Early in the operation Hickleton experienced a practical demonstration of the physical dangers of minesweeping. The starboard wire sweep had been streamed and the port sweep was being readied when there was a fouling of the wires.

Able Seaman Wilcox stepped forward and climbed over the side to clear the tangle. As the gear fell away he too was carried over the side badly gashing a leg in the process. As the ship slowly steamed on urgently recovering the deployed sweep, Wilcox clung to a lifebuoy and prepared to fight off any marauding shark or sea snake attracted by his bleeding wound.

After a terrifying 40 minutes in the water, Hickleton had recovered the sweeps and returned to rescue him. With a tot of rum and bandaged leg Wilcox was sent to bed for a few hours before returning to full duty.

Many of the Inshore Flotilla minesweepers had already been in action and discovered what an armalite bullet could do to the wood and aluminium hull of a minesweeper. The splinter mats provided for protection around the bridge and weapons were also found to have little stopping power against modern small arms fire. Some had witnessed explosions on the water as preset bombs exploded before they could be delivered across the Strait.

By this time experience had taught the Navy to not allow an Indonesian boat alongside unless the commanding officer was satisfied that it was just a smuggler or barter trader. Should there be any doubt, he would order it to return to Indonesia. If the boat failed to comply with the order to return to Indonesia then it would be directed, by the muzzle of a gun, to stand off, with the crew being ordered to swim to the investigating ship. Where suspicions were not allayed the offending boat was then sunk; usually by gunfire. The policy was firm; do as directed or suffer the consequences.

MB 4.43