Exercises/Tasks

EXERCISES AND TASKS

Exercises, of course, are those activities which prepare ships and their crews for their vital role of national defence. Often an exercise might involve two or more ships, working together, to practice tasks they might have to carry out in a war or similar situation. Some sailors may have dismissed them as ‘War Games’ but such an erroneous idea really misses the point about the Navy’s crucial role in defence. To be efficient, any military unit has to be fully conversant with its equipment. Personnel need to be familiar with all aspects of the tasks likely to face them and be able to work efficiently with each other and communicate well with other military (and even civilian) organisations. So there was plenty of training to be done before we could be deployed in any serious role at sea.

Early in our tour we had to become familiar with the task of refuelling the ship while at sea. This might entail a rendezvous with one of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships. We would steam alongside her at a steady speed, pass ropes or cables across the gap between us and convey a heavy fuel pipe from the RFA to our upper deck. The fuel oil would then be pumped across to us. At the same time we might use a Light Jackstay to transfer food and other essential stores. These tasks had to be done smartly and expeditely, bearing in mind that, in a war situation, no time was to be lost.

Picture – RFA Tiderace

In one of such exercises Manxman was steaming alongside the RFA while another ship was on her other beam, and yet a third vessel astern of her; all refuelling at once. This required much skill and experience from all personnel but especially those officers and men on the bridge of each ship, most of all the RFA.

On another occasion we practiced transferring personnel via the light jackstay – see picture, left. I recollect the incident when our First Lieutenant (generally known as ‘Jimmy the One’) was being transferred in such a fashion. By misfortune the two ships rolled inwards at the same moment causing the light jackstay to dip its passenger into the sea. He was unscathed though thoroughly soaked and his dignity shattered when the crew yelled with delight and gave him a less than encouraging cheer.

NATO Exercise - "Medflex Dragon"

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