Dec 1956 - Navy League of Australia

MARINE DIESEL FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMSRECONDITIONED AND RENEWED.QUICK SERVICE FOR SHIPPINGENGINE & TELEGRAPH EQUIPMENTFOR NAVAL & MERCHANT VESSELSMANUFACTURERS OF ENGINE TELEGRAPHEQUIPMENT AND LUBRICATED TYPECHAIN AND WIRE GUIDES.• REPAIRS CARRIED OUT PROMPTLY.COMPANIES.BEGG & GREIG20 ERSKINE STREET, SYDNEYPhones: BX 1208, BX 7087Australian ManufacturersCan obtain aluminium in manyforms from onesupplier—Australuco.semi-fabricatedBridgeTransmitterand Engine RoomReceiver as shownwere fitted to ShipBuilding Board D.8C E. ClassPLATEVessels.CIRCLESCONTENTSVOL. 19. DECEMBER. 1956.EDITORIAL:War In The Middle E«it 4Air And See 5ARTICLESDiving To Greet Depths 6New (First Lard Discusses R.N'i Role In Peace And War 9The first Big - Gun ShipsThe Chin, Riv,r Gunboats 16Naval Diplomacy 20Portraits Of Lord Nalson 26Rabirth Of Tha Garman N,vy 2)Progress In R.N. Air Arm 1 30History Of Swords In Tha Navy 31FEATURES:Na»s Of Tha World's Navias 14Parsonalitias 19Book Raviawt 21Maritima N,ws Of Tha World 23Publiihad by Tha Navy Laagua of Australia,

POOLE & STEEL LTD.43 STEPHEN ST., BALMAIN,Telephone:N.S.W.WB2511General Engineers, Boilermakers, Shipbuilders, DredgePlans, Specifications and Estimates preparedfor Mining Dredges and Plant of all kinds.Electric Welding and Oxy-Acetylene Work.Telegrams:"POOLSTEEL," BALMAIN, N.S.W.Wilh. WILHELMSEN AGENCYPTY. LTD.SYDNEY & MELBOURNEBuildersTHE NAVY LEAGUEOF AUSTRALIA.PATHi* Excellency The Governor-Court*.FEDERAL COUNCIL.President: Rear Admiral H. A. Shower*.C.B.E. (Re*d.).Deputy President: Cdr. R. A. Nettie ford.D.S.C.. V.R.D., R.A.N.R.Secretary - Hon. Treasurer: Neil Walford.Esq.. 312 Hinder* Sc.. Melbourne. C.l.N«w South Walts Division:Patron: Hi* Excellency The Governor ofNew South Wale*.Preaident: Rear-Admiral H. A. Shower*.C.B.E.Secretary: R I. Rae. E*q.. I) Pitt StreetBU 1771.Hon. Treasurer- I 1 . E. Trigg. E*q.Victorian Division:Patron: Hi* Excellency The Governor ofVictoria.President: Chaplain J. P. William*. O.B.E.Secretary - Hon. Treasurer: Neil Walford.Esq., 312 Hinder* St.. Melbourne. C.l.South Australian Division:Patron: Hi* Excellency The Governor ofAmith Australia.President: Lieut.-Comdr. C. C. Shinkfield.K A N R. (retd.).Hon. Sec.: K. W. Adcock. E*q.. 131 GrenfellStreet. Adelaide.Tasmanian Division:Patron: VKC-Admiral Sir Guy Wyatt.K.H.E., C.B.. R.N. (retd.).President: C. H. Hand. Esq.. M.H.A.Hon. Sec.i Coadr. G. E. W. W. Bayly.O.B.E.. V.R.D.. R.A.N.V.R. (retd).726 Sandy Bay Rd . Lower Sandy Bav.Hobart.Always ask for . . .SHELLEY'SFAMOUS DRINKSObtainable from leadingshops and saloons.SHELLEY * SONSCORDIAL FACTORYPTY. LTD.MURRAYSTRPFT.MARRICKVILl.E.N.S.W.'Phone: LA 5461.MarineSENEVERYTHING TO DO WITH BOMS"HiringEngineeringBoat BuildingService and Repair*LARS HALVORSEN SONS PTY. LTD.BUILDING YARD: W.f.rvi.w Sfr..t, Ryd.. WY 3249BOAT SHED: Bobbin H.ad. JJ 2489(T.legrami: "Halvorseni" Sydn.y)CALTEX PRODUCTS ALWAYS ON HANDI H IQ QPI^flWAILES DOVE BITUMASTIC PRODUCTSBITUROS SOLUTION & HARD ENAMELTHE WORLD'S BEST(orPROTECTION- "For the Best Soft Drinks/ llAlways say . . .Wim/ *»•RepresentativeMARCHANT'SOffice tC Fartory: 34 YORK ST., RICHMOND, VICTORIAThone: J A 5131.for:WILHELMSEN LINES, OSLOAUSTRALIA-WEST PACIFIC LINE, HELSINBORGAMERICAN PIONEER LINE, NEW YORKSCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM, STOCKHOLMWestern Australian Division:Patron: His Excellency The Governor ofWestern Australia.President: Hon. Sir Frank Gibson. K.C.M.G.Hon. Sec. • Hon. Treas.: K. Olton, E*q..62 Blencowe St.. We»t Leederville. W.AQueensland Division:Patron: Hi* Excellency The Governor ofQueensland.Precedent: Comdr. N. S. Fiiley. M.B.E..V.R.D.. R.A.N.R. (retd.). Ryan Hou*e.Eaalr Street. Briibane.Hon. Sac.i Lieut.-Comdr. O. C. McDonald.R.A.N.V.R. (retd ). Box M4IT. G.P.O..Briibane.Australian Capital Territory Division:Preaident: Hi* Excellency. G. E. L.Aldrrton. C.M.G. (High Commissionerfor New Zealand).Hon. Ssc. • Hon. Traa*.: Comdr. A. D.Mcl.achlan. R.A.N. (Retd ). 49 FroggattSt.. Turner. Canberra. ACT. PhoneJ 2311.AUSTRALIAN SEA CADETCOUNCIL.H,[iirwn[,[i.,i of III. Naval HoardDirector of Naval Keanvct. Capt. A. W.L. McNkholl. C.B.E.. G.M.. R.A.N(Chairman).Comdr. P. R. lame., R.A.N.R*pnMnt.tivw of Th. N«r la«M>Comdr'. R. A. NtitWold. DSC.V.R.D.. R A N.V.R.L. C Praraon, Eaq.; L. Porerth.. Eao .Lietir. (Si r O Evana. R A N.V.RHon. Sarrctarv: R N.-il WalfordMORRISON &SINCLAIRPTY. LTD.ShipbuildersLONGNOSE POINTSYDNEY'Phone: WB 1951 (2 lines)FRESH WATER DRINKING TANKS.J. WILDRIDGE & SINCLAIR PTY. LTD.97 PITT ST., SYDNEY, N.S.W.MELBOURNEBRISBANEAGENTS:ADELAIDE . . . GIBBS BRIGHT «£ CO.PLRTH . . . FLOWER, DA VIES & JOHNSON.HOB ART . . . R. L. MILUGAN.JAMES McKEOWN, SONS PTY. LTD.MANUFACTURERS OF THEFAMOUSDally Football BootsANDDon Bradman Cricket Boots2THE NAVYDecember, 1956.3

\1 ^.-r-.v"local" wars, waged with conventional weapons, aswell as the dreaded global war with its fearfulpotential of' destruction by nuclear weapons. Aconflagration can be prevented by prompt action atwhat is a small incipient fireSince the end of World War II British forceshave been engaged in local wars in Korea and nowin Egypt. They have been committed to militaryaction in the geurilla fighting in Malaya and againstthe Mau Mau. France has been engaged in Korea,in Indo-China, and in North Africa. We haveseen the "local" war between India and Pakistan,and the so-called police action which failed tocontinue Dutch rule in the East Indies.Australia, as well as the other Commonwealthcountries, must be prepared to meet "local"aggression. We must not forget Indonesian ambitionsin New Guinea. We must not ignore the factthat for our own protection our interests are tiedto the interests of other nations, and that we mustbe ready to discharge our responsibilities if calledupon to do so.The mobility and flexibility of the Navy qiakesit our first line of defence. It should be given fhemen. arms, and facilities to carry out its duty withconfidence.ORIENT LINE Serves 5 ContinentsENGLANDVIA SUEZVOL. 19. DECEMBER. 1954. No. 12.WAR IN- THE MIDDLE EASTThe British - French action in the Suez Canal areahas ended British and French forces are leavingthe Canal zone and indications are that the withdrawalwill he completed by Christmas.A token United Nations "police" force is movingin to keep the uneasy cease-fire between Egypt andIsrael. British Naval salvage units, meanwhile, havebeen clearing parts of the canal—choked by theblockships which Egypt sank when the Anglo-French action began.Apart from any question of the morality of theAnglo-French intervention—and the British Commonwealthitself is divided on this point—what hasthis action gained? In the immediate sense theresult has been chaos. The canal has been put outof action for at least six months, according toexpert reports. Port Said and the Egyptian airfieldshave been shattered by the air- and navalpowerof the two intervening countries. Lives havebeen lost on both sides.Britain, as her leaders must have expected, isnow feeling the economic pinch which the Suezclosure has caused. Petrol rationing is imminent.There is talk of rationing by price regulation—inthe form of higher petrol tax which will meanhigher petrol prices. Britain's gold and dollar reservesare causing alarm, and cabled dispatcheshint at British approaches to America to suspendthe interest payments, now coming due, on dollarloans.Above all, a harsh result has been a rift in Anglo-American friendship which temporarily at least haspushed the two countries further apart than atany time since before World War II.These, for Britain, arc the immediate fruits ofSuez. What will be the long t£rm results? Timealone will tell. But if Britain has achieved her intentionof breaking the dangerous Egyptian clutchon the Canal, the results arc very significant indeed,not only to Britain herself but to the whole of themaritime world.The Suez Canal, as the 1888 Convention emphasised,is a waterway of international importance—economically, commercially, and strategically. Infact it is the world's most important waterway andits Control cannot be allowed to rest in the handsof a capricious dictator.Britain from the outset has urged internationalcontrol of the Canal. The London conference of 22maritime nations supported this contention. It is tobe hoped that the United Nations, now that theyhave moved into the Canal zone, will ensure thatthe international character of the canal is continued.The Middle East affair should bring home to theGovernments of the Commonwealth countries thevital necessity of being prepared to cope withAIR AND SEANo sensible person would attempt to underratethe immense significance of aircraft development—in peace and war. But there are, regrettably, somewho sec modern aircraft as the sole answer to ourneeds of transport and aims.An interesting sidelight on this was given inBritain recently by Admiral Sir Michael M. Denny,when speaking to the United Service Institution.He pointed out that U.K. imports and exports in1954 from all areas by air was approximately300,000 tons out of a total of dry cargo importsand exports of 90 million tons.He went cn to illustrate the relative carryingcapacities of ships and aircraft by comparing amodern cargo vessel and a Bristol Britannia."It is estimated that it would take 20 Britanniasto carry in one year the same quantity of bulkcargo across the Atlantic as one modern cargo shipof 10,000 tons deadweight," he said."This estimate is based on the assumption thatthe aircraft would each fly 3,000 hours a year andthat the ship, under war conditions, would makefrom four and a half to five round voyagesannually."As a new vessel of this kind would cost under£750,000 and the cost of 20 Britannias would bein the region of £15 million, it is clear that the useof aircraft for the conveyance of any worthwhilequantity of bulk cargo would be impracticable, evenif the number of aircraft could be spared for sucha wasteful service."PACIFICCRUISESOver 30,000 milesPACIFICSERVICEaround the worldZ J LINEORIENT S.N. CO. LTD.. Incorporated in England4 THE NAVYDtumbcr, 1964.1

DIVING TO GREAT DEPTHSNews was received in London recently from H.M.S. "Reclaim" (Lieutenant-Commander G. M. H. Drummond, R.N.), Hie Navy's Experimental Diving Ship,that a new world record for deep diving has been established in Norwegianwaters.TP HE dive was made fromH M.S. Reclaim by SeniorCommissioned Boatswain GeorgeWookcy. aged 34, of Plymouth,who reached a depth of 600 feetin a helmeted flexible diving suit,receiving a breathing mixture ofoxygen and helium supplied fromthe Reclaim.The previous world record wasestablished by Petty Officer DiverWilliam Bollard of the RoyalNavy, who reached the depth of535 feet in Loch Fyne on August28, 1948.The record dive was made inaccordance with new diving tablescalculated by two officers of thestaff of the Royal Naval PhysiologicalLaboratory, Alverstoke,following research carried out atthis establishment. The two officers,Mr. H. V. Hompleman.Senior Scientific Officer, of Gosport,and Surgeon CommanderW. E. Crockcr. R. N.. are at presentin H.M.S. Rccldim.Senior Commissioned BoatswainWookcy joined the Royal Navy in1939. He has been a diver for 12 jyears and took part in divingoperations during the search forthe submarine Affray, lost in theEnglish Channel. In recent trialshe reached a depth of 1,060 feetin an observation chamber. He isa married man with daughter aged12 and his home is in BridewellRoad, West Hill, Plymouth.During the record dive AbleSeaman George Clucas, 24. ofNewcastle - on - Tyne, was thediver's .assistant.Since the world record dive of535 feet carried out on August28, 1948, the Royal Navy hasbeen steadily increasing its efficiencyin the realm f deep diving.The object has not been to establishfurther records but to makediving to great depths a matter ofroutine.Deep diving means the operationof flexible suited helmetdivers, supplied and controlledfrom a surface vessel, to depths to180 feet and downwards. Manypeople have the impression thatthe helmet diver has been outdatedby the invention of theaqualung. This is quite false. Theaqualung is a shallow diving apparatus.The French, the acknowledgedexperts in its use, say thatonly specialists should venturewith it below 60 metres (justunder 200 feet) and that the"fatal limit" is not far beyond 80metres (260 feet).More picturesque language isused by an American writer desrriKiigthe use of the aqualung.He says that "the free diver whodescends even to 200 feet has onefoot on a tightrope between mortalityand oblivion." Hence thedeep diver begins roughly wherethe aqualung diver leaves off.This does not mean that it willnever be possible to "free swim"at great depths with self-containedapparatus. This may comein the not too distant future butnot with apparatus of the aqualungtype, which is fundamentallyunsuitable for very deep work,and not without elaborate controlarrangements comparable withthose now necessary for the helmetdiver.There is at present no knowndepth limit for the deep diver. Heuses a breathing mixture of oxygenand helium. Two ships, the ExperimentalDiving Ship, H.M.S.Reclaim, and the Submarine RescueShip, H.M.S. Kingfisher, haverecently been fitted with completelynew systems for supplyingdivers with this mixture. It is animprovement on air for tworeasons. First, nitrogen in air producesa narcotic effect which preventsthe diver working at fullefficiency in depths exceeding 240feet. Second, the oxygen contentof air is such that it reaches atoxic pressure at just under 300feet. Three hundred feet can,therefore, be regarded as the outsidesafety limit for a diver usingcompressed air.There is no such limit for theoxy-helium mixture. Helium apparentlyhas no narcotic effect. Ifsuch an effect does exist, it islikely to be at a depth beyond thatat which other limiting factors willintervene. The chief of these isthe decompression timeOxygen phoning can be preventedby limiting the percentageof oxygen in the mixture. Such amixture does not provide adequateoxygen until a certain depth isreached. A change over must takeplace from air to mixture at afixed level both in the descent andthe ascent, or the diver will sufferfrom lack of oxygen at shallowerdepths.The result of experimental workon oxy-helium diving so far is thatdivers working from the Reclaimand the Kingfisher can carry outroutine dives to a depth of 430feet and work at this depth fora maximum time of 20 minutesAmong 300 National Service tralnaai who returnad to Sydney on November « in the aircraft-carrier H.M>.S. "Sydney"from a voyage to Singapore and Hong Kong »ar« Queensla ndert Jim Nutter, of (Ipswich, and John Wade, of St. George,pictured with the coolie hats and guitars they bought during the cruise. The trainees later went to Melbourne in thecarrier for the Olympic Games.* THE NAVYDecember, 1956. " '

with ease comp .-able with thatexperienced at about 100 feetwhen breathing air.This limit is not governed byphysical exhaustion but by thefact that while the diver is atdepth, the helium gas penetrateshis tissues and the longer he staysdown and the deeper he is themore helium is absorbed. Thismeans that a diver will take longerto "decompress."To "decompress" in the shortestpossible time without risking "decompressionsickness," more generallyknown as "the bends," isa complex problem, particularlywith helium, and one which hasnot yet been completely solved.Much original work has been donerecently on this subject at theR.N. Physiological Laboratory,Alverstoke, Hants., and results areencouragingThe importance of keeping thedecompression time as short as possibleis best illustrated by quotingan example. After five minutes onthe bottom at 600 feet, a divermust remain under gradually reducingpressure for five hours and38 minutes before finally "surfacing."The term "surfacing" applies topressure and it does not mean thatthe diver is in the water for thewhole of the decompressionperiod. At an early stage he entersa submersible decompression chamberwhich is lowered down tomeet him. This chamber is a verticalcylinder with doors at eachend. It is supplied with air fromthe surface and contains an attendant.When it is lowered into thewater the lower door is open andair pressure keeps the chamberclear of water on the diving hellprinciple.At a depth of some 200 feet,the ascending diver enters thechamber through the lower door.Here the attendant takes the diverin charge, removes his heavy gear.Navy Surgeons 9 Useof PolioSALK poliomyelitis vaccineapparently can be given withrelative safety to both children andadults during an outbreak of poliomyelitis,the Surgeon General ofthe United States Navy, Rear AdmiralBartholomew W. Hogan,M.C., U.S.N., announced recently.Releasing the results of use ofthe vaccine during an outbreak ofpoliomyelitis last autumn amongNavy families living in Hawaii, hestated that there was no evidencethat the vaccine,had caused paralysisto occur among persons whowere possibly infected with thevirus at the time of vaccination.Because past outbreaks had tendedto be more severe in militaryfamilies stationed in Hawaii thanin the civilian population, it wasdecided to give the Salk poliomyelitisvaccine to the approxidisconnectssupply pipe andbreastrope and finally closes thelower door, so locking in thechamber air pressure equivalent toits depth. The chamber is thenhoisted inboard and decompressionproceeds in safety, pressure in thechamber being gradually reduceduntil "surface" pressure is reached.Pure oxygen is breathed at thelater stages of the decompressionperiod and this speeds the eliminationof helium.Throughout the dive communicationis maintained by loudspeaking telephone with the diverand with the attendant in the submersibledecompression chambei.Experience is needed to interpretthe diver's voice, distorted asit is to a "Donald Duck" qualityby the effects of pressure andhelium. Experience and carefulVaccinemately 26,000 children and parentsbefore further spread of thedisease could occur. Previous outbreakstended to last for severalmonths.Admiral Hogan directed that aspecial allotment of vaccine fromthe Navy's share under the FederalInterstate allocation plan besent for this purpose. Vaccinewas also made available by theNational Foundation for InfantileParalysis and the TerritorialHealth Department.A voluntary programme of vaccinationwas started in early Octoberand approximately 80 percent, of the total children andmarried adults applied for andwere given two doses of the vaccine.About 30 days after the vaccineprogramme was started the outbreakwas almost over.drill are also needed in a varietyof tasks on the surface.The operation of the controlvalve which regulates the diversgas supply, the handling of hisbreastrope and supply pipe, theaccurate timing of the decompressionschedule, are a few of manyduties to be carried out. All areimportant to the well-being of thediver. Some are essential to hislife.A successful deep dive is thereforenot only a question of skillon the part of the diver. It is ateam event.Why is deep diving necessary?To save life. There are vital tasksfor divers in connection with submarineescape and for this purposeit is necessary to establish how farit is practicable for a diver todescend and work. It is with thisobject in view that trials continue.THE NAVYW7n' TrA-'-'MiNEW FIRST LORD DISCUSSES R.IVVSROLE I> PEACE AND WARMaking bis first public spaach as First Lard of tha Admiralty, th* Rt. Ho*.Viscount Haikham, 9.C., at a Navy League laochooa orgoabod to commemoratethe anniversary of Nelson's victory at Trafalgar, said IM was "facedinescapably with KM necessity far a programme of M construction at a rimewhen public opinion is visibly clamouring far a redaction la tha Estimates fartha fighting Services."TpHE First Lord made this statemcntafter observing that theNavy had, for reasons which werein themselves laudable enough butwhose consequences might beserious, delayed in modernising theFleet. Even the new Tiger Classcruisers, when they come into service,which they have not yetdone, were first conceived someyears ago. and ships which arenow in service have hulls whichin the ordinary course of eventswill be worn out by 1965 at thelatest and in some cases soon after1970, he said.The necessity for a new constructionprogramme would beeasier to face if at the same timehe could say that all was well inthe matter of accommodation andbuildings. But accommodation andbuildings, as his predecessor hadpointed out, were very far fromsatisfactory and a programme of£70,000,000 would be necessaryto bring them up to standardswhich all agreed are required inthe twentieth century. These wereextremely daunting factors, butthey were also challenges whichhad to he met.Referring to the atomic threat,the First Lord questioned whetherpeople were not becoming too preoccupiedwith this. During thepast ten years a number of atomicexplosions had taken place overmountains, deserts and oceans, butsincc 1945 no nuclear weapon hadbeen exploded in anger. Insteadthere had been a constant use ona small and limited scale of conventionalweapons in a number ofapparently unconnected, but intruth interdependent, incidentstaking place in almost everyquarter of the world. These wereKorea, Malaya. Indo-China, Kenya.Cyprus, and now Suet. .It was true that the strength ofBritain could be destroyed overnightby an atomic explosion; itwas also true that it could bebrought low with no less certaintyby a series of conventionalnibbles which she was unable to

DUKE OF EDINBURGH'SSTANDARDSignal ratings at H.MAS. "Kuttabul" inspect tha It ft. 1 » f». standard of ttiaDab of Edinburgh, which arrived in Sydnay by air on November 7.counter because she had devotedher entire potential militarystrength to the development of adeterrent and in preparation for astrategy of global war which neverhappened."It is evident that in the presentage we need a mobile force, flexiblein its character, capable ofbringing air power to bear wherethere are no aerodromes, or noaerodromes in our control; peacefulin its nature, capable ofmaking its appearance unobtrusivelyand withbut politicaldomination, in distant quarters ofthe world showing the emblem ofBritain in friendliness but also instrength; a power that is capableof moving small bodies of troopscomplete in themselves and capableof action at very much shorter noticethan a full-scale militarypreparation could achieve; a forcetrained to operate in all kinds ofclimates and above all thingsready, economic, mobile and. atthe point where it is applied, it isto be hoped decisive," the FirstLord continued."This role we cannot fulfilwithout the Navy. It is no functionof the modern naval commanderor of the Minister responsiblefor the Navy to belittle ordisparage the vital and indispensablecontributions of the othertwo services, but on this occasionand in this company it is as well.I think, to consider a little of ourselvesand of the contributionwhich we have to make."The future development ofballistic missiles makes one wonderwhether in the long run if, whichGod forbid, great nations shouldonce again enter into conflict withone another, the great fleets ofbombers which have dominated theskies in the last two wars willonce again enter into conflict with"But one thing is certain: solong as we remain at peace or incold or limited war. so long asthere is a need to carry out influencefrom the Falkland Islandto the Far East, over Asia andAfrica, from the north of Norwaysouth to Antarctica, so long willthere be an urgent and indispensableneed for a Royal Navycapable of discharging its duty.We may have U> put up with asmaller Navy than we would like,but let us resolve not to be contentwith an obsolete one. For,remember, three years after theweapons are off the productionline in Russia they are in thehands of Russian satellites. Wecannot use inferior or obsoletematerial."The present situation is, as Ihave said, daunting. But it is achallenge to us all; and havinglived as we all have lived throughthe anxieties and dangers whichhave beset us since 1914, and havingsurvived as we all have survivedso long in the midst of somany and great dangers, I cannotbring myself to believe that inthese latter days we shall go downto disaster in a welter of littlemen and mean measures."FlfTY YEARS AGO SAW .THE FIRST BIG-GUN SHIPSBy NORMANBEEDLEOctober sow Hw SOth anniversary of HM completion of H.M.S. "Dreodnooght,"the first big-gon ship of the Royal Navy designed under MM inspiration of LardFisher. With HM recent recammissioaiag of H.M.S. "Girdte Ness." weapproach another revolution in oaval armament and possibly also in navalshipbuilding, and it is therefore portkalariy appropriate HM* we sboaM lookbach and consider what HM "Dreodnooght" and her sisters meant to theRoyd Navy of 50 years ago.¥JEW ships were ever more aptly* named thin Dreadnought, firstof the Royal Navy's "all-big-gun"vessels, and forerunner of thegreatest battleship-building revolutionsince the coming of the ironclad.Commissioned in late 1906, lessthan 14 months after a "hushhush"laying-down at PortsmouthDockyard, Dreadnought owedmuch of her speedy inception andrevolutionary design to the farseeinggenius of Sir John Fisher,then in his first term of office asFirst Sea Lord.It was the volcanic Fisher, who,acutely aware of the rapidly growingGerman menace in the NorthSea, refused to be content with atotal of some 30 or 40 existingcapital ships; placing his faithinstead in a fast, heavily armedvessel capable of out-fighting two,or even three of these warships atthe most extreme ranges.How well he succeeded is nownaval history; and almost overnight.the battleships of the worldwere split into two classes —Dreadnoughts and prc-Drcadnoughts.The new warship was the ninthof her name. Forebears had distinguishedthemselves under Drakeat Cadiz, and with Nelson at Trafalgar.Tradition was precious inthe Royal Navy, and ancestorswho had fought under Britain'sgreatest admirals demanded aworthy successor. Nor would theyhave been disappointed in thelatest of the line.Vickers steam turbines drovethe 17,900 ton Dreadnoughtthrough the water at a speed of21 knots. This was the first timea capital vessel of this size hadbeen fitted with the new machi

-1lead. The Royal Navy also heldtrump cards in the shape of severalsuper-Dreadnought battleshipsand battle cruisers mounting 13.5inch guns; whilst almost nearingcompletion was the i^uceri Elizabethclass equipped with a 15 incharmament. H M S. Dreadnought.in fact, was already middle-aged 1Age, however, was no object atthe beginning of the First WorldWar, and after taking part inmany sweeps of the North Seawith the Grand Fleet, Dreadnought.commanded by CaptainAlderson achieved further fameby ramming the U-29 whilst onpatrol in March, 1915.This proved to be the vessel ofCommander Wcddigen, the submarineace, who earlier in the warhad torpedoed the armouredThe Duke of Edinburgh'on November 21 impacted H.M.A.S. "Albetrou," the R.A.N.eir station at Novrre /(N.S.W.). Ha i> shown Kara discussing with Lieutenant-Commander L M. Bataman survival eaerctses if naval aircraft crash. Lieutenant-Commander 'Bataman had bean shot into the "ditching" pool in a dummy 'cockpit.Pictured with tha Duke is Captain P. £. Fanthawe, Commanding Officer of H.M.A.S."Albatroa."cruisers Cressy, Hogue andAbotil(ir within three-quarters ofan hour, whilst in the U-9.Responsible also for the loss of thecruiser Huu'J^e, his untimely endmust have dealt a grave blow tothe morale of the enemy underseasraiders.But Dreadnought never tookher place in the line at Jutland.After the German raid on Lowestofton 25th April, 1916, theThird Battle Squadron, consistingof Dreadnought and seven pre-Dreadnoughts was detached fromthe Grand Fleet and based on theThames as a deterrent.After Jutland, the brief careerof the famous ship rapidly drewto a close. Paid off on 7th August,1918, the end of the war foundher still and deserted, with onlythe ghosts of an illustrious past fora crew.She was placed in reserve commissionat Rosyth, on 25th February,1919. and on 31st March,1920, appeared on the Admiralty"For Sale" list together with thepre-Dreadnought Lord Nelson andothers. As a final mockery, twoprc-Dreadnoughts, the Agamemnonand Comrmmu'eulth survivedher. remaining in commission astarget and gunnery ships.Apart from a law suit, theresult of a minor collision with aNorwegian vessel whilst mooredin the Firth of Forth in December.1920. little more was heard ofDreadnought until August of thefollowing year when she wasfinally sold as scrap for £44,000.Ironically enough, several of theNavy's pre - Dreadnoughts hadplayed far more active roles in thewar than their successor; but therecan be little doubt that had warbroken out earlier, say, in 1907,Dreadnought would have taken amajor part in deciding the issue atsea. As it was, she had to be contentto watch others reap theglories of battle in her stead.Crowds Swarm Aboard Submarine12THE NAVY

NEWS OF THE WORLD'S NAVIESTwo Rovd aircraftcollide in airTwo Royal Australian NavyFirefly aircraft collided in the airnear Jervis Bay (southern N.S.W.coast) on November 27 and thepilot and observer of one werelost.A helicopter rescued the pilotand observer of the other aircraftafter it had "ditched" into thesea.The aircraft were on a trainingflight from the R A N. air stationat Nowra.The missing pilot and observervanished when their plane hit thewater with great force.A wide search was carried outby three air-sea rescue launches,two helicopters, and other navalaircraft, without success.4 . . »- if. aH n m y jn» ww^i• . iiByi n n H MThe commander of the RoyalYacht Britannia, which broughtthe Duke of Edinburgh to Australiafor the Olympic Games lastmonth, presented three glasspanels to the N.S.W. branch ofthe Royal Empire Society.The panels, a gift of the Admiralty,were from the previousRoyal yacht, Victoria and Albert.The panels bear a colouredarabesque design.Royal Marines to lerveia urn* shipsThe Admiralty has announcedthat Royal Marine detachmentsare to be embarked in certainfrigates instead of seamen.This is a departure from thetraditional sea service of RoyalMarines, who until now haveserved only in ships of the size ofcruisers and above.The first of three frigates to bemanned by marines is H.M.S.Loch Killisport. which sailed fromPortsmouth recently for service onthe East Indies Station and thePersian Gulf. The frigate carried20 marines.Loweriaq of W.R.N.S.oge limitThe lower age limit for entryinto the Women's Royal NavalService has been reduced from 18to 17$ years. The consent ofparents or guardians will, however,be required by all recruitswishing to enter the Service underthe age of eighteen.In addition to widening therecruiting field, the new minimumage limit will shorten the gapbetween leaving school and entryin the Service. It will also enableyoung women of this age group,from whom many enquiries arereceived at recruiting offices, tosettle in a full time career in theW.R.N.S.f - — J " »«. L- ' —« -* ••dNjKKKI WOn I DC INRmlisays Hnt LardEngland would not be bulliedover her actions in the Suez Canalzone, the First Lord of the Admiralty,Lord Hailsham, said atOxford (U.K.), on November 30.Referring to criticism of Britainin the United States and UnitedNations, Lord Hailsham said "Wewill not be sermonised. Andplease, we do not wish to hear anymoral lectures from those whosemoral weakness and incapacity tosee the facts was the precipitatingfactor in the present crisis."Lord Hailsham said he had beentrying to arrange a technical meetingon clearing the Suez Canal."That meeting has so far beenfrustrated in New York," headded.Lord Hailsham, whose motherwas an American, said: "For thefirst time since the war. almost forthe first time in my life, I havebegun to find it hard to say that Iam half American and still harderto say that I am proud of it."Explosioa, tiro oaformer Navy shipThe former AustralianNavyL.S.T. Taraltan. on which eightmen lost their lives in an explosionand fire in Sydney Harbourin 1950, was nearly the scene ofa similar disaster further upstreamon November 27.Reports state that a spark froman oxy-acetylene torch caused anexplosion, in which the oil tanksblew up, sending flames and blacksmoke hundreds of feet in the air.Two workmen on the ship probablysaved their lives by throwingseveral oxy-acetylene cylindersoverboard to prevent their explodingin the flames.Firemen used foam and wateron the fire for more than an hourbefore bringing it under control.Mmmm ipfi mastfrom Royal YachtThe former mizzen mast of H.M.yacht Victoria and Albert III hasrecently been erected outside theNational Maritime Museum. TheMuseum has long desired a sparof suitable dimensions from somehistoric ship to replace the ratherinadequate flag staff previouslyused, and so was extremely gladto accept the gracious offer by HerMajesty the Queen of this mast,together with other relics from theold Royal Yacht.Plans for the rigging of the mastwere prepared by the ConstructiveDepartment of H.M.- Dockyard,Chatham, but some difficultywas experienced in findingfirms who would undertake thenecessary rigging and erection.Finally the work was acceptedby two who have always provedextremely good friends to theMuseum. Messrs. William Cory6i Son, Ltd., undertook the riggingand preparation of the mast,while Sir Robert McAlpine &Sons Ltd., who had previouslylifted the mast from the river andbrought it to the Museum groundsfree of charge, undertook theground works and actual erection,which has recently been satisfactorilycompleted.The mast is from a single tree,and was originally 129 feet inlength, but the lower part, formerlybelow deck level, was foundto have opened up some-what, andit was found advisable to cut it -away. The mast now stands 105feet above the ground, the sameheight that it previously roseabove the deck of the yacht.H.M.S. Salisbury, first of thenew aircraft direction frigates wascommissioned on October 22 atPlymouth. She is also the first shipto he built in Devonport Dockyardsince the war.H.M.S. Salisbury, commandedby Commander W. A. E. Hall,R.N., has an overall length of 340feet and a beam measurement of40 feet. Her main armament willconsist of two 4.5 in. guns withtwo smaller weapons.She is the seventh ship to bearher name in the Royal Navy, thefirst being a 48-gun fourth-rateacquired by the Service in 1698and the sixth an American WorldWar I destroyer, transferred tothe Navy in 1940.The Deans and Chapters of theCathedrals at both cities of Salisburyhave agreed to accept theWhite Ensign and Union Flagflown during the Salisbury's commissioning,the former to be hungin the English Cathedral and thelatter in the Rhodesian.At the commissioning ceremonySalisbury, Rhodesia, and the Englishcathedral city of that namewere represented by the HighCommissioner for the Federationof Rhodesia and Nyasaland, SirGilbert McCall Rennie, G.B.E.K.C.M.G., M.C., and Lady Rennie and the Bishop of Salisburythe Rt. Rev. William L. Anderson, D.S.C., D.D., Mrs. Anderson, and civic representatives fromSalisbury.The Commander • in - Chief,Plymouth. Admiral Sir MarkPizey, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., andLady Pizey and the Lord Mayorand Lady Mayoress of Plymouthwere also present.Early last month the UnitedStates Joint Chiefs of Staff statedthat U.S. service commanders inall parts of the world had beenwarned to tighten their defencereadiness.American Associated Press reportedthat some naval trainingmanoeuvres had been cancelled.At HM corMf of PHadm ft IAs a preparatory measure, itstated, the U.S. Navy had ordereda big air strike force to sea.The 60,000-ton carrier Forrestalhad steamed out of Norfolk,Atlantic coast base, with the45,000-ton carrier Franklin D.Roosevelt, the heavy cruisers DesMoines, and more than a dozendestroyers.U.S. Navy headquarters saidthe ships would remain under thedirect operational control ofAdmiral Jerrauld Wright,Supreme Commander of theAtlantic alliance Naval forces,and commander of the U.S.Atlantic Fleet.The newsagency quoted theJoint Chiefs of Staff as havingemphasised that there was "nonew, imminent crisis."Triboto to Royal NavySydney "Daily Telegraph's"correspondent in the Suez CanalZone, Ronald Monson, in a dispatchto his newspaper late lastmonth, praised the Royal Navy'soperations in clearing part of theSuez Canal of Egyptian blockships.HOSHocks luxurious hotel will become known m agreat hotel for it* food, drink and service,luxurious dining room, lounges, and cocktail bar.all air'conditioned. the innovation of a highterrace and the self*contained beautifully furnishedbedrooms, opens up a new era in Melbourne for tlenjoyment and entertainment ofThe Gi—istawad tfcoaaWomm tf» bear in M d k m .TSLKPHONK: MB 5121MTHE NAVYDocombor, I fit.IS

THE CHINA RIVER GUNBOATSBy A. CECIL HAMPSHIRE—faIN Hie spacious days bstwtss the wars before Part and Co—ml Lists worothought of. HM averoge young Lleutencmt-Commaedsr mightholding a unique commoad.OT unly would he h.ivc becomea fresh water sailor,Nhut in addition to normal responsibilities,he might be called uponto cope at the drop of a hat withbattle, murder and sudden death,coupled with the daily threat ofinternational "incidents" guaranteedto turn an experienced diplomat'shair grey. For all this, andmore, was the lot of commandingofficers of those one-time small butimportant units of the Navy, theChina river gunboats.Up to the outbreak of WorldWar II. 13 of these vessels patrolledthe Yangtse and five theSi-kiang, or West River. TheYangtse Flotilla boasted a Rear-Admiral in command, and theWest River Flotilla had a captainas senior naval officer.Most of the gunboats belongedto the "Insect" class, of which 12were built in 1915-16 for serviceon the Danube against Austro-Hugarian montors. In alphabeticalorder, these were the Aphis, Bee,Cicada, Cockchafer, Cricket,Glowworm, Gnat, Ladybird,Mantis, Moth, Scarab and Tarantula.They were 237ft. 6in. long, displacing645 tons, with a beam of36ft. and a mean draught of 4ft.They had two funnels abreast,their twin screws were sited intunnels, and with three ruddersthey were very manoeuvrableTheir designed speed was 14knots, but this was frequently exceeded.Two 6-inch guns comprisedtheir main armament, andon a battery deck protected bysteel plating, they mounted a numberof smaller weapons. Both theBee. the Yangtse flagship, and theTarantula (S.N.O West River)had a 6-inch gun removed to providequarters for their senior officers.To reach the Danube the "Insects"were to have been taken toSalonica and transported overlandin sections. But the collapse ofSerbia nullified the plan. Nevertheless.the Glowworm and Aphisdid eventually reach the Danubein 1920. When the Austrian Emperorabdicated, he and hisEmpress and their suite were accommodatedon board the littleGlowwormOf the rest, the Mantis. Moth.Tarantula and Scarab took part inthe Mesopotamian Campaign, theAphis and Bee were employed inEgypt, and others on coastal defenceduties at home.In 1919 and 1920 the "Insects,"originally called "Large ChinaGunboats" to conceal their realpurpose, were towed out to theFar East to begin their eventfulcareers on the Chinese rivers. TheGlowworm, however, was sold inMalta in 1928, and the Aphis andLadybird, paid off there in 1921,were recommissionedservice in 1927.for ChinaThe policing of the Yangtse andSi-kiang by the Navy dated backto 1858 when the Treaty of Tientsinopened a reluctant China toWestern trade, and permitted"British ships of war, coming forno hostile purpose, or being engagedin the pursuit of pirates, tovisit all ports within the dominionsof the Emperor of China."But for a long time no warshipssuitable for river work were includedin the China Squadron.Six first-class gunboats of 700-800tons were on the station, but thefirst river gunboats built for thejob arrived in 1899. Known as"shallow draught steamers," theywere designed by Yarrow and sentout in "flotahle sections" whichwere bolted together in the water.First arrival was the Sandpiper,an 85-ton vessel, 100ft. long, witha beam of 20ft. and a draught of2ft. She was coal-burning, with aspeed of 10 knots. Armamentcomprised two 6-pounders, andher complement was two officersand 21 men. She took up herduties on the West River.Then followed the Woodcockand Woodlarl;. larger vessels of145 tons mounting two 12-pounders, and subsequently theNightingale, Snipe and Robin ofthe "Sandpiper" class, and theTeal, Widgeon and Moorhen ofthe "Woodcock" class. Six wereemployed on the Yangtse andthree on the West River. Contraryto popular belief, the Robin,last of the smaller gunboats tosurvive into the late 1920s, did notfloat across from the Yangtse tothe West River during an abnormalflood season; she was neveremployed on the larger river. Butsuch was her reputation againstpirates that her successors wereknown to the Chinese as "BigL'obins."The gunboats patrolled some1,500 miles of the Yangtse and upto 500 miles of the West River.For naval purposes the Yangtsewas divided into three sections:Lower, from Wusung to Hankow;Middle, from Hankow to Ichang;and Upper, from Ichang toChungking. Although the "Insects"could reach Ichang at alltimes, the Upper section wasattainable only during certainmonths of the year. Above Ichangprecipitous gorges extend for 160miles, between which the river becomesa stretch of swift flowingrapids with currents reaching 14knots.The first gunboats to make thepassage from Ichang to Chungkingwere the Woodcock andWoodlarl; in April/May, 1899.The trip took 31 days, the shipshaving to be hauled over therapids with the aid of coolies andstout bamboo ropes. Later twogunboats were permanently stationedon the Upper Yangtse.The "Insects" who relievedthese gallant old vessels had theiraccounting base at Hankow andrefitted at Shanghai. Normally onegunboat was stationed at each ofthe Treaty ports, while the Beewith the Rear-Admiral (Yangtse)cruised between Shanghai andIchang.On the West River, with administrativeand refitting base atHong Kong, were the Tarantula(senior officer's ship). Moorhen,Sandpiper and Robin. The twolast named were relieved by theCicada and Moth, and the Moorhenwas eventually replaced bythe Seametv, first of a new classbuilt in 1927. Normal limit ofpatrol on the West River wasWuchow, some 250 miles fromHong Kong, but during the floodseason the "Insects" could reachNanning, 250 miles farther on.Also in 1927 came the Gannet,Peterel and Tern, and later theFalcon, Sandpiper and Robin.These new gunboats varied between185 and 372 tons, werefaster and more heavily armedthan their predecessors, and boastedsuperior living accommodation.China gunboats never paid off.The authorities at home were wellaware of the effect on morale of abody of men cooped up within thelimited compass of a small vesselin a hot. moist climate. Half thecrews were therefore relieved annually,each having completed thestatutory 2$ years' commission bythe time they reached home.But life in gunboats was popularand never monotonous. Politicalsituations caused by the ambitionsof aggresive war-lords blewup like tropical storms in theirpatrol areas, and were handled bythe sailors on the spot with suchconsummate skill that they rarelyhit the newspaper headlines athome. Activity against pirates andbandits was ceaseless, and Chineseas well as Europeans came to regardthe White Ensign as a suresymbol of security.These fresh water sailors rubbedshoulders with the teeming life ofChina at close quarters. They sawthe customs of the people at firsthand, from the amazing "DragonBoat" festival, to the passage ofNEW BADGE DESHSNtAN official type badge symbolis-**ing the characteristics of fastmoving craft has been designed bythe Royal Navy for fast patrolboats.In this category are craft knownin World War II as Motor TorpedoBoats and Motor Gun Boats,but minelaying coastal craft andcraft powered by gas turbines arenow also included.The badge, superimposed on ablue field and headed with theAdmiralty Crown, is heraldicallydescribed as: "A flying fish withthe tail of a scorpion white and inbase two bars wavy also white."It is ringed with a coil of rope.the huge, paper-decorated palanquinin which the body of a deadpatriarch is borne to its last restingplace in the hills facing the river,attended by the wailing of professionalmourners and the machinegunripple of fire-crackers to scireaway evil spirits. They saw, too,death and destruction wrought byMan and Nature; by civil wars,floods and typhoons; by diseaseand poverty; and they felt thefascination of the great riversupon whose bosoms whole communitieslive out their lives injunk and sampan.World War II wrote finis tothe story of the China gunboats,which, even without the rise ofMao Tse-tung, could never haveresumed their historic role. ThePeterel and Cicada were sunk byJapanese bombs in December,1941. and the Tem, Robin andMoth scuttled at Hong Kong toavoid capture in the same month.The Sandpiper, Falcon and Gannetwere given to the Chinese in1942, and eight others left to fightelsewhere.Of these the Aphis, Gnat, Ladybirdand Cricket joined the Medi-Cootinued on paga 25» FOR PATROL BOATSThe badge is based on that originallydesigned for the first MotorTorpedo Boat Flotilla in 1937, andsubsequently used unofficially as atype badge for all M.T.B.S andM.G.B.s.A flying fish is intended to symbolisethe high speed and skimmingcharacteristics of these lightcraft, while the scorpion's tail indicatesthe powerful sting of theirarmament. In a former design diesting of the scorpion's tail wasfacing aft — an allusion to thefact that torpedoes in the earlyM.T.B.s were launched asternthrough the transom. Since torpedoesare now fired ahead, the scorpion'stail has been reversed.THE NAVYDecember. ItSi.IT

IN THE COLD SOUTHHow many cigarettes can 230 Naval ratings ba expectedto smoke daring six months in tha Antarctic ? How modichocolate will thay oat? How bast can their o* dotyrecreational Midi ba culm ad far in a part of tha worldwhore there will bo fow opportunities for runs asboro ?rT" , HF.SR questions .irase on hoard• H.M.S. Protector before shesailed fr- D S.C.. R.A.N., who was in charge of thefwwart gun turrets of the cruiser "Sydney" when die sankpOMMANDER Crabb, a^^ graduate of the Royal AustralianNaval College, at present isNaval Member of the Joint PlanningStaff in Melbourne. He takesup his new appointment in theacting rank of Captain on December12.Besides serving in the Sydneyin the Second World War, healso served in the destroyersRotherham. \apier and Anmta.He was awarded the DistinguishedService Cross in 1946. When hegraduated from the Naval Collegein 1935 he was awarded theKing's Medal for having displayedthe most gentleman-like bearingand good influence among his fellowcadets during his four yearsof training.After he had been appointed tothe command of the Battle classdestroyer Anzac in 1954 she participatedin two major maritimeexercises in south - east AsianWaters.The Voyager is the first of threeDaring Class ships to be completedfor the R.A.N. She was launchedat Cockatoo Island Dockyard onMarch 1. 1952, and will be com- .missioned on February 12 next.The other two ships are theVendetta, launched at the NavalDockyard at Williamstown onMay 3, 1954, which will befinished in 1958; and the Vampire.launched at Cockatoo Islandon October 27.carry six 4.5 inch guns, six 40-millimctre anti-aircraft guns and10 21 inch torpedo tubes.Captain ForrestCaptain G. C. Forrest, R.D.,Commodore of the P. & O. fleetand commander of the linerArcadia.' retired tin October 14.He served with the Royal Navyduring both World Wars and hascommanded various P. H O. vesselssincc 1946.Captain Forrest is well knownto many Australian travellers.Captain E. R. Bodley, D.S.O.,has succcccdcd Catain Forrest asCommodore of the P. ii O. fleet.Each ship will have a full load ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ tfe« cebin of • WicopH, .tdisplacement Ot 3,500 tons andGovernment Howe, Sydney, durinq hit recent vi.it to Amtrelie.

NAVALTT was in 1905 that the EntenteCordiale. that guarded andloosely defined defensive arrangementbetween the United Kingdomand France, was brought intoexistence. I do not think that itaroused much enthusiasm on ourside of the Channel; it certainlydid not in France. The Frenchlooked on it as a formula whichwould probably never hind us.Anglo-French relations had beenbad for a long time and theFashoda affair which had arouseda storm of execration in Francewas recent history. In fact, wewere still Perfide Albion and notto be trusted.However, the official ententewas to be followed by a visit ofthe French Fleet to Spithead inAugust. It • soon became evidentthat a great effort was to be madeto show France that we desired towin her friendship and that we setgreat value on the new understandingSo the word was passedto the Navy that there was to beno sign of that /legme britanniqueof which Frenchmen, mistakingDIPLOMACY•y Admiral Sir Gerald Dickens. K.C.V.O., C.I.. C.M.G.our natural reserve for coldnesstowards them, accused us, but thatall was to be hearty cordiality.This note was sounded high up onMount Olympus, in fact by AdmiralSir John Fisher ("Jacky" tothe Navy) the First Sea Lord. He,realising that the balance of seapower would be completely upsetby the fast growing German Navywith, behind it, the Chauvinism ofthe Kaiser, Wilhelm II, was determinedto do all in his power toget France and her ally. Russia,on our side of the fence. He sawthat if ever the Navy had playedits part in peaceful diplomacy (as,indeed, it so often had) it must,on this occasion, break all records.He went into every detail of theweek's programme. Nothing escapedhis eye and where any obstaclewas 1 raised to some imaginativebut rather unorthodox suggestionhe. kicked it out of the way.Publicity on a grand scale wasthe keynote and it had to be suchthat its main effect was to be feltin France. The French people hadto be told. So the Press machinery'was got going. This was not difficultin the case of our Press forFleet Street liked Jacky. He hadalways kept his journalistic friendswell informed on naval matterseven, sometimes, questions whichMy Lords considered highly confidential.Many senior officers shudderedat such goings on! But heknew that without the Press hisschemes for strengthening theFleet would never get the necessarybacking of the public and theGovernment. Unfortunately, it hasbeen rare that Boards of Admiraltyhave understood how tohandle publicity and, howevergreat the need, they just haven'tliked getting mixed up in it. Moreis the pity when the safety of thecountry becomes involved.T O come back to our story. Ihad been appointed, for theoccasion, additional Flag Lieutenantand Interpreter to theCommander-in-Chief, Portsmouth,and so was well placed to see allthe fun. Jacky summoned a meetingof the large number of offi-W i n n s he Big Friendly Stores"ma/ ~GREETINGS FROM YOUR FAVOURITE STORE, WHERE YOUR NEEDSARE CONSTANTLY BEING STUDIED IN ORDER TO GIVE YOU THETHINGS YOU WANT, AT THE PRICE YOU LIKE. FOR VALUESTHAT ARE HIGH, AND PRICES THAT ARE LOW, COME FIRST TOWINNSOXFORD ST., SYDNEY,aho REDFERN - ASHFIELD - AUBURN - HURSTVILLE - FAIRFIELDiiiiiimwi—mi f 1 - - —•„.,,.,THE NAVYBlue Water Vagabond, by DennisPuleston; published by RupertHart-Davis (U.K.).It was the fashion in other daysfor gilded youth to go on whatwas called the Grand Tour ofEurope. To-day such a man asMr. Dennis Puleston goes in asmall boat to all kinds of more orless remote islands, which, by theway, have less than justice doneto them in the end paper map.Conrad says that journeying insearch of romance is much liketrying to catch the horizon; itappears that the inhabitants ofAnegada in the British VirginIslands make their living, says thePilot Bool^, by fishing and wrecking,and when a lighthouse wasrecently placed on SombreroIsland as a guide to shipping inthe vicinity of Anegada, some ofthe islanders protested bitterly andeven demanded compensationfrom the British Givernment forhaving ruined their chief source ofincome!Another protest, alas too late,came from Emil, the versatileDanish cook, etc., who sailed fora while with the author. A certaindisaster, he said, would nothave happened if one had refrainedfrom the fatal practice ofwhistling before breakfast, which,he said, one should never do atsea.A shipmate of another sort wasTehate, a Marquesan, who as aboy had run away from home andafter many years was returning,very apprehensive of his father'swrath.His father, however, had diedand Tehate — of whom an agedcompatriot said, "I t'ink he deadalong shark belly long time. Nowhe stop here alia time"— preferredto abandon his inheritance of1,000 acres of fat lands and continuesailing with out author. Andwe who read this fascinating bookcan well understand the spell thatMr. Puleston cast over him.—H.B.— In the London "J

NAVAL DIPLOMACYContinued from page 20.cers appointed for liaison dutieswith the French. He told us thatif we failed to meet even quiteunreasonable demands by Press reporters(French one in particular)our homes would be made desolate— a favourite expression of his.Jacky was on a particularly goodwicket being a personal friend ofthe King, who indeed had used hisgreat influence in Paris to get theEntente Cordialc accepted by thepoliticians.On the appointed day theFrench Fleet, under the commandof Admiral Caillard, arrived forits week's visit. And what a weekit was! Event followed event allday and most of the night dinners,dances, illuminations. Moneywas spent like water. A perfectdance floor was laid in the NavalBarracks gymnasium. There weregarden parties in the Isle of Wightand boating parties on the Thamesbut. of course, the main attractionwas London. Special trains cameBOOK REVIEWSContinued from pig* 21This should be a help to thosetrying to use the book to identifyvessels seen at sea or in harbours.Illustrations arc in the main good.though the absence of plans anddrawings makes it desirable that afuture edition should concentrateon more broadside views than aregiven.Recognition points in the textcannot always be appreciatedwhen the photograph accompanyingthem is a bow or quarter view.Some inkling of the date of thephotograph would also be interesting,for there is a suspicion thatsome of the illustrations are not asmodern as may appear.All in all a welcome return tothe very small collection of reasonablypriced naval handbooks. —AH.— In the London "Jsfavy."22and went; meals and every sort ofwine laid on. Relays of landausmet the trains at Waterloo, roomswere reserved at the best hotels,seats booked at theatres. Londonplayed up well and enthusiasmmounted quickly. The French officersand sailors were cheeredwherever they went. There was abanquet at Westminster Hall atwhich Mr Balfour spoke. Herewas oratory indeed and even weyounstcrs knew at once that hiswords were directed to a worldaudience making it known thatBritain and France now stood sideby side.All this was highly satisfactory;but there was one thing more tocome, something which was totranscend all our efforts to showour sincerity towards France Finiscoronat opus. On the last night ofthe French Fleet's visit, a receptionto be honoured by the King andQueen Alexandra, was held onboard the French flagship. Thequarter-deck was packed withBritish and French officers. Therewas a tenseness in the air as weawaited the arrival of TheirMajesties, for this visit by theBritish monarchy to. a French warshiphad, in those days, somethingof very special significance. At theappointed moment the royal bargedrew alongside. (Here, let thecommentator whisper a final descriptivedetail: the French hadbuilt a double-width gangway forthe occasion so that the King andQueen could gain the quarter-deckarm-in-arm—a thoughtful and aquite unusual provision.) As TheirMajesties appeared tenseness dissolvedin an electric thrill—EdwardVII, debonair, smiling andfriendly, but so naturally and absolutelyregal; the Queen, irresistiblycharming, royally graciousand. indeed, quite lovely. Herewas the Empire's crowning glorymade evident. The effect on theFrench Navy was immediate. Iheard a French officer near meexclaim: "I'Entente Cordialc ca yest'.'' And so it was.•T'HE Portsmouth festivities wererepeated on a smaller scale onsome foreign stations. In returnfor a visit by the French ChinaSquadron to Hong Kong. H.M.S.King Alfred, flagship of our ChinaSquadron and to which I now belonged.pnveeded. at the invitationof the French Government,to Saigon. Arrived up the riverthe King Alfred was berthedalongside in the heart of the town.A series of high officials paid theusual calls and delegates from hospitalitycommittees came on boardto discuss the various fixtures arrangedin our honour. We wereobviously going to have a fulltime of it. A few of us hadgathered in the Ward RoomSmoking Casemate for a gin and atalk about who should go to whichof the many parties arranged forus, when somebody said: "I seethere is to be a Battle of Rowersand a procession of decoratedcarriages this very afternoon —what about our entering for it?"All agreed that this was a brilliantidea if we could acquire anequipage and the necessaryflowers. A glance at the busystreets showed us that the localfiacre was a sort of small victoriadrawn by a pair of small ponies—good goers. Summoning the WardRoom Boy we instructed him tohire one of these outfits for theday and, also, "Catchee plentyflowers, chop chop."•T'HE carriage soon appeared andwe lost no time in getting towork. A number of sailors, volunteers,were detailed for their "partof the ship." The Quarterdeckmcnmounted a Maxim gun aft and setup an ensign staff, the Maintopmenrigged a mainmast and lashedKing Alfred's smart lifebuoys onthe carriage wheels, while theForetopmen fitted a foremast, bowContinued on pago 24THE NAVYHuge tanker nowThe world's largest seagoingship is taking shape at the formerdockyard at Kure having beenlaunched in August.She is American designed andwill be of about 83,000 tons deadweighor 100,000 tons displacement,being built for UniverseTank Ships, a Liberian flag linesubsidiary of National Bulk Carriersof New York.A sister is also on the stocks,and two of 87.000 tons deadweightare under design. They areto be dual purpose vessels to carryeither oil or ore. It is this type oftanker which could make the"round Africa" voyage withoutloss and probably with greateradvantage than through the Canal.Work for yean aheadfar U.K. shipyardsRecent large orders placed witnU.K. shipyards bring the total upto a level which guarantees fulltimework for nearly 5 yearsahead for the ship • buildingindustry.Eighty ships, totalling 514,000gross tons, were ordered fromJuly to September, making thetotal for the first nine months ofthis year 222 ships of 1,266,000gross tons.More than 30 per cent, of theDoombor, I9U.new tonnage ordered is forexport.Orders for the whole of 1956are likely to reach at least 1J milliongross tons.the Atlantic ocean'A new era for cable communicationsopened when the trans-Atlantic telephone cables linkingBritain to Canada and the UnitedStates came into operation on September25.These are the first long-distancetelephone cables in the world andhave been made possible throughthe development by U.K., U.S.and Canadian engineers of thesubmergeable repeaters, or amplifiers,that are built into themabout every 40 miles.They provide 29 telephone circuitsto New York and six toMontreal that will he quite freefrom the uncertainties and fadeoutsthat affect radio-telephonecircuits. In addition there are sixnew telegraph channels to Canadato be used to improve communicationswith Australasia.The cable to Canada is thelatest addition to the CommonwealthTelecommunications System,which comprises over150,000 miles of submarine cables,many thousands of miles of landlinesand some 200,000 miles ofradio circuits.MARITIME NEWS OF THEWORLDFrom our Correspondents inLONDON end NEW YORKByAIR MAILThe whole system is now runby public authorities of the Commonwealthcountries workingwithin the terms of an intergovernmentalagreement.It is the largest cable networkin operation. In Australia the networkfunctions through the OverseasTelecommunications Commission.A million Iritoosnow sail dinghiesYacht club secretaries aroundthe coast of the United Kingdom— from the River Clyde in Scotlandto the River Crouch in S.E.England — report that more men,women and children sailed this •year than in any season, before,despite one of the windiest andrainiest summers on record.The total number owning orhelping to sail small boats is aboutone million. What was once aminority sport and an expensiveone between the two World Warshas become a people's pastimemainly because of the massproducedsailing dinghy.Despite the winter, some hardyenthusiasts in Britain plan weekendracing on inland waterwaysand lakes. Others will be buildingnew boats in backyards andgarages. All will draw on theexperience and experiments ofgreat designers like Uffa Fox, personalfriend of the Duke of Edin-II

urgh, who has done more thanany man to bring sailing withinthe reach of the man in the street.Two Australia* Shipssaid to Hong KongTwo Australian coastal shipsleft Sydney on November 27 afterbeing bought by a Chinese company.The ships were the Caledon, afreighter, and the Elsanna. whichcarried passengers between Brisbaneand Thursday Island.The Chiap Hua ManufacturingCompany, of Hong Kong, boughtthe ships.Shipping warned ofLast last month ships nearManus Island were warned tosteer clear of an erupting submarinevolcano, which wasreported to be throwing smokeand steam 2.000 feet into theair.Known as Tuluman, the volcanois about 15 miles south ofManus Island.Other reports said it wasbelieved that the volcano wasforming a new island.HM cut in haHfor Mombasa harboarNAVAL DIPLOMACYContinued from page 20.and steaming lights and an anchoreach side "ready for letting go."But it was the fo'c'slemen who,in their opinion and in that ofthe greater part of the King Alfred'sship's company (who hadnow apparently abandoned allother work for the rest of theday), had the most important jobof all, i.e.. to get the poniesproperly dolled up for the show.To an Eastern cabhorse used tosketchy grooming the treatmentthese animals now received musthave come ;.s a severe shock —washed and scrubbed, anointedwith gunnery vaseline, massagedand finished off with brilliantinegenerously supplied by the LowerDeck; mains and tails plaited withcoloured ribbons and. finally,hooves painted a most particularlyshiny black enamel. Meanwhile weofficers covered in every non-workingpart of the carriage with hessianto which banks of flowerswere attached.All was at last completed andamidst the plaudits of the KingAlfred's ship's company we trottedoff to the racecourse. Arrivedthere we found that the preliminaryprocession was just over. SoKipevu Hill, near the site of the much the better. We had thenewly planned deep-water quays track to ourselves. Off we went atextension of Mombasa harbour,Kenya, is literally being chopped fishers. But the existence of fishin half to form a cutaway as part which eat birds has been establishedin Uganda.of the scheme.When the project is finished Not only do they eat fledglingswhich fall out of nests intoover two and a half million tonsof earth and rock will have been the water, but they have been seenremoved, much of which will providea filling for a valley to land-the water of the River Nile.to snap at birds swooping low overward of the scheme and the According to the Fisheriesremainder used for the new quays Officer of Uganda, Mr. D. H.and other projects.Rhodes, the mud fish is omnivorous.Ill J ml lug fallfoaed hi AfricaOne is used to the idea of birdseating fish — there are plenty ofexamples from pelicans and cormorantsIt is known to crawl or wriggleoverland for short distances andduring these excursions it feeds.Mud fish have been opened andto seagulls and king- found full of milletseed.Ma hand-gallop. The pace increasedas the ponies, sensing freedomafter their morning's strenuousnaval discipline, took the bits betweentheir teeth. There was nowno holding them. Round we went,the British and French ensignsstraining at the mastheads. Pastthe grandstand where, as weflashed by I got a glimpse of ourCommander - in - Chief lookingsomewhat surprised—he had notbeen apprised of his flagship'sentry- and. what was somewhatominous, giving the fleeting impressionthat he did not entirelyapprove.And now the officer at the ribbonsbegan to feel that the shipwas carrying ever increasing portwheel and more and more were webearing down on the front row ofthe dense crowd of spectators. Aserious accident looked all toolikely but, luckily, our near forewheelwas brought up sharplyagainst a post. No one was hurt.We found that one of the reinshad become detached from the bit.(So much for naval harnessing.)However, all this fitted in with dienext part of our programme. Wehad arranged that after the preliminarydrive round the coursethe King Alfred's midshipmenwould, at an appointed spot, dashout, unharness the horses, hookon 12 pdr. field gun drag ropes,and in true Royal Tournamentstyle, double past the salutingbase. This was done, the situationretrieved and for the moment atleast we were the highlight ofthe show—all, French and natives(and even the C.-in-C—thankGod), were delighted. Our entertainmentwas at least somethingnew; at best we showed our desireto enjoy and take a hand in thefestivities so enthusiasticallyarranged by our French friendsto do honour to the EntenteCordialc.—From thn London "Navy."THiNAVYNEW FIGHTER TO FLYAT 1800 M.P.H.HAWUR Aircraft, af Mtaia. an^ffcltf mofficiaNy stated to bt1.100 iiiIm si boar whwn'T'HE Hawker Siddeley representativein Australia, Mr. C. J.Wood, in Melbourne last month,confirmed that the company was"proceeding with a fighter ofadvanced design," but said he wasunable yet to release any informationabout its speed or oth r . performancedetails.However, he added: "The companyis building the plane as aprivate venture, in the same wayas it-developed the Hawker Hurricanebefore World War II. Nopublic money has been spent onit."The new aircraft may easilyprove to be as important in thefuture as the Hurricane was duringthe war."British comment has included:The Daily Mail London: "SirSydney Camm, the designer whogave the R.A.F. its Hurricanesand Hunters, has gambled hisreputation on a 1,800 m.p.h.fighter. It is being built at theHawker factory at Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey. After a further18 months work it should beflying."An interceptor of advanceddesign, it was offered to theMinistry of Supply which ordersaicraft for the Air Ministry. Butthere was no official requirementfor such a fighter. It was turneddown. But Sir Sydney, chiefdesigner at Hawkers, and hisdirectors were convinced theywere on a winner so they decidedto go ahead without Governmentsupport or finance."Contracts to build R.A.F.Hunters are beginning to rundown and so far as has beenofficially announced Hawker com-Itf*.of ffylag atpany has been given no work forconstructing aircraft. So it lookslike making a success of the unwantedfighter."The Financial Times, London,:"No further details of the newfighter could be obtained yesterdaybut in view of the currentstate of fighter development in thiscountry it is certain to be capableof supersonic speed in level flight."Britain's most advancedfighter, the English Electric P.l, issupersonic in level flight but is notyet in squadron service, while theFairey Delta 2 supersonic researchaircraft holds the world air speedrecord of 1,132 m.p.h."Britain's fighter development,as a whole, however, is laggingbehind that of America and, it isthought, behind Russia also. Andin view of this the Hawker Groupmay have decided to circumventthe existing slow official specificationand procurement procedureby building private venture fightercapable of matching the latest U.S.types, such as the LockheedF.104A Star fighter, said to becapable of twice the speed ofsound."The Hawker Siddeley Grouprepresents the biggest concentrationof military aircraft builders inthis country. Before the war itlaid down a production line of asubstantial number of H»wkerHurricane fighters at its ownexpense."Sir Sydney Camm, 63-year-oldHawker chief designer, who isresponsible for the new fighter, hasbeen designing fighters forHawkers since 1925. Among along list of top fighter planes havebeen the Hawker Hart, Fury,Osprey and Nimrod, Hanley,Hurricane, Typhoon, Tempest andSea Fury, Sea Hawk and Hunter.THE CHINA RIVER GUNIOATSContinued from p*g« 17terranean Inshore Squadron tosupport the 8th Army in theWestern Desert. The Cricket wasbombed to destruction at MersaMatruh in June, 1941, the Ladybirdat Tobru^ in May, and theGnat was torpedoed by a U-boatoff Bardia in October of the sameyear. The Aphis and Scarab lentthe weight of their 6-inch guns tothe Allied landings in Sicily andsouthern France in 1943 and 1944.The Tarantula joined the EasternFleet. The Seamcw's war story remainsto be told.With peace came the end of thegallant, hard-fighting "Insects."The Tarantula's hulk was takenout and sunk off Ceylon in* 1946;the Aphis and Cockchafer weresold in Singapore in 1947 and1949, and the Scarab scrappedthere in 1948. The Bee. flagship ofthem all, after making headlinenews by her rescue of the crew ofthe American gunboat Panay,bombed and sunk by Japaneseaircraft in December, 1937, in agrim foreshadowing of events tocome, was sold as scrap a fewmonths before her sisters moved totheir war stations in 1939.—From tlio London "Nnry."A number of 60,000 ton tankerswill be built in the United Kingdom.The tankers will be the biggestever built in Britain.The announcement was maderecently by Mr. B. R. Jackson,chairman of the British PetroleumCompany. He was speaking atthe launching of a 32,000-tontanker on the Clyde.

PORTRAITS OF LORD NELSON)R some years I have beenPtrying to find out all I canabout the various portraits of Nelsonwhich were made in his lifetime.It is a rewarding pursuit,and I am already certain of some30 separate paintings,, drawingsand sculptures of the admiralwhich derive either from actualsittings, or from what I supposemust have been quick sketches.This is a large number for a manwho spent much of his life at sea,and one who died at the early ageof 47.The truth is that Nelson likedbeing painted. He once told hiswife that the next best thing todoing great deeds was to writea glorious account of them. Thisis vejy much what Sir WinstonChurchill seems to think tix>. andNelson had a shrewed idea thatthe artists who drew him wereworking for posterity. He enjoyedbeing a hero, and was not at .illaverse to dressing up. He liked tolook the national figure he becameMy first discovery was that theearliest reliable picture, by J. FRigaud. R A.. which was startedin 1777 when Nelson was a lieutenant.and finished later, wascommemorative in a way whichfew had suspected. As a veryyoung captain. Nelson servedashore in Nicaragua in .in expeditionagainst the Spaniards, and hehelpcit to attack the fort of SanJuan, on the river of that name.When he came home, he askedRigaud to put the fort into thebackground of the portrait, withthe British flag flying above thatof the enemy. He wanted peopleto remember his share in a campaignwhich had had very littlepublicity.The next three portraits are .ofBy OLIVERWARNER — in Londona more private nature. Nelson'sfriend Collingwood, who was,years later, his second in commandat Trafalgar, drew him in silhouettein the West Indies. Nelsonwas wearing a wig— he had hishead shaved during a bout offever, and the effect is amusing.Then, in 1795, a Leghorn miniaturistpainted a study for his wife.It was the last picture done inwhich Nelson still possessed all hislimbs, although he had alreadylost the sight of his right eye inaction in Corsica. The eye damageis not apparent in the Leghornminiature, or, indeed, in any otherexcept one by a German, whichshows very clearly which was thebrighter. The first drawings showingthe loss of his right arm. wasby Henry Edridgc. another miniaturist,who drew Nelson at fulllength.Eldridgc was. I think, theonly painter who drew him twicefrom life, oncc in 1797 and againin 1802, though Nelson seems tohave given a succession of sittingsto Lawrence Gahagan, a sculptor.It was Lemuel Abbott, a mannot otherwise much known, whofirst showed Nelson as a popularhero. He sketched him at Greenwichin the winter of 1797. afterthe battle of St. Vincent, andmade an industry of Nelson portraitsfor the rest of his life. Thereis nothing comparable in dignityto Abbott's rendering until JohnHoppner, R.A., and Sir WilliamBccchcy came to do their fullscalecanvasses, one for the Royalcollection and the other for theCity of Norwich. These werefinished after the victory ofCopenhagen had set the seal onNelson's earlier exploits.When Nelson was in Italy, betweenthe autumn of 1798 andthe summer of 1800. he was paintedby one or two Italian artists,the most persistent of them beingLeonardo Guzzardi, a Neapolitan.Guzzardi's versions are verybizarre and very Italianate, thoughthey pleased his friends, Sir Williamand Lady Hamilton. Nelsonand the Hamiltons returned toEngland across the Continent, andin Vienna With Nelson and EmmaHamilton were portrayed in pastelby Johann Schmidt. The result,I am sure, is almost perfect verisimilitude.It is a study in blue,gold and white which {howsclearer than any other version.Nelson's forehead wound from theNile, his blind eye, his boyishness,and his charm. It is at theNational Maritime Museum atGreenwich, and I wish I knewthe technique by which Schmidtproduced such a wonderfully goodfacsimile a year later.Of all his portraits. Nelson himselfpreferred a profile done by aDutch artist. Simon de Kostcr. Itseems a curious choice, for a manmust needs be a poor judge of hisown profile. Nevertheless, it isprobably a good likeness, and it isremarkably similar to the last portraitever made from life, a pastelby John Whichclo. This was doneat Merton. Nelson's home inSurrey, just before he set sail forhis last campaign.After the hero's state burial atSt. Paul's, the authorities at WestminsterAbbey wanted to presentthe public with a rival attraction.They hit on the idea of an effigy,dressed in Nelson's own uniform.This may still be seen in the NormanUndercroft, and it is in splendidcondition. It must really rankas a portrait from life, for althoughthe modeller. Miss Catherine An-THI NAVYdras, based her study on Hoppner'sfull-length canvas now at St.Jame's Palace, she did. in fact,have sittings from Nelson in hislifetime, and showed a small waxat the Royal Academy in 1801.Emma Hamilton and others whoknew Nelson well, thought it a"speaking likeness." and indeed itis astonishingly vivid, like most ofthe effigies in the Abbey collection.One of the great difficultieswith Nelson portraits is to datethem accurately. Years ago, Iremember my father telling methat in the City they spoke of thesum of JCI IS. Id. as a "Nelson"—one eye, one arm, one love! Thestudent of Nelson portraitureneeds to remember another homelyterm, "four stars," as an aid tochronology. Between 1797 and18 n 2, Nelson was awarded fourstars of chivalry by variousgovernments, besides two officialgold medals. It is largely by meansof these decorations, whether presentor absent, that dates may bedetermined. There is no absolutecertainty in the matter, which isperhaps, one of the reasons whythe pursuit is so fascinating. Moreover,at any moment, somethinghitherto unrecorded may turn up.As a matter of fact, at least fourdrawings, not generally known,have come to light since I firstbegan my own study. I hope theywill not be the last. I would likemo«t of all to trace a small drawing.probably made in 1797 or thefollowing year, by Orme. It usedto be in private possession. Perhapsit still is — but if so, whose?Lord St. Vir.cent once said toa friend, "that foolish little fellowNelson has sat to every painter inLondon." I wish he had! I wishmost of all that he had sat toGainsborough as a young man.and to Lawrence in his maturity.But there is a great deal for whichto be thankful. In Rigaud there ispromise. In Schmidt there is faith-Docmkor, I Mi.SEA CADET NOTES FROM TASMANIATWO platoons of Hobart SeaCadets (pictured above)marched through the streets ofHobart on 19th October as partof the Trafalgar Day celebrations.T.S. Derwent held an open dayfor parents on Dec. 1 at the NavalDepot H.M.S. Huon. A Whalerrace resulted in a win for the PortWatch. The President of theNavy League, Mr. C. H. Hand,then presented prizes awarded toCadets during the past trainingyear.The Ulverstone unit T.S. Levenis about to take possession of thenew headquarters, the old RowingClub shed. Prominent citizensdonated timber, frames, etc. Thecadets themselves provided thelabour. A cadet crew sailing the14 ft. dinghy regularly take partin the Ulverstone Yacht ClubSaturday races.The cadets of T.S. Tamar(Launceston) have formed a veryefficient Hornpipe Party. The Ex-Naval Men of Launceston havebeen most helpful with labour andmaterials for rigging and refittingT.S. Tamar, the depot ship.ful likeness: in Abbott andBecchey there is grandeur, inHoppner, almost feminine sadness.There is also what is perhapsthe strangest picture of all.It is called Afelstfn Wounded atthe N'le ; »nd it shows the hero inhis shirt, with a bloody head, butstill wearing round his neck theKing's gold medal for St. Vincent,of which he was so proud. Nelsongave this startling picture, whichis by an unknown artist, to LadyParker, wife of an admiral whofirst set his career on its upwardprogress by making him a postcaptainat the astonishing age of20.Never was an act of faith morefully justified. Seldom has gratitudebeen more graphically shown.I do not know any other instanceof a man having himself representednot in the actual clash ofbattle, but as it were, in the sickbaytowards its close. But Nelsonnever did things without a reason,and I suspect that he meant toshow Lady Parker that, had he not.been temporarily blinded, not asingle French ship would haveescaped from the scene of actionon 1st August. 1798. He was aconsistent publicist, and I for oneam glad of it, for the reticenthero, though he may be veryworthy, is, more often than not.rather dull. Nelson, on the otherhand, was never anything butvivid, human, colourful, and themost individual Admiral who everlived. The artists who recordedhis features for our benefit andpleasure certainly shared thisopinion.—From th« London "Novy."

RE-BIRTH OF THE GERMAN NAVYHILE the training of navalW personnel is well under wayand its strength scheduled to reach10,000 men by the end of thisyear the build-up of the fleet is ofnecessity a slow process.Seven vessels have been commissioned:four former German minesweepers, stationed at the NorthSea port of Brcmerhavcn andthree high speed patrol boats forthe Baltic Sea.The latter were recently commissionedat Kiel. With a crewof 17 men each they have up-todateradar and navigation equipmentand newjy developed hydroelectricsteering devices.Three diesel engines generating5,000 h p. each give the vessels aspeed of 40 knots. With adraught of only 5.5 feet, the vesselsare particularly suited tooperate in the shallow waters of'he Baltic Sea.The three patrol boats will formthe core of the first trainingsquadron of the German Navy.So far, the ships carry on armament,although they are fittedwith the necessary emplacementsfor mounting rapid fire guns.In commissioning the vessels.Vice Admiral Ruge recalled thatthis was the fifth time within thepast 100 years that a GermanNavy was called into being.Twice the Germans suffereddefeat because Germany underestimatedthe naval forces of itsopponents. The new GermanNavy, however, had the big navalpowers as its friends and as a resultof this situation its task is toconcentrate on the defence of thehome waters.The Admiral told the crewslined up on deck of the patrol vesselsthat they were "citizens inuniform" who had no special•y a Special Correspondentprivileges but many duties. Hesaid: "Always remember that thewill of our people to live in freedomin the West must also findexpression in your squadron."The four mine sweepers wererecently turned over to the GermanFederal Navy at Bremerhavenby Rear Admiral W. G..Schindler of the U.S. Navy. Theywill form the core of the GermanNavy's first mine sweepersquadron.After Germany's surrender,these vessels as well as other Germanmine sweepers were takenover by the Allies. First underBritish command and later underthe American flag, but with Ger-.man crews, these mine sweeperscleared the main sea lanes in theBaltic Sea and the North Sea.It was an arduous and dengeroustask taking years to completeand cost the lives of quite a numberof seamen and involved theloss of some vessels engaged in thetask.To-day, me danger from mineshas been eliminated to a largeextent. However, ship masters arestill enjoined to keep strictly tothe lanes mapped out for them asMedical staff at St. Thomas'sHospital, London, are carrying intheir pockets receivers no biggerthan fountain pens. If a doctor iswanted on the telephone hisreceiver makes a gentle "peeppeep."This is the new communicationssystem now being used at thisfamous teaching hospital. An inconspicuousloop of wire enclosesthe hospital. A transmitter isattached to the loop and poweredfrom the mains.having been cleared of mines.Theoretically, the danger fromfloating mines will come to an endnext year, since experts estimatethe average life of this type ofmine is twelve years.While the German Navy expectsto be reinforced in the nearfuture by a further hatch of formerGerman mine sweepers, theNaval Academy at Kiel is beingbuilt up. At present, 40 navalstaff officers arc undergoing a refreshercourse at Kiel, duringwhich they will be shown a numberof industrial plants and havethe opportunity to inspect the portfacilities at Hamburg. Bremen andWilhemshavcn.West Germany's Minister ofDefence recently stated that theeconomy of the German FederalRepublic would be able to absorbwithout difficulty the additionalburdens of armament production.Much of the necessary militaryequipment would be orderedabroad, while German industrywould manufacture mainly theclothing, housing equipment,vehicles, ships, light weapons andsmaller aeroplanes of the Germandefence force.DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE—NEW STYLENo wires are attached to thereceivers and there are no physicallinks at all between them andthe rest of the apparatus. Thereceivers are, in fact, operated bymagnetic induction from audiofrequency currents passing alongthe wire.In the simplest form of thesystem up to 56 receivers can beused, each responding to only oneof 56 frequencies, and if morereceivers arc needed several personscan share a frequency.21 THE NAVY^PORTABLE" REACTORSFOR EXPORTBy a Special CorrespoadantT ONDON, November 5: TheHawker Siddeley Group isnow at work on advanced typesof nuclear reactor systems.Work has begun on a study ofthe liquid metal fuel type of reactorwhich the Atomic EnergyAuthority has declared to be oneof Britain's most advanced projectsand, it is hoped, will makemore efficient use of the uranium.This was disclosed to-day by SirFrank Spriggs, managing directorof the Hawker Siddeley Group,who has just returned from a surveyof the Group's interests inCanada.Sir Frank said that the work isbeing undertaken by the HawkerSiddeley Nuclear -Power Company,formed at the beginning ofthe year, at its establishment atLanglcy (Bucks).The first stage of a large experimentalprogramme, the formationof a well-equipped metallurgicallaboratory, is nearing completionand a first-class design team is inbeing. One of the company's majoractivities, for the immediate future,is devoted to the developmentof advanced reactors forelectricity generation.Sir Frank said: "We are interestedin this field because itseems to us to open up vast exportpossibilities for British designgenius by providing easily transportable,small reactors tocountries which will not be able tobuild their own for a long time tocome. The lead which we are gainingin the development of nuclearpower means that Britain is rightin the forefront of the new industrialrevolution, as she was in thefirst one, and will once again playa major role in raising livingstandards all over the world."Mr. E. P. Hawthorne, 36-yearoldchief executive of the newcompany, said: "Metallurgy is thestarting point for any developmenttowards higher temperaturesin nuclear reactors and we areactively engaged in an ever-increasingmetallurgical programme."Although our membership ofthe Hawker Siddeley Groupnaturally implies an interest in theapplication of nuclear power toaircraft, this is certainly not ouronly objective. We foresee the applicationsof the line of researchwe are now undertaking in thegeneration of electricity, includingplants for remote areas such asmay be required in the miningindustry, for marine propulsionand for the production of processheat.JOIN THE NAVY LEAGUEThe object of the Navy League in Australia, like its older counterpart, the Navy League in Britain,is to insist by all means at its disposal upon the vital importance of Sea Power to the British Commonwealthof Nations. The League also sponsors the Australian Sea Cadet Corps to interest the right typeof lads in the Royal Australian Navy — either to start them upon a career or to provide a healthypleasurable means of qualifying them to be of service in the Senior Service in the event of emergency.The League consists of Fellows (Annual or Life) and Associate*.All British subjects who signify approval to the objects of the League are eligible.MAY WE ASK YOU TO JOINand swell our members so that the Navy League in Australia may be widely known and exercise animportant influence in the life of the Australian Nation?For Particulars:—NAVY LEAGUE,Secretary: 312 Flinders Street, Melbourne, C.l. VictoriaSecretary: 83 Pitt Street, Sydney, N.S.W.Hon. Secretary: 12 Pirie Street, Adelaide, South Australia.Hon. Secretary: Box 1441T, G.P.O., Brisbane, Queensland.Hon. Secretary: 62 Blencowe Street, West Leederville, W.A.Hon. Secretary: 726 Sandy Bay Rd., Lower Sandy Bay, Hobart.Hon. Secretary: 49 Froggatt Street, Turner, Canberra, A.C.T.D.c.mb.r, 1954._

PROGRESS IN R.X. AIR ARMBy "L'Alglon"— la London¥~\ESPITF. the tiny crescendo ofdisapproval from LordBeaverbrook's newspapers the'Fleet Air Arm has made satisfactoryprogress in the last 12months. The full extent of theDefence cuts has yet to makeitself felt and will prohahly affectproduction orders of future aircraftrather than existing squadrons.More cheering news on thefinancial side has. of course, beenthe pay increase and in particularthe substantial increase in flyingpay. Only one rather inexplicableanomaly is noticeable. Whereas aGeneral Duties Wing Commandersitting behind a desk in Air Ministrywill get 22s. a day flying pay.a Commander (fully operationaljet pilot) sitting behind a similardesk in Admiralty is only entitledto 10s. a day flying pay becausehe is not occupying a flying appointment.Is there a valid reasonfor this? If so I would like to hearit.Most important event of theyear has undoubtedly been thevery successful trials in H.M.S.Ar\ Royal of the De Havilland110 and the Supermarine 113.The former, the Navy's future allweatherinterceptor, carried outdeck landings arid also launchingsfrom both steam catapults. Althoughnot officially realised it isunderstood that the deck landingspeed of the D.H. 110 is agreeablylow; low enough, in fact, for theaircraft not to need supercirculation(the device whereby highpressureair is blown over thewing flaps to preserve the smoothnessof airflow and thus lowerthe stalling speed). Recent picturesof the 110 show a newpointed radome and under-wingracks for guided missiles. It is alsounderstood that little extra effortis required to make the requisitesonic bangs. Naval pilots who flewthe 110 on board the Arl( Royalare full of praise for its aerodynamicqualities. The only pitywould seem to be that we shallnot presumably be seeing squadronsof these aircraft for sometime yet.The Supermarine 113, alsopowered by twin Rolls-RoyceAvons, had equally successfultrials although, not having previouslybeen cleared for launchingfrom the catapults, it was restrictedto landings and free take-offsup the deck. Although not fittedto this aircraft it is understoodthat future versions will havesupercirculation to lower the approachspeed which is somewhathigher than that of the D.H. 110.On the other hand, the audiowarning aid was fitted and thisallowed the pilot to keep his eyesout of the cockpit during thosefew and vital seconds which nowadaysconstitute the last part ofa deck landing. All in all, thepilots were most impressed bothat Boscombc and on the deck withthe 113 as a formidable aircraftin both fighter and strike roles.Rumours of other future aircraftsound hopeful. We knowofficially of the order for a strikeaircraft of high performance. Unofficiallywe hear of a rather revolutionaryday interceptor, but theSilent Service have so far kept totheir traditional role about thisaircraft.Front Line squadron strengthremains approximately the samein number and, as far as can begathered, is about 20. This is excludingsome 11 R.N.V.R. Squadronswhich will be considered lateron.Of the 20 squadrons it wouldappear that seven are equippedwith Sea Hawks, five with Gannets,two with Wyverns, threewith Sea Venoms, two withWhirlwind helicopters and onewith A.E.W. Skyraiders (in fourflights).Most important cruise of thelast 12 months has been that ofH.M.S. Albion and H.M.S. Centaurto the Far East. Squadronsof Sea Hawks. Ganncts and oneof Sea Venoms (with a flight ofSkyraiders) were embarked anda considerable amount of flyingwas carried out en route as wellas in Exercises in the Far East.This cruise, together with Arl^Royal's recent commission in theMediterranean, gave the Navy itsfirst sight of Sea Venom Squadronsin operational use at sea. Allaccounts show that it is a fine aircraftwithin its sub-sonic limitations.One particular virtue (longadmired in American Naval aircraft)is the Sea Venom's sturdyundercarriage and its ability tosit down firmly on the deck.Gannets have been operating atsea continuously and proved themselvesto be first-class in the A/Srole and as reliable aircraft whosemaintenance problems are few inrelation to the complexity of enginesand electronics.The Sea Hawk continues toremain one of the most versatileand viceless aircraft that the Navyhas even had. But from time totime a wistful look appears in theeyes of Hawk pilots: it usuallymeans that they are wishing thata swept-wing version of the Hawkcould have been produced (onewas built and deck landed, butnever got any further for reasonsthat are now purely of historicalinterest).Continued on peg* 32THE NAVYHISTORY OF SWOMSBy "ToMTOON after the last war CaptainBosanquet was invited bySthe late Sir Geoffrey Callender,then Director of the NationalMaritime Museum at Greenwich,to undertake the task of tracingthe history of every sword anddirk in the Museum collection,and of proving the authenticity ofthose weapons believed to havebelonged to particular individuals.His years of patient work and research.in which he has had theadvice and assistance of manyauthorities, are worthily commemoratedin The Waval Officer'sSword.*Let it be said at once that thiswell-produced hook of 240 pagesis something quite apart from anormal museum catalogue interestingonly to the expert. In describingthe swords at Greenwich,some of them dating back to the18th century, the author takes usbehind the scenes and explainshow their history can often betraced and their original ownershipconfirmed or denied by a processof elimination.Much is to be learned from thenames of the original vendors ormanufacturers often found on theblades or scabbards; «till morefrom the standard patterns ofswords for Naval Officers firstintroduced by the Admiralty in1805, and altered in 1825 andlater.Family tradition is frequentlyunreliable, and a sword that hasbeen treasured for generations asa relic of some illustrious anccs'—is sometimes proved to have ncenmanufactured after his death.Indeed, on expert examination,some of the swords at Greenwic'i*"The Naval Officer's Sword." ByCaptain Henry Bosanquet, C.V.O.,R.N., F.S.A. (Published for theNational Maritime Museum by HerMajesty's Stationery Office at 218.)December, Iff*.were found to he wronglydescribed.There are many pitfalls for theBnwary. and Captain Bosanquetcites cases where swords exhibitedin two London Service clubs, andlabelled as having been worn bydistinguished officers at the Battleof Waterloo in 1815, were in factregulation weapons not introduceduntil the middle of the 19th century.The exposed blade of oneclearly showed the Royal Cypherof Queen Victoria!He mentions, also, two swordsof very doubtful authenticity associatedwith the Battle of Trafalgar.Bought at a private sale for£90. they fetched £2,00(1 at a laterpublic auction with foreign competitorspresent. There was. andstill is, a regular trade in relicsassociated with Nelson andTrafalgar. Many of them arcspurious. .Though he concentrates mainlyon the swords in the GreenwichMuseum, among them weaponsonce genuinely belonging to Nelson,Duncan, Hood. Hardy andmany others. Captain Bosanquetsketches the history of swordsfrom the time they were firstused at sea — the cutting andthrusting swords; the fighting,dress and presentation swords; andthe now defunct dirks once wornby midshipmen.These latter were being wornunofficially by about 1790, anexample in the Museum being thedirk of Frederick Marryat, thenovelist, who was ' a midshipmanfrom 1806 to 1813. In 1825the mids' dirks were replaced by"swords of such proportionatelengths" as the "Young Gentlemen"might consider proper.These in turn were abolishedwhen dirks were made uniformfor midshipmen in 1856. Theyremained until they vanished forever only the other day.Among modern dirks in the collectionis that of Admiral of theFleet Viscount Cunningham ofHyndhope as a midshipman in1898-1901.The book contains a full list ofsword-smiths and sword-cuders,not to mention naval tailors, pastand present. Of particularinterest, to me at any rate, is thereproduction of an invoice for£21 12s. sent to Lord Nelson byMessrs. Barett, Corney and Corncy,Laccmcn and Embroiderers,of "No. 479 opposite CravenStreet. London." It is for foursets of the embroidered stars ofthe four Orders of the Bath, theCrescent. St Ferdinand and St.Joachim supplied to the Admiralbetween 1803 and 1805, and sewnon his uniform coats.These embroidered rcplicas,which cost between £1 and £1 5s.apiece, arc now to be seen on LordNelson's coats preserved at theNational Maritime Museum.Incidentally, the interestingstory of how the uniform coatand waistcoat worn by Nelsonwhen he was mortally wounded atTrafalgar came into the possessionof the Royal Hospital atGreenwich in 1844. and is now atthe National Maritime Museum,is related by Captain Bosanqueton page 82.This erudite and absorbingvolume, though nominally dealingwith swords, throws manyinteresting sidelights on the historyof the Royal Navy for a centuryand a half.It is clear and precise; neverdull. Swords may now be outdatedexcept for ceremonial purposes,but Captain Bosanquet iswarmly to be congratulated on abook of lasting value and interest.— From tht London "Wavy."II

'UN. AIR ARMContinued from page 30Apropos of aircraft design, aninteresting occasion occurred inH.M.S. Eagle at the end of lastyear when some 45 visitors fromthe Ministry of Supply and theaircraft industry were invited onboard to watch a day's operations.This consisted of strikes on targetsby Sea Hawks and Wyverns,and depth charge attacks by Gannets.Eighty-one sorties werelaunched in about 2$ hours. Thevisitors were embarked and disembarkedby Naval helicoptersand it is hoped that their day'sexperience will perhaps add somethingto future Naval aircraft.Two S.55 (Whirlwind) helicoptersquadrons remain in theirprevious roles: one in Malayaoperating against the Communistterrorists, and one at present atEglinton working out anti-submarinetactics. Although informationabout the latter squadron isscate it is not difficult to noticethe emphatic swing towards helicoptersin the A/S role. The dayof a conventional fixed wing A/Saircraft such as the Gannet maywell be limited to a few moreyears.An interesting but little publicisedNaval helicopter operationin the last year has been the Antarcticpatrol of H.M.S. Protectorequipped with two Whirlwinds.Primarily as a guard ship for theFalkland Islands she has steamedextensively about the South Pacificand South Atlantic oceans. Thisincluded a rendezvous with theM.V. Theron which had justbroken out of the pack ice.The Navy now has five fullyoperational carriers which arekept in commission on the CarrierCycle: approximately eightmonths with squadrons embarkedand five months alongside. Thelatest and most important additionto this fleet, H.M.S. Ar\ Royal,completed her first commission inthe late spring. She became thefirst operational carrier in theworld with steam catapults. Thisrevolutionary device enabled herto launch her aircraft whilstmoored to a buoy in harbour, aperformance with considerablemilitary advantages.H.M.S. Warrior, a light fleetcarrier of slightly older vintage,has now been fitted with an angleddeck and will be added to theoperational fleet for various tasks,possibly culminating in the hydrogenbomb trials.Lasdy, the R.N.V.R. squadrons.At present some 11 squadronsexist, equipped mainly withSea Hawks. Attackers, Gannetsand Avengers. Deck landing ofthe jets has successfully been carriedout by the fighter squadronsduring their annual training. Butthe future size is rather uncertain.Defence cuts may welltheir commitment.reduceAll of which ieads to the majorproblem at the moment: what exactlyis the role envisaged for theFleet Air Arm during, say, thenext 15 years? By the time thisarticle appears Government policymay have been stated. Never beforehas the role of the Navybeen as debatable as it is to-day.One can only hope that the politicianswill not be as myopic asto cheesepare with the Fleet AirArm. Air power is the dominantfactor in world strategy; it is notless effective' because it operatesfrom sea-borne bases — in fact,could be more. In an atomic age itis particjlarly worth rememberingthe basic fact that sea constitutesmore than two-thirds of theearth's surface.—From the London "Navy."RENOVATIONS TOH.M.S. "VICTORY""-pHE trustees of the "Save theVictory Fund" (the Societyfor Nautical Research) have given£10,000 to wards the purchase ofteak for use in the renovations ofthe main timbers of H.M.S. Victory,at present being carried outat H.M. Dockyard, Portsmouth.The object of the fund was torestore the ship to her Trafalgarcondition, any surplus beingdevoted towards the building of aVictory Museum with a PanoramaAnnex alongside.All these projects were completedbefore the war.The fund has been kept inexistence, being augmented fromtime to time by further donations,by the proceeds of the entrancemoney to the Museum and thePanorama Annex, by the proceedsfrom collection boxes outside theship, and by the sale of souvenirson board.The general maintenance of theship, which serves as flagship forthe Commander - in - Chief, Portsmouth,is undertaken by theAdmiralty, the "Save the VictoryFund" being used for the upkeepand improvement of the VictoryMuseum, for the renovation ofspecial features in the ship's equipment,and for the provision ofspecial furniture and other thingshaving a historical or sentimentalinterest connected with the shipor with the Trafalgar period.NEW WATER PLANTt A Glasgow company hasreceived its second large contractthis year for- sea-water evaporatingand distilling plant.The order (valued at £1 millionsterling) is for a plant that willsupply 4,000 tons of fresh drinkingwater daily to the Dutch WestIndies island of Curacao, off thecoast of Venezuela.THE UNITED SHIP SERVICESPTY. LTD.ALL GLASSES OF SHIP REPAIRS AND FITTINGSUNDERTAKENviL \ You'lmf88 102 NORMANBY RD., STH. MELBOURNE, VIC.Telephones: MX 5231 (6 lines).seeBETTER with Siemens!For nearly eighty years Siemens Lamps haveprovided brilliant and lasting illuminationin millions of homes, business houses andGovernment institutions all over the worldSIEMENSI N C A N D E S C E N T & F L U O R E S C E N T^ LAMPSSIEMENS (AUSTRALIA) PTY. LIMITEDSYDNEY . MELBOURNE a ADEIAIBF . •RISBANl . NEWCASTLEC. UTTIE t CO. fTY. LTD. MRTR i I I I GENDERS flY. ITO..TASMANIAUSE THE AUSTRALIAN-MADELONGER-LIFE TUBETHE NAVYPrinted b, BUILDING PUBLISHING CO. PTY. LTD.. !0 Loft,,. St.. Sydnay.

Not-so-expensiveToday drop-tanks mv a major >-x|>• -iklail>1i* in the o|N-ratioii olmilitary aircraft.According to reliable rt-ports, t Itey const it utcd the largest singleitem of o|M>ratiti(! cx|)cnditurc of the U.S.A.F. in Korea, wherethousands were tlrojipetl every week. Moreover, as most current(In ip-tanks are of light alloy. semi-monoco

PLEASE NOTETHIS MATERIALWAS FILMED AT AREDUCTIONRATIO 16.5xSOME PAGES MAYCONTAIN FLAWS ANDOTHER DEFECTS WHICHAPPEAR ON THE FILM