PLATYPUS 40TH ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS
Delivered
at the Platypus site on 18 August 2007 by Vice Admiral Ian Mac Dougall AC
AFSM RAN (Rtd)
This day of remembrance, of history and recognition of the
strategic importance of submarines as a part of the maritime security of our
nation. I am honoured to deliver the inaugural Platypus address.
The memories will be most keenly felt by those who were here forty years ago
today. But also by those who served in Oberons and in the base, which
maintained them during the thirty odd years, which followed.
My strongest recollection of that day was the considerable élan with which
the captain of Oxley David Lorrimer drove into Neutral Bay after a passage
of 68 days from Portsmouth.
With the adroit use of lots of power astern he both captured the attention
of those on the wharf celebrating the Commissioning of Platypus and avoided
the boat becoming a permanent fixture in Anderson Park.
One slip in the chain of orders from the bridge and reactions below would
have spelt doom, but Lieutenant Commander Lorrimer had trained us well and
had every confidence in us. There was no chance we would let him down. I
glanced across at the face of Commander Bill Owen as the black express sped
towards its berth and saw a smile of pride – or was it relief? – As we
arrived perfectly at our berth.
The history of our submarine arm and the Oberons’ place in it is important.
The era of serious submarining by global powers began in about 1905. At
Spithead Naval Review of 1909, the Times of London counted 42 submarines.
In 1910, just nine years after Federation, our government began negotiating
with Britain for two E-class submarines. Sadly both were lost in World War
I. In a remarkable feat AE.2 had found the way for other Allied submarines
to follow through the Dardanelles into the Sea of Marmora.
We acquired six J-class in the 1920s, two O-class in the 1930s and the Dutch
gifted us a K-class during WWII.
After World War II the Royal Navy based its Fourth Submarine Division in
Sydney. For the princely sum of Fifteen Thousand Pounds, paid by Australia
and New Zealand, the Squadron delivered invaluable ASW training for the Navy
and Airforce of both countries.
In the 60s we brought four, and then two more, Oberons from Britain. These
wonderful long-range boats, with their challenging ASRI diesel engines,
proved to be one of the best-ever defence outlays for Australia. Henry Cook
and Bill Owen were instrumental in the success.
It is deeply frustrating, to skate, in just a minute or so, across 75-odd
years of dedicated service by those who took the boats to sea and those who
supported them alongside in war and peace. It was hard, unremitting work in
fairly squalid living conditions, but few who volunteered to join the
Submarine Arm elected to leave. We were small, vociferous minority – the
navy population in submarines was less than 3 percent.
Not content to be merely ASW clockwork mice, the Submarine Arm set out to
become a highly potent strategic capability. It achieved this via an
extraordinary ambitious update programme, which successfully delivered a
combat system, modern wire-guided torpedoes and encapsulated Harpoon
missiles. This also laid the ground work for the even more ambitious
Collins-class, the Nation’s first in-country build of submarines.
Those outside the Navy cannot be expected to understand in detail how bold a
step it was. Superpowers such as the US of A and Russia have built dozens of
new classes of submarines over the last hundred years. Every new class has
had teething problems.
The remarkable outcome with the Collins, acknowledged by independent experts
as the best conventional submarine at sea, is that those teething troubles
were few and fixed so quickly.
The fact that taxpayers’ dollars remained in-country that jobs were created
for Australians, and that infrastructure enhancement and technology transfer
benefits accrued should not go unacknowledged.
We now have solid bedrock to build on as we go forward with the next class
to replace the Collins, now into the second half of their useful lives.
In May of this year, Ross Babbage in Weekend Australia Defence Special
reported, argued cogently the case for submarines. Not much has changed in
the justification for submarines in a balanced maritime capability since one
small U-boat sank three British cruisers before breakfast in World War I.
The cost of countering submarines in a hot war far outweighs the cost of
maintaining a sub-surface capability. It boils down to the physics of sound
transmission through water, which favours the submarine. Billions of dollars
have been spent and continue to be spent in trying to lift ASW capability to
parity, but to little avail. It hasn’t happened yet!
In a cold war environment, the deterrent value of submarines has been amply
demonstrated. For thos
e
who favour non-violent solutions to the prevention and settlement of
international disputes, deterrence should be a favoured option until such
time as humanity can universally agree to abandon violence.
I am no armchair warrior beating drums of war. I believe in deterrence as a
means of avoiding violence, not at least for a large sea-locked country
dependant on sea-borne trade for its prosperity, indeed for its economic
survival.
As trade grows in a world with economies inextricably linked, the security
of trade routes on the high seas and through littoral choke points grows in
importance. It is no accident of group-think that most developed and
developing nations in our region have acquired a submarine capability. They
too know that their trade routes are vital to their present and their
future.
It is hoped, unlikely that we should have to fight a major war on land or
sea on a standalone basis. Since World War II we have enjoyed the benefits
and insurance of alliances, most notably the ANZUS Treaty.
We pay our insurance premiums when called upon by the UN and/or our Alliance
Partners to contribute to military actions designed to bring or maintain
peace in troubled parts of the world. There is nothing cynical about
preferring to do this far from home rather than on our own doorstep. In most
cases we are contributing highly valued expertise, quality if not quantity.
Sometimes the contribution as measured in numbers – ships, aircraft or
soldiers – is small and complements the larger forces of coalition partners.
Occasionally our contribution is in a form not present in the order of
battle of even our most powerful ally. The Collins class submarine
falls into that category.
The United States of course has a powerful undersea fleet, but all the
platforms are nuclear powered and less than comfortable operating in shallow
littoral waters. Australian submarines have no difficulty operating in
shallow waters and this fills a gap, if our government agrees to make them
available. If operating unilaterally in Australia’s best interests even six
submarines provide a highly potent force either to deter or if push comes to
shove, make continued aggression a price too dear for an enemy to pay.
The lead times for the highly sophisticated systems – platform and combat
system – are long. As has been said many times before, our National Defence
Strategy is based on maintaining a technological edge in every combat
capability.
The reality is, the decision to replace the Collins class needs to be made
not later than the end of this decade. If a timely and favourable decision
is not made, the maritime security, hence the well being, of our nation,
will be placed in jeopardy.
There is a small band of Oberon brothers here today, and to you I say this:
Our characters were forever formed – some would say de-formed – by our
experiences. 70 days without a shower. Learning to play a tin opener like a
musical instrument in order to eat. Accepting the chronic lack of vitamin D
and its medical consequences. Being thrown a bar of soap and then hosed down
on the front lawn before being allowed into the house, on our return from a
long patrol.
But operationally, we know what we did, how dangerous it was and why we did
it anyway. We don’t talk about the detail, not now, not ever. But we
remember, with pride, and always will.
Platypus served the Nation well for 30 years. It was a welcome beacon for
boats returning home from far away. It justly deserves the recognition it
has had this day. I am sure I speak for all those who served here in
thanking the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and the Submarine Association
Australia for making it happen. Not least Captain Chris Skinner and David
Sandquest, National President of the Association.
Platypus had a good formal motto – Nothing too Difficult. I suspect
Commodore Rick Shalders, currently Commander of the Australian Submarine
Group, might agree that the spirit of that motto lives on in the submarines
of today and will do so in the submarines of tomorrow.
Letter from Commodore Rick Shalders CSC RAN Commander
Australian Navy Submarine Group
I write to formally thank you for your invitation to attend and speak at the
40th anniversary of the HMAS Platypus celebrations. Whilst I regret that my
schedule does not allow me to attend in person, I sincerely thank you for
the opportunity to remain part of the proceedings, and offer the following
words to be read out.
“The technology, teamwork and courage involved in safety allowing sailors to
navigate the depths of the world’s oceans have formed a culture and a
tradition of which we remain intensely proud. In this modern age where the
Collins Class are accepted as a resounding success, we look back to the
Oberons and “Plats” and thank all those who have contributed over the years
for building the bedrock on which we stand today.
The bronze platypus, donated by the late Vice Admiral Sir Ian McGeoch, turns
40 this year and maintains its watch on all those who walk through the doors
of the current Submarine Headquarters at HMAS Stirling and provides a
distinguished and familiar reminder of our past.
I wish the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust well in their endeavors to
preserve this important part of Australia’s defence history. Thank you for
your efforts. Many of us who served at HMAS Platypus, and the younger ones
who follow in our footsteps wear our dolphins with quiet pride that is
recognised the world over. Dolphin 38”*
Thank you for your continued efforts in preserving the valuable memories
that Plats holds for us all.
* Dolphin 38, Diesel boats forever.
CORRESPONDENCE
Dear Pete,
I have just got back to sunny TAS. After going up to the "big smoke" for
Saturday's "PLATYPUS" do. I must say that walking down the main drag in
Plats' I was waiting for the tumbleweeds to roll by and hear the doors
squeaking in the breeze. All that was missing was a couple of horses hitched
under the Rats' balcony and the sound of the piano tinkling over the car
park.
I don't think the Mayor of North Sydney could've spoken to the bloke that
lived next to the Admin' block when she said everyone around was sorry to
see us go. I'm sure he gets a much better night's sleep now he doesn't have
to put up with the racket of the 8 balls clinking around!
It was a good day so thanks to all concerned, and who arranged for that old
workboat to pass by?
At Hobart airport I bumped into TJ CARTER. He was on his way back to PNG
having welcomed baby SETH into the world. So congratulations to Robyn, TJ
and welcome Seth.All the best'
Ian (Dougal) Doig
Gentlemen of the Fourth,
It is almost time for the big event – nearly all the t’s and i’s have been
crossed and dotted; the wording of the plaque has been agreed on. We trust
you will all be happy with the end result.
Anyone who has not sent their money, please do so in order that we can get a
list for the gangway completed.
A coach will be supplied to take anyone up as far as the Oaks Hotel when the
coach is full. It will do a trip and return until all have left. Getting to
HMAS Penguin will be under your own diesel power (or battery if you prefer).
Saturday night will be a meet and greet at the Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay at
1700 hours.
The unveiling will take place on Saturday at 1100 hours so muster 1000-1030
hours.
We have old boat-mates coming from New Zealand, United Kingdom, South Africa
and Noumea. You don’t have to be ex-SM4 to attend – just having worn the HM
Submarine cap tally is the only qualification needed. In the case of
Wardroom, Chiefs and PO’s any duds will be sorted out.
All I ask is that you have a bloody good time and please respect HMAS
Penguin as the CO of Penguin has been most cooperative and has gone out of
his way to make us feel welcome.
Any questions – please ring me on 02 67935294 in the evenings
Clear the bridge – control room press Klaxon - turn out the foreplanes –
dive the boat.
Pat Cullum
OBITUARIES
Although not a member of the SAA, it is with regret I report
that Sir Ian McGeoch KCB DSC DSO MiD RN died peacefully on 12th August 2007,
after a short illness at his home in Ixworth, Suffolk. The following is from
the British Telegraph (Ed.).
Vice-Admiral Sir Ian McGeoch, who has died aged 93, was a wartime submarine
ace and a serial escaper after being captured by the Germans in the
Mediterranean in 1943.
McGeoch's most famous exploits in submarines came in the period between
November 1942 and April 1943. On his first war patrol he was deployed off
Naples to ambush any Italian battleship which might threaten the Allied
landings in North Africa.
He hunted and missed a German U-boat, but when an anti-submarine schooner
was sighted the same afternoon McGeoch surfaced and fired a few shots to
persuade the crew to abandon ship; he then boarded and searched her before
setting her on fire. He allowed an armed merchant cruiser to pass
unmolested, but the next day another U-boat proved too tempting to resist -
it was not an easy attack, however, and McGeoch's torpedoes missed their
target.
A day later - determined not to waste his one remaining torpedo - McGeoch
took HMS/m Splendid inshore, where he could see two merchant ships under the
escort of two destroyers. Picking the larger and more modern of the
destroyers, he scored a direct hit.
 |
|
Rear Admiral Ian McGeoch CB DSO
DSC, Flag Officer Submarines (RN) and
Commander W.L. Owen RAN,
Commanding Officer, HMAS PLATYPUS - 18th August 1967
|
Returning to Malta, McGeoch saw an RAF Wellington attack a
convoy and disable a merchantman; he surfaced and shelled the straggler
until she sank.
What the official record described as an "exhilarating" patrol was further
enlivened the following night, when Splendid was forced to turn and dive to
avoid the tracks of two torpedoes.
On his second patrol McGeoch and Splendid made a nuisance of themselves on
the Axis convoy routes to North Africa, sinking another destroyer. On his
third and fourth patrols he sank two anti-submarine vessels and another
19,000 tons of shipping. He was awarded a DSO.
Later McGeoch spotted a 10,000-ton tanker with a powerful escort off Sicily.
The conditions were as unpromising as they could be (a flat calm and a
bright sun), but he pressed home his attack to within 600 yards and "made a
job of it" with three torpedoes. Two days later he sank a 3,000-ton tanker.
In April 1943 McGeoch was awarded a DSC for his bravery and skill in
successive submarine patrols, but on April 21 his luck turned. He was in
Splendid three miles off the south-east coast of Capri when he was puzzled
to see through his periscope a British destroyer; it was in fact a
British-built warship, formerly the Greek destroyer Vasilefs Georgios, but
now under the German swastika as Hermes.
In good asdic conditions Hermes dropped three accurate patterns of depth
charges and Splendid sank to the seabed, where the depth gauge stopped at
500ft. McGeoch blew all his air tanks to raise his submarine to the surface;
the crew abandoned the boat through the gun and conning tower hatches while
Hermes made direct hits with her main armament, killing 18 of Splendid's
48-man crew.
McGeoch himself was wounded, in the right eye, but stayed in the boat until
he was sure that there was no one left alive and that it would sink before
the enemy could board it. The entire action was over in 12 minutes.
As McGeoch was hauled from the water into a German motorboat he heard a
guttural voice delivering the classic line "For you the war is over", and he
thought to himself "No, it bloody well isn't". Thus began a year-long
odyssey to reach Britain.
Although now blind in one eye, McGeoch made several escape attempts: he
attempted to dig, during the siesta hours, a tunnel from an Italian hospital
where he was being treated. He jumped from a train when he was being moved
between camps, but was recaptured. After being taken to Rome for
interrogation, he leapt from a moving car and made a vain attempt to enter
the Vatican.
Later, after the Italian armistice, he was promised repatriation, but the
train in which he was travelling was commandeered by the Germans; McGeoch
was taken to a prison hospital, from which he simply walked away, eventually
crossing the border into Switzerland after a 400-mile hike.
He chose Switzerland - more distant than the Allied front line - because he
wanted medical attention, and he was conscious while Professor Adolphe
Franceschetti used an electromagnet to draw a jagged sliver of rusty steel
from his blind eye.
He was also taken with what he called "the silken dalliance" of Geneva, but
was impatient to get home and obtained false papers before walking into
France in January 1944. Making contact with the Resistance, he travelled
westwards by train and car, then skied across the Pyrenees and into
temporary internment in Spain.
From Gibraltar he took passage in the dummy battleship Centurion, and his
arrival in Britain was announced to the Resistance by the BBC with the
cryptic words le tabac du Petit Pierre est dans la boîte. His reunion with
his wife and the child he had not yet seen was delayed until two days later
by a debriefing with MI9. He was mentioned in dispatches for his successful
escape.
Ian Lachlan Mackay McGeoch was born on March 26 1914 at Helensburgh, where
he was inspired to pursue a life at sea by messing about in boats on the
Firth of Clyde. He was educated at Pangbourne, and entered the Royal Navy as
a special entry cadet in 1931.
In 1933 he served as a midshipman in the battleship Royal Oak, the destroyer
Boadicea and the cruiser Devonshire, but six years later began to specialise
in submarines.
On the outbreak of war McGeoch was third hand in the submarine Clyde. He
passed the perisher in 1940 and was sent to Malta as spare commanding
officer. He commanded Splendid during the Allied landings in North Africa
(Operation Torch) before embarking on the period in which he became a
submarine ace.
After his escape McGeoch attended the naval staff course in 1944 and was
staff officer operations in the 4th Cruiser Squadron of the British Pacific
Fleet.
In 1946-47 he commanded the frigate Fernie until being promoted commander
and sent to work in the operations division of the Admiralty. In 1949 he
commanded the 4th Submarine Division in Sydney.
He was naval liaison officer to RAF Coastal Command in 1955-56, Captain 3rd
Submarine Squadron in 1957-58 and then spent two years as director of the
Underwater Warfare Division in the Admiralty. After a year as a student at
the Imperial Defence College, McGeoch commanded the cruiser Lion from 1962
to 1964.
Promoted to Admiral, he was successively Admiral President of the Royal
Naval College, Greenwich, Flag Officer Submarines, and Flag Officer Scotland
and Northern Ireland. He was appointed CB in 1966 and KCB in 1969.
After retiring in 1970 McGeoch went to Edinburgh University to study Social
Sciences, and in 1975 was awarded an MPhil for his study of the origins,
procurement and effect of the Polaris project.
From 1972 to 1980 he was editor of The Naval Review, and contributed to many
other service journals. He collaborated with General Sir John Hackett and
other senior NATO officers in producing two editions of The Third World War
(1978 and 1982), which predicted how a future war might be fought.
McGeoch wrote a wartime memoir, An Affair of Chances: a Submariner's
Odyssey, 1939-44 (1991), and The Princely Sailor: Mountbatten of Burma
(1996), an assessment of the service career of a leader with whom McGeoch
had several times served and whom he had always admired.
Interested in all maritime affairs, but especially in safety at sea, McGeoch
took an active interest in all his many nautical associations, including the
Royal Institute of Navigation, the Nautical Institute and the Honourable
Company of Master Mariners.
He was a member of the Queen's Body Guard for Scotland, the Royal Company of
Archers and of the Royal Yacht Squadron.
Sir Ian is well known to the RN members who were based in Sydney from 1949
to 1951 as the first Commander of the RN Fourth Submarine Flotilla based at
HMAS Penguin.
18 years later, on 18 August 1967, he returned to Sydney, as Flag Officer
Submarines (RN), to present a life-size bronze sculpture of a platypus, a
gift from the RN Submarine Service to the newly-formed Australian Submarine
Squadron, at the commissioning ceremony of HMAS Platypus.
ACT & SR BRANCH
Secretary Geoff BURNS JP 02
48494330 0427 435 314
burns@ugl.com.au
The ACT Branch held it’s AGM on Sunday 05 Aug 07, election of officers was
held and the new committee is as follows:
-
President Andrew Galley
-
Vice Pres Michael Wood
-
Secretary Geoff Burns
-
Treasurer Edward Barend
Committee Graham Atkinson, Peter Knights,
Michael Carew and Michael Washington
The meeting was followed by a family BBQ in the grounds of the Brassey of
Canberra, it was a great day and everyone had a good time.
Plans for SUBCON 2008 are well underway; a website should be available soon
which will have venues, accommodation and costs.
NEW SOUTH WALES BRANCH
Secretary Ken WILLIAMS H
02-80042304 M 0400500604 email
kenbwilliams@hotmail.com
We have had a busy time of it over the past couple of months. Our meeting
for the 9/9/07 has been postponed as the APEC meeting is on that weekend,
and all sensible people will keep away from that many politicians in one
place. The USS Kitty Hawk visit was a great success; my children are still
going on about it as are some of the bigger boys from the Association.
We had the Platypus 40th and arrival of Oxley celebration at Plats. What a
great day that turned out to be with many people heading back to our old
home and some kicking on to the 18 footers, just like the old days. The
ceremony was attended by some eighty members of SAA and supported by Naval
Cadets of Training Ships SYDNEY and CONDAMINE. The official guests to speak
were Brigadier (retired) Kevin O'Brien, member of the SHFT Board and
chairman of their Defence History Committee; Ms Genia McCaffery, Mayor of
North Sydney; Mrs Jillian Skinner MP, State Member for North Shore;
Councillor Trent Zimmerman, representing Mr Joe Hockey MP, Federal Member
for North Sydney; Vice Admiral Ian Mac Dougall AC AFSM RAN (Retired) and Mr
David Sandquest, National President, Submarines Association Australia.
Thales Australia kindly sponsored the event
and with Sydney Harbour Federation Trust covered some of the expenses.
Christopher Skinner did a great job on this and we are very grateful for all
his efforts. Although not a huge gathering it was a nice way to spend a
Saturday. The BBQ after the official speeches was great and the support
provided at the hotplate by the cadets was very much appreciated. We may see
if we can organise another BBQ on the wharf toward the end of the year.
We started seriously lobbying the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust to try and
get a space at Platypus for the SAA and seem to be getting a roll on for
that.
We are still having our Branch meeting on
4/11/07 at the City of Sydney RSL. I look forward to seeing you on the day.
NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH
Secretary Garth SCHMIDT email ssc83850@bigpond.net.au
A very successful meeting was held in July, at the residence of Shorty and
Robyn Needham in Kirwan, Townsville.
This was our first AGM since formation of the Branch. Our guest speaker
prior to the meeting was Peter Martin, from the Townsville Naval
Association, who gave an enlightening talk on the role of the Welfare
Officer.
As all positions on the executive were declared vacant, Peter was kind
enough to take the chair, until the position of President was once again
filled.
The Branch showed confidence in the incumbent President, Secretary and
Treasurer, by re-electing Mal Bridge, Garth Schmidt & Craig Cope to those
respective positions.
Other members elected to the committee were: Snow Schleicher, Coyote Wyatt,
John Morris and Cole Klease.
Terry (Coyote) Wyatt volunteered and was duly appointed as Welfare
representative for the Branch (Max’s little helper in the far north)
Congratulations to all appointees. It is up to the executive and committee
now to work hard to encourage as many ex-submariners as possible to come
along and participate in our meetings.
Many thanks go to Shorty and Robyn for throwing their home open for the
meeting and being excellent hosts.
A framed sketch of the 50th anniversary of the SETT was auctioned and the
successful bidder was Snow Schleicher. This auction raised handy funds for
the Branch.
Next meeting will be held over the weekend of the 9, 10 & 11 November at the
Ingham RSL Club. We will tie in with the RSL for the 11 of 11 remembrance
service.
Please advise Garth Schmidt at susanschmidt@optusnet.com.au or (07)47880884
if attending, so that catering, accommodation etc., can be arranged.
Jonathon (Smokey) Dawson, from Mackay, NQ is not travelling so well. He has
sustained a heart attack and the following stress test indicates that
by-pass surgery will be required. I'm sure that support from fellow members
of the Association will lift his spirits
QUEENSLAND BRANCH
Secretary Rob H. WOOLRYCH MBE H 07-54421991 email
robjanw@launch.net.au
As is usual the important things first.
THE NEXT MEETING is being held in Maryborough Where: Maryborough RSL When:
1100 Sunday 14 October 2007. Afterwards there will be "smallie eats"
and then a pleasant safe drive home. NOTE For those of you intending to join
us in Maryborough for the event if you are coming up on Friday PM or early
Saturday AM the present idea is that on the Saturday we will have a day of
Whale Watching (4 to 6 hours). If we have sufficient numbers, there is a
possibility we could charter our own boat. So to all of you keep the weekend
of Sat 13/Sun14 October in mind for a bit of fun and tourism in Hervey Bay.
There will also be a gathering at "Chez John & Ailsa Head" on the Saturday
night after the Whale Watch expedition to prepare for the Sunday Meeting
QUEENSLAND AGM & 25th PARTY (XMAS IN JULY)
What a fun day we made of the AGM with people coming from all over to join
in and we did not have a Constitution to discuss. In all we had something
like 45 members present. A most enjoyable meeting and a most enjoyable few
Beers afterwards. We were very pleased to welcome those who had travelled
long distances to be with us on the day
The Committee stays as before with the addition of a Welfare Advocate in the
form of IAN SINCLAIR. The Members are most supportive of what the SAA Qld
Inc Committee has done in the past and want it to continue
The Christmas in July - 25th Birthday was a great success with nearly 130
Members and "Friends" in attendance. The entertainment was a great success
and we were so happy to have our guests with us BILL OWEN our first
Queensland President and of course JOHN FOSTER who spoke to us briefly on
the search for AE 1. Thank you both for joining us on the night.
Also our thanks to those of "Team Rocky Horror" who preformed superbly, and
to the ladies who helped us setting up and selling raffle tickets. For
"Rocky Horror" next stop Broadway.
CHRISTMAS PARTY
At a date and venue still to be confirmed but it looks as if we could be
going to "Snow" Ross' home at WOODFORD for a Bar-b-cue in the outdoors/bush.
Pleasant thought is for plenty of Seafood being provided and a "Butt of
Beef" to be cooked by our own Chef extraordinaire "Snow" himself
Members and guests will all be welcome and I am sure once we get our "ducks
in a row" the gathering will be subsidised in some way by our SAA Qld and we
will probably charge a nominal amount as well
ONCE AGAIN A MEETING REMINDER - WHERE
MARYBOROUGH WHEN 1100 Sunday, 14 October 2007
And we hope to have Whale Watching on the Saturday and if we have sufficient
interest we could have our own Charter. Costs for the Whale Watch will be
promulgated
SOUTH
AUSTRALIAN BRANCH
Secretary David BRYANT H 08-82630461 M 0412574790 email
djbryant@senet.com.au
Information from the Branch Secretary had not arrived prior to completing
the newsletter. I hope your winter lunch at the Hackney Hotel on Sunday, 26
August was a successful day.
The following meetings have been prepared by the Branch for the coming
months. (Ed.).
Sunday 26th November 2007 1230 for 1300 – General Meeting at the Port
Adelaide Naval Association clubrooms.
December (Sunday Date to be advised) – Christmas BBQ at Bonython Park.
Sunday 17th February 2008 - General Meeting at the Port Adelaide Naval
Association clubrooms.
Sunday 18th May 2008 - General Meeting at the Port Adelaide Naval
Association clubrooms.
TASMANIAN BRANCH
Secretary David BYRNE H. 03/6233588 Email:
dbyrne@keypoint.com.au
As usual during the winter months on the South Island we have been
hibernating. Barbecues and other outdoor pursuits lose their shine when the
weather turns a bit wet and windy as it tends to do from July to September
each year.
In preparation for coming out of hibernation (and perhaps into retirement)
Kim Pitt has set himself up with a bright canary yellow, go-anywhere
Landrover. He and his family are building up momentum for heading off-road
and seeing parts of the state only Greenies, Ferals and loggers get to see.
Also marking the move from hibernation to more active pursuits is Tasmania’s
AGM. This year it will be held on Sunday, 16 September at 1130 sharp. The
venue is the downstairs meeting room at Nelson’s Tavern, Nelson Road, Mt.
Nelson (we are very imaginative with our naming conventions in Tassie!).
Family and visitors are welcome to attend both the meeting and the lunch in
the Bistro upstairs afterwards. Interstate members who may find themselves
in Hobart that weekend are also very welcome to join in the fun. Please
contact the Secretary via any of the above methods if you would like to
attend.
Occasionally we get wind of a former submariner who has moved or retired to
Tasmania. Unfortunately, we rarely get any more detail than that. If you
know of someone who has moved here to God’s country and who you suspect is
not a member of either the national or Tasmanian state organisations please
either give them the Secretary’s contact details above or pass their details
to David Byrne.
VICTORIAN BRANCH
Secretary Keith ‘Boot’ HATFIELD M 0408 051 085 email
hatfield.1@optusnet.com.au
The scheduled meeting at Warrandyte has now been postponed. The September
meeting of the Victoria Branch will be held at the ESU corner Walsh Street
and Toorak Road on Sunday, 16 September from noon onward. The meeting is a
social meet and will encompass a BBQ featuring Al Cooper as chef
extraordinaire. Bring along a smally plate if possible.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA BRANCH
Acting Secretary/Treasurer: Norm williams 0419
863 558
I apologise that at this time I am not aware of who is the Secretary for the
WA Branch, however I have gleaned the following information off our Web
Events Diary (Ed.).
At 1100 on
Sunday, 28 October 2007 the RN Submariners’ Association (Australia Branch)
will conduct an annual Service at the Periscope Memorial. All welcome.
At 1030 on
Sunday, 11 November 2007 a Remembrance Day Service will be held alongside
Ovens at the Maritime Museum at Fremantle followed by BBQ.
As I have not heard from our Webmaster Norm Williams OAM I assume that he is
still in transit to his new home in Bauple, Queensland or he has not yet set
up his computer. However, as soon as he is back on the web he would
appreciate you taking note of his following advice (Ed.)
Remember it is YOUR site and it is only as good as the information supplied
to the Web Manager. Contact norm.williams@submarinesaustralia.com mobile
0419 863 558
http://submarinesaustralia.com
SUBMARINE
COMMUNITY BALL
Where: Burswood Grand Ball Room Perth
When: 26 October 1900 - 0001
Dress: Formal (Mess Dress or Dinner Suit)
Ticketing: $95, available for purchase from 1 July (full details to follow)
* Discount accommodation available
The small print:
Priority seating to be allocated to serving submariners and support staff
Seating allocated once payment has been received- strictly no IOU
Groups to be arranged prior to booking, maximum 10 people per table
Ticket prices include a three course meal and five hours of drinks
10% discount for accommodation off best price at time of booking, available
at Burswood Intercontinental Hotel and the Burswood Holiday Inn. Bookings to
be made on an individual basis direct to the hotel.
Ruth Carter
Corporate Communications Officer
Submarine Force Element Group
Telephone: (08) 9553 3064
Mobile: 0401 999 943
E-mail:
ruth.carter@defence.gov.au
‘T’ FOR TERRIFIC
The Royal Navy’s ‘T’ submarines played a vital role in the submarine service
for nearly four decades. Nick Hall looks at their development and recalls
the careers of several of the class.
Blunt and to the point, the chilling message stated: ‘The Admiralty regrets
that the hope of saving lives in the Thetis must be abandoned.’ It was a
tragic beginning, but T-class submarines went on to become some of the most
successful and longest serving submarines in the Royal Navy’s history.
Thetis was the third T-class boat to be completed, but the first to be built
by Cammell Laird in Birkenhead. Her initial diving trials in Liverpool Bay
on 1 June 1939 went tragically wrong when a combination of factors allowed
the rear door of No.5 torpedo tube to be opened while its bow cap was open
to the sea. Water flooded into the forward part of the boat, causing an
uncontrolled dive until she settled on the seabed 140 feet below. Four men
managed to escape using Davis Submarine Escape Apparatus (DSEA), but all
other rescue attempts failed.
A total of 99 men died because, in addition to her crew of 53, Thetis had
been carrying 50 passengers including other naval officers, Admiralty
officials and Cammell Laird workers. Thetis was later raised and an enquiry
showed that the causes of the disaster were failures of the procedures,
workmanship and training, rather than an inherent design problem.
Germany’s re-emergence as a military power in the mid 1930s led Britain to
review its naval requirements, one result of which was an Admiralty decision
in 1934-35 to build a new class of overseas patrol submarines, the T-class.
They would replace the Oberon, Parathion and Rainbow classes, which had
proved complicated, expensive and unreliable.
Design of the T-class submarine was determined by tonnage limitations
imposed by the London Naval Treaties. These allowed a total displacement
tonnage of 16,500 tons for the new construction of submarines, so a design
displacement of 1,100 tons each was agreed in order to meet the Admiralty
requirement for 15 new boats. The boats were to have sufficient endurance to
carry out patrols lasting up to six weeks, and would carry an exceptionally
heavy armament of ten torpedo tubes.
It was thought that this, the most powerful salvo mounted by any submarine,
British or foreign, would give the boat a greater chance of sinking modern
heavy warships, as well as hitting targets from longer range, thus avoiding
anti-submarine (A/S) measures. A saddle-tank design was selected, with the
main ballast tanks mounted on either side outside the pressure hull which
was made of 0.5in steel.
Triton, the first boat in the new class was ordered from Vickers-Armstrong
at Barrow-in-Furness in March 1936 she measured 277feet (84.43m) overall,
with a beam of 26feet 7inches (8.14m) and a draught of 15feet (4.57m). A
pair of 2,500bhp Sulzer diesels gave her a surface speed of 15 knots, while
a pair of 1,450shp electric motors gave her a maximum submerged speed of
nine knots.
Her ten torpedo tubes all faced forward. In the bows she carried two
parallel vertical rows of four tubes, the top pair being mounted externally
in a pronounced hump in the casing, while tubes nine and ten were mounted
either side amidships. Reloads were carried for the six internal bow tubes,
giving her a total of 16 torpedoes, and a four inch gun was mounted at the
forward end of the conning tower structure.
Orders for the remaining 14 boats had been placed by the end of June 1938,
four from Cammell Laird at Birkenhead, three from Scotts at Greenock, two
from HM Dockyard Chatham and a further five from Vickers-Armstrong at
Barrow-in-Furness. They were 2 feet (0.61m) shorter than Triton, and, while
three boats were fitted with Sulzer diesels, others were used to evaluate
Admiralty, Man or Vickers engines.
Triton was completed in November 1938 and was followed into service by
Triumph and Thistle, both built at Barrow, in May and July respectively.
While the boats generally preformed well, the bulbous casing of the bows
gave rise to complaints from their commanding officers. It not only caused a
surface wave when the boat was at periscope depth, impairing periscope
vision and betraying its presence to ships and aircraft, but also reduced
speed and increase diving time.
Although only three T-class boats were in service when war was declared on 3
September 1939, a further seven were ordered the following day as part of
the War Emergency Programme. The Group 2 boats, unlike all but three of the
first group had welded framing and were built to a revised design. The two
external bow tubes were moved 7 feet (2.13m) aft giving the bow casing a
finer shape, while the tubes amidships were realigned to fire aft. An
eleventh tube was fitted in the casing as an external stern tube, while a
20mm Oerlikon was mounted at the aft of the conning tower. Surviving Group 1
boats were similarly modified during subsequent refits.
In 1940, orders were placed for a further nine boats to be built to an
improved design, although still partly riveted/partly welded construction,
pressure hulls of 0.75-inch (1.91cm) steel and most fitted to carry extra
fuel in internal tanks in readiness for long patrols in the Far Eastern
theatre. Only 18 of these had been completed by the end of the war, however,
with a further four entering service shortly afterwards, while two were
scrapped while still incomplete and the remainder seven cancelled.
On 10 September 1939, just a week after the start of the World War II HMS
Triton, on patrol off the coast of Norway, torpedoed and sank an
unidentified submarine. It was only when she closed to pick up survivors
that she found that her victim had been the submarine HMS Oxley. A Board of
Enquiry found that Oxley was way out of position and that Triton had acted
correctly and so was not culpable for the sinking.
Two months later, Thetis was salvaged from Liverpool Bay and returned to
Cammell Laird. She was renamed Thunderbolt and, after a refit that included
removal of her external bow tubes, she was commissioned in November 1940. By
the end of the year a total of 14 T-class submarines had been delivered but,
of these, no less than four had already been lost in action, Thistle and
Tarpon in the North Sea and Triad and Triton in the Mediterranean.
T-boats were heavily involved in all areas of the British submarine
operations. During the early part of the war these were concentrated in the
North Sea, Artic, Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean, but from 1943 onwards
the Far East theatre became increasingly important. Although each theatre
presented its own difficulties, the Mediterranean was probably the most
hazardous. Submerged submarines were often visible from the air because the
water was clear and, in many places, quite shallow. Minefields were a
constant threat and most of the coastline was in enemy hands. It is little
surprise, therefore, that all five Victoria Crosses awarded to submariners
(excluding those won in chariots and midget submarines) during World War Two
were for service in the Mediterranean, with four of these for service in
T-boats.
It is worth looking at the citations for these four as they give some idea
of the dangers faced by all Allied submarines operating in the
Mediterranean. On 16 February 1942, HM Submarine Thrasher attacked and sank,
in daylight, a supply ship under heavy escort. She was immediately attacked
by aircraft and escorts, which dropped bombs and depth charges. On surfacing
after dark, the submarine began to roll and it was discovered that two
unexploded bombs were in the gun casing. LEUT P.S.W. Roberts RN and Petty
Officer T Gould immediately volunteered to remove them. They removed the
first bomb (of an unknown type), wrapped it in sacking, manhandled it to the
bows and dropped it overboard. To reach the second bomb they had to go
through the casing, it being so low that they had to lie flat, at full
length, in order to move inside it. In complete darkness, they pushed and
pulled the bomb for around 20feet (6.1m) or so before it could be lowered
over the side. This act of courage was made more difficult because
Thrasher’s whereabouts were known to the enemy. Had the submarine been
attacked, it would have dived and the two men would have been drowned. LEUT
Roberts and PO Gould were each awarded the VC.
Just two weeks later, Torbay, commanded by CMDR A.C.C. Miers RN made an
audacious attack on shipping in Corfu Roads. He was awarded the VC “For
valour in a daring and successful raid on shipping in a defended enemy
harbour, planned with full knowledge of the great hazards to the expected
during 17 hours in waters closely patrolled by the enemy. On arriving in the
harbour he had to charge his batteries lying on the surface in full
moonlight, under the guns of the enemy. As he could not see his target he
waited several hours and attacked in full daylight in a glassy calm. When he
fired his torpedos, he was heavily counter-attacked and had to withdraw
through a long channel with anti-submarine craft all around and continuous
air patrols overhead.”
HM Submarine Turbulent was lost with all hands after striking a mine off
Sardinia in March 1943. Her commander CMDR J.W. “Tubby” Linton RN was
awarded a posthumous VC. “Turbulent inflicted great losses on the enemy. He
sank one Cruiser, one U-boat and 28 supply ships making a total 100,000 tons
in all. He also destroyed three trains by gunfire. He spent 254 days at sea,
spending half of that time submerged. His boat had been hunted 13 times
having 250 depth charges dropped around her.” The medals could equally well
have been awarded to all the submariners.
Between 1941 and 1943, 11 T-class submarines did not return from patrols in
the Mediterranean. They were, in most cases, lost with their entire crews.
Although Trusty and Truant had been despatched from the Mediterranean to
join the Eastern Fleet in January 1942, they were withdrawn to refit later
that year. The build-up of an effective Far East submarine force did not
begin in earnest until July 1943. From then on T-class boats modified to
carry extra fuel, including two transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy,
were at the forefront of operations in the Malacca Straits and, later, the
Java Sea.
They operated from Trincomalee and Fremantle, but distances were enormous,
so it usually took a boat a week of surface running to reach its patrol
area. Tantalus, operating from Fremantle, carried out the longest patrol by
a British submarine during World War Two, lasting 55 days from 3 January to
26 February 1945, and covering 11,692 miles. No T-boats were lost in the Far
East, although Terrapin was so badly damaged in a depth charge attack that
she was declared a Constructive Total Loss when she returned to base.
The surviving Group 1 and 2 boats were sold for breaking soon after the war
ended. Most of the group 3 boats remained in service although Truculent was
lost in January 1950 after a collision with the Swedish merchant ship Dvina
in the Tham
es
Estuary.
In the early 1950s five boats, Talent, Tapir, Teredo, Tireless and Token,
were given a partial conversion, all external tubes and guns were removed, a
new streamlined casing and fin were fitted and higher capacity batteries
were installed. These changes made them quieter and increased their
underwater speed by nearly 1.5 knots.
In early 1950s five boats, Tabard, Taciturn, Thermopylae, Tiptoe, Trump,
Truncheon and Turpin were lengthened by between 12 feet (3.66m) and 20 feet
(6.1m), additional batteries were installed and the boats were converted to
diesel-electric drive. New bow and stern sections were fitted, giving a
revised armament of six torpedo tubes. A streamline casing and fin were also
added at this refit and these changes nearly doubled their underwater speed
and increased their endurance
The remaining unconverted boats had been scrapped by early 1960s, but most
of the ‘streamline’ and ‘conversion’ types remained in service until around
1970. T-class submarines HMS Totem and HMS Turpin were sold to Israel in
1964 and renamed Dakar and Leviathan, but the former was lost in the Eastern
Mediterranean and replaced by Truncheon in 1986. HMS Tiptoe, the T-class
submarine in the Royal Navy service was withdrawn in 1971. Her hulk remained
at Pound’s scrap yard in Portsmouth until well into the 1980s, a poignant
reminder of what was undoubtedly the finest class of British submarines ever
built.
CHRONOLOGICAL
HISTORY OR THE FOURTH
1914 Fourth Submarine Flotilla formed, HMS Arrogant and six “C” boats at
Dover.
1918 Flotilla disbanded.
1919 Reformed, HMS’s Titania and Ambrose and twelve “L” boats in China.
1928 HMS Ambrose and 6 “L” boats sail for U.K.
1930 HMS Titania and remainder sail for U.K.
‘’ HMS Medway and four “O” sail for China to reconstitute the Fourth
Flotilla. (Oswald, Osiris, Pandora and Proteus).
1933 Three “R: boats join from Malta. (Rover, Regent and Rainbow).
1935 Four “O” boats sailed to Malta for Abyssinian Crisis.
1936 The four “O” return to China
1937 Grampus and Rorqual arrived China, Oswald and Osiris to U.K.
1939 Pandora and Proteus and two others to Ceylon for Munich Crisis
1939 Phoenix to Australia for duty with Royal Australian Navy
1939 Sept. HMS Medway and the remainder of boats to Singapore
1940 HMS Medway and Flotilla to Alexandria, lost own identity and became the
First Flotilla
1942 HMS Adamant with Trusty and Truant formed Fourth Flotilla at Kilindini,
then moved to Colombo, Ceylon
1943 Several “T” boats arrived making some 12 in all
1945 April, HMS Adamant and Flotilla, which now included some Dutch “O”
boats move to Fremantle to relieve Maidstone and the “S” boats of the Eighth
Flotilla.
1945 Oct. Flotilla sailed to Hong Kong
1946 Feb. Flotilla sailed to Australia
1946 Sept. Flotilla sailed to Hong Kong
1946 Oct. Flotilla arrived in Hong Kong: Amphion, Astute and other “A” boats
began to arrive
1947 April. Returned to Hong Kong
1947 June. Flotilla to Kure
1948 HMS Adamant with Amphion and Astute sailed for UK, Aeneas and Affray
refitted in Singapore. On arrival in UK flotilla disbanded as an economy
move.
1949 Flotilla reconstituted with base at Sydney, accommodated in HMAS
Penguin. Renamed Fourth Submarine Division.
1950 Jan. Telemachus and Thorough arrive in Sydney
1950 July Tactician arrived from Malta
1950-65 Several “T” boats and “A” boats joined the Division various lengths
of time. Composition in 1965, Trump, Tabard and Taciturn.
1966 Taciturn returned to UK
1967 August. The new shore base HMAS Platypus was commissioned and HMAS
Oxley arrived. The Division became the Fourth Submarine Squadron Royal
Australian Navy, based at HMAS Platypus, Neutral Bay, Sydney.
1968 May. Tabard returned to UK
1968 Oct. HMAS Otway arrived
1969 Jan.1st.The Fourth Submarine Squadron became the First Australian
Submarine Squadron.
1969 Jan. HMS Trump left Sydney for UK.
VICTORY IN THE STRAITS
The Turkish fleet had good reason to feel safe in 1914; although it was
committed to war with the world’s most powerful navy, it vessels sheltered
at the end of the Sea of Marmora, a hundred miles of shallow waters with
treacherous currents, sown with mines and protected by forts. Yet Allied
submariners took up the challenge and sailed their frail craft into the
straits, one British boat entering Constantinople itself.
When on 30 October 1914 Turkey declared for the Central Powers, business
began in earnest for a small Anglo-French submarine force based on the Greek
island of Tenedos. Handily-placed close to the entrance to the Dardanelles,
the boats had been familiarizing themselves with the approaches ever since
the German battle-cruiser Goeben and the light cruiser Breslau had
disappeared up the strait in the previous August. Together with the
makeshift depot ship Hindu Kush were, initially, three French boats and the
British B9, B10 and B11.
The Dardanelles is a narrow strait about 58 km (36 miles) in length and
leads to the land-girt Sea of Marmora, about 160 km (100 miles) from end to
end. At the far end of this water was the magnet of the Turkish capital,
Constantinople, but to reach it a submarine had to negotiate the strait,
which was heavily defended by forts, batteries and searchlights, its waters
possessing unpredictable currents of up to 5 knots at the Narrows and also
strewn with nets and mine barriers.
Of the Allied submarines, Holbrook’s B11 had been recently equipped with new
batteries and was elected to make the first deep penetration of the strait.
Thus on 13 December 1914, equipped with improvised mine guards, the little
boat dived inside Cape Helles just before daylight. Holbrook kept to the
European side to cheat the tide and (except when taking frequent periscope
checks) ran as far as possible at 18 to 25 m (60 to 80 feet) to keep below
the mines. Four hours after going down and after various alarms and
excursions, B11 had negotiated the first mine barriers off Kephez and was
approaching the second, below the Chanak narrows. To his delight, her
commander sighted the aged armoured cruiser Mesoudieh lying unconcernedly at
anchor. Considering the date and conditions, his hitting her with a single
torpedo at the range of 800 m (880 yards) was a fine feat. She settled
rapidly but opened a brisk fire on the submarine, which was experiencing
difficulty in remaining hidden in very shallow water. With no compass,
Holbrook bumped and bored his way back down the iron gullet of the strait.
Successful, he surfaced in the open sea after nine hours submerged, the air
in the boat so foul that his petrol engine refused to run. The obsolete
little boat had opened unlimited prospects, and her commander received a
well-merited Victoria Cross.
With the opening of the main Dardanelles campaign early in 1915, there was a
rapid build-up in the joint fleets, the British submarine force being
boosted by the arrival of modern ‘E’ class boats. As the Turkish land
communication system was virtually nonexistent, supply and reinforcement of
their front would depend greatly on sea transport down the Sea of Marmora
and it was vital to disrupt the route. The first attempt to force the
strait, by E15, was disastrous: the submarine stranded near Kephez and was
finally destroyed only after heroic foray by boats from the battleships HMS
Majestic and Triumph.
It fell to the Australian boat AE2 to be the first through the strait, on 25
April 1915, followed the very next day by E14 which bored through mainly on
the surface, taking advantage of darkness. Strong nerves were required as
the boat was held by the cold fingers of the searchlights and subjected to a
continuous bombardment. Boyle, the commander, submerged when things became
too hot but, finding the scraping of mine cables along the hull even more
unpleasant, kept popping up. Like the Australian, Stoker before him, Boyle
found a gunboat to torpedo but, in the process, had a periscope shot through
and the other grasped rudely by a Turk in an open boat!
Activity was intense, it being the third day before Boyle could fully charge
his batteries. He was rewarded by being able to force aground one of two
transports under destroyer escort. The same evening he met up with AE2,
which was down to one torpedo, having had the cruel experience of firing six
duds. On the very next day the Australian was caught on the surface by a
Turkish destroyer and sunk.
The British boat had a lean time, for the Turks cut their sailings to a
minimum and put refugees on those that did move so that they could not be
sunk. Then, the first legitimate target was hit by a torpedo that failed to
explode. At last on 10 May Boyle sank a laden troopship hard by
Constantinople and, reduced to one faulty torpedo (he had no deck gun), he
then harassed local shipping for a week with threats and rifle fire until
recalled on 17 May. Hunted persistently whilst coming down the strait with
the stream, he avoided much trouble by passing the various barriers close
astern of an enemy patrol. He returned after a 22-day absence with much
intelligence regarding the defences and anti-submarine measures, to be
awarded the second Victoria Cross gained by the force. During his time away,
two French submarines had attempted the passage; of these Bernouilli was
unable to stem the current and was forced to return while the Joule was sunk
in a minefield. Two more French boats, Saphir and Mariotte, were also to be
lost, similarly or following technical troubles.
Boyle was immediately relieved by Nasmith in E11, the latter already a
veteran of North Sea operations. Profiting by the E14’s experiences, Nasmith
negotiated the Dardanelles successfully and made for the eastern end of the
Sea of Marmora. He too, began by sinking a Turkish craft which also
succeeded in putting a 6-pdr shot through his periscope. This was followed
by a couple of transports, the loss of which caused traffic to cease.
Nothing daunted, Nasmith took E11 right into the Golden Horn, the harbour of
Constantinople, and torpedoed a freighter alongside the arsenal.
The lack of deck gun was keenly felt and transports were sunk by demolition
charge whenever possible. Nasmith developed the technique of setting his
torpedoes to float at the end of their run, so that ‘misses’ could be later
recovered, disarmed and manoeuvred carefully back into the bow tubes with
the boat suitably trimmed, a precarious business that left them very
vulnerable for a time. Even when torpedoed, however, a large well-found ship
could survive the explosion of a 457-mm (18-in) warhead, and several were
thus beached. Sailing craft were burnt in numbers. Not until 7 June did the
condition of E11’s machinery oblige withdrawal, the passage down the strait
seeing another ship torpedoed and a mine towed for some distance, its cable
caught in a hydroplane. Nasmith extended cruise had bagged seven large ships
and earned a further Victoria Cross.
Despite the fact that the Turks and Germans continuously improved the
Dardanelles defences, the Sea of Marmora was inhabited by at least one
British submarine throughout 1915. Maritime traffic, though hard hit and
often stopped had, of necessity, always to resume because of the endless
needs of the front and the dreadful land communications. German engineers
laboured on a new rail line but this took time. Knowing the British boats’
small torpedo reserve it is surprising that the enemy never capitalized more
on their requirement to surface to attack commerce by other means. By this
time the Q-ship stratagem was well publicized. And the German ‘UBs’ were
being assembled at Pola.
The experiences of Bruce’s E12 were typical. In passing up the strait in
June 1915 the boat was enmeshed in a newly-added net and survived only by
flooding everything and crashing her motors alternately into ahead and
reverse thrust. All but burned out, they thereafter gave endless trouble,
obliging Bruce to operate largely on the surface. In one encounter he
tackled two merchantmen towing five sailing craft. Spurning the aid of his
toy 6-pdr he ran along side one ship only to have somebody above heave a
bomb at him (it bounced off the foredeck without exploding) and directly
sustained a fusillade of rifle fire. In a very exposed situation, Bruce had
his gun crew put shots along the length of the ship’s hull at a range where
half-bricks would have been more appropriate. Simultaneously, others of his
crew used rifles to fight off two of the tows, which were endeavouring to
snare his propellers with a cable. After a Henty-type scrap the submarine
disposed of its tormentors and pursued the second ship until it ran under
the protection of a shore battery.
As the ‘E’ boats gained 12-pdr guns they developed also a taste for annoying
targets ashore, duelling with artillery and shelling such railways as
existed. During the August, Nasmith and Boyle, in E11 and E14,
shared a particularly fruitful patrol. Off Gallipoli town E11 sank the
Turkish battleship Heireddin Barbarossa, following which her first
lieutenant D’Oyly-Hughes , swam ashore one night and blew up a railway line.
Hotly pursued by the vengeful enemy, he was fortunate to survive the
escapade.
The Sea of Marmora remained no sinecure. In the September E7 had to be
scuttled after having become hopelessly fouled by nets off Nagara. Of the
French submarines only Turquoise ever succeeded in negotiating the strait,
operating in the Sea of Marmora for a short period, she stranded and was
captured intact. Not only did the Turks recommission her (as the Mustadieh
Ombashi) but her papers compromised a planned rendezvous with the British
E20, which was thus simply ambushed by the German UB14, torpedoed and sunk
with all but nine of her crew.
Only Nasmith in E11 was then left in the Sea of Marmora but, in a cruise of
47 days, he created such mayhem that he was rewarded by promotion to
captain’s rank after only one year as a commander. In mid-December he was
joined by Stock’s E2, which was the final boat in the area as the decision
to abandon the whole Dardanelles campaign had been taken. When this boat
returned down the strait on 2 January 1916 some obstructions had already
been removed and the Allied evacuation was almost complete.
For the loss of four British and four French boats, the force had proven
that submarines could sustain an effective campaign in disputed waters. In
addition to disruption ashore, they had sunk two armoured ships, six
flotilla ships, 37 merchantmen and nearly 200 assorted sailing craft.
NEW
MEMBERS – WELCOME ABOARD
BACON, W.J. (Billy) Frankston North, Victoria 3200
LSMTLSM HMS/m Otter and HMAS Onslow 1968-1971
BOYD, S. (Boydy) Hazelbrook, NSW 2779
WOMTSM HMAS Otway, Ovens, Otama, Waller and Dechaineux 1989-2002 still
serving.
HINTON, B.H.J. (Brett) Merriton, Pittsworth, QLD 4356
CPOETS3SM HMAS Otway and Orion 1976 – 1980
HOLMES, G.E.N (George) Burpengary, Qld 4505
LCDR RNR/RANR HMS/m Thule, Telemachus, Astute and HMAS Otway 1959 -1970
KENDRICK, C.T. (Kendo) Clayfield, Qld 4011
ABROSM HMAS Otama, Oxley and Otway 1979 – 1985
LAIRD, B.T. (Danger Mouse) Woodbridge Estate, Rockingham, WA 6168
CPOEWSASM HMAS Orion, Farncomb and Onslow 1992 - 1997
EDITOR’S COMMENTS
As it was the 40th Anniversary of the Commissioning of “Plats” I could not
resist using an old cartoon from the “Sun” newspaper dated 18 August 1967
with a slight change to the caption.
To all who read In Depth all the very best to you and yours.
Your sincerely,
Peter Smith.
Hon Nat Secretary
27 August 2007
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