NAVY NEWS, JUNE 2009 21
Once again, Cornwall fi red in the historic port was devoted
live ammunition, shelling the to a ‘pot luck party’.
range at Cape Wrath with her The ‘pot luck’ in the title
4.5in gun while travelling and referred to the dishes prepared
manoeuvring at speed with by the respective ships’
unerring accuracy that, in the galleys, eg pasta and pizza
words of the army naval gunfi re (Italy), ribs (America), curry (UK,
liaison offi cer, “hadn’t been obviously...).
seen in years”. But NATO deployments aren’t
So it’s hardly surprising then all curry and pasta. No, the ME
that, as the NATO work begins in department found most of its
earnest, says weapon engineer time in Greece fixing St Albans’
offi cer Lt Cdr Alex Kendrick, steering gear. (Faulty steering,
“confi dence is high, and nd we’rwe’we ree told, is bad. Fixing it
it is a real confi dence cece is good.)is go
based on hard work, harard d And it was fixed. For An
training and hard-won n between Thessalonikibet
experience.” and the foran ce’s next
So maybe it’s time stop thers e’s a lot of
to drop the soubriquet sea – 2,000 miles (ish) s
we and others have of sea to be moro e
used for so long: accurate – to covera .
the ice-cream frigate The group
(after her F99 pennant conducted two weeks coc
number). Indeed, cann n of ‘surge operations’of off
you still buy Flake 99s in inin – a concerted ef– a fort to
2009? (Yes you can – Ed.) monitor shipping for any illegal
No, the men and women of activities.
Her Majesty’s Ship Cornwall St Albans’ last stop in the
prefer to be known collective Med was the Costa del Sol and
now as the Fighting 99. the port of Malaga.
“We have trained hard, The ships timed things
proved our weapons and got perfectly: the city was
on task in better shape than celebrating a feria, a weekend
ever: our regeneration for this of carnival and fiesta. We have a
NATO deployment has been sneaking feeling the sailors may
a real success, all down to have joined in festivities...
the commitment and effort of As well as being the Costa del
Cornwall’s ship’s company,” Sol, it’s also the Costa del Golf
Cdr Ley adds. (apparently).
“HMS Cornwall in 2009 is
The European ships pooled
in peak condition.
resources to take on their
American counterparts from the
“We are now ready to get on
USS Laboon... and promptly
with the job.”
regained the Ryder Cup for
And what of the ship she has
Europe.
replaced on NATO duties? Meanwhile, back on the Type
Well, we last caught up with 23... With southern Spain famous
HMS St Albans in Israel enjoying for its large expat community, St
the hospitality of Haifa and the Albans played host to a local
sights of Jerusalem. branch of the Royal British
Since then she’s left the cradle Legion.
of civilisation, moving first to And that was Malaga done.
the realm of the ancients and So on to Brest and handing over
Thessaloniki (or Thessalonica or to HMS Cornwall.
even Salonica if you prefer) in The Saint is now on exercise
Greece. in the Baltic, a deployment
The Mediterranean sun which sees her visiting St
permitted an open-air celebration Petersburg among other ports
for the NATO sailors as the jetty in the region.
pictures: la(phots) simmo simpson and pete smith, frpu east
020-021_NN_June.indd 2 21/5/09 10:01:39
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