RO YAL RO U YAL U N I N T E S D E S I L E A R T W V I C H E T E S U O I N S S S D T W I E T N U F T E O E L S E A R W V I H C T E U S O I S N S W T E I T N U F T O E RO YAL U N IT E S D E S L E A R W V I H C T E U S O I N S S W T E I T N U F T O E United Service Journal of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, New South Wales, Incorporated Informing the defence and national security debate since 1947 Volume 72, Number 3, September 2021 – ISSN 1038-1554 CONTENTS NEWS BOOK REVIEWS President’s Column – Michael Hough ...........................2 Aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force by RAAF History and Heritage Branch – reviewed by Institute News .....................................................................3 Bob Treloar........................................................................18 Defence News .............................................................5, 17 This story of the RAAF’s first 100 years describes the aircraft flown by the RAAF. OPINION Australia’s first campaign: the capture of German New Guinea, 1914 by Robert Stevenson – reviewed Editorial: China’s ambitions for Taiwan – by David Leece .............................................................19 Ian Pfennigwerth ................................................................4 This is a concise description of Australia’s military occupation of German New Guinea in 1914. Letter: RUSI needs to stay focused – Max Sheridan Wilkinson ..................................................5 Pompey Elliott at war – in his own words by Ross McMullin – reviewed by Marcus Fielding....................20 Brigadier-General H. E. Elliott’s letters record the Great INSTITUTE PROCEEDINGS War deeds of the15th Brigade A.I.F. Australia’s sovereign capacities and resilience in Japan’s Pacific war: personal accounts of the crisis and disaster: a defence and industry Emperor’s warriors by Peter Williams – reviewed by partnership – Chris Smallhorn ......................................6 Marcus Fielding ............................................................20 Resilience embraces preparation for and management of Herein are the World War II memoirs of over 100 crises, disasters and calamities. A co-ordinated federal Japanese soldiers, sailors and airmen. response, with appropriate command-and-control structures and mechan isms, can best mitigate crises and enhance the Semut: the untold story of a secret Australian community trust in our emergency-response capabilities. operation in WWII Borneo by Christine Helliwell – reviewed by Marcus Fielding .......................................21 Scouting: creating resilient youth and A history of Operation Semut in Sarawak in mid-1945. communities – Neville Tomkins ..................................10 Secret & special: the untold story of Z Special Unit Empirical data show the positive role Scouting plays in in the Second World by Will Davies – reviewed by building young people’s resilience. Scouting strives to develop Bob Treloar....................................................................22 resilience and equip its youth members to make positive This is a history of Australia’s Special Reconnaissance contributions to society. Scouting, too, is enhancing the Department in World War II. disaster resilience of local communities. Shadow wars: the secret struggle for the Middle Australia’s defence and national security: how East by Christopher Davidson – reviewed by Defence is enhancing Australia’s cyber security – Marcus Fielding ............................................................23 Susan Coyle......................................................................13 Davidson claims Britain and America are opposing Information and cyber constitute a 5th warfighting domain, progressive forces in the Middle East. which can be either an enabler for the traditional sea, land, air, and space warfighting domains or the primary one on which Red zone: China’s challenge and Australia’s future the other domains are dependent. A Defence cyber - by Peter Hartcher – reviewed by David Leece...........24 worthiness framework seeks to ensure warfighting capa - This is an experienced journalist’s views on Australia’s bilities survive against adversary actions in cyberspace. relations with China and the United States. FRONT COVER: Sergeant Taryn Allen, an Airborne Electronics Analyst of No. 11 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, onboard a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft on 25 July 2021 during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021. Major General Susan Coyle discusses cyber and electronic warfare at pp. 13 – 17. More information on Talisman Sabre 2021 is at pp. 5 and 17. [Source: LACW Emma Schwenke, Department of Defence] United Service 72 (3) September 2021 Page 1 United Service Royal United Services Institute for Journal of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies Defence and Security Studies New South Wales, Incorporated Informing the defence and national security debate since 1947 New South Wales Promoting understanding of defence and national security Editor: Dr David Leece, AM, PSM, RFD, ED since 1888 Assistant Editors: Mr Bryn Evans; Colonel Joe Matthews; Dr Ian Pfennigwerth Patron: Her Excellency, The Honourable Margaret Beasley, Business Manager: Mr Graham Brown, BEc (Sydney), AC, QC, Governor of New South Wales MBus (UTS), FFin President: Professor Michael Hough, AM, RFD, ED Editorial Advisory Committee: Secretary: Mr Keith Morris (Acting) Dr David Leece, AM, PSM, RFD, ED – chair Mr Ken Broadhead, OAM, RFD Treasurer: Mr Graham Brown, BEc (Sydney), MBus (UTS), FFin Dr Ian Pfennigwerth Air Vice-Marshal Bob Treloar, AO, RAAFAR President’s Column United Service is published quarterly. It seeks to inform the It is again my honour to write to you as defence and national security debate in Australia and to bring an President of Royal United Services Institute for Australian perspective to that debate internationally. To this end, Defence and Security Studies, New South the journal publishes papers presented at meetings and seminars Wales (RUSI NSW). organised by the Institute. Contributed papers dealing with The excellent quality of our quarterly defence and national security issues or military history also will be journal, United Service, is a major factor in the published, together with relevant opinion pieces, letters to the success of our Institute and an initiative is editor, biographies, obituaries and book reviews. Before accept - under way to expand its content. The Royal ance, contributions are refereed and edited. United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies– Contributions, which conform to the journal’s style, should be Australia Board recently approved-in-principle a RUSI NSW addressed to the Editor at [email protected]. Papers normally Board proposal that United Service become the national journal should not exceed 3500 words and may include one or two and be expanded by extending its coverage of nationally-relevant illustrations, and a brief biography and photo of the author. Opinion activities and news from each state and territory constituent body. pieces, biographies, obituaries and book reviews should not The national journal will be published on behalf of the RUSIDSS- exceed 850 words, guest editorials 400 words and letters 200 A Board by RUSI NSW. It will retain its current name and will be words. Submission of an article implies that the article has not edited by a RUSI NSW-led editorial team. These changes will been published elsewhere and also implies transfer of the come into effect from the beginning of 2022. copyright from the author to the publisher. Notes for contributors In that context, I wish to advise, with regret, the retirement of are at www.rusinsw.org.au. our editor of the past 17 years, Dr David Leece, to occur at the end of 2021, and the appointment of an assistant editor, Colonel Copyright: This work is copyright. The Copyright Act 1968 permits Joe Matthews, who will become the editor of United Service on fair dealing for study, research, news, reporting, criticism and 1 January 2022. Here is an extract from the letter of thanks from review. Selected passages may be reproduced for such purposes, the RUSI NSW Board to David: provided acknowledgement of the source is included. Otherwise, articles published in this journal may not be reproduced, stored in “Dear David, a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by electronic or I am writing to you on behalf of the Board of RUSI NSW in mechanical means, photocopying or recording, either in whole or reply to your advice that you would be stepping down as editor of in part, without the written permission of the Editor. United Service at the end of 2021, to both congratulate and most Publishers: United Service is published by the Royal United sincerely thank you for the enormous range of contributions that Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, New South you have made to the RUSI in general and to RUSI NSW. Wales, Incorporated, ABN 80 724 654 162, PO Box A778, Sydney We would like to acknowledge and recognize the major South NSW 1235. contributions that you have made and continue to make, in your Typesetter: Mrs Marilou Carceller; Email: [email protected]. roles as a Council member, President and Past President, Convenor of our RUSI NSW Special Interest Group on Strategy, Subscriptions: United Service is published online on the and in particular, as the long-standing editor of our outstandingly Institute’s website at www.rusinsw.org.au. Members