By Commodore John Peddie, Royal New Zealand Navy
Some thirty years ago I was serving as the second in command of the New Zealand Navy frigate "WAIKATO", exercising off the east Australian coast with a navy task force. We encountered a classic southerly buster and the weather deteriorated to storm force conditions.
Suddenly we received a plain language message that the aircraft carrier MELBOURNE had lost an aircraft overboard. A fixed wing aircraft was being moved around the flight deck by 'tractor' when both began to slide towards the ship' side as the aircraft carrier rolled in the stormy conditions. The tractor drive had orders to release the aircraft in this situation and did so. The aircraft slid over the side, in the cockpit was a very frightened aircraft handler. Fortunately the aircraft floated but all hell was breaking loose in the ships nearby.
My ship, WAIKATO, was the only one to have a helicopter embarked and the Captain ordered "Scramble the Wasp (helicopter)", an order reserved for emergencies. We turned into the wind to prepare to launch in the atrocious conditions and were struck on our port side by a huge wave. It was readily apparent that to launch our little Wasp in these conditions was foolhardy. We focused on damage to the upper deck, including retrieving lifejacket lockers that had been broken free by the force of the wave.
In the meantime, an Australian Navy destroyer was drawing alongside the still floating aircraft and in an incredible feat of bravery, the ships diver leaped into the sea with an axe and smashed the aircraft cockpit open, dragging out the terrified man inside. The diver himself was badly gashed and bruised in the incident but both were saved.
The photo shows the height of the seas, which will be familiar to many Clipper sailors although they are relatively short. You can see the guardrails on the flight deck bent back. A deck higher the torpedo tubes were bent off their mounting by the wave. The two men towards the stern of the ship are my Chief Bosun's Mate and me. We are passing lifesaving kit down a ladder and were about to be pooped by the wave coming over the stern. Half a second later the two of us were in a bundle at the bottom of ladder followed by thousands of pounds of water! The Flight Deck Officer, in white overalls, is uttering an expletive before diving under the part opened hangar door.
Soon after, the Australians cancelled the exercise and we gratefully returned to Sydney for repairs. Luck was with us that day.
Some thirty years ago I was serving as the second in command of the New Zealand Navy frigate "WAIKATO", exercising off the east Australian coast with a navy task force. We encountered a classic southerly buster and the weather deteriorated to storm force conditions.
Suddenly we received a plain language message that the aircraft carrier MELBOURNE had lost an aircraft overboard. A fixed wing aircraft was being moved around the flight deck by 'tractor' when both began to slide towards the ship' side as the aircraft carrier rolled in the stormy conditions. The tractor drive had orders to release the aircraft in this situation and did so. The aircraft slid over the side, in the cockpit was a very frightened aircraft handler. Fortunately the aircraft floated but all hell was breaking loose in the ships nearby.
My ship, WAIKATO, was the only one to have a helicopter embarked and the Captain ordered "Scramble the Wasp (helicopter)", an order reserved for emergencies. We turned into the wind to prepare to launch in the atrocious conditions and were struck on our port side by a huge wave. It was readily apparent that to launch our little Wasp in these conditions was foolhardy. We focused on damage to the upper deck, including retrieving lifejacket lockers that had been broken free by the force of the wave.
In the meantime, an Australian Navy destroyer was drawing alongside the still floating aircraft and in an incredible feat of bravery, the ships diver leaped into the sea with an axe and smashed the aircraft cockpit open, dragging out the terrified man inside. The diver himself was badly gashed and bruised in the incident but both were saved.
The photo shows the height of the seas, which will be familiar to many Clipper sailors although they are relatively short. You can see the guardrails on the flight deck bent back. A deck higher the torpedo tubes were bent off their mounting by the wave. The two men towards the stern of the ship are my Chief Bosun's Mate and me. We are passing lifesaving kit down a ladder and were about to be pooped by the wave coming over the stern. Half a second later the two of us were in a bundle at the bottom of ladder followed by thousands of pounds of water! The Flight Deck Officer, in white overalls, is uttering an expletive before diving under the part opened hangar door.
Soon after, the Australians cancelled the exercise and we gratefully returned to Sydney for repairs. Luck was with us that day.
1 comment:
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