HMS Astute Escapex 2012

 more photos Available here

CPO Ian (Curly) Callow

Escapees

Lt Cdr Tregunna	Lt Ziolo	Coxn Hiles	Po Ross
CPO Callow	CPO Bean	CPO Douglas	PO Yarnold
CPO Whittaker	CPO Charlesworth	CPO Stevenson

Support staff

WO Harvey	CPO Spanner	LET Coombes
POMA Organ	LMA Mason	LMA Petter
WO Duncan

On a cold winter morning in Loch goil the staff of the Submarine Escape Training Tank situated in Gosport prepare to conducted a Hooded ascent from HMS Astute. The date was the 14th December 2012 and the crew of HMS Astute dived to a predetermined depth (27.9 metres). HMS Astute has a reliable and effective escape system fitted onboard. Astute is fitted with a two man escape tower (Logistic Escape Tower) aft and an FET (Forard Escape Tower) forard. SETT staff and members of the crew from HMS Vigilant successfully escaped from an LET in 2003, nobody had ever escaped from an FET and the purpose of these trials were to prove the escape system onboard HMS Astute.

Equipment

The SEIE (Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment).

The process

Each escapee will zip down their hood fully, climb into the tower and the lower lid will be shut by the support team within the submarine. When the escapee is ready he will plug his suit into the air supply, this air will provide a continuos supply of air to breath and also provide the buoyancy within the suit that will enable the escapee to reach the surface safely. The escapee must remain plugged into the air supply whilst the tower is flooded and continue to equalise his ears with the increasing pressure rise. When the pressure within the tower is equal with the external sea pressure the upper lid will open and the escapee will start his ascent to the surface. During the ascent the escapee will continue to breath normally all the way to the surface.

Runs conducted during the trial

12 straight runs
A single person will enter the tower, all valve movements will be controlled by the crew from within the submarine.

4 last man out
A single person will enter the tower, all valve movements will be controlled by the escapee from within the tower.

Water Temperature 11°C @ 30 metres / 4°C @ Surface Air Temperature 3°C / Wind chill factor -8°C

Thanks For the Amazing Photos Submarine Escape

We Will Always Remember Them

When Britain seeks to carve it's name on History's Bloodstained Roll,
It can point in pride to it's Submarines, "Dear God", you took your toll.
It was said they were damned un-English, a weapon to be abhorred
...

But in a world where you fight for your freedom that's a view you just cannot afford.
So in trying to balance life's budget, when we sit down and add up the cost,
High up on the list is the price we paid, eighty two boats that we lost.

The first on the roll was the Oxley then Seahorse, Undine and Starfish
Thistle, Tarpon and Sterlet, then Unity and Seal was God's wish.
One after the other went Odin, then Grampus, Orpheus and Shark
The Salmon, the Phoenix and then came the Thames, no wonder the future looked dark.
The Narwhal, the Oswald and Spearfish and little H49 too
The Rainbow, Triad and Swordfish, our country was paying it's due.
Regulus, Triton, Snapper and Usk, Undaunted, Umpire as well
Union, Cachalot, P33, all sailing their own road to hell.

We lost P32 and the Tetrarch, the Perseus and the P31,
The Triumph, the Tempest and P38, and sadly the list just goes on.
There was P39 and P36, Pandora and Upholder too.
Urge, Olympus and P514, Thorn and Talisman, long overdue.
Unique, Unbeaten and Utmost, then the turn of P222.
Traveller, P48 and P311, Lord is this what you want us to do?
Then came Vandal, Tigris, Thunderbolt, and Turbulent, Regent as well.
With P615, Splendid, Sahib, all bowing to fate's awful knell.

The Untamed, the Parthian and Saracen, the X Crafts 9, 8 and 5
Followed by 6, then 7, then 10. Yes Lord they'd done their last dive.
Usurper, the Trooper, the next was Simoom, X22 also was lost.
And the ex-German Graph then made her last dive, we earned freedom at terrible cost.
Stonehenge, Syrtis and Sickle, please God just how many more?
The Strategem went to her resting place, on that far distant, hostile shore.

And so near the end of the Roll Out, our White Ensign proud but Half Mast
Right up to the end our Submarines paid, for Porpoise was the last.
Each year we gather at Blockhouse and ask that their Memories be Blessed
For we stand proud and tall as "Old Comrades", with our Dolphins pinned on our chest.
So we who survived now pray to our God, "Let our boys grow up to be men.
If we paid the price unflinchingly, Dear Lord don't ask them to pay it again."

by Chief Petty Officer Coxswain George Luck DSM

George Luck was a member of the Merseyside Submariners Association and served in boats from 1941 to 1947 being on the "Rorqual", "P217", "P339". "Taurus" and "Affray". He died in May 2007 at 85 years of age.

Also worth remembering that this was the WWII Roll Call. 167 boats were lost all together in 2 wars. The Germans lost more than we did. A very dodgy trade we are in guys.

........................................................................

Chief Stoker's Log

 

Commander Dai Evans RIP

Commander Dai Evans

”What I’m looking for in a potential commanding officer is somebody with professional competence and professional honesty. What I’m also looking for is someone who has the ability to motivate 70 men. You can be very good, as an individual, at moving a submarine from A to B, you can handle it dived quite competently, but unless you can actually take 70 men with you and have them work for you, and have them enjoy it, then you really don’t have the qualities that are necessary to command.”

The XO Confirmed the date and time for Dai's funeral service. There is no plan to hold a remembrance service.

The Funeral Service for Commander DLP (Dai) Evans will take place on 28 December at 1330 at St John the Baptist (CofE) Church, Church Road, Ashley, Market Drayton, TF9 4LQ. Refreshments will be available afterwards at the Peel Arms, also on Church Road, Ashley.
 

Submariners’ Prayer

O Father hear our prayer to Thee From your humble servants beneath the sea: In the depths of ocean oft we stray, So far from night, so far from day; We would ask your guiding light to glow To make our journey safe below. Please oft times grant us patient mind, Then ‘ere the darkness, won’t us blind. We seek thy protection from the deep And grant us peace whene’er we sleep. Of our homes and loved ones far away We ask you care for them each day, Until we surface once again, to drink the air and feel the rain. We ask your guiding hand to show A safe progression, sure and slow. Dear Lord please hear our prayer to Thee From your humble servants beneath the sea. Amen

 

 

 

  

 

 

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