36 NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2009
Terror of Tobermory cre
F
LAG G going to do about it?” Tobermory went on to tackle the
Officer Sea
But he didn’t always get things U-boat menace in the Atlantic.
Training maay y
his own way. The intensity of the training
have justt
On one occasion he was creeping enabled men like Capt ‘Johnny’
celebrated 50
up on an old corvette at anchor Walker to carry the fight to the
when he was spotted by the crew,
years as an
submarine.
who managed to get lined up on In fact the tactics he evolved
organisation,
deck before he climbed aboard. which were trained at Tobermory
but its roots But the admiral wasn’t to be
will be recognised by war-fighters
stretch back beaten. He took off his gold- today: anti-submarine plans for
even further, to
braided cap and threw it down
sending search attack units to
the dark days
on the deck, shouting: “That is a
attack submarines at range, convoy
of the Battle of
small unexploded bomb dropped
defence tactics, zig-zags, torpedo
the Atlantic.
by an enemy plane – what are you
countermeasures, step-asides and
going to do about it?”
A dinner to celebraratte e
search and attack plans, all have
The quartermaster, who had
the half century, to dine out Rear
their origins in Tobermory.
heard all about the admiral,
Admiral Richard Ibbotson and to
promptly kicked it into the sea.
welcome his successor as FOST,
Stephenson immediately
Rear Admiral Chris Snow, was
barked: “There’s a man overboard
held at HMS Drake and featured a
– what are you going to do?”
S
O a loose cannon,
maybe, but he got results
– almost miraculous
results.
number of previous incumbents. Eleven hundred and thirty-two
But the FOST founded in 1958 unco-ordinated ships of mainly-
in Portland was merely a logical inexperienced landlubbers passed
progression from the highly- through his hands and, in the
effective sea training organisation
T
HE shape of the work-
up during the war will
be familiar to the Senior
Service today.
incredibly short time of two to
set up during World War 2.
Following an initial brief by
four weeks, were welded into a
With Dönitz’s U-boats
the commodore himself, the crew
disciplined co-ordinated ship’s
threatening to strangle Britain,
went back to their ship and that
company who were good enough
sinking thousands of tons of Allied
afternoon the various teams had
to go straight out into the Battle
merchant shipping, the Admiralty
training in their own specialities.
of the Atlantic.
desperately sought a way to protect
Radar ratings were given
Some 130 enemy U-boats were
these vital cargo ships.
instruction on radar theory,
sunk by Tobermory-trained ships
Retired Vice Admiral Gilbert
lookouts were taught different
manned by the 200,000 alumni of
● In the wardroom at HMS Drake for the FOST 50th anniversary dinner are former FOST incumbents.
Stephenson got a commodore’s flag
scanning techniques for anti-
Pictured with Admiral The Lord Boyce, CINCFLEET Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, and Second Sea Lord
Stephenson and his sea trainers.
and was asked to create a training
aircraft detection, gun crews were
Vice Admiral Alan Massey are Vice Admiral Sir Roy Newman, Vice Admiral Sir John Webster, Admiral Sir
Worthy of note is that when
base as part of the Independent
taught at the spotting table.
James Eberle, Vice Admiral Sir John Coward, Rear Admiral P Franklin, Rear Admiral Richard Ibbotson,
Capt Stephenson was the CO
Western Approaches Command.
More exercises followed over
Rear Admiral Sandy Backus, Rear Admiral Tony Rix, Rear Admiral James Rapp, Rear Admiral Roger
of battleship HMS Revenge in
Such training would bring
the next four days.
Ainsley, Rear Admiral John Lipplett, Rear Admiral D Eckerlsey-Maslin, Rear Admiral J O Roberts, Rear
ships to the “highest state of
Officers and the radar,
1923, he had under his charge
Admiral Martin Alabaster and Rear Admiral Kerr. Rear Admiral Chris Snow, the newest FOST, is at the
efficiency possible in the short
ASDIC and signal ratings of all
a communications officer by the
bottom right of the photograph
time available”, and it was hoped
Picture: LA(Phot) Abbie Gadd, FRPU West
ships in harbour mustered for a
name of Lt Louis Mountbatten,
that such an approach would help
communications exercise to test
who rose to become First Sea
strengthen the convoy system.
Tobermory’ made his plans. they could be located in the total of action. Heavy depth charges the ships’ action organisation.
Lord and Chief of Defence Staff.
Operating from the small fishing
As a rule, every ship in the darkness of a closed compartment were manhandled from ship to The captain and plotting officer
Stephenson made a considerable
town of Tobermory on the island of
Western Approaches Command below the waterline. ship. Ladders went missing… of each ship were placed in the
impression on him, as it was Lord
Mull in Western Scotland, the base
spent a very uncomfortable two Gun crews learnt to fire six Fire in the wireless room! Torpedo defence of an imaginary convoy
Mountbatten’s Way Ahead White
trained newly-formed crews on all
to four weeks working up under broadsides in 30 seconds, on a to starboard! Lower the port sea- and one captain placed as the
Paper which established the post
aspects of operational capability Stephenson and his staff, before rolling wet deck with another
boat! Wire round the port screw! Ship senior officer of the escorts.
of Flag Officer Sea Training,
– in particular the evolving art of taking up their escorting duties. turret firing over their heads.
not answering her helm – bow paying On the sixth day a ship would
whose organisation, based on
anti-submarine warfare. During training, every moment Towing warps were rigged and
off to starboard! Take a fix on that sail for sea exercises, with gunnery
the Tobermory model, became
Cdre Stephenson’s HQ was an was deliberately packed with taken over to consorts, in sea boats
light! Man overboard! and anti-submarine staff officers
the established method of naval
old passenger ship, dignified by tension and exertion. under oars. Steering motors broke
Drills which have relevance on board, who ensured no time
training.
the title HMS Western Isles, and Damage control crews learnt down. All electrical circuits failed.
today were part and parcel of life was wasted.
In 1958 – the year that FOST
it was here that the ‘Terror of the position of every valve, so The galley stove was knocked out
at Tobermory – and very much Within 30 minutes they were
was founded – there was a great
set the foundations of Operational chasing a surfaced submarine
deal of thought about the role and
Sea Training for decades to come. (simulated by a motor launch), an
composition of the Royal Navy.
Stephenson was an efficient, hour later they were firing against
The main threat at sea came
strict and energetic man in a towed surface target, and the
from Russia’s vast fleet of
his sixties whose fierce and afternoon was spent chasing a
submarines, so the UK deemed it
controversial methods became submerged submarine.
wise to concentrate its naval forces
much talked about. Intensity and pressure were
on the anti-submarine role and to
If he thought an officer was not relentless. In theory they were
invest in deterrent to prevent war.
up to his job he would remove him seven-hour days, seven days a
The first duty of the RN was to
Subscribe
forthwith and if Their Lordships week, but the commodore was not
protect the sea lanes upon which
down in Whitehall didn’t like it, too rigid about working hours…
the whole life and economy of the
they could lump it. Each escort had to be taught
UK depended.
for just
He applied for a rum ration for how to respond to submarine
Despite this, in 1957-8 no
his men but the Admiralty turned attack as part of a group.
fewer than six aircraft carriers,
him down, saying his was not a It had to learn every possible
four battleships, seven cruisers,
sea-going command. position in the escort screen, as
12 destroyers and 64 frigates were
£18.00
Undeterred, Cdre Stephenson it was impossible to predict how
scrapped.
U.K.
up-anchored and took his ancient many warships would be present
Mountbatten was quoted as
A saving of £5.40
horse-boat to sea, returning to when a submarine attacked.
saying that the ‘fat’ had been
send a signal to the Admiralty Every officer had to be able
taken off the Royal Navy; others
on the cover price
renewing his request – casually to start the procedure on a given
thought that it was not only the
mentioning he had just returned signal, in case the Commanding
fat but the skin as well, and that
from a cruise round the Hebrides. Officer was away from the bridge.
the Government was not taking
The rum ration for his men was For a sudden attack at night
out even the minimum insurance
duly approved. Plan Raspberry was developed; policy required to counter the 400
He had a habit of cruising other plans which had to be or so Russian submarines.
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down your funnel – what are you The ships and men trained at with HMS Daring close behind.
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