Rob Forsyth joined the Royal Navy in 1961. By March 1962 as a young officer, he joined HMS Auriga a 1945 vintage diesel submarine. Within 7 months the 22-year-old was loading live torpedoes and preparing for a war mission during the tense days of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Robs tell of many fascinating incidents in his career including under-ice operations and an incident where his captain made an error that almost resulted in the total loss of submarine and crew.
He also details what it was like to take the Submarine Commanding Officers’ Qualifying Course aka “The Perisher”. This six-month course is a prerequisite for the command of a submarine. Failure means your submarine career “perishes”.
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I am delighted to welcome Rob Forsyth to our Cold War conversation…
HMS Alliance, one of Rob’s commands and now a museum ship at Gosport
You can read some of Rob’s stories in “Hunter Killers”, also known as “Undersea Warriors” in the United States.
Hunter Killers’ tells the incredible, true inside story of the Royal Navy’s Cold War beneath the waves.
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The “floppy magnet” anti-submarine device