20 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2010
● HMS Clyde is attacked by an RAF
Typhoon during an air defence exercise
Picture: Matthew Salmon
No two days
THAT’S not just the
the destroyers which assume the – is now at home in Mare Harbour, a chat to the residents, who may
weather, though we
mantle of Atlantic Patrol Task not Portsmouth Harbour, and go weeks without seeing anyone
are talking about the
(South), spending months in the is designed to remain on other than the members of
inhospitable waters around the
station for years at a time, their isolated community.
Falklands.
British Overseas Territory.
only leaving the region for Although Clyde is based
No, that is the verdict of the
But HMS Clyde does not have
major planned refits. at East Cove Military
man who drives the islands’
to make the long haul north – at
As the Commander Port in Mare Harbour,
very own RN patrol ship on least, not very often.
British Forces South not far from the main
the past six months in the The beefed-up River-class
Atlantic’s only Mount Pleasant
South Atlantic. ship – she is a couple of metres
permanent maritime military complex, she
presence, Clyde is, spends much of her
On pages 4 and 5 we looked longer than her older sisters, and
naturally, one of the time at sea working
at the comings and goings of displaces almost 200 tonnes more
prime military assets in and exercising with the
the South Atlantic – and other two Services.
she is worked hard. One such exercise is
Lt Cdr Al Wilson is the Cape Bayonet, a coastal or
man in charge of Clyde, and the list littoral manoeuvre exercise carried
of tasks his ship can accomplish is out six times a year to deploy a
considerable. company of infantry troops.
She is there to deter aggression by A typical recent Bayonet
showing the White Ensign around culminated with a landing by 100
the bleak coasts, at the same time members of B Company, The
providing a reassuring presence for Royal Irish Regiment – the current
the islanders. Falkland Islands Roulement
She goes on regular patrols to Infantry Company (RIC) – at
the other British South Atlantic Ajax Bay on San Carlos Water,
territories, South Georgia and the using a combination of landing
South Sandwich Islands. craft and two British International
She conducts maritime and joint (Brintel) helicopters.
operations, and as such does a The exercise proper began
passable impression of a (small) at first light when the ship was
assault ship. brought to Action Stations and
She has a defence diplomacy increased speed to 20 knots for a
role, hosting local dignitaries for dash across San Carlos Water to
● ET(ME) Craig Wiggins of
HMS Clyde helps out during a
special events. Ajax Bay.
visit to an outlying settlement
● Clyde refuels an RAF rescue helicopter
And in place of the good old vicar The first wave of troops was
Picture: AB(CIS) Maxine Davies doing the rounds on his bike, Clyde’s transferred ashore by pre-positioned
sailors call in at the furthest-flung landing craft before Clyde quickly
outposts for tea and biccies and prepared to receive two helicopters
● No, we haven’t printed our RAS picture
from page 4 again – this time it’s HMS Clyde
on the port side of RFA Gold Rover, not HMS
Gloucester, with HMS York to starboard
Picture: Lt Ben Dando (HMS York flight)
● HMS Clyde in Drygalski Fjord, South Georgia
Picture: Matthew Salmon
020-021.indd 1 20/1/10 16:40:56
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48