NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2009 41
You little
● The apotheosis of the age of sail – the destruction of the Franco-Spanish fl eet at Trafalgar as depicted by William Wyllie’s legendary panorama Picture: Royal Naval Museum
inkers
Sail of the centuries
MONTH after month we fi ll
these pages with tales of death,
destruction, damage, disability
and other horrors of war.
So how nice to lighten the
mood for once with a breezy
jaunt through the halcyon days
of end of Empire, of tea parties
JONATHAN Dull is an
proportion of more heavily-armed him to unnecessary action and strongest at the top with its often
and ceremonies.
American historian of the
The Grove
ships. defeat. excellent naval ministers.”
There was a Cold War to
18th Century who has
France had a much larger One reason for French The author is clearly saddened
be won, of course, plus one
population than Britain and higher diffi culties in 1759 was the serious by what he sees as the rather
brief but very ‘hot’ one in the
already published studies
Review
overall government income but, as epidemic that had affected its fl eet unnecessary confl icts of two
Falklands during the three-
of the French Navy in both
Dull points out, much of the latter sent earlier successfully to relieve countries he likes and respects.
decade career spanned by Cdr
the Seven Years’ War
“was spent on pensions, public Louisbourg in North America. He points to the period of Anglo-
Roger Paine.
works and administration”. When it got back to France its
and the War Of American
the French is not. Most readers French alliance after 1716 as almost
But why read all about that
will learn something from the The classes represented in contagions spread to the ports of a golden age and characterises
when there are tales of irate
Independence, writes Prof book and see well-known events in the British parliament allowed Brest and Rochefort. Nearly half the mid-18th Century as an era
cooks (before they were given
Eric Grove of the University
new ways. themselves to be taxed to a the fl eet’s perp sonnel strength of “foolish wars.” He is critical –
today’s rather cumbersome
of Salford.
The book is short but generally remarkable
degree.ee.ee. British itish ofof 12,000 died.f 12,000 0 A similar probably rightly – of the factors
moniker), bothersome pets,
18th-Century taxpaaayyers were ere fateate e hahad overtaken a
Both won him awards and good
well-written and is an engaging that caused Britain to attack Spain
dignitaries in need of ice
paying twice to three times reee times FrenFFrench expedition
reviews, such as Professor Rodger
read. Originally published by the in 1739 and those which persuaded
in their drinks, faux pas at
University of Nebraska Press it as much per head as their as their toto Cape Breton Louis XV to escalate the European
calling the former “a tour de force
dinner parties (the author was
is fully-equipped with endnotes French counterparttss. IIsland in 1746. confl ict shortly afterwards.
in combined diplomatic, political
referred to constantly as “the
which both display the author’s The British tish The superior Louis’ 1744 plans to invade
and naval history.”
officer who called Invergordon
mastery of the literature and government wwaas as stastandards of England to install a Stuart king
His new book – The Age of
a dump” at one function... in
also credit worthy y cleaccleanliness in under the cover of only 15 ships
the Ship of the Line: The British
give critical guidance for further
Invergordon), and the like to
reading. and its investors BBrritisitish ships were of the line have all the realism of
and French Navies 1650-1815
read? And stories involving
The author points to the willing to accept a a major stram tegic Hitler’s impractical invasion plans
(Seaforth, £25 ISBN 978-1-
royalty and a loo are always
fundamental advantage that lower rates of aadvdvaantage throughout ntagn of almost two hundred years later,
84832549-4) – is a study of the
worth repeating...
allowed Britain to prevail in the interest. On such thithis pers periodiod. and the latter had more excuse.
maritime dimension of the major
Call The Hands (Book Guild,
confl icts he reviews. Insular Britain mundane but AlAlthough the author thoughu The account is short and
wars from 1650 to 1815, based on
£10.99 ISBN 978-1-84624-
was able to put more investment crucial foundations onns aadmits thadmits that t BrB itain’s overall generally comprehensive but I
the importance of battle fl eets in
3189) is a miscellany of tales
into its navy than continental were the achievements of ennts of advantages antages wweere decisive, he would have liked a bit more in
these confl icts. Dull emphasises
and anecdotes mainly from
France. Anson, Hawke and Nelson d Nelson d Nelson putsputs forwforward tardard the interesting places, notably on the War of the
the quirkier side of Cdr Paine’s
the key role played by fl eets made
In the War of the Austrian built. argument that the mt the more centralised Third Coalition after Trafalgar.
career.
up of the ‘ships of the line’ that
Succession of 1744-48, Britain Dull sympathetically explains French political systems did have The book’s title is also a bit
Some of the events and
form his title.
spent the equivalent of 71, 300,000 the diffi culties the French had some advantages, producing misleading: perhaps the subtitle
occurrences he recounts have
As in his previous volumes,
French livres per year on the navy, in manning their ships with “tough and skilled” administrators should have read ‘A Strategic
probably passed into history.
he puts the maritime operations
France less than half that fi gure, effective crews, an absolutely who could turn situations round History of the Maritime Wars
But some are still valid today.
into their overall strategic and
32,170,000 livres. fundamental factor when men quite quickly when required. 1650-1815.’ Nevertheless, these
Like that of the cook who
diplomatic context which means
In the Seven Years’ War the were the mechanism of the ship, An example of this was when are only quibbles.
slaved in the galley to produce
there is much fascinating material
annual fi gures were even more both in terms of propulsion and Andre Jeanbon Saint-Andre I can recommend this excellent
a cake for 200 guests at a
on the general history of the period.
in Britain’s favour, 111,160,000 armament. managed to replace the grievous book most heartily as a highly-
visit to the Seychelles. It was
It is easy for amateurs to get lost in
livres against 36,670,000. Even before the Revolution losses of 1793 and put 50 French accessible balancer to more
a beautiful piece of baked
such background discussion but
The British Admiralty and Navy French fl eets could be manned, ships of the line into service the conventional naval histories of the
craftmanship, lovingly topped
this author is too professional to
Board were getting more than with “novice sailors” prevented following year. period.
with the islands’ flag. The
fall into this trap and his account
three times the annual provision from training to effi ciency by Sadly, however, a lack of crew ■ Prof Grove will be outlining
wrong flag that is. (It changed
is admirably balanced.
of their French counterparts. British blockaders. Thus was training was again endemic, not the RN’s crucial contribution to
four times in the 20th Century,
It is balanced in another way
Only in the American War of Confl ans’ fl eet “run ashore” by helped by the disastrous effect victory in the Great War during
which accounts for the
too. As an American, the author is Independence 1778-82, with Hawke “steering to glory” in of the Revolution on the French a talk at the Royal Naval Club
blunder.)
able to take an admirably neutral no continental opponent and Quiberon Bay in the “wonderful offi cer corps and Saint-Andre’s and Royal Albert Yacht Club in
With food colouring all but
perspective in a period where most Britain forced to deploy larger year” of 1759. own mistake of January 10 1794 Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth.
run out for the correct red,
accounts come from the British ground forces, was France able to The balance of training of the in abolishing the corps of naval The lecture – ‘The Shaft of the
green, yellow, white and blue
point of view. approach Britain’s expenditure, two fl eets was the decisive factor. artillerymen. Spear’ – organised by the Society
flag, the cook reverted to Plan
The author’s knowledge of the 138,435,000 livres against What made it all the worse for Dull’s conclusion is that “on for Nautical Research (South)
B: ink. Guests were none the
French side of the story gives the Britain’s 157,900,000. the French, as Dull points out, balance, the British Navy was takes place at 2pm on Saturday
wiser, nor the children of a local
book a rather Gallic fl avour but No wonder Britain was able was that it was already clear that strongest at the bottom with its October 10. Admission for non-
orphanage who were presented
the British side is well known by to afford more ships of the line invasion was not possible but incomparable sailors and shipboard members is £2. Details on 023
with the inky cake the following
the Anglophone audience whereas than France as well as a higher Confl ans’ sense of honour forced offi cers, while the French was 9283 1461.
day.
For all the light-hearted
anecdotes, however, the author
The WAFU over GAFA
is at pains to point out, that
the RN takes its traditions
seriously. It always pauses to
pay tribute at 36˚11’N 6˚23W
and 3˚33’N 104˚28’E – the sites,
respectively, of the Battle of
Trafalgar and the sinking of
FOR a supposedly unpopular
RoRoyal fumed.alfl fumfu new words to your vocabulary: Teletubbies
Force Z.
war, Afghanistan is proving to be
This is a brThhis utally (the Taleban). PONTIs (Persons of No
very popular at the bookstands.
honest account of honeso Tactical Importance – most of whom seemed
life on the glife round to inhabit Kandahar Air Base). GAFA (the
We’ve had accounts from the guys on the
At Last! The Book, “Hard Lying”
and in the air in an
Great Afghan Fuck All – the vast tracts
ground – such as Mark Ormrod’s gritty Man
Afghanistan.
of wasteland in Helmand). Lively (heavy
The story of the
Down. We’ve had an account from the fast
Maj Mark M
incoming fi re). Sparky (ditto). Apaches
V&W destroyers
jet jockeys – Adrian Orchard’s Joint Force
Hammond H
‘schwack’ or ‘mallet’ enemy positions.
Harrier. And we’ve had the measured eye
shares his feelings shhare
1917-1945
of a historian – Ewen Southby-Tailyour’s
As for the foe, well the Taleban aren’t the
of life and deaof life a th. You
3 Commando Brigade – taking a more
cardboard cutout villains of Hollywoodland.
by the men who
underunderstand his pain standt
detached view of operations.
“We had to take our hats off to the Taleban,”
served in them.
when a wwhen a woounded soldier u
Royal Marine Major Mark Hammond
writes the Chinook pilot. “We had burnt 340 pages.
his Chinook has rescued dies his Chinook k ha
adds to that groaning bookshelf with
them, we had bombed them, we had 44 photographs.
on the rampon the ramp. He concedes tha He t
Immediate Response, (Penguin, £17.99
mortared them and we were shooting at Price £18.00 + £2.00 P&P
flfli ierers s are are““up up their theit own arses”
ISBN 978-0718-154745), an account of life
them. The Taleban were not cowards – no
C Fairweather, Stable Cottage, Colchester Road,
– with good reason;–with good reason; they sit in the
as a Chinook pilot over Afghanistan.
cockpit and “make big things happen.” And
matter what we threw at them they were
West Bergholt, Colchester CO6 3JQ
The book describes two tours of duty in
he realises that to many people bootneck
prepared to have a go.”
Tel: 01206 240614
Afghanistan (although the author focuses
banter might seem “a tad full-on”.
Mark Hammond was awarded the DFC
on the fi rst in 2006). Hammond questions some of the tactics
for his bravery and skill in picking up LOYAL & STEADFAST
Immediate Response is a quick read – it which meant several outlying bases were
casualties under heavy Teletubbies fi re in
rattles along. There’s some choice language “just like the Alamo”. But he does not
September 2006.
(Far East Fleet 1947 - 57)
(particularly during am account of a night- question the war itself.
It’s something he plays down with typical
“Brimming with first hand accounts
time delivery of munitions to a far-fl ung “This war is about keeping Britain
RM understatement. It was, he told the - upper and lower-deck, lifts this
outpost). There’s some scathing criticism safe from terrorists – terrorists train in
Queen as she pinned the medal on his chest, book head and shoulders above
of the BBC who reported that a Chinook Afghanistan,” he stresses. “This confl ict,
a bit scary.
the many privately published
had gone down with all crew – when it was which is being played out thousands of
Also being honoured at the Palace that
books flooding the Naval Market”
● Maj Mark Hammond RM in front of his
actually a Nimrod (they’d blundered badly
Chinook in Afghanistan. Note the Minigun
miles away from the UK, is taking the lives
day was actor Hugh Laurie for services to
(Navy News Review, April 2009).
three years before when two helicopter
sticking out of the side door
of our sons and daughters. All the papers
drama. He was made an OBE. He received
Continued demand, 2nd Edition
collided on HMS Ark Royal and fl ashed up were interested in were the lives of stupid,
the full Royal Marine banter treatment…
images of the wrong type of Sea King…). to take a step back and wait for the dust gormless chavs who have a high profi le but “My wife is so happy that you are here,”
now available from: T J Flanagan,
Mark Hammond seethed. He had to to settle. “The news game had become a contribute nothing.” he told the star of House MD. “She loves
7 Ennis Close, Hale Village,
ring his wife to tell her he wasn’t dead. The dirty business with 24-hour news channels Good to see things have changed since ER.”
Liverpool. L24 5RT. Cheques
demand for ‘news’ outweighed common
generating a greed for information that too 2006 then…
payable “HMS Consort Assoc”.
■ Five per cent of royalties from Immediate
sense, respect for families, caution, the need
often came at the expense of truth,” the Immediate Response will introduce some Response go to Help For Heroes. £11 inc post/pkg.
041_NN_Oct.indd 1 21/9/09 14:13:02
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