D Class Frigates

[Captain Kong]

Hi Fouro,
No never hard anything about it after.
But the Queens Harbour Master was not at all amused by the Minesweepers actions. and said he would be severely reprimanded when he returned.
There are so many people on the bridge of those Navy Ships that no one knows what is happening.
Cheers
Brian.

[Hugh]

Lack of proper navigation aboard any ship is inexcuseable no matter whether merchant or naval. I have served on minesweepers, frigates and an aircraft carrier and and yes there were more on the bridge (including me) than your normal merchant ship. But you have to remember that we had different roles from a cargo ship or a tanker. You cannot run a warship with a small crew given all the different watches we had to maintain. I have served aboard both RN and MN ships and I have seen good and bad seamanship on both. I get a bit hacked off when I hear navy and matelot bashing on the MN sites I frequent.

Regards
Hugh

[Ivan Cloherty]

I get a bit hacked off when I hear navy and matelot bashing on the MN sites I frequent.

Regards
Hugh

Alas Hugh, it is the nature of the beast and have no doubt it happens vice versa on RN ships, those of us who have first hand experience of such happenings can only recount what we have experienced. As one Admiral who had been in charge on Aircraft carriers and destroyers said to me last year (or year before) I admire you MN chaps when you bring a ship alongside with so few people, we have bridges and decks covered with people and still manage to make a balls up, his words not mine. Last week speaking to one RN officer he said how the hell did you manage with only one screw, we can only speak as we find.

On a social visit to a Coniston Class minesweeper in Suez November 1956, I was surprised at the informality between all ranks, we had more bullshit on our MN vessel, the complement were all very young probably serving out their National Service, we were also young. Said they would rather be on a minesweeper than a vessel with 6000 tons of high explosives on board

[robpage]

In all fairness you the individuals I've met of Royal Navy Officers , chief Petty officers , Petty officers , and all the others almost to man I've been individually pretty good blokes , I found some of the reserve officers to be so far up their own inflated ego they were 15 feet tall and went to save a two weeks every year normally with a chief Petty Officer to prop them up so they didn't make too much of a hash of it the ferry is used to take them for a few days but trying to teach them what it was like especially when it was a bit rough out there for the minesweepers I used to feel really sorry for the chief escorting them

When it comes to the Royal Naval School of Engineering which was it but I don't know if it's still there which I believe is now known as the Royal Corps of naval constructors I have come across once I remember they had funny titles like constructor lieutenant . We had Pielstick engines built by Crossley in Manchester . We took a little time of these people who had designed the engine into a submarine to see what the performances were like compared to the suggested performance of the engine . They were designing a diesel engined submarine at the time . I said the submarines will have to be quite a big vessel this idiot constructor asked why and I said well how are you going to get the pistons in and out . He was a bit nippy and said well you lot manage it don't you so I showed him the plug on the car deck that we're removed and brought the forklift in the lift them out according to this brainless expert I have ruined 2 years of his research the silly Pratt hadn't measured the Damned Engine start to finish and allowed for it to be worked on I'm afraid I was left thinking if that is a brains that are designing ships for the Royal Navy god help us .

as far as I'm concerned jolly jack no matter what is job is a great bloke to sail with having sailed with many on various shipping companies and I have worked ashore with many too but I am afraid the constructors left me feeling that the navy was let down

[Hugh]

On a social visit to a Coniston Class minesweeper in Suez November 1956, I was surprised at the informality between all ranks, we had more bullshit on our MN vessel, the complement were all very young probably serving out their National Service, we were also young. Said they would rather be on a minesweeper than a vessel with 6000 tons of high explosives on board

Yes, Ivan, all the sweepers I sailed in ran a small ship routine - no bull and I probably enjoyed that time the best.

I had a lot of respect for the crews of the MN ships that I served aboard - they were mostly good seamen.

I can't speak for today's RN - far too long away from it now but I can honestly say that I never heard one OOW be anything other than courteous and respectful to their counterparts on other ships. Again only my experience and my job only required me on the bridge on small ships so maybe I was lucky that way. But you get ****holes and idiots in every walk of life even in the MN.

Regards
Hugh

[Doc Vernon]

My adopted Granddaughter "Courtney" who is in the RAN has told me that on large Ships she has served on that not all Crew are that Friendly amongst all ratings ,but still most get along well.
Suppose they have to so as to get the running of the Ship in first class order!

However she has been transferred to a smaller Mine Detector Ship the HMAS Yarra ,and has found that it is so much more Friendly and easy going ,with the much smaller Crew numbers!
But I suppose like anything else in Work, large Companies for example are not as good with all staff getting on together,but the smaller ones are!
Suppose too many Cooks !! LOL

[Ivan Cloherty]

On small ships Doc, you soon find out who is not pulling their weight, on big ships you can hide your failings, on small ships, no chance

Agree Hugh there are also many ar*eholes on MN ships, as in all walks of life, but I did find less at sea than I did in my shore life, no back stabbing at sea, you got where you were by ability, although you did wonder in some cases!. We can look back on our sea life with fondness although at times we wished we were elsewhere, so glad I did it.

[j.sabourn]

Vernon your picture of the naval ship is of a near exact design as I worked with when employed by the MOD. Although the RN referred to them as Mine Hunters. The ship I was on was mixed RN and MN crew. Any MN crew member who was a stirrer or trouble maker was soon taken off and sent elsewhere.It was the Admiralty, they had a big say on the manning, and the diving officer was the one who made the reports on the competency of both RN and MN crews. I can honestly say it was the best 4 years of my life at sea and saw no problems with the way the ship was run, it was with great regret that they took me off and sent me back on the anchor handlers. I think someone else had heard what a good job it was, and wanted their turn. They looked out for their own people in a way I have never seen done by a shipowner, even to the extent of having their own drying out farm. We had one RN personnel who had this problem who had been twice to the farm and was told on the third time happening was told he would lose his pension. I wont say it stopped his drinking but certainly curtailed it when under observation.The last time I saw him was when some admiral was flown out to the ship to present him with his 30 year service medal, which he termed 30 years of not being found out. His drinking problem had no ref to the award, as it was said that the navy took you as a boy and taught you how to drink so therefore took some of the blame. As I said my short time working with the navy found very satisfying, we ran the ship and laid the 4 point moors did all ship maintainance, the NAVY all the diving and technical problems that went with it. Cheers JWS

[j.sabourn]

As regards other small RN vessels being conversions from merchant vessels to HM ships spent 3 days on trials in the Bristol Channel before the flag being changed and the handing over of the vessel. Yes she had double the complement of merchant seafarers that would have normaly been there, but she was doing a different job as would have probably been the first and last line of defense on any incursions into the islands. She had a bofors gun fitted on each wing of the bridge, the port gun was manned by the ships cooks. The starboard gun by the contingent of 6 Royal marines and their sergeant major. She had 2 very fast attack FRCs with muffled engines about as quite as you can get an outboard to be. She had a housing with a heat seeking machine that could pick up body heat at 5 miles. All her ballast tanks not in use were filled with ping pong balls which apparently is a naval concoction to give the ship reserve buoyancy, so I for one learned something new. All round the bridge were posts for dropping automatic weapons on to. All this takes manpower. For those of you who followed this conflict from the very beginning will remember the first landing of argie forces was on to South Georgia which had a small contingent of Royal Marines in charge was another sergeant Major, someone told me the Sergeant Major was a peculiar title given to Royal Marines where the actual rank was sergeant. However the bloke in charge was forced to lay down their arms. I met him a few times and on the final handing over of the ship on trials was going with her and couldn't wait to get back, and try and redeem the fact they had to lay down their arms. JWS

[John Arton]

All 5 of the Navy's D class frigates are in port at the moment for repairs, crew change, routine maintenance etc.
Engines are still useless and most likely will have to be changed.
Labour 'saddled Navy ships with dodgy engines'
rgds
JA