Warships Pod – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Our guests on this episode of the podcast are Dr Emma Salisbury and Will Freer, who recently wrote a commentary for Warships IFR, headlined ‘How to Achieve a More Lethal Royal Navy’, which was based on their recent report for the Council on Geostrategy.

Here they discuss various topics associated with the report with podcast host Iain Ballantyne. They include the Royal Navy’s role today, what ‘being more lethal’ means in reality and also component parts of ‘more lethality’.

In addition, the ideal size of the Royal Navy’s destroyer and frigate force is touched on and also the importance of fleet size, especially in the drone era. Other aspects of lethality are highlighted, including the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the importance of an efficient recruitment system for the RN (along with retention of those already in the Naval Service).

Iain asks if, in light of the new UK Government, how likely we are to see a pruning back of current warship orders, for the Type 26 and/or Type 31 frigates.

With the scars of the notorious 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) still running deep - and the state of UK Defence not getting much better during subsequent reviews - can we be optimistic about the defence review now underway, especially with Lord Robertson at the helm? Or can we kiss hopes for a more lethal Royal Navy goodbye?

To read Emma and Will’s report, called ‘A more lethal Royal Navy: Sharpening Britain’s naval power,’ in full  https://www.geostrategy.org.uk/research/a-more-lethal-royal-navy-sharpening-britains-naval-power/
Follow the Council on Geostrategy on X @ConGeostrategy
Web site: geostrategy.org.uk

To read a concise summary of the same report, written by its authors, get the July 2024  edition of Warships IFR https://warshipsifr.com/issues/

•Dr Emma Salisbury is a fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, specialising in naval matters, defence-industrial policy, and military procurement. She recently completed her PhD with a dissertation focused on the history of the US military-industrial complex. She is also a senior staffer for a Member of Parliament and an assistant editor at War on the Rocks.
Follow her on X @salisbot

•William Freer is a Research Fellow in National Security at the Council on Geostrategy, where his work centres around the Council's 'Strategic Advantage Cell' exploring the key foreign and defence policy issues facing the UK. Before joining the Council he did War Studies at King's College London and went on to work in the world of consulting. He is also an Associate Fellow with the Royal Navy's Strategic Studies Centre.
Follow him on X @william_freer 

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

The next (Sept) edition of Warships IFR is published on 16.8.24 in the UK and also deployed globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Also, follow it on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri

Back for a second discussion of hot topics are guests Dr Gary Blackburn and Dr David Blagden. With host Iain Ballantyne, they weigh up the prospect of European NATO nations being forced to cope with a bigger burden of defence, if a re-elected President Trump decides to to pull American land forces out of the Continent. It is a policy that is being called ‘Dormant NATO’ by some commentators.

They also consider whether or not the confrontation between missile-firing Houthi rebels and Western navies in the Red Sea is becoming a forgotten contest, with warships that were once committed to protecting sea trade now diverted elsewhere.

With European taxpayers getting a subsidy on their own defence - due to the USA carrying the NATO burden -  it is suggested that (even if America did not pull out or scale back forces in annoyance) its strategic and military rivalry with China - which is building a huge navy - may force Washington to concentrate even more on Asia-Pacific.

In discussing the fact that certain sanctions on Russia, for invading Ukraine in 2022, may be less than waterproof, the subject of whether to directly confront Moscow or stick to a long, hard policy of containment - in ‘Cold War 2’ - is also touched upon by the trio.

•The next (July) edition of Warships IFR is published on June 21 in the UK and globally. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Also, follow us on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668 For more on various editions of the magazine https://bit.ly/wifri

•Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on X at @gjb70

•Dr David Blagden, is Senior Lecturer in International Security at the Strategy and Security Institute (SSI) and in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Exeter. Dr Blagden has worked in - and subsequently consulted for - the UK Cabinet Office, provided evidence for a number of Parliamentary Select Committees and HM Government policy reviews. 

He is also a Visiting Fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre, an Associate of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies. He has written for outlets including The Guardian, The Spectator and the New Statesman. Follow him on X @blagden_david

•Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Maritime Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

In part two of their podcast discussion Iain Ballantyne and Gary Blackburn provide their opinions on the Hollywood movie ‘Oppenheimer’, about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the so-called ‘father of the atom bomb.’

It includes a discussion on the historical context of The Bomb’s use to end WW2, especially in light of the US Navy already bringing Japan to the brink of surrender via a blockade enforced by its submarines. So, what were the motivations for dropping the Fat Man and Little Boy nuclear weapons on Hiroshima in 1945?

Iain and Gary also weigh up the worth of the latest revelations in the story of UFOs (aka Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAPs) and how some mystery craft have interacted with the US Navy’s jets and warships.

The testimony of two US Navy pilots and an ex-US Air Force intelligence officer to the USA’s House Oversight Committee in the House of Representatives has produced some fascinating details about the encounters. It even raised the possibility that the mystery craft may have been piloted by “non-human biologics,” according to one of the officers.

Might the Warships Pod one day feature an alien life form as a special guest!?

The new (September) edition of Warships IFR magazine is OUT NOW! 

It includes Iain Ballantyne’s reviews of both ‘Oppenheimer’ and the latest ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie, the latter featuring dramatic scenes involving a Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine. And the September edition offers so much more besides.

Warships IFR is available in shops and direct as both a hard copy mag and digital edition. You can make sure that you receive a regular delivery of global naval news and features by subscribing bit.ly/wifrsub 

For more information on Warships IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag 

Follow it on X (formerly known as Twitter) via @WarshipsIFR and on Facebook @WarshipsIFR

• Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. 
Follow him on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) via @gjb70

• Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR. He is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, with his most recent books being ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (new editions for Canelo History).  For more details on Iain and his books visit the web sites http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/ 
Follow him on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) via @IBallantyn

In part one of this discussion between Dr. Gary Blackburn and host Iain Ballantyne, they investigate the recently published UK Defence Command Paper (DCP). 

It was meant to lay out how British national defence and security will be achieved, especially in light of the on-going Ukraine War. However, it is regarded by some as nothing more than a ‘word salad’ - an opaquely worded smokescreen to hide the fact that Britain doesn’t have enough money to defend itself properly.

Gary highlights valid points made by the DCP, while also suggesting its weaknesses. Iain proposes the DCP should actually be called the ‘No Money Command Paper.’ Iain and Gary look at ‘wonder technologies’ versus traditional combat mass (and how the former has for decades been used as a mask for defence cuts in various UK defence reviews).

Other things touched on during Gary and Iain’s chat include Russia’s moves in Africa and China’s ability to build as many warships as it likes with no regard for the sort of political-economic imperatives that Western democracies have to take into account.

A hot topic also considered is the Ukraine War at sea, including attacks by maritime drones on Russian vessels and Moscow’s ‘Black Sea Grain Gambit’ - the weaponization of grain exports to the rest of the world (or lack of them).

When it comes to sea drone attacks on Russia’s ships, some historical context is provided – basically, the use of such equalising weapons by weaker nations against stronger ones is nothing new, as Gary and Iain point out. So-called ‘kamikaze’ maritime drones are just the latest variation on an old weapon…

Aspects of this fascinating discussion are covered also in the new (September) edition of Warships IFR magazine, which is OUT NOW! 

Warships IFR is available in shops and direct as a both a hard copy mag and digital edition. You can make sure that you receive a regular delivery of global naval news and features by subscribing bit.ly/wifrsub 

For more information on Warships IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag 

Follow it on X (formerly known as Twitter) via @WarshipsIFR and on Facebook @WarshipsIFR

• In part two of their podcast discussion Iain Ballantyne and Gary Blackburn provide their opinions on the Hollywood movie ‘Oppenheimer’, about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the ‘father of the atom bomb.’ It includes a discussion on the historical context of The Bomb’s use to end WW2, especially in light of the US Navy already bringing Japan to the brink of surrender. Finally, in part two Iain and Gary also weigh up the worth of the latest revelations in the story of UFOs (aka UAPs) and how the mystery craft have interacted with the US Navy. Might the Warships Pod one day feature an alien lifeform as a special guest!?

• Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. 
Follow him on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) via @gjb70

• Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR. He is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, with his most recent books being ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (new editions for Canelo History).  For more details on Iain and his books visit the web sites http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/ 
Follow him on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) via @IBallantyn

In the second and final installment of our discussion with British submarine captain Commander Rob Forsyth, we hear how a hard-charging Soviet spy vessel forced him to order HMS Repulse to ‘crash dive’. It happened as the Polaris missile submarine deployed from Scotland on a deterrent patrol in the early 1970s. 

With the UK and its NATO allies locked in the Cold War confrontation with the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact, it was vitally important the best of the best became submarine captains, able to take such split-second, life-or-death decisions at sea.

And so Rob Forsyth also tells Warships Pod host Iain Ballantyne about the tough job of being a Perisher course ‘Teacher’, deciding who had the right stuff to command a Royal Navy submarine against the Soviets.

Next, we hear how Rob was given command of the new Swiftsure Class nuclear powered hunter-killer submarine HMS Sceptre in the late 1970s. Aside from bringing the SSN into service and through sea trials, Rob was given a mission in the Mediterranean to find and trail a Russian Navy aircraft carrier and gather vital intelligence.

Among other things Iain and Rob discuss are latter day developments such as the AUKUS defence pact between Australia, the UK and USA that will see a new generation of submarines constructed for both the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy. 

Rob and Iain also ponder whether or not a return of diesel-electric submarines in the British fleet is a means to relieve the operational strain on a small number of SSNs. Rob considers whether, in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, nuclear deterrence still works today, especially when conventional UK and NATO forces have arguably declined too far.

• Follow Rob Forsyth on Twitter @RStanleyForsyth 

• Iain Ballantyne is the Editor of WARSHIPS International Fleet Review magazine. 

For more details on the magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag Warships IFR is a monthly naval news magazine, also packed with commentary and analysis and offering a dash of naval history and culture. Available from shops and direct from the publisher.

Follow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR and Facebook @WarshipsIFR

Iain Ballantyne can be found on Twitter @IBallantyn

• To find out more about the Royal Navy’s submarines and submariners during the Cold War at sea, including the exploits of Cdr Forsyth, read the book ‘Hunter Killers’ by Iain Ballantyne. More details here https://iainballantyne.com/hunter killers/

We continue our occasional series talking to Cold War undersea warriors with the first installment of a two-episode dive into the submarine career of Commander Rob Forsyth.

Entering the Royal Navy in the 1950s, after a brief excursion into the surface fleet, Rob found himself aboard the submarine HMS Auriga, undertaking a patrol during the Cuban Missile Crisis of late 1962.

With Warships Pod host Iain Ballantyne, Rob also discusses a submerged transatlantic transit in the same diesel-electric boat, which turned out not to be the record-breaking voyage everybody hoped for (due to a messy technical difficulty).

After succeeding on the notorious Perisher- the Royal Navy’s very demanding submarine command course - we learn how Rob in the early 1970s took command of the famous HMS Alliance. The Alliance is today preserved at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport, Hampshire.

Aside from learning how HMS Alliance battled stormy seas on patrol in the Bay of Biscay, in this podcast episode we also hear how a rather smelly jumper received a burial at sea.

The chat then moves into the nuclear submarine world, with Rob as second-in-command of the Polaris ballistic missile boat HMS Repulse, one of the UK’s strategic deterrent vessels.

In the next episode Rob tells us about how Repulse was forced to conduct a ‘crash dive’ by a rather persistent Soviet spy vessel; the Perisher from the perspective of running the course; being CO of the hunter-killer submarine HMS Sceptre while pursuing a Russian aircraft carrier across the Mediterranean.

• Follow Rob Forsyth on Twitter @RStanleyForsyth
• Iain Ballantyne is the Editor of WARSHIPS International Fleet Review magazine.

For more details on the magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag Warships IFR is a monthly naval news magazine, also packed with commentary and analysis and offering a dash of naval history and culture. Available from shops and direct. Follow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR and Facebook @WarshipsIFR

Iain Ballantyne can be found on Twitter @IBallantyn

• To find out more about the Royal Navy’s submarines and submariners during the Cold War ate sea, including the exploits of Cdr Forsyth, read the book ‘Hunter Killers’ by Iain Ballantyne. More details here https://iainballantyne.com/hunter-killers/

In part two of a discussion by Mark Grove and Dr Gary Blackburn with host Iain Ballantyne, the tasty and varied menu includes naval aspects of the Ukraine War and whether or not a new Battle of the Atlantic is shaping up as Russia seeks to win its so-called ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine it has sought to establish stronger links with China, so this begs the question, which Iain puts out there: what does Moscow have to offer Beijing? Does the answer possibly lie in naval technology?

After also touching on Russia reinforcing its submarine forces in the Pacific, the chat turns to the Ukraine War itself. Among the topics touched on are Moscow effort’s to impose a distant blockade in the Black Sea and the use of drones, plus implications for the Royal Navy as it struggles to achieve critical mass in aerial capabilities. The discussion turns to the new contest in the Atlantic between Russia and the West. Bearing in mind this is the 80 th anniversary year of the Allies gaining a decisive upper hand in the WW2 struggle for that vast and strategically vital ocean, does naval history offer anything relevant to where we are now?

Would convoys of merchant vessels need to make a comeback if the 21 st Century Atlantic contest turns hot? And, as a worthwhile digression, what about the importance of safeguarding seabed infrastructure - especially in the wake of the Nord Stream sabotage attack - and how to avoid dangerous escalation? The expert analysis and commentary of Mark and Gary on all the above subjects is well worth a listen.

Also touched on in this episode is China seeking to exert sea control in oceans off its shores, via land-based ballistic missiles, but why? The conundrum of prioritising UK army or naval expenditure is mentioned, along with the folly of the UK’s notorious 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Mark Grove is a Senior Lecturer in Strategic Studies specialising in Maritime Strategy, Warfare, and Security at the University of Lincoln’s Maritime Studies Centre at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, where he has taught for 24 years, originally working directly for the Ministry of Defence. Mark has written on amphibious warfare, the naval history of the Second World War, and the Falklands. Over the last decade or more has spent most of his research time examining the threats posed by the Russian and Chinese navies, on which he has provided briefings for several UK and NATO Headquarters and Government Departments. Follow him on Twitter @MarkJGrove

Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on Twitter @gjb70

• For more on Warships IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag Follow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR and on Facebook @WarshipsIFR

• Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR. He is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, with his most recent books being ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (new editions for Canelo History). For more details on Iain and his books visit the websites http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/ Follow him on Twitter @IBallantyn

In part one of a two-part special, guests Dr Gary Blackburn and Mark Grove discuss an array of hot topics with host Iain Ballantyne.

Iain asks Gary and Mark to give their perspectives on submarine aspects of the Australia- United Kingdom-USA (AUKUS) defence pact following the recent big announcement on the way ahead in San Diego. They consider the implications, along with the scale and nature of the challenge, both industrially and strategically.

The UK’s Integrated Review 23 Refresh’ (IR23) comes under scrutiny to assess what we know so far and what may be to come, including naval cuts/or reshaping that will be revealed in the forthcoming Command Paper. How the UK might weight its defence forces is considered.

Britain’s much-vaunted Pacific Tilt in relation to China v. West tensions is also discussed, along with the prospect of a retreat from major naval commitments in Indo-Pacific - under a possible new Labour Government - as the Army lobbies for a return to a focus on a new ‘Central Front’ on land against Russia.

• Part two will look at naval aspects of the Ukraine-Russia War and what a future Battle of the Atlantic may be like. It is an apt topic in the 80th anniversary year of the culmination in the WW2 struggle for the Atlantic.

Mark Grove is a Senior Lecturer in Strategic Studies specialising in Maritime Strategy, Warfare, and Security at the University of Lincoln’s Maritime Studies Centre at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, where he has taught for 24 years, originally working directly for the Ministry of Defence. Mark has written on amphibious warfare, the naval history of the Second World War, and the Falklands. Over the last decade or more has spent most of his research time examining the threats posed by the Russian and Chinese navies, on which he has provided briefings for several UK and NATO Headquarters and Government Departments. Follow him on Twitter @MarkJGrove

Dr Gary Blackburn is an honorary fellow of the Centre for Security Studies at the University of Hull, which seeks to enhance understanding on the nature of war and strategy while also providing guidance on best practice in war and strategy to professional stakeholders. Gary has taught Security Studies and Military History at the Universities of Leeds and Hull, respectively - and has written for Defence Studies and The Critic, and for the latter about aspects of the UK’s 2021 Integrated Review of Defence and Security. Follow him on Twitter @gjb70

• For more on Warships IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag  Follow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR and on Facebook @WarshipsIFR

• Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR. He is also the author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & 
Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, with his most recent books being ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ (new editions for Canelo History). For more details on Iain and his books visit the web sites http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/ Follow him on Twitter @IBallantyn

Michael G. Welham is our guest, talking to host Iain Ballantyne about the mysterious world of undersea warriors known as ‘combat divers’.

Michael has been involved with diving, both military and civilian, for some 40 years. He was a Royal Marines Commando, with skills in diving, canoeing, and parachuting. Mike was also a member of 21 Special Air Service Regiment and of 95 Commando Naval Gunfire Support Royal Artillery, both British elite Reserve units. 


To start things off, Iain asks Mike to provide a definition of a combat diver. Who can be described as such? What is it that attracts a certain kind of person to what is a highly demanding and very dangerous job, even within the risk-taking world of Special Forces?

The origins of combat diving - WW2’s Italian and British ‘frogmen’ - are discussed, including the legendary Lieutenant Commander Lionel ‘Buster’ Crabb and also the exploits of the Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment, the famed ‘Cockleshell Heroes’.
The often overlooked role of Royal Marine specialists and other Allied frogmen in enabling troops to get ashore in Normandy on D-Day 6 June are mentioned, as are the origins of the famous US Navy SEALS during WW2 and their evolution in the Vietnam War. 
The activities of Russian combat divers and submersibles in Scandinavian waters during the Cold War - along with recent suspected intrusions into Swedish and Norwegian waters - are discussed, along with last year’s Nord Stream gas pipeline sabotage act.
Bringing things right up to date is some expert analysis by Mike of the possible role of Ukrainian combat divers in the sinking of the Russian Navy landing ship RFS Saratov, in the occupied port of Berdyansk, on the Sea of Azov. 
He also provides insights into the role of Ukrainian combat divers, including their use of Swimmer Delivery Vehicles during the fight for Zmiinyi Island (Snake Island) in the northwest Black Sea. Mike reveals how, during a daring operation across the River Dnieper, they also saved the lives of hundreds of civilians by enabling their escape from Russian oppression.
•‘Combat Divers’ by Michael G. Welham, is published by Osprey, at £35.00 hardback. In addition to Mike’s expert analysis it is packed with photos and other illustrations. It is available from online retailers and via book shops.
• For more on the magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag
Follow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR 
On Facebook @WarshipsIFR
• Iain Ballantyne is the Editor of Warships IFR magazine. He is also the author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’, ‘The Deadly Trade’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’. For more details on Iain and his books visit his web sites http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/
Follow him on Twitter @IBallantyn

In this podcast our guest is a legend of the Submarine Service. He is Doug Littlejohns, who had a remarkable career in the Royal Navy, both as a submarine captain and in command of an intelligence-gathering warship during the Cold War.

Across a fascinating podcast discussion with our host Iain Ballantyne, we hear from Doug about his exciting time on the famed Perisher submarine command course; daring surveillance missions against Russian naval vessels in the diesel submarine HMS Osiris; how he brought the badly damaged nuclear-powered attack submarine HMS Sceptre (and that boat’s crew) back to fighting efficiency.

Doug also relates how, after reading Tom Clancy’s novel ‘The Hunt for Red October’ during a visit to the USA, he met the blockbuster author and ended up inspiring a character in the master story-teller's next bestseller, ‘Red Storm Rising’. Revealed also are Doug’s adventures in command of the Type 22 frigate HMS London, which included forcing a Russian submarine to surface and staging a mock funeral to prank a shadowing Soviet surface ship (both in the Baltic). Doug and HMS London also went eyeball-to-eyeball with the Iranians in the Arabian Gulf during the Tanker War.

Doug reveals how he introduced a special premiere of the Hollywood movie of the ‘Hunt for Red October’ in London and, after leaving the Navy, worked with Clancy. They founded the famous computer games firm Red Storm Entertainment, becoming pioneers of strategy and also tactical-shooter genres, via ‘Rainbow Six’ and others.

For more on the magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmag 

Follow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR and on Facebook @WarshipsIFR

Iain Ballantyne is the Editor of this magazine. He is also the author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ and ‘HMS London’ which, among other things, tell the story of Doug Littlejohns’ exploits as an undersea warrior and also as a surface warship captain. For more details on Iain and his books visit his websites http://iainballantyne.com and https://www.bismarckbattle.com/
Follow him on Twitter @IBallantyn