Submariner deployments

[The Monkey God]

Hi Guys,

Can anyone in the know tell me whether it is possible for one submariner to have served during the following........

Air Operations Iraq 1997 on HMS Spartan

Kosovo 1999 on HMS Splendid

Afghanistan 2001 on HMS Trafalgar

Gulf War Two 2003 on HMS Splendid or HMS Turbulent

Is that feasable achievement? Thus being entitled to 4 medals?

[bigjarofwasps]

Not by any means being an expert on Royal Navy posting (I believe there roughly run on a 36 month at sea & 12 months on shore), But I wouldn`t like to swear to this ,however, the dates would certainly be possible.

HMS Spartan was certainly deployed in the Gulf on Air Ops Iraq around October 1997.

HMS Splendid was deployed during the Kosovo war during March 22 to June 11 1999.

HMS Trafalgar was part of the first rotation & fired her missles againest the Taliban On October 7, 2001.

HMS Splendid & Turbulent were both deployed on Op Telic 1 (March-April 2003).

So lets say our submariner joined the Navy in June 1994, did his training & was posted to Spartan in Jan 1995, until Jan 1998, did a year on shore. Then Jan 1999 posted to Splendid, until Jan 01, whereby he went on a course of something. Then say posted to the Trafalgar August 2001 until November 2002, when Trafalgar ran aground close to Skye, causing £5 million worth of damage to her hull and injuring three sailors. Where by he was posted back to the Splendid or the Turbulent (to complete the remainder of his 36 months at sea, he`d only have done about 15 months at this point) & thus deployed to the Gulf. Sound feasible?

Interesting this would have also made him part of the crew of the Splendid, when the Kursk sank, no medal granted, but still something to tell the Grand children about? Not to mention the 3 wars, 1 combat deployment & near sinking!!

You could also take it one stage further & add the first Gulf war 1991, to the list as HMS Opussum &

HMS Otus, where both deployed then. So if he joined in Jan 1990, posted to one of them 6 or so months later, deployed until Nov 1993, a years shore leave Nov 1994, posted to the Spartan Jan 1995.

Phew!!!!

So that would give him 5 campaign medals, the Queens Golden Jubilee, and if he stayed in until 2005ish, the LSGC too!!!

:jumping:

[hucks216]

It is certainly possible. While there is a ratio for 'sea:shore' time it is only a guideline. He could be scheduled to be on one boat for 30 months (for example), then become eligable for promotion after a year so leave that boat and spend a couple of months on course and on finishng the course join another boat. And when he was due shore time someone with his trade skills might be needed to take the place of someone on a boat so he could then be crash-drafted back to sea again before he thought he was due to - it happens alot! Or he might of just been loaned to a specific boat for a few months for whatever reason.

[bigjarofwasps]

:cheers: Hucks. Glad to hear my ramblings have some grounds & merit to them! :cheers:

[bigjarofwasps]

Have come across a few more submarine deployments that might be of interest.

HMS Splendid was in the South Atlantic in December 1996.

&

HMS Tireless in 2007

March 2007 explosion

On 21 March 2007, two Tireless crew members, Leading Operator Mechanic Paul McCann and Operator Maintainer (Weapons Submariner) 2 Anthony Huntrod, were killed in an explosion onboard, apparently caused by an oxygen generator candle in the forward section of the submarine. The submarine was in service near the North Pole under ICEX07 along with the USS Alexandria (SSN-757) and had to make an emergency surface through the ice cap. A third crewmember who suffered "non life-threatening" injuries was airlifted to a military hospital at Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage, Alaska and was expected to make a full recovery. According to the Royal Navy, the accident did not affect the ship's nuclear reactor, and the ship sustained only superficial damage. Part of the exercise was being used to measure ice thickness by using sonar.[4][5] The film Stargate: Continuumwhich was filming on the ice and in the Alexandria during the exercisewas dedicated to McCann and Huntrod.

And more recently,

According to the British press HMS Sceptre has been patrolling off the Falkland Islands because of renewed tension between the UK and Argentina.

[bigjarofwasps]

Found this which thought might be of interest as well.

After the 9/11 attacks in the USA, HMS Triumph, along with her sister-ship Trafalgar, formed part of a task group in 2001 as part of the American-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Britain's contribution being known as Operation Veritas. The Royal Navy task force comprised HM ships Cornwall, Fearless, Illustrious, and Southampton. The task force was supported by Royal Fleet Axuiliaries Bayleaf, Brambleleaf, Diligence, Fort Rosalie, Fort Victoria, Sir Percivale and Sir Tristram.

During Operation Veritas, Triumph launched Tomahawk missiles on targets inside Afghanistan. When Triumph returned home after operations had ended, the boat flew the Jolly Roger, the traditional way of showing a successful patrol.

Also,

Triumph sailed to Australia in 1993, travelling 41,000 miles submerged without support -- the longest solo deployment so far by a nuclear submarine. In that same year, author Tom Clancy published a book called SUBMARINE: a Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship which was centered around Triumph and USS Miami.

&

On 16 April 2003 HMS Turbulent was the first Royal Navy vessel to return home from the war against Iraq. She arrived in Plymouth flying the Jolly Roger after launching thirty Tomahawk cruise missiles. I also believe that Turbulent spent 10 months at sea, which out a break. Prior to deployment on Op Telic 1, she had been supporting operations againest the taliban in Afganistan, I have been unable to confirm whether or not she fired any weapons in anger or not. Perhaps someone else might be able to shine some light on this?

[hucks216]

Ten months at sea doesn't actually mean 10 months at sea continuously, not for the current Royal Navy anyway. It refers to the time spent away from base port. In those 10 months she would of called at various ports to change crew members, receive stores (including food), conduct maintenance, R & R etc

[bigjarofwasps]

Ten months at sea doesn't actually mean 10 months at sea continuously, not for the current Royal Navy anyway. It refers to the time spent away from base port. In those 10 months she would of called at various ports to change crew members, receive stores (including food), conduct maintenance, R & R etc

Hi Hucks,

Oh I see. I suppose gone are the days, when no one wanted nuclear ships in their harbours.

Gordon.

[The Monkey God]

I`ve been posting on another forum, along the same lines. I was very interested to learn that a crew memeber of the Turbulent, qualified for both the OSM & the Iraq medal for this 10 month deployment, but didn`t get the clasp for either medal?

[hucks216]

Hi Hucks,

Oh I see. I suppose gone are the days, when no one wanted nuclear ships in their harbours.

Gordon.

There are still countries that don't allow such vessels alongside. New Zealand springs to mind.

[The Monkey God]

A number of the TLAM fired by TURBULENT were gifted to them by the USN, because their war stocks were so small.