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#22
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Mike Burleson
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Apr 22, 2004 11:44 PDT
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Greetings! Included this week is an original article and the return of
“Sea Fights on a Shoestring”. Plus my favorite Sea Sites. Enjoy!
The New Gunboats
As the storm washed ships of the line of Nelson’s day defeated Napoleon
at Trafalgar, and Fisher’s dreadnoughts at Jutland chased the Germans to
their ports, so America’s aircraft carriers are returning home. After
decades of defending the seas during the Cold War and its aftermath,
under the Navy’s new Fleet Response Plan the bulk of the carrier groups
are now homeported, awaiting their recall if needed. There they train
continuously, and wait for the call to war, while new-age gunboats armed
with cruise missiles displace them in the role of forward deployment and
showing the flag. The big ships still sail, but with less frequency and
for shorter durations.
As our Royal Navy forbearers, after defending the enemies of their
Empire, the gunboats were launched to keep the peace. The US Navy, whose
direct lineage is British, has adopted a similar strategy. Its new
mission as dictated in “Forward-From the Sea” is that of littoral
warfare or operations in shallow waters in support of land forces.
Already fast catamarans and sleek patrol boats have taken the war to the
terrorist in the confined waters of the Arabian Sea. Such vessels ferry
Special Forces & Navy SEALs, sweep mines, and interdict suspicious
vessels in seas that prohibit the larger warships.
A new type of vessel, the littoral combat ship, or LCS, will supersede
older craft and bring 21st Century technology and tactics to this new
gunboat diplomacy. LCS will use modular construction and open
architecture for various mission packages. These modules will be
especially tailored for mine, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare,
and also enable it to support unmanned aerial and sea vehicles.
Current plans call for up to 60 of the new ships to enter service
beginning in 2007. With the navy stretched thin and hard pressed with
the War on Terror, some in Congress have called for a force of 3000
small craft to stop the flow of WMDs to hostile countries, and track the
elusive Al Quedi. However many that will be deployed, the dire need of
such small vessels in the new war at sea is clear.
To support the gunboats of their far-flung Empire, the British produced
a class of large cruisers, lightly armed and armored, but fast and
versatile. The cruiser’s traditional role of independent scouting and
fighting was lost to the carrier in WW2. It now became subservient to
the flattops, which it defended from air attack with guns and later,
surface to air missiles. This allowed the big ships to concentrate on
attack and fighter missions. The advent of Aegis in the 1980’s further
emphasized the air defense mission, but also gave the cruiser a new
importance. Aegis allowed for over 100 targets to be independently
tracked and targeted as needed, revolutionizing the defense of the
carrier group.
Another weapon introduced in this decade further liberated the cruiser
from the sheltering air wings of the flattops. This was the cruise
missile in the form of the Harpoon and Tomahawk. Harpoon is a
traditional medium range anti-ship missile, while Tomahawk is a
revolutionary platform. Developed from a strategic nuclear weapon,
Tomahawk possesses significant land and sea attack capabilities at
ranges up to 1000 miles. Aegis cruisers and destroyers armed with cruise
missiles could now be formed into Surface Action Groups (now called
Surface Strike Groups) and perform missions formerly given to the
carriers. These may include operations against surface ships,
submarines, and targets ashore.
In the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Tomahawks launched from surface ships and
submarines made the first Navy attack on Iraq. When aircraft carriers
were unavailable for a planned attack on that country in 1993, cruise
missiles were fired instead. Throughout the 1990’s and into the new
century, Tomahawk firing cruisers were called on in place of vulnerable
and expensive Naval aircraft on numerous occasions against America’s
enemies, in a new type of cruise missile diplomacy. During Operation
Iraqi Freedom, the carriers were further hampered, first by overflight
refusal by allied countries, then by a general shortage of tanker
aircraft over the battlefield. The first sea attack against Saddam
Hussein was a Tomahawk fired from the cruiser USS Bunker Hill.
The end of the cold war has not only changed the map of nations, but how
these countries operate at sea as well. America’s future is still tied
to the world’s oceans and how she reacts to the new warfare will
determine her fate in this crucial environment.
Sea Fights on a Shoestring
(Close calls in naval warfare)
Catching the Bismarck
In May 1941, British Admiral John Tovey in the 36,000-ton battleship
King George V was faced with a dilemma. For 9 hours he had pursued a
false trail which carried his two battleships, including 33,000 ton
Rodney, far from his intended quarry: the rogue German battleship
Bismarck. With every moment the 41,000 enemy dreadnought escaped further
from the vengeful clutches of the Royal Navy, into the safety of
Luftwaffe bombers launched from the French coast.
The entire operation, dubbed Rheinubung by the Germans had been one of
chance and confusion from the start. Chance had alerted the British of
the breakout of Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen from the Norwegian
fjords, and brought out the 42,000 ton H.M.S. Hood and Prince of Wales,
sister to King George V, to intercept. A lucky hit in the magazine of
Hood had cost the life of the pride of the fleet, as well as 1000 of her
crew. A chance hit from Prince of Wales also put a premature end to
Rheinubing, with Bismarck trailing oil from her engines. Now she dashed
for the port of St. Nazaire for repairs and shelter.
Fortune favored Admiral Tovey, just as the Germans neared freedom.
Launched from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, a Swordfish bomber had
performed a miracle. The Swordfish was an archaic biplane, seemingly of
another era, its prototype first flying in 1933. She was very slow,
barely making 100 knots into a head wind, but tough and reliable. In the
stormy Atlantic seas, this gave the Swordfish a crucial edge. Armed with
an 18 inch torpedo, she became a precision weapon of the new war at sea.
In an attempt to slow the Bismarck, a squadron of Swordfish armed with
torpedoes launched an early morning strike on May 26. What they found
was HMS Sheffield and mistakenly attacked her instead. Luckily, all
torpedoes would misfire. The British realized their weapons were
exploding as soon as they hit water, and the mistake was corrected in
time to catch Bismarck.
The next strike occurred later that afternoon, with darkness looming and
the enemy ever nearing the safety of France. This time, with the right
vessel in their sights the Swordfish began their attack. One torpedo
exploded into Bismarck’s near impervious armored side, causing little
damage. Another missile ran deep and impacted against its vital steering
gear. The deed was done. Instead of reaching safety, the Bismarck was
now sailing uncontrollably into the gaping jaws of the Royal Navy’s
battleships.
Dawn of May 27th, found the Bismarck still helpless. Rodney and King
George V reached the scene and began pounding the pride of the
Kreigsmarine until she was a blazing wreck. She finally took 1900 of her
crew, along with her admiral to a watery grave. Hood had been avenged
and the sea lanes made safe, thanks to a lucky shot from an antiquated
warplane called Swordfish.
Sea Sites
Lockheed Unveils New Littoral Combat Ship Design
http://gizmo.com.au/public/News/news.asp?articleid=2756
Future Anti-Ship Missiles
http://www.global-defence.com/2003/anti_ship.htm
National WW II Memorial
http://www.wwiimemorial.com/
My Sites:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UltimateWarships/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/precisionstrike/
Mike Burleson is a writer and military historian living in Charleston
SC.
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