4 NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2009
Cypriot games
● ‘Angry little bee’ HMS Dasher races around Akrotiri Bay
THERE are pleasant
not come within 1,000 yards. Turn Two of Dasher’s crew (one third craft slows. The po-faced Royals With everyone aboard, let the each other. I really enjoyed
ways to start the day.
away or we will be forced to take of her complement) pick up SA80s. remain po-faced. games begin for an anti-submarine having a go at sinking my own
Walking the dog. A cup
action.” Two more man the GPMGs. On to tanker Wave Ruler, exercise. ship. If only the lads knew!”
On Bulwark’s bridge wing, the The boat suddenly wheels over with her rather precise warning: Immediately on diving, Talent Steve – who found life aboard
of tea and a read of the lamp fl ashes repeatedly. and charges towards Bulwark. “Unknown vessel at Latitude X, drove up a line of warships at Talent “cramped, friendly and
paper. A full English.
Dot. Dot. Dash. Dot. Dot. “Take it,” orders Lt Barrow. Longitude Y, this is Alpha Three close range showing different absolutely awesome” – added:
Or you could go hell for leather
Dash. Dot. Dot. Dash. Tur n away. Pop. Pop. Pop. Spent cartridges Nine Zero. Do not come within mast confi gurations, providing a “I’m worried what the Captain
and try to tear a strip out of one
“This is the MV Island Star,” from LET ‘Dodge’ Long’s SA80 1,000 yards.” pyrotechnic demonstration and and WEO might think if they
of Britain’s capital ships.
says Dasher’s CO Lt Charlie spill across Dasher’s bridge. Of course, the angry little bee simulating an emergency surface. knew how much I had enjoyed
While the good folks of
Barrow. “We’re just out on a Brrt. Brrt. Brrt. CPO Will Willets ignores the admonition and heads The skimmers were given a it.”
HMS Ocean and Bulwark were
pleasure cruise.” lets rip with the GPMG. pell-mell for the RFA. thorough tour of the boat from The quartet from Argyll and
chomping their cornfl akes and
Bulwark isn’t impressed and Over the drone of the engine Typically, the RFA are slightly sound and control rooms to the Somerset weren’t the only guests
slapping a bit of marmalade on
repeats her warning. there’s the chatter of machine-gun more timid than the warships. But engine and machinery spaces and aboard Talent.
toast, a foe was bearing down on
“I don’t feel like doing that. I fi re from Bulwark. They opened not today. They open fi re before helped Talent’s two chefs prepare With Exercise Cyprus Wader
them.
think I’m going to continue on my fi re after Dasher popped a few Dasher’s GPMGs begin rat-a-tat- a three-choice curry evening (with at its height (see the centre pages),
Bobbing and bumping through
course,” says Lt Barrow. rounds off. tatting away at the tanker’s naan bread and popadoms) the task force was treated to the
Akrotiri Bay at full speed (14kts
Silence. No response se e The ship and her Th hull. for 129 people in a space for 12 rare sight of a submarine on the
or 18 on a good day with a
from Bulwark. CyprCypC rus Squadron sister At the end of this hour-rr- smaller than a single smmam llell surface.
following wind), HMS Dasher Dasher/Island Star aarr
HMS PurHMSHMS suer are long raid on the Taurus ships,pps, garage.gaarag Talent rode above rather
is closing rapidly on Bulwark, continues on her way –
typically charged with typp Dasher returns to Akrotiri They also all had the T than beneath the waves so the
determined to test the assault still unthreatening at
safeguarding the wsa aters Mole, the squadron’s chance to ch ‘drive’ the Royal Marines could have a little
ship’s response to a speedboat present.
of the Soofo vereign Base home. Lt Barrow will submarssu ine as they ‘play’.
attacking her. “MV Island Star,
Areas in CyprA us, but compile a short report conducted planesman c The commandos tested
On the wheel, CPO Paul we will take action to
with the w Taurus task providing feedback on training – altertr ing the launching and recovering their
Mercer, Dasher’s marine defend ourselves. Turn
force in tofo wn, the pair the morning’s attacks. TT--boat’s depth and RIBs from the submarine
engineer offi cer, rubs his hands. away now.”
hah ve been asked to test As the small boat courcoc se. (neither a typical nor easy
“Game on.” With the assault ship
the big ships’thetheh reaction to turns away from Wave And,A best of all, they manoeuvre).
For the next hour the small lowering a landing craft ftf
a tera tatterrrrorro ist attack. Ruler, the radio crackles s got to simulagot tot te a Spearfi sh Those who helped the Royals
P2000 patrol boat will move from her port davits, the thhe
As anAsA anny actor will tell you, into life once more. torpedo apedo ttack on their ships, with their exercises were then
among the ships of the Taurus assault ship’s room for manoeuvre
sometimes it’s fun to play the bad “Many thanks for all your help under the (temporary) command treated to a ‘rollercoaster’ tour
09 task force “like a little angry is severely limited.
guy. today,” a Scottish voice imparts. of Somerset’s chef Logs Nick of the Taurus fleet, zipping
bee”. It’s left to her upper deck gun
Dasher turns towards Ocean. “That was a good workout.” Waugh. “I think my mates would in and out of the ships in
So will the bee sting, or will it crews, rather than zig-zagging, to
“This is British warship What friendly enemies... be pretty miffed with me if they Akrotiri Bay and returning to
get swatted? fend off any attack.
Lima One Two. Please identify
THREATS in the Mediterranean
knew I had ordered a torpedo Talent thoroughly soaked, but
Dasher’s radio crackles. “Bulwark tend to be aggressive,
yourself.” attack on them,” he said. exhilarated.
don’t just come on the surface.
“This is British warship Lima but we gave them a good kicking
“This is the pleasure cruiser His shipmate ET(ME) Darrell “That was brilliant,” said a
last night,” Lt Barrow grins.
Sometimes, beware what lies
One Five,” says a rather stern
Island Star. We’re just having a Sillah said the “experience was breathless LS(TSM) Plowden.
Irish voice over the radio. “Do Time for another kicking.
nice day out. Can you tell me what
beneath – in this case HMS
brilliant. The submariners are “I can’t believe the speed and
type of ship you are?”
Talent.
really close-knit and really good at power of those boats.”
Silence.
The hunter-killer boat is the
their jobs. Talent cannot match the
“This is British warship Lima
Taurus task force’s underwater
“I had such a buzz especially Royals’ RIBs for speed, but she
One Two. Do not close within one
guardian.
when the (simulated) torpedo fi red offers a little more in the way of
nautical mile.”
But, like Dasher before her,
and shook the boat. It was exciting firepower...
A landing craft breaks off
sometimes she enjoys playing the
to see my ship marked on the As the green berets found
from normal ship-to-shore duties
villain...
screen in front of me and having when they toured the boat and
ferrying men and material to begin
The boat invited four ‘skimmers’
to steer the torpedo into it.” were shown what Talent can do
chasing Dasher.
– from the force’s above-water
With Somerset ‘despatched’, it (such as beach reconnaissance,
Mesothelioma has been conclusively linked
A couple of poker-faced Royals
protection, HM Ships Argyll and
was Argyll’s turn at the hands of a task she conducted as a
with exposure to asbestos and asbestos-
man GPMGs on the front of the
Somerset – aboard for a bit of
deadly duo POET(WE)s ‘Jack’ preliminary to Wader).
craft and stare at the angry little mischief. Russell and Steve Wiltshire. That tour was, as one Royal
containing products. Thousands of Merchant bee buzzing around the warships.
Two men from each frigate “Talent was absolutely told the deeps, “the highlight of
“Those booties. We’ll ’ave ’em,” went deep (while four submariners fantastic,” said Jack. “Everyone my deployment so far”.
Navy and Royal Navy personnel as well as
says CPO Mercer. headed in the opposite direction to onboard seems to know everyone ■ MORE from the Cyprus
Ship repair, Shipyard and Dockyard workers
Dasher turns away. The landing join the Type 23s). else’s job and they look out for Squadron next month
that were employed around asbestos and ● A Royal Marines Offshore Raiding Craft approaches HMS Talent in the blue waters of Akrotiri Bay Picture: LA(Phot) Bernie Henesy, HMS Ocean
asbestos-containing products may be
affected.
If you, or someone you know, has been
diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung
cancer you may be able to file a claim in the
United States, and may be entitled to collect
financial compensation.
Time restrictions apply, so don’t delay.
Please contact the North Carolina
Lawyers of Wallace & Graham by calling
0208 778 9644
NEW 004_NN_Apr.indd 1 19/3/09 08:45:30
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