Warship

Warship

Written and filmed to reflect the reality of life in the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines in the 1970s, most stories focus on the Captain and his fellow officers, with subplots dealing with life on the lower decks. Episodes typically featured a variety of events at sea (the Cold War, smuggling, the evacuation of civilians from crisis-hit places, etc.), as well as the personal lives of officers and ratings and the impact their personal lives had on their professional lives and duties.

DramaWar & Politics

Seasons

1. Hot Pursuit

Air Date: 1973-06-07

HMS Hero, a Royal Navy frigate, has lost her captain to mental illness and her first lieutenant to the bottle. While in the middle of an overhaul, she gets a new first lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander Derek 'Porky' Beaumont, and almost immediately afterward a new captain, Commander Mark Nialls. As the two officers work hard to get Hero back into shape, the ship is called on to assist in capturing a gun-running freighter.

2. Nobody Said Frigate

Air Date: 1973-06-14

HMS Hero are sent on a hush, hush mission to the North African coast to pick up a British asset, code named Max without anybody knowing. Unfortunately if the mission goes wrong Captain Niles is on his own.

3. Off Caps

Air Date: 1973-06-21

4. Funny, They All Say That

Air Date: 1973-06-28

5. The Drop

Air Date: 1973-07-05

6. The Prize

Air Date: 1973-07-12

7. Sub Smash

Air Date: 1973-07-19

8. A Standing And Jumping War

Air Date: 1973-08-02

9. Shoresides And Home

Air Date: 1973-08-09

1. The Raid

Air Date: 1974-10-15

2. Without Just Cause

Air Date: 1974-10-22

3. Who Runs Across the Sea

Air Date: 1974-10-29

4. The Immortal Enemy

Air Date: 1974-11-05

5. One of Those Days

Air Date: 1974-11-12

6. The Man From The Sea

Air Date: 1974-11-19

7. Nothing To Starboard

Air Date: 1974-11-26

8. Distant Waters

Air Date: 1974-12-03

9. Away Seaboat's Crew

Air Date: 1974-12-10

10. The Echo Of Battle

Air Date: 1974-12-17

1. And Wings of Gold

Air Date: 1976-01-06

Pilot Alan Glenn in the new commander of Hero. His first trip is to check out an immobilized Soviet submarine, which as surfaced in the Arctic.

2. What Are Friends For?

Air Date: 1976-01-13

When the Hero is asked to intercept a vessel suspected of drug smuggling, Commander Glenn's loyalties are divided.

3. Knight Errant

Air Date: 1976-01-20

As Lt. Cmdr Beaumont considers taking unpaid leave for a yachting expedition, the HMS Hero encounters another lone yachtsman who's more experienced than he seems.

4. They Also Serve

Air Date: 1976-01-27

With the Hero in dock, about to take part in an important naval exercise, Commander Glenn is persuaded to spend the weekend with an old flame, and her husband. In his absence, Lieutenant Peek gets on the wrong side of the dockyard workers, and soon has the crew embroiled in a Union dispute.

5. Under the Surface

Air Date: 1976-02-03

Hero's continued lack of success in anti-submarine warfare exercises against HM Submarine Ovid rattle Captain Glenn's self-confidence and cause increasing tension between him and his officers.

6. Rough Run Home

Air Date: 1976-02-10

A young nautical engineer has developed a new system of rudder stabilisation, and the Hero is chosen to test it.

7. All of One Company

Air Date: 1976-02-17

Regulator Fuller is put in charge of 3D mess in a bid to curb the unruly behavior of AB Grogan and Smith who are picking on Seaman Dorrity.

8. Quiet Run Ashore

Air Date: 1976-02-24

An officer on board a neighbouring vessel dies in strange but unsuspicious circumstances. Unsuspicious, that is, until the body of an old girfriend of his, is washed up ashore on the same day.

9. Ides of Mark

Air Date: 1976-03-02

With Commander Glenn now in charge of HMS Hero the ship prepares for a naval inspection. Assisting Rear Admiral Staunton in this task is Mark Nialls, formally much respected captain of HMS Hero.

10. The Buccaneer

Air Date: 1976-03-09

Commander Glen's brother, Eddie, faces dismissal from the RAF after an unauthorised low flying stunt above a moving vehicle.

11. Divert With Dispatch

Air Date: 1976-03-16

A Panamanian luxury yacht has gone missing, along with its millionaire owner and his family. After an RAF Nimrod on reconnaissance spots a similar yacht, several hundred miles from the missing yacht's last known position, the nearby HMS Hero is ordered to investigate.

12. Heart Of Oak

Air Date: 1976-03-23

When his wife arrives in port from Glasgow, Fuller doesn't get the nice surprise that the crew suppose. Meanwhile, the Chief Petty Officer, who has recent marital troubles of his own, faces possible disciplinary action for allowing his problems to affect his work.

13. First Turn Of The Screw

Air Date: 1976-03-30

Following a fire at a MoD scientific station, on an island called North Krona HMS Hero is ordered there. They are to deliver bulk feed items and offer any assistance with any rebuilding they may require.

1. Wind Song

Air Date: 1977-01-04

Ex Polaris submarine captain Edward Holt is in command of HMS Hero currently on duty in the Hong Kong area.

2. Singapore Incident

Air Date: 1977-01-11

An executive jet flying a routine trip to Singapore issues a mayday call and is forced to ditch at sea. Captain Holt and the crew of HMS Hero are ordered to investigate.

3. Diplomatic Package

Air Date: 1977-01-18

One of the islands in the vicinity of Hong Kong now has a large oil field, to which the UK would like favorable concessions. To show the British presence, HMS Hero drops anchor in the port and Captain Holt and his crew practice their diplomacy ashore.

4. Rendezvous

Air Date: 1977-01-25

Hero is asked to help the Hong Kong police catch wanted murderer Victor Chelten, a former businessman with mental issues who has escaped by boat.

5. The Girl From The Sea

Air Date: 1977-02-01

Whilst watching a naval helicopter exercise HMS Hero rescue a Chinese girl from the water. When they return to Hong Kong it is with the assistance of the police that the mystery starts to unravel.

6. A Matter of History

Air Date: 1977-02-08

HMS Hero is docked at Eddowes Island, which is about to be handed over from British rule. The locals are welcoming to the Hero's crew, but they're opposed to the handover, and some are resorting to violence. The Hero's crew are asked to help keep the locals in order, which worries Captain Holt, and Lt Napier in particular.

7. Counter-Charge

Air Date: 1977-02-15

HMS Hero is now on its way back from Hong Kong. As they move closer to Portsmouth harbour the ship's crew prepares for shore leave.

8. Man In Reserve

Air Date: 1977-02-22

HMS Hero's overworked pilot accidentally flies into the RNR manned HMS Rillington's firing exercise. He spends the next exercise on HMS Rillington while their irritating Lt Mannering inflicts his bragging on Hero. An emergency then occurs.

9. Fall From Grace

Air Date: 1977-03-01

Having returned from an exercise the HMS Hero crew are needled about the state of their ship by Captain Calder.

10. Jack Fell Down

Air Date: 1977-03-08

The new officer on HMS Hero is a Special Duties commission: in this case, a former Petty Officer. He attacks his new role perhaps too vigorously and this is not helped by being unable to mix well and so learn from the other officers.

11. Robertson Crusoe

Air Date: 1977-03-15

Whilst observing a Russian ship, HMS Hero finds and takes aboard an experimental unexploded mine.

12. Someone, Somewhere

Air Date: 1977-03-22

As HMS Hero continues to steam home to Portsmouth, the RAF drop a post package for the crew. For Able Seaman Blane this starts unsettling rumours as to the state of his marriage back in his home village.

13. Operation Sting-Ray

Air Date: 1977-03-29

After an uprising - in which five British citizens have died - Hero and Bulwark are deployed to Dubarr in order to pick up evacuees. Captain Holt's girlfriend, journalist Zoe Carter, is one of the people trapped in the country.

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Rating

5.5/10

Release Date

1973-06-07

Episodes

45 (4 seasons)

Status

Ended

Cast

Production Companies

BBC

BBC