Echoes from The Mediterranean

A Report from Anth Greening CPO (WS) (UW) HMS Northumberland

“All positions SD, Chart Check bearing 255 at 7.5 miles; New Lance Diver Contact”. So it begins, Exercise Corsican Lion 12 ASWEX is truly underway; its 2000 local and the Sound Room are hot on the “enemy” in this case the French submarine Amethyste. It’s taken approximately 3 months of planning, signal writing and preparation before we even thought about putting sound into the water.

The culmination of a successful BOST, pre deployment training and two weeks of integrated training, which saw us seconded into the Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group as an ASW Escort with the French ASW Destroyer the FS Jean De Vienne as part of the UK’s Reaction Force Task Group (RFTG). We are now detached with BULWARK and ILLUSTRIOUS and the main aim remains as always; deny the enemy the use of his submarines and the safe and timely arrival of the main body at any given point.

Added to this is the added bonus of the FOST Towed Array Response Team (TART) ‘riding’ us for quality assurance purposes and also to gain more tactical experience of Sonar 2087 outside of the usual South Coast Exercise Area Scenarios and in a differing water column. The TART comprises of a SWO(U), 1 x CPO(WS)(UW) and a CPO(WS)(AWT) and are available to deploy at short notice to support Towed Array or LFAS Operations as required outside of their core FOST Sea Riding Roles; The AWT Sea Riders are here for the Target Motion Analysis aspect of S2087 operations, being mindful that S2087 is an Low Frequency Active Sonar (LFAS) with a Passive capability, much to the delight of the Ops Room and Command Teams who are convinced that the “dark arts” practiced in the Sound Room, are nothing more than a “blind mathematician in a darkened room looking for a black cat that doesn’t exist”  Hopefully we shall prove them wrong!

NORTHUMBERLAND has settled comfortable into Defence Watches for this period, and the usual check and controls are in place. The usual rotation of watch changes and midnight meals carries on around the Warfare Department seamlessly, with the operators emerging for meals and then slipping off to bed or back on watch. Luckily we have Wholeship buy in regarding our primary role as an ASW Frigate with regard to noise quiet states and noise reduction, making my job easier as the Ships Noise Monitor as the departmental noise monitors are proactive and inventive in maintaining our radiated signature as low down the spectrum as is possible. Allied with this is strong link between the Marine Engineering Officer of the Watch (MEOOW) and the Galley Staff requesting the permission for the starting and stopping of machinery and heavy electrical items. Dimmed and Red lighting on 2 Deck around E section help add to the ambience as does the presence of a flashing “in Contact light” signifying that we are fulfilling our terms of reference in the Sound Room as opposed to “spinning dits” and drinking tea.

The Ships Company are always welcomed, (situation dependant) into the Sound Room for an acquaint and a little operating as are the Wardroom Analysis Team who are always on hand to dispense advice, this strengthens the bonds between the Mess decks and Departments and gives the UW lads and lasses kudos and pride in what they do, as the opportunities these days are few and far between due to the diverse role of an RN Frigate.

4 Sonar Senior Rates split into two watches, 1 Sonar Director (S2087 tactics and operations) 1 ASWD (everything else), obviously the watch with the CPO(UW) are delighted to have me in their company, but they soon settle into it and gives me a chance to practice my drills and skills and maintain currency and also a chance to mentor the team and pass on advice and tips, just as every other CPO(TASI) CPO(S) or CPO(UW) worth his salt has done since the branch was initially conceived in the 1940’s. Port watch are unofficially delighted not to have me though, I can see it in their eyes at the handover, but they need not fret I’ll get them next time!

Training abounds whether its advice on CASEX briefs to tactical thought processes to manual plotting CPO(WS)(UW) Jules Lee (UW 5) is on hand throughout , questioning, clarifying and scribbling frantically in his notebook, the SWO is on the shoulder of the Command PWO mentoring and offering sage experiential advice, and all the time the UW department absorb the information and attempt to better it for next time. Luckily we have organic HM Staff embarked so range prediction and Bathy are done for us, another piece of the jigsaw complete. 

The CASEXs roll through, from one to the next, Communication difficulties, Sonar defects aircraft unavailability a French Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and water space management issues all add to this eclectic mix of problems to be prioritised and solved. The training has been successful contact has been gained and lost and at good ranges too, weapon attacks conducted and records sent for analysis, each watch sees the team emerging more confident and capable and enjoying the chance to train on a live contact.

Day three sees me awoken from my slumber at 0600 by a mermaid, actually it’s the Port Watch ASWD Fez Parker to tell me, “CHOPS, all CASEXs have been cancelled effective immediate “. Thinking I’ve been had on a bite, I head to the Sound Room to find Jules feverishly drafting a programme in case the worse comes to the worse and the ASWEX is ENDEX. This unfortunately was the case; Amethyste was withdrawn due to a defect and ASWEX formally ended. However Training continued for the next two days with us being allowed to keep the previously booked water space, S2170 Towed Decoy Training was conducted and a full functionality check was ticked off as well as an Expendable Mobile Acoustic Training Target (EMATT) CASEX to practice the SDR-OPS Passive liaison; the RPs were delighted, all done under the watchful eye of the Staff.

The Staff have now disembarked, the VDS and array both recovered and we continue east to practice the plethora of other tasks that we need to achieve prior to arriving in theatre. For the UW Department, well they head back to their Parts of Ship and the POs and I to the collation and distribution of records and lessons identified. Gulf and Indian Ocean ASW operations await me as does the associated Staff work required for the Command Estimate coupled with Tactical Development serials and possibly the odd run ashore along the way. Don’t be too disheartened for me though as the TART Team are back in a few months to ride me again for the GULF ASWEX and as they so fondly say “more to follow in my report”.

I’d like to take the opportunity to thank my Commanding Officer, CDR P.G. Dowsett RN for his permission to draft this for you, also LPHOT Maxine Davies for her photographs, the FOST TART Team and last but not least the Ships Company of HMS NORTHUMBERLAND and specifically the UW Department of which I have the great honour and pleasure to be their CPO(WS)(UW).

Wishing you all calm winds and a following sea, and remember gentlemen as they say in the ASW world; “Another day, another Doppler”

Yours Aye

CPO(WS)(UW) A.D. Greening

Towed Array Sensor Coordinator

HMS NORTHUMBERLAND