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20 NAVY NEWS, JUNE 2009
THESE are the waters
the past two years. In the RN. There was a short but
off Cape Wrath.
Aboard Cornwall. comprehensive handover
In springtime.
So let’s not pore over the between the two RN vessels,
Yes, we know it should be
past. Or, as her Commanding including some useful tips on
blowing a hoolie. The skies
Officer Cdr Johnny Ley says the peculiarities of working in
should be leaden, the seas
forcefully: such a diverse force – Greek,
mountainous. “Cornwall is back. Get
Italian, Spanish and Turkish – of
But no. used to it.”
proud and established navies.
And this is Her Majesty’s Ship
(We’re also told that old
Cornwall manoeuvring at speed
Job done, Cornwall could
shipmates on the two RN frigates
(28kts to be precise) during
deploy.
swapped tall stories in French
gunnery trials off the Scottish
Her mission? To safeguard
hostelries as though they had
range (you might just have
the seas, the Mediterranean
never been apart, although we
seen the photograph of of
priprprincipallync , Standing
fi nd it hard to believe.)
her 4.5in main gun inin
NNAATTO Maritime Group 2
action on our cover...).
(S(SNMG2), a long-standing SNM
From Brest, the group made
for the Minches and Hebrides
It’s been a longgg
ccommitment for the Royal om
road to Cape Wrath
NaNavy.
and Exercise Joint Warrior,
the regular test of air-sea-
for Cornwall (and
“It’s always a
we’re not talking
wwrench to leave our
land forces off Scotland’s
about the 755 miles
ffamilies, but after
north-west coast.
from Devonport to
aall the training and
For two weeks, these
the north-west tip of
ppreparations we’re
normally-quiet waters teemed
Scotland).
reready to get on and
with warships from every nation
and of every kind: Danish
No it’s taken a good d d
dodo the job,” says WO1
minesweepers, British aircraft
five months of solidololidd
TrTrev Tev v revarthen, a Cornish
training:
man by birth as well as by b
carriers (carrier singular, actually,
HMS Illustrious fresh from
Two months of Operational
appointment and veteran of
celebratory duties in London),
Sea Training with those less-
many a deployment. Today he’s
the most senior rating aboard
French attack submarines and
than-forgiving chaps from FOST:
Cornwall, her Executive Warrant
German frigates.
that’s eight weeks of shooting
Offi cer.
It is what the RN calls ‘Tier
down air attacks, sinking
“For a lot of our
2’ training: the ability of fully-
submarines, stopping fl oods,
young sailors, it is
trained ships to acttr
bombarding troops ashore,
their fi rst deployment
and fia ght as a group.
fi ghting galley fi res, thwarting
and having proved
With two other
terrorist attacks, helicopters
themselves beyond
ships as well as the s
crashing on deck, providing
doubt alongside the
CorC nwall new to the
humanitarian and disaster relief,
older hands during
grg oup, SNMG2 was
plus Rocky and Blade – Avon
Operational Sea
herh e to prove itself
and Somerset Police’s trained
Training, they’ve really
as a cohesive fias ghting
anti-fi rearms dogs (they don’t
earned their place onn
forf ce beforc e going back
like guns, in particular SA80s
an operational warship,ip,
into the Mediterranean.innto
brandished by Cornwall’s upper-
deployed and on task.”
It formed the corItt f e of a
deck sentries).
The first stop for old hands hands
Multi-National ForMulti-Na ce (the good
Four weeks of maintenance
and new was but a short hop
guys, naturally) trying to ensure
after all that running around.
from Devonport: Brest.
peace and stability between
A final test of her Seawolf
It was there that the Type
Caledonia and Dragonia.
anti-air missile system in the
22 formally relieved the RN’s
Except that Caledonia and
Western Approaches: two
previous representative with the
Dragonia didn’t seem that keen
towed targets were fl own at the
NATO force, HMS St Albans.
on peace.
Type 22 frigate, one after the
As the force’s distinctive blue
Cornwall and her cohorts
other. Both were destroyed: the
and white banner was lowered
were soon fi ghting off Hawk jets
fi rst by the forward system, the on St Albans... so it was raised fl ying at deck-level while the
second splashed by a missile on the other side of the jetty by ship manoeuvred at 28 knots in
from the aft launcher. Cornwall. the narrows between Hebridean
Now it would be churlish if we It requires more than a quick islands, engaging terrorists on
ignored the fact that the ship has raising-lowering of flags to join jet skis and playing cat and
had an ill-starred recent history. an international task group, of mouse with submarines trying
But a lot has changed in course. to sneak among the task group.
● Clockwise from above... The NATO standard is lowered aboard HMS St Albans as she hands over task
force duties to HMS Cornwall; a Seawolf leaves its launcher on Cornwall to intercept a target drone in
the Channel; the Fighting 99’s sea boat races towards mother during Minigun and machine-gun shoots;
and Cornwall jinks at speed during a live gunnery serial off the ranges at Cape Wrath
020-021_NN_June.indd 1 21/5/09 10:00:35
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