January 1982

1st - 10th Broadsword would have dormant leave. 11th - 17th recovery time. 18th - 24th Ships Maintenance Period 25th - 31st Annual Maintenance period pre deployment.

HMS Invincible seen in Rosyth either on the weekend 12th- 14th February harbour phase 15th - 16th or weekend 26th - 28th. With lots of hard work during harbour phase, work up phase and ocean phase everyone was unaware of what was to come in the near future. Photo taken from Broadsword after launcher deck.

February 1982

1st - 7th Annual maintenance would finish. 8th The ship would take ammunitions and sailing from Plymouth for Weapon tests and system calibrations. 9th - 10th Weapon tests and calibrations, the ship would then passage to the North Sea. 11th - 12th Squadron operation s in the North Sea and passage to Rosyth. 12th - 14th Rosyth weekend 15th - 16th JMC 821 Harbour phase 16th - 20th JMC 821 Work up phase 21st - 26 JMC 821 Ocean phase 26th - 28th Rosyth weekend

JMC

“Joint Maritime Course” was the Royal Navy’s principle large scale maritime warfare excercise during the cold war. It ran three times a year (spring, summer, winter) and was designed to train RN and NATO ships in ASW, surface warfare, air defence, and coordinating task-group operations. ASW Focus - Cold war theat meant heavy emphasis on Soviet submarines. NATO integration - US, Dutch, German, and Canadian ships routinely joined. High-tempo serials - 24-hour ops, multi-threat scenarios, and live firings. Soviet “trawlers” often sat on the edge of the exersice. Pre-Armilla prep - Many ships ran a JMC before heading east of the Suez.

March 1982

1st - 2nd Rosyth - Post JMC Debrief 2nd - 4th Passage to Plymouth in company HMS Battleaxe and HMS Arethusa 4th - 10th Plymouth Ammunition ship 10th - 11th Weapon training Plymouth areas 11th - 17th Plymouth 17th - 24th Exercise Springtrain en route Gibralter 24th - 29th Gibraltar - exersice Springtrain Harbour phase 29th - 31st Exersice Springtrain Medeteranean Phase

Springtrain

Springtrain was an annual Royal Navy maritime training exercise conducted in the Eastern Atlantic, primarily using Gibraltar as its logistic and operational base. Its purpose was to prepare surface combatants, auxileries, and embarked avaition units for sustained operations by exposing them to a comprehensive program of high-readiness training in deep water conditions. The exercise formed a key component of the Royal Navy’s Cold War operational cycle. It provided an environment in which ships could be excersised collectively in the full spectrum of maritime warfare disciplines, including: • Anti-Submarine Warfare - Live submarine opposition and coordinated ASW tactics • Anti-Air Warfare - air defence procedures and missile engagement drills • Anti-Surface warfare - gunnery, manouvre, and surface threat responses • Replenishment at Sea - tanker and stores-ship integration • Aviation operations - helecopter ASW, SAR, and surveillance • Command and control - multi-ship coordination and communications The emphasis was on realism, endurance, and interoperability. Ships typically operated in Defence Watches, conducting serials continuously by day and night. The excersise was designed to ensure that individual units, and the task group as a whole, were capable of responding effectively to the operational demands of the North Atlantic and wider NATO commitments.

Saturday 1st April

01:08 Ops Room control CASEX began (Combined Anti Submarine Exercise) 01:29 Bridge control 01:47 Lynx 346 airborne for 2 hours and back on deck 02:24 Fire in port tyne module 02:52 For exercise 346 has gyro and radio failure and is low on fuel 02:55 346 on deck 02:56 346 launched 03:13 346 secure on deck & shutdown 03:39 Fire alarm in port tyne proved to be false alarm engine back at emmediate notice 03:49 CASEX carried out with ORACLE 05:25 guide A/C 180 speed 13 05:51 COMEX 35 20M 009 32W Sub position (Command Exercise) 05:45 Guide A/C 110 speed 13 06:34 CASEX complete 35,18N 009, 28W Sub position 07:40 346 airborne 09:42 Lynx airborn 10:24 Lynx returned 14:00 Speed 20 to intercept with Coventry high seas group. 16:13 Sheffields lynx landed on carrying out SOOTAX 3 persons landed (Surface to Surface Tactical Exercise) 16:16 Sheffield Lynx flew off 16:37 Coventry’s Lynx lands 3 persons 16:44 Coventry’s Lynx flew off 17:18 Coventry’s Lynx lands 4 persons 17:21 Coventry’s Lynx flew off 18:03 Lynx landed on SOOTAX 2 persons landed (Surface to Surface Tactical Exercise) 18:05 Lynx flew off 19:30 Lynx airborne 19:51 Lynx on deck shutdown 20:56 Start port Olympus A/C 000 to close HMS Brilliant 23:04 Brilliant Lynx landed on (could this be XZ729?) 23:25 Brilliants Lynx flew off

COMEX

A COMEX typically involved the command team conducting planning cycles, issuing intensions, and managing a simulated operational scenareo through voice and data circuits. Ships exchanged formatted reports, threat updates, and manouvre instructions while responding to evolving injects from the exercise control staff. The focus was on decsion-making, clarity of orders, and maintaining an effective command structure under pressure, rather than on physical ship manoeuvres.

CASEX

A CASEX normally included a submarine acting as the opposing force, with surface ships and helicopters conducting coordinated searches using hull sonar, towed arrays and dipping sonar. Units precticed localisation, tracking and simulated weapon attacks, while the submarine attempted to evade, penetrate screens, or achieve firing positions. The serial tested endurance, sensor manangement and the ability of ships and aircraft to operate as a coherant ASW team.

SOOTAX

A SOOTAX generally involved multiple surface contacts, either real or simulated, requiring ships to conduct identification, tracking, and tactical manouvering. Command teams practiced threat prioitisation, electronioc warfare procedures, and simulated missile or gunnery engagements. The serial emphasised coordinated movement, rapid reporting, and maintaining situation awareness across the task group in a dynamic surface environment.

Sunday 2nd April

04:58 establish radio contact with HMS Plymouth 06:15 CO called to Plymouth 06:26 sp10 ready to recieve gemeni 06:40 stepped in water 06:47 gemeni transfer complete, ship underway 08:40 hands to harbour stations

Monday 3rd April

10:00 Ships company divisions 11:00 Flag Officer Gibraltar arrived onboard 11:35 Flag Officer Gibraltar departed 18:45 Patrol landed

Tuesday 4th April

02:40 patrol returned onboard 19:25 parol landed

Wednesday 5th April

00:53 Patrol R.O.B 09:20 Proceed Naples screening Plumbleaf, Yarmouth in company 11:28 Lynx returns refueled and launched 12:26 Lynx landed on shutdown 13:11 Seaking focsle transfer 13:16 Transfer complete 13:17 Commence delaying machinery breakdown drills 14:26 Lynx take off 14:44 Lynx land on 14:55 Machinery drills complete 15:05 Lynx take off 15:15 land on 15:31 launch 15:32 Stearing failure breakdown drill 15:41 Lynx land on 16:08 Lynx airborne 16:10 main electrical failure 16:15 power restored 16:30 Lynx returned 19:45 SCREENEX complete (Screening excersise) 21:30 Yarmouth detached 22:52 Ordered to return to Gibraltar. Both Olympus started and selected, reversed course

Thursday 6th April

06:40 Hands to harbour stations 07:13 secured alongside

Friday 7th April

05:50 Patrol returned onboard 10:30 HMS Oracle piped to sea 19:30 Patrol one L/H landed

Saturday 8th April

00:55 HMS Oracle anchored in bay 01:05 Patrol returned 16:10 Slipped and proceeded 16:30 Proceeding Yarmouth astern

Sunday 9th April

19:48 Began RAS with HMS Intrepid 20:23 Light jackstay with Fearless complete 2351 Commencing approach

SCREENEX

SCREENEX (Screening Excersice) was a Royal Navy tactical serial designed to train a group of ships in forming, maintaining, and manouvering an effective protection screen around a high-value unit such as an aircraft carrier, amphibious ship, or replenishment vessel. The excersice focused on coordinating movemenyt, threat detection, and layered defence against air, surface, and subsurface thereats. SCREENEX serials were central to Cold War task-group doctrine, ensuring that destroyers and frigates could operatate as a cohesive defensive ring, maintaining station, reacting to threats, and adjusting dynamically as the tactical situation evlolved.

Monday 10th April

00:05 Gunline passed 00:23 start pumping 01:00 All clear 01:30 SP 13 with Pearleaf 06:20 Took up station 3 cables on RFA SIR Geriants port side 06:58 Vertrep complete 11:34 Vertrep from HMS Yarmouth to focsle 12:01 Vertrep complete

Tuesday 11th April

00:01 Proceeding in sector yarmouth in company and guide. Ships darkened and silent 13:05 AGI spotted on stbd side 14:45 RFA Olmeda visual 16:05 First line across to Olmeda for RAS(L) 17:04 Disangaged

Wednesday 12th April

00:01 Continuing SCREENEX Olmeda guide 09:36 145 to investigate passenger liner 10:08 HDS with Seaking winching onto flight deck 11:45 Transfer Captain to Hermes 13:48 40mm Gun shooting 15:12 Yarmouth wasp landed on 15:13 Yarmouth wasp airborne 17;43 Vertrep foscle 18:45 Rybatskaya Slave Russian fish factory passed down port side

Thursday 13th April

08:45 For exersice Broadsword Yarmouth detach SAG 10:02 3” Rocket test firings 15;01 Transfer with helo from Hermes 15:09 Goalkeeping excersice with Hermes 16:32 Goalkeeping complete

Friday 14th April

00:01 Commenced SQUADEX with Olmeda guide (Squardron Exercise) 07:50 end of goalkeeping with Invincible 12:00 Aproach for RAS with Olmeda 16:01 In sector on Hermes Alacrity and Yarmoutrh in company 19:15 Change station - Goalkeeping on Hermes 20:40 Goalkeeping complete

SQUADEX

SQUADEX (Squadron Excercise) was a Royal Navy multi-ship training serial conducted within a destroyer or frigate squardon, or within a temporary formed task group. Its purpose was to develope coordinated operations, standadise procedures, and ensure that the squadron could function as a unified tactical unit. SQUADEX serials were used to refine manouvering, communications, warfare coordination, and the integration of individual ships into a coherant fighting formation. They were particularly important during deployments and major exercises such as Springtrain, where multilple ships operated together for extended periods.

Saturday 15th April

07:05 On station Hermes 08:10 Steam 182 Sonar 08:55 182 recovered checks correct 14:13 Stream 182 14:20 In company with Hermes, Yarmouth, Alacrity, Glamorgan joined 14:52182 recovered 15:04 Arming runs performed on 36 Skua 19:25 40/60 gun firings 19:47 cease firings

Sunday 16th April

00:01 Station on Hermes 06:40 Hermes flyex 12:30 Anchored 3 cables off creek

Monday 17th April

08:45 Whaler away 10:00 Cheverton away 11:45 Cheverton returned 11:50 Whaler returned

Tuesday 18th April

06:44 Weigh snchor clear of water proceed 07:50 Proceeding in sector Alacrity, Yarmouth, Invincible, Glamorgan Olmeda in company 12:56 RAS with Olmeda 14:02 Break away 15:22 Possible sonar contact, classified non sub 23:01 Possible sub contact, Alacrity prosecuted sub 23:35 Classified non sub

Wednesday 19th April

12:20 Captain to Hermes 13:05 HDS to focsle MAIL 13:15 Goalkeeping on Hermes 14:10 End of ex 14:34 Captain returned 20:10 Begin of night landing exercises

Thursday 20th April

07:10 Yarmouth sonar contact and joining him 07:12 Yarmouth classified non sub re joining Hermes 09:15 First line across for RAS with Resource 09:19 Jackstay connected 11:19 Disengaged 13:02 Recommence zig zag 15:15 RAS aproach 16:02 Disengage from RFA Resource 19:00 Invincibles Lynx launched to return to Invincible