Happy Birthday Britannia

60 Glorious Years of The Royal Yacht Britannia 1953-2013

Britannia’s 60th anniversary celebrations came to end last night with a massive firework over Western Harbour.

Earlier in the week - 60 years to the day, Tuesday 16 April 2013 at 2:15pm, exactly the same time Britannia was launched at John Brown Shipyard in Clydebank in 1953, a ceremony took place with Britannia’s longest serving Royal Yachtsmen ‘Yottie’, Ellis ‘Norrie’ Norrell MVO RVM, who served aboard Britannia on her first official tour. Norrie returned to a fanfare of bugles, and raise a new flag, specially commissioned in honour of all those who served aboard Britannia.

Britannia is seen below highlighted with the fireworks display.

Joint Warrior 13-1

Sandown Class

Hms Grimsby

Hms Grimsby (M108) is the eighth of twelve Sandown Class Single Role Mine hunter.  The first vessel was commissioned into Royal Navy service on 9 June 1989 and all the British ships are named after coastal towns and cities.

These small (53 m) fibreglass vessels are single role mine hunters (SRMH) rather than minesweepers. Twelve ships were built for the Royal Navy and three ships were exported to Saudi Arabia. Three Royal Navy vessels were decommissioned following the Strategic Defence Review in 2003; Sandown (January 2005), Inverness (April 2005) and Bridport (July 2004). A further ship, Cromer, was decommissioned and transferred to a training role at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in 2001 as Hindostan.

 
The three decommissioned vessels were sold to Estonia in September 2006. They were re-equipped with TCS (Tactical Control System) and the Atlas Elektronik Seafox ROV for mine disposal. The sonar system will be also be updated. The first ship (ex Sandown), delivered in 2007, has been named Admiral Cowan, the second (ex-Inverness), was delivered in 2008 and named Sakala and the last (ex-Bridport) named Ugandi in 2009.

Hms Grimsby is seen here outboard of Hms Pembroke and fwd of Hms Echo..

 

Joint Warrior 13-1

Snellius class Hydrographic Inclusion Vessel  

HrMs Luymes (A803) is a hydrographic survey vessel and entered service in early 2004.  The ship was designed and finished in the Netherlands. The hull was built in Romania.

HrMs Luymes is named after the mathematician Johan Luymes, from 1914 to 1934 chief was at the Hydrographic Department.

The vessel collects information for the Hydrographic Service of the sea for the production of nautical charts. The ships are efficient to use and operate with a small crew.

The main task of hydrographic survey vessels is to conduct civil-military integration hydrographic work. This means that changes in the waterways and seabed to be mapped. The Navy does so in the waters of the entire Dutch continental shelf and around the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.

HrMs Luymes is seen here arriving in awful weather at HMNB Clyde (Faslane) on Friday 12^th April to participate in Joint Warrior 13-1.

 

 

Joint Warrior 13-1

Type 45 Destroyer

HMS Diamond is the third ship of the Type 45 class of air defence destroyer built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in 2007, completed her contractor's sea trials in July 2010 and arrived at her base port of Portsmouth on 22 September 2010.   Diamond was commissioned in a traditional ceremony on 6 May 2011, and formally entered service on 12 July 2011.

Hms Diamond maiden deployment was to The Gulf in 2012.

As part of her affiliation with Coventry, Diamond will carry a cross of nails created from the remains of Coventry Cathedral. At the end of the Second World War, a cross of nails was created out of the wreckage and has been presented to all ships that carry the name Coventry. It was recovered from the wreck of HMS Coventry by divers after she was sunk in the Falklands War and presented to the crew of Diamond on her commissioning by Captain David Hart-Dyke, the commanding officer of Coventry at the time of her sinking.

The City of Sheffield was offered affiliation to Diamond, but this was turned down by Sheffield City Council and the Lord Mayor, who want the city associated with another Sheffield.  The affiliation has now been transferred to the City of Coventry.

She is seen here leaving the Firth of Forth on Sunday 14^th April 2013 to participate in Joint Warrior 13-1. 

Joint Warrior 13-1

Halifax Class Frigate

Hmcs St Johns is a Halifax class frigate that has served in the Royal Canadian Navy since her commissioning in 1996. She is the eleventh of twelve ships in her class which is based on the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project. Hmcs St Johns is named after the city of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, a port city associated with Canadian naval history and heritage, and is the first ship in the Royal Canadian Navy to bear the name.

Hmcs St Johns is seen here arriving at Leith on Thursday 11^th April to participate in Joint Warrior 13-1.

Joint Warrior 13-1

Protecteur Class

Hmcs Preserver is an auxiliary oiler replenishment ship for the Royal Canadian Navy.  The class are tasked to resupply ships at sea with food, munitions, fuel and spare parts. They have more sophisticated medical and dental facilities than smaller warships. At 172 meters (564 feet) the ships are the largest operated by the RCN.

Hmcs Preserver entered service in 1970 and has seen service all over the world.  She is seen  here sailing from the Firth of Forth on Sunday 14^th April to participate in Joint Warrior 13-1.