Themes

Conflict and Change

• Introduction

• In Focus: 1900

• In Focus: World War One

• In Focus: Interwar

• In Focus: World War Two

• In Focus: Post War Conflict

• In Focus: Cold War Climate

• In Focus: Falklands and Beyond

  • Surface Fleet

  • Submarines

  • Royal Marines

  • Fleet Air Arm

• Special Exhibition: Falklands 25

Learning

• How To: Understand Propaganda

• Propaganda Image Galleries

• Education Project: Sea With Your Own Eyes

The Gulf War

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Article highlights

• At war with Iraq

• NBC threat

• Operating in the Gulf

• HMS Gloucester

HMS Gloucester

One of the most significant surface actions of the Gulf War was achieved by the Royal Navy when HMS Gloucester, a Type 42, or Sheffield Class guided missile destroyer.

The ship employed its Sea Dart missiles to shoot down an Iraqi Silkworm missile that was fired towards the USS Missouri. The action was the first confirmed successful engagement of a missile by a missile in combat at sea.

Sub-Lieutenant Andrew Perry was serving aboard Gloucester during the Gulf War and remembers the reaction aboard ship as it engaged with the missile -

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Sub Lt Andrew Perry on HMS Gloucester hitting the Silkworm missile and his experience of it on board ship. (RNM)

To read a transcript of this oral history follow the link

Commander Iain Henderson of HMS London describes the pressures of fighting during the Gulf War in comparison to the Falklands conflict.

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Commander Iain Henderson comparing war in the Falklands and war in the Gulf. (RNM)

To read a transcript of this oral history follow the link

The experience of electronic warfare, however, differs greatly to the experiences of ships’ crews in the First and Second World Wars. The abundance of computer technology and smart weapons aboard ship has removed the crews from their enemies and targets.

Although in a strange way, the increased media coverage of war events has made the public increasingly more aware of the events during such conflicts. Commander Henderson comments on this modern occurrence.

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Commander Iain Henderson on the distancing effect of all the smart weapons on board ship and the irony of the press onboard bringing the Gulf War home to so many. (RNM)

To read a transcript of this oral history follow the link

Sub-Lieutenant Andrew Perry of HMS Gloucester echoes this feeling of distance from the action when also comparing the location of the Royal Navy to the action occurring during the Gulf War where the action was mainly occurring on land.

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Perry on how distanced from the action one is aboard ship compared to the Army during the Gulf War. (RNM)

To read a transcript of this oral history follow the link