Newsletter 73 (Jun08)

Naval Officers ClubNewsletter No 73 1 June 2008 ISSN 1445-6206The 52nd Annual General Meeting: President’s addressProminent people ponder presidential pontifications, 1 April 2008.It is my privilege to report to sions held highly successfulTra- social or otherwise may beyou once again on the Club’s falgar dinners,and Sydney,Mel- undertaken, provided that theyactivities and performance bourne and Canberra have held have the support of the ma-over the past year,another suc- regular members luncheons. jority of members and unani-cessful one. Sydney held two barbecue mous agreement within the lunches in HMAS Penguin and committee.”In my view a successful year is Canberra enjoyed a splendidone in which the Club’s ob- Christmas cocktail party at the REOCjects have been achieved to the Royal Canberra Golf Club. I am glad to report that thesatisfaction of the members; Sydney had a standing-room committee’s proposal, en-one in which the level of serv- only vice regal luncheon at Par- dorsed at the last AGM andices provided to the members liament House, and south-east evidently supported unani-at least equals that of the pre- Queensland joined other like- mously by the members, tovious year; one in which the minded organisations at a vice award a prize to each of theClub has done something use- regal reception at Government two REOCs that “Pass Out”ful for the Navy; and one House in Brisbane. each year, has been imple-which ends with its financial mented successfully.An Hon-position at least as sound as in Western Australia our Board has been made andthe previous year. Sadly, there is still no action in is on display at RANC. The WA.This is something that this first two prizes have been Club objects Sandgroper finds hard to ex- awarded (to Sub-LieutenantThe objects of the Club, as plain, given the size of the na- Mark Shannon RANR andspelled out in the Yearbook, val presence at Fleet Base West Lieutenant John Paul RANR)“shall be to preserve and and elsewhere and the substan- and the initiative has attractedstimulate the spirit of com- tial number of officers who thanks from our Patron, theradeship which has been en- have retired over there. Your Chief of Navy and from thegendered among naval offic- committee must apply itself to relevant training authoritiesers by their close association resolve this conundrum in the within the Navy.The Club haswith the Service, and for this coming year. attracted some young bloodpurpose to arrange periodicalreunions of members.” We’ve The objects of the Club go on Contd p. 4certainly done that. All Divi- to say,“Other activities,whether 1

Naval Officers Club Newsletter Naval Officers Club and Other Functions ISSN 1445-6206 New South Wales Number 73, 1 June 2008 10 July 1200 for 1230, Members Luncheon,Victoria Barracks,$45. 24 August 1200 for 1230, BBQ, HMAS Penguin, $40.Editor: Fred Lane 30/14 Fullerton St 17 October 1830 for 1915,Trafalgar Dinner, RACA, $85.WOOLLAHRA, NSW 2025. 18 December 1200 for 1230, Luncheon, Parliament House, $70.Mail: PO Box 207 ROSE BAY NSW 2025Telephone: 9328 6509 Victoria (John Redman 0413333455)Fax: 9327 4889 Friday 6 June, Lunch, Naval & Military.Email: [email protected] Friday 5 September, Lunch, Naval & Military. Tuesday 21 October,Trafalgar Dinner, Naval & Military. Naval Officers Club Friday 5 December, Xmas Luncheon, Naval & Military. PO Box 207 Rose Bay, NSW 2029 ACT (Mike Taylor 02 6288 3393) www.navalofficer.com.au 2 June 1200-1430, Battle Honours, MV Southern Cross. 7 July 1200, Lunch SXYC.President: RADM David Holthouse 4 August 1200, Lunch SXYC.Vice President: CDRE John Da Costa 1 September 1200-1430, Battle Honours, MV Southern Cross. 3 November 1200 Lunch, Melbourne Cup Sweep, SXYCCommittee members: 3 December 1800-2000, Cocktails, Royal Canberra Golf Club.John Ellis (Hon. Treasurer)Fred Lane (Hon. Secretary) Queensland (Lucas Skoufa 0400 369 896)Ralph Derbidge Saturday 18 November,Trafalgar Night, United Service Club.Reinier Jessurun (Hon. Asst. Treas.)Paul Martin HMAS Albatross 60th Reunion (Jim Hill 02 4424 1826)Ron Robb 31 August Open Day, HMAS Albatross.John Smith 23-26 October FAA reunion, HMAS Albatross. 25, 26 October, International Air Show, HMAS Albatross.Regional chairmen: out improving quality, and we tions and Decorations section.It wouldLucas Skoufa (QLD) constantly search for new venues. be great if individual members kept usJohn Redman (VIC) That’s the reason why the prices advised of these changes, but we standMike Taylor (ACT) and firm dates for some functions in dire need of a researcher to collateBob Trotter (WA) this information.Any takers? this year are published later than Yearbook 2008 Speaking of yearbooks, please findHon. Auditor: David Blazey desired.The luncheon at the Of- the latest enclosed with this news- letter. Check your data and update ficers Mess,Victoria Barracks, the Hon. Sec. with changes.Membership:Total 614 on 10 July ($45 for a three- FAA Reunion 23-26 OctoberNSW: 276,VIC: 168,ACT: 83, QLD:51, SA: course meal) looks promising. The 60th birthday of the RAN’s FleetAir Arm will be celebrated with9,WA: 5,TAS: 4, UK: 6, USA:1, Canada: 2, Website blackouts a reunion 23-26 October. CheckNew Zealand: 2, Japan: 1, France 1, As the President reported (p. 5) Slipstream and http://www.faaaa.asn.Italy 1, Philippines 1. we’ve had five no-notice days- au/news/reunions/sixty_years.htm for details. long blackouts since iiNet took Trafalgar Dinner, ParliamentEditor-Secretary notes over our old reliable web host. This, House LuncheonIt was disappointing to see the combined with poor support com- To help our hard-worked table seat- ing teams, if you have the opportu-FleetAir Arm Museum and us sched- munications (40 minutes telephone nity, please make up your own tables of ten when you book for the 17uling barbecues on the same day, 25 wait, seven to nine days for even an OctoberTrafalgar Dinner and 18 De- cember Parliament House Luncheon.May.A flurry of emails re-established automatic email response) led us tomutually agreed principles, but ex- change web hosts. We are now withactly how this will be achieved and American Host Monster.They are 50by whom might not yet be nailed per cent cheaper and take only five todown. Let’s see. 15 minutes to respond comprehen- sively on a no-cost support chat line.The never-ending price war goes on.We strongly resist the tendency of some Promotions, decorationshosts to increase function charges on a Please note that in our yearbook up-percentage basis from last year, with- date (p. 3) we have added a Promo-Naval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 2

New MembersCAPT N.C.L BAILEY RAN ret, 4 Southdown Av, MURRUMBATEMAN, NSW 2582.LCDR E. BRYANT RAN ret, 5/2 Keith St, SCULLIN,ACT 2614.RADM N.L. McDONALD AO RAN ret, 132 Fletcher St,WOOLLAHRA, NSW 2025.Mrs P. SINCLAIR, 22 Haldane St, BEAUMARIS,VIC 3193.New Life MembersCMDR P.E.J. COLLINS AM RFD QC RANR, 17/42 Macleay St, POTTS POINT, NSW 2011.LCDR B.J. HAMILL RAN ret, PO Box 1088, MOOLOOLABA, QLD 4557.LCDR R.H. MOFFITT OAM RANR ret, 17 Campbell Ct,WARRANDYTE,VIC 3113.LCDR M.L. RUSSELL RANR, 15 Sumar St,WAVELL HEIGHTS, QLD 4012.Changes of AddressSee the new 2008 yearbook for: LCDR M.H. ASTON RANR RFD ret, PCHA G.H. CLAYTON OAM RANR, CAPTA.H. CRAIG RAN ret, CMDR H.K. DUNCAN OAM RAN ret, LEUT R.J. GREEN RANR ret, LCDR H.A.L. HALL MBERAN ret, LEUT G.B. LITCHFIELD RAN ret, SURG LCDR H.T. McDONALD DSC RAN ret, LEUT D.J McFALL RNR,CDRE M.B. RAYMENT AM RAN ret, LCDR L. ROSENTHAL RANR ret and CMDR P.C.VINES RRC RANNS ret.Email changesSee the new 2008 yearbook for: CAPT N.C.L. BAILEY RAN ret, CMDR K.M. BARNETT RAN ret, PCHA G.H.CLAYTON OAM RANR, LCDR C.R.J. COLES RANR ret, CMDR P.E.J. COLLINS AM RFD QC RANR, CAPTA.H. CRAIG RAN ret, CMDR H.K. DUNCAN OAM RAN ret, CMDR R.W. GARING RAN ret, LCDR H.A.L.HALL MBE RAN ret, CMDR A.M. HUGHES RAN ret, LCDR E.T. JAMES RAN ret, CMDR R.E. LESH RAN ret,RADM R.G. LOOSLI CBE RAN ret, LCDR D.N. PHIPPS RAN ret, RADM A.J. ROBERTSON AO DSC RAN ret,CMDR G.W. SCOWN RAN ret, CMDR J. SMITH RAN ret, LEUT T.B. STOBO RANR.Mail RTSLCDR P.L. (Paul) GREENAWAY RAN ret, 2/4 Maverston St, GLEN IRIS,VIC 3146. 03 9889 2183Promotions and DecorationsNANKIN G. LCDR RANR, 12 Soudan St, MALVERN,VIC 3144. DUNCAN H.K. CMDR OAM RAN ret,3 McKeahnie St,WEETANGERA,ACT 2614 .Obituaries*LEUT S.E. (Errol) BANKS, RAN ret., PYRMONT 2009. 5 April 2008.MRS A. BUCHANAN-WALKER, LONGUEVILLE, NSW 2066. 12 April 2008.*LEUT N.K. (Limpy) LOUER RAN ret, ESSENDON,VIC 3040. 16 April 2008.CAPT D.P. (Weary) Weil RAN ret, FARRER,ACT 2607. April 2008.* Not a member of the Naval Officers ClubCan we help? by Andrew Robertson is a strong argument that Australia should be considering a steady build-Former Naval Officers will all be initial refusal of China of the visit up of maritime forces.aware of the major changes in the of the Kittyhawk Battle Group tobalance of power now gradually tak- Hong Kong and of safe haven to a A new Defence White Paper is ining place with the rise of China and USN storm-beset minesweeper, do the mill but there is no guaranteeIndia and the resurgence of Russia. not bode well for the future. that the naval voice will be heard.Indeed within a few decades our While today the wars in Iraq and Af-great ally, the USA, may no longer Maybe all will be well, but can Aus- ghanistan must place emphasis onbe the only super power and the tralia afford to be complacently op- ground and air forces, few commen-USN may be under challenge. timistic and not look to beefing- tators have any deep knowledge or up its own maritime defences? By interest in the long-term implica-All will know of tensions in Asia and and large Australia has followed a tions for Australia of the major na-the major expansion now taking “replacement” policy for RAN val developments in our general area.place in many navies in our region, ships, often involving a delay of Could it be that we, as former navalincluding in submarines (some nu- some years. In all this time our officers, have a duty to speak out toclear-powered), aircraft-carriers and country has trebled in population our friends and in all organisationsamphibious warfare ships.The joint and become far more wealthy,bask- to which we may belong to empha-maritime and land exercises between ing since WWII under the protec- sise the need for the developmentChina and Russia, along with the tion of the all-powerful USN.There of our maritime power in all it’s as- pects? Times are a-changing. 3

and consolidating, and I do not foresee a change in this phi- losophy in the near term. However this anomaly is bound to attract the more criti- cal attention of your commit- tee eventually.GerryYork (left), Fred Lynham, Ian Knox, David Holthouse and Brian Read discuss important Meanwhile we can all do our Club and other technical matters during the AGM’s informal phase. bit to help ensure the continu- ing growth and relevance ofAGM 52 into its ranks, including LEUT the increased cost of the the Club, by introducing new John Paul. Newsletter (up by about members and by bringing $2200 due to five issues, not guests along to appropriate The President or his repre- four, being charged to this functions. The current mem- sentative has been invited to year) and bership of 621 (down only very assist the Chief of Navy in pre- • an operating loss of about slightly from 635 last year) senting the prizes at Passing- $1200 was reported, the re- guarantees a very healthy fu- Out Parades,and also to attend sult of the paper loss in the ture but new members bring REOC training mess dinners value of our investment be- new skills, new energy, new to say something about life in cause of the current severe ideas and new leadership to the the service, the prize and the downturn in the market. Club. Let’s get out there and Club. These are splendid op- do some recruiting. It’s not portunities to see the Navy’s Sound result hard: most of us have naval young officers on display and This is a sound result in what friends and acquaintances who there is no doubt that we can has been a difficult year for in- are not yet members, but are be proud of our continuing as- vestments,particularly since ex- ready to be persuaded to join. sociation with the system that penditure includes for the first produces them. time the start-up and biannual Merchandise costs of the REOC Prize. And please don’t forget the lit- Financial overview Moreover, it is widely held that tle things,like lapel badges,ties, Next, the Club’s financial po- the Club’s greatest service to its Newsletter CDs, the Wardroom sition. The Hon. Treasurer members is the Newsletter, and Song book CD and Christmas (John Ellis) will take us through it would be difficult to deny that cards. Our Hon. Secretary’s his very thorough report the increased cost of the News- card design is economical and shortly, and the Hon. Auditor letter this year has resulted in a attractive, and a glance at the (David Blazey) will, I am sure, publication that keeps getting financials shows what a con- be happy to assist with the an- better. However there is no tribution the sale of these items swers to any questions you may room for complacency.The past can make to the balance sheet. have. But in essence: year has not included a Yearbook The sale of polo shirts has update, but one is due in the come to an end, sadly, as we • total members’ funds year ahead, at a cost of between have been unable to source (about $56,250) are slightly $2500 and $3000. more of them for an accept- down (by about $1600) on able price. last year; It will not escape members’ at- • the trading profit is slightly tention that the Club’s largest I wrote to members not long up (by nearly $200); source of revenue, apart from ago, seeking help for the Hon. • income is down (by about subscriptions income, is the Secretary with the Newsletter $2000), due largely to a re- surplus generated on Sydney and website development. I duction in subscription in- Division functions.Your com- understand from him that there come (by about $1600); mittee has been content for this has been an encouraging re- • expenditure is up (by situation to continue while sponse, for which I thank you. about $200), due largely to other Divisions are forming Please follow up your offers. Our publications, like any oth-Naval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 4 ers, benefit from a diversity of interests and styles, and Fred is

Is dulcet-toned electrical person Tony Hunt (left) diplomatically buttering his roll as two gunners, honour was John McDermott and Ralph Derbidge, exchange friendly broadsides? VADM Matt Tripovich AM CSC. Both events en- joyed musical support: the Naval Re- serve band at G ove r n m e n t House and the Brisbane Youth Or- chestra at the United Serv- ice Club.only too willing to help with bers and friends who are in- ACT Divisionadvice on how to get your ar- terested in helping. Mike Taylor, the ACT Divi-ticle published early. None of sion’s Chairman/Secretary, hasthis takes anything away from The days of a Sydney-centric sent me his apologies today,the present splendid editorial organisation are well past, if which is a pity as I wanted toteam:Fred and Gerry Lane,and indeed it ever was. The Divi- say in his presence how grate-Stephen Dearnley. Frankly I sions are firmly established, ful I am for his hard work anddon’t know how they do it. with interesting calendars, and achievements in the Division. I urge visitors to Canberra, This is a very active group, Authors published Melbourne and Brisbane to thanks to Mike’s enthusiasm,Writers published this year in- check them out before head- imaginative planning and plainclude Derek White, Tr ish ing north or south. John hard work. It has 117 on itsSinclair,Peter Poland,and John Redman in Victoria (repre- contact list and 10 functions inEllis. Book reviews were writ- sented here today by CMDR the past year, includingten by Kevin Rickard and oth- John Moller), Lucas Skoufa in speaker-luncheons and organ-ers. Downloads were submit- south-east Queensland, (repre- ised “insider visits” to promi-ted by Bill Vallack and Ralph sented today by LCDR Pieter nent sites. The Division’s cal-Derbidge and our new“Where Groen In’t Woud), and Mike endar of events says it all andAre the Chaplains” updates, Taylor in the ACT are making anyone from the rest of Aus-from Bill Pearson, John Jones things tick. tralia who might be contem-and Colin Baxter, were very plating a visit to the nationalpopular. I thank them all. Victoria Division capital would do well to in- TheVictoria Division had four clude at least one of the Website rough patch lunches and a Trafalgar dinner monthly NOC luncheonThe website has had a rough at the Naval and Military Club meetings at the CanberraYachtpassage lately, due to the cava- in Melbourne and all were well Club in their itinerary.lier approach to management attended. There is some con-by the internet provider. Fred cern about attracting new Sydney functionsLane has spent a lot of time members locally and anything I have already mentioned theworking the problem through the membership as a whole can highlights in Sydney Division’sand the Committee is now do to help with this would be extensive program. It is hard toconfident that we have a fix, very welcome. pick a winner. I particularlywhich should be transparent to enjoy the lunches here at theits users.As I said in my recent I’ve already mentioned the RACA,like the one which willletter to members, the website Queenslanders’ shared vice re- follow this meeting. Othersis an exciting development. gal event. Separately they would not miss a Penguin bar-The committee is determined hosted aTrafalgar dinner at the becue for anything - perhapsto exploit the medium and is United Services Club in Bris-very keen to hear from mem- bane, at which the guest of Contd p. 6 5

band Sir Nick Reinier Jessurun stands in for Shehadie, both of Fred when he (Fred) heads whom gave of them- over the horizon. He does the selves wonderfully. same for John Ellis who has a Were it within the penchant for going to sea in a remit of those in at- sieve. Ron Robb has his quill tendance we would sharpened and beavers away have appointed Her behind the scenes,making sure Excellency an hon- the minutes are both readable orary naval officer and accurate. Paul (Trafalgar) (something she al- Martin makes Sydney’s Trafal- luded to in passing) gar night the success it is; and and Club member as President of the Naval His- on the spot. torical Society in NSW he makes the Garden Island Boat- Incoming/outgoing:After the President’s address, the new Our Parliamentary house available to us for Com-committee was voted in, with John Smith (left) replacing Fred host for the occasion mittee meetings and Newslet- was the former ter dispatches. Ralph (Parlia- Lewis as a committee member. ment House) Derbidge made what is arguably the Club’s Leader of the Opposition, the Flagship event, the remarkable success story that it is.AGM 52 because of the opportunity they Hon. Peter Debnam MP, now Fred Lewis provide to host friends and a member of the Naval Offic- Last but not least is Fred Lewis, who is standing down from the family - and then there are the ers Club. Committee this year, after 17 years continuous service with Trafalgar dinner (here at the four Presidents: Red Merson, Geoff Loosli, Fred Lynam, and RACA) and the Christmas me. And we got two for the price of one, as dear Maggie luncheon up the road at Par- Strong committee Lewis served as Hon. Auditor for many years.In the years that liament House. support I have occupied the chair - far too many - Fred has provided Finally, a word about your com- wise counsel. He has always gladly put up his hand for more Guests of honour mittees,both here and in the Di- work, and he has found the funny side in everything. Fred The guest of honour at theTra- visions. Simply, without people is not leaving because he is worn out,but because he wants falgar dinner was CAPT Peter like Fred and Gerry Lane, Mike to make room for fresh ideas. This is a good example, one I Leavy RAN, the Director of Taylor, John Redman and Lucas must follow. Nevertheless I shall miss your good humour the Seapower Centre, and the Skoufa,the Club could not func- and wise counsel Fred, and I am very sorry to see you go. guests of honour at Parliament tion. On behalf of the club I VMT House were the Governor of thank them most sincerely for On behalf of the Club, thank you and very well done. NSW, HE Professor Marie their fine efforts.Mike,John and Ladies and gentlemen, that Bashir AC, CVO and her hus- Lucas would be quick to point concludes my report and I move that it be received. out that they are not alone; that David Holthouse,1 April 2008. they have the backing of hard working and generous Divi- sional committees, and I agree. Ron Whitmore and Russ Vasey, at the dip, appetites Fred and Gerry are not alone sharpened, cutlery ready. either, though between them they carry the lion’s share. It isNaval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 Fred who dragoons members into attending functions, pay- ing their fees, writing articles, reviewing books.And it is Fred who has wrought such mira- cles with the Newsletter and the website. Vice President John Da Costa is always there, as he is today, in case I fall or fum- ble. John Ellis runs a tight ship as Treasurer. 6

MIDN Mark Binskin becameMidshipman makes Marshalthe first ex-RAN Midshipmanto be promoted Air Marshaland Chief of Air Force sincethe 1920s-30s when Navy andArmy aviators amalgamated toform the new RAAF.One of the more prominent ex-naval officers in this early his-toric RAAF group was RoyalNaval Air Service veteran AirVice Marshal S.J. Goble, whoachieved fame by circumnavi-gating Australia in a Fairey IIIDseaplane in 20 days in May 1924.He was the father of NOCmember CDRE John Goble. Ex-RAN recruits The A4G Skyhawk OFS No 14, 724 Squadron, NAS Nowra 1980, included MIDN PaulMany ex-RAN student pilots Kalade (left) MIDN Dave Baddams,ASLT Eamon Lines, MIDN Mark Binskin and LEUTwent on to become outstand-ing RAAF officers, carving out Rob Bradshaw (RN Exchange). Mark Binskin as AVM is inset top right.brilliant careers.Perhaps the firstin the post-WW II era was flying in F 111s. Mark Binskin was appointed to 805 Squad-Hank Hurley,who dropped out made the first post-WW II ron when the axe started to fallfrom his pilots course as a Na- transition from Midshipman to on RAN fixed-wing flying.val Airman but joined the Air Marshal, and he did this Mark found a niche in theRAAF as a trainee navigator.He through the fighter route.Mark RAAF by first taking up anrose through the bomber route, completed his Operational Fly- exchange posting as a Mirage ing School in Skyhawks and pilot. He joined the RAAF on completion of this tour and em- barked on a stellar career as a Fighter Combat Instructor and F/A-18 demonstration pilot, which earned him a Member of the Order of Australia. Overseas appointments in- cluded work with the USN’s VA-125 Squadron in NAS Leemore and with the USAF as an instructor in F-16C aircraft.Chief of the Defence Force ACM Angus Houston (left) introduced Command postings his new defence team last March (with appointments and ranks Command postings included RAAF 77 Squadron and Chiefeffective this July). LGEN David Hurley becomes Vice Chief of the of Staff, Headquarters Austral- Defence Force, LGEN Ken Gillespie assumes Chief of Army, ianTheatre in Iraq. He was ap- VADM Russell Crane rises to Chief of Navy and AM Mark pointed Air Commander,Aus- Binskin is slated for Chief of Air Force. tralia, in July 2007. 7 Mark is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Ad- vanced Management Program and the RAAF Command and Staff Course.

Johnnies and the Snakepit was instrumental in setting up rec- reational facilities for sailors onBy Graeme Andrews. Reprinted with permission, Afloat, May 2006. shore leave. Shearston first helped with a Church of England Mis-Just after midnight, one win- relief,handed over five shillings sion to Seamen in 1881, based inter’s night way back in the late and his naval identity card. his home at 3 Princes St, Dawes1950s, a slightly befuddled Point.He became the superintend-sailor staggered up the half a “Can I have another blanket, ent of the Goodenough Royal Na-dozen steps into “Johnnies”, please?” val House in 1890. His wife be-fronted up to the pigeon-hole came the housekeeper.wherein dozed the duty book- An extra sixpence changeding clerk and with a sigh of hands and another tired Aussie Johnnies was partly built from matelot was soon heading up funds raised by public sub- the broad sweep of the impres- scription as an expression of sive stairway that led to the gratitude to the sailors of the sleeping cubicles. Royal Navy and, quite possi- bly, as a means of tidying up Facade still there the streets of the port when About halfway down Gros- those uniformed sailors had venor St on the north side was finished having a few at the an old grey building of several many hostelries that catered stories height. It was of small- for their needs. ish size and stature and the observant passer-by might well The original idea of Johnnies wonder how it managed to was to provide a “home away survive the “knock it down from home” for those many mania” that has driven Sydney men aboard the station’s ships for the last few decades. of the Royal Navy who were in need of accommodation Unfortunately, it did not! perhaps a little better than the Spartan surroundings aboard On 10 August 1951, an unknown sailor received this Sadly, in the 2000s, all that re- RN ships. Less Spartanbed chit. He probably did not read all the instructions on mains of this historic building, Johnnies might have been, but with important extensions it was no four star hotel. the reverse side (below.) once paid for by individual public subscription, is the fa- Chicken wire cade. Behind the facade is the When the author used it as modern building used by the “home” in the 1950s and Sydney Futures Exchange. 1960s,one or more floors were set up with partitioned ply- This building was long known wood-walled cubicles which as “Johnnies.” More officially, could be hired for one, two or it carried the formal name three nights at about five shil- “Royal Naval House” and for lings (50 cents) a night.These 82 years it was home for the cubicles had walls about two sailors of the Royal and, later, metres high, much lower than Royal Australian and Allied the ceilings, and were covered Navies when their ships were by chicken wire, to deter theft. in port. It did not stop the sonorous sounds of the sleepers. Ed. note: The original name Cheap meals “Johnnies” was derived from John Cheap meals could be had in Samuel Shearston (1853-1916) the cafeteria and they were al- who, with CDRE Goodenough, ways of good quantity, full andNaval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 8

plenty, and included the kind Johnnies’ cubicle and another Royal Naval House, December 2007.of victuals that sailors on the 651 dossed down on stretch-lower decks of RN and RAN ers or mattresses anywhere theVietnam War that probablyships of that period did not they could be fitted in, even contributed chiefly to the de-often see: butter, condiments, in the library.The showers and mise of Johnnies.pickles, fresh milk, cereals and the washrooms would haveso on. been almost as hard-worked as Greater mobility was the cafe with its well- On the one hand, young navalGetting to Johnnies in those stressed staff. men were more likely to owndays of excellent public trans- a motor vehicle of some typeport was always easy. If one’s Total cost £24,200 and thus were likely to rangeship was anchored out or Royal Naval House was offi- much further afield in theirhanging on a buoy in the har- cially opened by Lord time on leave. On the otherbour, ship’s boats would run a Carrington in 1890.The to- hand the increasing unpopu-regular service to the Man o’ tal cost had been: land £9000, larity of the war in VietnamWar Steps in Farm Cove.Trams building £14,000, and furni-ran from nearby and tram lines ture £1200. Contd p. 10ran just a few metres fromJohnnies. Private launch com- All the money was raised bypanies, mainly Stannards, also public donations. Johnnies re-worked through 24 hours from placed several other buildingsMan o’War Steps. around the city, including Tra- falgar House and Goodenough Garden Island Royal Naval House that hadSailors leaving ships berthed coped in the 19th century.alongside in Garden Island orinWoolloomooloo Bay would Goodenough was not a de-walk (or bus) out of the base scription. It carried the namealong Cowper Wharf Road- of a Royal Navy commodoreway. They would very likely who was wounded by arrowsspend some recreation time at in the Santa Cruz Islands andthe Macquarie Hotel (known subsequently died in 1875.as the Rock and Roll) or theBells Hotel (later owned by re- It might be interesting to pon-tired boxer Jimmie Carruthers) der who got the benefit of theand from there might wander money from the sale ofinto town. If they had no rela- Johnnies when the Sydneytives or friends to kip down Cove Redevelopment Author-with, they’d probably end up ity took over The Rocks areaat Johnnies. in 1968.Johnnies was probably at its 1946: 300,000 beds CDRE James Graham (Holy Joe) Goodenough (1830-75).peak when the British Pacific During 1946, more than (Based on a woodcut by an unknown 19th century artist.)Fleet was based in Port Jackson 300,000 servicemen shelteredin 1945 and into 1946. The overnight in Johnnies. In laterBPF had half a dozen aircraft years, Johnnies also providedcarriers and four battleships, cabins for young families to stayplus hundreds of cruisers, de- overnight in a city whose ho-stroyers and support craft. tels asked more than ordinaryThere were tens of thousands sailors could afford.A small sec-of sailors, few of whom were tion was also set aside to pro-Sydney natives. vide private accommodation for the women of the Navy,theThe records show that on the WRANS. However, despite allnight of 19 January1946, 825 this flexibility that should havesailors spent the night in a attracted new patronage, it was 9

Songs of seafarers There is little doubt that ever a chant or two when hoisting since man first sat on a log and the heavy lateen yard and sail.By Derek White paddled it with his hands, he has been moved to sing, either Natural relationshipSea shanties are very popular among the modern world- to keep his courage up or just In art there has always been a wide folk-song circuits. from the exhilaration of being natural relationship between afloat.When joined by others poetry and music,and probably in larger craft, songs or chants one of the earliest examples of assisted the rhythmic use of this is to be found in the Psalms paddles or oars. of David. The well known psalm that sings of “Those that Canoes to sailing ships go down to the sea in ships” Instances which immediately has in it the realism that sug- come to mind are the Pacific gests some deepwater experi- islanders in their ocean-going ence of the writer. canoes, the Viking longships under oars and the triremes of Europeans over centuries gradu- the Mediterranean. One of the ally became predominant at sea most ancient sailing craft, the and communication in general Arab dhow, which is with us improved with ships increas- still, no doubt has always heard ing in size and seaworthiness. Johnnies and the Snakepit Snakepit. Looking upwards bed. Next morning, of course, from the bottom one could see one had to be back at GardenJohnnies meant that some of the less the sky, or feel the rain. By day Island or on board ship at controlled of the citizenry the sun came in and by night 0730, unless you were God, were prone to take out their the stars were there,or the rain. (also known as Petty Officers anger on anyone who was and above.) wearing a service uniform in The laminex and chromed ta- a public place. bles and chairs were strongly It’s been a long time since the built; they needed to be. author left the RAN and he The writer will attest to the has no idea where today’s sail- problems of travelling in pub- Solid furniture ors spend their leave breaks lic transport while wearing a The Snakepit was tiled and the when not in a home port. uniform during this period. furniture solid. Cleaning up of Looking at the workload of the a morning was usually carried sadly diminished RAN of the Wearing a service uniform out using hoses and the whole 2000s, it’s possible they don’t ashore soon became a hazard- atmosphere owed more to the get many such breaks,but that’s ous act, to the undying dishon- hotels of the ’50s than to the a story for someone else to our of some of Australia’s less upmarket hostelries of Syd- look into. capable thinkers. ney’s CBD in the 2000s. Notes: The Snakepit In those less puritan days, well Probably the most famous part before political correctness,oc- 1. Graeme Andrews, served in the of Johnnies was the interna- cupational health and safety RAN, RANER and RANR for tionally famous “Snakepit”. and similar catch phrases, there 24 years, 1955-1979. were many riotous happenings The Royal Navy House was recorded regularly between 2. His book, The watermen of built around a four-story hol- Woolloomooloo and Johnnies. Sydney: Memories of a working low centre. Around the inside harbour,Turton and Armstrong: of each floor was a wide ve- Most nights Johnnies was quiet Wahroonga, 2004, costs $34.95 at randah. From these verandahs but there were others when all good book stores. Call Stannards one could look down to the many bawdy ballads had to be at 02 9418 3711 for mail orders. bottom floor, the fabled sung and tall tales told before 3.The author has been unable toNaval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 10 locate any photographs taken inside Johnnies. He would welcome any opportunity to copy such material.

A set of familiar traditions and ties”, the dwellings of Afro- ence of North Americans, par-customs peculiar to seafarers American plantation slaves. ticularly African Americans.gradually evolved. The American Civil War has The first published collection been credited with more songs Origins obscure of shanties was as late as 1875, than any other war and tookIt is difficult to discover when yet Captain W. B.Whall wrote place when shantying wasand where the first sea songs in 1910, “Since 1872 I have most used. Some much-usedof this era occurred but they not heard a shanty or song shanties did not have deep-seawere almost certainly working worth the name; steam spoilt origin but were originallychants associated with han- them.” However, shanties, au- heard on inland waterwaysdling anchors and sails. St Paul’s thentic or not, were still used such as the Mississippi, Mis-voyages in the Mediterranean into the early years of the souri and in the Canadian tim-reveal nothing of songs, reli- twentieth century. ber industry.gious, secular or sacrilegious,but one of the few examples Ritualistic Examples:of old British nautical usage in- Shantying, which reached its (Also, Google “sea shanties”)volving chants was the peak during the first half of the Capstan hauls:Across the west-Complaynt of Scotland, dated nineteenth century, became ern ocean, Bound to the Rio1450, wherein all the opera- quite ritualistic, with a well- Grande, The plains of Mexico,tions of a vessel setting forth defined pattern.Every function Sally Brown, Stormalong andfrom an anchorage are re- of manual “pully-hauly” work Goodbye, fare you well.counted with the appropriate in a square rigger used a shanty Windlass hauls(when wind-chants. Some of the words are suited to its nature,rhythm and lasses replaced capstans): Oneobviously of foreign origin, so tempo matching the job in more day, Lowlands and Thethis is an example of universal hand. For example the slow Black Ball Line.sea usage, such was the diver- tramp around the capstan as the Short pulls: Johnny Boker,sity of nationalities in the ships anchor was weighed and Boney and Haul away Joe.of those times and the ports catheaded, and the hauling on Bunting up a sail:Paddy Doyle.they visited, perhaps as much halyards to hoist a yard into General hauling: Oh fare youas in later centuries. position had an emphasis on well my bonny young girls and the downbeat. A ship usually Tommy’s gone to Hilo.Shakespeare, who seems to carried a special “shantyman” “Stamp-and go” hauls:have had some knowledge of who sang the verses. He was Early in the morning (betterevery profession, offers little to sometimes accompanied by a known as What shall we do withthe subject. In The tempest he violinist or player of a simple the drunken sailor).portrays mariners in too great wind instrument, such as adistress to indulge in singing. penny whistle. The working Shantying was not encouragedEven after the worst has hap- seamen joined in the chorus. in the Royal Navy but waspened,he offers us only the de- In passenger ships the words used with some restraint inpressing Full fathom five thy fa- had to be respectable but in ships of The Honourable Eastther lies. cargo-only carriers, use was made of what Captain Whall Contd p. 12 Classifications called “the veriest filth”.The eighteenth century saw As this sketch illustrates, topmen furling a sail at seathe establishment and growth It is hardly necessary to men- had little time or concentration to spare for shanties.of sea songs. At this stage the tion that most shanties weresongs may be divided into only used for deck-level jobs.various types or classes. By Aloft in a square rigger de-now the work songs were manded all the concentrationknown in western European and wind a man had, especiallyand American countries as in heavy weather. However,“Shanties” or “Chanties”.The Whall states that one shantyorigin of the name is uncer- was used exclusively to bunttain, but has been variously at- up a sail in furling. As to ori-tributed to the French verb gins of words and music, there“chanter”, to sing, or to“shan- is no doubt about the influ- 11

stage piece, wave was by Henry Russell (1812-1900), a versatile musi- the words cian and pupil of Rossini. He is credited with about eight being written hundred songs but most are now forgotten. by David The poet Henry Newbolt, Garrick, the (1862-1938) wrote five “Songs of the sea” and five “Songs of playwright the fleet”. His terms and ex- pressions were seamanlike,giv- and actor, for ing his verses authenticity. Charles Villiers Stanford Harlequin’s in- (1852-1924),an Irish-born or- ganist, conductor and com- vasion in 1759. poser,set the ten poems to mu- sic.Recorded many times, they It was very included: Drake’s drum, Out- ward bound, Devon 0 Devon in topical in“this wind and rain,Homeward bound, The old Superb, Sailing at dawn,Belle Poule (left) takes down Saucy Arethusa’s mainmast in 1778.The wonderful The song of the sou’wester, TheFrenchman escaped the nearby British fleet, but was captured a year later. year” of the middle watch, The little admiral victories of and Farewell. Minden, Anchors aweigh More recent times have seenShanties India Company. Some of the Quiberon Bay and Quebec. both new songs and old ones revived, with the USA, as al- songs sung in the wardrooms Some historians doubt ways, contributing many, such of warships were of a class of whether the fighting sailors of as Anchors aweigh. In the 1940s, modified shanties which have those days would have liked to as an apprentice in tramp ships, survived to this day alongside be called “jolly tars.”Tom Bowl- we sang Maggie Mae, long be- the other types of sea songs. ing is one of over a thousand fore its return as a popular The latter include songs songs written by Charles song.A crew from the Hebri- written as words and music Dibdin (1745-1815), who des sang songs that almost cer- for the stage and nautical po- wrote both words and music tainly were old shanties. Cap- ems subsequently set to mu- and is credited with helping to tainWall’s phrase of 1910“The sic.Although not all of them make the navy popular with veriest filth” so aptly describes had a ring of nautical authen- the public by personally per- them that good taste forbids ticity and the odd phrase forming them. Tom Bowling is even quoting a title. could give them away, sailors perhaps the best known, and and landsmen alike enjoyed though the name was of a References: rousing words set to a rollick- character in Tobias Smollet’s ing tune. Roderick Random (1748), it dis- Mackay, C., 1,001 gems of English guises the fact that the sad story poetry. G. Routledge and Sons: The Saucy Arethusa celebrates the life and death of London, 1867. So many of them began with Charles’ brother,CaptainTho- the words “Come all ye jolly mas Dibdin. Scholes, P.A. The Oxford compan- sailors”, that they became ion to music,9th Ed. Oxford Uni- versity Press, 1955. known collectively as “Come Rule Britannia all Ye’s”. Some old favourites Rule Britannia is an outstand- Smollet, T The adventures of were based upon actual events, ing example of a patriotic song Roderick Random.Oxford Uni- such as The Saucy Arethusa that every Briton knows, but versity Press: Oxford, 1848 (pa- which tells the tale (with some only the chorus, or at best an- perback, 1979). errors) of an actual frigate ac- other line or two. In fact there tion in the English Channel in are six verses. The poem was Whall, W.B., Whall R.H. and E. June 1778. The words are the work of James Thomson Reeves (Eds) Sea songs and shan- anonymous but the lively (1699-1748) and the tune by ties, 6th ed. Brown, Son and melody was an original coun- Dr Thomas Augustine Arne Ferguson: Glasgow, 1930. try dance tune, The Princess (1710-1778). It was first per- Royal, harmonised byWilliam formed in the masque Alfred in Shield, a Durham-born com- 1740.The well known chorus poser (1748-1829). contains the exhortation“Bri- tannia rule the waves”, often The Royal Navy’s March Past incorrectly changed to “rules Heart of oak, referring to the the waves”. The Royal Ma- timber used in ship construc- rines’ march, Life on the ocean tion, was a fine example of aNaval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 12

Armoured flight decks and a 3-inch (76.2 mm) roof” (Preston p. 60). The designers expected the air group to land on and be struck down in the face of air attack. Meanwhile, the ship’s AA armament “wel-The British armoured flight to retire for repairs. Closer ex- comed the opportunity” todecks and enclosed hangars, as amination suggests this is not shoot down the attackers, heseen in the Illustrious class air- quite so. adds.This never happened.craft carriers, were vastly supe-rior to the American Essex Stuart Eadon reiterated the Interestingly, the Japaneseclass that had open hangars,and mantra as late as 1991, saying Shokaku class was also a pur-an armoured main deck that that in contrast to the “vulner- pose-built large aircraft carriersupported an elevated flight able” wooden decks of Ameri- constructed around the samedeck, according to generations can aircraft carriers, the ar- time. It had an American-styleof RN and RAN fixed-wing moured decks of the British “open” hangar,with a 100 mmpilots. There were pros and Fleet carriers protected them armoured hangar deck over thecons. Illustrious- and Essex- to the extent that they fre- machinery spaces, much likeclass total armour was compa- quently returned to flight op- the Essex class.rable in terms of total weight, erations within hours of beingand the ships were of a similar hit. He cites one famous com- Multiple variablessize, but the British armoured ment by an observer watching Other authors, such as Stuartflight deck design offered bet- a kamikaze attacker that “lit- Slade and Richard Worth,ter protection against bombs erally bounced along the deck point to a whole host of criti-than the American, so the ar- and then slid off into the sea” cally important variables thatgument went. (Eadon p. 266). Even more re- must be taken into account cently, in 2004,another source before coming to a reasonedExamples boasts,“The immense strength conclusion. They make a con-After all, look at the way Illus- of the ships stood them in good vincing claim that the differ-trious survived numerous stead … In the Pacific War ent damage reported by Brit-bombs in January 1941 in the most of the (Illustrious class) ish and American carriers canMediterranean and Formidable ships withstood one or even be explained chiefly by thesurvived two 500 kg bombs in two kamikaze strikes without amount of refuelled and re-the Med on 26 May 1941 and having to leave station”(Bishop armed aircraft on deck wheneven a couple of kamikazes off and Chant p. 46). the bomb or kamikaze hit. PutOkinawa in early May 1945,all simply: the bigger and morewith minimal casualties. On Explanation volatile the deck park, British,the other hand, Essex class car- Anthony Preston succinctly American or Japanese, theriers, such as Franklin (CV-13) explains why the Illustrious heavier the damage, regardlessreported 989 casualties and se- class carriers were built with of whether the flight deck wasvere damage on 19 March an armoured flight deck and armoured or not. One corol-1945 from two 250 kg bombs enclosed hangar. The British lary found proven was that ifwhile Bunker Hill (CV-17) had specifications aimed to: “Pro- a bomb penetrated the Brit-650 casualties and equally se- vide as much protection for the ish flight deck armour, thevere damage from two kami- aircraft as possible.This meant damage was likely to be very Contd p. 14kaze hits on 11 May 1945. … building an armoured boxEven modern internet com- with 4.5-inch (114 mm) sidesment is re-plete with the Launched Illustrious Essex Shokakumantra that Displacement 5.4.40 31.7.42 12.12.37while British Dimensions 28,661 tons 27,100 tons 25,675 tonscarriers Speed 227 x 29 x 8.5 metres 266 x 28.3 x 8.6 metres 257.5 x 26 x 8.8 metresshrugged off Crew 30.5 knots 33 knots 34.2 knotskamikazes, Propulsion 1200 2600 1660American 3 shafts, 110,000 shp 4 shafts, 150,000 shp 4 shafts, 160,000 shpcar r iers had Aircraft 32 - 57 90 – 100 84 13

tected aircraft from the ele- ments,but it drastically reduced the number of aircraft, by maybe 40 per cent, that could be carried in similar sized hulls.This might not matter, given a surfeit of aircraft carri- ers,but the PacificWar quickly demonstrated the scarcity of these vessels. USS Essex (top), HMS Illustrious and HIJMS Shokaku. Lift placement The armoured box also pre-Flight decks severe indeed. Another was and built a thinner but sturdy sented design difficulties in that good damage control pro- enough flight deck. that it limited the size and cedures were vitally important placement of aircraft lifts.The to prevent further damage and Compromise centreline lifts demanded by to extinguish fires. Perhaps there are two impor- the armoured box prevented tant and sometimes over-riding the transfer of aircraft be- A third confounding factor, design considerations.The first tween the flight deck and frequently overlooked in com- is that all ship design is essen- hangar during flying opera- ment, is that there were only tially a compromise between tions.The open hangar con- four British fleet carriers ex- highly competing variables.The cept and deck edge lift for- posed to kamikazes and they second is that unless the self- ward of the barriers permit- were rarely subjected to heavy damage danger of aviation fuel ted limited aircraft move- sustained attack. This was in and ordnance is not scrupu- ments, even as aircraft were contrast to the more numer- lously controlled,as in RN and being flown on and off. ous American carriers that RAN ships, then aircraft carri- were frequently targets for ers are extremely vulnerable to Fire in an aircraft carrier, with multiple coordinated strikes. petrol-related fires. all its volatile aircraft fuel and Except to prove an exception, ordnance, is at the forefront of even the dodgiest statistician The Americans favoured large every carrier captain’s mind. would never rely on such a air groups and theoretically The British were especially small number as four. depended on their aircraft to sensitive to this. As Anthony keep the enemy away.They also Preston notes,“As part of their Where to put it? deliberately maximised their fire precautions the British de- Slade makes the salient point, aircraft complement to the veloped the concept of the “The question is not so much extent that they routinely ‘closed’ hangar, in which the whether armour is useful … stowed aircraft on deck.There ventilation of the hangar was but where the designer puts was no other place to put them, sealed off from the rest of the it.”The British Illustrious class even in their larger hangars. ship” (Preston p 44). Hangar had the flight deck as the This was acceptable in most of access,other than by aircraft lift, strength deck with three-inch the Pacific,but it could be risky was via air locks. amour, theoretically sufficient to delicate aircraft in the to resist 500-lb (226 kg) stormy North Atlantic and in Aviation gasoline bombs and six-inch (15.2 cm) action, according to RAF-ad- Therefore the explosive avia- shells. Instead, the American vised RN 1930s-era thinking. tion gasoline (AVGAS) fumes Essex and the Japanese vented by stowed aircraft, es- Shokaku classes had 3.5 inches The British armoured box pecially in rough weather, of armour on the hangar deck hangar design certainly pro- were trapped inside a closed hangar and blown clear of theNaval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 14 ship in a controlled manner. Open hangars risked sucking some of these fumes back into living spaces from random pathways. On the other hand,

closed box to mitigate aircraft carrier volatil- the detriment ity.A number of big American of the entire and Japanese aircraft carriers ship structure, were lost or heavily damaged such as with by AVGAS explosions or fires Indomitable in after WW II action (e.g. 1952. American: Lexington CV-2 8 May 1942,Wasp CV-7 15 Sep- Hull tember 1942, Franklin CV-13 19 March 1945, Bunker Hill distorted CV-17 11 May 1945;Japanese: Soryu and Akagi 4 June 1942, After bombs Shokaku and Taiho 19 June 1944.) Big British carriers also distorted her reported AVGAS-related fires (e.g. Formidable, 12 August hull on 10 1942,3 February 1951) but the British (and the RAN) tended January 1941, to be much more conservative with their AVGAS and ord- Illustrious had nance handling. her centre RN, RAN procedures The RN insisted that no air- propeller craft be refuelled or rearmed during flight deck aircraft op- shaft cut erations (flag foxtrot close up). The entire AVGAS supply sys- away, with tem was routinely drained, purged and even inert gas concomitant pumped in when attacks were expected. The Americans and reduction is Japanese, with their larger air- craft complement and complexHMS Illustrious. speed to 22 deck parks, and therefore knots. It is greater demand for fast turna- round times, frequently refu-poor damage control could probable that Essex class car- elled and even re-armed aircraft during flying operations. RNjeopardise the whole ship. For riers,in similar situations,suchinstance, the Japanese Taiho, af- as with the severe flare maga-ter being hit by submarine- zine and hangar fire that killedfired torpedoes at 0810,19 June 44 in Oriskany (CV-34) in1944, had aviation fuel slosh- 1966, would have shruggeding about in the forward lift off the structural damagewell for hours, but the vapour problem.Oriskany was back inwas restricted to the hangar. the fleet five months laterInstead of venting this fuel/air with her main machinery andmixture overboard in a control- hull virtually unimpaired.led manner, an inexperienceddamage control team vented it None sunkinto the ship.This set up a se- No Essex or Illustrious classries of such large AVGAS-fed carrier was sunk inWW II, butexplosions,more than six hours of all the Essex class, USS Contd p.16later, that the flight deck split Franklin was perhaps thelongitudinally, virtually in two, most severely damaged.and the hangar sides blew out. Three kamikaze hits,a bomb hit and a near miss between Small fires 9 October and 30 OctoberSmall fires in an armoured box 1944 sent her back to thehangar should be more easily USA for a ten-week repaircontrolled. Certainly, with both schedule. Another two 250lifts up, fire curtains down and kg bomb hits plus internalsprinklers operating,a single air- fires and ordnance explo-craft fire should be extinguished sions on 19 March 1945promptly, within a couple of earned her a six-monthminutes. However, if reactions dockyard sojourn in theare slow or something goes Brooklyn NavyYard.wrong, as it frequently does, the The Essex class USS Oriskany, in June 1967, after herresulting fire or contained explo- Good aircraft fuel and ord- October 1966 fire, with obvious post-WW II modifications,sion could easily warp the en- nance handling practices including jet aircraft, angled deck and hurricane bow. 15

kg bomb ous class carrier HMS Victori- would be ous, for instance, took nearly the biggest eight years from 1950 to re- that Brit- build her from her hangar deck ish carriers level up. This means that any w o u l d damage wrought by fires or need to re- explosions on the more ex- pel was posed Essex flight deck or quickly re- hangar deck might well be futed in more extensive at first glance,Shokaku’s flight deck was a mess after three bomb hits. She was repaired and practice. but such damage need not made ready to fight another day. When a compromise the ship’s rigid 500 kg girder and should be more eas-Flight decks and RAN carriers routinely bomb penetrated an Illustrious ily repaired. plugged rockets into the air- class carrier’s armoured deck craft’s firing circuit on the cata- (e.g.Illustrious, 10 January 1941; Damage control pult, with the aircraft pointing Formidable, 12 August 1942) it Damage control in an aircraft in a safe direction. USS caused severe and frequently carrier is a highly complex sub- Forrestal, to “save time” before lasting damage. ject. Fully-fuelled and fully- its 29 July 1967 fire, plugged armed aircraft on the flight in rockets and even removed Ship’s girder deck or hangar deck have the quick-release circuit-breaker One final important structural potential to cause more dam- safety clips before aircraft had consideration is that the Illus- age than a well-directed bomb, completed their engine start- trious class had the hangar torpedo or kamikaze, as the up procedures. It was a stray placed integral with the ship’s 1967 Forrestal (CV-59) and the voltage surge, as an F-4 girder,while the Essex class had 1969 Enterprise (CVN-65) fires switched from ground to air- their hangar mounted outside demonstrated.Forrestal claimed craft electrical supply,that fired this important structural design 196 casualties. Nine 1000- the Zuni rocket that initiated element. Ship designers see a pound (454 kg) bombs deto- so much destruction. large hangar space as essentially nated,tearing holes in the flight an unwelcome large open void. deck through which flaming jet British warship designer and If the hangar is sited within the fuel poured into the spaces be- well-known author David K. ship’s rigid girder and is ex- low.The fire was eventually ex- Brown asserts that the British posed to thermal or explosive tinguished but the ship had to armoured deck design never shock, it encourages this girder return to Norfolk for extensive lived up to its reputation and to deform. repairs that lasted ten months. concludes that “More fighters Enterprise required 12 weeks would have been better pro- Short of virtually rebuilding in Pearl Harbor, but both ships tection than armour” (Brown the entire ship, once deformed served out their time;unlike the p. 56). He explains how the it stays that way. The Illustri- Illustrious class ships that RN originally envisaged bat- tles in compara- tively restricted seas within the range of some land-based air- craft, such as the Mediterranean. This “narrow seas” concept was proven to be far removed from reality. Similarly, the Oriskany’s major fire, 26 October 1967, was caused by mishandling an aircraft magnesium idea that a 226 flare in a well-stocked hangar deck extempore ready-use stowage.Naval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 16

tended to require longer repair be remarkably tough: e.g. cancelled in late 1945, tend toperiods or even pay off after Oriskanay (CV-34) fire 26 Oc-lesser damage. tober 1966;Forrestal (CV-59) fire, follow the Essex armoured 29 July 1967 and Enterprise Oriskany fire (CVN-59) fire,14 January 1969). hangar deck and open hangarUSS Oriskany (CV-34), an Es-sex class carrier, had a severe Carrier design trend principle over the Illustrioushangar deck fire when her ready Successful carrier design hasuse aircraft magnesium flare been led chiefly by the British “armoured box” design.stowage burned, 27 October and Americans.The British con-1966, killing 44 men. She was tributed major improvements. References:repaired in eight months. In recent years these include the angled deck, mirror,steam cata- Bishop, C. and C.Chant.Aircraft car-The early USN carriers pult,V/STOL and ski jump. riers:The world’s greatest naval ves-Lexington (CV-2) and Saratoga sels and their aircraft. Silverdale(CV3) had the flight deck as the The Americans were right to Books:Wigston, 2004.strength deck, but 1930s Japa- insist on their faster 30+ knotnese designs such as the Shokaku carriers. The Americans also Brown,D.K.Nelson toVanguard:War-and even the German 23,000- introduced air-to-air refuelling, ship design 1923-1945. Naval In-ton Graf Zeppelin all had the Airborne EarlyWarning, auto- stitute Press: Annapolis, 2006.hangar deck carrying the main throttle and then auto-landarmour. Ark Royal and Eagle systems. It must be concluded, Eadon, S. (Ed.) Kamikaze:The storywere the first two British carri- however, that the British ar- of the British Pacific Fleet. Squareers built after the Illustrious/ moured deck and enclosed One publications: Worces-Implacable classes and their hangar concept, as built into ter,1991.1942 designers opted for an ar- the Illustrious class, nevermour distribution and hangar achieved the protection its de- Foster,W.F. Fire on the hangar deck.configuration more towards signers sought.Additionally,the Naval Institute Press: Annapolis,American lines.The heavily ar- sacrifice in aircraft numbers 2001.moured flight deck and en- strongly militate against it everclosed hangar sacrifices were being considered again. Freeman, G.A. Sailors to the end:Thefound to be just not worth the deadly fire in the USS Forrestal andeffort. By then it was also be- Post-WW II trends, including the heroes who fought it. Harpercoming clear that no flight deck the four British Malta class Collins: New York, 2004.could ever be built that wouldprotect the ship from the larger Friedman, N. British carrier aviation:bombs becoming available, yet The evolution of the ships and theirstill keep topweight in manage- aircraft. Naval Institute Press:able proportions. Annapolis, 1988. Hoyt, E.P. The kamikazes. Harper Collins: New York,1985. Preston, A. Aircraft carriers. Bison Books Corp.: Greenwich, 1979. Websites: Slade,S.Were armoured flight decks on British carriers worthwhile? (2002) http://navweaps. com/ index_tech/tech-030.htm. Worth, R. The armoured box: The war’s verdict (2002) http:// navweaps.com/index_tech/ tech-030.htm. Sturdy flight deck The premature firing of a Zuni rocket caused fatal fires in both Forrestal (stray voltage duringThe Forrestals and later big engine start, above) and the nuclear-powered Enterprise (starter huffer exhaust cook off).American carriers all have a solidflight deck, but this is not so 17much armour,as a necessary plat-form for the very heavy aircraft(30,000 kg) they operate. Pro-tective flight deck armour capa-bility is a secondary considera-tion. There are two design fea-tures that help these big ships.Firstly, they are incredibly large,so the void represented by theopen hangar is proportionatelysmaller. Secondly, they are builtwith considerable redundancy to

The naval service of Schoolmaster Charles TyersBy Don Gunn Charles James Tyers (1806-1870). pose of the expedition was to founded by Edward VI for the ascertain the location of the education of poor children. The Charles JamesTyers was a man 141st meridian of east longi- Royal Mathematical School was of outstanding ability. In Oc- tude, being the boundary be- an integral part of Christ’s Hos- tober 1839 he began a five- tween New South Wales and pital and its pupils,all boys,were month expedition by horse the new Colony of South Aus- educated in mathematics and and bullock dray from Mel- tralia. His work was so precise navigation for intended service bourne via Geelong to the that it took the development in the Royal Navy. Henty’s settlement at Portland. of the global positioning sys- He had been at sea for most tem to show just how remark- Mother destitute of the previous 11 years and ably accurate his survey was. A His mother had been left des- must have been quite unused conclusion on this survey states titute with nine children un- to such travel. it succinctly: “Charles James der the age of 13 after his fa- Tyers was a brilliant surveyor ther died aged 43.Tyers was ad- Model report and navigator. In 1839, he mitted to the Bluecoat School Yet his report of the expedition fixed the longitude of the 141st on 13 April 1815 at the age of was of such quality that the meridian in the field to within eight and discharged five years Governor ordered “it to be 20 seconds of arc (480 metres). later into the care of his uncle, printed, in order that, by being That amounts in time to 1.3 Daniel Theobald, a house- circulated among the officers of seconds” (Middleton 2002). keeper at Christ’s Hospital. the Department, it might Tyers was also bound as an stimulate them to exertion, and Gippsland administrator usher to one of the Hospital’s serve as a model for future op- He soon had an opportunity Writing Masters for a period erations of the same nature” to display his administrative of seven years. (Gipps 1840). The prime pur- skills. In 1843 he was ap- pointed as the first “Commis- On 1 July 1824 the AdmiraltyNaval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 sioner of Crown Lands for the established a class of “Young District of Gipps’ Land.” At Gentlemen”intended to rise to this time there was no land ac- the situation of Master in the cess to the area,and no law. He Royal Navy. Candidates were was the law. “Gippsland was to be “Persons of Education,” for many years ruled by Mr particularly in the branches of Tyers with an authority almost science connected with navi- royal” (Dunderdale 1898, gation. Boys brought up at p.273.) In 1860 he was made Christ’s Hospital were specifi- Acting Chief Commissioner of cally identified as being eligi- Crown Lands for the Colony ble. However, by mid-1824 of Victoria. Tyers was nearly 18 and the new Admiralty scheme was In February 1868 theVictorian intended for 13-year olds. He Legislative Assembly debated a would be 20 before he com- most unusual proposition, that pleted his time as an usher. Tyers be granted an honorary gratuity of £3 000 for his serv- HMS Blonde 1828-1831 ices to the Colony (Argus Whether or not he decided, or 1868.) For the record,the pro- was able, to apply for this new posal did not proceed to a vote. route to the job of master, he did join the navy. Some time Background after he completed his time as Tyers had been educated at the an usher in September 1827, Bluecoat School of Christ’s Hos- he applied to become a school- pital. Bluecoat schools had been master. On 5 April 1828, the 18

Admiralty issued a warrant ap- upper deck) and boats (32-foot not at all supportive of Russia’spointing him to HMS Blonde barge, 25-foot cutter, 34-foot aims, Codrington even havingas ship schoolmaster. launch, 18-foot jolly and 32- been censured for protecting foot pinnace). the Russian fleet at Navarino.A schoolmaster was borne ineach British man o’ war to in- Malta bound The ship’s commission endedstruct all young persons, both Blonde left Portsmouth for on Saturday 4 June 1831. Tyersseamen and officers. They had Malta soon after Tyers joined. was discharged that day,and theto pass a qualifying examina- She remained in the Malta ship’s company paid off.tion set by the Royal Naval Dockyard throughout May andCollege, Portsmouth, before June 1828, followed by exer- He was not immediately ap-being able to serve in one of cises at sea with occasional vis- pointed to another ship; it wasHM ships. They were ap- its back to Malta before an- the custom for seamen not inpointed by warrant from the other extended stay at Malta an active ship to be given halfAdmiralty,hence warrant offic- Dockyard through December pay. In 1831 the pay of aers,but like surgeon’s mates,the and January. In February 1829 schoolmaster was £4/14/- perarmourer, cook, master-at-arms the active phase of her com- mensum (monthly), the sameand sailmaker, they were not mission began. Muster reports as a clerk, the highest of all firstcounted as sea officers, giving include mentions of visits to class petty officers.them inferior status to those many ports in Italy, Greece,who were. Schoolmasters were Algeria and Turkey. Between HMS Melville 1831-1835paid as midshipmen, but with June 1829 and July 1830, Tyers’s next ship was vastly dif-the professional and social Blonde spent most of her time ferent. Melville, 74 guns, was astanding of petty officers. visiting ports and sailing be- third rate and the flagship of the tween Constantinople and the East Indies Station. Her com- Joined 1828 Dardanelles. Her final visit to plement was 553. She carriedTyers joined Blonde at Ports- Constantinople was in July, the flag of the Commander inmouth on 26 April 1828, al- before returning to Malta Chief, VADM Sir John Gore,though early muster books Dockyard for three months. KCB, and was commanded byrecord him as having improb- December 1830 and January CAPT Henry Hart.ably joined on the day of the 1831 saw the ship at Alexan-warrant. The muster book dria, then Malta again, Naples Melville began a new commissionlisted him in Officer’s List No. in March and Leghorn in April. on 30 September 1831. Tyers4, Quarterdeck Petty Officers, She arrived at Spithead and fi- joined as the flagship’s school-recording that he was age 21 nally Portsmouth in May 1831. master at Portsmouth on 8 Oc-on joining, was born at West- tober 1831, the muster book ofminster, was a volunteer and Turkish-Russian Warthis was his first ship. Blonde’s long presence in Turk- Contd p.20 ish, and to a lesser extent Egyp-HMS Blonde was a fifth rate of tian, waters coincided with the The Surveyors Monument at Nelson,Victoria,46 guns and a complement of Turkish – Russian War of 1828 commemorating the pioneer work of John Tyers and others.275. She was commanded by and 1829. This followedLord Byron on her previous Greece’s War of Independencecommission, but he was re- from Turkey, during which aplaced by CAPT Edmund Ly- combined British, French andons for this commission to the Russian fleet, led byVADM SirMediterranean Station. One Edward Codrington, who hadof Tyers’s first actions was to commanded HMS Orion at thesurvey the ship; his Notebook battle of Trafalgar 22 years ear-lists the ship’s dimensions, di- lier, completely destroyed themensions of sails, masts and Turkish and Egyptian fleets attanks, weight of anchors, the battle of Navarino in Oc-amount of ballast, guns (28 x tober 1827 (see p. 31). It is rea-18 pounders long on the main sonable to surmise that Blonde’sdeck, 16 x 23 pounders and duties inTurkish waters were totwo 9 pounders long on the support Turkey, for Britain was 19

Beautiful Tyers Lake is just one of the many natural previous commission of 553, the whole ship’s company, asfeatures that bear the Tyers name in the Gippsland area. Melville changed from a third was the custom in those days. rate to a fourth rate. She re-Tyers List No. 4 Petty Officers identi- mained a flagship, but now of HMS Alligator 1837 -1839 fying his last ship as the Blonde, the North America and West The very next day the Admi- being born atWestminster. Indies Station, commanded by ralty appointed Alfred William CAPT Peter Douglas. Lane as naval instructor and Cape of Good Hope schoolmaster to HMS Melville The ship remained at Port- Aged 28 for its next commission with smouth until December 1831, The ship’s muster book for List seniority of 1 September 1837. but on 29 March 1832 was at the No. 4 Quarterdeck Petty Of- The warrant officer rank of Cape of Good Hope en route to ficers recorded CharlesTyers as naval instructor and school- her station. She had reached joining as ship’s schoolmaster master had been introduced by Bengal by 10 June, and after a on 25 January 1836, per Ad- the Admiralty on 1 May 1837 month there sailed to Madras for miralty Appointment, and be- to concentrate on teaching ca- a further month’s stay. For nearly ing born at Dover Street, Pic- dets and midshipmen, future three years, until March 1835, cadilly, London. officers,and Lane was the third Melville cruised the East Indies such appointment (Navy List Station, spending extended time Melville’s description book 1838,1839). in Madras, Bombay and records him as being 6 feet Trincomalee, but also visiting (1.83 metres) tall,this at a time At the same time a new petty tropical ports, such as Colombo when few members of the officer’s rating of seaman’s and Port Louis, Mauritius. ship’s company were listed as schoolmaster (Admiralty Memo- taller than 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 randum, 5 May 1837) was cre- The ship’s final muster book metres),of sallow complexion, ated to teach boys and seamen. closed on 22 July 1835, but hazel eyes and brown hair. The Tyers had been the schoolmas- Tyers was not listed as being description book further iden- ter of a flagship for two com- discharged. However his next tifies his place of birth as St missions and must have been appointment,to the same ship, George’s Parish,London,Mid- one of the navy’s senior recorded that he had been dis- dlesex.The ship was in Hali- schoolmasters. He surely must charged on 22 July 1835. fax from March to September have had expectations of pro- 1836, Bermuda in November motion to the new rank, but HMS Melville 1836 -1837 and December and Barbados he was not. Nor was he ap- By 1835 the Admiralty had re- and Port Royal in January pointed to the lower rank of vised its classification of ships 1837. Then they sailed to seaman’s schoolmaster. from one based on the number Cartagena, Port Royal, Ja- of guns to one based on the maica, Grand Cayman and “Acting schoolmaster” number of men. Her comple- Havana through to March,and In fact, because he was not a ment now being 432, a con- returning to England via Ber- naval instructor and school- siderable reduction from her muda and Halifax.They passed master,his new appointment to the Lizard Lighthouse in Au- HMS Alligator was “actingNaval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 gust 1837. schoolmaster.” He seems to have been considered more Rank change qualified than those appointed During 1836 the rank of as a seaman’s schoolmaster, but Schoolmaster was raised from lacked some attribute allowing Petty Officer to Warrant Of- him to become a naval instruc- ficer, but there is no record tor and schoolmaster, hence of any change in Tyers’ s sta- the “sitting on the fence” rat- tus, especially a move to Of- ing of “acting schoolmaster.” ficers List No. 3, which was then the appropriate list for In 1837 naval instructors and Warrant Officers. schoolmasters were paid at the same rate as the previous He was discharged on 31 Au- schoolmaster, £4/14/- for first gust 1837 and paid off, with rates and included in what was 20

now List No. 2,Warrant Offic- vourably on his abilities, result- press-ganged seamen. Tyers ex-ers. Of the first class petty of-ficers, a clerk still received the ing in Governor Gipps offer- perienced more of the worldsame pay, £4/14/-, but a sea-man’s schoolmaster was only ing employment as a surveyor between the ages of 21 and 32paid £2/12/- per month. in the Surveyor General’s De- during his naval service of 11Alligator’s muster book recordsTyers in List No. 3, 1st Class partment should Alligator re- years, 4 months and 11 daysPetty Officers, as joining on 5September 1837 per Admiralty turn from her present duties than most men could in a life-Appointment at Portsmouth,his last ship being HMS Melville within 12 months. time. The expertise and expe-from which he had been dis-charged on 31 August 1837. rience he gained and the char-HMS Alligator was a much Standard chart acter he developed undoubt-smaller ship of 28 guns underthe command of CAPT Sir It was ten months before Alli- edly stood him in good steadGordon Bremer, Kt, KCH.Bremer had been charged to gator returned to Sydney, dur- when he applied to join thelead a small expedition, includ-ing HM Brig Britomart under ing which timeTyers surveyed Colonial Service. He capital-LEUT Owen Stanley, and thestoreship Orontes, to form a Port Essington, his chart pub- ised on these attributes withsettlement at Port Essington,on Australia’s Coburg Penin- lished and retained as a stand- determination and persever-sular some 250 km north-eastof Darwin. ard Admiralty chart for at least ance throughout his subse- Sydney 1838 the next 50 years, and reissued quent career.Her log records that she sailedfrom Plymouth on 6 March in 1889. He was a competent1838 and called at Tenerife inthe Canary Islands on 14 water colourist and a water- References:March. She replenished at Riofrom 21 April to 1 May and colour of Victoria, the settle- Argus,The (Melb.), 4 February 1868.again at Simonds Bay, Cape-town, from 26 May to 3 June, ment established at Port Dunderdale, G. The book of thefinally arriving at Sidney (sic) Essington, was reproduced in bush, Ward Lock and Co: Lon-on 22 July. She left Sydney for a book describing the ulti- don, 1898 (reprinted PenguinPort Essington two months mately aborted settlement. 1973).later on 16 September, arriv-ing on 29 October 1838. Tyers accepted the offer of Gipps, G. Letter to Lord Russell, employment with the Sur- 28 September 1840.During 1838 another sevennaval instructors and school- Memorandum, Admiralty, 5 Maymasters were created and ap- 1837.pointed to the fleet. Tyers wasnot among them. He must veyor General’s Department of Middleton, A.J. Looking for Tyers’have already decided that there the Colonial Service and on 16 arrow. Paper presented at thewas little future for him in the August 1839 he was formally AURISA Conference,Adelaide,Royal Navy. He approached discharged from the Royal 25-30 November 2002.the Colonial Service for a po- Navy by request, although hesition, and on 5 September had in fact left Alligator on 11 Muster Books ADM 37/7354,1838 a board reported most fa- 7355, 7356 and 7357. National Archives, Kew. July and joined the Colonial Navy List 1838, 1839. HMSO. Service on 14 July. Skillet, P.G. Forsaken settlement. Landsdown Press: Melbourne, Conclusion 1972. Service in the Royal Navy in the early 1800s was not for Tyers, Notebook of Charles James.The Mitchell Library, Sydney, Shelf A1414. quitters. It Photo: Craig Sillitoe was unremit- ting hard work in diffi- cult condi- tions. The schoolmaster was in a privi- leged posi- tion. He was in daily con- tact with the extremes of British soci- ety, from aris- Don Gunn, with a plaque commemorating the gravesite of his great tocratic admi- grandfather, Charles Tyers, who died in impoverished circumstances. For 130 rals to the years, despite an illustrious career,Tyers never had a headstone or other lowest of symbol marking his final resting place in the Melbourne General Cemetery. 21

Aircraft carrier evolution: Japanese developmentsSeventh article in a series by Scot MacDonald. Reprinted with permission: Naval Aviation News, October 1962 pp 39-42.“In the last analysis, the success or failure of our entire strategy in the Pacific will be determined by whether or not we succeedin destroying the U.S. Fleet, more particularly, its carrier task forces.”—ADML Isoroku Yamamoto, IJN, 1942.“I think our principal teacher in respect to the necessity of emphasising aircraft carriers was the American Navy.We had noteachers to speak of besides the United States in respect to the aircraft themselves and to the method of their employment …Wewere doing our utmost all the time to catch up with the United States.”—FADM Osami Nagano, IJN, 1945. two carriers of not more than 33,000 tons each, or obtain them by converting existing or partially constructed ships which would otherwise be scrapped by the treaty. HIJMS Hosho, the first purpose-built aircraft carrier ever to be commissioned, 27 December December 27 that year, Japan 1922, 17 months before HMS Hermes.The temorary island was removed after her initial commissioned its first aircrafttrials. Hosho’s 168 x 18 x 6.7 metres hull displaced 10,500 tons at full load.The 30,000 hp carrier, the Hosho (Flying engines, powered by geared turbines and 16 boilers, drove her at 25 knots.With a crew of 550, Phoenix). This was a remark- she carried 26 aircraft. She served in the Battle of Midway, with nine B4Y1 torpedo bombers, able hoku bokan (literally, mother ship for aircraft). but was not hit. Though the British were the first to operate aircraft onto andBy Christmas Eve 1921, the Italy.The same ratio for aircraft off a ship especially designed forWashington Disar mament carriers was set, with an over- that use, their first aircraft car-Conference had already been all limitation of 135,000 tons riers were conversions. Hoshogoing on for a month and a each for Great Britain and the was a carrier from the keel, thehalf. Participating were Great USA, and 81,000 tons for Ja- first of its kind completed inBritain,Japan, France, Italy,and pan. It also limited any new any navy of the world.the United States.It was on this carrier to 27,000 tons, with aday that Great Britain refused provision that, if total carrier Hermes contemporaryany limitation on auxiliary ves- tonnage were not thereby ex- Laid down in 1919 at thesels, in view of France’s de- ceeded, nations could build Asano Shipbuilding Co. ofmand for 90,000 tons in sub- Tsurumi, the ship was fittedmarines. The delegates then out atYokosuka NavyYard atbegan to consider confining a standard displacement ofthe treaty to capital ships and 7470 tons, a speed of 25 knots,aircraft carriers. with the capability of han- dling six bombers (plus four Washington Treaty Hosho in October 1945.The carrier survived WW II. The Washington Naval Treaty, 22 signed February 6,1922,estab- lished a tonnage ratio of 5-5-3 for the capital ships of Great Britain, the United States, and Japan, respectively, assigning a smaller tonnage to France andNaval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008

reserve), five fighters (in addi- we don’t visualise a man walk- two Curtiss seaplanes.A beachtion to two in reserve) and ing around with hammer and on the west side of Tokyo Bay,four reconnaissance planes, a saw in hand.” Oppama, was selected as a sitetotal of 21 aircraft. for a seadrome in the fall of that Chris Beilstein, another expert year and placed into commis-Hosho was indeed a strange on Japanese aircraft carriers, sion.The first class at Oppamalooking craft. She was all fly- concurs. “The Shokaku be- consisted of four officers anding deck. Originally,she had an comes ‘Flying Crane,’ for that 100 men.island structure and a tripod is the closest we can translatemast, but either because of the the original Japanese.The first The first landing on the Hoshosmall width of her flying deck Japanese CVs carried names of was made by a British civilian,(and its attending hazards) or mountains and provinces. a Mr Jourdan, on February 22,because some turbulence These, in turn,were frequently 1923. (In chronological com-might have been caused by it, named after mythological parison, Eugene Ely landed onthe island was taken off. The characters. Shokaku, for exam- a platform on the armouredcarrier sported three funnels ple, could have been a flying cruiser USS Pennsylvania Jan-on the starboard side. These crane in an age-old story, a uary 18,1911;USS Langley,thewere of the hinged type, held crane that was named Shokaku. USN’s first aircraft carrier, aupright when not in use, and This is very much like our real converted collier,was commis-swung outboard to provide life Misty, the wild horse. Cer- sioned March 20,1922;the firstadditional safety from stack gas. tainly, to translate ‘Misty’to lit- USA aircraft carrier built asLater, they were placed in a eral Japanese would be mean- such from the keel,USS Ranger,fixed position, bending aft and ingless to them, or at best, mis- was not commissioned untilslightly downward. leading. It would be more ac- June 4, 1934.) curate to translate it ‘WildHosho’s original armament Horse.’ Thus, ‘Misty,’ to the Akagi, convertedconsisted of four 14 cm (five- Japanese, would mean ‘Wild battlecruiser, 1928inch) single mount guns and Horse,’ just as we would erro- A naval expansion program, de-two 8 cm (three-inch) single neously translate Shokaku as cided upon in 1920, was com-mount high angle guns.At the ‘Flying Crane.’” pleted by March 1923. Underoutbreak of WW II, her high the limitations set by the Wash-angle guns were replaced by 1912 ington Naval Treaty, Japanfour 25 mm twin mount ma- Japanese Naval Aviation dates turned her attention to the con-chine guns. Later, the 14 cm back to 1912 when the Navy version of a battle cruiser (thenguns were removed and 25 mm sent officer trainees to the eight months under construc-double or single mount ma- USA, Great Britain, and tion at the Kure Naval Arsenal).chine guns were added. France. They returned from This, in 1928, became Japan’s France with two Farman sea- Japanese names planes, and from the USA with Contd p. 24Before continuing with Japa-nese development, an explana-tion of the naming of their air-craft carriers is in order.“Transliteration of the names HIJMS Akagi, Japan’s second aircraft carrier, was reconstructed in 1935-38 with a full-lengthof Japanese aircraft carriers into flight deck, port-side island and increased aircraft complement, from 60 to 91. She was VADMAmerican equivalents is a Nagumo’s Pearl Harbor flagship, before contributing to a highly profitable Indian Ocean raid,pretty risky business,” saidRoger Pineau, a frequently dusting up Darwin as she passed by, 19 February 1942, and sinking the carrier HMSpublished writer on the Japa- Hermes, two RN cruisers and HMAS Vampire off Sri Lanka (Ceylon) in April. Akagi wasnese Navy after World War II.“It becomes misleading. The lost at Midway, 4 June 1942, after one bomb hit and internal AVGAS-related explosions.names should be treated as suchand should not be taken too 23literally. For instance, when wespeak of astronaut Carpenter,

HIJMS Kaga, converted from a battleship hull, is seen here after major reconstruction in London in 1930, Japanese(lengthened flight deck, completely re-engined, starboard side island) in 1936. She was at naval officers began to chafePearl Harbor and contributed to the Darwin raid on 19 February 1942. Kaga missed the under the ship constructionIndian Ocean sortie after running aground at Palau, 9 February 1942. She too was lost at restrictions imposed upon their nation.At that time, the armed Midway, 4 June 1942, after four bomb hits and internal AVGAS explosions. forces were unpopular with the liberal government in power.Japan’s carriers second aircraft carrier,the Akagi the range of her high angle Final decision on the size of the (Red Castle, actually the name guns,of which she carries 12 navy lay in the competence of of a Japanese mountain). Akagi 4.7-inchers.The Hosho ...[is] the civilian government. Most displaced over 30,000 tons by far smaller than the Akagi, career officers were hostile to standard when completed, had but in the mode of construc- the treaty; those officers who a speed of 31 knots, and car- tion [it possesses] special fea- supported the civilian govern- ried 60 aircraft.She was armed tures of [its] own.The com- ment in the bitter fight that with ten eight-inch and 12 pletion of the Kaga, only ensued concerning ratification 4.7-inch guns. second to the Akagi, is a of the 1930 London Treaty, powerful addition to the were either forced to resign Earthquake damage Japanese Navy. within the next few years or A sister ship, the Amagi (Heav- were placed in unimportant enly Castle),was also scheduled Kaga was reported as displac- posts. Militarists, ascending in for conversion at that time, but ing 26,900 tons standard, but power, referred contemptu- sustained severe damage in the actually displaced over 30,000 ously to the ratification as“The earthquake of 1 September tons, had a speed of 27 knots May 15th affair.” 1923. She was scrapped in July and carried 60 aircraft. 1924 atYokosuka. In her place, Further reductions Japan converted the Kaga (the London Treaty 1930 The LondonTreaty carried for- name of an old Japanese prov- As the signatories of the Wash- ward the general limitations of ince) to an aircraft carrier. ington NavalTreaty reconvened the earlier Washington agree- Originally, she was laid down ment and provided for further as a 39,000-ton battleship, but reductions of naval armament. was scheduled for the scrap pile Under terms applicable to Na- as a result of agreed disarma- val Aviation,the definition of an ment limitations. Conversion aircraft carrier was broadened to was completed in 1928 and she include ships of any tonnage was commissioned the follow- designed primarily for aircraft ing year. operations. It was agreed that installation of a landing-on or flying-off platform on a warship The 1929 Japanese Year Book states of Akagi and Kaga: They are the pride of the The Nakajima A1N Gambet, Navy Type 3 Carrier Fighter, was in Japanese Navy, and though Japanese naval service from 1929 to 1935. Developed from the British slightly inferior to the Gloster Gamecock, its final version, the A1M2, had a 450 hp engine, a top Saratoga of the USN in re- speed of 150 knots and carried two 7.7 mm machine guns. It also had a spect of speed,the Akagi sur- passes the other in point of 200-mile range with two small 30 kg bombs.Naval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 24

designed and used primarily for London Naval Treaties. Under made it extremely difficult toother purposes would not make this authorisation, USS Wasp effectuate defence operations.that ship an aircraft carrier. It (CV-7) was laid down in 1936. 2. The remarkable increasesalso stipulated that no capital in the air forces of the USSRship in existence on April 1, Japanese militarists were not ea- and China,and the revival of1930 would be fitted with such ger to continue with the disar- the Far Eastern naval forcesa platform or deck. mament pacts. Wrote U.S. Am- of the former. bassador to Japan, Joseph C. 3. The establishment of the Rapid expansion Grew:“Japanese attitude toward naval port of Singapore byThe Japanese Navy expanded the coming Naval Conference in Great Britain,and the exten-rapidly after 1930, at such a rate 1935 London Treaty is intensely sion and strengthening of thethat it became necessary to con- unpopular among the Japanese naval port of Hawaii by thescript men. In 1931, a replen- naval officers high and low” and USA have had a great effectishment plan was authorised, in separate correspondence,“The on the naval plan of opera-permitting the Navy to com- situation is entirely different from tions in Far Eastern waters.plete construction of the Ryujo that in 1930 … Under present 4. The birth of Manchoukuo(Galloping Dragon), a small air- conditions the navy alone will [independence of Manchuria,craft carrier of about 10,000 have the final say [as to the size 18 February 1932] has broughttons laid down in 1929. It was of the Imperial Japanese Navy].” forth vast change in Far East-completed in 1933, its limited ern policies.It has increased thedeck free of an obstructive is- Quantitative parity responsibility of the Japaneseland. Ryujo had a speed of 29 It boiled down to this: Japan Empire as the stabilizsingknots, carried 36 aircraft, and wanted quantitative as well as power in the Far East.was armed with 12 five-inch qualitative parity in ship power,guns. She was Japan’s fourth air- equal to the United States and Treaty abrogatedcraft carrier. In June 1934, USS Great Britain.The 5-5-3 ratio These were political argumentsRanger became the United was no longer acceptable.Nei- the world’s two top naval pow-States Navy’s fourth carrier. ther the USA nor Britain fa- ers could not buy.But Japan was voured such an increase in adamant, refused compromise 1932 plan Japanese strength. Granted and, on December 29, 1934,In 1932, naval authorities re- equality in armoured ships, Ja- gave the required two years’ferred a second naval replen- pan would be the major power formal notice that after 31 De-ishment plan to the Ministry in the Pacific, greater than the cember 1936, she would noof Finance for study.This called USA and Great Britain com- longer be bound by the termsfor a total expenditure of bined when their fleets were of theWashington and London¥460,000,000 (about $230 divided geographically. Japan NavalTreaties. Her act of abro-million), covering the con- persisted.The JapaneseYear Book gation unleashed the restraintsstruction of one aircraft carrier of 1935 enumerated that coun- on international shipbuilding.of 8000 tons, other capital and try’s “official” reasoning:auxiliary ships, and the estab- Two more aircraft carriers werelishment of eight flying corps 1.The progress and develop- laid down in Japanese ways inon land: all this to be com- ment made recently in bat-pleted by the end of 1936.This tleships, aeroplanes, etc., have Contd p. 26aircraft carrier was never built.In 1934, preliminary disarma- HIJMS Soryu, laid down in 1934 and commissioned in December 1937, displaced 18,000ment conferences were held in tons on a 222 x 21 x 7.44 metres hull. Her four screws and 152,000 hp engines made herLondon. Congress had already nearly 40 per cent faster than the similar-sized 25-knot HMAS Sydney and Melbourne.passed and President Rooseveltauthorised an act that popu- 25larly became known as theVinson - Trammell Act. Thispermitted the USA to con-struct naval ships to the ton-nage limitations prescribed bythe previous Washington and

HIJMS Hiryu, sister ship to Soryu, was laid down in 1936 and commissioned in 1939. forward,and the eight-inch gunHiryu had a port-side island, like Akagi, which meant that when operating aircraft she would turrets and mountings were re- duced in Akagi from ten to six, be on the starboard side of a tight carrier formation, with her aircraft flying non-overlapping while Kaga replaced her 12 x right-hand circuits. Hiryu was also part of the carrier group that bombed Pearl Harbor and 4.7-inch guns with 16 five-Darwin and participated in the Indian Ocean raid. Hiryu was the only operational Japanese inchers. Kaga’s unwieldy fun-carrier left in the Battle of Midway after Kaga, Soryu and Akagi were all disabled early on 4 nels were also reduced. The June 1942. Hiryu launched two strikes, at 1050 and 1245, that severely damaged USS modernisation of Kaga, whichYorktown (CV-5, below), leading to that carrier’s total loss. In turn, Hiryu was hit by four included new machinery,added bombs from a strike by Yorktown’s sistership Enterprise (CV-6) around 1700 and was about 1½ knots to her speed, scuttled early the next morning.At Midway, Hiryu carried 21 A6M Zero fighters, 21 Aichi giving her 28.3, but Akagi’s modernisation cost her several D3A (Val) dive bombers and 21 Nakajima B5N (Kate) torpedo bombers. knots,bringing her down to 28.Japan’s carriers 1934 and 1936, the Soryu (Blue of planes and had the same ar- Port-side islands Dragon) and Hiryu (Flying mament, 12 five-inch guns. But the startling innovation Dragon). Soryu displaced about was the introduction of small 18,000 tons standard,had a speed Technical innovations islands on the port side of the of 34.5 knots, and handled 63 It was some time between 1935 carriers Akagi and Hiryu. The aircraft. Hiryu was heavier, and 1937 that naval ship design- remaining carriers had islands 18,500 tons standard, and had a ers configured carriers to pro- on the starboard (standard) speed of 34.3 knots. Officially, vide a surprising technical in- side—of those that had them both ships were carried on the novation. Akagi and Kaga un- at all.Strategists planned to use books at 10,050 tons standard; derwent major modernisation these carriers in a formation the true tonnage was not re- at this time. The lower flight that was unique.The lead car- vealed until after WW II. Both decks were suppressed, the up- riers in the basic formation ships carried the same number per flight decks were extended were to be the port-islanded Hiryu and Akagi, followed by the Soryu and Kaga.This would supposedly allow for a more compact formation with non- conflicting aircraft traffic pat- terns.This formation was used in the Battle of Midway. Shokaku and Zuikaku Japan’s next venture into air- craft carrier construction was the Shokaku (Flying Crane) and Zuikaku (Lucky Crane). These carriers were kept fairly well under wraps, insofar as specifications are concerned. They were authorised under the very ambitious Fleet Re- plenishment Program of 1937, the same program under which the famed super battleships Yamato and Musashi were built.USS Yorktown (CV-5) hit amidships by a torpedo from a Hiryu-launched strike, 4 June 1942. Shokaku was laid down Decem- ber 12, 1937 at the Yokosuka Navy Yard, while Zuikaku was started at Kawasaki Dockyard May 25, 1938. Basically, the ships had similar specifications.Naval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 26

They displaced 25,675 tons January 1940,but was completed games, was conducted in out-standard, had a designed speed in December that year.The car- of-the-way gulfs and in theof 34.2 knots, carried 16 five- rier was renamed Zuiho (Happy stormy northern reaches of theinch guns in twin mounts, and Phoenix). She displaced 11,200 Pacific.The men were hardenedcould carry up to 84 aircraft, tons standard, sailed at 28 knots, by the elements and drilledalthough a normal complement and carried 30 aircraft. She was continuously.To avoid antago-was 73. There were no major armed with eight five-inch guns. nising the Japanese, the USdifferences between the ships. A sister ship,Shoho (Lucky Phoe- Navy at the same time was in-Zuikaku, however, was fitted nix), converted between January structed to hold all of its fleetwith a bulbous bow, the first 1941 and January 1942, was problems in the less satisfactoryJapanese warship so designed. originally named Tsurugisaki, areas west of the InternationalShokaku was launched June 1, launched as a submarine depot Date Line.1939, and completed August 8, ship in 1934. Zuiho and Shoho1941; Zuikaku was launched particulars were similar. Pearl HarborNovember 27, 1939, and com- By 1941, Japan was determinedpleted September 25, 1941. Other aircraft carriers were un- to wage war.On November 10, der construction or conversion. VADM Chuichi Naguma, Funnel modifications At least 15 more would be placed in charge of the initialCompletion of both carriers was commissioned during the war attack, issued his first operationdelayed when the original fun- years, produced in growing re- order on the mission.The Strik-nel arrangement was changed in strictions of limited materials, ing Force of Akagi, Kaga,Soryu,mid-construction by the Aero- and, after the Battle of Midway Hiryu, Shokaku and Zuikaku, asnautical Headquarters. As de- in 1942, in desperation. well as other capital ships, sailedsigned, the funnels were to ap- from Kure navy base betweenpear one on each side of the is- Rapid expansion 10 and 18 November, rendez-land bridge, fore and aft on the In the five-year period preced- vousing on the 22nd in Tankanstarboard side.This was changed ing 7 December 1941, Japan’s Bay in the Kuriles.by placing the two funnels im- military might grew stronger.Inmediately aft of the island. March 1936 the cabinet was ADML Yamamoto ordered the dominated by men in uniform force to sortie on 26 November.The Japanese did not give either and the development of heavy On 2 December he broadcast aship much publicity. Both ships, industry was pushed. An ex- prearranged signal that wouldZuikaku and Shokaku, were to traordinarily ambitious and suc- launch the attack on Pearlfigure prominently in most sea cessful expansion of the navy Harbor: Niitaka Yama Noborebattles of WW II involving na- was launched in 1937, the same (Climb Mount Niitaka). Fiveval air. Their design was based year hostilities broke between days later,7 December,the Japa-on the best material gathered Japan and China.That same year, nese Navy launched its surprisefrom experiences in Akagi,Kaga, the Panay was sunk. In 1938,the attack by aircraft, launched fromand the Soryu types. Later Japa- National Mobilization Bill was carriers, at Pearl Harbor and thenese carriers (i.e. multiple ship passed. In September 1940, Ger- Philippines. The next day, thedesign classes) were constructed many,Italy and Japan concluded United States and Japan were of-in two groups: the large to be a three-power pact. In Novem- ficially at war.like Taiho (with armoured flight ber 1941, Japanesedeck), and the medium to be Prime minister, Gen.repeats of the Soryu class. Hideki Tojo, stated thatZuikaku and Shokaku comprised British and Americanan entire class. influence must be eliminated from theJapan’s next aircraft carrier was Orient.a conversion. In 1936 the sub-marine depot ship Takasaki was The Japanese Navy hadunder construction. While she been conducting inten-was still in the ways, the deci- sive training of its of-sion was made to complete theship as a carrier. Work on this ficers and men during The deadly Nakjima B5N (Kate) was the best of the early WW IIproject was not started until this period. Most of the torpedo bombers. Its 1115 hp engine gave it a speed of 200 knots training, including war and a 600-mile strike range with an 800 kg torpedo. 27

Sea power and other studies:Sea power in the16th and 17th centuries (section II)By Cyprian Bridge. Originally published 1898-1910.Downloaded from Project Gutenberg EBook (EBook #10694, 12 January 2004). Part 4 of a series.The sixteenth century was others. It is a mistake to sup- stances of the time, and pro-marked by a decided advancein both the development and pose that, because the English vided with suitable equip-the application of sea power.Previously its operation had had been behindhand in the ment, the English displayedbeen confined to the Mediter- exploration of remote regions, their energy in distant seas. Itranean or to coast waters out-side it. Spanish or Basque sea- they were wanting in maritime now became simply a ques-men—by their proceedings in enterprise. The career of the tion of the efficiency of sea the English Channel— Cabots would of itself suffice power. If this was not a qual- had proved the practica- to render such a supposition ity of the English, then their bility of,rather doubtful.The English had two efforts were bound to fail;and, than been en- gaged in, good reasons for postponing more than this, the position ocean warfare. voyages to and settlement in of their country, challenging far-off lands. as it did what was believed to be the greatest of maritime Lines of communication states, would have been alto- They had their hands full nearer gether precarious. home;and they thoroughly,and as if it were by instinct, under- Unofficial speculations The English, stood the conditions on which The principal expeditions now permanent expansion must rest. undertaken were distinguished who with- They wanted to make sure of by a characteristic peculiar to stood them, their lines of communication the people,and not to be found were accus- first. To effect John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto, tomed to seas this a seagoing 1450-1499) was a Venetian so rough, tonavigator employed by the English. seasons so un- marine of certain, and to both war and commerce weather so and, for fur-boisterous, that the ocean had ther expan-few terrors for them. All that sion, stationswas wanting was a sufficient in- on the wayducement to seek distant fields were essential.of action and a development The chart ofof the naval art that would per- the world fur-mit them to be reached. The nishes evi-discovery of the New World dence of thesupplied the first; the conse- wisdom andquently increased length of the thorough-voyages and of absence from ness of theirthe coast led to the second.The procedure.world had been moving on- Taught by thewards in other things as well as experience ofin navigation. the Spaniards and the Por- Intercommunication was be- tuguese, when coming more and more fre- quent.What was done by one unimpeded people was soon known to by the politi- Cabot sailed the Matthew (replica above) during hisNaval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008 cal circum- trans-Atlantic explorations. 28

in connection with the explor- the number of times that this ing navy had come into exist-ing or colonising activity of lesson has been repeated, we ence. As regards England thismost other great nations even have been slow to learn it. It is phenomenon was now of re-down to our own time. They doubtful if we have learned it spectable age. Long voyageswere really unofficial specula- even yet. English seamen in all and cruises of several ships intions in which, if the Govern- ages seem to have mastered it company had been frequentment took part at all, it was for fully; for they have always de- during the latter half of the six-the sake of the profit expected manded—at any rate for up- teenth century and the earlyand almost, if not exactly, like wards of three centuries—that part of the seventeenth.any private adventurer. The expeditions against a foreignparticipation of the Govern- overseas territory should be Professional navyment, nevertheless, had an as- accompanied by a properpect which it is worthwhile to number of land troops. Even the grandfathers of thenote. It conveyed a hint—andquite consciously—to all Disaster risk men who sailed with Blake andwhom it might concern that On the other hand, the neces-the speculations were “under- sity of organising the army of Penn in 1652 could not havewritten” by the whole sea a maritime insular state, and ofpower of England. training it with the object of known a time when ships had rendering effective aid in op- Invasion deterrence erations of the kind in ques- never crossed the ocean, andThe forces of more than one tion, has rarely been perceivedstate had been used to protect and acted upon by others.The squadrons kept together forits maritime trade from the as- result has been a long series ofsaults of enemies in the Medi- inglorious or disastrous affairs months hadterranean or in the Narrow like the West Indies voyage ofSeas. They had been used to 1595-96, the Cadiz expedition never cruised.ward off invasion and to keep of 1625, andVilliers’s failure atopen communications across Ile de Ré in1627. Additions However im-not very extensive areas of wa- might be made to the list.ter. In the sixteenth century perfect it maythey were first relied upon to The failures of joint expedi-support distant commerce, tions have often been explained have been, awhether carried on in a peace- by alleging differences or quar-ful fashion or under aggressive rels between the naval and the system offorms. This, naturally enough, military commanders.This wayled to collisions. The conten- of explaining them, however, is provisioningtion waxed hot, and was virtu- nothing but the inveterate criti-ally decided when the Armada cal method of the streets by ships and sup-shaped course to the northward which cause is taken for effect,after the fight off Gravelines. and effect for cause.The differ- plying them ences and quarrels arose, no Army essential doubt; but they generally with stores,The expeditions against the sprang out of the recrimina-Spanish Indies and, still more, tions consequent on, not pro- and of pre-those against Philip II’s penin- ducing, the want of success.sular territory, had helped to serving disci-define the limitations of sea Standing navypower. It became evident, and Another manifestation of the pline amongstit was made still more evident way in which sea power worksin the next century, that for a was first observed in the sev- their crews,great country to be strong it enteenth century. It suggestedmust not rely upon a navy the adoption of, and furnished had been de-alone. It must also have an ad- the instrument for, carryingequate and properly organised out, a distinct maritime policy. veloped, and George Villiers, Duke ofmobile army. Notwithstanding What was practically a stand- had proved Buckingham (1592-1628) and 29 fairly satisfac- court favourite, actively supported the tory. 1625 Cadiz raid.The strong fleet, commanded by Sir Edward Cecil, The Parlia- arrived at Cadiz but achieved ment and the nothing because of poor planning Protector in and perhaps even worse army/navy turn found it relations. necessary to keep a consider- able number of ships in com- mission, and make them cruise and operate in company.It was not till well on in the reign of Queen Victoria that the man- ’o-war’s man was finally differ- entiated from the merchant seaman; but two centuries ear- lier some of the distinctive marks of the former had al- ready begun to be noticeable. Contd p. 30

Sea power There were seamen in the time ness, capable of very effective force the conflict. The Navi- of the Commonwealth who use by anyone who knew how gation Act of 1651 was passed rarely,perhaps some who never, to wield it. Having tasted the and regarded as a covert dec- served afloat except in a man- sweets of intercourse with the laration of hostilities. So the ’o-war. Some of the interest- Indies, whether in the occu- first Dutch War began. It es- ing naval families which were pation of Portugal or of Spain, tablished our claim to compete settled at Portsmouth and the both English and Dutch were for the position of a great eastern ports,and which—from desirous of getting a larger maritime commercial power. father to son—helped to re- share of them. English mari- cruit the ranks of our bluejack- time commerce had increased Athens comparison ets till a date later than that of and needed naval protection.If The rise of the sea power of England was to maintain the the Dutch, and the magnitude the launch of international position to which it attained in a short the first iron- which, as no one denied, she time and in the most adverse clad, could was entitled, that commerce circumstances, have no paral- carry back must be permitted to expand. lel in history.The case of Ath- their profes- The minds of men in western ens was different, because the sional geneal- Europe, moreover, were set Athenian power had not so ogy to at least upon obtaining for their coun- much been unconsciously de- the days of try territories in the New veloped out of a great mari- Charles II, World, the amenities of which time trade, as based on a mili- when, in all were now known. tary marine deliberately and probability, it persistently fostered during did not first Dutch sea power rise many years. start. From the reign of James I the Dutch had shown great jeal- Thirlwall believes that it was Though ousy of English maritime en- Solon who “laid the founda- terprise.Where it was possible, tions of the Attic navy” Themistocles (529-459 BC) is landsmen as in the East Indian Archi- (Thirwall p. 52), a century be-credited with the deliberate build up continued pelago, they had destroyed it. fore Salamis. The great even after the achievement of Themistocles of the Athenian navy and its civil war to be Their naval resources were was to convince his fellow- subsequent outstanding success given naval great enough to let them hold citizens that their navy ought against the larger Persian fleet at English shipping at their mercy, to be increased. Perhaps the unless a vigorous effort were nearest parallel with theSalamis in 480 BC. appointments, made to protect it.The Dutch power of the Dutch was pre- conducted the carrying trade sented by that of Rhodes, and though a of a great part of the world,and which rested largely on a car- the monopoly of this they rying trade.The Rhodian un- permanent were resolved to keep, while dertakings, however, were by the English were resolved to comparison small and re- corps, share in it. stricted in extent. through the The exclusion of the English Armada from every trade route, except Motley declares of the Seven ranks of such as ran by their own coast United Provinces that they or crossed the Narrow Seas, “commanded the ocean” which every- seemed a by no means impos- (Motley, p. 132), and that it sible contingency. There would be difficult to exagger- one must pass, seemed also to be but one way ate the naval power of the of preventing it, viz. by war. young Commonwealth. Even had not been The supposed unfriendliness in the days of Spain’s greatness, of the Dutch, or at least of an English seamen positively de- formally es- important party amongst clined to admit that she was them, to the regicide Govern- stronger than England on the tablished, a ment in England helped to sea;and the story of the Armada body of real 30 naval offic- ers—menGeorge Monk, Duke of Albemarle who could (1608-78) was a General of the handle their Sea during the successful actions ships, super-against Dutch ships in June and July vise the work-1666. (Painting by Sir Peter Lely.) ing of the ar- mament, and exercise military command— had been formed. A navy, accordingly, was now a weapon of undoubted keen-Naval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008

justified their view. Our first cluded from trading with the between the first and secondtwo Dutch wars were,therefore, Spanish over-sea territories. Dutch Wars.“The sailing-shipcontests between the two fore- era, with its distinctive fea-most naval states of the world Dutch East India Company tures,” he tells us, “had fairlyfor what was primarily a mari- The skill and enterprise of the begun.”The art of war by sea,time object.The identity of the Dutch having enabled them to in its more important details,cause of the first and of the sec- force themselves into this trade, had been settled by the firstond war will be discerned by they were determined to keep war. From the beginning ofanyone who compares what it to themselves.The Dutch East the second the general featureshas been said about the cir- India Company was a power- of ship design, the classifica-cumstances leading to the ful body,and largely dictated the tion of ships, the armament offormer,with Monk’s remark as maritime policy of the country. ships, and the handling ofto the latter. We have thus come to an in- fleets, were to remain without teresting point in the historical essential alteration until theHe said that the English consideration of sea power.The date of Navarino.wanted a larger share of the Elizabethan conflict with Spaintrade enjoyed by the Dutch. It had practically settled the ques- Unchanged tacticswas quite in accordance with tion whether or not the ex- Even the tactical methods, ex-the spirit of the age that the panding nations were to be al- cept where improved on occa-Dutch should try to prevent, lowed to extend their activities sions by individual genius, al-by force, this want from being to territories in the NewWorld. tered little.The great thing wassatisfied.Anything like free and to bring the whole broadsideopen competition was repug- The first two Dutch wars were force to bear on an enemy.nant to the general feeling.The to settle the question whether Whether this was to be impar-high road to both individual or not the ocean trade of the tially distributed throughout thewealth and national prosperity world was to be open to any hostile line or concentrated onwas believed to lie in securing people qualified to engage in one part of it depended on thea monopoly. it.We can see how largely these character of particular admirals. were maritime questions, how Selfish motives much depended on the solu- It would have been strange if aMerchants or manufacturers tion found for them, and how period so long and so rich inwho called for the abolition of plain it was that they must be incidents had afforded no ma-monopolies granted to particu- settled by naval means. terials for forming a judgmentlar courtiers and favourites had on the real significance of seanot the smallest intention, on Mahan survey power. The text, so to speak,gaining their object, of throw- Mahan’s great survey of sea-ing open to the enterprise of power opens in 1660, midway Contd p. 32all what had been monopolised.It was to be kept for the exclu-sive benefit of some privilegedor chartered company.It was the same in greater af- In the Battle of Navarino, 20 October 1827, a combined British, French and Russian fleetfairs.As Mahan says,“To secure destroyed an Ottoman and Egyptian armada durimg the Greek War of Independence.This wasto one’s own people a dispro-portionate share of the benefits the last large scale naval battle fought by sailing ships. (Carnery painting.)of sea commerce every effortwas made to exclude others, 31either by the peaceful legisla-tive methods of monopoly orprohibitory regulations or,when these failed, by directviolence.”The apparent wealthof Spain was believed to be dueto the rigorous manner inwhich foreigners were ex-

Sea power chosen by Mahan is that, not- into permanent possession. years has proved that every- This improvement on the thing was not considered to be, withstanding the changes practice of Drake and others and as a matter of fact was not, was soon seen to be a game at exactly as it ought to have been. wrought in naval matériel dur- which more than one could play. An expedition sent by Charles II ing the last half-century,we can Cromwell to the West Indies Charles II and his brother, the seized the Spanish island of Ja- Duke of York, have been held find in the history of the past maica, which has remained in up to obloquy because they the hands of its conquerors to thought that the coast of Eng- instructive illustrations of the this day. In 1664 an English land could be defended against force occupied the Dutch a naval enemy better by forti- general principles of maritime North American settlements on fications than by a good fleet the Hudson. Though the dis- and, as Pepys noted, were “not war. These il- possessed rulers were not quite ashamed of it.” in a position to throw stones at lustrations sinners, this was rather a raid The truth is that neither the than an operation of recognised king nor the duke believed in will prove of warfare,because it preceded the the power of a navy to ward off formal outbreak of hostilities. attack from an island.This may value not only have been due to want of intel- Efficacy of sea power lectual capacity; but it would be “in those The conquered territory re- going a long way to put it down mained in English hands for to personal wickedness. wider opera- more than a century, and thus testified to the efficacy of a sea Huge forts tions which power which Europe had They have had many imitators, scarcely begun to recognise. some in our own day. The embrace a Neither the second nor the huge forts which stud the coast third DutchWar can be counted of the United Kingdom, and whole theatre amongst the occurrences to have been erected within the which Englishmen may look memory of the present gen- of war,” but back with unalloyed satisfaction; eration, are monuments, likely but they, unquestionably, dis- to last for many years, of the also, if rightly closed some interesting mani- inability of people, whom no festations of sea power. one could accuse of being vi- applied, “in cious, to rate sea power at its Much indignation has been proper value. It is much more the tactical expressed concerning the cor- likely that it was owing to a ruption and inefficiency of the reluctance to study questions use of the English government of the day, of naval defence as industri- and its failure to take proper ously as they deserved, and to ships and measures for keeping up the that moral timidity which so navy as it should have been often tempts even men ofSamuel Pepys (1633-1703) weapons” of kept up. Some, perhaps a good proved physical courage to deal, of this indignation was undertake the impossible taskcriticised the fortification strategy of our own day. deserved; but it would have of making themselves abso- been nearly as well deserved by lutely safe against hostile effortsCharles II. (Painting by J.Hayls.) By a remark- every other government of the at every point. day. Even in those homes of able coinci- political virtue where the ad- Charles II has also been ministrative machinery was charged with indifference to dence the same doctrine was worked by or in the interest of the interests of his country, or speculating capitalists and worse, because during a great being preached at the same privileged companies, the ac- naval war he adopted the plan cumulating evidence of late of trying to weaken the enemy time and quite independently 32 by the late VADM Philip Colomb in his work on Naval Warfare.As a prelude to the sec- ond Dutch War we find a rep- etition of a process which had been adopted somewhat earlier. Raiding, plunder That was the permanent con- quest of transoceanic territory. Until the seventeenth century had well begun,naval, or com- bined naval and military, op- erations against the distant pos- sessions of an enemy had been practically restricted to raiding or plundering attacks on com- mercial centres. The Portu- guese territory in South America having come under Spanish dominion in conse- quence of the annexation of Portugal to Spain,the Dutch— as the power of the latter coun- try declined—attempted to reduce part of that territoryNaval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008

by destroying his commerce. settled directly the position of havoc wrought on EnglishThe king “took a fatal resolu- England in the maritime world; commerce by the enemy; thetion of laying up his great ships but it helped to place that other wasTorrington’s conductand keeping only a few frig- country above all other mari- at and after the engagement offates on the cruise.”It is expressly time states—in the position, in Beachy Head.related that this was not fact, which Great Britain, theCharles’s own idea, but that it United Kingdom, the British Mahan discusses the formerwas urged upon him by advis- Empire, whichever name may with his usual lucidity. At noers whose opinion probably be given it, has retained up to time has war against commerceseemed at the time as well worth the present. It also manifested been conducted on a largerlistening to as that of others. in a very striking form the ef- scale and with greater results ficacy of sea power. than during this period. We Carthage error suffered “infinitely more thanAnyhow, if the king erred, as United Provinces in any former war.” Many ofhe undoubtedly did, he erred The United Provinces, though our merchants were ruined;in good company. Fourteen attacked by two of the greatest and it is affirmed that the Eng-hundred years earlier the states- monarchies in the world,France lish shipping was reduced tomen who conducted the great and England,were not destroyed. the necessity of sailing underwar against Carthage, and Swedish and Danish flags.whose astuteness has been the Indeed, they preserved muchtheme of innumerable pan- of their political importance in Navy occupiedegyrics since, took the same the State system of Europe. The explanation is that Louis“fatal resolution.” In the midst The Republic “owed this as- XIV made great efforts to keepof the great struggle they “did tonishing result partly to the up powerful fleets. Our navyaway with the fleet.At the most skill of one or two men, but was so fully occupied inthey encouraged privateering; mainly to its sea power.” The watching these that no shipsand with that view placed the effort, however, had under- could be spared to protect ourwar-vessels of the State at the mined its strength and helped maritime trade.This is only an-disposal of captains who were forward its decline. other way of saying that ourready to undertake a corsair commerce had increased sowarfare on their own account,” The war which was ended by largely that the navy was not(Mommsen p. 52). the Peace of Ryswick in 1697 strong enough to look after it presents two features of excep-In much later times this tional interest: one was the Contd p. 34method has had many and re-spectable defenders. Mahan’sworks are, in a sense, a formalwarning to his fellow-citizensnot to adopt it.In France, within the last years Torrington,with a combined British and Dutch fleet of 57 ships, was unwilling but ordered toof the nineteenth century, it fight. He engaged a superior French fleet under Tourville in the Battle of Beachy Head (akafound, and appears still to find, Battle of Bévéziers), 10 July, 1690.After losing six ships without sinking a French vessel headherents enough to form aschool. The reappearance of retired to keep his “fleet in being”. Both Torrington and Tourville were relieved of theirbelief in demonstrated commands during the ensuing post-battle political machinations.impossibilities is a recognisedincident in human history; but 33it is usually confined to theemotional or the vulgar. It isserious and filled with menacesof disaster when it is held bymen thought fit to administerthe affairs of a nation or adviseconcerning its defence. Thethird Dutch War may not have

Sea power as well as oppose the enemy’s “was still in favour of France had a fleet in being they would main force. in 1690, but it was not so great not dare to make an attempt.” as the year before.” We can Of late years controversy has Notwithstanding our losses we measure the ability of the then raged round this phrase,“a fleet were on the winning side in English Government for con- in being,”and the strategic prin- the conflict. Much misery and ducting a great war, when we ciple which it expresses. Most ruin had been caused, but not know that,in its wisdom, it had seamen were at the time, have enough to affect the issue of still further weakened our fleet been since, and still are in agree- the war. by dividing it (VADM ment with Torrington. This Killigrew having been sent to might be supposed enough to Angry debate the Mediterranean with a settle the question. squadron) and had neglected, Torrington’s proceedings in and indeed refused when It has not been allowed, how- urged, to take the necessary ever, to remain one of purely July 1690 were at the time the steps to repair this error. naval strategy.It was made at the time a matter of party politics. subject of Poor intelligence The Government having This is why it is so necessary much angry omitted, as even British Gov- that in a notice of sea power it ernments sometimes do, to should be discussed. Both as a debate. The gain any trustworthy intelli- strategist and as a tactician gence of the strength or move- Torrington was immeasurably debate, still ments of the enemy,Torrington ahead of his contemporaries. suddenly found himself con- The only English admirals who meriting the fronted by a considerably su- can be placed above him are perior French fleet under Hawke and Nelson. epithet angry, Tourville, one of the greatest of French sea officers. Mahan error? has been re- He paid the penalty of his pre- Of late years the intentions of eminence: he could not make newed within the French have been ques- ignorant men and dull men see tioned; but it is beyond dispute the meaning or the advantages the last few that in England at the time of his proceedings. Mahan, Tourville’s movements were who is specially qualified to do years. The believed to be preliminary to him full justice, does not de- invasion.WhetherTourville de- vote much space in his work matter has to liberately meant his movement to a consideration of Torring- to cover an invasion or not, in- ton’s case,evidently because he be noticed vasion would almost certainly had no sufficient materials be- have followed complete success fore him on which to form a here, because on his part; otherwise his vic- judgment.The admiral’s char- tory would have been without acter had been taken away al-Queen Mary II (above) and King it involves the any valuable result. ready by Macaulay, who did William III reigned conjointly consideration have ample evidence before of a question French invasion fear him. William III, with all hisduring the Torrington affair.William of naval strat- Torrington saw that as long as fine qualities, did not possess ahad some military success, but both egy which he could keep his own fleet in- military genius quite equal to must be un- tact, he could, though much that of Napoleon; and Napo- he and Mary had a limited derstood by weaker than his opponent, pre- leon, in naval strategy, was of- understanding of naval warfare. vent him from doing serious ten wrong.William III under- harm. Though personally not a stood that subject even less those who believer in the imminence of in- than the French emperor did; vasion,the English admiral knew and his favourites were still less wish to know that “most men were in fear that capable of understanding it. the French would invade.” His Consequently Torrington’s the real own view was, “that whilst we action has been put down to meaning of 34 the term sea power, and who ought to learn that it is not a thing to be idly risked or thrown away at the bidding of the ignorant and the irresponsible. Fleet stretched thin Arthur Herbert, Earl of Torrington—the later peerage is a viscounty held by the Byng family—was in command of the Allied English and Dutch fleet in the Channel.“The dis- parity of force,” says Mahan,Naval Officers Club Newsletter No 73 1 June 2008

jealousy of the Dutch. There merely to reproduce on the sea tion eastward of Gibraltar.This,have been people who accused what has been noticed dozens as it were, set the fashion forNelson of being jealous of the of times on shore,viz.the men- future wars. It became a kindnaval reputation of Caracciolo! ace by the flanking enemy. In of tacitly accepted rule that the land warfare this is held to give operation of British sea powerThe explanation of Torring- exceptional opportunities for was to be felt in the enemy’ston’s conduct is this: the display of good generalship, rather than in our own waters. but, to quote Mahan over The hostile coast was regardedHe had a fleet so much again, a navy “acts on an ele- strategically as the British fron-weaker thanTourville’s that he ment strange to most writers, tier, and the sea was lookedcould not fight a general ac- its members have been from upon as territory which thetion with the latter without a time immemorial a strange enemy must be preventedpractical certainty of getting race apart, without prophets of from invading.a crushing defeat. Such a re- their own, neither themselvessult would have laid the king- nor their calling understood.” Blockadesdom open: a defeat of the al- Acceptance of this principlelied fleet, says Mahan,“if suf- WhileTorrington had the sup- led in time to the so-calledficiently severe, might involve port of seamen, his opponents “blockades” of Brest andthe fall of William’s throne in have been landsmen. For the Toulon. The name was mis-England.” Given certain crime of being a good strate- leading. As Nelson took caremovements of the French gist he was brought before a to explain, there was no de-fleet, Torrington might have court martial,but acquitted.His sire to keep the enemy’s fleetmanoeuvred to slip past it to sovereign, who had been given in; what was desired was to bethe westward and join his force the crowns of three kingdoms near enough to attack it if itwith that under Killigrew, to defend our laws, showed his came out.The wisdom of thewhich would make him strong respect for them by flouting a plan is undoubted. The hos-enough to hazard a battle.This legally constituted tribunal and tile navy could be more easilyproved impracticable. disregarding its solemn finding. watched and more easily fol- The admiral who had saved his lowed if it put to sea.To carry Timing country was forced into retire- out this plan a navy strongerThere was then one course left. ment. Still, the principle of the in number of ships or in gen-To retire before the French,but “fleet in being” lies at the bot- eral efficiency than that of thenot to keep far from them. He tom of all sound strategy. enemy was necessary to us.knew that, though not strong With the exception of that ofenough to engage their whole Changes wrought American Independence,otherwise unemployed fleet VADM Colomb has pointed which will therefore requirewith any hope of success, he out a great change of plan in special notice, our subsequentwould be quite strong enough the later naval campaigns of the great wars were conducted into fight and most likely beat it, seventeenth century. Improve- accordance with the rule.when a part of it was trying ments in naval architecture, ineither to deal with our ships the methods of preserving food, References:to the westward or to cover the and in the arrangements fordisembarkation of an invading keeping the crews healthy, per- Colomb, P.H.Naval warfare:Its rul-army. He, therefore, proposed mitted fleets to be employed at ing principles and practice histori-to keep his fleet “in being” in a distance from their home cally treated, 1891. United Statesorder to fall on the enemy ports for long continuous pe- Naval Institute:Annapolis,1990.when the latter would have riods. The Dutch, when alliestwo affairs at the same time on of the Spaniards, kept a fleet in Mahan, A.T. The influence of seahis hands. the Mediterranean for many power upon history 1660-1783. months. The great De Ruyter Little Brown and Co.: Boston, Land vs sea battles was mortally wounded in one 1890.The late VADM Colomb rose of the battles there fought.to a greater height than was Mommsen,T. (Tr. W.P. Dickson)usual even with him in his In the war of the Spanish Suc- The History of Rome. Charlescriticism of this campaign. cession the Anglo-Dutch fleet Scribners Sons:NewYork,1887.What Tor r ington did was found its principal scene of ac- Motley, J.L. History of the United 35 Netherlands 1584-1609.Bickers and Son: London, 1875. Thirwall, C. History of Greece. Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans: London, 1845-52.

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