December 1967 Hr Ms Limburg and Hr Ms Van Nes joined Allied Command Atlantic (1) under command of commodore B.Veldkamp of the Royal Netherlands navy. The unit was also joined by America, Britain and Norway with destroyers and frigates. Holland and Norway had two vessels in the unit. In later time this unit became known as the (STANAVFORLANT) Standing Naval Force Atlantic. First meeting with the participating vessels took place in Portland Bill England (FOST) and after a few exercises and getting to know each other the unit went to London to show the nation and NATO flag at the Thames. *) Every crew member of the unit received that aclant badge (see above) to put on their uniform at the left side of the chest. Every participating vessel got the NATO star at both sides of the funnel. Shortly before Christmas the two Dutch and American vessels headed for Den Helder. Early January 1968 the unit was back at Portland Bill for more training.

     For all the crew the weapon training at Portland was a very busy time. The AIO took many simulated asw exercises at the naval base that was practiced a few days later at sea and done over again during a simulation. The analysing of an asw exercises took often a lot of time. During a de-briefing different points of view arose in which the English dominated the conversation and the Dutch made a firm stand. At the end, after consulting NATO books, and each others opinion we all found a reasonable solution that was finished with an English "Fair enough!.

The picture left shows Hr Ms Limburg launching a Window rocket. Once at high altitude the rocket releases silver paper that produced echo's on the air warning radar.




     I like to declare here that the mutual corporation between the different navy vessel was excellent and the nature of the inevitably competition was in good harmony. Air raids from Scotland were on the program and we were in alert in the ops room. We had a good Dutch air warning radar system integrated with IFF. An old trick we often used was to search for the IFF signal of the aircraft involved and the minute they were airborne was visible on our radar. This way we had an extra early warning....-:). Frogman of the British Royal navy executed an attack on our unit while we lay at anchor near Portland. Radar was on and sonar was listening. The were trying to put a dummy on one of the units vessels. To bad for HMS Dido that became victim. An exercises I still remember was "wood pecker". An aircraft trying to pick up a message in a nose dive. The message was recorded on tape in code and transmitted in high speed by short wave band that the aircraft had to pick up. Once put on their own recorder they could play it in normal speed. It was a busy time in the ops room. General plot was full of different R/V positions and a lot of different radio frequencies had to be kept stand by. Extra AIO personnel had to be called to assist in the ops room. Extra attention was necessary when the unit sailed in fleet formation and had to shift station. The fleet formation board was adjusted very quickly to the new situation . Much time you didn't get before the order "shift station and execute to follow" came in.

After the training in Portland we headed for the Atlantic ocean for a rendez vous with squadron 5 of the Royal Netherlands navy. ACLANT would serve as a protecting screen around squadron 5 against submarine attacks in an exercises with the name "Razor Sharp". Squadron 5 was on location in the Atlantic for one of her usual trainings with the carrier Hr Ms Karel Doorman, a cruiser, destroyers and 2 submarines. After a successful four day exercise we parted squadron 5 on our way to Funchal Madeira. The ACLANT unit held some exercises with the Portuguese navy in the waters round Madeira. I remember that one day the helicopter of the Hr Ms Van Nes was evacuating a very sick Dutch baby from one of the small islands near Madeira to the hospital in Funchal.


















*)   We lay side to side at anchor with the American destroyer on the Thames as one morning all the Americans started to yell and pointed ashore. The reason for that was a truck loaded full of Heineken beer trying to attract our attention. Of course beer for us, the Americans have no beer aboard..-:). We started to lower a motor boat and the American destroyer offered to help with one of their motor boats. I saw that day quit a few American colleagues a bit unsteady on their feet around our ship carrying boxes of beer to stow away below. At one of the trips to our ship, their motor boat top loaded with boxes heeled over so much that it almost capsized and lost a number of boxes in the Thames. One of their crew fell over the side and was picked up by our motor boat....-:). The next day a few of them had to face their c.o. that was held on open deck ....to answer a few questions about the whole thing. Anyway, they had a good time in helping us and said that the beer tasted excellent....-:)))).


- A slight collision with the U.S.S. Vesole -

Portland Harbour is very narrow, little room to manoeuvre, so, an excellent area to exercise manoeuvring which was one of the items too. During one of those exercises our vessel collided slightly against the U.S.S. Vesole's aft and made some damage to her. Our C.O. Cpt. F.Hamilton was afraid they would make a big fuss about that. However, her C.O. Cpt. P.H. Orvis just invited our ship fitters to come over and repair the damage. At the picture left, Dutch crew of Hr Ms Limburg are repairing the damage.

- two division watch -

During the Portland training and the exercise Razor Sharp the ship was in two division watch, a twelve hour shift. I had no trouble at all with that, I liked it more then the four division watch. However, when the alarm sounded for a general quarters (e.g. an air raid) you had to get out and interrupt your sleep. During Razor Sharp an alarm sounded explained by a warning that a nuclear explosion had coursed an enormous wave over the Atlantic that was headed in our direction and was approaching fast. Close the ship and life jacket on, stay were you are was the order. At the command "squat" you had to assume the position and lift your heels off the deck. I can still see the image of all the half asleep people squatting in their underwear, life jackets on...:-)). No need to tell that some one was checking if all people joined this sensational event and no one was back in his bed.




                                      - action messing -

During the two division watch, the planning for warm meals were quit an art. Every thing had to done as quick as possible. This was practiced in "action messing". When it was your divisions turn to eat you had to hurry to the mess room, often dressed in your battle outfit. A simple dish (stew) was cooked. Lined up you passed the galley and they smashed it on your plate decorated it with an orange on top of it. In about 15 minutes you had to finish it. A sergeant major was watching the whole operation nervously and urging every one now and then to be quick.

                                      - anti flash gear -

When the danger of fire or a nuclear reaction was expected the crew protected themselves by wearing ant flash gear. Made of a soft particular material this could prevent seriously burns at the face or hands. This made the work in the ops room a bit difficult in particular writing or operating equipment.

                                      - gas ... gas ... gas -

More uncomfortable was the situation when a chemical attack on the ship was at hand. In that case people had to put on their gas mask too. Dressed with anti flash gear, a gas mask, helmet and you radio headset communication became an art.




- R.A.S. -    Bunkers were often taken in while in harbour, however some times postponed to have an extra experience in replenishment at sea (RAS). HMS Tidepool was the regular provider for the unit and we met her many times in all conditions, very often two ships at one time.




- participating vessels in ACLANT 1 -

Netherlands: HrMs Limburg - HrMs van Nes
Norway:       HMNoS Narvik - HMNoS Stavanger
America:      USS Vesole
Britian:         HMS Dido

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