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Exercise Spring Train

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Exercise Spring Train (sometime referred to as Springtrain) was an annual Royal Navy-led NATO maritime exercise conducted in the Eastern Atlantic.

Background

Exercise Spring Train was an annual exercise for NATO naval forces, led by the Royal Navy.[1][2] In was based from the British dockyard in Gibraltar with operations conducted in the deep waters of the Eastern Atlantic which were ideal for anti-submarine warfare exercises.[3]

Early exercises

The Amphion-class submarine Affray was en-route to Exercise Spring Train in June 1951 when it was lost with all 75 hands near Alderney. This edition of Spring Train UK-based, centring on the landing of special forces troops on a Cornish beach.[4] The 1977 exercise, carried out in February, was attended by the Audacious-class aircraft carrier Ark Royal, the Tiger-class cruiser Blake and two Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels. A BBC crew, filming for the documentary series Sailor was onboard Ark Royal during the exercise.[5]

Exercise Spring Train 1977 ran from 20 to 27 February and was attended by the US Navy's Knox-class frigate Miller.[6] The next years exercise also ran in February and was attended by the British Centaur-class aircraft carrier Hermes.[7] HMS London participated in the 1981 exercise, one of her few sailings that year due to restrictions on fuel expenditure. She sailed from Portsmouth to Gibraltar in mid-March.[8] The 1981 exercise included a 2-week minesweeping exercise in May attended by the Ton-class minesweeper Glasserton, manned by a crew from the Royal Naval Reserve.[9]

1982 exercise

The 1982 exercise took place off Gibraltar from late March, the vessels involved having left Britain on 17 March.[10][11] Some 18 British destroyers and frigates participated in the exercise including the Type 42 destroyers Sheffield, Coventry and Glasgow; the County-class destroyer Antrim; the Leander-class frigate Aurora; the Type 22 frigates Brilliant and Broadsword and the Swiftsure-class submarines Spartan and Superb.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] A number of support vessels were also present for the exercise, which was commanded from Antrim by Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward, whose First Flotilla provided many of the warships.[17]

Phase one of the operation, largely working-up exercises, lasted until 26 March when the vessels put into the docks at Gibraltar for rest and resupply.[10][1] Tensions with Argentina over British territories in the South Atlantic had been increasing since the landing of Argentine scrap merchants in South Georgia on 19 March.[10] On 26 March the support ship RFA Fort Austin was ordered to leave the exercise and proceed to the South Atlantic to support HMS Endurance.[10] Fort Austin eventually met with Endurance on 14 April.[20] On 29 March the Secretary of State for Defence John Nott met with the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Henry Leach to discuss the situation. As a result of this meeting Spartan was ordered to leave Spring Train and proceed to the Falklands.[18] Spartan immediately docked at Gibraltar to swap her practice torpedoes for live ones and sailed south on 1 April, within 48 hours of receiving the order. Spartan, being on exercise, was the only submarine that could immediately be tasked to sail (Superb having been sent to the Western Approaches to investigate two reported Soviet submarines) but was later joined by others sent from HMNB Clyde.[21][22][19]


Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse Commander-in-Chief Fleet

Fieldhouse commanded Woodward to join him on Glamorgan from his command ship Antrim upon receiving news of the invasion. Met for around one hour to discuss the role of 1st Flotilla in the taskforce, Fieldhouse then was helicoptered to Gibraltar to return to London.[17]

Those from the exercise who were considered unsuitable for deployment to the South Atlantic because of their mechnical state were returned to the UK, though supplies from these were crossdecked to the south-bound ships in a 12-hour oepration, food ammunition and spare parts were transferred, the south-bound vessels returned practice ammunition and crew members granted compassionate leave from the campaign (these were replaced by volunteers from the north-bound). Telegrams home were also transferred.[16]

Phase 2 began 29 March.[1]


Fieldhouse was aboard HMS Glamorgan observing the First Flotilla under Woodward performing the exercise when he received news of the invasion.[23]

Woodward met with Sir John Fieldhouse aboard a ship of the First Flotilla at the exercise on 30 March to discuss sending a taskforce to the South Atlantic. Thatcher ordered Woodward, via Leach, to consolidate the task force at the exercise and steam south in a covert manner.[24]

HMS Antrim's Wessex helicopter took part in live firing exercises on 1 April. From 2 April was involved in vertical replenishment of stores from homeward bound ships to those of the taskforce. Arived Ascension night of 10/11 APril.[25]

Sheffield due to return to the UK within 6 days when ordered south. Many of the ships of the exercise were in port at GIbralat on 2 April.[13]


Six vessels sailed on 2 April with an additional frigate from the exercise sailing the following day[26]

Seven destroyers and frigates from Spring Train went south and were joined at sea by four other destroyers and seven frigates from the UK.[27]

RFA tankers Tidespring and Appleleaf were also on the exercise and diverted to the Falklands.[28]

First Flotilla was joined by additional ships, including carriers sent from Portsmouth.[29]


The cancellation of Spring Train became known to the Argentine intelligence via media reports from London. Gave an indication the the British were preparing military action.[30]

Had Argentina waited a few more days to launch their invasion the Spring Train ships would have returned to British ports and their crews sent on Easter leave, which would have led to a delay in the British response.[31]


Nuclear weapons

There is some evidence that some of the British vessels may have retained tactical nuclear weapons that they were carrying when sent from the exercise, though these were removed en-route and consigned to a vessel kept outside of the conflict area.[32]

John Nott stated that the ships sent carried their "full range of weapon" and "sailing under wartime orders with wartime stocks of weapons". The government reiterated that nuclear weapons were not applicable t the Falklands conflict but did not deny their presence. The Observer at the time reported that nuclear weapons were almost certainly present on some of the ships and its correspondent, Andrew Wilson, claimed to have spoken to one frigate captain who refused to leave for a war zone without his complement of tactical nuclear weapons. Sheffield was reportedly one of the vessels carrying the weapons. Wilson reported that the task force was carrying nuclear depth charges for the sea kinggs and free-fall bombs for the Harriers which were part of its usual NATO equipment. According to MP Tam Dalyell some of the weapons were reputedly recovered by helicopter when the ships were in the Western Aprroaches, by a MoD concerned about sending such a large proportion of its arsenel away from teh UK.[33]

Paul Rogers claims that a number of nuclear weapons which reached Ascension Island were offloaded to RFA Regent which sailed for the Falklands but was kept outside the conflict zone. There was also speculation that Coventry was carrying nuclear depth charges when sunk, though Rogers considers this unlikely. Some sources claim Sheffield was also carrying nuclear depth chartges when sunk though Rogrs cosniders the evidence largely circumstantial.[34]

The exercise was highly beneficial to the Royal Navy as it meant it had many of its best ships at top operational efficiency and in position to head south at the time of the invasion.[35]

Post-1982

A Tornado at RAF Gibraltar during Exercise Spring Train 1989

Spring Train 1983, held in mid-April, saw 12 Royal Navy warships headed by the aircraft carrier Invincible, and four support vessels simulate a defence of Gibraltar against a Spanish invasion.[36][37][38] The vessels included, besides Invincible, the Type 82 destroyer Bristol; the Type 42 destroyer Newcastle; the Type 22 frigate Battleaxe; the Leander-class frigates Arethusa and Euryalus; Tribal-class frigate Zulu; the Rothesay-class frigate Rhyl; the Oberon-class submarine Otus; the Swiftsure-class submarine Splendid and the support vessels RFA Olwen and Resource.[39][38][40][41] A large number of Royal Air Force [[Hawker Siddeley Nimrod], Blackburn Buccaneer and SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft were also sent to RAF Gibraltar to take part.[38] The exercise was commanded by Rear Admiral Robert Gerken.[39] The Spanish government lodged a diplomatic protest against the exercise and associated ship movements; it was also objected to by the Soviet government who called it provocative.[42][37] The British vessels in the exercise were shadowed by two Spanish frigates and a destroyer.[43] Specific attention was paid during the exercise to anti-submarine warfare with the surface vessels hunting Splendid and Otus. Anti-aircraft procedures, which proved important during the Falklands War, were also practiced against teh RAF aircraft.[44] The exercises were focused on two areas, one 150 miles (240 km) west of Gibraltar (in the Atlantic) and one 40 miles (64 km) east of Gibraltar (in the Mediterranean) and practice missile firings were carried out in both areas.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). The British vessels returned to Portsmouth at the completion of the exercise at the end of April.[39]

The 1989 exercise included the aircraft carrier Ark Royal and lasted from 1 to 21 April.[45]

References

  1. ^ a b c Ships Monthly. Endlebury Publishing Company. 1982. p. 16.
  2. ^ Sked, Alan; Cook, Chris (1993). Post-war Britain: A Political History. Penguin. p. 403. ISBN 978-0-14-017912-5.
  3. ^ Beaver, Paul (1982). Encyclopaedia of the Modern Royal Navy: Including the Fleet Air Arm & Royal Marines. Stephens. p. 53.
  4. ^ Simmons, Mark (2020). Ian Fleming’s War: The Inspiration for 007. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: History Press. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-7509-9579-5.
  5. ^ Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. London: Pen and Sword. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-78383-030-5.
  6. ^ "USS Miller (DE/FF-1091)". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  7. ^ Hobbs, David (2013). British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development & Service Histories. Barnsley, Yorkshire: Seaforth Publishing. p. 284. ISBN 978-1-84832-138-0.
  8. ^ Ballantyne, Iain (2003). H.M.S. London. Leo Cooper. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-85052-843-5.
  9. ^ "Service Story of Lt Ian Mitchell RN – Part I" (PDF). Royal Navy Instructor Officers’ Association. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. London: Pen and Sword. p. 249. ISBN 978-1-78383-030-5.
  11. ^ Dorman, Andrew; Kandiah, Michael D.; Staerck, Gillian (2005). The Falklands War (PDF). London: CCBH Oral History Programme. ISBN 19 0516507 2.
  12. ^ "UN intervenes in Falklands dispute" (PDF). The Times. 2 April 1982.
  13. ^ a b Hilton, Christopher (2012). Ordinary Heroes: Untold Stories from the Falklands Campaign. History Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-7524-7776-3.
  14. ^ Grove, Eric (1987). Vanguard to Trident: British Naval Policy Since World War II. Naval Institute Press. p. 467. ISBN 978-0-87021-552-0.
  15. ^ Hilton, Christopher (2012). Ordinary Heroes: Untold Stories from the Falklands Campaign. History Press. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-7524-7776-3.
  16. ^ a b Hastings, Max. Battle for the Falklands (Audiobook ed.). Audible Studios. p. Chapter 5.
  17. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference hastings4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ a b Elleman, Bruce A.; Paine, S. C. M. (2011). Naval Power and Expeditionary Wars: Peripheral Campaigns and New Theatres of Naval Warfare. London: Routledge. p. 159. ISBN 978-1-136-84169-9.
  19. ^ a b Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. London: Pen and Sword. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-78383-030-5.
  20. ^ Preston, Antony (1987). History of the Royal Navy in the 20th Century. Presidio. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-89141-283-0.
  21. ^ Wilsey, John (2002). H. Jones VC: The Life and Death of an Unusual Hero. Hutchinson. p. xxvii.
  22. ^ Hastings, Max; Jenkins, Simon (1983). The Battle for the Falklands. M. Joseph. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-7181-2228-7.
  23. ^ The Annual Obituary. St. Martin's. 1992. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-55862-319-4.
  24. ^ Hannigan, Major Timothy J. "British Triumph on East Falkland". Marine Corps Command and Staff College. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  25. ^ "HMS Antrim Flight ROP 17 July 1982" (PDF). Royal Navy.
  26. ^ Villar, Captain Roger (1984). Merchant Ships at War: The Falklands Experience. London: Conway Maritime Press and Lloyd's of London Press. p. 9. ISBN 0851772986.
  27. ^ Cant, Christopher (2001). Air War in the Falklands 1982. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 1841762938.
  28. ^ Villar, Captain Roger (1984). Merchant Ships at War: The Falklands Experience. London: Conway Maritime Press and Lloyd's of London Press. p. 155. ISBN 0851772986.
  29. ^ Macdonald, Peter (1990). The SAS in Action. Sidgwick & Jackson. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-283-06018-2.
  30. ^ Van Der Bijl, Nick (2014). Nine Battles to Stanley. Barnsley, Yorkshire: Pen and Sword. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-78159-377-6.
  31. ^ Van Der Bijl, Nick (2014). Nine Battles to Stanley. Barnsley, Yorkshire: Pen and Sword. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-78159-377-6.
  32. ^ Herring, Eric (1995). Danger and Opportunity: Explaining International Crisis Outcomes. Manchester University Press :Distributed exclusively in the USA and Canada by St. Martin's Press. p. 205. ISBN 978-0-7190-4292-8.
  33. ^ Rogers, Paul (2019). Paul Rogers: A Pioneer in Critical Security Analysis and Public Engagement: With a Foreword by Jenny Pearce. Bradford, Yorkshire: Springer. p. 124. ISBN 978-3-319-95150-8.
  34. ^ Rogers, Paul (2019). Paul Rogers: A Pioneer in Critical Security Analysis and Public Engagement: With a Foreword by Jenny Pearce. Bradford, Yorkshire: Springer. p. 125. ISBN 978-3-319-95150-8.
  35. ^ Koburger, Charles W. Sea Power in the Falklands. Praeger. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-03-069534-6.
  36. ^ Studies, California Institute of International (1983). World Affairs Report. California Institute of International Studies. p. 182.
  37. ^ a b Newsbrief. The Institute. 1983. p. 5.
  38. ^ a b c Armed Forces. I. Allan Limited and the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies. July 1983. p. 245.
  39. ^ a b c Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. London: Pen and Sword. p. 171. ISBN 978-1-78383-030-5.
  40. ^ Armed Forces. I. Allan Limited and the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies. July 1983. p. 299.
  41. ^ Cite error: The named reference rusi302 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  42. ^ Harbron, John D. (1984). Spanish Foreign Policy Since Franco. Canadian Institute of International Affairs.
  43. ^ The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal. West of England Press. 1983. p. 258.
  44. ^ Armed Forces. I. Allan Limited and the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies. July 1983. p. 298.
  45. ^ "HMS Ark Royal V - 1989 Ship's Movements". arkroyal.net. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
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