Perisher

The British system for training officers for the fleet is different in that, choosing a specialization, the officer expects to keep it throughout his career. That is, the supply manager will remain the administrator, the engineer or mechanic will be the mechanic, the rocket launcher will be the rocket launcher, and the ship commander from the very beginning prepares to be, and remains the commander.

In this way, it is similar to the Soviet / Russian system, and differs from the American one, in which it is assumed that an officer can alternate command, technical and staff positions during his career, and even transfer from one kind of force to another.

At the beginning of his career, at the end of the Naval College in Dartmouth , the British officer must choose which path to follow. Those who want to command submarines remain until the end of their formal life.

After college, such an officer typically falls into the position of submarine navigator , then advances to the officer on duty . Although he studies the engineering aspects of the profession (including the operation of nuclear reactor technology), the main focus is on combat use, and in general operations. When he reaches the stage at which he can be promoted to first lieutenant (equivalent of a senior commander) of a submarine, the General Naval Headquarters in Norwood , near London, decides whether to send him to the Perisher. Those who have not completed the course cannot hold the posts of first lieutenant or commander of a boat.

The main reason why Perisher was created is selection. Candidates (also called "perishers") as submarine commanders are placed in harsh conditions, where they are obliged not only to act on a learned technique, but to navigate in difficult situations. And almost the entire course consists of difficult situations. Candidates are encouraged to think that simply acting on a textbook is not enough - they are placed in situations that are unsolvable with the help of only ready-made techniques. When evaluating exercises, non-standard solutions are encouraged, provided that they lead to success. At the same time, the conditions for safe operation of the boat must be observed.

In such circumstances, only an officer can complete the course, able to simultaneously assess the situation, know the technical capabilities, make decisions under pressure and guide people. In fact, the course is designed for knocking out , which is confirmed by its name itself ( English perish - to disappear, perish). Inadequately gifted and trained are eliminated.

The course was founded in 1914 . Until 2002 , he was at the scuba diving school ( HMS Dolphin ) at the Gosport Naval Base, near Portsmouth . Since 2002, he moved to the floating base in Devonport near Plymouth . The program is designed for five to six months. Since 1917 , recruitment is done twice a year. Class size (upon admission) - up to 10 candidates. The typical age of the candidates is 27–34 years.

The class is divided into two groups of 5 candidates, each assigned an officer-teacher, traditionally called briefly: "teacher". Candidates make study tours to all UK submarine supply companies and to the general contractor (Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering, Ltd., VSEL ). ^[1] Then go through the stage of solving problems on simulators. The main emphasis is on practical exercises in swimming conditions. Initially, there is a series of exercises to launch an attack on a single warship. Then the number of ships increases to two and three. During an attack on a boat from three directions, the candidate must work out a solution and make a shot, while not falling under attack of any of the ships and remain in safe parameters. Among the exercises that can be carried out are reconnaissance and photographing of the enemy’s coast, landing of special forces, mine deployments, and any other tasks specific to submarines.

The course also includes techniques and methods for using diesel boats in coastal waters in shallow water. As you move towards the end, the number of hours at sea increases. The course ends with participation in exercises where the candidate, under the supervision of a teacher, performs all the duties of a submarine commander.

The dropout rate is usually 20–30% of the class. For individual exercises, it reaches 40%. According to tradition, a failed candidate without warning is removed from the submarine to the approached boat, where the steering teacher hands him the already packed locker and a “consolation prize” - a bottle of whiskey. More aboard not a single British boat, he is not allowed.

Dropout officers (if they decide to stay in the fleet) are transferred to the so-called General Service . With a successful set of circumstances, they can rise to independent command of the frigate . But the seal of the failed Perisher remains on them forever.

Those who completed the course receive the right to take the post of first lieutenant of the submarine. This does not guarantee a command post - they only replenish the cadres of officers qualified for it. Until the 1990s , when the Royal Navy also included diesel submarines , the situation was different.

The Perisher is well suited for countries where a relatively small fleet can choose from a large number of highly trained personnel. Thus, it provides the highest possible level of commanders. Although the level of British submariners has been high at all times, since only about 20 boats remained in service, the fleet considers it their duty to trust them only with the best. At 1992 prices, training an officer, taking into account the depreciation of ground structures and ships, cost £ 1.2 million.

After the commander has served a full term in submarines, he, with good advancement, may well go over to surface ships and command a group or even a squadron. The most famous example is Admiral John Forster "Sandy" Woodward . This again shows the peculiarity of the course: it trains not just submariners, but people capable of commanding leaders.

The principles laid down in the course are accepted in many countries, and some, such as Israel , have established their own similar programs. Some other countries ( Netherlands , India ) fully copy it, right down to the name. The British and Dutch courses are synchronized to share the attracted boats and ships.

Countries that are unable to maintain their own course send officers to the Perisher in exchange. If there are vacancies in the class, they are filled by foreign candidates. For them, sections related to the use of nuclear boats are replaced by the corresponding sections for diesel. For example, Argentinean and Chilean submariners traditionally head to the UK. As an experiment, some US officers have been taking courses in the Netherlands ^{[2] [3]} or England since 2002. ^[four]

• Daniel, Donald C. Submarine Warfare and Superpower Startegic Stability. University of Illinois Press, 1987.
• Perisher on FLOT.com

• Tom Clancy, John Grisham. Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship (non-fiction). New York, Penguin-Putnam, 1993, p. 154-165.