Please click the above to see the BBC coverage including Margret Allen the window of Ian Boldy.
Yesterdays service….
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Falklands War: UK and Argentina mark invasion 30 years on….
Please click on the image above.
Falklands….
All of us associated with H.M.S. Argonaut are well aware of her history. I’m sure all of the ships company that served in the Falklands are thinking of their lost shipmates that paid the ultimate sacrifice. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those two brave men and we can only hope that with time the pain will pass.
Flipper
Murmansk
The Cruiser HMS Argonaut on leaving Spitzbergen in 1942 continued East to Murmansk in Russia to deliver essential spare parts to for the Allied bombers that had been flown there by British and Australian pilots to be used by the Russians. I thought some of you might like to know a little bit more about the city…
Murmansk was the last city founded in the Russian Empire. In 1915, World War I needs led to the construction of the railroad from Petrozavodsk to an ice-free location on the Murman Coast in the Russian Arctic, to which Russia’s allies shipped military supplies.The terminus became known as the Murman station, and soon boasted a port, a naval base, and an adjacent settlement with a population which quickly grew in size and soon surpassed the nearby towns of Alexandrovsk and Kola.
On June 29 [O.S. July 12], 1916, Russian Transport Minister Alexander Trepov petitioned to grant urban status to the railway settlement.On July 6 [O.S. July 19], 1916, the petition was approved, and the town was named Romanov-on-Murman(Рома́нов-на-Му́рмане, Romanov-na-Murmane), after the royal Russian dynasty of Romanovs. On September 21 [O.S. October 4], 1916, the official ceremony was performed, and the date is now considered the official date of the city’s foundation. After the February Revolution of 1917, on April 3 [O.S. April 16], 1917, the town was given its present name.
From 1918 to 1920, during the Russian Civil War, the town was occupied by the Western powers, who had been allied in World War I, and by the White Army forces.
On February 13, 1926, local self-government was for the first time organized in Murmansk during a plenary session of the Murmansk City Soviet, which elected a Presidium. Prior to this, the city was governed by the authorities ofAlexandrovsky Uyezd and later of Murmansk Governorate.On August 1, 1927, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) issued two Resolutions: “On the Establishment of Leningrad Oblast” and “On the Borders and Composition of the Okrugs of Leningrad Oblast”, which transformed Murmansk Governorate into Murmansk Okrug within Leningrad Oblast and made Murmansk the administrative center of Murmansk Okrug.
In 1934, the Murmansk Okrug Executive Committee developed a redistricting proposal, which included a plan to enlarge the city by merging the surrounding territories in the north, south, and west into Murmansk. While this plan was not confirmed by the Leningrad Oblast Executive Committee, in 1935–1937 several rural localities of Kolsky and Polyarny Districts were merged into Murmansk anyway.
Per the Presidium of the Leningrad Oblast Executive Committee resolution of February 26, 1935, the administrative center of Polyarny District was moved from Polyarnoye to Sayda-Guba. However, the provisions of the were not fully implemented, and due to military construction in Polyarnoye, the administrative center was instead moved to Murmansk in the beginning of 1935.In addition to being the administrative center of Murmansk Okrug, Murmansk also continued to serve as the administrative center of Polyarny District until September 11, 1938. On February 10, 1938, when the VTsIK adopted a Resolution changing the administrative-territorial structure of Murmansk Okrug, the city of Murmansk became a separate administrative division of the okrug equal in status to that of the districts. This status was retained when Murmansk Okrug was transformed into Murmansk Oblast on May 28, 1938.
During World War II, Murmansk was a link with the Western world for Russia, with large quantities of goods important to the respective military efforts traded with the Allies: primarily manufactured goods and raw materials into the Soviet Union. The supplies were brought to the city in the Arctic convoys.
German forces in Finnish territory launched an offensive against the city in 1941 as part of Operation Silver Fox, and Murmansk suffered extensive destruction, the magnitude of which was rivaled only by the destruction of Leningrad and Stalingrad. However, fierce Soviet resistance and harsh geography prevented the Germans from capturing the city and cutting off the vital Karelian railway line and the ice-free harbor. For the rest of the war, it served as transit point for weapons and other supplies entering the Soviet Union from other Allied nations. This unyielding resistance was commemorated at the 40th anniversary of the victory over the Germans in the formal designation of Murmansk as a Hero City on May 6, 1985.During the Cold War Murmansk was a center of Soviet submarine and icebreaker activity and, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the nearby city and naval base of Severomorsk remains the headquarters of the RussianNorthern Fleet.
In 1974, a massive 35.5-meter-tall statue Alyosha, depicting a Russian World War II soldier, was installed on a 7-meter (23 ft) high foundation. In 1984, the Hotel Arctic, the tallest building above the Arctic Circle, opened.
To commemorate the 85th anniversary of the city’s foundation, the snow-white church of the Savior-on-the-Waters was modeled after the White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal and built on the shore for the sailors of Murmansk
On this day in 1981
1981: President Reagan is shot
President Ronald Reagan has been shot and wounded after a lone gunman opened fire in Washington.
He is currently undergoing emergency surgery at George Washington University Hospital but there are unconfirmed reports he walked in unaided.
Initial reports claim he may have a punctured lung.
Five to six shots were fired as he left the Washington Hilton Hotel where he had been addressing a union convention, about one mile from the White House.
A man, firing at close range, also wounded White House Press Secretary James Brady in the head.
A Secret Service official and a Washington policeman were also injured before the gunman was pushed to the ground by police.
The president had appeared from the hotel smiling and walked towards his limousine turning momentarily to acknowledge calls from the waiting press.
A burst of gunfire was then heard before the president was bundled into a bullet proof limousine and whisked away.
First Lady Nancy Reagan is understood to be on her way to the hospital to visit her 70-year-old husband.
The attacker is described as being in his twenties and blonde.
He was pinned to the wall by secret service agents and he has now been arrested.
The assassination attempt has sent shock waves around the country where memories of the murder of president John F Kennedy remain vivid.
President Reagan has only been in office for 69 days and the attack leaves the running of the country in some confusion as his vice-president George Bush is currently on his way back from Texas.
Until the arrival of Vice-President Bush it is unclear who is in charge.
The American Stock Exchange has stopped trading and the Academy Awards have been postponed until tomorrow night in the wake of the attacks.
Cold steel in cold weather as Bulwark lands commandos in the Arctic (Navy News)
Royal Marines from 42 Commando have been landed on the shores of Norway as Britain’s flagship HMS Bulwark’s role in NATO’s winter war games, Cold Response, stepped up a gear.
The Devonport-based assault ship went to assault stations as NATO’s winter exercises, Cold Response, stepped up a gear.
As well as putting commandos on to the snow and shingle near the Norwegian port of Harstad, Bulwark landed their counterparts from the Netherlands and USA, equipment and vehicles, not least BV tracked vehicles (which are perfectly suited to operations in the Arctic), and the BEAST recovery vehicle – the Royal Marines’ ultimate ‘tractor’ capable of shifting anything if it gets stuck on the shoreline.
Beyond serving as the UK’s flagship, Bulwark is the lead ship for Cold Response, a Norwegian-run exercise for NATO and Allied nations. From Bulwark’s viewpoint, the training will ensure she remains ready to conduct a wide variety of tasks around the world in any climatic conditions.
The Fleet flagship has two key roles: to act as the command and control hub for all task group activity and to put men and machines ashore (currently marines from the UK, US and Netherlands) by sea via landing craft or by air using Fleet Air Arm helicopters.
Amphibious operations remain the most complex operation any nation’s military can undertake, as Bulwark’s Commanding Officer Capt Alex Burton explains.
“It is not simply park the ship and offload it. In war – and therefore in training – we have to take account of the environment, enemy forces in the air sea and on land, coordinate people into boats and naval helicopters all to arrive on target, in the right order, at the right time, to achieve the battle winning effect,” he said.
“Few navies deliver this successfully and most aspirants look to the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Fleet Air Arm, with our war proven capability, for guidance: on the sea in the air and on the land.
Ahead of the landings, Bulwark was positively brimming with Royal Marines, having embarked an extra 90 green berets from HMS Illustrious who were transferred to the flagship by helicopter.
Lusty suffered minor damage last week when she was in collision with one of four tugs helping her to berth in Harstad which left her with two small holes above the waterline.
Although the carrier’s engineers carried out initial repairs and she could have continued to participate in the exercise, the decision has been taken to bring her back to Portsmouth (she arrives on Sunday) to carry out more formal repairs so she can resume her planned 2012 programme.
Although her participation in Cold Response was brief, it was sufficient for her air and flight deck crews to gain experience of operating in severe winter conditions.
The latter initially halted moving some men of 42 Commando aboard, but abated by the time it came to transfer them to Bulwark.
The marines had to wear bright-red watertight suits when flying over the ocean to protect them should the Sea Kings have to ditch.
They didn’t, thankfully, but the whole transfer took the three aircraft from the Commando Helicopter Force several hours.
Once aboard Bulwark the new arrivals found accommodation rather austere, calling corridors, passageways and camp beds their home – although unlike the 320-strong ship’s company, they’re only aboard temporarily; for short periods, Bulwark can accommodate more than 650 troops.
“My ship is phenomenally versatile and in this exercise we act as the hub to bring together all the units that make up the modern-day complex battlefield,” Capt Burton added.
“Taking the fight ashore from the sea using helicopters and boats is not for the amateur but I have a ship’s company of complete professionals. For us it’s what we do.”
Following Cold Response, Bulwark will undertake a similar role in another international amphibious exercise in the waters around Scotland.
The ship will be off Weymouth and Portland for the bulk of the summer, acting as a floating command centre for the security mission surrounding Olympic and Paralympic sailing events being staged in the bay.
Reg Withers memories of the cruiser
Many thanks to Angela Montague who has copied some of her fathers memories of his time on the Argonaut.
Hopefully more will follow.
Written by (Reg) Aubrey Reginald Withers
It was just one week after Argonauts escape from Algiers our battered ship was at sea again heading for Gibraltar, a forecast of calm seas had prompted the decision with two aft screws and a rudder missing also a flat bulkhead bow . No one was practically cheerful, with the continued threat from U boats struggling at 5 knots with two clapped out destroyers as escort our prospects were not good. The ship shuddered with each wave. Germany had claimed that the Argonaut had been sunk. This we heard on the radio, perhaps the U boats were convinced to, for after virtually constant A/s Gib was reached in safety after five days at sea
In no time at all 75% of the crew were paid of and returned home, time then for the 25% (about 150) to start working to deammuniting ship and stores before handing over to the dockyard. When completed we all started to enjoy the pleasures of a good nights sleep, 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep is all we experienced during the last few months It was to be the start of a temporary enjoying of life while we could. Gibraltar was a haven even in war, even the bobby gave the impression we were not far from home.
Football on the rock was great and saw some fantastic matches were played creating one big atmosphere that helped to forget the horrors of war.Professional footballers produced some magic against various sevices. The Black Watch were fantastic producing the best results against the pro’s . My friend Bill and I soon paled up with some army chaps who spent most of their time at Misery Peak at the top of the rock as look outs. It was a good time out for us both when we were invited to their position aloft most Sundays. Several cans of beer and cheese rolls made the assent worthwhile.
When the Argonaut was polished and fighting fit once our lot would be back to normal it was an encouraging thought- if only we realised what was in store we took it for granted.
Return to the Falklands
Please click on the above picture to view the “Return to the Falklands” program.
Peru cancels Navy visit over Falklands dispute
Peru has cancelled a scheduled visit by a Royal Navy frigate, HMS Montrose, as an act of solidarity with Argentina in its dispute with the UK over the Falkland Islands.
The move came just days after an official visit to Peru by the UK Foreign Office minister, Jeremy Browne. The Foreign Office said the Peruvian government had had the opportunity to raise concerns about the agreed visit before the minister left Lima last Friday.
The Peruvian foreign minister, Rafael Roncagliolo, told state media he supported Argentina’s “legitimate rights” over the Falkland Islands and had expressed this position to Browne during his visit last week.
Roncagliolo said the decision to cancel the visit “had been taken in the spirit of Latin American solidarity commitments undertaken in the framework of Unasur (Union of South American Nations).”
He also told Peruvian radio that he had reversed his decision to allow the British frigate to dock in Callao naval base because it had been assigned to patrol the waters around the Falkland Islands (which Argentina calls Las Malvinas).
However, the decision was criticised by Peru’s congressional defence commission and a former foreign minister, Luis Solari Tudela, who called it unnecessary and unfriendly.
In a statement, the British Embassy in Lima said: “HMS Montrose was scheduled to make a short visit to Peru as part of a routine deployment to the region. This was agreed as an act of friendship and cooperation between Peru and the UK.
“Ship visits are a sovereign decision for states, but we regret that Peru has revoked its previous agreement to this visit.
“The UK government remains fully committed to the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination. This position will not change,” it added.
William home from Falklands mission
The Duke of Cambridge has returned from the Falkland Islands after spending more than six weeks flying RAF search and rescue missions.
William’s deployment to the remote South Atlantic outcrop in February fuelled growing tensions between Britain and Argentina over the disputed islands.
Prime Minister David Cameron and Argentine President Cristina Kirchner have traded barbs in the lead-up to the 30th anniversary of the invasion of the Falklands on April 2.
Argentina has accused the UK of “militarising” the dispute by reportedly sending a submarine carrying nuclear weapons to the South Atlantic, something that Britain has not confirmed. Buenos Aires also objected to the Duke’s posting to the Falklands and the deployment to the region of one of the Royal Navy’s most modern destroyers, HMS Dauntless.
In turn, Britain insists its movements of troops and warships are purely routine, and claims Argentina is trying to impose an “economic blockade” on the Falklands by restricting shipping to and from the islands.
A St James’s Palace spokesman confirmed William had flown back to the UK. He said: “The Duke arrived today. He will have a short period of leave like the rest of his crew, before returning to work at RAF Valley.”
The Duke – known as Flight Lieutenant Wales in the air force – flew to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, said the Ministry of Defence.
William has been working as a search and rescue co-pilot since autumn 2010 when he became an operational flier of Sea King helicopters.
The deployment to the Falklands was a normal career move for a pilot at a similar stage in their working life.
The Duke is aiming to gain promotion to captain and overall command of a Sea King crew. Additional hours in the air and the experience of flying over the harsh Falklands terrain and the South Atlantic will have helped his plans.
Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.