HMS INVINCIBLE
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Discussion

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,159 posts

218 months

Friday 10th June 2011
quotequote all
Quite a sorry sight in Turkey these days.

http://www.leyal.com.tr/contact.htm

heisthegaffer

4,270 posts

227 months

Friday 10th June 2011
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That is a frankly disgusting and shameful site. I don't know too much about this vessel but was it out of date or just a misguided, stubborn mistake by the government a la Nimrod/Harriers/treating our armed forces disgustingly?

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,159 posts

218 months

Friday 10th June 2011
quotequote all
It is very very sad to see her like this. Especially as one who knew her well. I am not navy or military, but my job does get me involved with them from time to time. I had a few great trips in her and some superb nights in the wardroom.

Her demise is just very sad. She was always set to be disposed of after 30 years service.

Shame, that she couldn't have been kept but there you go.

What does boil my piss is that her younger and fitter sister Ark R will probably take her place on the beach when Invince is gone. Stupid short sighted coalition. I never thought I would agree with the Archbishop of Canterbury, but he is right. No one voted for this.

Elroy Blue

8,838 posts

221 months

Saturday 11th June 2011
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Invincible has been a hulk for many years. Ark Royal however, was still a viable warship. Strange that all the RN vessels that have attended recent emergencies (Libya, Yemen), they were all scheduled for scrapping or discount sale to another country.

With further massive cuts to come, I dread to think of the viability of our Armed Forces.

Simpo Two

92,649 posts

294 months

Saturday 11th June 2011
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Elroy Blue said:
With further massive cuts to come, I dread to think of the viability of our Armed Forces.
Cutting defence spending is one thing IF you try to stop policing the world in half-baked non-winnable conflcits. At the rate things are going we will have one soldier in every country.



Actually have we got enough for that?

Regiment

2,799 posts

188 months

Saturday 11th June 2011
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Best thing to have done was to scrap the nuclear program and invest more money in areas like this and evolve the British military to the peace keeping/anti-insurgency rolls frown.

Shar2

2,269 posts

242 months

Monday 13th June 2011
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I know she was getting old, and her stbd shaft has always been bent, but it still saddens me to see her like that as I have lots of happy memories from when I served on her.

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,159 posts

218 months

Monday 13th June 2011
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Shar - Your handle tells me so much.

I am old enough to remember when they sold CSB in the wardroom. One day after an ADEX the stuff was coming out the pumps like milkbecause of that bloody shaft. We then played beer roulette with cans of Fosters seeing if they'd explode on opening.

Then post 2000 they fitted the new props - but the same bent shaft. I was down back aft on in T/U - the chapel flat, was is 6 or 7 Deck? Anyway, the Olys were doing their thing and a young rating piped up to the bish, "new props Bish, but she still shakes like a dog having a ste."

A fine old warhorse with such great history.

I guess it may have been your Pegasus that used to wake me up in my pit in 2S7. Great days and great memories of a fantastic warship.

Lusty once had a loose bit of kit in a shaft tunnel. Made a hell of a noise at low speed and drove the ratings back aft mad.

ARKR was always the special one. I knew her from launch to the last time I stepped off her just before they took her flag down. All together a very refined ship. Mind you they'd had two to practice on to get her right.

I was on board when the last GR9 Arrived. Everyone agreed it was the rain that made our faces look wet when the pilot put her on the spot and she made that wonderful Pegasus wind down whine.

I only wish my eyesight had been good enough to join up. Had to make do with coming aboard for FOST JMC ORI etc to look at certain aspects of Invince's training.

Dan.


Shar2

2,269 posts

242 months

Tuesday 14th June 2011
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Hey Dan

The SHAR's used to keep me awake too when I was off watch, as I was in 2L2 under 3 spot.

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,159 posts

218 months

Tuesday 14th June 2011
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You'd have got her shakes more back there too.

Even when there was no air group embarked on a CVS, there was always some git with a bunch of chains up on deck, above my pit dragging them around at 6AM.

Then on ARK R I want up in the world. My regular quarters were a nice single cabin on 3T. Stbd Side, just over the way from the heads - Nice and handy after a Burns Night a year or two ago in Glenmallan!

andy97

4,784 posts

251 months

Wednesday 15th June 2011
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Try top bunk 2M2 mess (albeit Illustrious) - right beneath 3 spot, where the Harriers landed. I reckoned that between me & 21,500 lb of downwards thrust there was probably about 4 feet.

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,159 posts

218 months

Thursday 16th June 2011
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But I bet you had an excuse for a dusty cabin during rounds
"It was really smart and squared away unil the Harrier landed Sir"

andy400

11,582 posts

260 months

Thursday 16th June 2011
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wildcat45 said:
I am old enough to remember when they sold CSB in the wardroom.
My first ship was the Ark. CSB + Midshipman andy400 = Great times.

Never a dull moment on that ship, was great. She seemed to have the best of everything, especially the people (obviously I slipped throught the net somehow).

Elroy Blue

8,838 posts

221 months

Thursday 16th June 2011
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Another Dartmouth type. Per chance were you in the premier Div (Cunnigham-not that I needed to say that) or are you of a time when they deemed EMAs too hard and tiring for potential Officers.

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,159 posts

218 months

Thursday 16th June 2011
quotequote all


The old girl gets smaller by the day. Here cut back to Kilo nearly Lima along the Alaskan Highway.

Bits of her lovely - almost elegant - forward funnel lie on the beach.

What the pix do show is how bloody narrow that hangar is. Thats gas turbines for you,

andy400

11,582 posts

260 months

Friday 17th June 2011
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Elroy Blue said:
Another Dartmouth type. Per chance were you in the premier Div (Cunnigham-not that I needed to say that) or are you of a time when they deemed EMAs too hard and tiring for potential Officers.
'93 September entry. Hawke Division aka 'The House on the Hill'. Cunningham when I returned to join the staff.

'Cunningham' had three 'n's in my day..... whistle

Elroy Blue

8,838 posts

221 months

Friday 17th June 2011
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andy400 said:
'Cunningham' had three 'n's in my day..... whistle
You know what these defence cuts are like.

You were a few years after me then. I do believe CunniNigham is long gone now and that part of the College disused. Is that the case?

andy400

11,582 posts

260 months

Friday 17th June 2011
quotequote all
Elroy Blue said:
You know what these defence cuts are like.

You were a few years after me then. I do believe CunniNigham is long gone now and that part of the College disused. Is that the case?
When I was on the staff ('05-'07), Cunningham was a 'squadron', one of two, the other being St.Vincent. Within these squadrons there were a number of divisions, generally 15-20 cadets, depending on phase (New Entry/IST/Seniors) etc.

I think it's the same now, but I don't know for sure.

Cunningham division were, when I was a cadet, in 'C block', which is still in use for accommodation, but mostly transit/temporary cabins.

Elroy Blue

8,838 posts

221 months

Friday 17th June 2011
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They were in C Block when I was there. Always glad I was in Hawke Div as they always seemed to have such a long way to walk to get anywhere.

andy400

11,582 posts

260 months

Friday 17th June 2011
quotequote all
Elroy Blue said:
They were in C Block when I was there. Always glad I was in Hawke Div as they always seemed to have such a long way to walk to get anywhere.
It just meant that Hawke turned out fitter, smarter and better organised officers! Oh yes, and me....