The Navy Vol_49_Part1 1987 - Navy League of Australia

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DRISTIGHETEN could carry no more than three aircraft, but wasable to supply and maintain a greater number Her original complementwas three S5 (He5S) seaplanes, later she carried one Heinkel HD19reconnaissance fighter floatplane (Swedish designation J4) and oneHeinkel HD16 float torpedo plane (Swedish designation Tl) The largedimensions of the Tl necessitated the reduction in aerial complementStill later she served as a harbour tender for the T2 (Hell5) and S12(Hell4) types, remaining in aviation service until 1944Decommissioned in 1947. she was used as a target ship and finally soldfor scrapping in 1961For use by GOTLAND, a new type of aircraft entered Swedishservice — the British Hawker Osprey reconnaissance-fighter, a twin-floatbiplane Unlike the British and Portuguese Ospreys. which werepostered by in line liquid-cooled engines. GOTLAND'S hadSwedish built Pegasus air-cooled radials Her catapult was a GermanHeinkel model Although she was designed to accommodate up to 11aircraft, budgetary restrictions resulted in only six Ospreys being acquiredfor herShortly after GOTLAND'S completion the separation of the Swedishnavy and air force became total when in 1936 continued politicalagitation for a more truly independent air service brought about a drasticreorganisation of the Fiygvnpet Under this restructuring the naval airwing was reduced to a "Co-operation" unit with a projecl strength of 32planesGOTLAND'S diminishing value as a seaplane carrier becameevident in World War II. as ship based floatplanes became increasinglyinferior in all categories of performance to land-based aircraftConsequently, she was stripped of her aviation equipment and rearmedas an anti-aircraft cruiser during 1943-44 She was again rearmed andfurther modernised dunng 1953-54 to serve as a training ship, a role sheperformed until paid off in 1960 She was broken up in 1962Inferior although seaplanes might be to landplanes. they were stilluseful for coastal patrol and associated duties, so to supplement itstenders, the Swedish navy in March. 1940. requisitioned the 1235-GRTmerchantman RANE of the Stockholm* Reden AB Svea She wasconverted to an auxiliary seaplane tender at Malmo. work beingcompleted June 25. 1940 Like JACOB BAGGE. she was not a trueseaplane carrier, but aircraft could be hoisted aboard for repair andmaintenance performed from a workshop fitted in the aft cargo holdRANE served until October. 1945. when she was returned to her ownerLater renamed ELEONORA. she was broken up in 1968A final craft used as a seaplane tender and naval air wing utilityboat, beginning in 1929. was the 58 ton V19 (ev-VB19), built in 1914 asa searchlight boat and rerated a vedette in 1918 She remained in navalservice until 1947.Page Twenty-twoTT&il&jE^^s.M'lamvrGOTLAND as built Two Ospreys share the /light deckTHE NAVYYUGOSLAVIAHE Royal Yugoslavian Navy's sole venture into shipboardaviation came with the commissioning of the seaplanecarrier/tender ZMAJ (Kile), built in Hamburg in 1928-30. Verylittle is known about this vessel, which apparently was intended to serveas a mobile maintenance, repair and supply station for seaplanesoperating from the many coves, bays and inlets of Yugoslavia's longAdnatic coast Her aircraft capacity is given as 10. but that seemsexcessive for her size and probably tefers to the number of planes shecould transport It is likely that the first aircraft she tended were FrenchHannnot H41 seaplanes, the early mainstay of the small Yugoslaviannaval air arm Later aircraft may have included some of the 12 GermanDormer Do22Kj floatplanes purchased in 1938ZMAJ fell into German hands during the 1941 invasion and wasrenamed, in a straightforward translation. DRACHE (Kite) In 1942.after having served as a Luftwaffe utility vessel, she was turned over tothe German navy and converted to a minelayer, being extensivelyrearmed As DRACHE. she operated a Flettner Fl 282 helicopter for atleast a short period during 1942. thus becoming one of the first warshipsin the world to be equipped with this type of aircraft She was sunk byBritish aircraft at Samos in December. 1944ConclusionsThe catapults that Spanish and Argentinian cruisers carried into the1950s were anachronisms even then, for the development of helicopterduring World War II spelled an end to a period of aeronaval history thatbegan when Glenn Curtiss' first seaplane was hoisted aboard the USSPENNSYLVANIA in 1911 The future of shipboard aviation resided inthe flight deck carrier and. for other warships, the helicopter Thebeginning of the changeover from seaplane to helicopter among thesmaller navies might be said to be symbolised by an event of May. 1950.when a float equipped Bell 47D helicopter made the first landing of sucha craft in the Argentinian navy touching down on the aft turret ofADMIRANTE BROWNThe utility of the rotary wing aircraft for shipboard use had longbeen foreseen, it could operate from small deck spaces and. unlike theseaplane. Hid not require a special launching device and did not dependupon favourable sea conditions for landing The merits of such a crafthad been reported to the US navy well before World War I The BritishAdmiralty's Airship. Aeroplane and Seaplane Subcommittee had studieda form of helicopter in 1915 The US. Italian and Spanish navies hadconducted shipboard tests of Aulogiros in the '30s In 1935, speculatingupon the future of the Autogiro. Oscar Parkes thought that its "'ability toarise and alight in a confined space would seem to presage the end ofthe catapult which now makes such a call upon deck space andweight ""' Four years later. Admiral Sir Barry Domvilk and two of hisassociates peered into a murky crystal ball and unwisely predicted thedemise of the flight-deck carrier but opined that "possibly a rota seaplaneis a suitable machine for capital ships "'•'Bringing such predictions into reality awaited the development of alruly practicable rotary-wing aircraft, which the Autogiro was notuilthougb a few Autogiros saw operational shipboard use by theJapanese during World War 11) Today, with operation ol helicoptersfeasible from nearly every type of warship, shipboard aviation occupies aYugoslavia's ZMAJ She waslater converted to a German minetoyemore important place in the world's smallest navies than ever before Itmay become even more important m the near future, for although theflight-deck carrier is still too expensive a proposition for most smallnavies, the development of V/STOL aircraft — which performed sosuccessfully in their first test of arms over the Falkland* - holds out thepossibility that warships of the small nations may soon carry such planesas proudly as they did seaplanes in the 1930sSALIENT PARTICULARS OF SMALLNA VY SEAPLANE CARRIERS/TENDERSName and nationalityInstighefen (Swedish)napf3.270Dimensions285 x 48 6 x 17 ItHP & Speed5.600; 17 MsArmamentNomina)aircru/lcapacity3lacob Bagqt (Swedish)VI9 (Swedish)Hane (Swedish)Teh Shang. Wei Shang(Chinese)Dedalo (Spanish)Albattoss (Australian)840 (FL)581.235 GRT.2.006 DW93210.8004.800220 x 27 x 9 ft75 x 16 x 7 ft254.8 x 37 x 14 It205 6x31 x 8 ft420 x 55 x206ft443 7 x 58(nominal)x 13 9ft249 6x429x116ft7.mai (Yugoslavian)1.870In -' sndaid tons unless otherwise indicatedIncluding aviation personnel where knownAlso equipped tor mineUvimj' Ati 4 7m removed when serving as lenderAbo 2 kit balloons and equipped for mooring eiOriginal armament, rearmed several times laterAs German Rroche. earned two 4 1m. five 37rr i AA. 13 20mm AA. P 433-5 For a photo of the Vought aboard Admaante Brown, see WI No 4.1974, p 384Foi a drawing of Albatross, noting he* similarity to Ark Royal, see WI No 2.1976. p 105' For additional details of these ships, and an appearance skclch. sec WI No 4.I%6, pp 335 64 3ln AA.4 MGAA. 2 25mm AA added inWWII'2 4 7in. 4 6pdr*1 37mm. 1 MG1 57mm AA, 1MG. in 1943. 2 40mm AA. 2 MG1 4 7in. 1 3ln.4MG2 4 lln. 2 57mm4 4 7in AA. 2 2pdr AA. 24 MG-1 4ln.'1N.I10914a IT1 For a photo ol an HM1 aboard Peter Skram. see WI No 3. 1966. p 239• For a photo of two WAs aboard Hartog Hendrifc. see Wt No 4, 1980. p 398? For a photo of a CV11W aboard Bonckert. see WI No 1. 1981. p95• The description of the protected Portuguese seaplane canter and its contractualhistory is taken from US Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Attache Reports ("ONIregisters"!. National Archives Record Group 38. entry 98. box 1270. file 4502.and suppbed by Christopher C Wright1 For a photo of an Osprey aboard ship, sec WI No 3. 1970. p 256 The aircraft isBritish, aboard HMS Suwex. but is identical in appearance except for nationalinsignia to those in Portuguese service; " Oscar Parkes. "A Forecast of World Navies." Scientific Amencon 153 No 5.November 1935 246-50" Adm Sir Barry DomvlUt. Vice Adm JET Harper and E H Baxter. "CapitalShips", m Charles W DomvtBe-Flle led). Evolution of Sea Power. London Rich& Cowan. 1939. p77 "Rota" was a British term for rotary-wing aircraft in generalApril-June, 1987 THE NAVY Ptge Twenty-three
BOOKRIfllWS-BATTLESHIP NEW JERSEY: AN ILLUSTRATEDHISTORY"By PAUL STILWELL.Published hi Arms and Armour Press.Australian Distributor Capricorn Link. SydneyPrice $56.85Reviewed by "Gayundah".The visii by the USS MISSOURI lo Australia in late 1986 fot the 75thAnniversary of the RAN. was a huge successdisplay then great interest in the mighly "Dreadnought"almost religiouslyAs this issue ofNot only did the publicbut ihe mediamade her one of the principal stars ol the eventThe Navy" goes lo press, the USN has returned toservice three of its four remaining battleships NEW JERSEY IOWA andMISSOURI while the fourth. WISCONSIN, has just begun hermodernisationThe book. 'Battleship NEW JERSEY An Illustrated History is amassive publication 319 pages long which describes and illustrates thetechnical operational and human history ol the ship The book is the firstlo treat a current day warship in sue'USS MISSOURI will be number two in the series)From the beginningI spectacular style land I hope thatthe drawing board and then keel laying inSeptember 1'Mt). to commissioning in May 1943. then through herservice in the Second World War. post war activities, then reserverecommissioning for Korea and then to reserve againAfter being laid upfor ten years. USS NEW JERSEY was uncommissioned in 1968-6'). andafter another 13 years in reserve, was modernised as a missile and gunplatform to counter the increasing Soviet naval threatApart from this almost too brief description of the ship's career, thepreface describes the rationale behind the hookreproduced herePari of this preface is"To go to sea in the USS NEW JERSEY In the 1980s is lo have thesense ihat she has managed lo transcend the normal limitations of limeThis feeling probably becomes most evident al mghl as she glides throughthe dark sea. ihe water making a swishing sound as it travels from bow lostern and leaves a luminescent wake bvnealh ihe starlil skyWith thecoming of night, the eyes no longer focus on ihe details which commandattention during daytimeInstead, the imagination conjures thousands ofnights past when this majestic giant has also moved beneath these samestarsThe darkness obscures ihe changes which have been wrought, morder to make her again a potent weapon, as she was when she first looklo the sea two generations agoA look back from the NEW JERSEY'S forecastle fills one with acertain knowledge of why battleships have inspired awe for so long In theforeground loom sin gun harries, each longer lhan many warships arewidenight skyBeyond them is her towering superstructure, climbing toward thatAnd one can see. also, the ship's bridge, illuminated by a dimred glow, as il was more than forty years ago. when this was Admiral BullHalsey's flagship al Leyte Gulfwith the fast carriers off the east coast of Koreathirty five years ago. when she steamednearly twenty years ago.when her thunderous salvos of gunfire saved ihe lives of US Marinesashore in Vietnam, and much more recently, when she was protectingMarines in Lebanon Now. more than four decades after doomsayerscalled Pearl Harbour the end of the line for battleshipsshe steams on yetagain, with Ihe same red glow from the bridge, ihe same imposing superstructure, and the same guns, which have for so long been a source ofaweThis ship, designed in 1938, has accommodated to the passage oftime and, in a sense, triumphed over it through the installation of today'stechnology"During the nocturnal walk about the forecastle comes the realisationthai there is much more to ihe ship than steel, guns andHundreds of Navy men breathe life and purpose into herelementsmissilesinanimateIt is they who give her a soul and they who inherit the legacyfrom thousands of NEW JERSEY men who have gone beforeMany ofthem have probably had feelings similar to 'hose expressed by one ofHerman Wouk's characters in The Came Mutiny,with the idea of seeing Admiral Halseybetween ihe NEW JERSEY and the CAINE"" he askshere, the real Navy' "when he came aboardCan't you feel the differenceThis is the NavyThe number and quality of photographs in Ihe book is excellentwell as the traditional s'up views, attention has been given to life onboard.the years in reserve and refitting for the three recommissiomngsThose who prefer the lechnical side of the ship and her systems, arenoi ignored Particulars of the ship in 1943. 1945. 1953. 1968 and 198182. are suppoited by some excellent line drawings These are preceded bya brief design history of NEW JERSEYThe book describes the ship up to mid 1986. as NEW JERSEY wasagain at the forefront of her nation's naval mightAsA book of this typeprovides excellent reading and viewing and is thoroughly recommended"THE WORLDS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS 1914-1945"By ROGER CHESNEAU.Published by Arms and Armour Press.Distributed by Capricorn Link.This 64 page, glossy booklet provides a brief photographic look at theformative years of the aircraft carrier through to the end of the SecondWorld WarAll carrier navies are depicted with emphasis, because of numbers ofships, on the Royal NavyNavyUnited Stales Navy and Imperial JapaneseThe illustrations reflect the crude nature of the early ships, the use lo'Aimii surplus battleships and battlecruisers were put in the 1920s, andeventually, the purpose built earnersescort carriersAlso depicted are the "Jeep", or"BRITISH DESTROYERS IN WORLD WAR ONE"By R. A. BURTPublished by Arms and Armour Press.Distributed by Capricorn Link.Another 64 pager from the Warships Illustrated series, BritishDestroyers in World Wat One" illustrates the development of this type ofwarship from the 1893 vintage boats, through to the famous and longlivedV and W class, four of which later transferred to the RANsuperblyWith few exceptions, most of the photographs havereproducedThe picture of HMS PEYTON, in May 1915. is ihe best of agreat selection; the M class boat is shown in incredibly heavy weather,almost completely awashByGood value and good reading"BATTLECRUISER INVINCIBLE"V. E. TARRANT.Published by Arms and Armour Press.Australian DislnbutorsCapricorn Link.INVINCIBLE - ihe super cruiser, first of her type, was arevolutionary design, almost as far reaching in its significance as DREADNOUGHT herselfLarge fast and powerfully gunned, she could overtakeand destroy any enemy cruiser foolish enough to wander about the Britishtrade roulesThat was the concept As a cruiser, she was a monster al 17.000tons almost twice as big as her nearest German equivalentAt the time,she was the longest warship in the world, faster than any battleship, fastereven than the fastest German liner And she was the second mostpowerful warship in existence, with the ability lo hurl more than four tonsof high explosive at her foe every minuteINVINCIBLELongWell could she bear the namelean, ferociously handsome, she was to be the unchallengedguardian of the trade routes And In her first action, she vindicated herselfin that role With her sister ship INFLEXIBLE, she annihilated theGerman cruiser squadron of Von Spee al Ihe Firsl Battle of the FalklandsBut. as the First World War went on. and as naval strategy evolved.INVINCIBLE and her sister battlecruisers were called upon to perform adifferent role in the context of main fleet actions Now they would be thescouting force, fast moving to locate the enemy battlefleet. then lure itonto the guns of the battleshipsAnd here their speed would not besufficient compensation for the tack ol armour lhat had been necessary toattain those extra knotsAt Jutland, INVINCIBLE perished m dramaticstyle under a hail of shells, blowing up spectacularly and breaking in twoOf her ship's company -— more lhan a thousand men — only six survivedAs first of the battlecruisers. she promised much, but her Achilles,heel — inadequate armour to face battleship guns — was inherited by afamily of beautiful, flawed warshipsAnd. 25 years later, the last of theline. HOOD, was to explode in exactly the same way under fire fromBISMARCKPage Twenty-fourTHEIAVY April-June, 1987
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