HMS Cumberland (F85)

HMS "Cumberland" (F85) is a Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy. She was on station during the First Gulf War. On 26 September 2000 "Cumberland" worked with local fishermen to aid the rescue of survivors of the Greek ferry "Express Samina" which ran aground two miles off the island of Paros. "Cumberland" is currently part of the Devonport Flotilla and is based at Devonport Dockyard.

ervice

In 2003 HMS "Cumberland" (in partnership with RFA "Wave Knight") seized 3.6 tonnes of cocaine in the mid-Atlantic as part of an anti-drug operation. In October 2005 HMS "Cumberland" intercepted and boarded a speed boat in the Caribbean Sea off Nicaragua from which they seized two tonnes of cocaine, and detained four suspects. The cocaine is estimated to have a street value of £200 million.

Points of interest

This is one of the only British ships to have test fired a Harpoon missile. The dummy target was over the horizon approx 25 miles away and the missile reached it.

On commissioning she became part of the Sixth Frigate Squadron (F6). HMS "Cornwall" was the lead ship in this Frigate Squadron. Ships of this Type would usually have an officer of the rank of Commander as their Commanding Officer, unless they were the lead ship in the Squadron where a full Captain would not only command that ship, but also be the Commanding Officer of the Squadron. Her first Commanding Officer was therefore unusual in that he was a full Captain called Mike Gregory who was actually a submariner. Captain Gregory was previously awarded the OBE for the longest continuously submerged patrol in Royal Navy history.

Chris Cranmer, the first registered Satanist serving in the Royal Navy, was a technician on board this vessel as of 2004.

On 18 May, 2006, the "Cumberland" escorted Dee Caffari, sailing "Aviva", across the finish-line (at Lizard Point) as she became the first woman to sail single-handedly non-stop around the world "the wrong way" (against the prevailing wind and tide) - a feat first achieved by Chay Blyth.

Affiliations

*The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
*County of Cumbria
*Worshipful Company of Glovers

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4394392.stm Cocaine capture]