Jul and Oct 1986 - Navy League of Australia

THE FLEET ARRIVAL OCTOBER 4, 1913Some Contemporary ReportsTHE VOYAGE OUTHOW THE SHIP CAME HOMEINCIDENTS ON THE WAYJuly 21. 1913, must ever be a memorabledate in Australian history. Tor on that dayHMAS Australia, the first locally-ownedDominion flagship in the Empire, with thefirst Dominion Admiral in Command of her.swung out from Portsmouth Harbour for herAustralian home.The 21st of July! A day of gloriousmemory. On that very day and near the verysame spot as the Australia put out from — onthe 21st of July. 1588 — the Royal Navyentered upon the first great fight it everfought. It was then that Drake and his gallantsailors defeated the Spanish Armada. Everyschoolboy knows the story and every schoolboyin future will remember Drake, whoestablished Britain's supremacy at sea,whenever he thinks of the flagship of the CommonwealthNavy.Drake — and Patey! Rear-Admiral SirGeorge E. Patey. KCVO, Australia's Admiral.was knighted by the King on his own quarterdeckjust before the flagship sailed. The lasttime such an act was performed was whenDrake was knighted in the Thames.The Australia and the Sydney were officiallytimed to arrive at Capetown on August 20,and to leave Durban on September 6. OnAugust 20. 1578. Francis Drake, on his voyageof circumnavigation, entered the MagellanStraits; on September 6 he sailed out of theStraits into the Southern Ocean. Three hundredand thirty-five years after Drake the Australiaand the Sydney enter the same greatocean from the opposite corner, a symbol ofthat maritime supremacy which Drake firstconceived and helped to establish.DEPARTURE FROM PORTSMOUTHThe great ship — this armoured cruiser ofDreadnought design, and of the Indefatigableclass — sailed out of Portsmouth Harbourwith majesty and grace, to the tunc, played bythe band, of "Rolling Home". With her wasthe protected cruiser Sydney. Back of them laythe Victory — the old ship of many memories.Before them the future alone can tell. But weknow that from henceforth Australia is toihave her own navy, and there is a great responsibilityin it. It has been called "a greatexperiment," and there could hardly be agreater.At the beginning of August the Australiawas coaling at St Vincent, Cape Verde Islands.In 20 hours 2200 tons of coal were taken in.English coaling companies are under contractto keep a minimum of 5000 tons of coal at StVincent for the purposes of the navy. It is thechief island of the Cape Verde group. On it areabout 120 Englishmen. 500 Portuguese, 3000dark-skinned natives, and 6000 half-castes. Aquiet little oupost, but a very important one. Anavy must have its coaling stations, and StVincent still possesses its old importance as amaritime strategic point.ARRIVAL AT CAPETOWNBy arrangement the flagship picked up theSydney — which called in at St Helena — acouple of days off Capetown, and early in theafternoon of Monday, August 18. the shipsentered the roadstead of Table Bay. The baywas practically deserted, for the warshipsarrived earlier than they were expected — twodays ahead of the official programme. A pressrepresentative asked a worried-looking officerhow it came about that the ships were in soearly. The officer was courteous, but brief."Officially we're not in," he replied; "officiallywe're in tomorrow."Capetown, however, soon woke up, andthere began a round of festivities which lastedfor a week. The people had already seen thatother Dreadnought, The New Zealand, andthey were anxious to see the Australia andcompare them. There was possibly also thethought in their minds of a future day whenanother Dominion Dreadnought, the SouthAfrica, might anchor in Tatye Bay — theDreadnought flagship of their own navy, orfailing that, there own gift to the Royal Navy,as in the case of the New Zealand.Page Twenty-aix NAVY October. 1986However, that may have been, the SouthAfricans turned out in big crowds to welcomethe Australian ships. And in the crowds weremany Australians, who showed their pride inships and men in unmistakable fashion. A longmotor drive, for instance, was arranged — adrive around the Cape Peninsula — and theAustralian men-o-warsmen, to their hearts'delight, were driven through groves of wattleand an avenue of eucalyptus trees.And August 22 was observed by the Australiansin Capetown as "Wattle Day". EveryAustralian in the city wore wattle that day,and the afternoon was reserved on board theAustralia and the Sydney for Australian visitors,the ships themselves being decorated withthe golden bloom. That was the day on whichthe local Australian ladies presented the flagshipwith the two silk flags they had speciallyworked. In size 12ft by 6ft — the one theUnion Jack, the other the starred blue ensignof the Commonwealth. On the following daythere was a field gun competition between thecrews of the two ships.To the Australians in South Africa, indeed,this visit of the Commonwealth battleshipsserved to make the map of Australia biggerthan it had ever been before. "Australians willbe thought more of in South Africa afterthis." remarked an ex-Sydney man — "sec ifthey aren't!" At all events, it was decided asone result of the visit, that a standing Australiancommittee should be maintained, and thatall good Australians should celebrate "WattleDay" every year.Among the chief events arranged in honourof the visit of the ships were a reception andball given by the Mayor of Capetown; a gardenparty given by the Administrator. Sir Frederickde Waal, KCMG, in the name of theprovince of the Cape of Good Hope; the entertainmentof the crews at dinner at GrooteSchuur estate, and of the officers at dinner atParliament House, by the Union Government;and a church parade on the Sunday. The theatresand other places of amusement openedtheir door to the officers and crews.Every day the ships were thrown open topublic inspection, and thousands visited them,including many country residents, who tookadvantage of the special railway excursions.Special arrangements were made to enable theschool children to inspect the ships.TO SIMON'S TOWN AND DURBANTo the strains of "Auld Lang Syne" theAustralia and the Sydney steamed out ofCapetown on August 26, in the same spendidweather as they had had all the time since leavingPortsmouth. Their departure was witnessedby a large crowd of spectators, whowaved enthusiastic farewells. On board weremany of Capetown's more prominent citizens,who had been invited by Admiral P»»tcy tomake the trip to the naval station.Coaling operations followed at Simon'sTown, where the ships were greeted by HMships Hyacinth and Astrea.After coaling, the Australia and Sydney proceededto Durban, where for several days theofficers and men were feted in much the sameway as those on the New Zealand had beenentertained six months before.HOME!And then they headed for home — Australia.Though the ships have a speed of 25 knots,their average on the voyage out was only abouthalf this speed. It was not a racing voyage.OUR SHIPS COME INBRITANNIA: "Congratulations, daughter! It is a proud day for both of us."A seaman on the Sydney died off the coastof Spain on July 28. and was buried at sea;and whilst the Australia was coaling at St Vincenta petty-officer was killed, owing to thebreaking of a derrick, and was buried withhonours on the island.FORTY-SEVEN PER CENTAUSTRALIANSForty-seven per cent of the men on the shipsare Australians. The fact was commented onby the High Commissioner, Sir George Reid.when he visited the flagship at Portsmouth."And I look round on the other 53 per cent."he added, "and I can see no difference." SirGeorge was right. There is very little differenceto be noted. And. in any case, Admiral Pateyhas stated that there will be no differencewhatever in their treatment — he will treatthem all as if they were on a British battleshipin any other waters.At Simons Town the warships parted company,the Australia proceding to Durban —where officers and men were entertained asthose of the New Zealand were some sixmonths before — and the Sydney to Mauritius.The people of Durban presented the flagshipwith a silver rose bowl and a rough-hairedterrier.The ships, which met again not far from theLeeuwin, reached Albany 57 days after leavingPortsmouth, but of that time 21 days werespent in ports. They had fine weather throughout.The Australia in her steam trials reached29.7 knots, but that does not of course representher economic speed. On the way out shecovered something like 350 knots a day on acoal consumption of 190 tonnes.The warships arrived at Albany on themorning of September 19. after a fine runacross the Indian Ocean. The Australia, whichhad been in direct wireless communicationwith Australia for over three thousand miles ofthe latter end of the voyage, arrived slightlyahead of her consort, and waited outside untilthe Sydney picked her up. The warshipsanchored in the bay. where they were visitedby large crowds of people, including manythousands of school children. The importantwork of coaling the vessels was also carriedout. Aquatic sports and football matches werealso arranged, and the Government entertainedthe men at a luncheon on September 27.The vessels left for Sydney on the same day,and were sighted off Cape Otway at 5.20 pmon September 30. By 4.30 pm next day theyhad passed Eden, on the New South Walescoast. Shortly afterwards they were joined byHMAS Encounter, and the three vesselsarrived at Jervis Bay at 6.15 am yesterday,where other units of the Australian fleet wereawaiting them.THE FLEETA BUSY DAYBRILLIANT WATER SCENECROWDS ASHORE AND AFLOATNothing untoward marred the holiday festivitiesyesterday in connection with the welcomeof the Australian section of the RoyalNavy. There was a general desire manifested tovisit the warboats, especially the flagship, theAustralia, and from early forenoon till late inthe afternoon she was boarded by throngs ofvisitors. The Australia needed to be a stoutship to carry the surging cargo of humanitythat swarmed about her like myriads of beesclustering round a hive, but her great width ofbeam made her equal to the multitudinousnature of the day's call.Admiral Patey received some distiguishedvisitors in the morning. Just before noon LordDenman paid the Australian Admiral a returnvisit. The Governor-General was accompaniedby Sir Walter Barttelot, CommanderBrownlow, and Colonel Wallack. CB (theState Commandant). His Excellency wasreceived by a guard of honour. Having paidhis respects to the head of the fleet, his Excellencyleft the flagship to the accompaniment ofa salute of 19 guns.October, 1986 NAVY Page Twenty-seven