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Puncher Never Gives In
HMS Puncher now has a motto to go with her badge, and
her Commanding Officer feels it sums up the activities of
the little ship over the past 18 months or so.
The Archer-class patrol vessel has had a very busy time of
late, and with a high turnover in the ship's company, Lt Cdr
Gordon Ruddock has been pleased with the attitude and enthusiasm
shown by his team - hence the new motto Never give in.
Puncher's primary role is to support the University of London
Royal Naval Unit, and she has been deployed as far as Norway,
Denmark, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and France.
In addition, she has fulfilled the normal term-time activities
at weekends, and participated in ship's company training.
The Archer-class, also known as P2000s, can enter harbours
inaccessible to any other Royal Navy ships, thereby bringing
the White Ensign into the public eye in ports and towns rarely
visited.
Puncher has also supported the Flag Officer Surface Flotilla
activities, being involved with Flag Officer Sea Training
programmes out of Devonport, Royal Marines exercises in Dartmouth,
ethnic minority recruiting in London and Royal Marines landing
craft training.
Following operational sea training in June, Puncher embarked
on her summer deployment to Northern France and the UK Channel
ports, giving undergraduates daily challenges in leadership,
seamanship and navigation.
Apart from sea training, social and sporting events were arranged,
and the patrol craft made a visit to Pegasus Bridge at Caen,
site of one of the first actions of the Normandy landings.
During a visit to the ship's affiliated borough of Eastbourne,
Puncher welcomed a large number of locals on board, and gave
the Director of naval Recruiting a platform in the town.
Puncher also had a role to play in a search and rescue exercise
with Eastbourne lifeboat and the Coastguard helicopter.
The Navy patrol vessel simulated an engine fire at sea, requesting
assistance from the RNLI and Coastgurads, thereby allowing
valuable training in firefighting, first-aid and joint exercising.
Students took the roles of casualties, and an evacuation by
air was arranged.
P2000s play an important role in the training of cadet forces
and Sea Cadet units, RN Reservists and other units.
But it is in the field of public opinion that ships like Puncher
have such a vital part to play - and recruitment from a University
RN Unit is not the main aim, as the focus of attention is
to impress upon future leaders and opinion-formers the presence
and capabilities of the Navy.
This is achieved by exposing high-calibre undergraduates to
the life of the Services in a realistic an environment as
possible.
Of immediate concern for Puncher is the fact that she is hosting
Princess Anne, Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Michael
Boyce and VIPs at the International Festival of the Sea at
Portsmouth.
Identity Change For Ships
Two ships carried the name Puncher before the launch of
the Archer-class patrol vessel, and both started life under
a different name.
The first was an escort carrier of 11,420 tons built in the
shipyards of Tacoma in Seattle, and originally named the USS
Wilapa.
She served with the Royal Canadian Navy, and joined the Royal
Navy on November 8, 1943 under the Lend-Lease arrangement.
She was returned to the Americans on January 16, 1946.
The second was the former Landing Ship Tank 3036, 2,256 tons,
built at Ailsa in Scotland and launched on November 20, 1944.
She was renamed Puncher in 1947, and served until she was
sold on August 12, 1960, arriving at Ghent just under a year
later to be broken up.
(Ship of the Month September 2001)
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