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#32
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Mike Burleson
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Sep 08, 2006 10:57 PDT
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Greetings and Welcome to Navy Review!
This newsletter is dedicated to Captain Glenn Ford, USNR (RET.)-Actor,
Marine, Special Forces and Naval Officer: 1916-2006. Rest in Peace.
LEAD STORY
Eisenhower’s Navy
After World War 2, when questioned on a single factor responsible for
victory in that conflict, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the great
American warrior and future President responded “the Higgins boat”.
Although, rightly justified in declaring his powerful land armies,
commanded by legendary generals such as Patton, Bradley, and Montgomery
as cause for the defeat of the Axis Powers, Ike instead acknowledged the
significance of Seapower in the European Theater.
The Second World War was a battle of logistics on land and sea.
Industrial Age militaries required vast amounts of fuel to remain
mobile; factories needed huge quantities of raw materiel to build
weapons, and populations demanded increased store of food supplies to
survive. This made the sealanes vital, and the Nazi’s doubly determined
in their U-boat campaign to sever the flow of goods.
With all of Europe and vast chunks of the African Continent under
Hitler’s domination, the need for navies to seize beachheads was clear
early in the struggle. Ike understood this from the beginning, even
before he achieved command of all US forces in Europe. In early 1942, he
first observed the Higgins boat, a shallow watercraft with a bow ramp
for easy loading of troops and vehicles on beaches, and realized this
was the key to victory. The landing craft, along with the DUKW
amphibious vehicle and larger Landing Ship-Tanks (LSTs) remained
foremost on the general’s wish list throughout the conflict. The number
of amphibious vessels, or the lack thereof, often determined strategy,
plus the movement and placement of Ike’s armies.
The General’s first challenge was the invasion of North Africa,
Operation Torch, on November 8, 1942. For political reasons, the bulk of
the 82,000 troops were American. Some 500 transports escorted by 350
warships landed Ike’s forces on beaches in Morocco and Algeria. The
invasion was wildly successful, though a short naval duel ensued between
the USS MASSACHUSETTS and the unfinished French battleship JEAN BART,
with the American ship the victor.
To knock Italy out of the war, Ike’s Navy conducted, in terms of
Manpower, the largest amphibious invasion in history at Sicily on July
10, 1943. The 470,000 troops carried out a 39-day campaign that ended
Mussolini’s dream of Empire, though his country remained occupied by the
Nazi’s to the war’s end. The Navy received much praise, offshore with
1400 warships and landing craft, after gunfire support helped turn back
German counterattacks against the beachhead. Naval bombardment from
offshore destroyers, often sailing dangerously close inshore, was all
that stood between victory and defeat during later assaults at Salerno
and Anzio.
Ike carried his expertise of amphibious assaults to Britain after his
appointment as commander of the planned Cross Channel Invasion of
Nazi-occupied Europe. Upon taking control, he delayed the operation
until enough of his precious landing craft were built. The initial wave
consisted of 5 divisions (plus 2 more airborne) in two naval Task
Forces, the Eastern (British), and the Western (American) which totaled
1213 warships plus 4126 landing craft of various types and sizes. This
armada began its landings on June 6, 1944 and again harvested
magnificent success. Battleships such as the USS ARKANSAS and HMS
WARSPITE pounded German coastal fortifications. Only at Omaha Beach was
the invasion ever in doubt, but once against the tenacious destroyers
were instrumental in turning the tide. One famous action saw the USS
EMMONS in a duel with fearsome Nazi 88mm cannon. By the morning of the
7th, Ike’s Navy had transported 66,000 troops plus their equipment to
Normandy, with many millions to come.
Usually associated with the terrific land battles in North Africa and
Europe, General Dwight Eisenhower also proved the value of seapower to
victory over Nazi Germany, as much as Admiral Nimitz’s mighty Pacific
Fleet was in the defeat of Imperial Japan. His brilliant foresight and
perception ranks him with Washington, Grant, and Schwarzkopf, other
great American military leaders who grasped the importance of combined
land and sea operations in defeating our nation’s enemies.
FACT: The first ocean-going vessel to carry large naval guns for
bombardment is thought to be the Scottish MARGARET of 1504.
*********
NAVY NEWS
CANADIAN NAVY PLANS NEW SHIPS- As part of a major defense buildup, which
includes all services, the Navy will order three new 28,000-ton supply
ships to replace vessels built in the 1960’s. The total cost of the plan
is $2.9 billion. The first will join the fleet in 2012.
US COURT BANS NEW SONAR-In the recent multi-national RIMPAC naval
exercises in the Pacific, a federal judge banned the Navy’s newest
sonar, because it may be harmful to whales and other marine life. The
Navy stresses it needs the new enhanced capability of the new equipment
because of increased threat from diesel submarines in littoral waters.
ISRAELI CORVETTE HIT BY MISSILE-A Chinese designed C-802 cruise missile
struck an Israeli warship that was enforcing the recent blockade of
Lebanon. Apparently, the SAAR class ship failed to turn on its
anti-missile defenses for fear of hitting IAF warplanes. It is believed
the C-802, fired by Hezbollah terrorists was received from Iran. Four
Israeli sailors were lost in the attack, and though heavily damaged on
the stern the ship was not sunk.
POLISH NAVY FINDS NAZI AIRCRAFT CARRIER-Hitler’s only aircraft carrier,
the GRAF ZEPPELIN was discovered 38 miles from Gdansk in the Baltic,
where it lay for 59 years. A Polish oil company originally discovered
the remains, but a navy oceanographic ship confirmed it. The ZEPPELIN
was launched in 1938 but never saw service. It was last scene in 1947 in
communist Soviet hands. (For more, check out SEA LINKS below)
ISRAEL GETS NUKE-CAPABLE SUBS- Germany and Israel have finalized a deal
for 2 SSK DOLPHIN Class diesel-electric submarines. The vessels will be
capable of air-independent propulsion and may carry nuclear-armed
missiles. It was previously reported that 3 older DOLPHINS received from
Germany were equipped with Harpoon missiles modified to carry nuclear
warheads. The sub deal is worth $1.2 billion.
FACT: King Henry VIII of England later copied the Scottish MARGARET in 3
powerful ships as the nucleus of his new navy. They were the GREAT
HARRY, PETER POMEGRANATE, and the famous MARY ROSE, which exists to this
day.
*********
FIGHTING IRONCLADS OF THE CIVIL WAR
Following the epic Battle of Hampton Roads between USS MONITOR and CSS
VIRGINIA (MERRIMACK), both the North and South produced numerous
Ironclad type warships for their fleets, including:
USS CAIRO-Typical of the river gunboats utilized in the Western Theater,
where shallow hull vessels were essential to gaining control of the
Mississippi and other Southern waterways. Paddle wheel steamers like the
CAIRO and her sisters were preferred for the shallow, timber-filled
rivers. Displacement: 888 tons. Length: 175 ft. Draft: 6 ft. Speed: 8
knots. Guns: 3x7 inch rifles, 3x8 inch smoothbores, plus numerous
smaller caliber. Maximum Armor: 2 ½ inches.
USS PASSAIC- The class of 10 ironclads was designed by famed builder of
the MONITOR, John Ericsson, and an improvement on that ship.
Displacement was increased to allow for larger guns. The pilothouse was
located on top of the turret, for an improved field of fire.
Displacement: 1875 tons. Length: 200 ft. Draft: 10 ft. 6 inches. Speed:
7 knots. Guns: 1x11 inch and 1x15 inch smoothbores. Crew: 67-88. Maximum
Armor: 11 inches.
USS TECUMSEH- Further improvements on the MONITOR produced this class of
10 ships. Protection was increased with an armored hull resting on a
lower hull. Armament was augmented and ventilation greatly improved.
TECUMSEH was lost early in the Battle of Mobile Bay, August 1864. While
attempting to engage the Confederate ironclad TENNESSEE, she struck a
mine and sank with the lost of 93 crewmen, including her captain.
Displacement: 13 ft. 6 inches. Speed: 8 knots. Guns: 2x15 inch
smoothbores. Crew: 85. Maximum Armor: 10 inches.
CSS TENNESSEE-Hurried construction resulted in numerous flaws, yet this
was probably the South’s most powerful ironclad. At Mobile Bay, the lone
warship took on the entire Union Fleet of Admiral Farragut. Unable to
pierce the TENNESSEE’S thick armor, the Northern monitors instead shot
away her exposed tiller ropes. Incapable of steering, the brazen rebel
ship surrendered after a 3-hour naval melee. Displacement: 1273 tons.
Length: 209 ft. Draft: 14 ft. Guns: 2x7 inch and 4x6 inch rifles. Crew:
133. Maximum Armor: 6 inches.
CSS ARKANSAS- This vessel was a typical Confederate river ironclad. As
in other Southern warships, ARKANSAS often outfought superior Union
ironclads, including the USS CARONDELET during the formers maiden
voyage. In action with the USS ESSEX on August 6, 1862, she suffered
engine trouble and was unable to maneuver. Her crew set the rebel
ironclad on fire to avoid capture. Length: 165 ft. Draft: 11 ft. 6
inches. Guns: 2x8 inch, plus 2x32 lb. smoothbores, 1x6inch smoothbore.
CSS ABLEMARLE: An East Coast ironclad, which dominated the coastal
waters of North Carolina until October 1864. She possessed an unusual
hull form, which allowed her to sail in only 6 feet of water. ABLEMARLE
was sunk in a daring raid by a Union picket boat fitted with a spar
torpedo. Length: 152 ft. Draft: 9 ft. Guns: 2x8 inch rifles. Maximum
Armor: 4 inches.
FACT: MARY ROSE sank in Portsmouth Harbor in July 1545 in sight of the
King, when water flowed into her lower gunports during a hard turn.
*********
NAVY BIOGRAPHY
Admiral William S. Sims
William Sowden Sims (Oct. 15, 1858-Sept. 28, 1936) was an American naval
officer and Commander, US Naval Forces Operating in European Waters
during the First World War. He was also a great naval reformer, among a
surge of interest in naval affairs at the turn of the 20th Century.
Sims was born in Port Hope, Ontario in 1858 to an American civil
engineer, Alfred William Sims, and Canadian born Adelaide Sowden. The
family returned to the States in 1868, eventually settling in Orbisonia,
Pennsylvania. Young Sims entered the US Naval Academy after a previous
unsuccessful attempt, as part of the Class of 1880. He served at a time
of dramatic change in the US Navy, but also during an inherent
backwardness brought on by retrenchment after the Civil War. Serving in
overseas stations, including France, Russia, as well as China during in
Sino-Japanese War, he observed his fleet’s limitations compared to other
world navies. In the Far East, he met British Admiral Percy Scott, the
great gunnery reformer of the Royal Navy. Scott instilled in Sims the
technique of “continuous aim firing” for greater accuracy in firepower.
After a woeful experience in the Spanish-American War, where only 3% of
shots fired by US ships reached their target, Sims began bombarding the
Navy Department with calls for reform. Failure to spur the beauracracy
to action led to the unusual step of Sims writing directly to President
Theodore Roosevelt in November of 1901. This drastic act of
insubordination, which wouldn’t be the last, led to his appointment as
Inspector of Target Practice in late 1902. Thanks to Sims and other
naval reformers, including the president himself, America soon had an
effective and efficient fleet to match her new role as world power. In
1907, he became a naval aid to President Roosevelt. Later, in command of
the battleship MINNESOTA, Sims garnered more controversy during a speech
by committing America to fight alongside Britain in any future conflict.
For this, he received a reprimand from President Taft and assignment
ashore at the Naval War College. In January 1917, he became the
College’s President. The US declaration of war with Germany in April
found Sims ordered to London. He was appalled to discover British First
Sea Lord Admiral John Jellicoe near frantic about the German U-boat
threat, which was sinking Allied ships faster than they could be built.
The American urgently requested Washington to send every available US
destroyer to aid the British, and appealed for a crash program to build
more ASW vessels. He then threw his influence behind other Royal Navy
officers who called for the establishment of convoys to counter the
German submarines. These measures, plus Sims’ well-known admiration for
the Anglo race, contributed greatly to the allied victory in November
1918. In December of that year, he was promoted to full Admiral.
Following the war, he continued to push for change in his beloved fleet,
even refusing the Distinguished Service Medal in protest of Navy
Secretary Josephus Daniel’s handling of war decorations. Sims married in
1905 to Anne Hitchcock, daughter of the Secretary of the Interior. He
died of a coronary brought on by cancer in September 1936. He is buried
in Arlington National Cemetery.
FACT: The remains of the MARY ROSE were raised in the 1960’s from
Portsmouth. In her hold were discovered pikes, long bows, and over 200
suits of armor.
*********
SEA FIGHTS ON A SHOE STRING
Italian Human Submarines Attack the Royal Navy
The year 1941 was a catastrophic year for the once invulnerable
battleship. In May, the Germans sank the mighty HMS HOOD, pride of the
Royal Navy. Her feared antagonist, SMS BISMARK, followed soon
afterwards, destroyed by a vengeful British fleet. In the Mediterranean
HMS BARHAM fell victim to a U-boat torpedo on November 25 (which
provided the world with an oft-viewed newsreel below). On December 7,
Japanese carrier-borne aircraft sank or damaged eight battleships of the
US Pacific Fleet, with HMS PRINCE OF WALES and REPULSE dispatched off
Malaya in like manner three days later. Often overlooked after these
more dramatic sinkings was the daring Italian human-torpedo attack on
the British at Alexandria, Egypt that same month, on December 18-19. The
Italians under Mussolini suffered only humiliation and defeat in the Med
for most of the war, including the sinking of her fleet at Taranto by
the British the previous year. This daring raid by the Underwater
Division of the 10th MAS Squadron (motor torpedo boat) was a slight
revenge of the despised Royal Navy. The attack was launched from the
submarine SCIRE’, loaded with three torpedo containers known as maiali.
SCIRE’ took advantage of the Nile flooding which muddied the normally
clear waters of Alexandria Harbor. Thus concealed from the British ASW
units, she entered the harbor on the night of December 18. At 2000 hours
and 10 kilometers out, the order was given to launch the 2-man maiali.
Lt. Captain Luigi de la Penne and his five companions guided their
battery-powered craft from the parent vessel into the murky sea. After
bidding their countrymen well wishes, SCIRE’ fled into the night. If the
brave frogmen managed to survive, another sub, TOPAZIO, would be the
pickup vessel. After two hours, with only their heads above the bitter
cold water, the Italians soon spied their targets. An hour later, after
a brief rest, they were discovered passing the jetty at the harbor
entrance. A guard boat attacked, lobbing 10 kg. bombs at the intruders,
but miraculously they escaped unharmed. For a while, the harbor’s steel
anti-submarine nets held them up. Suddenly the barriers opened, to the
astonishment of de la Penne and crew, as if in answer to prayer. British
Intelligence were forewarned of the sailing of SCIRE’ though not of her
exact mission. The three destroyers which passed the now parted nets,
sailed unaware of the real danger in their midst. Now safely within the
harbor, the three teams separated toward their individual objectives. De
la Penne headed toward the 32,700 ton VALIANT; the second craft targeted
her sistership the QUEEN ELIZABETH. The third maiali sailed toward a
fully laden oil tanker. After passing noisily over another submarine
net, de la Penne’s craft soon connected with the massive British
battleship. Before a charge could be set, control was lost and the
torpedo settled on the bottom. The two Italian crew escaped to the
surface, but the Captain determined to finish his mission. Struggling
desperately he managed to budge the torpedo under the giant
dreadnaught’s hull, while constantly gulping down noxious harbor water.
Satisfied with the craft’s position, he returned to the surface, into
the waiting hands of the British. De la Penne was held below decks when
the torrential explosion occurred. Miraculously he survived and joined
the desperate sailors fleeing the sinking ship, reaching topside in time
to observe a second eruption from below QUEEN ELIZABETH. She, like
VALIANT, settled upright in the shallow harbor rather than capsizing, to
the immense disgust of the Italians. The third attack was foiled before
charges could be placed on the tanker, as the port now was well alerted.
Ironically, the Italian people never learned until years later of their
sailors’ great success, as the British took pains to conceal their
humiliation. De La Penne and hi s courageous frogmen were shipped to a
prisoner-of-war camp in Palestine to sit out the war.
FACT: Warships built during most of the 16th Century were designed not
to fight other ships, but to repel borders in the manner of the ancient
galleys.
*********
STRANGE SEA TALES
Admiral Cheng Ho’s Deep Sea Voyages
Nearly a century before Columbus’ history making voyage to the New World
in 1492, the Ming Dynasty of China was launching great treasure fleets
into the Indian Ocean as far as the Red Sea. Some have speculated the
great Admiral Cheng Ho may have reached America long before its
discovery by the Europeans. With the final defeat of the Mongols in
1368, the Mings appeared set to advance China’s culture around the
world. Unlike the West, China was a united nation, consisting of over
100 million citizens with the world’s most advanced culture. Huge iron
works were producing vast amounts of ore, centuries before the
Industrials Age began in Britain. The Ming used gunpowder to overwhelm
the Mongols while the armored knight still dominated Europe. Giant
Chinese junks, the size of later Spanish galleons, dominated the
Imperial Navy, which was 1350 vessels strong. Between 1405-1433 the
government conducted seven official voyages by Admiral Cheng Ho.
Compared to the later expeditions of Columbus, Magellan, and Cabot,
Cheng Ho’s fleet was all the more remarkable, consisting of hundreds of
vessels and thousands of sailors. Trips were made to Ceylon, Malacca,
Zanzibar, and the entrances to the Red Sea. Much treasure and exotic
animals were brought home, including giraffes from East Africa. As
amazing as these voyages were, they were never repeated. Soon after the
last voyage in 1433, an Imperial edict banned all overseas commerce.
With so much manpower, technology and culture in her favor, why were the
Europeans and not China the harbingers of the Age of Discovery? Some say
it was military pressure on her northern borders by the still dangerous
Mongols that caused the Ming to turn from the sea. More likely, it was
the culture of Confucianism, which sought to restore and preserve the
past, to the detriment of overseas commerce and expansion. Whatever the
root of the Ming retrenchment, the great junks of Cheng Ho’s fleet were
laid up and soon rotted away. With this began the slow rot of the
Chinese nation until modern times.
SEA LINKS:
Sinking of HMS BARHAM Pathe Newsreel
http://www.hmsbarham.com/photos/video.php and
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7009975008653689943
Sonar Images of GRAF ZEPPELIN
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,429119,00.html
The Mary Rose Website
http://www.maryrose.org/
Until next time, thanks, and remember our troops fighting for freedom!
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