Two of the Royal Navy’s warships operating in the Gulf joined forces to take their skills on patrol to the next level.
Minehunter HMS Atherstone played a pirate mother ship and frigate HMS Monmouth took her down using her Royal Marines, before the Black Duke tested the mettle of the Crazy A’s gunners by sending her fast boats to ‘attack’ the small ship.
Pictures: LA(Phot) Will Haigh, HMS Monmouth
FACE down on the deck of minehunter HMS Atherstone, ‘pirate’ AB Chris ‘Hassle’ Hoath feels the force of a Royal Marines boarding team as the ‘Crazy A’ joined forces with the Royal Navy’s Gulf guardian, HMS Monmouth.
The minehunter put aside her normal role (which is, er, hunting mines) to play the part of a pirate mother ship to help the Black Duke’s specialist boarding party take their skills to the next level.
Level 2 in fact – an unopposed but non-compliant boarding in official terminology – which means the pirates won’t shoot, but they will be surly and awkward.
So Atherstone’s crew were told to resist the boarders and to ‘not come quietly’, which made for a potent exchange between the Royal Marines of 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group and the Ersatz pirates…
The commandos detain the ‘pirates’ on Atherstone’s quarterdeck
…and, of course, pirates Ersatz or otherwise, are no match for the British military’s ultimate warriors who used their clear and search techniques – practised only last week at a special facility in Bahrain – and skill at arm to subdue the Crazy A’s crew after initial resistance, while overhead Monmouth’s Lynx, Black Knight.
With the minehunter secured by the green berets, it was time for Monmouth’s Royal Navy boarding team to climb aboard the 750-tonne warship to search its compartments and personnel.
The pirate take-down was one of the highlights of a week’s exercise involving the two ships which not only saw the Black Duke make use of Atherstone, but also vice versa.
Atherstone leads Monmouth and one of the frigate’s sea boats
The frigate put her Pacific 24 sea boats (highly manoeuvrable and with a top speed nearly 40kts) to test Atherstone’s upper deck gunners in the art of fending off fast attack craft – the chance to use ‘live assets’ to train against was of particular benefit to the Crazy As.
On the final day of their time in company together, there was a chance for the ship’s companies to swap vessels and experience life on board each other’s ships.
“The transfer of personnel between ships at sea is a brilliant way to allow the exchange of ideas and working practices,” said Atherstone’s Executive Officer Lt Peter Davis. “It’s the Royal Navy’s enduring ethos – all of one company – which has long underwritten the Naval Service and its ability to deal with ever-changing threats to security at sea.”
In the case of Monmouth’s Cdr Gordon Ruddock the link-up reminded him what life aboard Atherstone is like; he commanded the minehunter on two tours of duty in the Gulf.
“As a commanding officer, you develop a great sense of pride and ownership over your ship – it’s something which never leaves you,” he said. “It was particularly enjoyable working so closely with my own ship.
Monmouth demonstrates her impressive turning ability as the sun goes down on the two ships
He added: “The UK’s mine countermeasures vessels make a very important contribution to the coalition presence in the Gulf .”
Indeed they do. As well as Atherstone, her sister Quorn and Sandown-class ships Shoreham and Ramsey provide the Royal Navy’s permanent minehunter presence in the Gulf – a presence the UK has maintained now for more than six years.
Typically the mine warfare vessels either work on their own or with their own genus – so the chance to ‘play’ with the big toys was one not to be missed.
“Operating with Monmouth has been a fantastic opportunity for Atherstone’s crew to show their professionalism as well as what a mine countermeasures vessel is capable of when working with a Type 23 frigate, particularly in the operational environment of the Gulf,” said Atherstone’s Commanding Officer Lt Cdr Ben Vickery.
