# 'Buzzed'



## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Saw this picture in the press in an article about the diplomatic changes US/Cuba recently

Does anyone remember being 'buzzed' like this in the Caribbean. A lumbering US military plane coming up very low astern so he could read the name and registry before you noticed him ? Happened a couple of times when I was on the Shell tanker Partula bound for Curacao 
David
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## tzinieres (Oct 11, 2009)

Buzzed on the Crystal Gem while heading for Kingston in February 1965.


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## Keith Adkins (Apr 21, 2006)

Not in the Caribbean, but on route from Calcutta to Singapore in, 1961, on the Shell tanker Tibia was buzzed by an Australian Neptune(?) aircraft off Penang in the afternoon. Was so loud, caused the Old Man to forsake his siesta! Not best pleased!


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## Papa Bear (Apr 15, 2007)

Serving on the Llangorse during the Vietnam era we used to get the afternoon fly over regularly, whilst on the Singapore Japan run. The odd surface unit would also get nosy.  John L.


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## Gareth Jones (Jul 13, 2007)

In mid pacific bound for Panama canal thence Neworleans to load Soya flour - holds had to be immaculately clean. So on one occasion the AB's and the Mate were down below cleaning and the Master (watchkeeping) decides to join this industry and asked me (R/O) to act as lookout for a spell.
So i'm on the wing of the bridge - beautful day, crystal clear blue sea, balmy breeze.
Suddenly "Broooom" bloody american 4 engined maritime reconnaisance plane zoomed up from behind and skimmed the masts ! frightened the sh1t out of me - and even cast a shadow down the hatches - which brought the old man racing back up wondering what the hell had happened !
We were so far from any land I still wonder where that bloody plane came from ! ! !


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## Ken Wood (Sep 6, 2006)

Happened all the time on the Singapore - Vietnam run I in the sixties. Also the US Navy liked to approach from ahead (down the heading marker on the radar, no lights, then when pretty close quarters open up with the Aldis lamp. The first time you experienced it, it was pretty frightening.
After a while you would be ready for them, and try to use the Aldis lamp just before they did!


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## JoeQ (Jan 8, 2009)

On the way to Cyprus in 1974 during the Turkish Greek unpleasantness on the ATHENIAN had the RAF coming close to have a look


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

Ballast passage, Dunedin to Vancouver, standing at the wheelhouse window, enjoying my 2200 cup of cocoa, suddenly there was this reflection of a brilliant white light on the wheelhouse glass. The lookout who was on the port bridge wing came running in, speechless, he pointed at a bright white light on the port beam. I thought Chr*** are we under a lighthouse ?, the light passed over us, then we heard the roar of aircraft engines. We hadn't hear his engines as we were in a howling gale. We were calling at Honolulu for bunkers and this was the Pearl Harbour heavy squad checking up on us. Hadn't seen hide or hair of anything since we passed Samoa, so this interlude disturbed the tranquillity. We had no radar. The next couple of watches we had similar visits but the other mates were alerted. Happened 1951


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## kypros (Feb 13, 2010)

Yes night and day off the Cuban coast,at night the US aircraft had what seemed to us huge searchlights slung under the the body of these planes this was the height of the crisis,all the way down the coast the US navy seemed to have Cuba surrounded a ship every twenty miles or so scary times.KYPROS


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## ericfisher (Nov 27, 2011)

Back in 1950 during Korean War we were often 'Buzzed' by US Air force in the Yellow Sea, suspecting us of being Chinese registry. Although flying the Red Duster similar to the Chinese Commie flag we had many scary moments trying to signal our identity. 

Chinese Nationalist planes would do the same thing sailing off the coast of Taiwan, (Formosa).


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

On the MANZ run October/November 1962, between Savannah GA and the Panama Canal, it was a daily occurrence (often more than once a day) to be 'buzzed' by US Navy P2V _Neptune _ marine reconnaissance aircraft. Often they came from astern and flew down the side of the ship so low that you could look down into the aircraft and see the crew waving to you. So soon after the Cuban crisis, the USA was still very nervous about ships off their coastline and in the vicinity of Cuba.

It was even more scary when they did it at night, illuminating the ship in brilliant light as they passed.

All that in spite of the AMVER messages sent at every stage of the voyage.


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## bluemoon (Jul 19, 2009)

often going up/down the channel we got buzzed by the Skyphotos aircraft.


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## woodend (Nov 23, 2009)

On the AUREOL we played football in Lagos v an RAF squadron that was based there, I think for Nigerian Independence if I remember rightly. They were transferred back the U.K. to I think it was Valley Station in Anglesea. They said they would 'buzz' us in the Irish Sea on our way home. They did! To this day I swear they came between the foremast a the funnel. Quite a sight.


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## R870879 (Feb 6, 2009)

*Buzzed*



david.hopcroft said:


> Saw this picture in the press in an article about the diplomatic changes US/Cuba recently
> 
> Does anyone remember being 'buzzed' like this in the Caribbean. A lumbering US military plane coming up very low astern so he could read the name and registry before you noticed him ? Happened a couple of times when I was on a Shell tanker Partula bound for Curacao
> David
> +


Yes it was a regular occurrence as we passed Cuba on a night time passage through the Windward Passage on board Fyffes "Camito" from Jamaica back to Southampton, late 60's early 70's


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

Perhaps not buzzed, but an aircraft overflying us off Miami dropped a large orange package onto our deck, abaft the bridge, about the size of a cotton bale, fortunately it hit nobody but bounced off the deck into the sea, It was probably a military plane and not the mafia disposing of a rival.The ship, a T2, was still in US navy dark grey, the red ensign having been only raised a few days earlier in Jacksonville. It was 1947 so no VHF radio available to discuss his motives, we were on passage towards Houston, probably just an admiral playing silly b*ggers.


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## howardws (Aug 15, 2009)

We were buzzed every so often by the US Navy when jumboised T2 Texaco Saigon drifted somewhere between Singapore and Saigon in 1967 while we replaced one of the main motor bearings. It took a while as the spare had been bolted to the engine room bulkhead since 1944 and it had spread and required a lot of filing to fit. My Father had the same problem with a shaft bearing in HMS Warspite during WW2.


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## Tony Collins (Aug 29, 2010)

Not aboard ship, but a couple of years ago, my wife and I were camped in a lovely tranquil spot alonside the River Avon. We felt rather than heard a deep vibration and began first to wonder, then worry, what was the cause, when suddenly along the bank of the river at almost zero feet a military Chinook passed behind us. It was both frightening and impressive. You don't realise just how big they are untill you feel the draft of their rotors.

Another time after I retired from my "proper job", I took a job as a night truck driver. I was just locking a customer's gate about 2.30am in Leicester one night. Suddenly the air was rent with a deep throated roar - very loud. It turned out it was a heavy diesel train pulling out of Leicester station, which I had no idea was just the other side of a large hedge. It is the unknown that scares you, if I had realised what was causing the noise, I would have been more fascinated than shaken.


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Tony Collins said:


> Not aboard ship, but a couple of years ago, my wife and I were camped in a lovely tranquil spot alonside the River Avon. We felt rather than heard a deep vibration and began first to wonder, then worry, what was the cause, when suddenly along the bank of the river at almost zero feet a military Chinook passed behind us. It was both frightening and impressive. You don't realise just how big they are untill you feel the draft of their rotors.
> 
> Another time after I retired from my "proper job", I took a job as a night truck driver. I was just locking a customer's gate about 2.30am in Leicester one night. Suddenly the air was rent with a deep throated roar - very loud. It turned out it was a heavy diesel train pulling out of Leicester station, which I had no idea was just the other side of a large hedge. It is the unknown that scares you, if I had realised what was causing the noise, I would have been more fascinated than shaken.


I would make a guess that the train was Deltic powered.


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## Tony Collins (Aug 29, 2010)

I'm guessing so. Nothing makes a noise like them!


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## William Clark8 (Feb 15, 2013)

*Buzzing*

I remember whilst working in the Forties Field in early 80s a 
Russian Bear flew overhead through the Forties and was pretty
low. The Sight and Sound of it was pretty scarey stuff (EEK)


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## John Dryden (Sep 26, 2009)

I recall being followed by a submarine passing Cuba,only the periscope was visible and it stayed for about an hour.


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