D Class Frigates

[j.sabourn]

Thanks Hugh. I just got out of bed and was looking for the post as suddenly remembered HMS Reclaim, so maybe not getting Alhzeimers just yet. What you say may explain a few things. Think it was 1980 that NATO Tornado came down in the Irish Sea. They had 2 of a crew who did not eject, and was supposed to have hit the water at 1000 knots.The Reclaim was with us at the time and there were a couple of requests from her which seemed a bit bizarre at the time for a Navy ship, so maybe they had brought her back out of mothballs in a hurry. She was less than a quarter of a mile away and at about 2300 she called us up saying she had an emergency and may have a diver with the bends. Not thinking too much about it I jumped into the Zodiac and was across there within a few minutes he was passed down on a stretcher, and I went zooming back to own ship. I realized then that I was in the middle of the Irish sea by myself and the casuality, as it turned out the The Reclaim had recontacted my ship and the naval surgeon was waiting to stick him in the de-compression chamber, Another time he asked us to put a boarding party on a suspected Russian trawler and check his nets for pieces of aircraft. The 2 I sent acoss were another 2 Macs one from Stornaway and one from the Isle of skye. They were 2 hefty blokes but on getting over the trawlers bulwark they were accosted by the little fiery skipper from Hull who told them to get off his effing ship. They came back with red faces and no wreckage I may add. Whenever I saw the Reclaim after that she was at the buoy in Portsmouth with the usual white line painted fore and aft at water level, so could see at a glance whether she was sinking or not. Cheers Thanks for Info. JWS

[robpage]

Only once did I ever come across the Royal Naval ship design department would use to be many years ago based at Bath and all I can say is that I was disappointed in their understanding of the Engineering they were looking at on a ferry regarding the main propulsion units which they were looking at adapting for submarine use

Speaking to Falklands veterans I can't know anyone of them who had a good word to say for the Royal Navy school of ship design

[Ivan Cloherty]

Many moons ago I was doing business with the M O D and had to take my designs to H.M.S. ?????, Bath, I thought bloody hell they're off course, I was dealing with RN types who'd never been to sea, but when leaving the RN they were classed as veterans

[j.sabourn]

I found that R.N. trained specialists were the best going. But were experts in their own field only, you couldn't take a gunnery officer and expect him to do signals. In fact you couldn't take a navigational officer and expect him to work out a sight without the appropriate printed sheets telling him more or less what to do.I found this out much to my dismay. Yet a commissoned officer on leaving the RN can apply and get a certificate of service as Master F.G or 1st class engineer. I cant speak for the engineer as sailed with one who was a very good shipmate, but as regards the deck side they had no knowledge of most merchant navy duties little regarding stability and as regards cargo work next to nothing. Work all round in general I found was placed at the Petty officers door. Those that left with a cert. of service as master, would generally fit in on a passenger vessel where they would be acceptable for the entertainment of passengers. On a general cargo ship they were mainly a pain in the ass. JWS

[Ivan Cloherty]

I found that R.N. trained specialists were the best going. But were experts in their own field only, On a general cargo ship they were mainly a pain in the ass. JWS

I sailed with them, on more than one occasion! out of their depth

[John Arton]

Whilst flying down from Newcastle to London one time there were a number of "executives" from the Bath Naval Base in Bath which is the design and procurement base for the engineering side of the Royal Navy. At that time there was still ship building and repair on the Tyne. They had driven from Bath to Heathrow, flown up to Newcastle, had lunch at the yards expense, discussed the type of paint to be used on a new build destroyer along with some other technical issues, and were flying back down to Heathrow in order to drive back to Bath so they could be home to wifey for dinner.
What was the topic of there conversation? Problems with paint? problems with machinery?
No
Their main interest was what luxury car they were going to hire in Heathrow for their journey back to Bath!!!
I know that security would be an issue in a public place but they had been having conversations about the issues they had flown up to see (which from what I could gather could have all been discussed during a telephone conversation.
The M.O.D. and the Navy in particular has never brought in one of its vessels on budget to this day. Even after approving the plans submitted by the yard they constantly change the design and outfit, moving bulkheads by inches after they have been built etc.
If it was run on commercial lines then the defence budget could be safely cut by billions and we would still have a fleet of vessels that actually work and are fit for purpose.
Mind you manning them is a different matter. At the moment the RN is having real problems manning its submarines as those on board do not have access to Facebook, ahhh! bless their little cotton socks, those hairy assed matelots!!!!!
rgds
JA

[Fouro]

The German and French frigates don't appear to have any faults with their engines.

MTU Diesel Gensets Ordered for UK Combat

FOURO.

[Captain Kong]

I was on watch on a Tanker loaded with 15,000 tons of Aviation Spirit.
We were anchored in the Firth of Forth awaiting a berth. with the appropriate Anchor Ball on the fore stay.
I then saw a RN Mine Sweeper sail from Rosyth and was heading directly at my starboard beam.
I watched with the Bins and as he got closer and closer, I could see about 12 people in their wheelhouse.
I decided to contact him to see what he was going to do.
He replied, "You there, don't you know the Rules? get out of my way. you are on my Port side and I am on your Starboard side. You are the give way vessel."
So I replied, SHOUTING as he was almost on top of me. "i AM AT ANCHOR, WITH THE ANCHOR BALL ON THE FORE MAST. " I just heard the words `Oh Shat`! He went hard a Starboard, skidded round on one bilge keel and just missed me by inches.
I called the Queens Harbour Master at Rosyth, He said he had monitored the situation and would have him in the Office when he returned.
Cheers
Brian

[Ivan Cloherty]

If it was run on commercial lines then the defence budget could be safely cut by billions
rgds
JA

I was an approved contractor to the RN, (and once your in you're in for life if you want) one contract was enough for me!

Had to sign the Officials Secrets Act, (no problem with that)so cannot say too much, but John's line above will never happen.

Apart from all the form filling (all requiring numerous signatures from them), having to finance their requirements for months after delivery was not my way of doing business, having to ferry their representatives and their wives around, having to feed them and their wives, and having innumerable discussions on paint, rather than technical aspects was not my idea of a well run organisation, so much time wasted that could have been better spent on other commercial prospects. Contractors inflate their prices because they have to finance expensive loans so that they can purchase materials and pay their staff, because they know that they will not receive monies from the M O D for months and even years, and thus it will ever be because nobody in the M O D / Govt has the guts to change it. I could live without the so called prestige of being an 'Official Supplier', but I couldn't live being one!

[Fouro]

Re Number 18.
Reading your post Brian started me thinking what could have happened had that minesweeper rammed into the side of your fully laden tanker.
Going back to the mid 1950's, we were carrying a full cargo of high octane spirit, when two days out of port the ship's carpenter was saved from trying to commit suicde. The reason why the poor soul was trying to take his own life was, he had received a dear John letter at the last port of call. It often goes through my mind had he decided to drop a lighted newspaper or similar article with a naked flame into one of the cargo tanks, our ship and all of us would have been blown to smithereens.
Did you ever receive a written report about captain Pighead from the Queen's Harbour Master at Rosyth?.

FOURO.