GUEST,John Gray in Oz. - 30 Apr 08 - 12:34 PM.

Very well said.

As you explain so well playing around an Aircraft Carrier is an extremely risky business, especially if they "double" your duties up to cover both "Rescue Destroyer" and still form part of the force Anti-Submarine Screen.

One of the most impressive sights I have ever seen at sea was on a NATO exercise called "Silver Tower" in the late 1960's. The exercise involved, among other things a simulated carrier launched nuclear strike against the USSR. There were two carrier groups operating together, the RN with HMS Eagle and the USN with the USS Enterprise. They placed the RN Carrier group ahead of the USN Group on the flying course, to allow the Enterprise to overhaul her A/S escort and pass through our screen as she flew off her entire air group. We were in the North Atlantic, 140 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the USS Enterprise was wound up to about 30-32 knots with spray flying all over the place and maintaining a steady stream of aircraft being launched from her bow and waist catapults. We acted as her "Rescue Destroyer" as she passed through our sector of the screen, her at revs for flying and us at maximum effective sonar speed, downright scary, all it would taken was for there to be a shift in wind with us in the "wrong" place and we'd have been toast.

HMS Ark Royal under the command of Raymond (Derek) Lygo belted a Russian Kotlyn destroyed in the Mediterranean just east of Gibralter in the early 1970's. The Ark was engaged in flying operations and the Kotlyn kept cutting across her bows. During recovery of aircraft Lygo was advised by the Officer of the Watch that the Soviet vessel was moving in, to which he said - Have we got the appropriate flags and signals hoisted? (The answer was yes) Then stand on he should know the "Rule of the Road", we have right of way. Knocked a fair number of Rusian sailors over the side, which the Ark's "Pedro" (SAR Helicopter that sits off the carrier's quarter to rescue downed aircrew) picked up and brought on board. The Russians were furiously insisting that their men be returned without delay. Lygo invited them all to his cabin, filled them with drink had them taken down to the ship's NAAFI where they could take their pick of whatever they wanted - then he sent them back.

If both the following are true:
   
"John has a great respect for the blokes who defended everything we hold dear ... but little for politicians - and their military underlings." - (I take it that by "their military underlings" he is referring to the officers.)

"John Dengate's song wasn't aimed at the enlisted men of the Melbourne - rather at the "officer class" of a Navy that was still more of a "war games" mentality than a real fighting one."

Then I suggest that Mr Dengate had better get cracking on a song about the "Sydney" and her compliment of officers who also must have had, "more of a "war games" mentality than a real fighting one".

I have never heard anything so bloody idiotic in my life.