HMCS REGINA on UN service in the Persian Gulf
by W. Whitehouse
Under the command of Cdr. Tyrone H.W. Pile, REGINA departed Esquimalt on 21 February 1997 to rendezvous with three United States destroyers and proceed to the Persian (Arabian) Gulf.
The US ships involved are the USS INGRAHAM, USS PAUL F. FOSTER and USS FITZGERALD, together they will be known as the Surface Action Group of PACMEF '97 (PACIFIC MIDDLE EAST FORCE). The air component aboard "Regina" is from 443 Maritime Helicopter Sqn. The aircrew has prepared a badge for this operation (Fig. 1). It will be worn on the shoulder of their flight suit.
The Group arrived Hong Kong on 16 March and because
REGINA may be the last Canadian warship to visit the Island
prior to it's return to China, a special memorial, service and
wreath laying cere-mony was carried out at both cemeteries
where Canadian soldiers are buried. Leaving Hong Kong on the
18th, the Group made calls at Singapore and Thailand before
arriving at Mina Salman, Bahrain, in the Persian Gulf on 8 April
(Fig. 2).
REGINA commenced her first patrol of OPERATION PREVENTION '97 on 12 April joining other multi-national ships in support of the UN embargo against Iraq. Patrols are scheduled to last 10 days with rest and maintenance carried out in friendly Arab ports in the Gulf.
Mail service to and from the ship while on patrol is provided twice a week by the US; the helicopter involved is apparently called the "Desert Duck". Mail is also received and despatched when in the various ports. Mail to and from Canada requires from 7 to 12 days.
The ship carries a Pitney-Bowes Type 28 postage meter for use on official mail; the townmark reads FMO VICTORIA / BC with a boxed bilingual slogan CANADIAN FORCES / BASE / ESQUIMALT / FMO VICTORIA B.C.
The boarding and searching of suspect vessels is not the piece of cake that one might imagine. In searching for smuggler vessels the UN ships must dodge mines and at times Iranian patrol boats who are frequently engaged in war games. They contin-ually dart in and around UN warships. The Iranians are suspected of helping smugglers to avoid the UN embargo and are capable of being belligerent.
Once the decision to board is made, the boarding party loaded down with equipment and firearms enter their small inflatable boat in seas sometimes 6 feet high. On arrival at the merchant ship, there is the long climb (perhaps 30 feet) up a rope ladder to the ship's deck, and then the search begins. With her deployment only half over, REGINA has seized two ships and sent them for further investigation.
The ship is scheduled to sail for home via Australia and Hawaii, arriving at Esquimalt toward the end of August, 1997.
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Updated: October 29, 1997