WARSHIP Welcomed Back To Clyde Base
CLYDE-based Royal Navy minehunter, HMS Blyth, returned home after completing two months of duties in the Baltic.
The warship has spent the late winter/early spring attached to NATO’s dedicated mine warfare force patrolling northern European waters, carrying out combined training, dealing with wartime ordnance still blighting the Baltic, and generally flying the flag for the alliance.
Blyth sailed more than 4,000 miles, took part in four multinational exercises, visited the Netherlands, Norway, Germany and Sweden and conducted training in Danish Waters.
The 45-strong crew was welcomed back to Faslane by Captain of the Base, Captain Nick Gibbons and Captain Submarines, Captain Irvine Lindsay.
Captain Gibbons said: “As well as the Submarine Flotilla, HMNB Clyde is home to the Sandown Class mine counter measure vessels. These highly capable units continue to punch significantly above their weight.
“Over the last two months, HMS Blyth has delivered cuttin-edge mine hunting, historic World War Two ordnance disposal, maritime security, and international engagement alongside our NATO allies in the challenging waters of the North.
“As a family, we are delighted to welcome her crew back after a most successful deployment and send them off for a period of well-deserved leave.”
Normally, there would also be families and friends waiting on the dockside to welcome their loved ones home. However, due to current restrictions, reunions with families will happen when the crew members make their way home.
HMS Blyth sailed from Faslane at the beginning of February and joined the group comprising of flagship BNS Godetia (Belgium) and minehunters FGS Datteln (Germany) ENS Ugandi (formerly HMS Bridport now owned by Estonia) and Blyth.
All-in-one covid-safe bubble, the group was able to train, socialise and play sport together during port visits –- although sailors couldn’t go out and explore.
After being deployed for nearly 11 of the past 15 months in varying degrees of isolation, this was a welcome change for the crew and allowed them to host NATO friends onboard to show off their skills and drills and the specialist mine-hunting equipment available on a Sandown-class warship.
As well as live gunnery exercises off the Danish coast, the group conducted a hunt for historic ordnance and found two World War Two-era mines partially buried in the seabed off Denmark, both of which were neutralised.
In Kiel, the minehunter forces joined a large force of 14 warships including vessels from Germany, Denmark, Latvia and Lithuania for several days of navigation training and seamanship exercises.
Before heading home, the NATO group sailed into the small Swedish port of Karlskrona where they took part in complex seamanship/force protection exercises with the Swedish Navy.
“Both the NATO group and the Swedish Navy worked well together and demonstrated their capabilities,” said Blyth’s navigator Lieutenant Conor Smith. “It was great to be hosted by Sweden in Karlskrona but also to operate with the Swedish Navy in a challenging exercise scenario.”
The minehunter’s Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander Peter Ellison said: “This deployment has helped to demonstrate the Royal Navy’s enduring commitment to NATO.
“It has been a great opportunity to work with friends and allies, to learn from each other, and to support maritime security activity in the North and Baltic Seas.
“We would also like to thank friends and families for their continued support and perseverance during these unprecedented times.”
