Having completed our now ZIG-ZAG br'c!; STEEL WIRE ROPES Kiln and witS tho installation of tho mo:{ modern machinery, we are now in a posi- FOR ALL PURPOSES ! tion to supply . MANUFACTURED BY COMMON BRICKS The Australian Wire FACE BRICKS THE NAVY LEAGUE JOURNAL Rope Works The Official Organ of the Navy League, N.S.W, Branch Royal Exchange, 54a Pitt Street, Sydney. B 7808 Pty. Ltd. SAND STOCK BRICKS Vol. 2—No. 6 (New Series) Sydney, June, 1939 Price 6d. NEWCASTLE ALSO ROOFING TILES THE LESSON OF JUTLAND FLOORING TILES The day this editorial goes to press (31st But one factor emerges from the welter of May, 1939) marks the passing of twenty-three controversy that surrounds Jutland. At the conclusion of the action the British fleet still Prices and Particulars from the Company's and years since the naval engagement off Jutland between the British Grand Fleet and the German rode the high seas, and the German fleet had Distributors : scuttled for home. Again, on the shoulders of High Seas Fleet, an action which decided once those officers controlling the fight rested an SEWERAGE PIPES and for all that Britain was indeed Mistress of enormous responsibility. If the steel ring of Bullivant's Australian the Seas. battle craft cutting off Germany's supplies had been broken, and her High Seas Fleet had Co. Pty. Ltd. This battle has been fought over and over dispersed the British, control of the seas would again in a controversial manner. Comparisons have been lost to the Allies. With the loss of 331 KENT STREET of the actions of two British Admirals concerned, that control would have come the loss of the Jellicoe and Beatty, have been made. Argu- whole war. Therefore the point to be kept in SYDNEY WALKER, BENSON PTY. ments have been advanced for and against the mind by British commanders was:—"We must tactics employed. The question has often been keep the seas at all cost. And in spite of the LIMITED raised as to whether Britain actually won or high cost of the disproportionate losses in men lost the Battle of Jutland. It has been pointed and ships, the seas were kept. J. R. Reid & Sons MERRYLANDS ROAD out that British tonnage sunk in the action was 115,025 as against the German loss of 61,180 So, in spite of the apparent inequality of the 401-403 KENT STREET result, measured in terms of men and ships, MERRYLANDS tons. British casualties were 9,049 killed and 610 wounded. Germany's, 2,545 killed and 494 Britain, from technical and strategical stan- dards, decisively did win the Battle of Jutland. SYDNEY wounded. This alone indicates, say critics, that Britain actually did lose. Phonos : UW 9936 (2 Lines) (Continued overleaf) Juno, 1939 1 "LESSON OF JUTLAND"—Cont'd. Nowadays there are many decriers of our U" - BOAT AND "Q"-SH\P Empire. People who demand to know why Britain does not take this or that line of action, aa indicated by the current trend of international Visit the Orient ... events. It were well for those critics if they By CAPTAIN M. B. R. BLACKWOOD, D.S.O., B.N. paused in their criticizing and pondered over the for Glamour, Romance, Charm lesson of Jutland. Britain's apparent losses in prestige, in trade, and in international standing are, on the surface at least, apparently great. I suppose that during the Great War the course, made it much more difficult for the So were the Jutland losses, but when all is said A-O Lino gives you tha last word in comfort and words "stunt" and "hush" were used as often as trap, and during the latter half of the war it and done, the British Empire is still the main- intarest on a holiday trip to the East. Monthly any in the English language. The soldiers were was a certainty that the trap had to be tor- stay of world peace. As with Jutland, surface sailings by the British Steamers "CHANGTE" end always doing "stunts," and after a time the pedoed before she could hope to get the enemy and initial losses do not count when the final sailors developed the "hush ship." "Hush ship," to the surface—in fact, the party didn't start TAIPING" provide excellent accommodation, for the Q-ship people till the submarine had won result is declared. both First end Second Class, and also Private "mystery ship," or "Q-ship," they all meant the same thing. They wc ,-e traps. the first round. The result of the fight therefore Remembering Jutland, let us have confidence Suites. See Australia's showground of marine life: depended on the individuality of the submarine the Barrier Reef and Thursday Island on the way commander. After torpedoing the apparently in what that final result will be. The Navy Traps of all shapes and sizes. They ranged to HONG KONG. CHINA JAPAN and the harmless merchant ship, would he come to the League maintains that the Empire is still great, from a 3000-ton steamer to a fishing smack, but, tnat it will continue and endure, holding its PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. surface, or would he just make off under water no matter how different they were in outside and leave his victim to her fate? It was one position at the head of the nations of the world. appearance, their duty was the same—and that And remembering Jutland, bear in mind that huge gamble, and the winner was the man who was to deceive the enemy. They were taken up didn't make a mistake. the greatest factor in retaining this position of by the Admiralty and fitted with hidden guns, supremacy, and the greatest force for peace is, depth charges, and, in 1917, even torpedoes. beyond shadow of doubt, the Royal Navy, and the navies of the Dominions. Let us now follow the career of a typical First Class Whatever we thought about the German THE EDITOR. Q-ship. The Admiralty, having selected a suit- sailors in the war, we were sure that they were able ship, she is sent to a naval dockyard to be Return Fare to Japan £90 neither blind nor fools—and, bearing this in converted. Her captain is appointed and told mind, it will be understood that the conversion Return Fare to Hong Kong £76 to select his officers and crew from the naval of these merchant ships into men-of-war had depot. In close touch with the dockyard officers, (NO EXCHANGE) to be carried out in a most thorough manner. he decides what guns the ship will stand, and Not only had the armament to be adequately • where they are to be put, the accommodation concealed, but provision had to be made for for the crew, and a thousand-and-one details that concealing the crew, which in many cases would are constantly cropping up. be three or four times the number the vessel would carry on her lawful occasions. Obtain full particulars, itinerary, etc. The fitting-out period comes to an end at last One ship I have in mind had a peace-time and the ship's company comes on board, and with from crew of 18 all told. Pressed into naval service, the least possible fuss the ship slips out of her complement jumped to 80—and all except harbour, everybody glad to be up and doing at 4 or 5 of these 80 had to be shut down below last. But, before the "doing" begins, there is during daylight hours. They had to be kept one little matter that has to be attended to, and Ship by Patrick Steamers ... A-O. LINE employed—"amused" is perhaps a better word— that is—drill. (Incorporated in Hong Kong) so that, if their ship had the luck to get into Ship by Patrick Steamers and bo sura of action, they would back up their captain to the tha moat careful handling of fragile cargo. Drill for day^—and nights. The ship's com- limit. Prom pi and lata dalivary h assured. Mark pany must be perfect, super-perfect, in fact— your orders "Ship par Patrick Steamer" G. S. YUILL & CO. PTY. LTD. So that, although it sounds easy enough to they must be ready for anything to happen. No and gat all tha advantages of Patrick disaster or combination of disasters must catch sorvica. (Managing Agents) stick a couple of guns into a steamer, there were a lot of problems which had to be over- them napping. The men who are to form the JAMES PATRICK & CO. come. supposed crew of the vessel must be taught to PTY. LTD. 6 Bridge Street, Sydney drop their navy smartness, as they have dis- As I have said, these ships were traps. But carded their naval uniforms, and generally to SCOTTISH HOUSE. BRIDGE STREET, SYDNEY sometimes a trap doesn't work, and in 1615, after behave as merchant seamen—a triumph of train- Talaphon* : IW4III (t lines) an unsuccessful engagement with a Q-ship, a ing over training. These are the men who form German submarine got home with the news that the "abandon ship party," or "panic party" as the English were using these traps. This, of it was called. The object of the "panic party," 2 THE NAVY LEAGUE JOURNAL June, 1939 3 I might mention, was to give the enemy the The ship commanded by our friend steams impression that the ship had been abandoned, along at the usual speed for a vessel of her AMERICA'S NEW NAVY when really the fighting complement remained type.