Sir, Submarines may have had encounters with cavalry (letter, June 24) but one nearly shot down the helicopter I was flying.
On a naval exercise in the mid-1980s, our job was to simulate release of an antisubmarine torpedo by dropping an underwater banger a few hundred metres away from the submerged boat, which would then take evasive action. The submarine simulated a firing of torpedoes at our ship by shooting a green flare into the air.
Spotting a periscope, we thought we would give the submarine captain a surprise by hovering just behind him. Alas, the periscope stayed firmly pointed at our ship and he never saw us.
Next, a green flare hurtled past about a metre from my windscreen and straight through the rotor blades of the helicopter.
The following day we dropped an entire box of bangers one after the other right on top of him. I’m told the noise is suitably nerveracking.
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HARRY BENSON
Kingsdown, Bristol