NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 1990 Options
Minehunters lead the way
FLOTEX 90 provided the rare sight of all classes of mine countermeasures vessels exercising together. Ships of the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 10th Squadrons tackled a full and varied training programme with great enthusiasm. In fine weather and Ideal conditions they practised their full range of skills against the many types of exercise mines laid. Competition was keen in the hunting and sweeping serials and HMS Sheraton, the old lady of the group, won the annual Mine Hunting Efficiency trophy. The exercise culminated In a port visit to Dundee where inter-ship competitions were held for the it's a Knock Out sports and the Chubb firefighting trophies. The hard-fought competitions added a sense of good humoured rivalry to the exercise and both trophies were won by HMS Chiddingfold. There was a friendly meeting of old adversaries when five ships of the 10th Mine Countermeasures Squadron visited Esbjerg, Denmark.
CHESTER VISIT DURING a visit to their affil i a t e d t o w n of C h e s t e r , members of the ship's comppany of HMS Broadsword enjoyed a warm and enthusiastic welcome from local people. The visit also offered the o p p o r t u n i t y to p r e s e n t a cheque to Dec Bank School for handicapped children, for the purchase of new equipment.
Lieut.-Cdr. Adrian Legge RNR, in command of the Mersey Division's HMS Ribbte, invited on board Captain Kent Kirk, the Danish Minister of Fisheries. He explained: "We hadn't met since I arrested him in that well-publicised infringement of British fishery limits on January 6, 1983, when he was a Euro-MP. "There was never any animosity between Kent Kirk and me. I found him a most charming man and we were delighted to meet again after seven-and-a-half years." Prior to Flotex 90 HM ships Hubberston, Nurton, Sheraton and Wilton of the Third Countermeasures Squadron undertook Operation Pike (intensive minehunting and route survey operations) baaed in Campbeltown. The same quartet of ships also took part in Exercise Norminex 90 working alongside French mirtehunters and based in Lorient At least two mines were found and the ships enjoyed the refreshing change of some armed team sweeping. • AIM 3 mine Countermeasures vessels taking part in Flotex 90 are pictured by LA(Phot) Ball of 819 Squadron HMS Gannet,
Intrepid on show THE First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Julian Oswald, paid a visit to the 12.000-ton amphibious assault ship HMS Intrepid, commanded by Capt. Richard Bridges. A less formal visit to Intrepid He met many of the ship's was made by 26 members of company p and discussed with the Riding for the Disabled them their role in the ship's club. organisation. The boys and girls, who were both mentally and physically During a tour of the ship the handicapped, enjoyed lunch in First Sea Lord was able to disthe wardroom and a guided cuss some of the problems and tour of the ship. Their day culchallenges that both personnel minated in a visit to the Royal and Intrepid herself face. Naval Musuem.
Watch on Liberia
Ferranti cup winners HMS Alacrity has won the Fourth Frigate Squadron Operational Effectiveness Trophy, the Fcrranti Cup. Rear-Admiral Peter Wopdhcad, Flag Officer Flotilla One, presented the trophy to Cdr. Colin Ferbrache. Alacrity's commanding officer, during a visit to the ship in Devonport. Admiral Woodhead also presented several medals as well as C-inC Fleet Commendations 10 CMEM(M) Adams, POMEA Edwins and RS Winder for meritorious service during Alacrity's Hurricane Hugo relief operations on the island of Montscrrat in 1989.
AFTER a six-month survey of the South Atlantic HMS Hecla, the navy's oldest ocean survey ship, has r e t u r n e d to Devonport.
well in excess of the land size of the UK, the Hccla also took time out for several ports of call to B r a z i l , G h a n a and Si Helena.
Collecting data from an area
At the port of Maccio, in Brazil, her footballers played
SPECIAL FLIGHT AIRCRAFT from 750 Naval Air Squadron, where Royal Navy observers arc trained, gave flights to I I members of No. 10 Group, the Devon and Cornwall Royal Observer Corps to mark their 50th anniversarv.
the local Brazilian army battalion in front of 2,000 spectators in the town's floodlit stadium and in Victoria they were presented with a trophy after winning a four-team competition against local naval and military sides.
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After returning from Liberia HMS Andromeda sailed to Rosyth to commence refit with her ship's company transferring to HMS Scylla which has just completed a six-month refit.
AT DIVISIONS on board HMS Brereton at Rosyth, the Commodore Minor War Vessels and Mine Warfare, Commodore Graham Johnston, presented a cup and four medals. The Good Luck Cup was awarded to the gunnery officer, Sub-Lieut. Simon Ward, and gunnery yeoman, AB(M) Antony Hole, in recognition of the Brereton's sharpshooting during COST last year. Long Service and Good Conduct Medals and the General Service Medal for service in the Gulf were presented to several members of the ship's company. HMS Brereton, a member of the Third MCM Squadron, is seconded to the Fishery Protection Squadron.
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Whilst on patrol the ship's company kept themselves busy embarking on a keep-fit programme and the POs' mess raised ÂŁ250 for the Phoebe's charity chest by holding a 24-hour sponsored darts match.
Brereton's 'good luck'
Hecla scores in Brazil
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HMS Phoebe has returned to Devonport after a six-week patrol off the coast of Liberia where she replaced HMS Andromeda, pictured above with the USS Peterson, to stand by for the evacuation of British nationals from the war-torn capital of Monrovia. Together with RFA Tidespring HMS Phoebe established a close working relationship with ships from the US Navy's Sixth Fleet which was also standing by to assist with the evacuation of their own nationals.
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