Gallipoli Submarine’ Re-Living the Saga of AE2 by Electric Pictures
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April Issue 2008 Success In Dive Australia’s Future The AE2 Dive Expedition to examine, gather and record data Submarine Capability THE WAY AHEAD! was a resounding success. Read VPs Report inside 6-7 NOV 08 THE SHINE DOME, PAGE AUSTRALIAN 2 President’s Perspective NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, 3 Progress Reports CANBERRA 4 Vice President’s Report 5 Dive Expedition 2007 REGISTER ONLINE NOW 6 Lord Nelson’s Link www.submarineinstitute.com 7 Business Development The Newsletter of the 8 Waterfront News Submarine Institute of Australia 9 Treasurer’s Topics PO BOX 5018, Lyneham ACT 2602 AUSTRALIA LORD NELSON’S LINK SM2020 MEDIA COVERAGE PERSONALITY PROFILE Telephone +61 2 6162 4340 10 Conference Programme Revealing Nelson’s part in the evolution The Australian newspaper directly refers RADM Oscar Hughes Facsimile +61 2 6162 4341 11 Conference Programme of the submarines to the work by SIA President, Peter Briggs AO RAN RTD www.submarineinstitute.com 12 CONTENTS SIA Personality Profile President’s Perspective by PETER BRIGGS MISSION ACCOMPLISHED SIA INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION The year since the 2006 AGM and Conference has been busy and very MEMBERSHIP We owe our success to the efforts of our successful for SIA. We have attracted enough sponsorship to sustain I am delighted to note that committee and volunteer project managers. I would particularly like to thank: our activities and have achieved many of our goals. membership has grown by nearly 50% in the past 18 This article is a précis of the SIA President's report to the SIA AGM on 3rd Oct. 2007. months, with total Terry Roach and SUBMARINE 2020 WORLD WAR1 AE 2 WRECK membership now standing Ken Greig in the The SM 2020 project aims to ensure the As part of our goal to protect, preserve and at 191. The committee is AE 2 project Australian government has a solid plan to tell the story of the AE 2, we have very much aware that our activities seem replace the Collins class submarines before established the AE 2 Commemorative concentrated on the east coast and The tireless efforts of 2025. We have worked cooperatively with Foundation Ltd (ABN 69 362 234 694). This particularly in Canberra. This is due to the Frank Owen as the honorary Defence and Government principals to is a charitable trust under SIA control that distribution of our members and our Treasurer, Webmaster and achieve the following: allows us to conduct the commercial activities on the AE2 and SM 2020 projects. day-to-day Secretary activities associated with this project. Ongoing efforts are being made to engage • Ongoing discussions with the Chief of currently serving submariners and bridge Capability Development Group, Chief of We were then able to raise funds for the the geographical and generation gaps. Newly appointed SIA Executive Navy and CEO DMO; Assessment Phase of this project and These include: Manager, David Nicholls • Conducting a 2006 study on the conduct a successful Maritime • Recruiting two serving submariners to industrial and political issues Archaeological Assessment in Turkey in the SIA Committee. September. An extensive report and options surrounding a future submarine project • Placing articles in The Trade. I welcome our new Committee members for CCDG. The DSTO and the Kokoda paper are now being finalised for our planned joint Turkish/Australian workshop in and newly appointed SIA Executive Foundation delivered three supporting • Presentation to the FEG Forum. Manager, David Nicholls, and Istanbul in April 2008. For more about this studies in the same timeframe. am very much looking forward to project, please see the AE2 2007 Dive • Initiation of an annual award for the the challenges of 2008. • Delivering briefings to the Minister for Expedition report best performing seagoing submarine Defence and the Shadow Minister after technical officer in concert with consultation with Defence. CENTENARY OF SUBMARINES sponsorship by MacTaggart Scott. The Minister for Defence and the Shadow Lloyd Blake is managing the following • Sponsorship of FEG activities as Minister have since announced their support activities for this project to celebrate the requested. for a future submarine project to be 100th anniversary of the Australian • Attendance at the FEG Annual Ball. designed and built by ASC in Adelaide. The third major outcome we set ourselves – submarine arm in 2014: • Conducting two activities, eg a briefing ‘08 April Issue inclusion in the DCP – looks likely to be • Collecting aural histories from Australian and a workshop in WA for the WA page _ 2 . achieved in 2008. World War II RN and RAN submariners; members annually. We look forward to continuing to work • Producing ‘learned papers’ for Ongoing effort is necessary to try and bridge cooperatively with Defence on this project. professional journals in Australia. this geographical and generational gap. “Standby, ALL ROUND LOOK” SM2020 – Future Underwater Warfare Capability PROGRESS REPORTS For the past four years the SIA Project SM 2020 has been considering the requirements for a future underwater warfare capability for Australia. Deliberations have included two Centenary of Submarines by GRAHAM SEAL and LLOYD BLAKE international conferences and a number of workshops. In December 2006 the Institute’s SM 2020 team (Oscar Hughes, Terry Roach, Paul Greenfield, Allan Behm, Frank Owen and Peter Briggs) completed a study for the Chief of Capability Development, Department of Defence, into the strategic setting, capability and roles required of a future underwater warfare capability; the lessons learnt from the Collins project; and the Support from the Western Two additional articles are also in progress. industrial and political aspects arising from the project to acquire this capability. Australia Maritime Museum, A piece on the J-boats has been completed, The paper presented by Peter Briggs at the RAN Seapower Conference 2006 summarises the leaving the way clear for further research in Fremantle major findings and conclusions from these various considerations. It remains a team effort. Australia and the UK for the remaining articles. You can view the full text on the SIA website via the following link: In 2007, Lloyd Blake and Peter Horobin held A list of willing World War 2 submariners has a meeting with the Western Australia been established and arrangements made to http://www.submarineinstitute.com/members/?i=downloads Maritime Museum, Fremantle. The museum begin oral history interviews. authorities are very supportive of the RAN Future Submarine – Can We Afford It? Submarines 100 Years History Project and Research Funding have offered the Museum as a venue for by Peter Briggs free fundraising events to support the A large part of Australia’s submarine history project. They also indicated possible support originated in the UK. Enthusiastic research I greatly appreciated the opportunity to present my paper on future underwater warfare capability at the for other aspects of the Centenary of support has been offered by the Submarine RAN Seapower Conference in Sydney in January. Judging from questions and follow up discussions Museum in Gosport Hampshire UK, the Submarine project which emerge as the with several of the visiting Navy VIPs, the topic was timely and well received. project unfolds. (This is in addition to their Imperial War Museum London and other UK ongoing care and maintenance of the SM locations. A decision on federal funding for One of the questions that resonated with me concerned implications for the force structure of the Navy. Ovens, which receives up to 60,000 visitors travel and research costs is expected early The strategic setting the SIA envisages, and the additional roles and effects to be delivered by a year.) this year. If funding is approved, Dr G Seal & the future submarine capability point towards an increase in the size of the RAN’s submarine Lloyd Blake will visit the UK in Sept 2008. force. The questioner’s concern was that this would only be achieved at the expense of Geographical Focus for the 2014 Monographs and a variety of historical items the surface fleet. At the time I only partially addressed this question. So I’d like to set Centenary Year. from the early days of RAN submarines will provide the main research resource in the out my reasons for disagreeing with the proposition. The focus will be HMAS Stirling and the Port UK. Later work on the Centenary project will Firstly, the Defence White Paper process is the legitimate process for agreeing of Fremantle. The support already focus on RAN Submarine personnel, the the top level capability and the military effects to be achieved by the future committed by the Maritime Museum, in RAN Oberon class, SWUP and submarine force. If that process results in more submarines than is conjunction with the City of Fremantle Port development of the Collins Class. Authority and Fremantle Chamber of affordable, the government will have to make a decision that balances Commerce, bodes well for a spectacular Cocktail Party 28 November 2007 this and the national interest. They should do so in the full knowledge of and successful recognition of the centenary what is required – we should not prejudge the Government’s decision in the In support of the Centenary of Submarines of Australian submarine history. project, Peter Briggs held a Cocktail Party analysis phase. Published Work for 80 guests at the South of Perth Yacht Secondly, the implication that there will be more funds and an easier argument for the Club, Applecross, WA, for Pacific Reach replacement of surface ships if the Navy advocates a replacement mindset and settles for Two major articles were completed in 2007 Conference delegates. Peter delivered a six or fewer submarines is misplaced. An unwillingness on our part to conduct the analysis by SIA author Dr G Seal AM. The articles short brief on the goals of the project to were accepted by the International Journal and accept less than the required number of submarines gives no guarantee of future local, interstate and international guests.