Official govt film uploaded as "fair use." Documentary following HMS Sirius (F40) a Royal Navy Leander-class frigate during AAW and ASW exercises. Includes RAS with RFA Grey Rover (A269). Port visit to Madeira.
While serving on the USS Dahlgren DLG-12 in 1971 we were assigned as Flagship of STANAVFORLANT in the North Atlantic. One of the ships in our contingent was the HMS Jupiter HMS-60. She was also of the Leander class frigates. Outstanding ship and crew. The English were the best to go on liberty with. We participated in the NATO Naval exercise "Royal Knight" which involved 3 aircraft carriers and operated in the Arctic Circle to show the Soviets we could come get them in their backyard if necessary. The old English aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (R09) was part of this contingent and I still have an English sailors cap ribbon as a momento that I exchanged my white hat for with a English sailor from that ship I went on liberty with. Good memories...
Please note-- it is the BRITISH ROYAL NAVY. I am Scottish but served in two Leander class frigates in my many years in the service along with many other Scots, Welsh,Irish.
Did SNFL twice still have the coffee mug I was given by the independent hospital corpsman in December 84 whilst in Halifax, Nova Scotia from the USS Aubrey Fitch, the coffee mug still in commission.
That's pretty cool. My ship, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. DD850 was on the same exercise. We lost a couple of single screw destroyers when they lost power. One had to be towed back to port. The waters were rough, the temperature was cold and the crew was sent out to chip the ice off the ship.
I served in 4x Type 12 frigates in the Australian Navy in the 1980/90s when they were coming to their end of life. They were the most weatherly and toughest old girls I ever went to sea in. I was a Principal Warfare Officer for much of that time and we also often had the advantage of a manual ops room when automated ops rooms in other ships failed and we had to take over command of a task unit or an individual action! Fun times I will never forget. This video is so vivid and accurate (exempt the plummy accents) it almost makes me cry. Nostalgia hey!!
That was awesome! My father served on three Leander class frigates (Apollo, Jupiter and Scylla during his 23-year career in the RN (as a CPO). I'll never forget 'Family Days' when the crew were allowed to bring their families on board for the day and spend it out at sea! One special memory was being buzzed by an F4 (boy, was it loud!) and eating lunch in the SeaCat control room! Wonderful memories! A shame he never got to see this video - it would've brought a smile to his face and a tear to his eye to remember all the good times he spent onboard these beautiful ships. Thanx for posting!
1979, I had the opportunity and honor to ride the HMS Achilles for 3 days as she transited the Red Sea accompanied by my ship, USS Julius A. Fuhrer, FFG-6. I was an EW1 (Petty Officer equivalent in the RN) but had to bunk in the Chief's quarters on Achilles. They treated me with the greatest courtesy and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I've been a total Anglophile ever since.
@@rickmorgan3930 you are spot on there Rick. I understand that the Saratoga is now a man made reef somewhere in the Atlantic ocean off the East coast of the USA.
1st ship my older brother served on HMS Charybdis, joined the ship in Singapore, only Canadian onboard! Our Mum was British so he could enlist in the RN, had a lot of great stories!
zetlander Soaghar My brother enlisted in 1972, Patrick Mullan he was a Seaman Gunner, after his initial training the RN flew him to Singapore via the U.K. to Diago Garcia and onto Singapore, really enjoyed himself there! When the ship finally sailed going to Japan they ran smack dab into a typhoon or so he said! Fun and games were over! Ha! Ha!
La ROYAL NAVY si mal no recuerdo : sólo desplegó 1 sóla Fragata de la clase Leander ... la HMS ANDRÓMEDA si no me equivoco de nombre ( lo lei de un reportaje de DISCOVERY CHANNEL a la Guerra de las Falklands en Abril de 1982 )😎
THis really brings back memories or me. I was in the Sea Cadets during the early 1970's, TS Euryalus based in Oxford. One day we actually went to sea onboard our Royal Navy namesake, a Leander Class Frigate, HMS Euryalus. A once in a lifetime experience, never to be forgotton.
I served on HMS Danea F47 in 1991 as a Petty Officer on the helicopter flight team. I have great memories of that Leander and the shipmates I served with. Happiest times in the Royal Navy for me. We also went to Madiera on our way to patrol the Falkland Islands and then Brazil on the way home. She was then sold to Ecuador. God Bless Her.
HMS Hero the most famous and the most numerous there was more than one 42! (Just viewed this post 1 year later how on God's earth did I originally post HAS Hero?)
I served on the Plymouth in the 80s I remember we crashed into a German frigate in the Baltic then sailed into Karlskronna Sweden for emergency repairs.
My dad served on HMS Rothesay from late 60's to early 70's. I only found out about a month or so before he died a few years ago. I have been learning all about the Type 12M for a few weeks now. Thank you for uploading this video :)
Oh thank you.This is the documentary I was looking for.Bangladesh Navy used two Leopard class frigates from 1973 to 2013.We also used one Salisbury class frigate from 1976 to 30 December 2015.Those ships were "BNS Abu Bakar (1982)" ex HMX Lynx, "BNS Ali Haider(1978)" ex HMS Jaguar and "BNS Umar Farooq (1976)" ex HMS Llandaff. Those were like Battleships of our navy."BNS Abu Baker 1982" even intercepted Myanmar Navy ships in 2008.I will miss those classic gun frigates.
I was in the Royal Navy from 1970 to 1975 served on this ship HMS DIDO in 72/73 and on HMS Albion 71/ 72 HMS Ark Royal, FMU Faslane then RAE Aberporth , Then HMS Victory in 74/75 best thing I ever did !
1979 at 19 years of age I started my career in sheet metal fabrication in air-conditioning industry Quickly moving installation of components. I was lucky enough to be under the direction of a lovely man who spent his working life in the in navy as an engineera and used his military training and discipline in working life. Hard but fair man who taught all facets of the engineering game as well as how to conduct myself in life In general. I'd been accepted into the Army at 18 but declined because of the lure of a young woman. I'm now 60 , finished working for the man and always wondered how life would have been if I'd stuck with my training as a cadet in the army... Oh well...we only get one crack at it....its a shame to see boys and young men today without training lost with nothing to do. Take care everyone.
Imagine steaming up a river at 30 knots and not the widest of rivers, a rather strange optical sight as usually at sea there is no static reference like the river bank ... after 14 miles up we attempted a course change and spent for hours watching massive amounts of mud boiling up from under our stern, at one point the starboard engine was full ahead and the port engine was full astern , like being on a trampoline We did achieve our goal of picking up wreckies sadf special forces and hauling ass back out to sea, i will never forget the six to eight foot wake wave barreling along the banks following us out Angola Lobito bay and river mid seventies .... was ABSOLUTELY macarb and fun F147 president Steyn south african navy a very beautifull frigate
I may be wrong but I believe the officer on the periscope at 4:34 is Sandy Woodward who in 1982 was British Task Force Commander in the Falkland war. I know he had previously served in subs, in fact he was a "teacher" on the Perisher course at one time.
Beautiful looking ship. In my twenty three years in the British Merchant navy, there was many occasion when a fellow officer - mainly engineer, or electrician, having previously served in the Royal Navy, was heard to say, 'what the hell was I doing...serving all that time in the RN when I could have had all this!' Well, I'm damn sure if I had my time again, it would still be the Red Duster for me. Beautiful looking ship though.
The alignment problem with the gun is caused by the maintainers not removing standstill misalignment between the gun laying system and the computer generated solution when pointing it at zero degree's bearing and elevation. There is always a few minutes of misalignment due to temperature and mechanical backlash. We deliberately tuned ours out once before a shoot with a DDG with 5"42's and we scored 8 out of 10 TTB's (target triggered bursts) the DDG sent a signal to us commending us "Bravo Zulu - Good shooting" Cant get better than that. . . .
I spent two years of my 24 years in HMRM's serving as a member of the ships Royal Marine Detachment, from April 1970 to April 1972 - they were two of the best!! NB: I make two brief appearance in the film, one closed-up in the 4.5 Gun Turret (I'm wearing the blue AWD and the "anti-flash" gear, loading a Cordite charge on to the gun tray. Also during the Replenishment at Sea sequence - I'm # 1 on the capstan!
Thank you for your service, sir! You must also add appearances in the series 'Warship'...clips from the RAS were used in the 4th episode of the first season and the gun loading sequence was used in the opener of season 2.
@@FutureCanadaBlue I watched this last year, but I'm just watching again after watching episodes of warship after coming back to this film again and thought about the Phantom's attack. Might look at Warship's RAS scene again too. Many Thanks!
Royal, you were the best on that capstan! 😂😂 In all seriousness though, why the ship had to leave Madeira without any explanation was a bit crap! The officers had serious plums in their mouths too. That weren’t a bad film, made i laugh anyway and bought back some memories. Loved the matelot reading the jazz mag, as you do! 😂😂😂
+Rovejag Hi. The funny thing is, about the Brits', they don't seem to get it together on the sports field. But, when it comes to taking the gloves off, fixing bayonets, they become a pretty ruthless bunch without even thinking about it. No bravado, no razzmatazz, just 'Tommy' following orders. I guess the same can be said for the Aussies, Kiwis' and Canuks'. There again, we Brits' are a warrior race - the result of one hell of a tribal mix from way back when. I served as an officer within the British Merchant Marine for over twenty three years. In my early years I came up against many public school types, mainly Navigation Officers. But, as the years went by, their numbers dwindled as a more professional and sensible breed took their place. I sailed on over eighty ships in my time, a good ninety percent of the time with ship mates who I would sail in the same lifeboat with. In fact, I use that maxim in my daily life when assessing other members of the human race - no matter, race, colour or creed. Are they the type to sail in the same lifeboat of life, willing to watch your back - if not, stay well clear! As regards the Leander - nice looking ship for her time. Though, I could never understand such poor hitting power provided on RN ships of that era - was it their Lordships' choice, or the buffoons down at the ministry exercising their budgetary constraints?
+William Rance Too bad that nobody in the Admiralty ever grasped how many submarines we didn't have in the South Atlantic. (Before the Argentines converted them all.)
+William Rance I know the Type 42s were the smallest design possible to carry Sea Dart, and think the Br philosophy was 'save pennies'. Compare the USN Spruance class: when they appeared, ignorant critics said 'They're cruiser-size, why so few weasopns?' But they were big enough to take 2 helos, reloads, CIWS, Harpoon, then Tomahawk when it came out. The Argentine T42s hit the limit by taking 4 Exocets aboard. Steel is cheap and air is free; build ships big and they're more flexible and useful.
Hi, Jeremy. Well, I don't know your nationality, Jeremy. But, let's think you are a none Brit. If so, you will probably not be aware of our politics and how one silly member of parliament with no training or knowledge of military matters can be sent on a fact finding mission to a shipyard, look at the plans of an intended guided missile destroyer, ask 'what's that empty deck space for on the back end of the ship (Helicopter deck) and in order to gain brownie points with his political master's, and save money, have it removed from the final build of the ship. That included the rear hull that was supposed to accommodate essential electronics etc. That ship was lost in the Falklands conflict, hit by an Exocet! Should that same ship had been constructed as intended, then, perhaps it would have survived such an attack by carrying the intended countermeasures to have dealt successfully with such an attack. It proves one thing! Keep the politicians in their playground, where we can see what they are up to (Houses of Parliament, Congress or whatever!) and leave such matters of military procurement to those who know best!
+Jeremy Bateman " Steel is cheap and air is free; build ships big and they're more flexible and useful." Yeah but you'll need bigger engines to keep the same speed and same re: youe fuel tanks. There will be anart to designing ships so thy can ride a sea well, are agile, fast, have good roll characteristics, etc, etc.
HMS Phoebe aka HMS Hero (yes we know there were others) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FLZsDh0uR6A.html 45 years later doesn't that still just look like a warship!
As other commentators have noted, technical expertise was the forte of the technical senior rates, who had years of experience and had done all the long courses. Technical advice was never sought from an officer, just logistic advice "I need a new xyz to get that going again", or " I can fix this by using a part from that - which item is more important to fix?". Unwanted technical advice was sometimes given, but was best disregarded. Other than that the film was very realistic, including the urgent recall to the ship, which Minerva had in Thorshavn, Faeroes, when a sudden storm blew up, the crew was recalled from the bars, and we sailed at midnight. It was my birthday, I remember. (If anyone tells you the Faeroes are dry - don't believe them)
I was first commission Sirius,. I joined as an artificer apprentice, age 19, vitalled in the stokers mess, at the start of her very first Portland workup, and left at the end of her second workup. During a 4.5" shoot, against towed targets or drones, the director aim camera atop the director would film the target and the hoped for TTBs (target triggered bursts). In the short periods between each run the director would swing down to the benchmarks on the fo'c'sle,, and I had to sprint up to the focsle with a clapperboard, on which was chalked the "HMS Sirius, todays date, run number n" hold it behind the benchmarks while the gunnery system chief would film the bench mark. There was not much time between runs, and speed was essential. During a shoot in the Indian Ocean, as I ran under the turret towards the focsle, the turret suddenly swung to port 45, and fired both barrels right over my head. As my ears rang, the gunnery officer popped his head over the bridge wing and called out "are you alright?" in a panicky voice. (I was) Apparently they had aborted the rest of the shoot, swung the gun round to a clear range, and fired both barrels to clear the breeches. That would have been in 1967
I count myself very fortunate to have served on three of HM frigates; on HMS Verulam (F29) HMS Puma, (F34) between 1966 and 1970, and HMS Euryalus (F15) from 1970 to demob in 1972. Best times of my life.....
I served in the 7th Frigate Squadron rather than the 3rd. The Leander Class was the first ship design to be completely designed by computer. Among its advantages was the ability to maintain 20 knots through a Hurricane! and we did! The ability to go very quickly from stop to 20 plus knots was only bettered by the then Gas Turbine powered ships from Canada at the time. The older USN Fram2 had to slow down to just a couple of knots to connect up the other two power units before nearly flying to catch up with the rest of us. As the longest serving ship in the force, we were buddied with the USS Steinaker, the newest serving ship in the force. Brings back many wonderful memories of both the 'Good' and 'Bad' times we all served together.
Served from 1976 until 2019, served on HM Ships Arethusa, Charybdis and Jupiter, all Leanders, great ships. Went on to serve on Type 42s Type 21 and even a Survey Ship!
Lived near Rosyth as a kid, saw the Leanders going up and down the Forth regularly. With Phantoms as well, that's an added bonus. Beautiful ships and planes.
Phantom's ugly compared with Buccaneers As a kid had the "privilege" of living under the flight path of planes doing circuits & bumps at De Havilland's Hatfield little did I know I would later spend 2 years with them on HMS Eagle
The Leander class ships had a lovely silhouette. Nice to see the old Westland Wasp and Limbo mortar in action. I'm not sure how effective the 4.5" guns would have been against low flying jets doing 500mph though (I understand this was pre-Phalanx and Goalkeeper days) Oh and Madeira looked nice.
+ToonandBBfan Phalanx wasnt operational until 1978! :) they did have the sea cat missiles (aft upper deck, port side). the first surface to air missile system, even beating the USA. I served on a Rothsay class frigate, very similar.
+ToonandBBfan the average float time of a Leander or similar under concerted conventional air attack was only about 5 minutes. But they and earlier ships were suitable for Plane Guard for carriers who should be detailing planes to protect them.
I enjoy this very much, and in particular the opening...Yes, it's about a warship, but it's very relaxing to listen to the music and the professionalism of the crew awaiting battle.
My father (USN '44-'53) remembered when the AA guns on the destroyer he was aboard tried to train guns on a couple of Banshees during an exercise. That day was his first contact with jets. His reaction was 'we would've done just as well throwing rocks at them'.
When I was on my command course in Devonport I met a ex Petty officer who was on the HMNZS Southland a Leander class Frigate that was infamous for the wrong reasons. It entered Pearl Harbour and he said that they saw the Enterprise Aircraft carrrier with the banner.. We are second to none. The officer of the watch raided the flag of the day “Zero”. Funny he said when he was told to remove it.. I thought Americans had a sense of humour.
Where they honestly trying to hit a F4 with a 5" deck gun? I did 20 years in the US Navy from 82-02 and operated with many other services and service members. I can say without reservation that you will not find a better friend and a group that understands how to operate together than the British. You will also not find better liberty partners after the work is done.
+maconsumner Thankfully things have improved with the advent of Sea Wolf, Sea Dart and Sea Viper although we do still train to use the 4.5in deck gun in the AAW role. To be fair, a near miss would probably be enough.
+maconsumner I was on the Jupiter in '73. When there's an air raid I guess you just throw everything you have at it. Either they only had one camera and chose to show the 4.5", or the Seacat was too expensive for a TV show. Anyway, even with the 4.5" I think idea was to make it as difficult as possible for the attacking aircraft to get a straight targeting run. On the subject of 'liberty partners', thank you very much for your compliments. I think, if I were to differentiate between the Brits and the Yanks ashore, you guys always seemed to want to have a fight with one another, and the Brits just wanted to dance with one another (which usually ended up in a fight with the Yanks :)).
my old man was on the cleopatra argonaut and andromeda. he lived these ships. especially chasing the russians around the british isles using towed array.
3 1/2 years on HMAS Torrens. Leander based class destroyer escort. Same armament with the 4.5 and Seacat. If we had been caught alone against aircraft, we would have been toast. SeaCat and 4.5 just could not handle fast jets and no missile defences meant you were dead unless operating in company with a missile armed frigate or destroyer. We didn't have the mortar or helicopter but we did have Ikara which gave us the ability to strike subs at a distance, if we could detect them.
God this puts hairs on your chest. never been on one of these, served on HMS Bristol and numerous Type 42s, oh and not forgetting the death star, HMS Invincible.
the music and footage of Madiera looked like it was from a holiday programme. had to laugh at the helicopter being sent to pick up the officers from the golf course. also laughing at the combover on the Lt Cdr with the beard.
+SteamboatWilley LOL all the ships officers are going to cocktail partys and just being pictured with all sorts of chicks, must have been a promotional film. join the navy, youll get laid haha, meanwhile sailors back on the ship with a penthouse
I served on two EURYALUS and CLEOPATRA and I agree about the crap sea boats and I thought nothing could be more bouncy until I picked up the INTREPID in the 80s, you haven't felt anything like a flat bottomed assault ship in roughers!
@@pfbryant5117 agreed about Intrepid! 4F1 mess, or on watch in one of the switchboards during a winter storm off Norway was not the most pleasant place to be. Character building though! 🤣
I served on H.M.S. Aurora in the 1960's we were based in Portland and played clockwork mouse for training ratings (sonar) in sea training and also training up Sub crews. I was never impressed by the way Aurora pitched in a rough sea. I may add that we used to say Portland was the only bit of land that God forgot to stand on.( Always rough) I was on her for two and a half years. Next I was on H.M.S. Nubian a Tribal class.we all were promised we were going to be based in the Caribbean but knew the gig was up when we first pulled up next to her in Portsmouth Dockyard and saw a bloody great Dhow symbol stuck on the forward funnel. Middle East Beria patrol and the up the Gulf based in Bahrain.Nubian was a super sea keeper I think it was due to her spoon bow. H.M.S Norfolk (County Class) was next and was a very difficult ship to get around on. Very small hatch openings and lots of them.Thank you for posting ,you have brought back so many memories.
I should have been drafted into HMS Ajax(Leander class frigate) in 1972,but because the refit got behind in Devonport,ended up on HMS Hermes instead........oh dear!!??? Subsequently ended up leaving the RN in 1974.I think if I'd gone into the Ajax,I might very well have stayed in.........but that's another story!!!
I was on that trip, as an artificer apprentice. ("Isaac"). I have some great pics of the coronation in Tonga, such a lovely relaxed atmosphere, as the king (Queen Salote's son) walked back from the white painted wooden cathedral to the adjacent white painted wooden palace, just 20 yards from us. (ask your dad about the very friendly Fijian girls....)
@@Pippins666 wow, small world. The old man passed away 2020 at 78, are u a member of the Sirius Facebook group?? Would love to see any pics u have?! ⚓️🇬🇧
@@shodansmith my reply seems to have disappeared. Not on FB (spent too long in information security). I used to run a sirius website. My first chief was a CEA Smith, tall friendly guy going bald. Any relation?
Can you remember the one moored on the Mersey after the Falklands next to a submarine - it seemed so old like it was from WW2 or something - that folk fought in it in ice waters seems very brave
Commissioned Penelope the second Leander,great ship .we followed Dreadnought,then she submerged,message was..We'll be leaving you now..Could not track her..
I remember the BBC series 'Warship', with the Leander-class Frigates, nice show. Though the latest ones the Type 45 Destroyers (yes, not a Frigate of course) have now revealed teething problems as is the French Aircraft Carrier.
Zebfriend - the French I agree have intense and proper national pride, our government in the UK lets us down all the time. France has excellent military equipment and design, the Rafale is a brilliant plane no question. But WE in Britain have the know-how to build our own, but we have shitty politicians who haven't the balls, like the French have. But we're still better than the French, who are really just there to be beaten most of the time/throughout history. We could look at them as testing our weapons and tactics. As for sharing our aircraft carriers, no, thanks, WE here, should have our own Navy. But don't forget, the Rafale is not entirely French... the Martin-Baker zero-zero ejection seat, the Rafale uses in case you are too thick to realise is BRITISH!
Actually, I know ALL those things, but you're just a small-minded bigot yourself, who doesn't like the SAME thrown back at you! And of course, I know Martin-Baker of Denham too. I have a friend who actually LIVES there whom I visit, what the FUCK has that got to do with you actually 'not' realising the Rafale HAD one! You are the greatest fuckwitt - I suggest you crawl back in to the loony bin you came from and talk to the wall - as your comments are wasted as are, you, tit.
At least Harold Wilson told the USA to fuck off when they wanted us to join them in Vietnam - allegedly after they betrayed the UK over the Suez crisis and rightly so.
It's crazy how the drill here is to use the main armament to fire at aircraft, we learnt in the Falklands 9 years after that we needed better defences against such a threat (since oftentimes the RN resorted to using small arms to engage the Argentine aircraft). Cool video though!
