Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Luanda
Lat = 8 degrees, 46.6 minutes South
Long = 13 degrees, 9.0 minutes East
Wednesday 23rd March 1988
Back in ICIS, Vince Edward’s was watching his screen as the freighter was departing the port of Luanda.
He zoomed in and identified the name Nubilose, he accessed the computer and typed in Data, the screen opened, Vince typed in Nubilose, cargo-freight ship.
Ten seconds later the information appeared, registered in Angola, deadweight 50,000 tons, length 851 feet, beam 105 feet with a top speed of 24 knots, Vince picked up the phone and dialed the number for the admiralty and passed on the description.
Thirty miles of the coast of Angola HMS Fearless was waiting, a Royal Naval amphibious assault Ship, L10 class, displacement 12,600 tons, length 520 feet, and an 80-foot beam, top speed 21 knots.
She was armed with four sea cat missiles and two 40mm bofars gun; HMS Fearless carried the fourth Assault squadron Royal Marines, (ASRM).
The rear of the ship had a dock that could be flooded by taking on ballast to lower the ship in the water, allowing landing craft (LC’s) to be floated out astern.
Commander Paul Lycett was on the bridge when he received the details of the Nubilose, he picked up the phone “Radar have you acquired our target.”
“Yes sir, she is on a heading directly towards us ETA 30 minutes.”
Lycett flicked a switch on his console and picked up the microphone.
“This is the commander speaking all hands to battle stations, repeat all hands to battle stations.”
The battle stations alarm klaxon resonating throughout the ship. Lycett contacted naval command headquarters, Commander Sherrington answered.
“Sir we have acquired target ETA thirty minutes.”
“Okay Lycett, the ship needs to be boarded and secured, there is a possible risk of a bio-chemical weapon on board, and once you have secured the ship and its crew we will send in the chemical and bio tech unit.”(CBTU).
“Roger that,” replied Lycett.
At the rear of the ship the ASRM were preparing one of the landing craft. Twenty minutes later the lookouts reported visual contact with the Nubilose.
Commander Lycett picked up the microphone, “Cargo ship Nubilose this is Commander Lycett of Her Majesty’s ship Fearless, we are off you port bow I request you heave to and be prepared for a boarding party to come on board, there was a long silence on the radio followed by a reply.
“Fearless this is Captain Hersi by what authority do you presume you can board us?”
“Captain, I do not have the time or the will to banter with you, we will either board you peacefully or by force the choice is yours.”
Again there was a long pause.
“Commander; Piracy is still an offence even in this part of the world.”
“Captain I am well aware of the laws of the seas, the choice is yours if it is peaceful or not!”
“Very well Fearless you may board, I must make it clear that this is under protest and I will be filing a complaint to the proper authorities.”
“Your cooperation and protest have been noted; a Special Forces unit will be coming on board, have all your crew and any other personnel on deck, make it clear to them that any confrontation will be met by lethal force, also drop ladders down on your port side and open your cargo hatches for inspection, over and out.”
The bridge phone buzzed and Commander Lycett answered. “Sir, sonar reports the Nubilose has stopped her engines.” “Roger that,” replied Lycett.
“Lieutenant have we taken enough ballast on for the landing craft to deploy.”
“Yes sir.”
“Advise the Royal marine’s captain he has permission to disembark and to engage the Nubilose.”
Down in the Fearless’s dock, a corporal walked over to Captain Thomas.
“We have been given permission to disembark, sir.”
“Thank you corporal, take us out to sea.”
The landing craft slipped out of the rear of the Fearless into the sea, with forty marines on board.
Above on deck a Lynx mark seven light battlefield helicopter (LBH) was warming up, the pilot asked for permission to lift off, and thirty seconds later it was airborne with four marines on board supervised by Sergeant Dowson who was a sniper; the other three marines were carrying light support weapons (LSW’s).
On board the Nubilose the captain and crew were opening the hatches to the cargo bays, Captain Herse looked up into the sky as he heard the sound of the helicopter approaching, and then looked at the boat approaching. “Okay you lot, let’s get this over with as soon as possible so we can be back on our way.”
The Helicopter hovered one hundred yards off the Nubilose’s port side at a height of Sixty meters, the landing craft was a minute away when the helicopter came under fire. On board the Nubilose Captain Herse and the crew scattered and took cover. The pilot of the Lynx increased the power and rose to an altitude of four Hundred and fifty feet, taking the helicopter out of range of the bullets.
Sergeant Dawson scanned the deck of the Nubilose and located the source of the attack. A man was crouched down behind a cargo hold firing up at the helicopter.
Sergeant Dawson picked up his weapon an L96A1 sniper rifle, a bolt-action single shot weapon accurate up to one Thousand yards with a 7.62 mm round. He lay down on the floor of the lynx and called up to the pilot. “Hold her steady.” Dowson unclipped the scope covers pulled the bolt back and inserted a round.
He focused his sights onto the gunman who was hidden behind a cargo open top. “Come on you bastard show yourself.”
Half a minute elapsed and the gunman stayed out of sight. “Collin’s, lay some fire down and try and drive him out.”
Collin’s obliged and racked the cargo hold top with his weapon.
The gunman came out of cover crouched and running, Dowson tracked him with his scope and squeezed the trigger, a millisecond later the 7.62 round found its target, hitting the gunman in the left shoulder, smashing his clavicle and as it came out of his back severing the spinal cord.
The gunman spun around from the impact and hit the deck like a sack of spuds; Dowson had reloaded and took the second shot, as the gunman lay prostrate the bullet entered the head ripping it apart.
Collin’s looked on in awe. “What a shot serge a moving target off a helicopter.”
“Thanks now scan the ship for any other gunmen,” Dowson responded.
Collin’s checked out the Nubilose with the field glasses, the crew was still crouched down on the deck, but he could see no other threat. “It looks all clear Serge.”
Dawson called up to the pilot, “hold this position and advise Captain Thomas on the LC we will cover until he comes alongside the Nubilose.”
Captain Thomas had observed the gunfire from the Nubilose and had ordered the LC to hold back. Now they moved forward and came alongside the Nubilose.
Rope ladders had been lowered over the side of the Nubilose and the marines climbed on board, Captain Herse and the crew was still hiding behind whatever cover they could find as the marines stepped onto the deck.
“Captain; Thomas shouted you and your crew come out hands high.” Herse and the crew came out timidly hands aloft.”Down on your knees and clasp your hands behind your heads.”
They all complied, they were searched by a group of marines and all their hands were then tied behind their backs with disposable nylon ties.
Another group of marines had begun a search of the vessel, half an hour later the search group declared the ship clear, Captain Thomas radioed the Fearless.
“Commander the Nubilose is secure.”
“Roger Captain, I will send a skeleton crew across on the Lynx, and contact the Chemical Bio Tech Unit. (CBTU).