Anzac prowls Gulf waters

When you are this close to USS Abraham Lincoln (above) zoom in on it. Then (below) find a free square centimetre of deck and photograph it.

After a busy three weeks in the northern Gulf waters, HMAS Anzac recently completed her first patrol, passing responsibility to HMAS Darwin and heading south for a short break and some training.

The first patrol was an eye opener for many and certainly a real surprise for those in Anzac who were onboard for the first Op Slipper in 2001.

With the onset of winter in the Gulf, the weather was very comfortable and becoming cooler, with many choosing to wear doona jackets, beanies and gloves during the day.

The types of vessels encountered and their cargo had also changed.Group 3 tankers were no longer a familiar sight running the gauntlet with thousands of tonnes of oil from Iraq. Large timber cargo dhows have replaced the tankers and were often seen by the dozen as they prepared to move south after dusk.

For most of the period Anzac was on station, the northern Gulf was very peaceful, perfectly calm and often eerie as the vessels moved in and out of the red haze. Days were very short and the Arabian night falls quickly across the waters of the Gulf. Just after four-thirty, the sky is filled with starry blackness.

Compared with previous boarding numbers, Anzac’s figures remained low, due to the holiest Islamic month of Ramadan, when Muslims do not eat, smoke or drink between sunrise and sunset. Despite this annual decline in all trade throughout the Middle East, Anzac managed to prevent a substantial amount of oil and other prohibited cargo from leaving Iraq.

The final day of the patrol saw Anzac host an overnight visit by three media, film and photojournalists. They came to Anzac hoping to gain first-hand experience of how Australian Navy ships were enforcing UN sanctions against Iraq.

Within an hour of the team arriving, Anzac’s boarding parties were called and commenced equipment preparations and briefings as they were being dispatched towards a dhow breakout some 10 kilometres to the north.

The media team was very fortunate to be on the scene as ‘the story broke’ and captured some excellent footage and interviews.

The first patrol saw many activities both on board and at home. While Anzac was fuelling with USS Camden in The Gulf, back home, the engineer’s wife gave birth to a healthy second son. There were also 12 birthdays on board ranging from 20 to 42.

Anzac also participated in a personnel exchange program with the aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln, with 10 members of the ship’s company cross-decking to the carrier.

With dozens of jets circling the area, taking off or preparing to land in quick succession, Anzac became engulfed in a world of noise and activity not seen before. The excitement and thrill of this spectacular display of air power drew most of the crew to the starboard side.

While this was taking place, eight lucky members of the carrier’s 5500 crew were probably wondering what all the excitement was for. They spent the day in Anzac and were most impressed with the range of salads, colourful fresh vegetables and fresh fruit platters.

Like Adam, the apples tempted them, but they couldn’t resist the fries, ice cream and hot dogs for lunch!

• By CMDR Stu

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