HMS Hydra (A144)
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HMS ''Hydra'' (pennant number A144) was a Royal Navy deep ocean hydrographic survey vessel, the third of the original three of the . The ship was laid down as yard number 2258 on 14 May 1964 at Yarrow Shipbuilders, at
Scotstoun Scotstoun ( gd, Baile an Sgotaich) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Garscadden and Yoker to the west, Victoria Park, Jordanhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde ...
on the
River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
and launched on 14 July 1965 by Mary Lythall, wife of the then Chief Scientist (Royal Navy), Basil W Lythall CB (1919–2001). She was completed and first commissioned on 4 May 1966 and, as the replacement for the survey ship , her commanding officer and many of her ship's company formed the first commission of HMS ''Hydra''. She was decommissioned and sold to the Indonesian Navy in 1986 and renamed KRI ''Dewa Kembar'' (Pennant Number 932); she was still in service in 2019.


Ship's name and battle honours

There have been eight ships of the name in the Royal Navy, named for the
Hydra Hydra generally refers to: * Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology * ''Hydra'' (genus), a genus of simple freshwater animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria Hydra or The Hydra may also refer to: Astronomy * Hydra (constel ...
of Greek Mythology, a
serpent Serpent or The Serpent may refer to: * Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes Mythology and religion * Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature * Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts * Serp ...
with many heads (though nine is generally accepted as standard), the centre one of which was immortal. The monster was overcome and slain by Hercules. The ship's badge of HMS ''Hydra'' depicts the monster with seven heads. The ship's motto was ''Ut Herculis Perseverantia'' ("Like Hercules Persevere").


Late 1960s

In the month after first commissioning ''Hydra'' carried out machinery and equipment trials and embarked stores at
Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
, before sailing for surveys in the
North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...
. Based in Reykjavík, an extensive area south of Iceland was surveyed between June and September 1966. She then visited Copenhagen and for the remainder of 1966, was employed in searching for wrecks in the shipping lanes of the North Sea and the approaches to the Dover Strait, before returning to Chatham in early December for her winter lie-up. March 1967 saw the ship carrying out a short survey of the critical depths at the entrance of the Black Deep Channel in the Thames estuary. She then carried out a major survey of the bathymetry,
gravity anomalies The gravity anomaly at a location on the Earth's surface is the difference between the observed value of gravity and the value predicted by a theoretical model. If the Earth were an ideal oblate spheroid of uniform density, then the gravity meas ...
and total magnetic field in a large area of the Atlantic Ocean, covering the North-West Approaches to Britain. At the same time, between May and August 1967, a detached party and the ship's two surveying motor boats undertook a survey of the fishing port of Burtonport,
Donegal Donegal may refer to: County Donegal, Ireland * County Donegal, a county in the Republic of Ireland, part of the province of Ulster * Donegal (town), a town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland * Donegal Bay, an inlet in the northwest of Ireland b ...
. After summer leave and maintenance and a visit to Brest, she spent a fortnight on oceanographic surveys in the Azores area, followed by a visit to
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
and passage to Freetown. An oceanographic survey of the fishing grounds between Freetown and Agadir was completed. At Gibraltar in mid-November, she conducted trials of towed and free balloons carrying meteorological instruments before reaching Chatham for refit on 24 November 1967. She recommissioned on 30 January 1968 and in March undertook an oceanographic voyage designed to advance knowledge of air/sea interaction. She carried out surveys in the
Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...
in April and then, for six weeks, in the southern approaches to the
River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
. For the following two months, she was based at Londonderry and an area in the north-western approaches to Ireland was surveyed to the line. At Chatham in late August, she took part in
Navy Days Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy. By country Argentina The Argentine Navy day is celebrated on May 17, anniversary of the victory achieved in 1814 in the Battle of Montevideo. Bahrain The ...
and then visited the Pool of London in early September. The ship sailed Chatham in late October and carried out surveys off the west coast of Africa, spending Christmas 1968 in
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
. In early January 1969 she carried out surveys off the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
Mediterranean coast. She then took part in the Atlantic Trade Wind Experiment, with survey ships from West Germany and the US; this consisted of a 15-day drift, with engines stopped, from a position some west of Cape Verde Islands. ''Hydra'' returned to Sierra Leone in mid-February and carried out surveys until she sailed Freetown on 25 May 1969. She spent a fortnight investigating an up-welling off Cape Blanc, then calling at Gibraltar before arriving on 19 June 1969 for a refit at Chatham. A new ship's company joined at the end of August and she sailed from Chatham at the end of October for the Far East. Calls were made en route at Freetown, Simonstown and Mauritius and Singapore was reached in time for Christmas. A survey of the Malacca Strait was started on 31 December 1969.


1970s - and five years away from the UK

Surveying a route wide down the length of the Malacca Strait was a mammoth task. Breaks for maintenance, fuel and recreation were taken at Singapore, with a longer interruption from mid-June to mid-October 1970 for refit by Sembawang Shipyard. The ship visited
Port Swettenham Port Klang ( ms, Pelabuhan Klang) is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham ( ms, Pelabuhan Swettenham) but renamed Port Klang in July 1972, it is the largest port in the country. It is l ...
before resuming surveys in the Malacca Strait. However, she was detached after a fortnight to support the British task force sent from Singapore to relieve the area of East Pakistan stricken by a severe cyclone and
storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
. The ship was used in a survey role, finding and marking channels for small craft to take in food and supplies. She later resumed the Malacca Strait survey and spent Christmas 1970 at Singapore. During her year in the Malacca Strait, 63
shoal In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...
soundings were reported and promulgated by Notice to Mariners. The surveys of the Malacca Strait were concluded in March 1971 and she then spent three weeks in Hong Kong charting waters to the south of Lantao. On 6 April 1971, HMS ''Hydra'' sailed from Hong Kong to return to the UK, via the Panama Canal. She called at Yokosuka, Long Beach,
Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
and Bridgetown, Barbados, making gravity, magnetics and bathymetric observations on passage and investigating several
shoal In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...
s. The summer and autumn of 1971 were spent at Chatham, with a refit and trials. Recommissioned at Chatham on 11 October 1971, she sailed on 30 November 1971 via the
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...
, to return to the Far East from where she was not to return for five years, carrying out extensive surveys in the south Pacific. She left Simonstown on 3 January 1972 and called at Mauritius before carrying out a short investigation around the
Aldabra Islands The Aldabra Group are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, lying in the southwest of the island nation, around from the capital, Victoria, on Mahé Island. Population and area The group contains four islands and atolls. The largest in ...
. After a visit to Mombasa to calibrate the ship's gravimeter, the first half of February was spent in the Seychelles where the ship's helicopter helped with the erection of Hi-Fix sites. ''Hydra'' was detached from surveying, and ordered to return to the Mauritius area, arriving off Rodrigues Island, one of the
Mascarene Islands The Mascarene Islands (, ) or Mascarenes or Mascarenhas Archipelago is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar consisting of the islands belonging to the Republic of Mauritius as well as the French department of Réunion. Thei ...
, on 26 February to assist in disaster relief. She left the area and arrived Singapore on 13 March, thus completing a circumnavigation of the globe in one year. After a short period of maintenance, she set sail for her 1972 survey area in the Solomon Islands. This survey, from 17 April to 18 August, covered the
Bougainville Strait Bougainville Strait separates Choiseul Island, part of the Solomon Islands from Bougainville Island, the next to the northward and part of Papua New Guinea. The first European to pass through the strait was Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1768, wh ...
, last surveyed in 1884. Visits were paid to
Honiara Honiara () is the capital and largest city of Solomon Islands, situated on the northwestern coast of Guadalcanal. , it had a population of 92,344 people. The city is served by Honiara International Airport and the seaport of Point Cruz, and lie ...
(
Guadalcanal Island Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the sec ...
),
Ghizo Island Ghizo Island lies in the Western Province (Solomon Islands), Western Province of Solomon Islands, west of New Georgia and Kolombangara, and is home to the provincial capital, Gizo, Solomon Islands, Gizo. The island is named after an infamous loc ...
and
Kieta Kieta is a port town located on the eastern coast of the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, near the township of Arawa. After extensive destruction during the 1990 Civil Uprising on Bougainville, Kieta has few inhabitants now, and is kno ...
(
Bougainville Island Bougainville Island (Tok Pisin: ''Bogenvil'') is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea. It was previously the main landmass in the German Empire-associated North Solomons. Its land area is ...
). A three-week visit to Brisbane was brought forward in order to have two defective main engines replaced by two flown out from the United Kingdom. The ship arrived in Hong Kong at the end of August, where she spent three months, some time being spent on surveys in local waters. She sailed from Hong Kong on 28 October and arrived in Singapore for her annual refit which began on 13 November; the most important work was the installation of the SRN9 satellite navigation system. The refit was completed on 13 January and ''Hydra'' sailed 12 February 1973 to resume surveys in the Solomon Islands, brief visits being paid to
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
and Thursday Island during the passage to Honiara. Surveys of Bougainville Strait and New Georgia Sound were completed. A three-week visit was paid to Brisbane in May, for maintenance, and while on passage both ways a reconnaissance was made of
Indispensable Reef The Indispensable Reefs are a chain of three large coral atolls in the Coral Sea. They are located about south of Rennell Island, separated from it by Rennel Trough. The chain stretches over a length of and its average width is . Administrat ...
. For the next thirteen weeks, almost without a break, surveys were undertaken along the north coasts of Choiseul and
Santa Isabel Island Santa Isabel Island (also known as Isabel, Ysabel and Mahaga) is the longest in Solomon Islands, the third largest in terms of surface area, and the largest in the group of islands in Isabel Province. Location and geographic data Choiseul lies t ...
s and of
Manning Strait Manning (a.k.a. Mannion, Manning) is a family name. Origin and meaning Manning is from an old Norse word — manningi — meaning a brave or valiant man; and one of the first forms of the name was Mannin; another cartography was Mannyg ...
. A Solomon Islands 45c postage stamp was issued in January 1981, recording the ship's surveying from April 1972 to September 1973. Preparations for future surveys were carried out around
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
in late 1973 and a visit was made to
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
on passage back to Singapore, where she arrived on 26 October for refit; the ship's company lived ashore in the ANZUK barracks. No time was lost owing to bad weather or breakdown during a year in which the ship had steamed over . The two survey boats had steamed an additional during the surveys of the Solomon Islands. With the refit completed in January 1974, her next surveys were around the Maldives, during which time she visited
Gan The word Gan or the initials GAN may refer to: Places *Gan, a component of Hebrew placenames literally meaning "garden" China * Gan River (Jiangxi) * Gan River (Inner Mongolia), * Gan County, in Jiangxi province * Gansu, abbreviated ''Gā ...
. She made the long passage east, via Singapore, and arrived at her new base of
Suva Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...
, in the Fiji Islands, on 12 April. Surveys were carried out off northern Viti Levu, with a break in June/July for maintenance in Brisbane. Back off Viti Levu in July, these surveys were completed by August. The next month, work began on modern surveys off northern Vanua Levu and of Yandua Island. Before departing Fijian waters on 21 October, HMS ''Hydra'' took part in celebrations to mark the centenary of the cession of the islands to Queen Victoria, with
Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
embarked for part of the time. Survey was made of Epi Island, and other areas, of the New Hebrides on passage for Auckland, New Zealand, where the ship arrived on 28 November for maintenance and leave. Surveys off Vanua Levu were resumed in January 1975, though work was punctuated with excursions to the Koro Sea for hurricane assistance and search and rescue work. The ship was absent from surveys in the Fiji area in March for a series of vigia investigations in the south-western Pacific. Surveys were broken off at the end of April and, on 2 May, the ship sailed
Suva Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...
for Singapore, where she arrived on 22 May for a ten-week refit. HMS ''Hydra'' then sailed for the Indian Ocean and was surveying the waters around the Seychelles from September to November. She then had a maintenance period in Mombasa, returning to survey off Mahé. Christmas 1975 was spent in Port Victoria and the ship sailed the Seychelles on 29 December for the Persian Gulf. The main survey was on the traffic separation routes about from the eastern end of the Persian Gulf, around the
Tunb Islands (Tonb-e Bozorg or Tonb-e Kuchak) ar, طنب الكبرى وطنب الصغرى (Tunb el-Kubra and Tunb el-Sughra) , location = Persian Gulf , coordinates = Greater: Lesser: , archipelago = , total_islands = 2 , major_is ...
off Iran. The surveys began with a visit to Bandar Abbas and Iranian naval personnel were attached to the ship for the duration. The ship remained in the area until the end of April, working mostly out of Bandar Abbas, but visits were paid to Karachi (for maintenance), Masirah and Dubai. Passage through the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
into the Mediterranean was followed by a two-week maintenance period in Malta in late May 1976. Surveys then began in the western Mediterranean, until the middle of September, with visits to
Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
, Malta and Gibraltar. She sailed the
Rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
on 14 September for Portsmouth, her first sighting of the UK in five years. She then underwent a refit at Vosper Thornycroft in Southampton, when her living accommodation was extensively modernised; boat surveys of Portsmouth harbour, and other south coast harbours, were carried out during the refit. No chart of Chichester harbour had previously existed, and parts of the
Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...
area had not been surveyed since 1878. HMS ''Hydra'' completed refit in August 1977 and was operational again on 26 September. She sailed 24 October for Iran, calling briefly at Gibraltar and Malta. She arrived at Bandar Abbas, in company with , on 23 November and surveys then began along the Iranian coast in the
Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ar, خليج عمان ''khalīj ʿumān''; fa, دریای عمان ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ar, خلیج مکران ''khalīj makrān''; fa, دریای مکرا ...
. Christmas 1977 was spent in Bahrain. She was employed on surveys in the Persian Gulf, off Iran, for much of 1978 and 1979. On 1 January 1979, as one of four Royal Navy survey ships forming the Persian Gulf Surveying Squadron (, and ), HMS ''Hydra'' was at anchor in Char Bahar bay on the south-east coast of Iran. Later in the month, the ship was at Bombay for maintenance, resuming surveys off Iran on 4 February. The surveys were almost complete when the ship was ordered to Bandar Abbas assist with the evacuation of western nationals during the
Iranian revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
. While awaiting a decision as to their future employment, the ships of the squadron were engaged in investigations of the many shoals in the centre of the Persian Gulf. The ship visited Muscat and then the decision was made to withdraw the squadron, so passage was set for the UK, with visits to Haifa,
Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...
and Gibraltar, before arriving in Portsmouth on 19 April. She sailed on 9 May for shoal investigations in
Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
waters and spent July and August in Southampton for docking and repairs at Vosper. The autumn of 1979 was spent off the west coast of Scotland, starting a detailed survey of the Western Approaches to the North Channel, an area where a large number of U-boats were sunk in 1946 after their surrender.


Three years in the life of a Royal Navy survey ship 1980–1983


Service 1980–1981

HMS ''Hydra'' was employed on surveys off the west coast of Scotland in 1980 and 1981.


To West Africa and surveys in the Caribbean 1981–1982

Newly fitted with a leased Sercel Syledis positioning system for evaluation, she sailed on 7 September 1981 to conduct surveys in the Caribbean Sea (see ), surveying the Josephine Bank and the Ampere Bank on 11 and 13 September, as well as investigating "vigia 4", "vigia 7" and "vigia 23". With a maximum speed of using all three engines, when the starboard engine was lost on 21 September, the ship was limited to for the rest of the deployment. She arrived Dakar, Senegal for a visit from 24 to 28 September 1981. On leaving Dakar, the ship was directed to
Banjul Banjul (,"Banjul"
(US) and
), officially the City of Ba ...
, on 29 September in order to locate a ditched Senegalese
Puma helicopter Puma or PUMA may refer to: Animals * ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae ** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat Businesses and organisations * Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company * Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...
, which had crashed into the river while landing Senegalese troops during the attempted coup d'état, on 1 August 1981, in the Gambia. Using copies of a recent survey, by sister ship flown to Dakar from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, in Taunton, HMS ''Hydra''s two surveying motor boats began sounding and sonar sweeping and located the ditched machine, the local port authority marking the helicopter's position with a float. She sailed the next day. She arrived in Lagos, Nigeria, on 5 October 1981, in company with the
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
(see ), which she had met, by chance, in fog outside the entrance to the port. She sailed from Lagos on 9 October passing north of St Peter and St Paul Rocks (see ) on 16 October, arriving at Bridgetown, Barbados, for a visit from 23 to 27 October. During the trip across the Atlantic the side-scan sonar was deployed the autopilot and engine speed set in an attempt to set a record for the longest survey line. The journey parallel to the equator was carried out with just one small course correction to avoid a fleet of fishing boats near to the coast of South America. She was alongside at the US Naval Station at
Roosevelt Roads Roosevelt Roads Naval Station is a former United States Navy base in the town of Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The site operates today as José Aponte de la Torre Airport, a public use airport. History In 1919, future US President Franklin D. Rooseve ...
, Puerto Rico (known to sailors as Roosey Roads - see an

from 29 to 31 October before setting up camps and sites on Great Inagua and the
Turks Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and no ...
, in order to carry out hydrographic surveys centred on the waters around the British Virgin Islands - see. These surveys were part of a project in co-operation with the United States Navy, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, covering the Mouchoir Passage and Turks Island Passage. These passages were last surveyed by Commander Richard Owen in in 1829. Visits were made to Roadtown, Tortola (see and map ) from 12 to 16 November and, after sailing, a rendezvous was made with
RFA RFA may refer to: Government and private organizations * Radio Free Asia, a private news broadcaster and publisher in East Asia, funded in part by the U.S. government * Renewable Fuels Agency, a former UK renewable fuel regulatory agency * Ren ...
''Stromness'' near Vieques to take on stores, before resuming surveys. On 2 December, she broke off from surveys to visit
Nassau, Bahamas Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas. With a population of 274,400 as of 2016, or just over 70% of the entire population of the Bahamas, Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city, dwarfing all other towns in the country. ...
(see harbour map at ) from 4–8 December 1981 and she then continued surveying (''Hydrographic Instruction'' - HI 54) until 15 December. Changes were found in the configuration of the reefs - the northern edge of the
Mouchoir Bank Mouchoir Bank, in Spanish also called ''Banco de Pañuelo Blanco'', is a submerged bank that is part of the Turks and Caicos Islands and falls within its exclusive economic zone. The bank, located southeast of the Turks islands, is the geograp ...
being nearly two miles south of its charted position. Leaving a handful of volunteers to guard the various sites on island shores, she sailed north in order to spend two weeks alongside in St. Petersburg, Florida (see ), arriving 18 December, for Christmas and New Year 1981/1982. Sailing on 2 January 1982, she arrived on the survey ground four days later and recovered the landed sailors, after their lonely three weeks in the sun. Hydrographic Instruction "HI 54" was completed by 15 January 1982 and equipment ashore recovered. At anchor overnight on 15/16 January, she sailed for
Roosevelt Roads Roosevelt Roads Naval Station is a former United States Navy base in the town of Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The site operates today as José Aponte de la Torre Airport, a public use airport. History In 1919, future US President Franklin D. Rooseve ...
arriving 18 January. She sailed three days later for
Sand Cay A cay ( ), also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, including in the Caribbean and on the Great ...
in order to set up the surveys in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) area; time off task was necessitated by the ship being ordered to co-ordinate a search and rescue operation for a woman lost overboard from a yacht; the search was called off at sunset without finding her. 21–22 January was spent in Road Town, Tortola and then hydrographic surveys began, anchoring overnight 22/23 January off
Beef Island Beef Island is an island in the British Virgin Islands. It is located to the east of Tortola, and the two islands are connected by the Queen Elizabeth Bridge. Beef Island is the site of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (IATA cod ...
, before setting up the boat camp and trisponder station on
Guana Island Guana Island is an island of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in the Caribbean. One of the few remaining privately owned islands in its part of the world, Guana has seven white powder-sand beaches and of tropical forest, mountains, hills, ...
and "bottoming" overnight. Hydrographic surveys continued in the BVI, including a detached boat camp in West Anegada (see ), until completion on 8 February, anchoring that night in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola (see ). A visit was made to St. John's, on the island of
Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...
, from 9–13 February, before passage east across the Atlantic Ocean. 21–22 February was spent surveying the Atlantic Seamount, southwest of the Azores, completing with a visit to Ponta Delgada, the island's capital, on 25–26 February. At anchor off
Swanage Swanage () is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck and one of its two towns, approximately south of Poole and east of Dorchester. In the 2011 census the civil ...
, and later in Spithead on 3 March, she returned to Portsmouth Naval Base on 4 March 1982.


Hospital ship: The Falklands War of 1982

March was spent in the naval base, the ship undergoing assisted maintenance and the ship's company taking leave. The ship's programme for more surveys off the west coast of Scotland in the summer of 1982 was changed by Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands in April 1982. HMS ''Hydra'' was converted in Portsmouth Naval Base for service as a hospital ship – a replenishment at sea position was fitted, the yellow funnel painted white and red crosses painted prominently, and the starboard engine replaced – and she sailed on 24 April 1982, in company with her sister-ship (see photo), with additional medical staff, for the South Atlantic. A BBC News report on that day described the ship as "... converted to a casualty ferry ...
hose A hose is a flexible hollow tube designed to carry fluids from one location to another. Hoses are also sometimes called ''pipes'' (the word ''pipe'' usually refers to a rigid tube, whereas a hose is usually a flexible one), or more generally '' ...
job will be to ferry wounded troops from the Falklands' beachhead to the hospital ship ''Uganda''; at this stage it was not at all certain quite how the ship would be used. Her journey south took four weeks, crossing the line on 6 May (although the traditional ceremony was held the previous day, for operational reasons). She was a short time in the anchorage off
Ascension Island Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory o ...
for replenishment on 8 May. She was at position on 15 May and on 18 May. HMS ''Hydra'' joined sister ship HMS ''Hecla'' and SS ''Uganda'', in the "Red Cross Box" (), about north of Falkland Sound on 19 May. A rendezvous was made on 25 May 1982 with the requisitioned P&O liner, the troopship , and in order to transfer casualties by the ship's Westland Wasp helicopter. The day after she arrived in "Red Cross Box 2" – at position on 30 May, she embarked 49 casualties from ''Uganda''. Underway the next day, 2 June 1982, on passage for
Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
, she undertook the ship's first-ever replenishment at sea – a RAS(L) – with the oiler , in order to take on fuel. The ship arrived in the River Plate on 6 June, disembarking her patients in the full glare of the world's media, eager for news and photographs. She sailed south at 2200 the same day. The pattern of casualty evacuation was thus established: HMS ''Hydra'' worked with her two sister ships, HMS ''Hecla'' (see ) and HMS ''Herald'', to take casualties from the main hospital ship ''Uganda'' (see ), operating in the declared "Red Cross Box", to
Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
, Uruguay (see ), where they were disembarked by a fleet of Uruguayan ambulances and flown by RAF VC10 aircraft to the UK for transfer to the Princess Alexandra Hospital at RAF Wroughton, near
Swindon Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon un ...
. The hospital ship HMS ''Hydra'' made four such passages from the waters off the Falkland Islands to Montevideo, carrying a total of 251 British military casualties, many of them burns victims after the air attacks on landing ships at
Bluff Cove Bluff Cove ( es, Bahia Agradable or ) is a sea inlet and settlement on East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands, on its east coast. It was the site of secondary landings of the Falklands War of 1982, which resulted in a successful attack of the ...
(see ). The last three 'lifts' of patients were made with departures from Grantham Sound, in the Falkland Islands, to Montevideo on 14 June with 80 casualties, 24 June with 66 casualties and, finally, on 7 July 1982 with 48 casualties. Thirty of the ship's company had been trained, during the passage south, to support the medical staff as temporary nurses and many were called on for that assistance. Inspections to ensure compliance with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) conditions were carried out by ICRC staff, some transferring to the ship in an Argentine hospital ship aircraft on 12 June. An inspection was also made by Argentine naval officers in the estuary of the River Plate. After the surrender, to
Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
Major-General Jeremy Moore, of the Argentine occupying forces on 14 June 1982, HMS ''Hydra'' stayed behind as the Falkland Islands Hospital Ship, based in Stanley (see ), until the airport runway was repaired and extended. After her last journey to Uruguay, she returned south and went to anchor in Port William (see ), Falkland Islands, on 17 July. The next day she weighed anchor and sailed into Stanley, to anchor near the damaged , spending a week in the harbour, undergoing self-maintenance. She later visited most of the major settlements, providing transport for a civilian doctor to visit the scattered population, and was at Fox Bay (se

from 15 to 17 August. She finally left Stanley on 27 August 1982, calling at Ascension Island on 9 September 1982, disembarking an advance leave party to fly home ahead of the ship. HMS ''Hydra'' was the last unit of the original
Operation Corporate The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland I ...
Task Force to return to the UK, arriving to an extraordinary welcome in Portsmouth on 24 September 1982; the
Hydrographer of the Navy The Hydrographer of the Navy is the principal hydrographical Royal Naval appointment. From 1795 until 2001, the post was responsible for the production of charts for the Royal Navy, and around this post grew the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office ...
, Rear-Admiral David Haslam, embarked for the passage from Spithead, his
flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
flying from the ship's HiFix mast so as not to displace the Red Cross flag from the mainmast; also notable was the salute paid to HMS ''Hydra'' by the NATO Commander, COMSTRIKFLTLANT, Vice-Admiral James A Lyons Jr of the United States Navy, and the ship's company of his
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
, (see ), lining the deck. The American ship was on a routine visit to Portsmouth; his flagship saluting the junior ship in a signal tribute to her war service, rather than HMS ''Hydra'' saluting his senior
flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
as would be the normal maritime custom (both salutes being made using a
Boatswain's call A boatswain's call, pipe or bosun's whistle is a pipe or a non-diaphragm type whistle used on naval ships by a boatswain. The pipe consists of a narrow tube (the gun) which directs air over a metal sphere (the buoy) with a hole in the top. The ...
). HMS ''Hydra'' was then converted back to her survey fleet role and resumed surveys in UK waters later in the year. Meanwhile, the ship's company went on leave, many having been away from home waters for eleven of the past twelve months.


United Kingdom waters 1982–1983

HMS ''Hydra,'' freshly painted in her survey livery and with a large number of new faces among her 120 men, sailed Portsmouth on 25 November 1982 for surveys in the Western Approaches. At first it was too rough to start surveying, so the ship anchored off Scalasaig, Colonsay, on 28 November and weighed anchor to resume surveying the next day; after calibration of the Hyperfix chain being used for positional control, the sonar sweep and sounding began. She broke off surveying and set passage to
Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...
on 5 December, arriving alongside Greenock Pier the next day. She sailed out of the River Clyde on 8 December, and was east of Jura the following day, having resumed surveys. She broke off surveying on 13 December and sailed south for Portsmouth, securing outboard of the on 16 December 1982, before granting Christmas leave to the majority of the ship's company. Despite the interruptions due to bad weather, of surveying were completed in the three weeks on task. She sailed Portsmouth five days into the New Year and arrived on the survey ground, off the west coast of Scotland, on 7 January 1983, but surveying proved difficult owing to rough weather; the survey area was about north of the aptly named Bloody Foreland in the northwest of Ireland. She was off Jura on 8 January and made passage through the Sound of Islay on 10 January. She broke off surveying on 13 January and set passage to the River Clyde, arriving alongside
Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...
Pier a day later, sailing again for the survey ground on 17 January. She passed round the Mull of Kintyre to the Sound of Jura on 18 January and resumed surveys the next day. Very rough weather forced the ship to shelter behind the island of
Inishtrahull Inishtrahull ( ga, Inis Trá Tholl, possibly "island of the empty beach" or "island of the yonder beach") is the most northerly island of Ireland. It has an area of and lies about northeast of Malin Head, County Donegal. The most northerly ...
on 20 January, so little progress had been made before she broke off from surveys and sailed for Belgium on 26 January. She was on passage through the Irish Sea the next day and arrived alongside in
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
on 31 January for a four-day visit. She arrived back in Portsmouth, her home port, on 5 February 1983 for a scheduled docking and repairs to defects. She moved into dry dock, and was docked down from 15 to 23 February, the dock being flooded up on 24 February. HMS ''Hydra'' returned to sea on Monday 25 April 1983, for a brief trials and shakedown cruise prior to a week's Safety Operational Sea Training (SOST) at the Portland Naval Base, from 17 to 25 May. On completion of SOST, specialist equipment and trials personnel were embarked from the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment (AUWE), Portland, for a two-month oceanographic trials cruise, in the
Rockall Rockall () is an uninhabitable granite islet situated in the North Atlantic Ocean. The United Kingdom claims that Rockall lies within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is part of its territory, but this claim is not recognised by Ireland. ...
Trench area and off Bear Island (Norway). The prototype Depth Analysis System developed at the
Admiralty Compass Observatory The Admiralty Compass Observatory, originally known as the Compass Branch (1842–1917) and later known as the Compass Department (1917–1968) and Compass Directorate (1968–1971) was established in 1842 to provide the Royal Navy with services f ...
was installed on the bridge, and trials staff embarked to conduct a short trial while on passage to Scotland. Visits were made to Trondheim and Lorient before the ship returned to her new base port of Devonport at the end of July 1983. In early September 1983, HMS ''Hydra'' returned to Scottish waters and began surveys to the west of the
Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...
for a proposed deep draught shipping route. The ship returned to Devonport on 21 October to prepare for a deployment to the Indian Ocean.


Final years - 1984–1986

HMS ''Hydra'' sailed on 14 November 1983 via Gibraltar, Naples and the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
for her first survey off the north coast of Oman. Christmas 1983 was spent at Dubai. of surveys were completed before the ship broke off for passage to Mombasa for a period of assisted maintenance. Boat surveys of Mombasa harbour were carried out. Sailing north to the Red Sea, a brief call was made at Hodeida, in the Yemen Arab Republic, before passage north to the Suez Canal and through to the Mediterranean Sea. A visit was made to Haifa and then the ship called at
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
before conducting a short examination of the Chaucer Bank before returning to Devonport in mid-April 1984. The remainder of 1984 was spent surveying between St Kilda and Barra, off the west coast of Scotland, with a short period on oceanographic work in northern waters. A detached party carried out a boat survey of
Loch Melfort ''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch. In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spelling ...
. She spent the early part of 1985 continuing a survey of the Sea of the Hebrides. On 10 September 1985 she sailed from Devonport to continue surveys in Kenyan waters, which she had started in 1984, and this work continued until January 1986. In mid-January she was ordered to proceed to assist with the evacuation of expatriates from the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. She assisted with the evacuation of 49 civilians before being released for the homeward passage to the United Kingdom. She arrived in Devonport on 27 February 1986 wearing her
paying-off pennant The commissioning pennant (or masthead pennant) is a pennant (also spelled "pendant") flown from the masthead of a warship. The history of flying a commissioning pennant dates back to the days of chivalry with their trail pendants being flown fr ...
. She was decommissioned and put on the disposal list on 31 March 1986.


Honours

HMS ''Hydra'' added a seventh Battle HonourSouth Atlantic 1982 – to her name. From September 1981, her ship's company of 120 changed little for a year, notably the addition of wartime medical staff in April 1982. All the ship's company involved in Operation Corporate in 1982 were awarded the South Atlantic Medal, with rosette, engraved with their rank, name and ship's name.


References


Further reading

* "Report by the Hydrographer of the Navy" for the years 1966–1986.
UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) website


External links


Survey Ships Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hydra (A144) 1965 ships Auxiliary ships of the Indonesian Navy Ships built on the River Clyde Falklands War naval ships of the United Kingdom Hecla-class survey vessels Hospital ships of the Royal Navy Hospital ships during the Falklands War