0100hrs – All Night Long, Tsim Sha Tsui

Shortly after midnight the Navy moved from the civilized world of Hong Kong Island into the unknown jungles of Tsim Sha Tsui! Lieutenant J G Rauti and Chief Petty Officer Beat Erne, who were leading the Operation, decided on All Night Long – a sister establishment of Insomnia in Wanchai - as our first safety stop in this unchartered territory. Able Seaman Frauenfelder was dripping all over the dance floor as he was attending in his soaking jeans since he had not brought any spare clothes to the pool party – ample evidence yet again why he ranks at the bottom of the Navy hierarchy. Captain Widmer and Sailor Who-The-F***-Is-Danu? joined the mission while Sailors Kaspar and Liechtensteve abandoned ship in Hong Kong due to work commitments.

0200hrs – Club Hot, Tsim Sha Tsui

Club Hot – as its name suggests – is supposedly the hottest place in Hong Kong at present and the queue outside the venue attested to this fact. However, the sheer intimidation power of a full force undercover Navy squad meant that we immediately gained access without delay, although Commander Mei was asked to present proof of sufficient age! Once inside, Admiral Colani, Petty Officer Dave and Able Seaman Frauenfelder immediately took possession of the main stage while the remaining crew dispersed around the perimeter. Club Hot is a massive place full of locals and the Navy were the only foreign faces in the room.

At 0314hrs the music was abruptly turned off and the lights turned on. Anticipating a surprise ambush, our well-trained crew immediately took cover behind some scantly clad local women. HOwever, it turned out to be a full force police raid, given the place's reputation for substance abuse (Lt Rauti had earlier witnessed plenty of such activity in the men’s room). The crowd of possibly 200 people was asked to turn off all their mobile phone and to BE QUIET – something the Navy is not very good at. As a result, we were led into a nearby VIP room where our crew was held hostage for close to an hour until negotiations with the Liechtenstein government resulted in a diplomatic apology and the release of all Sailors through the back door.

0400hrs – Neptune, Wanchai

Having lost Sailor Joerg in Kowloon, the remaining crew safely returned to the civilized world of Wanchai unharmed. Despite the advanced hour, the Operation was still going strong with ten Sailors in attendance. The going, however, starts to get tough at this hour. Petty Officer Dave (“Marginal Dave”) however showed no signs of fatigue, continuing his dance routine undisturbed. Sailor Reto was seen in close bodily contact with an unidentified woman of suspected Eastern European origin while Sailor Alex was engaging literally every female target within sight. Sailor Fabian and Able Seaman Frauenfelder were eventually lost to the night while Captain Widmer decided to abandon ship.

0500hrs – Fenwick’s, Wanchai

Barely able to still stand, the crew struggled up Lockhart Road with a detour to The Bridge – a seriously dodgy place where Sailor Robin was last seen – to Fenwicks, another notorious spot that draws many a Sailor from afar. The Operation was now down to seven people. Lieutenant Rauti was still going strong, conducing body searches across the bar while Sailor Alex engaged a female target of questionable quality and was soon listed MIA.

0600hrs – The Frying Pan, Wanchai

With the light of dawn on the streets of Wanchai, the final five officers of the Navy – Admiral Colani, Commander Mei, Lieutenant Rauti, Chief Petty Officer Erne and Petty Officer Dave – headed for breakfast at The Frying Pan. The fact that all junior Sailors had by now been lost in action with only the “old guard” of the Navy completing the mission speaks volumes about the need for additional endurance training for our younger crew.

Chief Petty Officer Erne was feeling the strain of such a heavy duty operation, constantly falling asleep over breakfast. However, he remains the all time leader of Operation Nighcrawler with a successive four (!!!) completed missions to his credit. Lieutenant Rauti survived his third Nightcrawler while it was the first success for Admiral Colani, Commander Mei and Chief Petty Officer Dave.

Since attendance levels were now too short to power a full boat, the training session in Stanley had to be cancelled. The Operation was nevertheless declared a success.

Disclaimer: The Admiralty rejects all responsibility for brain damage, liver failure and other minor ailments incurred as a result of Operation NIGHTCRAWLER.