10. MINE -LAYING AND MINE COUNTERMEASURES EXERCISES Waters around the British Isles

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1 10. MINE -LAYING AND MINE COUNTERMEASURES EXERCISES Waters around the British Isles Source: Ministry of Defence (Navy). Former Notice 10/17 is cancelled. This is a repetition of the former Notice. 1. In British, Belgian and Netherlands waters practices and exercises will be confined whenever possible to areas selected from those in the Annex to this Notice. Notification that they are to be used will be by radio warnings shortly before mine -laying takes place. As brevity is essential in these methods of promulgation, the areas will be defined in them by the serial letters and numbers of the minefields only, as shown in this Notice. However, where there is no serial letter and number the area will be identified by its name. There are no permanent mine -laying and mine -clearance exercise areas in French Waters and notice of such exercises will be promulgated on a case by case basis by radio warnings shortly before the exercise takes place. 2. In the (X5062), North Channel (X5406), Kirkaldy Bay (X5611) and Approaches to the Thames Estuary (X5123) areas have been established for the firing of live explosive ordnance systems. Notification that the areas are to be used will be by GUNFACTS broadcast on VHF at least one hour before the firing takes place and additional warnings will also be broadcast on VHF Channel 16 one hour, thirty minutes and immediately prior to detonation by the controlling unit. 3. In the Firth of Forth, Firth of Clyde and minesweeping corridors have been established in consultation with local fishing authorities in order to avoid interaction. Normally, minesweeping operations will be confined to these corridors and notification that they are to be used will be by radio warning shortly before minesweeping takes place. Coordinates for the corridors are appended to this Notice. For more information on operations in the Forth of Clyde, the Ministry of Defence has established a 24 -hour Fishermen s Hotline telephone number on Vessels may be required to operate in other areas, clear of shipping. In these cases, except as specified in paragraph 5 below, mines will not be laid and the vessels will show the lights and shapes prescribed in the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea They will be restricted in their ability to manoeuvre and may be operating ROVs and divers within 1000 metres of their position. Mariners are requested to observe the cautions promulgated in paragraphs 5 and 7 below. 5. Ships engaged in operations will show the lights or shapes prescribed in the InternationalRegulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972, Rule 27. It is dangerous and in contravention of rules of the road for other vessels to approach within 1000 metres. 6. Operations may require the ship engaged to lay small buoys, which are normally marked with a radar reflector and may have a numerical or alphabetical flag attached. By night these buoys will have a green, white or red flashing light, visible all round for a distance of about one mile. 7. Minehunters may be controlling a wire -guided submersible or working in conjunction with an inflatable rubber dinghy from which divers may be operating at up to 1000 metres from the minehunter. By day the dinghy will show Flag A of the International Code of Signals and by night will show the lights required by Rule 23(ii) of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea Mariners are required to navigate with caution in the proximity of a mine clearance vessel or inflatable dinghy operating in the vicinity and to avoid passing within 1000 metres. 1-13

2 ANNEX TO ANNUAL NOTICE TO MARINERS No. 10 BRITISH ISLES AREAS X5039 X5050 X5059 X5060E X5060W X5061 X5062 X5117 X5118 X5119 X5120 X5121 Quebec One Minesweeping Streaming Corridor Minesweeping Corridor Minesweeping Corridor Sandown Bay Minehunting Area Live MDC Firing Area Outer Gabbard Gunfleet Kentish Knock South Galloper North Galloper N., W. (shore) N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W. (g) N., W. (shore) North along coast of Isle of Wight to origin N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W. Area of 2M radius centred on N., W N., E N., E N., E N., E N., E N., E N., E N., E N., E. Thence 1 5M to seaward of High Water line to above N., E N., E N., E N., E N., E N., E N., E N., E N., E. 1-14

3 X N., E N., E N., E N., E. X5123 Live MDC Firing Area Area of 1M radius centred on N., E X5406 Juniper Rock (Live MDC Firing Area) N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5550 Campbeltown (Amphibious Task Force Anchorage) N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5551 Clyde Minesweeping Corridor Alpha N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5552 Clyde Minesweeping Corridor Bravo N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5553 Clyde Minesweeping Corridor Charlie (g) (h) N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5554 Campbeltown North N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5555 Campbeltown Middle N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5556 Campbeltown South N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5557 Jura Sound Deep Field North N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5558 Campbeltown Loch N., W N., W N., W N., W. 1-15

4 X N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5603 Fyne, north of a line joining N., W N., W. X5611 Kirkcaldy Bay N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5612 Aberlady Bay Note: N., W N., W N., W N., W. This area is used for minehunting exercises only. X5613(N) Firth of Forth The sea area of the Firth of Forth between W and W and north of a line joining: N., W N., W. X5613(S) Firth of Forth The sea area of the Firth of Forth between W and W and south of a line joining: N., W N., W. X5615 Forth Deep N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5620B Gareloch Channel (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5620C Gareloch East N., W N., W N., W N., W X5625 Anstruther N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5637 Firth of Forth Minesweeping Corridor Area 1000 yards either side of the line A -C Point A N., W. Point B N., W. Point C N., W. Point D N., W. Point E N., W. Point F N., W. 1-16

5 X5638 Firth of Forth Northern Minesweeping Corridor Area 1000 yards either side of the line A -B Point A N., W. Point B N., W Point C N., W. Point D N., W. X5639 Coulport South N., W N., W N., W N., W N., W. X5640 Coulport North N., W N., W N., W N., W. TEMPORARY MCM TRAINING AREAS JUTTER Minesweeping Corridor Area 1000 yards either side of the line A -B Point A N., E. Point B N., E N., E. HELDER Knock Deep N., E N., E N., E N., E. TEXEL Margate Roads N., E N., E N., E. BELGIUM AND NETHERLANDS N., E. NB 1 West Hinder N., E N., E N., E. NB 4 Schouwenbank Area of 2M radius centred on N., E. NB 6 Westgat Area of 1 5M radius centred on N., E N., E. NB 7 Everingen N., E N., E N., E. NB 8 Molengat Area of 1 5M radius centred on N., E. NB 9 Goeree Area of 1M radius centred on N., E N., E N., E. NB 10 Wenduinebank N., E N., E. Note: This area is used for minehunting exercises only N., E. NB 12 Callantsoog N., E N., E N., E N., E. NB 13 Egmond N., E N., E N., E. 1-17