SUPPORT the NAVY I'lie \Uw League Ol \Uslralia FEDERAL CCH'ncil Volume 61 No 3 Patron in Chief: His Excellency
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JULY-SEPTEMBER 1999 www nctspacc nct.au/-navylcag VOLUME 61 NO.3 $4.95 e: The Magazine of the Navy League of Australia THE SYDNEY MARITIME AIR INQUIRYj^ SUPPORT THE NAVY I'lie \uw League ol \uslralia FEDERAL CCH'NCIL Volume 61 No 3 Patron in Chief: His Excellency. The Governor General President: (imham M Hams. RFD Vkv-llvsickiits: KADM AJ Rohcftsim. AC). DSC. RAN (Rid) John Bird CDREHJP Adams. AM. RAN (Rid). CAPT H.A. Joseph* AM. RAN (Rid) THE SYDNEY INQUIRY lion. Secretary: l>»i Schraprl. PO Box I VS. Wonhille. SA SHI I By Senator David MacGibbon Page 3 Telephone: HBO 8347 1985 Fax: «Kl 8347 3256. NEW Si >1 111 WAI IIS DIX'LSH >N MARITIME AIR SUPPORT Patron: His Excellency. The Governor «>f New South Wales By John Bird. Federal Vice-President. Preident: K OAttvn. AM. RFD. RD. Navy League Page 6 Hon. Secretary: J C J JcppsmOAM.RID GK)Box 17m. Sydney. NSW l(M3 TclepUwe: (02)9570 8425 Fax (02)92328383. BRUTAL ASIAN PIRATES THREATEN VICTORIAN DIMSION SHIPS AND CREWS Patron: His Excellency. IK'GwemiTaf Vkturia By Bill Beechum Page 10 Pretfrnt: J M Wilkin. RID* Hon. Secretary: I E Kilhum. MBE VRD*. It) Box 1303 Box Hill Delivery HMAS JERVIS BAY (III) Page 19 Centre VIC 31*28 Ielephonc and Fax (03)95609927. A NAVY FOR NZ yCEENSI.XNl) DIVISION Catron: His Excellency. ThcGmemurol (^iceitsland By George Kaplan Page 23 Preridrnt: 1 M Fraser. OAM. lion.Secretary: K I) Friulkm. RFD. It) Box I7().Cleveland.QU4I63 HMAS LEEUWIN telephone ((17) 3345 2174. State Branches: By Vic Jeffrey Page 28 Cairns: ACummeca It) Box l(M».Caims.Qld487t>. Telephone: (07)40M 1195 Regular Features TownsvMe: I McDougalL It > Box 1478. Townswlkv Qkl 4810. lekphtme Ki7i4772 4588 From the Crow's Nest Page 2 Mackay: K Millwani It) Box 5527. ykl4741 From Our Readers Page 2 telephone (07) 4942 2965. Naval Happenings Page 11 BundahtTg: I hrfisc. IX) Box 5141. Bundaheig West. Qkl4670. Book Rev iews Page 22 Telephone: (07)4151 2210 Southpnrb I V Rtf. POBox 946. Siuhpul QU42I5 Tekffeme: (07)5532 2447 Observations Page 26 Hatch. Match and Dispatch Page 30 SOITH AINTRAI .IAN DIVLSH )N Patron: His Excellency. The Governor ofStuih Australia League Policy Statement Page 32 President: Alan PlesketL RID. 15 Sleeps Hill Drive. Panorama SA SMI. The opinions or assertions expressed in "THK NAVY" arv those of Hon.Secretary: Miss J.F1 Gill.C.POBox 1529. Adelaide. SA500I. the authors and not necessarily those of the Federal Council of the Tdepfcme: <(K) 8347 1985. Navy League or Australia, the Editor of "THK NAVY", the RAN and TASMANIAN DIMSION the Department of Ik-fence. The editor welcomes correspondence, Patron: I lis Flxa-llcncy. The Govern* of Tasmania. photographs and contributions and will assume that by making I "resident: M L Co. .per. OAM. QFSM submissions, contributors agree thai all material may be used fret of lion. Secretary: Mrs J M Cooper. 42 Amy Rood. I .aunceMon. Tas. 7150. charge, edited and amended at the editor's discretion. Telephine and Fax: <03)6344 1531 State Branch*-.: Front Cover: HMAS BRISBANE leading HMAS I k-v import: I'()'[.cary. II Tasman Place. Dexxmput Tas 7310. Telephone: (03)6424 5064. Whose systems harness the DARWIN. (ABPH Torrin Nelson 1998. RAN) Bumie: G Davis. 40Cherry Street. Bunue. Tas 7320. Telephone: (03)6431 4023 I jiunceston: Mrs J. M. Cooper. power of information? WESTERN AINTRAI JAN DIMSION Patron: His Excellency. The Govern* til' Western Australia President: A H. Hewitt. JP Hon. Secretary: Mrs G Hewitt. 23 Law ler R.xil Attadak. WA 6156. ADI is the answer. For military commanders, information is one of the most valuable assets available. Now. The Navy Telephone: (08) 9330 3600 All letters and contributions to: State Branches: (k-raldton: E Beckwith. 2 fttchdl Street. Ranpeway. WA6530 ADl's advanced command support system provides commanders with a highly automated process to harness the Mark Schweikert Tcfcphimr (08)9921 3768(H)(08)9921 HSIMBi Editor. THE NAVY Albany: DBray. Lot46Frederick StnxtGlcdhow. viaAlhuny. W A 6330 information power necessary to direct strategic, operational and tactical commands. A mass of data is collected, 1/5-9 Federal Avenue Telephone: (08)9841 6542 FEDERAL ADVISORY COCNCII. E-mail to: [email protected] F. Geoffrey Evans. OBE VRD. Chairman analysed, displayed, updated and disseminated. ADl's extensive capabilities in electronic systems are features of Neil Bainl Chaimun Bainl (\ihtications Subscriptions and Membership enquiries to: Wm Boil (ho. AM. Admiral Michael W Hudson. AC. RAN (Rid) projects such as the $1 billion minehunter ships contract and ADl's successful bid for the upgrade of the Royal The Hon Secretary. Vice Admiral David Leach. AC CBE I.VO. RANEM Navy League of Australia. 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Visit our website: www.adi-limited.com.au The Answer THE NAVY VOL. 61 NO 3 I I- mm tin1 t row 's Nisi The Sydney Inquiry In this edition's News section we read about the recent Army's need for funds to increase the readiness of 1 creation of the position of Commander Australian Brigade highlights the public's ignorance of the ADF and By Senator David MacGibbon Amphibious Forces (CAAF). Although a step in the right its financial position. Navy needs to be especially aware of Chairman direction, given our burgeoning and significant sea lift its public image and be seen as combat ready and active as Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs. Defence and Trade capability, should it have gone further? The demise of the a contest is currently brewing over the fate of the RAN's Cold War saw the replacement of blue water naval surface combatant. There is a concerted effort in some operations with brown water or littoral operations. Given quarters to have the surface ship go the way of the RAN's On 26th August. 1997. the Parliament referred to the Joint On 22nd March 1909 the Committee tabled its report to the West's occupancy of this area, many smaller nations are carrier force, ie. into oblivion. These same antagonists use Committee on Foreign Affairs. Defence and Trade a the Parliament. developing and buying weapons to use in this env ironment. many of the arguments against surface ships as they did reference which required the Committee to inquire into: Probably no single event in the Second World War attracts To a defender, significant advantages exist within this against the aircraft carrier but ironically believe that this The circumstances of the sinking of HMAS SYDNEY as much interest today as the circumstances surrounding the environment as current generation radars and sonars suffer same application of force looses its value when placed on off the Western Australia coast on 19 November. 1941. loss of SYDNEY on 19th November 1941. In total some 201 in this area. The USN discovered these dangers during the water. It's a shame that some denigrate the carrier and with particular reference to: submissions and 208 supplementary submissions were "Desert Storm" with PRINCETON and TRIPOLI hitting surface ship with subjective labels as "floating targets". 1. The extent to which all available archival material received by the Committee - a very high number. Most mines. In the future. Navy should consider extending These same people, who worship the alter of land based has been fully investigated and whether any unusually some respondents sent multiple supplementary CAAF into a new command. Commander Littoral Forces "Air", are currently questioning the value of surface ships relevant material has been misplaced or destroyed: submissions, commenting on the arguments advanced in other (CLF). to specialise in this demanding environment. and not learning from other nations who have gone down submissions and providing additional information. Hopefully CAAF will act as the foundation stone to a 2. All relevant archival material available from allied the same path. These nations have only come back from littoral command HQ which has doctrine and tactics and former enemy forces: It was anticipated that the two schools of thought on the that path more in favour of surface ships than before. The established before operational use is required. Another 3. The desirability and practicability of conducting a fate of SYDNEY would put their case to the inquiry. For road to Damascus is not down this path. It's lime we stood adv antage of a CLF would be its organisational structure. search for HMAS SYDNEY and the extent to which want of a belter description those schools arc the orthodox CLF would have the necessary fighting ships to support an up to these illogical and uninformed detractors who. the Commonwealth Government should participate school and the unorthodox school: the orthodox school perhaps unknowingly, are currently the greatest threat to amphibious assault, ie. DDGs. FFGs and Anzacs, under in such a search should one be deemed desirable being those who accept that SYDNEY was sunk by our maritime security.