24


NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2011


In at the d Q A month ago you’re hunkered down for


UEER kind of war, as the great William L Shirer once observed.


the long run, patrolling up and down the coast, being engaged by – and engaging – coastal batteries, with no end in sight to a bitter conflict. Four weeks later, you’re off the coast


of Tripoli trying to keep track of events which change by the minute as the regime crumbles and rebels enter the suburbs of the Libyan capital. And still the tyrannical government


refuses to give up... For as rebels skirmished on the outskirts of Tripoli, a small Maltese ship tried to enter the harbour to ferry evacuees to safety – only to come under fire. Minutes later it reeled away


from the capital, still under way, but struggling to manoeuvre. The stricken ship was spotted by


HMS Liverpool, which was carrying out a surveillance mission off Tripoli at the time, and the Royal Navy vessel immediately offered assistance. The Portsmouth-based destroyer threw


a line to the stricken craft and towed her to open waters so she could return to Malta safely under her own steam. With the good deed done, Liverpool


resumed her mission monitoring fast- flowing events ashore.


A


LL of which were probably hard to predict when we left Operation Unified Protector – the NATO


codename for the Libyan mission – last month.


Rewind four weeks and the Crazy Red Chicken had temporarily pulled out of the line, the ship and her men and women enjoying a two-week break in Taranto in southern Italy after almost unceasing operations off Libya. Stepping up to the gunline in absentia


were HMS Iron Duke and, during the second week, her sister Sutherland. Like Liverpool and Iron Duke before


her, the Fighting Clan was called upon to clear her guns and send iron greetings to Gaddafi. But aside from hammering land-based


targets with high explosive shells or illuminating the coastal zone with star shells, there’s a less dramatic – and less publicised – side to the NATO mission: the arms embargo. Under the auspices of UN Security


Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973, NATO ships have been keeping a close eye on Libyan-bound maritime trade since the end of March. Indeed, some 200 vessels have been


boarded by NATO forces as a result of that dragnet.


The electronic Automated Identification


System provides initial information about a ship – speed, cargo, destination. The dragnet enforcers build on that information by ‘hailing’ the ship over the radio and, if they’re still not satisfied, send their boarding teams across to conduct a thorough search. Which is exactly what Sutherland did


with one Turkish-registered ship. “In a highly-demanding sea state, my


lads swiftly – but safely – boarded the suspect vessel and conducted a thorough search,” explained Lt Viggars RM, in charge of the commando detachment aboard the Fighting Clan. His men from the Fleet


Protection Group Royal Marines – the UK’s elite unit when it comes to security at sea – is backed up


by the ship’s Lynx helicopter and Sutherland’s own Royal Navy team.


“We work very closely with the Royal Marines boarding teams in order to secure a ship, allowing us to search it safely and thoroughly,” said PO Jones, one of the frigates’ RN boarding party leaders. “Although, like always, there is a fair


bit of banter between the Royal Navy and Royal Marines boarding teams, we always work professionally together and combined, give Sutherland a formidable asset ready to go at a moment’s notice.” Once the sailors and commandos


had completed their thorough search of the merchantman and were satisfied that everything was in order, they returned to Sutherland, allowing the civilian ship to continue on its way. Even better, the boarding times were


back on the frigate just in time to see England beat India in the cricket...


J


UST as Sutherland was getting into the swing of things in the Gulf of Sirte, it was time to head for home and hand


the reins back to Liverpool... ...which promptly let rip with her most


potent barrage of the campaign to date. Nearly 60 rounds of high explosive


shells hammered Col Gaddafi’s forces in a day of high drama for HMS Liverpool, whose guns silenced the enemy yet again – and smashed up a military convoy. The veteran destroyer came under


fire from coastal batteries near the port of Zlitan as she carried out a night-time mission with NATO forces. She’d been ordered by a patrol aircraft


to fire star shells over a suspected pro- Government position when a shore battery began lobbing shells at Liverpool. After pulling back briefly from the danger


zone, the destroyer was ordered in once more to resume her illumination mission – only to be engaged once again.


None of the en


but three high-exp barrel of the destro twice the speed of silenced the pro-Ga Later in the sam


spied a vehicle c the coast road car equipment for the f Once again the


echoed around L room as 54 high-e sent crashing into t destroying some, others. In the resulting


Allied jets closed progress of any of in the convoy. “Liverpool’s gun


tirelessly to ensure of rounds to the Commanding Office “This vital work


of the mission – an civilian population o That single act column doubl explosive rou during her Lib As of Au


Navy News shiny ‘print had clocke (indeed sin she’s spen


days at sea – down more than


The net result? nautical miles on th All that sea time


replenishments (Ty are thirsty beasts more modern wars amount of ammun means that it’s been four occasions. Liverpool’s 81


Squadron Lynx has in the air on patr controllers in the op hours directing NAT no-fly zone and stri And lest anyon


Protector is a turke gone to action stat 26 occasions (77 h engaged by enemy


F


ROM one of B to her largest whirlybird in th


Ocean and her Ar gunships. For the first time


the helicopters ha (plus video footage can’t show).


pictures: la(phots) keith morgan, frpu east, and guy pool, hms ocean


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