2 NAVY NEWS, MAY 2009
HMS Dasher
HMS Pursuer
HMS Argyll
Vikings/845 NAS/846 NAS/
847 NAS/Fleet FS(Air)
HMS Sabre/Scimitar
CNaTT
HMS St Albans
RFA Largs Bay
Taurus task group
HMS Portland
HMS Richmond
HMS Chiddingfold
RFA Wave Ruler
HMS Atherstone
HMS Pembroke
HMS Grimsby
RFA Cardigan Bay
RFA Lyme Bay
RFA Diligence
FASLANE
ROSYTH
Naval Strike W
ing
HMS Gannet
HMS Illustrious
800/801 NAS
HMS Manchester
HMS Clyde
YEOVIL
TON
RFA Black Rover
HMS Monmouth Plus one ballistic missile submarine on patrol somewhere beneath the Seven Seas
CULDROSE PORTSMOUTH
HMS Cumberland
DEVONPORT
HMS Kent
HMS Raider
Fleet Fleet FocusFocus
The birds and the (Busy) Bees
WELL, two milestones have been reached this month,
FANCY meeting you all
signifi cant on both a personal level and as part of the
the way down here.
bigger picture in the war against terror.
Pausing to reflect on the
3 Commando Brigade’s latest six-month tour of duty in
achievements of Britain’s greatest
Afghanistan is over, while the British pull-out of Iraq is well under
polar explorer, the Princess Royal
way with the senior command, Commander UK Amphibious
and her husband Vice Admiral Tim
Force, having handed over to the Americans.
Laurence admire Shackleton’s
The men and women of both forces were welcomed home,
Cross with HMS Manchester
praised for their achievements from within and without the UK,
behind them in South Georgia.
(see pages 4-5) and, in the case of 3 Cdo Bde, took the fight to
The royal couple travelled half
the enemy to the very last round (see pages 23-25).
way around the world to perform
But do not think that with their return, there is no RN presence
the honours at a very remote
in either Afghanistan or Iraq. HMS Richmond continues to patrol
opening ceremony.
the oil platforms in the Gulf (see page 6), RFA Cardigan Bay is
And the Busy Bee, in company
still the floating base for the Iraqi Navy (see page 38), and in
with tanker RFA Black Rover
Afghanistan – among other Senior Service units – the Commando
(gas-guzzling Type 42s need
Helicopter Force continues to support Allied ground troops.
topping up fairly regularly) made
The mainstay of the latter’s operations is the Sea King,
the comparatively short hop from
celebrating four decades of service with the RN this year. We
the Falklands.
visited CHF HQ at RNAS Yeovilton to look into the aircraft’s
Manchester is the current
future (see pages 20-21).
South Atlantic patrol ship,
Also 40 this year is the Harrier, which also entered service in
while the RFA is a slightly more
1969 (with the RAF admittedly, but that’s not going to stop the
permanent presence, on station in
RN partying...). The FAA men and women at 20(R) Sqn at RAF
the Falklands until early 2010.
Wittering tell us what it’s like to fly and look after an aviation
The paths of Royal and Royal
legend (see pages 20-21).
Navy crossed at King Edward
Wittering feeds the Naval Strike Wing just up the road at
Point, opposite Grytviken.
Cottesmore, but the jets left Rutland behind and joined HMS
Princess Anne was on the
Illustrious in the North Sea for the first work-up with the carrier
idyllic island to formally open
in nearly a year (see opposite).
a hydro-electric plant which will
If you want unmanned aerial action, HMS Kent’s the place
provide South Georgia’s British
to be; the Type 23 has been testing her Seawolf missile system
Antarctic Survey base with an
against drone targets (see page 4). The frigate and HMS
environmentally-friendly source
Cumberland had to fend off ‘attacks’ from supercharged P2000
of power in this most sensitive
HMS Raider, which joined in a training exercise off Plymouth
of lands.
(see page 9).
Manchester and Black Rover of Shackleton’s feat of extreme the same: how can the three forces Twenty-seven years ago, AB Bill
The bulk of the Taurus 09 task group is now east of Suez
were popping in to fly the flag for endurance an inspiration,” said work together to best defend the Parry was a sonar specialist aboard
having exercised off Turkey (see pages 18-19), although HMS
Blighty at one of the most isolated Cdr Paul Beattie, Manchester’s islands? HMS Antelope which was crippled
Argyll has left the Taurus trail (groan – Ed) and headed home
remnants of the Empire. CO. In Manchester’s case the answer by Argentine bombs during the
(see page 9).
No-one visiting South Georgia “We’ve been visited by curious came in two parts: naval gunfire San Carlos landings; photographs
Tagging on to Taurus briefly was HMS Portland, which has
can fail to be struck either by dolphins, porpoises, whales and support and fighter control. of the frigate exploding at night
been chasing pirates (and is back chasing pirates). The frigate’s
the abundance of wildlife sea birds, including albatross and The former came in the take their place among the iconic
also enjoyed a trip to Goa... and suffered a nutty shortage (see
or by the deeds of Sir Ernest petrels. shape of her 4.5in gun. From a images of war.
pages 8 and 19).
Shackleton, with whom the island “Although our photographers distance of more than ten miles, In 2009, WO Bill Parry is
Portland’s partner in crime, or rather partner in crime-fighting,
is synonymous. are all amateurs, collectively the destroyer sent over 100 high Manchester’s Executive Warrant
HMS Northumberland, has ended her piracy patrols after six
The explorer died off King they’ve managed to capture some explosive shells crashing down on Officer – the senior rating aboard.
months and returned to Devonport (see page 6).
Edward Point in 1922 on the eve excellent images.” three ‘enemy’ targets, guided in by He was joined by all 250
In the Med, HMS St Albans continues her patrol with NATO
of a planned circumnavigation of The tranquility of South ‘Royal Marine spotters’ from 148 shipmates as his present ship paid
around the cradle of civilisation (see page 10) and particularly
Antarctica to discover its ‘lost’ Georgia was a welcome change Commando Forward Observation tribute to his previous ship – plus
enjoyed avenging a rugby defeat in Israel (see page 46).
islands. A cross on the headland after a few days of war (or rather Battery. For three hours the steel HMS Ardent, also sunk during
A relative stone’s throw from Haifa (well, 160 miles) is Akrotiri,
lies closest to the spot where war games). rain came down – firepower in the invasion – casting wreaths into
home to the RAF (cough, splutter) and, more importantly, HM
Shackleton died (he’s actually The Busy Bee provided some of support of the Mercians which now-tranquil San Carlos Water,
Ships Dasher and Pursuer – aka the RN Cyprus Squadron. See
buried in Grytviken). the RN input to the latest Exercise was equivalent, says the ship, to a while Manchester’s chaplain
page 22 for a look at life on the island.
Some 200 of Manchester’s Cape Bayonet – the six-weekly war Royal Artillery battery. Mike Wagstaff led a service of
And in the cold... HMS Manchester and RFA Black Rover
ship’s company – more than two game in the Falklands intended to While the gun barked and the remembrance.
headed to South Georgia (see right), while HMS Clyde was hot
thirds of her complement – got test the combined abilities of the gun crew sweated hauling the After a number of readings
on their heels (see page 4).
ashore to visit the BAS station RN-Army-RAF. heavy shells and empty cases, and hymns, the service concluded
Those waters are traditionally the domain of ice patrol ship
and museum and pose with the The RAF involvement is pretty there was ruthless calm in the with a flypast from the destroyer’s
HMS Endurance. For the first time since her flooding incident
abundance of wildlife: fur and constant – Tornadoes based at operations room as the fighter Lynx.
last December, her ship’s company speak about the ordeal – and
elephant seals and king penguins. Mount Pleasant. The Army and controllers directed the Tornadoes Manchester is away for seven
how they saved the Red Plum (see page 14).
“Every one aboard Manchester RN participants change constantly on to their targets to support months, splitting her time between
And finally... pretty much anyone who served in or visited Hong
and Black Rover found the natural (this time it was 120 troops from troops on the ground, as well as Atlantic and Pacific before
Kong before 1997 will remember Jenny Side Party, who has
beauty of the landscape, the the Mercian Regiment and the provide air defence against possible heading back to Portsmouth in
sadly passed away. We pay tribute to her on page 17.
variety – and the quantity – of Type 42 destroyer). incursions by enemy aircraft. high summer.
the wildlife, and the memories But the general premise remains From war practised to war real. marina Clyde in South Georgia, p4
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