Skip to main content

NOT SO ASTUTE

HMS Astute alongside at Southampton Docks

 UPDATES:  As always seems to happen in these incidents, since the Media nowadays rushes to be 'first-with-the-news', the updated story is somewhat different from the original this morning.  It now appears that the shooting did take place on board HMS Astute and NOT on the pier ashore as first reported; also the weapon was NOT a 9mm pistol but an SA80 assault rifle.  The Rating had just been issued the SA80 for his sentry duty to relieve the Watch.  An argument broke out in the Control Room which resulted in his opening fire killing the Weapons Engineering Officer LT.CMDR. Ian Moyneaux RN and seriously wounding another Rating.  The Rating was restrained, disarmed, detained and taken into custody by the Hampshire Constabulary which is the local police service for the Port of Southampton, Hampshire. 

No doubt there will be further corrections to the story as it progresses. 



Able Seaman Ryan Donovan RN
Indeed there is, it is now reported by 'The Mirror' a more dramatic newspaper than 'The Telegraph', that the wounded crewmember was also an Officer namely LT.CMDR. Chris Hodges RN.  The shooter is now named as Able Seaman Ryan Donovan RN (22) who is seen above.  On a personal note having commanded 500 multi-gender, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, crewmembers and in fairness to this young man he appears very tired and under great personal stress.  NAUTICAL LOG therefore does not believe he should have been selected for sentry duty, which resulted in his being armed with an SA80 assault rifle.  It is the duty of his Division Officer to assess the suitability of personnel for their duties most particularly for sentry duty.  No doubt the Investigation will sort it all out.

Cut away view of RN Astute Class submarine

Police and Harbour launches alongside
Police vans and Armed Police controlling the Pier entrance

There has been an extraordinary tragic incident aboard HMS Astute a nuclear-powered submarine while berthed at Southampton, Hampshire, England according to 'The Telegraph'.   A Rating shot two fellow crewmembers this morning during a visit by the City Council Leader, City Mayor and City Chief Executive.   Tragically one of the crewmembers, who is a Royal Navy Officer, is dead and the other seriously wounded.  The Royal Navy has stated that the incident is not terrorist related and there is no Public danger.

The Hampshire Constabulary have arrested the Rating and he is now in their custody, both a Constabulary and Royal Navy Investigations are getting underway.  The City 'fathers' are quite safe and by now will have left the vessel. 


HMS Astute at Southampton Docks this morning
 NAUTICAL LOG cannot recall such an incident in a Royal Navy vessel in recent times and is somewhat surprised that weapons were readily available.  However later reports indicate that the shooting took place ashore on the pier following an altercation between the armed sentrys at the change of the Watch. The Rating shot the Officer dead and seriously wounded a fellow Rating with his 9mm pistol before being restrained.

Good Watch.

Please remember the seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia - let us work with India to free them.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PAINT LOCKER FIRES

The photographs above are revealing in several ways, lets have a look. Clearly the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) vessel JS "Kurama" impacted the Korean container ship MS "Carina Star" just aft of the turn of the fo'cs'le on the Starboard side. Please note that's the Starboard side, thus it appears JS "Kurama" would have shown "Carina Star" the red port sidelight and "Carina Star" would have shown JS "Kurama" the green starboard sidelight. This impact point would tend to suggest that JS "Kurama" was the 'stand-on' vessel and the MS "Carina Star" is the 'giving-way' vessel. Until there is a complete plot of the tracks made good of both these vessels and the position in the Kanmon Strait of the point of collision no determination can actually be made. As a result of this impact there was severe bow damage to JS "Kurama" and in addition a massive f

HOW TO WEAR A LIFEJACKET

A popular U.S.-based cruise ship style A popular European ferry style Several times during the year NAUTICAL LOG has had visitors searching for lifejacket instructions. With two just over Christmas we decided to publish something for everybody to see and read. Choose a Coast Guard approved life-jacket and make sure it is undamaged. Make sure life-jackets are readily accessible, never locked away. Check the fit, there are adult, child and infant sizes, the correct one MUST be used. Choose bright colour life-jackets so as to be seen easily by Search and Rescue (SAR). Put your life-jacket ON BEFORE you leave the berth. Make sure you have a light and whistle attached AND they BOTH WORK. Good Watch

BOUILLABAISSE

TAAF Service vessel operated by CMA CGM TAAF Regional flag Well now let us see if here at NAUTICAL LOG we have got a grasp on things simmering in the pot. It seems that when the anti-whaling campaign started out some years ago it was between Greenpeace, the Sea Shepherds and the Japanese whaling fleet. The Australians came down to their own Southern Ocean Territory in a chartered civilian vessel one year. Beyond taking photographs and returning some Sea Shepherds to their ship the MS "Steve Irwin" not much was accomplished. The Greenpeace crowd then dropped out and Animal Planet boarded the MS "Steve Irwin" to shoot 'reality TV' and so Whale Wars came into being. This resulted in some deplorable behaviour on all sides and some appalling exhibitions of seamanship - or rather total lack of seamanship by the Sea Shepherds. But now there was money coming in which could be spent on - well nobody really knows what the money is spent on. New Zealand made it q