HMS MANXMAN – 1963

Ship’s badge in the National Maritime Museum
Commissioned on 7 June 1941, her first mission was the delivery of mines to Murmansk. Manxman then transferred to the Mediterranean, where she was employed on relief runs to Malta. In August she took part in Operation Mincemeat, which involved mine-laying in the Gulf of Genoa while disguised as the French destroyer Léopard. From October 1941 to February 1942, Manxman was returned to the Home Fleet and took part in a number of mine-laying operations in the North Sea and the English Channel. In March, she joined the Eastern Fleet at Kilindini in the Indian Ocean. After escort and patrol duties, on 8 October she participated in the assault and capture of the island of Nosy Be on the north west coast of Madagascar, which was occupied by Vichy French forces.

Transferring to the Mediterranean again, Manxman was sent with supplies to Malta, followed by mine-laying in the Sicilian Channel. On 1 December, whilst in transit from Algiers to Gibraltar, she was torpedoed by German submarine U-375 and severely damaged at the position 36°39′N 0°15′E. Following emergency repairs at Oran and Gibraltar, she returned to Newcastle-upon-Tyne for extensive repair work.

Manxman was re-commissioned on 10 April 1945 and made ready to join the British Pacific Fleet. She arrived at Geelong shortly after VJ Day and she was used for repatriation and supply operations.

Post-war
Returning to the UK in June 1946, she had a further spell with the Pacific Fleet before joining the Reserve Fleet at Sheerness. Following a refit, Manxman joined the Mediterranean Fleet in 1951. In 1953, she appeared in the film Sailor of the King as the German cruiser Essen.[3] She was fitted for the film with enlarged funnels and mock-up triple-gun turrets over her 4-inch guns. The ‘torpedo damage’ which forces her delay at ‘Resolution Island’ was painted on the side of her port bow. The scenes when she is holed up for repairs were filmed in the semi-circular Dwejra bay, guarded by Fungus Rock on the west coast of Gozo Island in Malta. In 1953 she also took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.[4]

In 1956, she was deployed for headquarters duties during the Suez operation. A story – or legend – has grown that, during the Suez Crisis of 1956, Manxman outran an American Carrier Group. Manxman reportedly shadowed them; the US Admiral increased speed, eventually to over thirty knots – and then Manxman swept past at full speed, showing the signal “See you in Egypt”. It is far from clear whether this episode happened; ‘knowledge’ about it was common in the Merchant Navy of the 1970s. This story was often told in the Royal Navy (not the Merchant Navy which is not technically an organisation), long before 1956; it was supposed to have happened in the Pacific at the end of World War II.

In reserve at Malta and refitting
She was refitted in Chatham in the early 60’s and converted to a minesweeper support vessel. When the forward boiler was removed and the compartment was fitted with diesel generators to supply outboard power to minesweepers, she was fitted with a dummy forward funnel, which housed the diesel exhausts and ventilation for the compartment. Much of the mine stowage was removed to make way for additional accommodation. Commissioning in 1963, she was subsequently stationed in Singapore.

Returning to the UK in 1968, Manxman was used for engineering training at Devonport and following a fire, was transferred to the reserve at Chatham Dockyard until broken up at Newport in 1973
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Manxman_(M70)

Royal Navy’s HMS Protector helps scientists study impact of humans on Antarctica

26th January 2024 at 1:52pm

Scientists have been able to study the effects of tourism and climate change on Antarctica thanks to the Royal Navy.

HMS Protector took two researchers from the University of Portsmouth to the frozen continent so they could carry out their specialised work.

The pair collected water and rock samples as the first phase of the ice breaker’s annual polar mission took her from the Falkland Islands south along the western edge of the Antarctic Peninsula.

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The work carried out by Professor Fay Couceiro and Dr Clare Boston will ultimately contribute to understanding the impact on Antarctica as record numbers of tourists continue to visit the delicate region.

Prof Couceiro collected water samples at the Falkland Islands, Anvers Island, Port Lockroy, Detaille Island and Pourquoi Pas Island as well as at the Rothera Research Station, the UK’s biggest facility in Antarctica.

The samples will be tested for concentrations of microplastics, metals and nutrients, with the results providing an insight into the impact humans may be having on Antarctica.

She said: “What an incredible experience. Breathtaking scenery, spectacular wildlife, an amazingly friendly and helpful crew and great food. I can’t thank the Royal Navy enough.”

Fellow scientist Dr Boston is examining the glacial advances during the last 5,000 years by taking rock samples from Pourquoi Pas Island.

And with the help of HMS Protector’s hydrographers, she was also able to collect data in Marguerite Bay to look at landforms created by the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet around 20,000 years ago.

Hydrography measures and describes the physical features of bodies of water and the land areas near those bodies of water, and surveying with multibeam echo sounders is the primary method of obtaining hydrographic data.

“I’ve had an amazing experience joining HMS Protector, seeing the Antarctic wildlife and collecting data,” said Dr Boston. “The crew have worked hard to get me ashore and help me find some rocks.”

On her voyage south, HMS Protector recorded more than 1,000 square miles of seabed data in areas that were either uncharted or poorly charted. This equates to area the size of Dorset.

The work will increase the safety of seafarers sailing through the region at a time when maritime traffic is increasing rapidly.

Between 2011 and 2020 the number of voyages to Antarctica almost doubled from 234 to 408.