HMS Caliph:

The HMS Caliph was a World War Two-era Isles Class Armed Trawler. Such vessels were used on a variety of missions from harbour patrols to minelayers and minesweeper to limited anti-submarine actions. Some were even used for spying in much the same fashion as the Soviets used spy-trawlers in the Cold War. At the end of the war the HMS Caliph was sold to the Norwegians. In 1976, it suffered from a major fire and was laid up for several years until being refitted as a museum attraction.

During the Arctic campaign in 1997 the Caliph was commandeered by the Royal Navy and taken to Scotland. From there it was used as a patrol and resupply vessel serving the UK's North Sea oil rigs. Then in 2000, her final assignment was to proceed to Kiel and join the naval task force which was assembling there to support NATO's Summer offensive. Her primary task was transporting troops and material in support of the amphibious landings along the Polish coast. Consequently, HMS Caliph struck a mine near Hel harbor and sunk.

Following the Caliph's loss, some survivors, including Lt.Cmdr Vicky Gordon, reached Sobieszewo Island.

In early August the Mad Dogs were part of a concerted effort by Gdansk and Sobieszewo forces to recover the wreck's salvageable cargo. The venture was preceded by a successful but costly raid intent on destroying Polish forces which had also been sent to Hel Peninsula with the same goal.


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