“TIDEPOOL”
26th March 1976 to 28th September 1976
British Crew
1st Officer
This was my second appointment to this ship, this time with responsibilities for NBCD, damage control, firefighting, flight-deck operations and assisting the Chief Officer with cargo work and replenishment operations. I also looked after the quartermasters and administered the Deck Department stores.
Having just joined the ship in Rosyth, we were straight away tasked to support frigates that were being diverted to Icelandic waters. Iceland had just broken off diplomatic relations with the U.K. over her decision to extend territorial waters and fishing rights out to 200 miles from the Icelandic coast. Consequently another “Cod War” had started and Icelandic gunboats began harassing British trawlers in those rich fishing grounds.
My first duty was to attend a briefing, along with the Captain and navigator, at the Northern Command Centre near Dunfermline. This was a vast underground complex that looked very much like a “James Bond” film set. It was obvious to us that the planning staff were not going to get cold and wet down there! Our job in this conflict was to provide support for the three or four frigates that would be deployed to the Icelandic sea areas. Their job was to shadow the gunboats and advise the fishing fleet of their positions. This was important information, as the Icelanders had now developed cutting gear which they trailed astern to destroy the trawlers nets as the gunboats crossed over the trawlers wake. The trawlers would hopefully be given enough notice to be able to haul in their gear before the gunboats got close.
As part of our support duties we were allocated our own Wessex helicopter, which would be used for spotting trawler and gunboat activity as well as any ‘Vertrep’ requirements within the British vessels in the area. Our helicopter contingent, called “Oscar Flight”, included the necessary maintenance crew to support the aircraft and aircrew.
(Vertrep, short for vertical replenishment, was the transfer of stores and equipment from one ship to another by helicopter. Very useful in high seas or when ships are necessarily kept some distance apart).
Before sailing, we loaded cold weather clothing for the ship’s personnel, as well as a lot of extra ‘damage control’ stores which were stowed near the flight-deck ready for transfer to the frigates if required. Support tugs for the trawlers were already in Icelandic waters and they reported that the gunboats were not afraid of very close-quarters activity. There had been a few minor collisions already. The frigates were relatively thin skinned and would probably come off worse in a contact situation. Later in this dispute, frigates were arriving in the area having had a protective wooden sheathing fitted to the forward hull plating as added protection.
On sailing, our helicopter embarked and we headed north to join the fray. This was going to be a much tougher confrontation than the previous dispute in 1973. The gunboats meant business and were cutting up rough with the trawlers whenever they saw an opportunity.
The British frigates frequently had to try and dive in between a gunboat and trawler to try and deflect the aggressor away. Our helicopter was in constant use, keeping an eye on the situation. I was able to get a ride with the pilot on one sortie, where we were searching for a gunboat suspected of being in a certain area. Having covered a lot of water we found him and went to the nearest trawlers and warned them of his presence. The fishermen were always friendly and the helicopter often came home with a mailbag full of fresh cod!
Replenishments were tough in the vile weather. I remember working down on the tank-deck during one RAS, probably dipping a cargo tank or operating valves, when a huge sea swept across the ship as she rolled. I managed to hang on but got a good drenching in freezing cold seawater.
This sort of activity went on until June, when the respective governments reached an agreement to allow a limited number of British trawlers within the 200 mile boundary, with a maximum total annual catch of 50,000 tons.
Returning to U.K. waters we said goodbye to “Oscar Flight” and resumed more mundane replenishments, with occasional calls into Devonport to reload. During one of these period alongside, and I think it was on a weekend, calls went out to those personnel ashore to get back to the ship immediately. We had received orders to raise steam and sail as soon as possible. The Russians had recently built and deployed their first proper fixed wing aircraft carrier, equipped with their own version of the “Harrier” jump-jet. This carrier had been reported steaming in the Western Approaches and was currently being tailed by a British frigate which was getting low on fuel. Having got most of our crew back on board, we sailed and joined the frigate. Although visibility was not good, we got a fairly close look at this new beast. Much like other Russian naval vessels she was bristling with weapons and communications antenna. The size of her was impressive and she looked very modern compared to our own ageing carriers. The jump-jets on deck looked similar to our own but slightly longer in the body. Unfortunately we did not see any flying activity before we were detached.
After six busy and interesting months I left the ship in Portsmouth to enjoy some late summer leave.