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Spotting was therefore carried out using the USS Missouri eight RPVs. They were all written off by the time the war finished. Four were taken out by Triple A, one was lost at sea, and the other three were irreparable due to bad landings. The RPV was launched from the deck and recovered by flying it into a net suspended between two short ‘rugby posts’. The operator did not always get the recovery quite right! The RPV having been launched would then fly to the target area at about 60 knots, be flown over the grid reference where the target was supposed to be. Having identified the target, the grid reference established from the map, a ‘cocked hat’ produced from three navigational points and the orders given to the guns to fire. Opening salvos at 20/21 miles could be out by 1000m. All things being considered, the ship was firing at maximum range using charge bags that were 40/50 years old. The system was definitely to be used for CB/depth fire missions and not close support of ground troops.
It was also a great morale booster seeing it in action on CNN news prior to D Day! The camera on the RPV had a zoom lens and hotspots (ie the target) showed up as either white or black. The corrections were given using the scale shown on the video screen. Once the Iraqis fired the oil wells the RPVs had to fly below thick oily clouds. Hence the reason why four of them were lost to Triple A. The mine clearance operation meant that the FSA was rectangular east to west in shape and about 1000m north to south. This of course meant that the USS Missouri could fire the forward turrets heading west and the aft turret heading east. Type 42s escorted her – in and out of the FSA and, due to its width, the ships were always within spitting distance apart. (Incidentally, it does take longer than 24 hours to clear a minefield even with the numerous assets available in the Gulf. We were lucky, as friendly forces had total air superiority, and sea state never worse than state 3- 4). On Sunday, 24th Feb, I had to brief COMDESRON 22 on two fire plans to cover two spoof heliborne assaults on the Kuwait Coast – one in the area of Shu’aybah and the other close to Fintas with an HHr of 0300 hrs. These were south and north respectively of the huge Ahmadi oil storage complex. These heliborne assaults were in fact all part of the deception plan. The missions in this case were actually to be flown and to turn away at about 3⁄4 kms from the coastline. There were numerous triple A sites in these target areas. The ship facing west was to fire 40 rounds onto each target area which would then be followed by two FGA attacks on each target area. This actually happened, the helicopters flew in and turned away at a safe distance from triple A.
Over Fintas the smoke from the oil wells, which the Iraqis had fired, was very heavy and made spotting difficult and because the RPV had to fly low, there was a high chance it would be lost to triple A. Therefore, having got the initial rounds on target permission was granted for me to fly the RPV west to see how far in land the oily clouds stretched into the desert. After about 4 miles, the cloud cleared
and there below was a tank Battalion heading south to the front line. This information was immediately passed to Naval Air Ops. The outcome, thanks to the A6s diverted to the task, was most satisfactory. It was shortly after this incident that two SILKWORM missiles were launched at the USS Missouri. It was interesting to note that the ‘spy in the sky’ had seen the launch and not reported it. USS Valley Forge did report it and HMS Gloucester dealt with the problem, shooting one down and chaff distracted the other which landed harmlessly in the sea. We did feel sorry for the Royal Marine who was on mine watch on the bow of HMS Gloucester. The action took place so quickly that no-one remembered or had time to warn him that the Sea Dart was about to fire!
Our ‘shift’ appeared to spend more time on duty than off. When at General Quarters you are locked into your working space from 01 deck and below. There is a tap behind the map boards from which you can fill the kettle to make a brew between missions and a ‘bucket’ to relieve other pressures. One evening on 25 Feb at 1755 hrs we were on duty when GQs sounded – missile inbound followed by a second missile inbound and possible gas attack. Myself and Steve Richardson were already in our excellent Brit NBC kit, as were the staff who had come with us from the USS Tripoli, but the young sailors were in a right old panic; climbing into the old Brit Mk3 suits and peeling open the containers which held the canisters for their gas masks. These containers were made of metal with sardine can type opener. There were a number of young USN sailors with badly torn fingers as a result of this exercise. Unlike modern ships the Battleships were not airtight/ NBC proofed. By the morning of 26 Feb within the last 60 hours we had fired 1.5 million pounds of HE. On arrival on board USS Missouri for the third time prior to entering the FSA all the charge bags in the three turrets were checked. I helped the Gunnery Officer check the forward turret. We literally picked up every charge bag (110lbs) shook it (gently) to see if it would rattle. If it did it was put on one side to be used for area (large area) targets! The ground war progressed at such a rate that although our guns could reach Kuwait International Airport and Kuwait City, the more accurate 5” guns of USS Missouri and the 4.5” guns of HMS Exeter were still out of range to carry out close support missions. USMC troops understandably requested that all fire missions from the southern limits of Kuwait International Airport should be controlled by ground spot teams. Hugh McKenna and RS Mick Jepson had heard that Op TREBOR was up and running. This should, and did, mean that Capt Adrian Rafferty and his party were launched to recover the British Embassy in Kuwait City. We could do nothing to help them – not as it happened did they need it. It was a quick in and out operation – had to be as the press was watching!
There were many other incidents, frustrating, interesting and amusing, which occurred. All of which are in the Battery history room. What did happen to John Smith at
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