MOSCOW BLAMES ARK ROYAL

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32460, 21 November 1970, Page 17

MOSCOW BLAMES ARK ROYAL

OV.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

MOSCOW, Nov. 20.

The Soviet Union Ministry of Defence daily newspaper, the “Red Star,” today blamed the captain of the British aircraft-carrier Ark Royal for the collision with a Russian Kotlin class destroyer in the Mediterranean 10 days ago.

“One would not like to think that the collision was the result of deliberate actions by the commander of the Ark Royal,” the newspaper added. Giving the Russian version of the incident, “Red Star” said that the two vessels were sailing parallel courses about 10 miles west of Crete, the Ark Royal was moving at 14 to 15 knots, and the two craft were about three nautical miles apart. “During this- period, none of the usual signs of preparation for the take-off of aircraft were visibly observed," the newspaper said. “Furthermore, it did not carry the extra light, signalling that aircraft were taking off, demanded by the international regulations for avoiding collisions at sea.” The Ark Royal increased her speed to 20 knots and began a sharp turn to starboard, without giving the signal demanded by international safety regulations,

thus heading across the path of the destroyer, the “Red Star” alleged. Expecting the carrier to give priority to a vessel coming from the right, in accordance with the Maritime Code, the commander of the destroyer had continued on his course. It was not until four minutes before the collision, and when the distance between the two vessels was much shorter, that the Ark Royal switched on its extra lights, signalling that its manoeuvrability was restricted, the “Red Star” said. “Seeing these, the commander of the destroyer took immediate measures to avoid a collision, but the Ark Royal struck, with her bows, the stem part of the destroyer’s port side,” the newspaper added. “Notice that the blow was delivered by the British, and not the Russian vessel, and by the stem.” Britain has blamed the collision on the captain of the destroyer, declaring that the 43,000-ton Ark Royal’s manoeuvrability was hampered by aircraft taking off on night-flying exercises. The “Red Star” report disclosed the accident to Russian readers for the first time, also mentioning that two Soviet Union sailors were lost overboard and were presumed dead.