The Main Site has picked up one or two pages covering the location of degaussing stations around Scotland, and also gone into the subtle differences arising when the same process is referred to as wiping.
That seemed to be the 'end' of the 'beginning' of that subject - until I came across another term being used in the same context.
We now have Deperming entering the discussion.
Initially, I had dismissed the term as a simple Americanism of the Degaussing process, whereby they wanted to use their own home-grown term for the process, which would have been understandable.
However, having started to dig around a bit, I'm finding that again, I'm either missing something, or failing to understand some unidentified subtlety which makes deperming different from degaussing. Technically, I've not come across any operational differences in descriptions of the two process, but that may only mean the descriptions I've read so far are lacking or inaccurate. The same could be true of the descriptions of what they are intended to achieve.
I have detected some slight differences in the language used to describe the deperming process and its aim, and that description has gone on to say that deperming was used in conjunction with degaussing - however, the problem is that the description of the deperming process differs little from than of degaussing or wiping, so I'm still left at a loss to understand the difference between the two.
Technical difference or language difference?
If anyone knows or can come up with a site that explains, I'd be keen to hear or see, since I'm puzzled at the moment.
(I'm not being stingy and leaving out the links to what I've found. I just think there's little point presenting what I've already been puzzled by, and that an independent look will be more productive, if it yields anything).
I came across this word some time ago and decided it was an American term for either degaussing or wiping so ignored it. I have to say that I am not at all clear on the exact definitions of degaussing and wiping as they as they seem to achieve the same aim but by slightly different methods. I did have a suspicion that wiping was used more for smaller craft like submarines rather than larger warships.
There's a whole stack of stuff missing though, most glaring being the mobile units, but they can go in later, and you can whack in anything interesting too.
Each method has pros and cons, but the modern problem seems to be one of directionality, and mines that are sensitive to field variations in different axes. For example, you could wipe a ship along its length, but discover a huge signal if you examined it across its breadth, and mines don't care about what direction you approach and provide them with a signal from.
Yes, but it's not just Greenock, it's everything in the western approaches.
While it's just a listing with no info, it still forms a handy cross check for names, but I have to admit I always forget about it, although it does at least list Revlis.
I suppose it's a local thing, but did you notice that the list is headed Clyde Area, beginning in the north with Stornoway, Outer Hebrides, and working its way south along the western coast.
Still, you could spend forever working through it all
Browsing through the phone book for something entirely unrelated I noticed a listing for Quientiq, DG Range Roseneath . So I guess it must still be operational.
Burntisland has just been revised "in here", which has the option of degaussing, Rosneath we already list, there's Loch Fyne and Rona too.
Degaussing is a bit of a non-event nowadays, with the "plastic boats", but that's not to say it's not still important, just seen in different emphasis, as it forms part of a overall system, rather than being the sole component.
It can be a touch difficult to be definitive (even referring to QinetiQ's own site info has them confused if you look in detail) about where they are, and what they do now, because QinetiQ is a civilian contractor that took over all (or rather a specific portion) of the services' technical operations and support activities, so lots of extant sites that the military controlled are now actually QinetiQ sites, but not necessarily listed if they don't advertise their capabilities for commercial use.
Topically, they staff and run the the St Kilda radar station we almost saw on the BBC's recent programme.
QinetiQ's a commercial business, ie not directly funded by government ot MoD funds, but specialises in defence related work. There's nothing secret about it, and it's kind of difficult to hide things like test ranges that can fit ships and boats for evaluation.
Even Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) can be found easily, and it government funded for what its name suggest it does as part of the MoD.
The two were formed a few years ago when the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) was split - Dstl was given the work "best kept within the government".
Closest we got was working for the missile ranges on Benbecula, which meant the QinetiQ side, and there was very little formality. Only persons who actually entered the facility were checked in any way, which is understandable.
I've no idea what it would be like today, but you can let your imagination run riot since the hysteria over terrorism means that visitors to Rothesay are due to find their first welcome to the "former?" holiday island is soon to be a 3 metre steel plate fence topped by three rows of barbed wire, to ensure the safety of the ferries and their passengers.
Oops, I'd forgotten all about that blog, and haven't looked in on it for ages. More interesting was the Apollo Eagle mentioned nearby (just kidding ).
I hadn't been able to track down Baron's Point the last time it got a mention, but this time I have the OS mapping available and can see it on the opposite shore from Rosneath. Never occurred to me it might be so close.
I wasn't looking, but can't recall anything there that caught my eye when I was passing a few years ago. I wonder if the degaussing station is noticeable?
I wonder too, how it relates to the position of the wartime stories we've unearthed earlier, regarding the WRENs and other places they mention near Portkil?
It would be interesting to see if the two (Rosneath/Baron's Point) were connected underwater in any way, or if they are isolated.
Yes I did see the family yacht sail past the other day.
Yes Barons Point is at the mouth of Loch Long. Yes there is a range building there although it is fairly well hidden. Pics of the building and the cables to follow. It has it's own sub station by the way.
No I haven't yet found the Quinetic HQ at Roseneath. The addy of Main St., Greenisle has so far eluded me.
No I doubt if the two points are joined underwater, I thik the staff just travel to Kilcreggan/Cove when required.
All good stuff, and I would say that some of the questions were just thinking out loud in the more hair-brained cases, just to keep the lateral option open.
I don't recall following any of the links (since I had online maps open anyway for other things), but I think the QinetiQ web site offers maps to each of its offices.
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