south of the country are unforgettable memories from the Training for fi ve days of intensive
HMS Endurance has left Africa behind and is preparing for a
was rather more universal: In commemorated. start of the reivew – and that is instruction in the Far East.
return to the frozen continent (see page 5) while HMS Liverpool
The Navy, performed against a XO Lt Cdr Derek Rae led a certainly what we’re taking away FOSTies left the Hamoaze
is edging up the African west coast promoting partnership with
stunning fireworks backdrop. small group of the ship’s company with us,” said Cdr Brooks. behind and fl ew half-way around
to the cemetery, a graveyard since He joined the ship in Hong the globe for what they call
local navies and governments (see the same page).
The next day, the international
1951 and a memorial to Kong where his successor, ‘Directed Continuation Training’
In home waters, it’s farewell to Britain’s oldest serving
force sailed for the formal review.
the fallen of the 1950-53 Cdr Jeremy Churcher – a sort of MOT which ensures
submarine, HMS Superb, which paid off in Devonport after more
A line of 23 foreign vessels
war since 1955, and laid bade farewell to Echo that standards are maintained on
than three decades’ service (see page 6).
centred on the American carrier
a wreath. after nearly three years in deployment and allows a ship to
Another stalwart bowing out is the air transport and
USS George Washington, were
inspected by South Korean On a lighter note, the charge. continue its far-fl ung duties.
communications unit, Heron Flight based at Yeovilton, whose
President Lee Myung-bak aboard ‘Echoers’ were invited One of Cdr Brooks’ And so for fi ve days off Brunei,
place will now be taken by civilian air transport (see page 6).
the destroyer Sejong the Great. to watch an evening first duties was to lead fi re, fl ood, war, men overboard,
While Super Bee leaves the Fleet, HMS Daring is on the cusp
With the formal part of the of Korean culture – a delegation to Stanley breakdowns, and other trials
of joining it after completing her final sea trials (see opposite).
review completed – including a martial arts, magic, Military Cemetery and tribulations rocked Echo by
Also off the north-west coast of Scotland, a large fleet of
hearty cheer from Echo’s ship’s dancing and folk – not one of largest day and night as blue and white
British and Allied warships gathered for the latest Joint Warrior
company as Sejong sailed past – music. burial grounds in watches ‘enjoyed’ the full FOST
exercise (previously Neptune Warrior and Joint Maritime Course),
war erupted. “Everyone who Hong Kong, but one experience.
including HMS Illustrious which has been working up with RAF
Korean forces staged a major attended was in awe at of the oldest and also In between responding to the
Harriers (see page 9).
demonstration of sea and the sheer spectacle – and one which hosts a newly- various tests set by the FOSTies,
Another British participant in Joint Warrior was HMS
air power, culminating in an was extremely impressed commissioned monument the ship’s company were given
Manchester, which arrived on the Clyde escorting the QE2 on
amphibious assault involving all at the effort and organisation to the hundreds of Chinese lectures on damage control
the liner’s farewell visit to the river of her birth (see page 17).
ROK vessels and aircraft taking which had gone into producing the nationals who lost their lives in techniques, fi rst aid and fi re
Further south, new Fleet submarine HMS Astute re-emerged
part in the review. event,” said Lt Marie Whitehouse, the two global wars at sea in the fi ghting procedures.
from the huge hall which has been her home since initial trials in
War done, the assorted ships Echo’s meteorological officer. 20th Century. And despite all this going
2007 (see page 5).
returned to Pusan’s two principal The colour didn’t end there. Echo is in the early stages of a on, Echo continued her survey
Astute has yet to go to sea; one submarine which has seen a
naval bases. All the various ships partaking five-year deployment (the longest operations which included
decade’s service is HMS Vigilant, now out of action for at least
Throughout her stay, Echo in the review were invited to send by any vessel in recent RN history) deploying her survey motor boat
three years as she begins a mammoth refit in Devonport (see
was hosted by the minelayer Won platoons for a parade through the to chart the world’s oceans and Pathfi nder.
page 7).
San, whose officers invited some heart of Pusan for the city’s annual update hydrographic data. The FOSTies were evidently
Also back in Devonport (briefly) was helicopter carrier of their counterparts across for Jagalchi festival – a celebration of To sustain such an odyssey satisfi ed, as the survey ship is
HMS Ocean after completing her initial trials following a refit. ‘tea and tiffin’ (well, more local seafaring and fish. the Devonport-based survey ship continuing her marathon patrol.
She’s now out again undergoing Operational Sea Training delicacies in reality) and gave the Sailors – in Echo’s case led operates three watches – red, But they’ll be back – the team
(see page 5). Brits a rare insight into life in the by operations officer Lt Cdr white and blue – with one watch visits every six months to make
And finally... the RN photographic branch has been the ROK Navy. Suzannah Hung RAN who was in the UK on R&R or courses at sure ships’ companies are on the
mainstay of this newspaper for five decades. Its archives are The most humbling part of the decorated with a flower garland any one time. ball; they’re back on Echo in the
held by the Imperial War Museum, who kindly let us ‘rummage visit came at the UN memorial – marched around the shopping And to ensure that in spite spring.
around’ and air some hidden treasures (see pages 26-27). cemetery outside Pusan. district of the port waving national of such constant rotation, Team marina Kent in Hong Kong, page 8
002_NN.indd 1 21/10/08 10:57:36
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