aw
M||§lE SHIP; Tll MERGE
As a major move in the complete integration of the Royal Navy and Royal Naval Reserve, the mine countermeasures vessels of both will come under one operational command from October 16. One of the benefits will be to provide more R.N. staff support for R.N.R. training at sea. The changes take place at .1 time when the Reservists. who ham: ten .\1('.\l vessels. look forward to receiving two commerciul stern trtiwlers at present being adapted to the role of minesweepers specifically for deep armed team sweeping. This f_\pc of \'t:\sCl has ;i|re.'id_\ been tested in the task, .ind the ships will he known as mine\V~t.'(,‘],"lCf\ steel medium (.\lS.\li_ possihls the forerunners ii! purpose-huilt sessels
with the Severn and South Wales Rescrse Divisions YC\p(‘Cll\t.‘l)’lot mans sears.
lt
is
seen .is .i
logical step
UpCf.Illt)ll.ll control ships .ll se.i should
of
—
.is is
that R \' R .'llfL'.ltl\
the c.'ise with other M('.\l ships he with I-leet through the R N 's \l('.\l (Irx!.'Ifll\.lll0fl "Hie result should ensure esen close! links with the R N ..'md strindnrtlisation of routines. including work-up. l’o|ic_\', finance. nirinning and shore tniiiiiiig responsibilities iemuin ssith ('l.\'(‘.'\'.>‘\\'H().\ll':. .ind the R .\' R 's Kll\'l\ltVfl;Il setup_ with its permanent R..V. teams. is uI’lCh.'tl"l_L!L'tl. .|\ is the lnczition Ul \essel\ --
Powedul The two \hlp‘\ ol the Suffolk clziss now heiiii: converted and
expected
he in sersiee nn t'h.irter by the end o: the sear l1.I\t.‘ iiiixletn. powerful winches .ind latest electronic .iitls "l hey are uhout 41!) tons, with complements of about 24 Names oi the two have nut been announced. hut \pCL'ul.'IlIUn is thzit they mus well perpetuate the v»ell—knoun Rescrse names of Veniurei zind Si l).is:d, linked
Before re-crossing the Atlantlc to take part in the malor NATO exercise Northern Wedding, the mlsslle destroyer H.M.S. Flfe made several vlslts in the Unltod States, Including Baltimore and Norfolk. Thls plcture by
guided
LA(Phot) Isln Ferguson
taken while she was exercising in the Atlantic (See also Pages 30 and 31) was
New chief of Home
Qommand .\'.'i\-_\'
.\'ews. weiit to press. it was announced that Admiral Sir Riehzird ('l:is'tim. Controller of the .\‘:l\"s‘ since l)eeemher I975. is to he (‘omnirinder-in-Chief .\';iv;il Home (‘ommzintl next .\1;trch in succession to Adniiriil Sir l)(l\'l(l \\'illi:ims_ who is to retire. .-’\tlmir:il ('l;i_s’toii. who ioined the Royal .\';i\'_\- in l939, hits Ct)mmi|fl(lL'tl H..\l ships l’um;i, Kent and Hampshire, zind his other £tpp(‘Ill‘llfTlI.'t‘ll\ h:i\i: included Hag Officer Seetiiiil l-‘lotillti s
Sealflngs save
14
Sen Kings from H .\l 5 Gunner winched 14 men to safety ;|ll€f their Dutch l"l1.‘|l'1llf‘l'lt: patrol ;iirL‘r:ilt ditched in heavy seats off the west coast of Scotland durin the NATO exercise Northern ‘eddin men. who included two from the R :‘\.F spent some time
Tel-is .
,
clinging to wreckage and picked up by the Sea Kings and taken to hosital alter hcing spotted by an in
.i
life
tuft
oi were
..-\.F Nimrod
5 .
I I
D‘
o
I. I.
I. I I: v.
it . _.
-0.‘
C
to
Continued In back page. col. 6