GIBRALTAR: BRITISH SAILORS FIRE ON THE SPANISH FLAG

News

Michael Coy / 2009-11-21 13:43:03

No photo of HMS Scimitar available: this is her only sister ship, HMS Sabre

A Guardia Civil vessel finds a Royal Navy patrol boat using the Royal Flag of Spain as target practice.

Tension is mounting in the Strait of Gibraltar this week after a Royal Navy unit was “caught” machine-gunning a buoy bearing Spain’s red-gold-red flag on Wednesday. The incident occurred at about one in the afternoon, some seven miles out to sea, off the Rock of Gibraltar.

According to the Guardia Civil, an armed vessel of the Spanish paramilitary police force heard firing and approached the buoy to investigate. Officers of the Guardia saw a Royal Navy patrol boat, firing machine-guns at the buoy, above which fluttered the Spanish flag.

As soon as they realised they had been detected, the British sailors put away their weapons and insignia and made off. These events took place inside Spain’s territorial waters. Guardia Civil sources say that the British vessel has been identified as “P-284”, in other words, HMS Scimitar, a fast patrol boat of the Royal Navy, stationed in Gibraltar.

It is a 24-tonne vessel which normally carries a crew of seven and is armed with heavy machine-guns.

The report of the Guardia Civil officers present at the incident confirms that P-284 had two heavy machine-guns mounted on its stern. As the Spanish vessel approached, someone aboard the Royal Navy patrol boat spoke over the loud-hailer, saying, “You have bo right to be here, these are international waters.

You are crossing our bow. Move away immediately.” It is alleged by the Spanish officers that this was a “smoke-screen”, meant to stall the Guardia Civil while the British sailors rapidly hauled in the offending buoy.

The heavy machine-guns were quickly covered with tarpaulins. Spanish authorities have asked the British government for an explanation. So far, there has been no reply.

Tags: Gibraltar

Comments

Hans Friedrich 31-12-2009 / 19:55

Sorry for my bad English and my language more dominant German and then French, Spanish and Italian.
I'm a lawyer and historian and specialist on this subject because I'm the texix PhD and I followed closely in my career and I have to highlight and after thorough consideration of many texts, not only English and Spanish, which chronicles British have omitted many embarrassing details about this case.
Gentlemen better to shut up if they know what they are talking only expose showing considerable ignorance and low culture.
First and replying to Mr. Monty.
The 18-febrero-2002 11:25:55 pm
A command of 30 British sailors that raid conducted military exercises off the coast of Gibraltar landed by mistake in the Poniente beach in La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz), located near the border with Gibraltar.
And second.
The Treaty of Utrecht in regard specifically to the case of Gibraltar is not only a property attribution concerning surface structures, but never land that sustains it, there was transfer of ius et fruendi utendi (right of use), of a usufruct temporary, but never surrender of sovereignty.

Rocky 22-11-2009 / 19:40

Get your facts right before writing the article!
The incident occured 5 miles off Gibraltar in what are international waters (Gibraltar has 3 miles of territotial Water). The flag in question was the 'One' flag used by all Nato forces for signalling and it so happens that the colours resemble the Spanish flag.

monty 21-11-2009 / 16:44

WRONG WRONG WRONG.

"A Guardia Civil vessel finds a Royal Navy patrol boat using the Royal Flag of Spain as target practice."

Incorrect, not flag is involved at all.

"Tension is mounting in the Strait of Gibraltar this week after a Royal Navy unit was “caught” machine-gunning a buoy bearing Spain’s red-gold-red flag on Wednesday."

Again, no flag is involved at all. The buoy itself had the colour scheme of the NATO (of which Spain is also a member) flag that communicates the 'number 1' - this #1 flag has a colour scheme similar to Spains red-YELLOW-red colour scheme.

Standard procedure when any bouys are deployed for any reason, they initially deploy #1 and then continue from there.

"Officers of the Guardia saw a Royal Navy patrol boat, firing machine-guns at the buoy, above which fluttered the Spanish flag."

Again, there is no flag involved at all.

It is the bouy itself which is painted (to NATO standard) in a colour scheme similar to spains flag.

The same bouys will have been used for the same pourpose around the world for decades.

"As soon as they realised they had been detected, the British sailors put away their weapons and insignia and made off."

This is not true. They may have stopped firing for saftey reasons when the spanish boat approached. But the did remove their insignia at all. To do so would be an offence.

"These events took place inside Spain’s territorial waters."

Utter, utter rubbish. The events too place inside a legally designated training area in INTERNATIONAL waters.

The idea it occurred in Spanish waters is completely ridiculous. The Royal Navy do not enter other nations waters other than by invitation and certainly don't do live firing exercises in them. Unlike the Spanish vessels who routinely enter Gibraltar territorial watters.

"You have bo right to be here, these are international waters."

They would not have said that. But:

"You are crossing our bow. Move away immediately.” "

They almost certainly did say that. It is illegal and threatening navigation that the spanish boat used.

This story is complete rubbish from beginning to end.