Nocn111 final public version

Naval Officers Club

NEWSLETTER Number 111, December 2017

ISSN 1445-6206

Tribal Class destroyer at speed

HMAS Arunta was designated the first of the RAN’s Improved “Tribal” Class destroyers, ordered in 1939. Three were eventually built, the others being named Warramunga (1942) and Bataan (1945).

Dimensions : Length 377 ft x Beam 36 ft x Draft 21 ft.

Displacement : 1990 tons (2122 in 1945) Speed : 36.5 knots (designed) ; 14 knots (economical) SHP 44,000 with Admiralty 3 drum boilers Armament : 3 x twin 4.7 inch Mk XII, one twin 4 inch Mk XVI, 6 single Oerlikons, 1 x 4 Mk VIII 2 pdr pompom mounting.

4 x 21 inch torpedo tubes. 2 depth charge throwers Mk XIX**, 46 depth charges (on deck and in magazine) (By 1945 the Oerlikons had been replaced by 6 x 40mm Bofors Mk III.) Builders : Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Co Pty, Sydney.

Launched by Lady Gowrie, wife of the Governor-General (936-45) and commissioned 30 March 1942 (Commander J C Morrow, DSO RAN) Complement: 190 (12 officers and 178 ratings); later 260 (13 officers and 247 ratings) Record : employed almost continuously in the SW Pacific from Cape Gloucester to Balikpapan (Borneo).

Refitting at Sydney at end of WW2, participating in Sydney Victory parade 1946. Later recommissioned as anti-submarine destroyer and participated in Korean War 1954 and deployment with FE Fleet based at Singapore. Paid off into reserve 1956 and disposed of for scrap in 1969, but capsized and sank while under tow to Japan.

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Naval Officers Club Newsletter ISSN 1445-6206 Number 111, December 2017 Editor: Richard Francis Mail: 62 Annam Rd Bayview NSW 2104 Telephone: (02) 9997 3893 Email: newsletter@navalofficer.com.au Naval Officers Club PO Box 648 Pennant Hills NSW 1715 Www.navalofficer.com.au Email: honsec@navalofficer.com.au Electronic Funds Transfer: Westpac Naval Officers Club account 17-4666, BSB 032-087 Patron: Vice Admiral T Barrett AO CSC RAN President: Captain Rick Bayley RAN ret president@navalofficer.com.au Vice President: RADM Simon Cullen AM CSC RAN ret Committee members: David Blazey (Membership Sec.) membership@navalofficer.com.au Geoff Cole (Webmaster) webmaster@navalofficer.com.au John Ellis (Hon. Treasurer) treasurer@navalofficer.com.au Richard Francis (NOCN Editor) newsletter@navalofficer.com.au Kingsley Perry (Hon Secretary) honsec@navalofficer.com.au Jim Warren (Social functions) John Hazell (Social functions) John Hodges Divisional Chairmen: Andy Craig (QLD) Warwick Gately (VIC) Stephen Jeisman (SA) Bob Mummery (WA) Mike Taylor (ACT) Chairman…*@navalofficer.com.au * Insert state/territory abbreviation Hon. Auditor: Nick Horspool Membership: Total: 607 NSW: 248, VIC: 108, ACT: 113, QLD: 59, SA: 25, WA: 37, TAS: 7 NT: 1, UK: 2, USA: 2, France: 1 Canada: 1, New Zealand: 2, Malaysia: 1 NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

Naval Officers Club Newsletter is published by

The Naval Officers Club of Australia Incorporated State and Territory Divisional contacts on this page. Details of forthcoming social events around the country will be found on the Page 5 Notice Board in this issue.

Contents RAN Tribal Class Destroyers

1

Members’ page

3

Notice Board

4

Argentine’s missing Submarine

5

Lead Article RADM Rothesay Swan Memories WW2

6

Cyclone Tracy 1974—Loss of HMAS Arrow

11

Washington Treaty cruisers

12

Vietnam—Swimmer/sapper attack—Vung Tau 1969

13

Recent USN Collisions at sea

19

Social Pages /Photos

20

Absent over leave

22

Up Spirits - RAN style

23

News Items - Martin Baker Tie Club

25

MB Tie Award / Nelson’s Jewel

26

Obituary—Captain Mike Downes MN

27

AF Lord Bruce Frazer of North Cape

29

RAN Future Submarine Programme

30

Book Review —Empire Strikes South

32

Archimedes

33

Trafalgar postscript

34

Nelson—new insight of humanity

35

Book Review - Operation Mincemeat

36

USS John S. McCain—update

38

Membership Form

39

Social Events – Booking forms

40

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NEW MEMBERS CAPT M.J. CARREL RAN ret RADM A K DU TOIT AM RAN ret

Contact details not published in Public version of Newsletter

LCDR J EASTHAM RFD RANR ret CMDR P ELLIOTT RAN ret SBLT M W RIDLEY RAN ret CAPT L V H RIXON CSC RAN CMDR K G ROE RAN ret

CMDR A STONE OAM RAN ret CMDR J YOUNG RAN ret

LAST POSTS CDRE H H G. DALRYMPLE RAN ret

NARRABUNDA ACT

LCDR A M DOWNES RD** RANR(S) ret

NARRABEEN NSW

LCDR G H TAYLOR RANR ret

FARRER ACT

LEUT J RISCHBIETH RANVR

LEABROOK SA

*CMDR D M A. HAMILTON RN

NORTH ROCKS NSW

* Not an NOC Member

ADDRESS CHANGES Contact details not published in Public version of Newsletter

EMAIL CHANGES Contact details not published in Public version of Newsletter

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Notice board This page carries club announcements, details of forthcoming social events, and other information.

Division Social Functions NSW

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Contacts details at end of each notice: John Hazell 0410 447 189 (JH) johnhazell@navalofficer.com.au (JH); Kingsley Perry 0422 169 860 (KP); kingperry@navalofficer.com.au Jim Warren 0409 227 869 (JW) jimwarren@navalofficer.com.au

Bob Mummery, O8 9528 2779 Bi monthly Luncheon Fremantle Sailing Club, 151 Marine Terrace, FREMANTLE.

Members Lunch Lord Nelson Brewery Pub, The Rocks, Sydney Thursday 25 January 2018—1200 (KP) Dress—Smart casual Cost $50 cash on the day.

Christmas Luncheon Thursday 7 December 2017 Tides Restaurant, Caloundra Wal Farquhuar, Contact: wifarquhar@aapt.net.u or 0478 946 266

QUEENSLAND

Harbour Cruise aboard MV Magistic, Saturday 17 February 2018, 1200 (JW) Dress—Smart casual. Cost $105 pp, includes buffet lunch and all drinks.

Payment by cheque to Hon. Treasurer or EFT. (See Flyer this issue)

VICTORIA

Last Wednesday of Month at 1700 Casual Catch-up: The Cricketers’ Bar, Hotel Windsor The Hero’s Club lunch—Wednesday 6th December Warwick Gately Contact: warwick.gately@vec.vic.gov.au

* Important Notice—New bank Account for SYDNEY Functions: *

ACT

EFT for NSW Functions to be sent to new Bank Account “NOC Sydney Functions (Short Title for transfers : “NOCSydFns”) BSB 032-087; Account No. 37-8079

Saturday Brunch. Commonwealth Club Saturday, Dec 9th - 0900 - 1130 Lunch - Orion Room, Southern Cross Club 2018 Monday, Feb 5th - 1200 2018 Monday, Mar 5th - 1200 2018 Monday, Apr 2nd – 1130 (AGM & Lunch)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Stephen Jeisman 0408787384 Quarterly Luncheon Pepper’s Restaurant Waymouth St, Adelaide Friday 1st December , 1200 for 1230

Mike Taylor Contact: mbt@netspeed.com.au

..

Notices for all Club members Changes of contact details: Please tell the Hon Secretary in writing or email the moment you change your address, phone number, email address etc.

Payment of Club dues: Members who are not Life Members and pay their dues annually are reminded that dues are payable on or before 1 March each year. Prompt payment supports your Club.

NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

Remittance of funds to the Club: Money for dues, functions or merchandise can be sent to the club by either cheque or EFT. Make the cheque out to “Naval Officers Club” and accompany it with written advice of both the sender and what the funds are for. If using EFT, the account details are on page 2; also advise the Hon Treasurer by email (treasurer@navalofficer.com.au) the same day..

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News Flash

Argentina’s missing submarine Specialist equipment deployed ARA San Juan has been missing (SUBSMASH) since 15 November 2017. The submarine disappeared 267 miles off the Argentine coast with 44 crew onboard. It was on routine passage from Ushuaia in the extreme south to her base at Mar del Plata, south of Buenos Aires.

US satellite company Iridium said in a statement that while one of its satellite phones was onboard the submarine, the seven signals detected did not come through its network. The last call made from its satellite phone onboard the submarine was the day contact with Navy command was lost.

International efforts Teams from several countries have intensified their efforts in the South Atlantic to find the San Juan. It is thought that the submarine may have had communication difficulties caused by a power failure. Navy protocol dictates that a vessel should come to the surface if communication has been lost.

The US Navy has sent a second ship with special tracking equipment and deep-sea rescue modules to join the search. Chile and UK have sent extra aircraft to assist the search, while a total of 11 ships and 10 aircraft from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Africa, Uruguay, the UK and US were currently taking part in the search ARA San Juan is the newest of the three submarines in the Argentine fleet, built in Germany in 1983, with range of 22,224 km.

Specialist underwater rescue equipment has arrived from the United States to help locate the missing vessel. More ships and aircraft have also joined the search, which has been hampered by heavy winds and stormy seas. The Argentine Navy says that their submarine has enough supplies for at least two weeks.

Since then, satellite signals, believed to have come from the sub were detected ashore near the Valdez peninsula. However, Rear Admiral Jorge (BBC News/world-latin-america Lorenzo Cisneros has warned that the signals had 2017) been “very weak and of short intensity”. He said that the Navy had not yet been able to confirm that the failed calls had come from the missing vessel.

Merchandise Although a small stock of Club merchandise is still available, only the Club ties will be restocked in future, at $45 each. Name tallies are produced on demand and the new price is now $21.50. Call Mike Taylor (02) 6288 3393

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November

Make all cheques payable to: Naval Officers Club, and send the cheque with the order, to the following address: Naval Officers Club, PO Box 648, PENNANT HILLS NSW 1715.

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HMAS Canberra at Savo Island on 9 August the previous year.

As a lowly Midshipman, one of my first tasks was to shake the Admiral. Rear Admiral Victor Crutchley VC RN was the Commander of Task Force 74 and had also been the TF Commander when Canberra was sunk. Admiral Crutchley epitomised every Midshipman’s image of a crusty old admiral. Suffice to say that my method for shaking the Admiral proved to be incorrect. I actually physically shook him. He was not happy - and I had a lesson well learnt - never robustly shake a sleeping Admiral.

As was the practice for many years before and to follow, Midshipman were required to rotate through the various departments for a month at a time. My wartime rotation learning periods were frequently interrupted by the need to be involved in the ship’s operational activities. In December we were involved in supporting the landings at Cape Gloucester and Arawe, with many bombardment missions.

As part of our seamanship training we had to lower the sea boats. One day I was doing just that when a Supervising Sub Lieutenant interfered. I said who is lowering this boat, you or me. I was duly reported to the “Snotty’s Nurse “who decided I should be punished. The punishment – belting over the backside with a deck hockey stick. Another lesson hard learnt.

Early in 1944 I transferred to HMAS Arunta while Shropshire proceeded to Sydney for a docking and maintenance period. Arunta was tasked with supporting the landings at Biak. While patrolling off Biak a group of Japanese destroyers appeared and we were directed to join a number of other destroyers and engage the Japanese. The Japanese group retreated with the Allied ships in hot pursuit. Unfortunately, they had superior speed and we never came within gun range.

Having rejoined Shropshire in 1944 after my month’s training in Arunta, the ship returned to the fray in our northern waters. On this very day, 12 October, 73 years ago we sailed from Humboldt Bay and joined the escort of some 450 other vessels.

This mighty force, comprising every conceivable type of naval or assault vessel, set sail for Leyte Gulf in the Philippines at a speed of advance of 7

The Making of a Naval Swan Rear Admiral R C Swan, AO, CBE, RAN Rtd addressed members of the Federation of Naval Ships Association and a number of NOC attendees at the FNSA annual luncheon on 12 October. Admiral Swan’s speech was, in its entirety, an encapsulation of memorable moments from his early service life which began 77 years ago. Part of his speech dealt with his World War II experiences, and that part is

Midshipman Swan aboard HMAS Shropshire produced here to record an individual’s observations of war at sea in a different era.

Having graduated from the Naval College at Cerberus, I joined the latest addition to the RAN, the cruiser HMAS Shropshire, in Sydney in early October 1943, shortly after she had arrived on her delivery voyage. Shropshire had been transferred to the RAN in June 1943, in the UK, following the loss of NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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HMAS Arunta coming alongside for heaving line transfer. knots to cater for the slowest ships. With 2000 nau- wounding more, including Commodore Collins. tical miles to go, this was not an exciting prospect.

Later that day Australia, escorted by HMAS WarraOn 20th October we entered Leyte Gulf, hav- munga, left for repairs. Our Action OOW was ing miraculously managed to free a mine from our transferred to Australia as their Navigator. paravanes as we entered the Gulf. After the battleHaving been the Navigator’s Yeoman, I was ships USS Missouri, West Virginia and Maryland clearly so experienced I was made Action OOW at had given the beaches a good pounding, Shropshire action stations, when there was no air attack My and the other cruisers gave them a further pounding, normal action station was in charge of the starboard followed by the destroyers. We expected to be met Barrage sight, from which broadsides of the 8” guns by many Japanese aircraft but, to our surprise, there would be fired at incoming aircraft when close to were none. General Douglas Macarthur went the ship – the blast from which, it was thought, ashore that day from the USS Nashville and made would throw the aircraft off course, such that they his carefully choregraphed broadcast to the people would miss the ship. The terrific flash from the 8 of the Philippines starting with those well-known inch guns would also distract the pilots as they words “I have returned”. came in for attack. The air assault on our ships conHowever, all hell broke loose at first light tinued for the next three days. Hundreds of aircraft next morning, Trafalgar Day. At about 06.00, with attacked during daylight hours, simultaneously apthe ships still at anchor, Japanese aircraft began at- proaching from ahead, from astern, from port and tacking ships in the Gulf. Both Shropshire and Aus- starboard, firing their machine guns as they ran in. tralia were attacked. It is my recollection that we in We had many near misses from torpedoes, and from Shropshire damaged an aircraft which then went on, bombs, with the ship shuddering and, not infrebounced off the sea and hit the mast and superstruc- quently, disappearing in great columns of water. ture of Australia killing some thirty, including the We spent at least 8 hours a day at action stations, Captain, Navigator and other bridge personnel, and eating and sleeping there. The mattress was the steel 7

Chart of Suriago Strait action. deck and the pillow one’s Mae West. The Galley staff were marvellous bringing food, such as it was, around to men at their action stations.

On 24 October advice was received of a significant Japanese Fleet approaching from the south, through Surigao Straits and due to arrive in the Gulf in the early hours of the following day. The American Admiral decided to cross the T. The Japanese would be met by some 40 fast and powerful torpedo boats, then by two divisions of destroyers, including HMAS Arunta, and then receive the fire power of six battleships, including USS Missouri and then from two groups of cruisers including Shropshire.

The battle began at about 22.30 - the torpedo boats and destroyers fired many torpedoes with very limited success. The destroyers and torpedo boats were then ordered to clear the scene. Then the battleships and cruisers opened fire. The fireworks display was magnificent, as the American ships had tracer-fitted shells. They also had flashless cordite.

We in Shropshire had no flashless cordite, so when we fired there was a blinding flash which lit up the sky at night and blinded us. It made for more excitement, with shells bursting short and some over NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

shooting. It was then as Action OOW that I learnt that if one heard the whine of shells, they had already passed over – no need to worry about them.

It was the ones that you did not hear that you needed to be concerned about. However, we came out of the battle unscathed and we were credited with assisting in the destruction of the Japanese flagship – a battleship.

As the morning wore on we became aware that a Japanese fleet was approaching from the north. Not good news as our fleet was by this time very short of ammunition. However, that fleet became aware of an American carrier force and decided to withdraw north again.

After a month in Leyte Gulf we withdrew to Manus for rest and maintenance. It was there that our gunnery officer managed to get about a dozen 40mm Bofors guns installed by the Americans - replacing the ship’s Oerlikons and adding additional mounts - all for a couple of cases of whisky - no questions asked.

Christmas 1944 was celebrated on 15 December - a great occasion as a ship had arrived from Australia to resupply us. There were great celebra8

HMAS Shropshire under fire tions, with the officers serving the crew as was the tradition, followed by concerts and other events, before we sailed on 26 December to return to Leyte Gulf. On arrival back in Leyte Gulf we became part of the next invasion force on its way to Lingayen Gulf. This force, protected by 6 battleships, with 12 escort carriers, 8 cruisers and 46 destroyers, sailed on 3 January 1945 down through Surigao Straits and to the west of the Island of Luzon. All was quiet on the first day, but on the second there were waves of 50 to 60 aircraft, high and low and from all directions. A kamikaze hit an American escort carrier which later sank. Arunta was attacked and was holed by a near miss.

While being attacked by three aircraft Australia fired everything including her main armament. Two were shot down, but one aircraft ended up on the 4” gun deck, killing all 25 and wounding 30 more. The fires were put out promptly. Shropshire was in the thick of it but came out unscathed once again. On one occasion an aircraft flew past us at masthead height with its tail shot off, but it flew on and crashed into the bridge of the battleship USS New Mexico.

On 6 January Shropshire and Australia began bombardment duties. Australia was hit again by an

aircraft, which was cut in half by her guns. Once again Shropshire survived unscathed, although she had many close shaves from aircraft attacks. On one particular occasion an aircraft dived on the ship.

It was cut in half by our pompom battery. Half fell in to the sea adjacent to the bridge – the other half on the port side. When the bombs exploded the ship disappeared into columns of water, and even the bridge - 60 feet above the water – was filled with sea water. My Barrage sight was also filled with water and the Leading Seaman and I thought we were in the sea. When it all subsided we were, fortunately, still safely on board.

Australia was continually attacked, being hit four more times during the four days of bombardment, prior to the landing of troops on 9 January. A hole had been blown in her hull by a bomb, reducing her speed to 15 knots. Another kamikaze hit the tripod mast and cut the forward funnel in half.

There were numerous further casualties. She was ordered to leave the area of operations for repairs, with Arunta as her escort.

While many were injured and killed on Australia, the more critical and lasting effects of the Kamikaze attacks were psychological - men were broken in mind and in spirit. Those above decks 9

were in danger - men started to desert their posts and endeavor to get below. The Medical Officers and their teams were heavily stretched – overworked and exhausted. After days of attacks this not only happened in Australia but also in Shropshire - I can recall having to stand at the top of a ladder and prevent men from going below.

Despite the importance of the roles performed

by the midshipmen, Shropshire’s three war veteran Midshipmen were put ashore about a week after the landings in Lingayen Gulf, to be flown back to Australia for passage to the United Kingdom for further naval training. Sitting on top of some crates in the back of a DC3 transport aircraft was our first-class ticket to the next stage of our naval adventures.

Midshipman Swan down aft HMAS Shropshire (back right)

Your Say Dear Editor, Good to hear from you and I have to say I really enjoy reading the Newsletter. I am currently on a cruise ship in the Middle East, with very limited internet. However, I am happy for you to publish the ABC article. (see p 11 Cyclone TRACY) It may be worth noting that after a Board of NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

Enquiry, I was immediately posted back to sea in command of HMAS Bombard (sister patrol boat), which was a reassuring decision as I am sure you would appreciate.

I will be home towards late November 2017.

Warm regards, Bob Dagworthy (Bogangar NSW) 10

himself, Arrow had taken on so much water that he could not reach the (upper) level of the wharf. “So I actually jumped into the water and was swept through the wharf and was found the next day on the mud flats”, he said.

HMAS COONAWARRA (naval base Darwin) present Commanding Officer, Commander Viktor Pilicic said he was surprised how little is actually known about what happened. “Listening to his recounting…was amazing, and the fact that he had to make that command decision to abandon ship…it’s an amazing story.”

Cyclone Tracy 1974 HMAS Arrow’s deadly sprint back to Darwin wharf Robert Dagworthy was captain of the Attack Class patrol boat HMAS Arrow when Cyclone Tracy decimated Darwin in 1974.

Tropical Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin in the early hours of Christmas morning, almost entirely destroying the city. Of the 66 people killed, 53 were onshore and 13 at sea. Two of those were Lieutenant Dagworthy’s men. “We were told there was a small cyclone tracking towards Darwin but (that it) would probably pass close by,” Mr Dagworthy said.

As a precaution, Lieutenant Dagworthy and his crew were ordered to go out to a Navy-provided cyclone buoy, roughly a kilometre out to sea from Stokes Hill Wharf at Darwin.

“It’s believed when you are at that cyclone buoy, you are there, and no cyclone is going to cause (you) a problem.” But Cyclone Tracy did cause a problem.

The Arrow’s anchor winch and cable slips were ripped clean from the deck of the ship, leaving the vessel to the mercy of the stormy waves and winds of more than 200kph. “We could see red and green light as waves washed right over the ship – the rain actually took the paint off the metalwork,” he said. The ship’s navigation equipment was also destroyed and an airlock in the engine cooling pumps meant they could seize at any minute.

Bob Dagworthy decided the best thing would be to ground the ship further inland (ie. up a creek protected by surrounding mangroves), but getting there would be purely guesswork.

“Running across Darwin Harbour with waves washing me down, we were forced down onto the corner of the wharf,” he said. He gave the order to abandon ship, and they used the undulance of the waves to climb up onto the wharf. Despite his action, two of his men, AB Ian Rennie and Petty Officer Leslie Catton were killed in the aftermath.

By the time Dagworthy came to leave his ship

Teamwork saved lives Bob Dagworthy said if it was not for the teamwork of his ship’s company, more people would have died. “We had been together in a small ship. You become a really great team,” he said. But he is worried people are beginning to forget what happened.

He said that it is important to talk about it. To state the facts as they really were. “I want people to remember what happened to Arrow and I want people to remember the two sailors who lost their lives. My two shipmates.”

Patrol boat HMAS Arrow’s final resting place after cyclone recovery at Darwin – on the mud flats, a sad, crumpled, total loss..

(ABC news story posted 19 Aug 2017 – contributed

by Bob Mummery – WA) NB. For the record, Arrow’s sister ship, also at Darwin that Christmas, HMAS Attack (Lieutenant de Graaf) was blown aground and damaged, but survived. Naval HQ at Darwin, above the wharf and closer to town, was destroyed. (Ed)

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Washington Treaty Cruisers The County Class heavy cruisers were given a low centre of gravity so that they could withstand flooding without the risk of capsizing, a factor which made them heavy rollers and poor gun platforms in bad weather.

However, apart from their expense to maintain and operate, they were splendid ships for a world empire at peace.

Their fine presence, wonderful accommodation, with their 8 foot high deck-heads, and their ability to steam great distances at high average speed, regardless of the weather, made them able guardians of the Pax Britannica. It was, in fact, their steaming qualities that in wartime amply made up for their deficiencies in armour and gun-power.

The great hulls could also take considerable additional anti-aircraft protection in the way of guns without straining their sea-going qualities; there was also a large hangar aft in some ships (RN only) NB. Perhaps this would explain the difficulty the USN (The Metal Fighting Ship in the Royal Navy by E H H destroyers had in trying to sink HMAS Canberra, after she had been abandoned and the decision taken to scutArchibald – Blandford Press UK – 1971) tle her before the return of the Japanese task force to Savo Sound.

(Ed)

NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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the recovery of two modern Soviet BPM-2 limpet mines.

The RAN’s CDT 3, based in Vung Tau was integrated into the USN EOD Mobile Unit Pacific (EODMUPAC) organisation in South Vietnam and designated by the US as EODMUPAC Team 35.

Navy EOD detachments were deployed to key areas throughout Vietnam to contribute to the overall defence of shipping in ports and rivers under Operation Stable Door. EOD support was also required for all the major shore-based facilities and ports, and to undertake an ever increasing demand for Navy EOD to support land-based Army and Marine Corps units.

With the building of a DeLong mobile pier, Vung Tau had become a major support base. Capable of offloading deep water and shallow berth vessels, Vung Tau increased the flow of logistics throughout South Vietnam. Patented by the DeLong Corporation, the piers were sectional and were fabricated in a variety of sizes and configurations. They were then towed to a site and quickly emplaced. (The DeLong piers made it possible to develop deep-draft ports and berths at Qui Nhon, Vung Tau, Cam Rahn Bay, Vung Ro, and Da Nang in a few months.)

North Vietnamese sappers were assault or shock troops, which in today’s parlance would be designated as Special Forces. Naval Sappers were organized just as other sapper units, the main difference being that Naval Sappers tended to be less hierarchical and more central-

The Swimmer/Sapper Attack at Vung Tau 23 May 1969

By Hector Donohue and Jake Linton

The following article describes the first swimmer/sapper attack involving CDT3 in Vietnam and is drawn mainly from the recently published book ‘United and Undaunted – the First 100 Years’, by EW Linton and HJ Donohue.

It also includes data from the Australian War Memorial archives covering intelligence reports on the incident based on interrogation of the two enemy sappers captured. Additionally, interviews were conducted with John Brumley, Jeff Garrett and Mike Ey, the three surviving members of the team.

Background In the early hours of 23 May 1969 a swimmer/ sapper attack against ships berthed at the DeLong pier in Vung Tau was thwarted, with Clearance Diving Team 3 (CDT 3) playing a major role in the incident including

Vung Tau—Phuoc Tuy Province 13

The Attack On the night of 22/23 May, a motorised sampan conducted a reconnaissance, under cover of darkness, before dropping three swimmer sappers near the DeLong pier in Vung Tau harbour. The prior reconnaissance by the sampan established the port’s master lighting system was no problem and the sappers could swim to their objective without passing through an illuminated area.

They observed sentry positions and patrol boat patterns.

The sappers waited until slack tide conditions and three left the sampan, two with limpet mines and one with a locally made explosive charge. They swam towards the ships alongside the pier on the surface. They were not concerned with the possibility of small arms fire or underwater explosions since their reconnaissance indicated that the sentries did not shoot at floating debris nor were grenades being used to any degree. On the night the moon was a waning crescent giving enough light for a swimmer to see his objective but still remain relatively unobserved by a sentry.

At around 0125, a sentry onboard USS Hickman County (LST – 825) spotted two swimmers 75 yards astern moving in a northerly direction with the incoming

ized and flexible in their organization. Naval Sapper targets included commercial and military shipping, bridges, and piers, floating military bases, shore bases, power plants, and any other target that was close to water.

Within a Naval Sapper platoon, there were generally two combat groups of two to five men. It was known at the time that Group 10 VC, reinforced by 126 North Vietnamese Navy Regiment Sapper Swimmers, was based somewhere in the Rung Sat Special Zone, near Vung Tau. A favoured method of swimmer insertion was from a sampan. Sampans were the most common waterborne vessel in Vietnam and so were the perfect covert insertion vehicle for the swimmer. The sampan allowed the swimmer to extend his range from the main base and carry more or heavier gear. Sampans also blended in with ‘normal’ waterway traffic which made them the perfect reconnaissance platform for the swimmer.

A US Navy study calculated that there were 88 successful swimmer/sapper attacks against shipping in Vietnamese waters between January 1962 and June 1969

DeLong Pier, Vung Tau (AWM photo) tide. The sentry opened fire with small arms as the swimmers headed for the pier in the vicinity of MV Heredia, which was berthed alongside the northern end.

Two converted tankers were at permanent moorings just south of the piers which were potentially lucrative targets as they supplied electrical power for all the military installations and some civilian assets in Vung Tau and

which killed more than 210 personnel and wounded 325.

Against this only 20 enemy sappers were killed or captured for all attacks whether successful or not, emphasising the extremely advantageous payoff to the enemy of this type of attack.

NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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surrounding areas. However on this occasion, Heredia, an ammunition ship, would have been the target as the

towards the hard stand and anti swimmer lights and signal lights were shined on them. Concussion grenades were thrown into the water. The ship notified port control via radio, and army MPs arrived to investigate the shooting. The two swimmers were by now 150 yards to starboard heading towards the hard stand. A patrol boat pursued the swimmers and came within the line of fire preventing further firing from the ship. Contact with the swimmers from Hickman County was lost but one swimmer was captured by the patrol boat.

CDT 3 Response Two team members, POCD John Brumley and ABCD Andy Sherlock, had left the team’s headquarters (and accommodation) at the Harbour Entrance Control Post (HECP) to conduct a routine search of ship’s anchor cables in the anchorage off Vung Tau under Operation Stable Door. Lieutenant ‘Snow’ Davis, OIC of the team, was temporarily absent in the Delta area.

At 0130 a phone call was received at the HECP stating that swimmers had been positively sighted in the water off the end of the DeLong Pier. Within 15 minutes, the remaining team members, CPOCD Vic Rashleigh, ABCD Jeff Garrett and ABCD Mike Ey, arrived at the DeLong Pier. They found the area around the pier and ships in turmoil. US MPs were shooting at random and throwing grenades and scare charges off the pier. Rashleigh managed to restore order and ordered the pier cleared of all but MPs and EOD personnel. It was learned that one swimmer had been captured and a nylon rope was visible, attached to a large tractor tyre fender close to Heredia.

Partial detonation of booster and locally made charge container ship was carrying almost 8,000 tons of explosives.

Hickman County’s sentries then saw three swimmers with packages and opened fire again, while the ship, now alert to the attack, increased readiness and called for EOD assistance. Two swimmers struck south

Captured swimmer sappers 15

locally made explosive charge the size of a four gallon drum, fitted with a wire strop to which was attached to a nylon line. The line was tied to the fender and the mine suspended about 12 feet below the surface. The other two pulled him out of the water and back onto the wharf.

On being briefed by Garrett, Rashleigh advised the MPs to clear the area of all personnel and the master of Heredia was also advised to move his ship as soon as possible. As preparations were made to move the ship, a small explosion was heard. Rashleigh checked to see if grenades had been thrown in the water and on receiving a negative response, told Ey to investigate the charge. Ey entered the water from the bows of a patrol boat positioned between the ship’s stern and the wharf and found the mine had experienced a partial detonation which would have been the small explosion they heard. The container bottom was burst open and he recovered some of the contents which appeared to be plastic explosive.

Brumley and Sherlock joined the operation around 0230.

Having heard of the attack, they cancelled the Stable Door ship inspections they were due to carry out approximately three miles distant in the anchorage. The team commenced searching the entire pier structure and other vessels alongside the southern side of the pier.

At 0310 Heredia was moved and the explosive charge attached to the pier was lifted clear of the water

Recovered Soviet BPM-2 Limpet mine top view with base plate removed—fuses intact.

Photo courtesy Jeff Garrett Rashleigh decided to put a diver in the water to investigate. Security personnel were informed that diving would commence and use of scare charges and grenades were suspended. Well aware that enemy sappers were close, Garrett dived under the fender to discover a

NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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Garrett, Rashleigh and Ey more than 40 years later. and onto the roadway. On inspection it was found the booster charges were badly packed in US jam tins and had not detonated. The enemy had reached the target but were letdown by a poor product. The bulk explosive was

some 60 pounds of C4 plastic explosive and the booster consisted of ten pounds of cast TNT. The charged failed to high order due to poor selection of detonator/booster combination i.e. the detonator was ineffective and or the

L-R: Brumley, Sherlock, Ey, Davis, Garrett and Rashleigh - RAN CDT3 1969 17

booster was too stable to maintain the detonation wave into the bulk explosive.

The captured swimmer was interrogated by an interpreter about the presence of other swimmers but admitted nothing. Around 0400, there was a further outbreak of shooting by MPs on the pier and a second swimmer was apprehended. He was a North Vietnamese sapper who had been wounded in the earlier shooting was found holding on to one of the piers, hoping to remain unseen in the darkness.

At dawn the team returned to the HECP to recharge diving equipment and returned around 0900. A sentry reported seeing a swimmer earlier near a large steel fender on the northern side of the pier in the vicinity of where Heredia’s had been berthed. Ey dived in and found a Soviet BPM-2 limpet mine attached to the fender’s underside. Visibility was poor but he could see the arming forks were still intact on the dual firing fuses but not if the safety pin was also intact on the anti removal device fuse. A rubber flotation bag, still inflated, was strapped to the mine. He secured a rope to the limpet mine’s carry handle and the patrol boat attempted to pull the mine free but the rope parted. Ey dived again to the mine and was able to see that the third pin was in place.

He pulled the mine off the fender and surfaced at the stern of the patrol boat. The limpet mine was taken onboard and made safe by removing the three fuses.

US salvage divers from the Harbour Clearance Unit, Vung Tau joined and assisted in the search of the general area in daylight, while the Harbourmaster closed the pier and prevented vessels moving in the area. With no further limpet mines or explosive charges found, Rashleigh ceased searching around midday. Further searches were conducted the next day for the mine the second swimmer would have carried to no avail. However four days later it was found washed up on a beach eight km away, still attached to its small flotation bladder.

Impact of the Attack The swimmer sapper attack had been well planned. It was believed the group had been in the general area since December and certainly their reconnaissance on the night of 22/23 May indicated they had a good chance of success. Fortunately, alert sentries during the middle watch sighted the swimmers and thwarted the attack of the two carrying limpet mines. One sapper had reached his target and secured a relatively large charge alongside the ammunition ship. Fortunately it failed to detonate correctly which if it had, would have resulted in a major disaster.

In the event two sappers were captured and the sapper NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

responsible for deploying the locally made charge, managed to escape. The overall response to the attack showed that the established doctrine was sound and yet again showed how important alert sentries are.

CDT 3’s rapid response to the call for assistance, arriving on the scene within 15 minutes of a call in the middle of the night was impressive. CPOCD Rashleigh arrived to find a disorderly situation, made more dangerous as live ordnance was being discharged, and quickly established order, allowing the divers to search for mines. The fact that mines/charges had been deployed, that enemy sappers were still in the area, and working underwater at night with no visibility, made the diving task particularly difficult and hazardous.

Garrett and Ey, who no doubt experienced a sense of disquiet that night, performed their tasks professionally and exhibited a high level of bravery.

The recovery of two modern Soviet made limpet mines proved to be valuable intelligence. Although US intelligence was aware of the BPM 2 limpet mine, this was the first time a mint condition mine had been recovered. The CDT 3 team members removed the explosive and together with a USN EOD team member who was with CDT 3 under the Australian and US exchange program, devised a render safe procedure which was both safe and feasible. The previous procedure of sliding a metal shim under the limpet was shown to be completely impracticable and certainly unsafe. One mine was given to the USN by Lieutenant Davis and is held by the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division Indian head, Maryland, whilst the other was returned to Australia and is at the Diving School, HMAS PENGUIN. The senior USN EOD officer from Naval Support Activity, Saigon flew down to congratulate the team on a job well done. Garrett and Ey were recommended for the US Bronze Star but the award could not be accepted because of Australian government policy at the time.

CPOCD Vic Rashleigh was awarded the British Empire Medal and ABCD Jeff Garrett a Mentioned in Despatches. It is surprising that there has been little recognition of the import of this event, removing a sophisticated limpet mine would in most circumstances merit a significant award. As a result of the attack, the Vung Tau Sub Area Command updated its defence plans, a Joint Tactical Operations Centre was created and Standard Operating Procedures were revised.

(Previously published NHSA Review—Dec 2016)

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this recognition was too late.”

Benson, Babbitt and the senior enlisted sailor of the ship, Command Master Chief Brice Baldwin, were cited for being absent from the bridge at the time of the crash, “during an evolution where their experience, guidance and example would have greatly benefitted the ship,” the Navy found. They were removed from their jobs in August.

In the McCain collision, the ship’s captain, Commander Alfredo J Sanchez, and XO, Commander Jessie L Sanchez, were on the bridge, but confusion about how the ship’s steering worked caused chaos. Both officers were removed from their positions in August as the Service examined what happened. The investigation found that it was about 0519 on 21 August 2017 when the ship’s captain noticed that the ship’s helmsman steering the vessel, was having difficulty in maintaining course while in a congested ship corridor. In response, the captain put a second sailor in charge of shifting speed control while keeping the steering with the helmsman. The decision prompted confusion, with the sailors thinking that steering had also been transferred to the second sailor even though it had not.

The helmsman reported a loss of steering, prompting the commanding officer to order the ship’s speed from 10 knots to five knots. But the second sailor reduced the speed only on one of the ship’s propeller shafts, steering it towards the Alnic MC, a much larger oil tanker.

“Although John S. McCain was now on a course to collide with Alnic, the CO and others on the bridge lost situational awareness,” the investigation recounted.

“No one on the bridge clearly understood the forces acting on the ship, nor did they understand the Alnic’s course and speed relative to John S. McCain during the confusion.” Three minutes after the steering problems were reported, the McCain’s crew regained control. But it was too late, and the ships collided at 0524.

“The collision was felt throughout the ship,” the investigation reported. “Watchstanders on the bridge were jolted from their stations momentarily and watchkeepers in the after steering were thrown off their feet.

Several suffered minor injuries. Some sailors thought that ship had run aground, while others were concerned that they had been attacked. Sailors in parts of the ship away from the impact point compared it to an earthquake. Those nearest the impact point described it like an explosion.”

The investigation found that the McCain collision “resulted primarily from complacency, over-confidence and lack of procedural compliance.” It added that, with regard to procedures, no one on the Bridge watch team, including the CO and XO, were properly trained on how to correctly operate the ship control console during a steering casualty.” (ie. breakdown).

(The Washington Post- 1 November 2017)

Recent USN collisions The US Navy has found that two ship collisions that combined to kill 17 sailors at sea were preventable and caused by “multiple failures” by service members who were standing watch on the nights of the incidents.

US Ships Fitzgerald and John S. McCain, both guidedmissile destroyers, suffered catastrophic collisions on 17 June and 21 August 2017 respectively. The Fitzgerald accident killed seven sailors off the southern coast of Japan, while the McCain collision killed 10 sailors near Singapore. The collisions shocked the Navy, which prides itself on good seamanship. In the last few months, the Service has removed numerous people from their jobs as a result, including the senior officer in charge of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, to which both ships were assigned.

The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson USN, said in a statement releasing the investigation results that the Service must do better. “We are a Navy that learns from mistakes, and the Navy is firmly committed to doing everything possible to prevent an accident like this from happening again.” Richardson said. “We must never allow and accident like this to take the lives of such magnificent young sailors and inflict such painful grief on their families and the nation.”

The Fitzgerald was attributed to its watch teams disregarding established ways of contacting other ships and required safety precautions that were in place. The investigations found that at about 2300 on 16 June, the ship’s top to officers – Commander Bryce Benson, the ship’s captain, and Commander Sean Babbitt, the ship’s XO, left the bridge for the evening. By 0100 the Fitzgerald was moving past Japan’s Oshima Island and approached three merchant ships from the starboard side of the ship. There was “minimal” distance between the Fitzgerald and the other vessels, and all three presented a collision hazard, the investigation found.

The Navy determined that the Fitzgerald was in a crossing situation with each vessel, meaning that it was the US sailors’ obligations to take manoeuvring action to avoid them. But in the 30 minutes leading up to the collision, neither the Fitzgerald nor the much larger MV ACX Crystal, a Philippine-flagged container ship, did so until just a minute prior to the disaster.

The investigation faulted the officer of the deck, who was not named in the documents, for failing to manoeuvre as needed, sound the danger alarm on the ship, contact the Crystal or call his own captain, as required.

“Initially, the Officer of the Deck intended to take no action, mistaking Crystal to be another of the two vessels with a greatest point of approach,” the investigation found. “Eventually, the Officer of the Deck realized that Fitzgerald was on a collision course with Crystal, but

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Social Events Photographs below are from the Naval Luncheon held in the United Service Club, Brisbane on 24 October. A successful event with some 60 attending. Guest was VADM David Johnston AM RAN Chief, Joint Operations (and a Craig-trained cadet at RANC - we must have done something right!!).

CHAP Bill Pearson RANR Rtd, Harvey Greenfield (Qld President of the Navy League), Dr David Cilento, VADM David Johnston, Chairman QLD Andy Craig.

CAPT Nick Woodley RANR, CMDR Alan Reagan CSC RFD RANR, and CHAP Bill Pearson RANR Rtd.

NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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Social Events South Australian Activities Although the South Australian Division of the Naval Officers’ Club is relatively small in comparison to the eastern states, numbers are growing slowly. Over the last year, several former members of the Adelaide Port Division joined the club, helping to boost membership. Members meet regularly for lunch on a quarterly basis and annually attend the Trafalgar Night Dinner and the Encounter Night Dinner which commemorates the historic meeting between Matthew Flinders and the French explorer, Nicholas Baudin at Encounter Bay, S.A. on 8 April 1802..

Stephen Jeisman

Quotation: “I must down to the sea again,, to the lonely sea and the sky, and all I wish is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by.”

(Sea Fever – John Masefield)

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The Bloke at BRNC 1960 The amusing book by John Winton appeared in bookshops in 1960 and was made into a film in 1962, starring Kenneth Moore (as the Bodger). The film was adapted to sell in the USA and was a flop – apart from the first 20 minutes covering routine training at BRNC. I saw the film for the first time, on TV one rainy afternoon about a month ago, and could identify my squad marching smartly across the parade in one clip – but we were midshipmen by then! The film’s colour had begun to fade…..

The Commander (XO) when I joined BRNC Dartmouth and the Royal Navy was an imposing figure – Commander Tom Stocker RN. There were actually two commanders, the other being the Training Commander (in charge of all initial basic training at the College), whom we saw more of actually taking an interest in all classes under instruction and on the river. Commander Stocker was normally seen near his office by the hallway and taking charge of Divisions on the parade ground, before reporting to the Captain on such occasions. He was the only one to ever rebuke the Parade Gunner in public on parade – while the Royal Marine Band were the usual perceived culprits – as they could be made to march round again if there were no sloppy training divisions to chastise during the ceremony.

However, all defaulters were seen by the Commander in the usual manner, if the offence committed had been against the NDA*, and not just a training blitz. I myself fell into this category at the start of my second term, when returning late from Summer leave (spent with my family in the middle of Africa) – “Adrift – absent over leave by six hours, Sir” intoned the Master at Arms. I pleaded guilty (big mistake!).

“Before I pass sentence on you, Cadet Francis, do you have anything to say in mitigation?”

I seized the opportunity to explain my mangled travelling arrangements which had led to my returning late – the last train from London Paddington to the West Country did not run as expected.

There was a little more to the story. I had met a nice NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

Book title—We joined the Navy girl (schoolgirl) on the plane which arrived at about dusk at Heathrow and when she learned that I was a naval cadet she pleaded with me to escort her across London, as she was frightened of travelling alone on the Tube in the dark. I agreed and escorted her to her destination. (Thinking of my father who had spent over 40 years service in Africa - any white man would have done the same).

I then had to find my own way to Paddington terminus to catch the train to the West Country. In those days it seemed to me that once at the frontier in Somerset that Red Indians could be expected to gallop over the hill to fire the train (I had seen a lot of western movies at school). My mitigation statement never got that far with Tom Stocker:” Guilty as charged. Fourteen days No.9s **! “ “Right turn, quick march. Report to the Regulating Office” snapped the MAA. What a disaster! At no stage of events was I ever in any doubt that my good intentions would not be accepted. I had heard the apocryphal tale of sailors being given the benefit of the doubt under: “The age of chivalry remains alive and well – Case Dismissed!”

It was a salutary experience of the real RN view of discipline. * Naval Discipline Act (…punishable by death – or any less punishment.) ** (Extra work and drill with daily punishment routine).

(Richard Francis – cadet RN 1960)

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THE ONE-AND-ONLY “UP SPIRITS”

By Largo A naval myth holds that Admiral Edward Vernon introduced rum into the Royal Navy. He didn’t; it pre-dated him. But Vernon, he of the grogram cloak which inspired his nickname of “Old Grog”, introduced the practice of diluting the spirit with water before it was given to the crew.

A smart move indeed: the resultant shandy was probably less lethal than straight water in ships of the line that had been at sea for six months or more. The practice not only became official; even the word “grog” became official, so sailors never forgot who started diluting their tipple. It’s almost ancient history now. World-wide, there are considerably more admirals serving today who were not even born when the RN abolished the rum issue than there have ever been Grand Final wins by St Kilda and Cronulla combined. Black Tot Day, 31 July 1970, relegated the RN’s daily tot to history.

in lieu), and not under punishment, was entitled to one-eighth of a pint of 95.5 proof rum. Petty Officers and above received their rum undiluted; others received it diluted with two-thirds water. It was issued messdeck-by-messdeck. And once it got to the messdecks, another unofficial ritual ensued, with birthday “sippers” and other adjustments hidden from official eyes.

The abstemious RAN, of course, never issued rum – but the time-honoured pipe “Up Spirits” was heard once, in peacetime, in a commissioned unit in HMA Fleet. It happened in the 1960s, very soon after a tall, balding RN officer took up an exchange posting in one of the RAN’s Type 12 Frigates. His baggage had been lost en route and he joined the ship in refit. To bring him quickly up to speed, he was made Officer of the Day on his first day on board. (“Welcome aboard, Pom …” etc).

1970 Last tot - HMS Forth Being a highly-efficient RN officer, this fellow noted at a certain hour that a critical part of any naval ship’s daily routine had not been observed.

He spoke to the Quartermaster, responsible for guarding the brow and running the ship’s routine, and said words to the effect “My good man, why have you not piped ‘Up Spirits ?”

A totally bemused look was all that he received from the Quartermaster. “Pipe ‘Up Spirits’, Quartermaster!” ordered the tall balding one, reverting to type. Which, of course, the Quartermaster forthwith did, preceded by the usual wolf-whistle on his bosun’s call. A deadly hush came over the ship. Everything stopped. Even those dockyard workers who were actually doing anything at the time stopped what they were doing immediately.

At that moment, the First Lieutenant had just poured himself a stiff horse’s neck, having had a bad morning being chastised by the Captain for the

It lasted only another two years for the Canadians, but the Kiwis held out until 28 February 1998. If there are any RAN members serving today, officers or sailors, who have supervised or received a naval rum issue afloat, they probably did it in service, or on exchange service, with the RNZN. But dwindling numbers of retired members of the RAN are still around who had exchange service in the RN, once almost automatic before the PWO designation came in, and who supervised the elaborate ritual that followed the pipe “up spirits”, to apportion the daily rum issue.

Each enlisted man who was over 20 years old, classified “G”, (i.e., “grog” as opposed to T-for“temperance” – the latter received three pence a day 23

Quartermaster’s station at the gallop.

A few moments passed without further announcements. Then the Quartermaster was heard to give voice again. “Belay the last pipe”, his voice said.

Order and Regularity - those watchwords of naval discipline, were restored.

This fragment of history – or non-history, if you will – came to the writer first- hand from the aforementioned, tall, balding officer, who is no longer balding but totally bald – as a cue ball. He says he blames it on the nightmares he still suffers from his time in the RAN. HMS Blake - last rum issue in Singapore 1970.

(Footnote: History records that in RN messdecks, at the pipe “Up Spirits” over the ship’s broadcast, it was traditional for someone to say “Stand fast the Holy Ghost.”) ***

poor state of the upper deck, and having himself already taken it out on numerous people who had crossed his path. Unsurprisingly, he came out of the stalls like a favourite in the Melbourne Cup, closely followed by the Captain – who was convinced he was in McHale’s Navy. Both were heading for the

DID YOU KNOW? What was the origin of the expression:” Not for all the tea in China”?

China is still the world’s leading producer of tea (about two million tonnes every year), so saying one would not do something “for all the tea in China” is a neat way of saying “not at any price”, but where it originally came from is unclear. The precise form, “Not for all the tea in China” seems first to have been used at the end of the 19th century. The Oxford Dictionary suggests that it began in Australia, but its origins go back exactly 200 years. Walter Scott, in his novel Rob Roy, written in 1817, wrote” A toast and tankard would have pleased her better than all the tea in China.”

This appears to be the earliest recorded use of the expression.

(International Express – Oct 2017)

Divided by a common Language?

A recent news headline caught the eye, perhaps another sad maritime tragedy : USS Ashland rescues two sailors and their dogs, stranded at sea.

Something sounded wrong. On re-reading the brief article (which may have further repercussions), it read: The Sasebo (Japan) based amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland carried out a rescue of two female yacht sailors on 25 October 2017 in the Pacific, etc. An accompanying video showed the yacht adrift and becalmed, but not in obvious distress. The bulletin continued: The crew experienced survival at sea for 5 months….(it got worse and worse…)

Surely every NOC member would believe that “stranding” meant running aground in a sea-going vessel - or running out of fuel in the outback? Do you have any similar pearls to publish? Please forward to the editor.

NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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News Items The Martin Baker Tie Club has saved more than 7,500 aircrew. Both aircrew were also given membership of the “Caterpillar Club” by the Irvin Parachute Company, as their parachute was fitted to the ejection seats. Over the 57 years since this incident, Brian’s tie was mislaid.

Recently, he contacted the Martin Baker Company in the UK and asked if he could buy a replacement. The Company responded by arranging for the Managing Director of Martin Baker Austral-

In June 1960, Brian Dutch, while serving with 724 Squadron, undertook an All Weather Fighter Course at RAN Naval Air Station, Nowra, prior to joining 805 Squadron, the front line squadron, which was due to start training for embarkation in HMAS Melbourne. Having completed the final exercise of the course in the Sea Venom F.A.W. 53 aircraft, Brian joined the circuit for a night landing. However, the wind conditions had deteriorated dangerously for the low-level circuit, and as he lowered the undercarriage, the aircraft rolled uncontrollably.

Before he could recover normal flight, the aircraft hit a tree and the resultant damage rendered the aircraft unable to continue to a safe landing. Fortunately, Brian was able to gain just enough altitude to enable him and his observer, Sandy Sandberg, to eject safely.

The Martin Baker Ejection Seat company subsequently presented each airman with a tie thus granting them membership of their exclusive "Tie Club". Brian was the 130th person to have been saved by the seat and thus became the club’s 130th member. Since then the Martin Baker Ejection Seat

ia, Andrew Eden, to come to Adelaide to present Brian with a replacement tie. This led to Andrew meeting Brian and other former naval personnel for lunch in the Wardroom of the South Australian Naval, Military and Air Force Club where Brian was presented with the replacement tie.

(NB. See full story of this remarkable incident at NOCN 109, p26. Ed)

Lord Nelson’s rotating gems recreated decades after original was stolen One of Nelson’s most treasured possessions, which great diamond on his cocked hat rotated, has been must have provoked stifled giggles when he recreated from the original designs, more than half switched on the clockwork mechanism and the a century after it had been stolen.

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The ‘chelenk’, or plume of triumph, presented to Nelson by the Sultan of Turkey and worn by him in his hat. Sadly, it was stolen from the National Maritime Museum in 1951 and the thief has since confessed that it was broken up for its component diamonds.

The replica jewel, so delicate that it needed emergency overnight repairs before being displayed at the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth naval base from 21 October 2017, Trafalgar Day. It is being shown beside a black felt cocked hat, identical to those worn by Nelson, newly-made by the admiral’s hatters, Lock & Co, who still keep his measurements in their London workshops. The jewel displayed on Nelson’s hat, the Chelengk, a plume of more than 300 diamonds, was presented by Sultan Selim III of Turkey after Nelson’s victory at the Battle of the Nile in 1798. It was reputedly taken from his turban and said to be the first such decoration presented to a non-Muslim.

One can obtain a close-up of the replica gems on display in Nelson’s Great Cabin in HMS Victory

at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. It included 13 diamond sprigs, representing the French ships sunk or captured by Nelson in the battle. The admiral wore the jewel on his hat for the rest of his life, setting a fashion copied by many admirers. He was so proud of it that he added its image to his coat of arms.

The historian Martyn Downer, whose book Nelson’s Lost Jewel, (just published) traced detailed early drawings that allowed the London jeweller Philip Denyer to recreate the lost treasure, complete with tiny hidden clockwork. He described the original as “one of the most historic, bizarre and instantly recognizable jewels in British history,” so intimately connected with Nelson’s image that it was even included in the towering memorial standing in Trafalgar Square, London.

The original had been on public display many times after Nelson’s death, until it was dramatically stolen from the National Maritime Museum in the early hours of the morning of 11 June 1951. The thieves used a folding ladder to break in through a window and smashed an 8ft glass case to get at the jewel.

It had been inherited by Nelson’s brother and passed down through the family, gradually losing its clockwork and some of the decorative details, until it was sold in 1895 for 710 pounds. In 1929 it was bought for the nation by the heiress, Lady Barclay, and displayed with other memorabilia in the Painted Hall RN College, Greenwich, where Nelson’s body had lain in state after his death at Trafalgar. After WW2 it was included in a Nelson display at the museum from which it was stolen.

More than 30 years later, a notorious cat burglar, George “Taters” Chatham, claimed responsibility and said the jewel had been broken up and the diamonds sold -” for a few thousand” – though when the theft was announced in Parliament in 1951, the UK government offered a reward of 250 pounds, which was said to be more than the value of the stones. No trace of the treasure was ever discovered.

(The Guardian UK - 21 Oct 2017)

Quotation:

If we look back on our past life we shall see that one of its most unusual experiences is that we have been helped by our mistakes.

(W S Churchill) NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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Obituaries Captain Mike Downes MN, Lieutenant Commander RANR Captain Mike Downes MN, who has died aged 96, served in a Q-ship in 1940 and later, in ‘Black May’ 1943 helped to defeat the U-boat menace in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Downes was already at sea in the Merchant Navy when the Second World War broke out and he was called up as a midshipman in the Royal Naval Reserve. Asked if he would volunteer for dangerous service, the 18-year old immediately said ‘yes’.

The service was in what the Admiralty called ‘special service ships’, others called mystery ships or Q-ships after their forerunners of the First World War. Downes joined one of nine such Q-ships, a slow, elderly tramp steamer known to the Admiralty as HMS Botlea, but to the world as the SS Lambridge. She was armed with 4-inch guns hidden behind drop-down steel doors and underwater torpedo tubes: the idea being that she should trail her coat in likely U-boats areas. It was hoped that a Uboat would surface to use her gun instead of wasting a torpedo, a ‘panic party’ would take to the boats, but as the U-boat approached to interrogate or to pick up the ship’s papers, Lambridge’s guns would be unmasked and open fire.

Such a tactic had worked in the First World War, but by 1940 German U-boats were alerted.

Instead two Q-ships were torpedoed without warning while pretending to be stragglers from convoys, no other Q-ships achieved anything, and the scheme was abruptly ended after Downes in Lambridge met the light cruiser HMS Neptune.

Lambridge failed to send the correct response to challenge and was boarded. Most of the crew were hiding by their guns and Downes was lounging on the upperdeck dressed in scruffy clothes, but was startled to realise that he knew one of the boarding officers and might be recognised, so he too quickly hid himself. Meanwhile the boarding party examined Lambridge’s false papers and

LCDR Mike Downes RANR at re-commissioning as Commanding Officer of HMAS Kookaburra. wrongly concluded that she was an innocent merchantship.

All the while Neptune lay stopped, beam on, a quarter of a mile away with her main armament fore-and-aft, the crew enjoying the sunshine. Downes recalled ‘We could have sunk her with no trouble at all.’

When the incident was reported to the Admiralty, the captain of Neptune got ‘a hell of a blast’, but the whole scheme had been so secretive that no lessons-learned were passed on. Subsequently it was thought that had a warning been given, it might have helped to save the cruiser HMAS Sydney when she met and was sunk by a German Q-ship in November 1941.

Arthur Michael Downes was born at Woodcote Green, Surrey and trained to the sea at the Thames Nautical Training College, HMS Worcester. As a cadet he manned the windjammer Cutty Sark on her last voyage from Falmouth to Greenhithe on the Thames in 1938, and is the last survivor of that voy27

age.

until he was discharged in March 1946. He had continued to study for his mate’s and master’s certificates and postwar he joined Shaw Savills ships, sailing mainly on the UK to Australia run, and then the Adelaide Steamship Company ships on the Melbourne to Cairns run.

In 1951 Downes returned to Britain for additional naval training before joining the Royal Australian Navy, where as a lieutenant-commander he was Master Attendant of the Garden Island naval base, deputy Captain of the Port and Senior Pilot, Sydney, and he commanded HMA Ships, the boom defence vessel Kookaburra, the tugs Sprightly and Emu, and the motor vessel Woomera. In 1960 Downes retired to set up as a marine surveyor and compass adjuster, a business he ran for the next four decades.

Downes was a keen swimmer and longstanding member of the North Sydney ANZAC Club swimming section, the Balmoral Beach Club, Balmoral Beach Swimming Club and until recently still won handicap races. He was also a master mariner, keen sailor and a life member of the RAN Sailing Association.

Downes married Joan Gaffney in 1953 in St Patrick’s cathedral, Melbourne: she predeceased him and he is survived by their four sons and a daughter.

Captain A M Downes, born 7 July 1921, died 24 September 2017.

(Obituary by Captain Peter Hore RN – The Telegraph UK)

From 1942 to 1945 Downes served as navigator and ship’s anti-submarine officer in the River-class frigate HMS Tay, part of Commander (later ViceAdmiral Sir) Peter Gretton’s Escort Group B7, when he participated in some of the bitterest convoy battles of the Second World War. Having in March 1943 successfully escorted Convoy ON173 with no losses, Tay was part of the escort for the return convoy, Convoy HX231 from Halifax consisting of 61 ships which was attacked on April 4 in mid-Atlantic by a wolfpack of fifteen U-boats: two U-boats were sunk for the loss of six merchantships and the wolfpack was driven off.

Commencing on April 28, a third convoy, Convoy ONS5 of 43 ships was attacked over seven days by three wolfpacks, with only a short break, when the U-boats and the convoy were dispersed by appalling weather.

Thirteen merchant ships were lost but five U-boats were sunk.

Next, in mid-May Downes in Tay was part of the escort of Convoy SC130 of 39 ships which was attacked over four days by two wolfpacks: no merchants hips were lost but four U-boats were sunk including U-954 in which Peter Dönitz, youngest son of Admiral Karl Dönitz, the German U-boat commander-in-chief, perished with the rest of the crew. May 1943 became known as ‘Black May’ by the Germans, and further U-boat operations in the Atlantic were suspended.

Subsequently Downes served (as navigator) in the escort carrier HMS Patroller, which was employed as a troopship in the British Pacific Fleet,

HMS Patroller—Escort Carrier with British Pacific Fleet 1945.

NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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Brief Encounter with AF Lord Bruce Fraser of North Cape Lieutenant Steve Youll RAN took the RN Long Gun- escort, sang out::”Youll! Come and pay your nery Course in 1968/9 at HMS EXCELLENT on respects to Lord Fraser “ (or words to that effect.)

Whale Island, Portsmouth, UK. The cheery Surgeon Captain introduced me, as one of “our Australians” and I had to seek his Every midsummer, Whale Island used to hold a help to hold my overload, in order to shake the levee with a demonstration of the Portsmouth Field Admiral’s hand. Our short conversation went as Gun teams, the Royal Marine Band performance, follows: and heaps of champagne with strawberries and cream teas, as only the Royal Navy could do. All Fraser: Australian, eh – I spent some time down the local dignitaries and distinguished retired offic- there. ers were also invited. Admiral of the Fleet Lord Youll: Yes, Sir, I am well aware.

Bruce Fraser was the Guest of Honour in 1968, Fraser: I was never married, you know, but always - Admiral of the Fleet the Lord Chatfield having accompanied, and had to often travel between Melbeen committed to the deep in late 1967. bourne and Sydney . Have you fixed that bloody Prior to the festivities, syndicates of the Long rail gauge problem at Albury? Getting up in the Course had to make a presentation to the Staff on a middle of the night in your dressing gown and significant naval event. My syndicate had the slippers and ushering your companion across the Dieppe Raid as our topic, and we managed to find, platform was very inelegant. in Portsmouth, a German defender, one Canadian Youll: You will be pleased to know, Sir, that a and two British raiders. We based our presentation standard gauge is now in place. around these gentlemen’s oral testimonies, accom- Fraser: About time – I must go and thank the Band. panied by pyrotechnics. It was amusing, full of colour and movement, but considered to be lacking He then lurched (due to age, not libation) towards in intellectual depth – as if we cared. the RM Band, where the Drum Major had his back Another syndicate had the sinking of the to us, in preparation for the next series of parade Scharnhorst as their topic and delivered a turgid, manoeuvres. Lord Fraser walked into two-twopedestrian presentation, with Lord Fraser sitting in three beat drum rolls, and an advancing band, and the front row. On completion, Lord Fraser was was last seen dodging trombones as the Band asked to say a few words and he remarked: marched “over” him.

“So that’s what happened! I just remember that it was rough, dark and noisy!”

(Stephen Youll OAM, Gilmore ACT) Afterwards, at the garden party, I was return- NB. Lord Fraser survived a little longer, and his ing from the bar with four glasses of champagne memorial statue may be seen on the lawn apand two punnets of strawberries and cream, stuck proaches at HMS EXCELLENT/CINCFLEET HQ – between my fingers, to fuel the invited young if one can ever enter these days! Ed ladies, when the Surgeon Captain, Lord Fraser’s

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An Interview with RADM Gregory Sammut AM CSC Head of the RAN Future Submarine Program

by Brendan Nicholson

RADM Gregory Sammut alongside a Collins Class submarine

How long will the Collins-class submarines operate and, in retrospect, how should Australians view the Collins program?

The new submarine is entering service from the early 2030s. The Collins class will be our primary capability into the 2030s. We’ve always made it clear that it’ll be necessary to extend its life. There’s nothing preventing us doing that. Collins is employed on operations today and I believe it is regionally superior. With the Collins, we took the audacious and very successful step to manufacture submarines in Australia. I think we overlook too often the successes achieved in delivering a fleet of very capable submarines. Now that appropriate support and sustainment arrangements are in place, we’re seeing a world-class submarine that meets

Australia’s expectations.

Given the current debate, is the future submarine a new design and could an existing submarine have been bought ‘off the shelf’?

It’s a new design, as any conventional submarine to meet our capability requirements would have to be. That doesn’t mean it’s devoid of the lineage of Naval Group designs that have preceded it—and, in particular, the Barracuda design as a reference.

We’re also drawing on Naval Group’s experience in designing conventional submarines. After years of research, we couldn’t find a military-off-the-shelf submarine to meet Australia’s requirements. We need a submarine with the range and endurance of Collins to operate where we believe submarines need to operate. We have to improve stealth and sensor performance in a submarine that will operate into the 2070s.

What’s the design and construction schedule and when will the submarines be delivered?

A key lesson from the Collins program, and many shipbuilding programs, is to ensure we have a mature design before construction commences. We began construction of the Collins with less than 10% of production drawings and detailed design complete. This time we’ll ensure we have high design maturity before the build.

Work on establishing the dimensions of the submarine is complete. That pre-sizing—the initial length, diameter, displacement and other key parameters— is crucial to ensure the submarine remains balanced as the design proceeds and increasing requirements are considered. Nobody wants a submarine that becomes too large in trying to meet too many requirements.

We’re currently in concept design, which will lead into preliminary design and then detailed design and a very effective plan for how the submarine will be built. There’ll be a lot of testing in laboratories and on land-based test sites. We’ll also

HMAS Farncomb living the dream NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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need prototyping so that when we start construction we’ll have a practised workforce and proven methods. Three key facilities to be completed by mid2021 include the land-based site to integrate and test the main motor, the batteries, the diesel generators, the DC switchboard and the platform management system which will control all of that and knit it together before it’s installed in the submarine. The combat system will be built and tested on a raft in a physical integration facility and then inserted into the submarine as the boat is built. That will ensure it works well and allows a high level of security. We need a hull construction hall built by mid-2021 to train the workforce. We should commence construction in around 2023, ramping up to construction of the modules that will go into those hulls and aiming to deliver the submarine in 2032. We’re allowing about 36 months before starting the second submarine so that we can fold what we learn on the first boat into the second. Then we’ll go into, probably, a two-year drumbeat for commencement of construction of the remainder. There’s no time to waste now.

Will all the submarines be built in Australia and why was Naval Group chosen as a partner?

Many people think we’re going to build them in France. We’re not. We’ll build all 12 in Australia. Australians must be involved in all stages of the design and construction of the yard itself and the submarine, the supply chain and the integration and testing of platforms and combat systems as we go through the design process. Without the ability to do those things on our terms, we lack true sovereignty and the ability to upgrade and deploy the submarines when and as we must.

To ensure we have the sovereign capability to sustain the submarines through their lives, we must maximise Australian industry’s involvement. That’s not simply done by mandating a level. By most accepted figures, we had between 67% and 70% involvement in the Collins, but we didn’t emerge from the acquisition phase with a sovereign capacity to operate and sustain the submarines. That took many years of hard work. We need to get that right from the beginning. A key driver of the choice of Naval Group was capability and the assessment that it offered us the best opportunity to design and deliver a regionally superior submarine and, importantly, one over which we have the sovereign capacity to operate and sustain over its life. This could not be simply a commercial relationship. It always had to be backed by a treaty-level government arrangement between our country and the home nation of our partner. We’re developing plans

for technology transfer.

Are you converting a nuclear-powered Barracuda submarine to conventional power and might a switch be made to nuclear power in the future?

Barracuda submarine—reference design You can’t convert a nuclear submarine to a conventional submarine. That’s why we have a deliberate design process. The Barracuda is a reference design. Many calculations and methods used to develop the Barracuda can be reemployed effectively in the future submarine. That’s a tremendous advantage and it’s what most submarine nations do— go back to the lineage of their designs and take them forward. There’s no plan to switch to nuclear power. Before we can contemplate a nuclearpowered fleet, there’d need to be a much broader policy debate about nuclear power itself.

Is there any doubt about using pump-jet propulsion, will the submarine use air-independent propulsion and lithium-ion batteries and will it have a land-strike capability?

We are using pump-jet propulsion that was offered by France. Some claims about the pump jet are misleading. It’s not purely for use in nuclear submarines. It can be efficient across the entire speed range, taking account of the submarine’s size, the speed required and stealth. It needs to be tuned to the hull of the submarine. The hull needs to be tuned to the pump jet. We did not specify that the boat should have or not have air-independent propulsion or lithium-ion batteries, rather that it met our requirements. We’ll continue to look at all applicable technologies as we go through the design process. The government did not require a landstrike capability. The future submarine is being designed to fulfil key roles, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance], and special operations.

Reproduced with permission of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI)

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The Empire Strikes South

By Dr Tom Lewis OAM RANR Book Review by J W Ellis This comprehensive record of Japanese air raids across northern Australia from 1942 to 1944 emerged from the author’s pen (or keyboard) as he appreciated that considerable numbers of Australians were quite unaware of the air warfare on our doorstep during World War II. Many Australians at least know of the Japanese attack on Darwin in February 1942, but know little of the Japanese strategy to secure New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and thus limit the effectiveness of American operations in the south west Pacific. The first and most destructive Japanese raid on Australia, the subject of chapter one, was carried out by aircraft launched from the same four aircraft carriers, which had attacked Pearl Harbor ten weeks earlier. Lewis out records the details of over 200 air raids across northern Australia during the following two years. His research is extensive with seven pages of references and interviews. He uses archival information from Japan and had access to interviews of several former Japanese aircrew who served during those raids.

For those unfamiliar with air warfare and aircraft of the 1940s, Lewis covers the realities of air combat. He covers airmanship, navigation and operational conditions for aircrew that would not be used in recruiting material. An air gunner would be perched in sub zero temperatures in a cramped bubble as he peered through Perspex trying to put an end to some threatening assailant coming in astern. There was no space for him to wear his parachute; it was hanging up along the fuselage. Similarly, the role of the fighter pilot is reviewed and also the capabilities of ground defences including anti-aircraft guns, searchlights and radar.

ence to a pilot’s training. Bomb loads and expenditure of ammunition are also recorded. In most cases, the details of each raid include opposition from the RAAF, the USAAF and anti-aircraft artillery.

Although the defence of northern Australia at the beginning of 1942 was negligible, the latest British and American aircraft were soon stationed in Darwin and to the south. Radar and searchlights were installed allowing aircraft to be airborne to meet an attack. Some raids ventured as far as 300 km south of Darwin. Japanese sorties over the Northern Territory and Western Australia took off from what was then the Netherlands East Indies. Attacks on Queensland were based from Rabaul.

The Great Depression greatly reduced Australia’s defence forces, especially the RAAF; hence the defence of Australia’s northern approaches in early 1942 amounted to a handful of Wirraways.

Fortunately, the US Army Air Force had a few The Japanese also sought to interrupt AusWarhawks available at Darwin. Although anti- tralia’s support of troops in Timor and made occaaircraft artillery had been installed, radar, search- sional raids over Western Australia and Queenslights and Spitfires came later. land flying as far south as Exmouth and TownsThe details of raids are grouped in chapters: ville. Lewis records that both sides exaggerated two for Darwin and the Northern Territory and one successes. Although Japanese losses are recorded each for Western Australia and Queensland. Dar- in detail, there is no comparative information of win and outback airstrips were the main targets. Allied losses. The last Japanese flew south in July Each raid is described in a paragraph covering the 1944 as the Allies gradually turned the tide. This aircraft type, bomb loads, names of pilots and book is for the seeker of information of historical flight details. The latter includes the airfield, date events rather than a page turning narrative.

(207 pages, by Avonmore Books) of the operation, times of flight and often a referNOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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floats and other equipment – spread through the oceans of the world. And by its very nature, fishery junk is long-life stuff, non-bio-degradable and decidedly un-benign. Regrettably, the fishing industry is not good at cleaning up after itself.

Perhaps this is because commercial fishing covers the entire gamut of fishing technology, from one man with a hand line clinging to a pole in the surf on the Sri Lankan coast to a multi-milliondollar steel-hulled monster, only 100 miles away in the Bay of Bengal, that surrounds a prawn boil with a net of bubbles and ingests it through a hole in its bottom like a vacuum cleaner. Within minutes the latter’s catch is processed and packed appropriately for its designated market, before the guy on the pole has got his first bite. The bottom end of commercial fishing is a cottage industry, a one-man operation; but it isn’t all like that.

In the view of Archimedes, the world is giving fisheries a free ride. Commercial fishing needs to be subject to the same level of monitoring and supervision, on an international basis, as the IMO gives to commercial shipping. *** Archimedes should return now to the original premise, and demonstrate how much more unkindly the land entrepreneurs treat the soil than mariners treat the water. But to be fair, land is where people live, side-by-side with commercial activities like mining, manufacture, agriculture. If the people all lived on the water, the oceans would be a planetary septic tank. And one can’t compare apples with oranges, much less with sea anemones or starfish. The people are the problem. There are too many of them: more than three times as many as when your scribe was born. The number is increasing exponentially.

Yet our leaders all worry about carbon emissions and sea-level rise; not about the ever-increasing bums:seats ratio, that generates all the extra carbon.

Perhaps Mother Nature will take a hand? Did she influence the recent SSM vote, and might it make a small difference? Archimedes guesses no to both propositions. Should Father Nature have a go then?

On which we float …

Father Who? Archimedes These days, Archimedes takes satisfaction in his recent realisation that our maritime trades – with one notable exception – care for the environment better than the land-bound world does.

T’was not always so, nor is it necessarily a reflection of our individual, gentle, caring natures.

But the international regulatory framework within which we now operate requires our floating machines to conduct themselves responsibly.

So, for example, ships are compelled to dispose of various effluents and ejections relatively benignly, to an approved onshore facility, or by approved means offshore. Their chemical impact on the world’s oceans is limited by proscribing the use of certain toxic paints harmful to marine life. Ballast embarked in coastal waters is exchanged for deep ocean pelagic water on passage, to hamper the transmission of minute organisms across vast distances.

Thus, generally, today’s ships are required to be built and operated to standards friendly to the environment. They are subjected to regular mandatory inspections and other monitoring to ensure that they comply. The system isn’t foolproof, but the fact that there is a “system” at all means that it can be fine-tuned, loopholes can be plugged; it is, and they are.

The “notable exception” mentioned in the opening paragraph is the world’s fishing industry.

Archimedes has no wish to attack the fishos; most people have to make a dollar; most people like to eat fish. But the fishing industry, unlike the floating cargo and passenger trade, is actively engaged in depleting the oceans of living resources. Some fish species have been reduced to unsustainable levels; some have vanished from the tables of the world.

Commercial fishing has had, and continues to have, a huge ecological impact purely as a result of its harvesting activities; but it is also a major polluter, with jettisoned by-catch and jettisoned fishing paraphernalia – particularly long lines, but also nets, 33

Battle of Trafalgar Postscript During a recent visit to UK for naval reunions, I came across the Crown Inn (pub) in the heart of rural Hampshire, at the ancient market town of Bishop’s Waltham, situated at the mid-point of a long-established route from the County Town of Winchester to Portsmouth, that cuts through the chalk Downs and the ancient forest of Bere.

The ruins of the Bishop of Winchester’s palace, disestablished with many others by King Henry VIII, are also worth a visit and right on the doorstep. The pub is heartily recommended with full English breakfast included.

One could be forgiven for thinking that one was accommodated in an admiral’s suite in a ship of the line.

I was unaware that after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, French prisoners of war, including the Admiral of the Franco-Spanish fleet, Villeneuve, were housed in the pub. It was felt that they were too far inland to be likely to escape, so the officers were relatively free to mingle in the town, having given their parole. Indeed, Admiral Villeneuve requested permission to attend Lord Nelson’s state funeral in London, which was later granted.

However, amongst the memorabilia adorning the walls of the pub’s interior were translated copies of the French propaganda newspapers of the day, which stated that during the battle Villeneuve’s flagship, the Bucentaure, boarded Nelson’s HMS Victory, that Villeneuve himself duelled with Nelson on his quarterdeck and succeeded in killing him! Unfortunately, the respective flagships drifted apart, and Villeneuve found himself stranded onboard the British ship and was forced to surrender, and thus taken prisoner. Napoleon of course claimed that the French Fleet remained undefeated and the death of Nelson was well known and trumpeted throughout France. The captured Bucentaure eventually washed up on the beach near the harbour entrance of Cadiz, where she had so grandly left four days earlier. (her British prize crew was rescued by the Spanish, who in the custom of the day treated them with courtesy).

After Nelson’s funeral, a prisoner of war exchange was proposed by the British government and agreed to

by Napoleon, so Villeneuve was exchanged in April 1806 – for four captured British frigate captains. However, subsequent exchanges were disallowed by Napoleon, so huge PoW camps had to be constructed and managed in Britain, the largest being established at Peterborough, in the Midlands. Dartmoor Prison was another, and even NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

The author outside the Crown Inn & boutique bedrooms. the old Roman fort at Porchester was used. Many of the French naval prisoners came from Dieppe and were skilled craftsmen, who eked out their idle imprisonment making ship models (from the bones of their meagre meals) which they could sell for cash, to improve their situation. The ship models were highly prized in Britain and even today command a hefty price tag at auctions.

Despite his successful exchange, Admiral Villeneuve was not employed back in Napoleonic France in any capacity, and was found at Rennes, stabbed to death in apparent suicide on 21 April - in suspicious circumstances - possibly murdered by Napoleon’s secret police.

By contrast, Napoleon held a formal ceremony in which Lucas and Infernet, the shortest and tallest French captains, were honoured for their bravery after returning home in the prisoner exchange. Napoleon’s only announcement of the battle was to report that : “some ships had been lost in a gale following an imprudent engagement”.

It seems that in 1805 “Fake news” was already established amongst leading combatants!

(Richard Francis) NB. The Bishop’s Palace across the road from the pub was formerly the private residence of Admiral of the Fleet Viscount A B Cunningham during WW2 and later during his retirement, and the ruins he merely used to keep a flock of geese.

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Nelson – new insight of humanity

(International Express – 8 November 2017) NB. HMS Tonnant was a former French 3rd rate Le Tonnant (80 guns) captured at the Battle of the Nile in 1798 and taken into Royal Navy service. (Ed)

While discussing tactics for the coming naval engagement with the Combined French and Spanish fleets, with his captains over dinner in the flagship, HMS Victory, one captain confided to Lord Nelson that his son had run away with a Maltese dancing girl.

Lieutenant George Tyler had been missing for two months and his father, Captain Charles Tyler, told the Admiral that his son was several hundred pounds in debt and that he feared that he had been locked up in an Italian prison.

Nelson penned a letter to the captain the next day 30 September 1805, pledging he was taking steps to find his son and reassured him: ”We shall get hold of him before any great length of time.”

Unknown to Captain Tyler, Nelson also wrote another letter offering to help pay off the debt that the young George had incurred, saying: “All we want is to save him from perdition.”

Lieutenant Tyler, who disappeared from his frigate HMS Hydra (38) on 27 July 1805, was back in the Royal Navy the following year, seemingly after his debt was cleared. At the battle of Trafalgar, three weeks after the dinner onboard Victory, his father, Captain Tyler distinguished himself, despite being shot during the action. His ship, HMS Tonnant, captured three Spanish ships, as Nelson that day crushed the sea power of France and Spain.

Nelson’s letter to Captain Tyler has been recently unearthed after 212 years and is to be auctioned at Bonhams (UK) on 15 November 2017.

Humour Two engineering students were standing at the foot of a flagpole mast, looking towards the truck and its lightning conductor. A woman passing, asked what they were doing.

“We are supposed to find the height of this flagpole,” said the tallest, Sven, “but we don’t have a ladder.”

The woman pursed her lips and looked inside her handbag. From its depths she took out a shifter (adjustable spanner), loosened a couple of bolts at the base, and laid the pole down on the ground – to the mild amusement of the students. Then she took a tape measure from her purse, took a measurement, and announced: ”6.5 metres,” and walked away.

One engineer shook his head and laughed. “A lot of good that does us. We asked for the height and she gives us the length!” (Anon) 35

OPERATION MINCEMEAT Ben Macintyre Book Review by Kevin Rickard “Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori" Quintus Horatius Flaccus, Rome, 23BC Churchill suggested that Horace in his ode summarized the impact of the death of the obscure Welshman, Glyndwr Michael, -'The Man Who Never Was' in the outcome of the 1943 Battle for Sicily.

Following the Casablanca Conference of January 1943, the Allies were planning to mount a large amphibious operation to invade the German-held, Italian island of Sicily. This would be the first assault of the war against Hitler's 'Fortress Europe'. Naturally, there was great secrecy and subterfuge as Allied naval and military forces needed to be made ready in North Africa.

The Deception Plan An intelligence scheme was devised and implemented by a RAF and a RN officer to mislead the Germans about the Allies' intention to invade Sicily. This 'Trojan Horse' type plan was the brainchild of an eccentric Oxford graduate Flight Lieutenant Charles Cholmondeley, RAF, who, after he conceived the plan, was ably partnered by a very clever Trinity College/Cambridgeeducated barrister serving in RN Intelligence, Lt Commander. Ewen Montague, RNVR. Their cunning, but problematic scheme, involved floating the body of a 'fake' Royal Marine Officer, ashore from a RN submarine onto the Cadiz coastline in South Western Spain. This corpse would be carrying strategically important topsecret letters from senior British officers to General Sir Harold Alexander in Tunisia.

These letters would indicate that the main target of any future Allied invasion was to be the Mediterranean coast of Greece. Sicily was portrayed as a cover target.

It was intended, that once the body was recovered and processed by Spanish officials, the crucial letters would find their way from Germany's Abwehr network in south western Spain to Berlin. Hopefully, they would then land on Hitler's desk. Eventually, the misleading information was swallowed 'hook line and sinker' by the Nazis and Hitler himself. The result was NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

movement of German troops from Sicily and Russia to reinforce the 'new' invasion target in the Mediterranean, on the coast of Greece. German troop withdrawals led to the saving of the lives of many of the 160,000 US and British troops when Sicily was invaded in Operation Husky of July 1943.

The deception, 'Operation Mincemeat,' was the boldest, strangest and most successful of the war. Macintyre's book is the detailed story of the meticulous planning of this operation. The story as told in the book was portrayed somewhat incorrectly in the 1956 movie 'The Man Who Never Was' with the American actor, Clifton Webb playing the role of Montague.

The Body and a new Identity The body used in this WW11 subterfuge was that of an impoverished, young Welshman, named Glyndwr Michael from Aberbargoed, a grim Welsh mining town of coal-dusted, sadness and 36

unending toil. Following his parents' death, Glyndwr had made his way to war-torn London where he was found collapsed from acute chemical poisoning. He died in St Pancras hospital probably from bronchopneumonia on 24 January 1943.

The coroner, Bentley Purchase, was known to Montague and also to the famous forensic pathologist, Sir Bernard Spilsbury of St. Bartholomew's hospital. Purchase knew Montague was looking for a body. After a brief 'inquest' the body officially became a nameless corpse lying in the mortuary at St Pancras. Spilsbury indicated it would be difficult for a pathologist handling a corpse found floating in sea water to differentiate between drowning and pneumonia as a cause of death. Certainly, he added, if the body was found in the south of Spain.

It was decided to name the body that of Major William Martin, Royal Marines. A real person of this name did exist on the Navy List.

An identity card was developed. To add gravitas to the situation, the body was carrying admonishing letters from his father, bank manager and the tax department. Even a love life was developed for Martin with love letters from, and a photo of his fiancé together with a Bond Street jeweller's receipt for an engagement ring. Martin also carried a pass from Combined Operations.

The Letters After approval at the highest level, Martin would be carrying three letters containing crucial information and confirmation about Allied Operations in the Mediterranean in mid-1943.

The most important letter was written personally

by Lt Gen Sir Archibald Nye, the Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff in Whitehall, to his associate General Sir Harold Alexander GCB, DSO, MC who was in command of a British Army in Tunisia, under the overall command of General Eisenhower at 18 th Army Headquarters in Tunisia. Alexander was informed by Nye that General Sir Henry 'Jumbo' Wilson, CinC of the Middle East was moving some of his brigade groups because the 'Bosche' were strengthening their forces in Greece and Crete. Alexander was informed that Jumbo Wilson had proposed Sicily as a cover for 'Husky' but Sicily was already agreed as a cover for 'Brimstone'.

Accordingly, Sicily would experience bombardment to neutralize its airfield. The main Allied objective was to be the Dodecanese Peninsula.

The second letter was written by Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations, to Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, CinC

Mediterranean. Mountbatten had promised CIGS that Cunningham would ensure the onward passage of Nye’s letter being carried his staff officer, Major Martin, RM, an expert on landing craft, to Alexander. Mountbatten mentioned Nye’s letter was very ‘hot’ and could not be safely sent by signal. A third letter was from Mountbatten to Eisenhower. Churchill had obtained Eisenhower’s approval for the plan in a very short period. Accordingly, the trap was set, and the body sealed in a CO2 gas container was transported to Scotland and transferred to HMS Seraph, commanded by Lieutenant. Bill Jewell.

The body, stinking and showing early signs of decomposition, with a briefcase chained to its wrist was cast ashore on the Spanish coast at 0430 on 30 April 1943.

An Autopsy and Authentication of the letter Because of the heat and poor local conditions, an abbreviated autopsy was performed by two Spanish civilian doctors, Dr. Fernandez and his son, Eduardo. Fernandez senior did think the body may have drowned but had some doubts.

The ears were not nibbled by marine life and the uniform was thoroughly wet but not soggy!

Had the body been in the water as long as supposed by the contents of the letters in the wallet? Moreover, he thought Martin's ID photo was not quite right.

Martin's brief case finished up in the possession of Admiral Moreno at the Spanish Admiralty in Madrid. Eventually a Spanish general staff officer, Pardo Suarez, under pressure from his security chief, handed the documents over to the Germans. The letters were authenticated at Fremde Heere West, in Zossen, by Lt Colonel Alexis Baron von Roenne. The latter decided that Sicily was not the real target for the Allies, but a decoy and the Peloponnesus and Sardinia were the target. Von Roenne may have chosen to believe the fake documents. He loathed Hitler and wanted to undermine the Nazi war effort (Von Roenne was subsequently brutally murdered by the Nazis). At first Hitler was skeptical, but came to believe the contents of the letters and altered the planning of his troop movements accordingly. The one person who was always skeptical about the letters was the Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. He had no faith whatsoever in the Abwehr.

The planners in London were receiving some delayed information about Major Martin's Spanish landing and the eventual German procurement of the letters via signal interpretation 37

at Bletchley Park. Eventually 'Operation Mincemeat' was successful. Operation Husky proceeded in July 1943 and Sicily was taken by the Allies.

Aftermath Macintyre's compelling book relates a true-life story and adventure in considerable but interesting detail. Despite the Foreign Office and M15 objections, the story was serialized in the Daily Express in 1951. Soon after, Montague's book, ‘The Man Who Never Was' was published and sold 3 million copies. Montague became a Captain RNR, a District Judge and Judge Advocate of the Fleet. Cholmondeley stayed with RAF Intelligence but finished up selling lawn mowers in Somerset! Lieutenant Bill Jewell RN,

who considered General George Patton conceited and rudely outspoken when he ordered Jewell's HM Submarine Seraph to be a beacon for the Husky landings, became Captain of the Third Submarine Flotilla. He was Director of the Staff College at Greenwich and later served on Mountbatten's staff.

This is an old, well-known story. The book was published in 2010 but is still a great read.

The whole episode was, in many ways 'a closerun thing' so the tale keeps you on your toes. If you are looking for an exciting true story, incorporating truly relevant naval and military events, then look no further than 'Operation Mincemeat'!

News Item – USS John S. McCain update The guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) is enroute to Japan for repairs, after her collision with the merchant tanker Almic MC east of Singapore on 21 August 2017, in which 10 crew were killed. After survey and initial repairs at Changi Naval Base, Singapore, the severely damaged US destroyer was loaded on to the heavy lift vessel MV Treasure, for passage to Japan. It had been determined that damage assessment was within the capability of US Fleet Activities at Yokosuka naval base.

The heavy lift ship departed Singapore on 6 October and has been diverted to Subic Bay, Philippines, arrival on 27 October, after a heavy weather passage in the wake of Typhoon Lan, during which a crack in the hull was detected during transit. Investigation of repairs will be conducted at Subic.

Unlike her sister ship, USS Fitzgerald, which similarly was severely damaged in a collision with a merchant vessel off Japan, and is to be transported to mainland USA for repairs, it is expected that USS John S. McCain will be repaired on station. (gcaptain website 30 Oct 2017)

NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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Application for Membership of the Naval Officers’ Club To: Membership Secretary, Naval Officers’ Club PO Box 648, Pennant Hills, NSW 1715 I forward this application for membership of the Naval Officers’ Club of Australia. In the event of my being accepted, I hereby undertake to conform to the Constitution of the Club (see NOC website). My naval association is: ...…………………………………………..…………………………………………….in the …………………..………………..………………Navy Personal Details Last name ………………………………………………………. First name………….……………………………Initials……………………

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Sydney Harbour Cruise for Members and Guests Aboard MV MAGISTIC, departing King St Wharf Saturday 17th February 2018, 12:00.

Dress: Smart Casual; Cost $105 pp. Payment to Hon. Treasurer by cheque or

by EFT. See Flyer this issue Organiser – Jim Warren 0409 227 869.

Guests Names: ………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………….. (including first/last names/seating preferences) IMPORTANT NOTICE – NEW BANK ACCOUNT FOR SYDNEY FUNCTIONS EFT for NSW Functions to be sent to a new Bank Account “NOC Sydney Functions” (Short Title for transfers “NOCSydFns”); BSB 032-087; Account No. 37-8079

HMS Queen Elizabeth sails for further sea trials from Portsmouth UK. Millennium Spinnaker Tower in background.

NOC Newsletter Number 111, December 2017

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