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CONTENTS

Coastal Surveillance
CSS Huntley
Sale items

COASTAL SURVEILLANCE by Ian Anderson
CSS HUNLEY
JOINT COMMONWEALTH SOCIETIES COUNCIL OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

COASTAL SURVEILLANCE
Terrorism on the mainland of Australia has yet to materialize and is open to conjecture. Islamic terrorists have been unable to recruit satisfactorily in this country from either the Muslim population or the Australian population at large. However, it remains to be seen what further terrorist strategies may be, and how they will affect the mainland of Australia.
It is common knowledge both here and overseas that Australia has some of the most remote coastlines in the world and its main population is centred on the eastern seaboard. No doubt this hasn't escaped international terrorists, the infiltration via the sea and our coasts a very real possibility.
The above analysis doesn't suggest complacency by any means, however indicates that time is available to build our own responses to this issue. One response that has previously been mooted but apparently has fallen on deaf ears is the creation of a national coast guard. This should be maintained by the RAN and separately staffed by the Navy Reserve at all levels. Ships and men could be given immediate tasks of maintaining coastal security and the administration of Australian and international laws, such as illegal fishing, illegal immigration and smuggling, the surveillance of coastal shipping, these are but a few tasks that spring to mind. The Navy Reserve as it exists would benefit greatly as it would then be purpose driven, surely a benefit to the Australian taxpayer as well as itself.
It was good to see a report in the Advertiser that an armed vessel is being prepared to combat illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean and approaches to Antarctica. Tooth fishing may take a downturn in the near future.
Ian Anderson

Historical Notes

CSS HUNLEY:
The Hunley was the first submersible to sink an enemy vessel in warfare. (February 1864). She sunk the Housatonic off Charleston, South Carolina, during the American Civil war.
The Hunley was not the first submersible vessel built.
The first one was the Pioneer, mentioned as early as 1861, it was of iron, ¼ inch thick, 30 feet long, 4 feet in diameter with cone ends 10 feet long, a propeller in one end turned by a crank by two people inside the boat. She never saw action and was sold for scrap in 1868 at public auction.
The second was the American Diver, 1863. It was 36 feet long, 3 feet wide, 4 feet high with 12 feet at each end tapered or modelled to make it easy for her to pass through the water. Again there were cranks fitted to turn the propeller by hand, worked by 4 men at a time. The next submersible was also of iron ¼ inch thick, and in order to correct the previous boats faults it was built with square sides, 36 feet long, 4 feet high and 3 feet across top and bottom with ends tapered like a wedge, and driven by a 30 inch propeller. The American Diver was floated in February 1863 but as the weather grew worse the boat was difficult to manage and foundered.
The third attempt was the H.L. Hunley. The boat was launched in July 1863. It was known as fish Boat, the fish torpedo boat, the porpoise, and then the Hunley.
The boat was of an eliptic shape, with modelled ends. Built of iron 3/8 inch thick, 40 feet long top and bottom, 42 inches wide in the middle, and 48 inches high, fitted with cranks geared to her propeller and turned by 8 persons inside. The dimensions vary depending on the historical source.
The boat was twice lost in Charleston Harbour with loss of life and was salvaged both times. On one of these occasions while running submerged the acting vessel commander, Hunley, made a simple error in regulating the water contained within the forward ballast tank and the boat buried its bow in the harbour mud, stuck fast, and partially flooded, killing the entire crew.
After this tragedy the boat was not expected to be used again but a Lieutenant Dixon applied to use it against the Federal steam sloop-of-war Housatonic, a vessel which carried eleven guns and lay at the time in the north channel obstructing the passage of the blockade runners for the Confederacy.
A torpedo was fastened to the end of an iron pipe, about 2 inches in diameter, and twenty to twenty five feet in length, and could be extended in front and withdrawn at ease by guides in the centre of the boat to hold it in place.
On the evening of 17 February 1864,the Hunley set out on patrol. The USS Housatonic was at anchor about 2½ miles off Charleston Bay and after being struck with the torpedo sank in about three minutes.
The Hunley and her crew never returned and its disappearance became one of the sea's great mysteries, remaining unsolved until the wreck was located in 1995 by Ralph Wilbanks, Wes Hall and Harry Pecorelli III.
The H.L.Hunley's attack defined to the US Navy the danger of submersible torpedo craft and demonstrated the vast potential of the submersible vessel in future naval strategy.
April 2004 was Civil War Week in the USA and there was a service held for the CSS Hunley at Charleston.
There appears to be a video available "The Hunley" (1999), and stars Donald Sutherland as General Beauregard and Armand Assente as Lt George Dixon. Some comments about the video are - "remarkable feat of engineering of the time", "unknown story of the Civil War".
Horace Lawson Hunley was a wealthy cotton broker who helped finance the building of the Hunley and he drowned when he made the fatal mistake to take the Hunley down himself.
The recovery of CSS Hunley took place on August 8th 2000.
Information extracted from several websites. Ref. http://www.hunley.org. www.hunlevfuneral.org. www.awod.com/gallery/probono/cwschas/hunley.html www. history .navv.mil/brahcnes/org - Jean Gill NLASA

JOINT COMMONWEALTH SOCIETIES COUNCIL OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

NLA-SA President attended the AGM and noted that the Navy League SA has been involved with this Council since early last century.
Contact details of members are -
THE ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY TEL 8223 2907
THE VICTORIA LEAGUE FOR COMMONWEALTH FRIENDSHIP TEL 8223 2914
THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ST. GEORGE TEL 83836318
THE ROYAL CALEDONIAN SOCIETY TEL 83791949
THE ROYAL OVER-SEAS LEAGUE TEL 8332 9559
THE CAMBRIAN (WELSH) SOCIETY . TEL 8370 6500
THE AUSTRALIA-CANADA ASSOCIATION TEL 8297 1133
THE ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION TEL 83791039
THE CORNISH ASSOCIATION OF SA TEL 8388 2338
The Navy League was represented as part of this joint council.

PUBLICATIONS & ITEMS AVAILABLE

Victoria Division - Navy League of Australia:

2012 List

(Prices subject to change. Email for price confirmation.)

1. PUBLICATIONS & ITEMS AVAILABLE Victoria Division - Navy League of Australia: 2012 List (Prices subject to change. Email for price confirmation.)

1. "Autobiographical Recollections of a Naval Reserve Officer 1893-1987" Limited Second Edition (100) by CMDR Stan Veale CMG VRD** RANR. Hard Cover bound 160pp, 81 illustrations colour and B&W, many from CMDR Veale's personal family files. A5+ 100gsm. ISBN 0-9580285-6-7. A unique story about a fascinating lifetime in the Navy from 1909 as a Naval Cadet, WW1 and WW2 to 1987. Formatted and edited by CMDR John M Wilkins RFD* RANR after the death of Stan Veale. A story worth reading. $80 plus $15 p&h.

2. Royal Australian Naval College and Sir John Collins by CMDR John M Wilkins RFD* RANR. ISBN 0-9580285-5-9.
The early days of the Victorian Colonial and Australian Navy and the foundation of the Royal Australian Naval College, Osborne House, North Geelong 1913-15 and Vice Admiral Sir John Collins RAN. Limited signed Edition of 50 copies, 77pp A4 100gsm hard bound.
The monograph details the original historic mansion, Osborne House, its floor layouts and Navy use during the 1913-1915 period when RAN trained its first Midshipmen Cadets.
The publication includes a resume of the 1915 Jervis Bay, 1930 HMAS Cerberus Naval College sites, with a general overview of the career of one of the first Australian trained Midshipman Cadets to achieve promotion to Vice Admiral Sir John Collins. $70 plus $15 P&H

3. "WW2 Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Naval Reserves - Awards, Honours & Precedence" by CMDR John M Wilkins RFD* RANR.
A4 Hard Cover publication, ISBN 0-9580285-4-0. 154pp A4 publication. Printed on 100gsm, colour and b&w illustrations. All copies numbered. Limited signed Edition 50 copies. Edition January 2005. $85 + P&H $15
Chapt 1. WW2 RANR - RANVR - RANR(S) awards and citations with some excerpts and photos to give an insight as to the personality of the person who received the award.
Chapt 2. WW2 RAN awards and citations - Like the RANR section, some entries have details and photos to permit a better understanding of the person receiving the award.
Chapt 3. Order of Precedence summary of Australian Awards plus relevant foreign awards with comprehensive Honours & Awards details, including WW2 'Star' medals list, awards issue numbers (where known), plus US, Dutch and Allied Awards to Australian defence personnel.
Chapt 4. US Awards details and order of Precedence.

4. Australian Naval Reserves - 1859 - 2006 by CMDR John M Wilkins RFD* RANR" 6th. Edition (100), Feb 2010. ISBN 978-0-9580285-8-5. Copies numbered and signed by author. 450pp A4 100gsm and hard cover bound with gilt lettering. $290 Post free within Australia.
Appendices: State RANR Port Division Depots, COs DNOs etc; RANR Naval Intelligence, RANR WW2 Awards, Australia's first RAN Inter-denominational Naval Memorial Chapel 1920 - 2002 at FND, History and Legend of RN & Australia's White Ensign, Governor General's RANR Officers' Commissions, RANR Medical and Legal branches, History of Naval Uniforms and rank braid 1748-2006. A comprehensive coverage in one volume with an index.

5. Australian & British Naval Buttons, Buckles Banners Badges & Braid 1748 - 2006 Revised 5th Edition (Limited - 100 copies) Feb 2010 by CMDR John M Wilkins RFD* RANR. ISBN 978-0-9580285-7-8. Copies numbered and signed by author. History summary of British and Australian Naval Buttons together with Collectors' Guide & Catalogue. A5+ 114pp 100gsm Hard cover bound $80, Spiral wire soft cover bound $45 plus P&H $15.
This edition adds revised section on Naval braid, cuffs, cocked hats and epaulettes and updates latest finds re Naval buttons. Over 600 colour illustrations plus a unique White Ensign history fold-out A4 chart.
Not available elsewhere. A brief Naval History associated with each British and Australian Naval button from 1748 to 2006. Rarity ratings listed.

6. "Sea & Australia" 6 part video - a specially produced series by the Navy League to give a better idea of Australia and its maritime inheritance. On release it was gifted to every secondary school in the Commonwealth - NO STOCK CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.

7. Navy League Crest - A high class laser image etched on 150x200mm solid timber with design outlined in matt gold. A nice state of the art production. Some delay may occur if out of stock. OOS

8. Navy League lapel badge. $6 incl postage (no discount).

9. Navy League tie . - Royal blue with Red or Gold Navy League crest repeated between diagonal bars of Gold & Red. $25 plus $5 postage (no discount).

10. Peak Cap - Navy League dark blue peak cap with NLA logo - $20 inc P&H (no discount).

11. COOK CANNON Miniature replica - Approx 1/10th. scale replica.
A unique miniature 22ct Gilt silicon-bronze HMB Endeavour cannon jettisoned by Lieutenant James Cook in 1770 on East Coast of Australia.
Price: Recommended Retail $500. Free post. Limited Edition of 100.
A 16p A5 spiral wire soft cover bound and numbered booklet on history of the Cook cannon, loss, salvage and restoration 1770 - 1969, is included.

HMAS Cerberus Maval heritage Museum has sole sale rights

12. Navy League Journal of NSW 1920 first issues - Facsimile reproductions. Limited printing - 30 per issue May, June, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. Price $15 each - plus $3 P&H in Australia. Stapled - binding tape bound.

13. Facsimile reprint in colour of the "Souvenir of the Visit of the AMERICAN FLEET TO AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND 1908" 3rd Edition, originally published by Osboldstone & Co., Printers and Publishers, Temple Court Place, Little Collins Street, Melbourne.
Size 24.5x18cms, 34pp, coloured cover with pictures in a dark sepia colour and each page surrounded with an Orange yellow Australian-American rope ships flags kangaroo and eagle design. The publication has a stapled and taped binding. It includes photos of VIPs, fleet personnel, ships and crew members on board and those marching through Melbourne streets.
A rare, not often seen, publication that we were able to provide a facimile copy of from an original. The result is that we are able to offer this special limited facsimile edition of 50 copies for $40, post free within Australia.

14. ORDERS Payment and Address information -
Delivery - Delays up to ninety days may occur if out of stock. Payment - (NLA Members receive a 10% discount unless otherwise stated). International orders: Money order plus International postage & packaging costs as indicated. Multiple items postage costs to be advised.
Payment: Bank Draft, Postal Money Order, Credit Card may be arranged.
Australia Post: For delivery in Australia charges may be from $10 to $30, depending on size, weight of item and registration costs.
Payment with order is requested.
Inquiries: Victoria Division NLA, P.O.Box 2340, MOUNT WAVERLEY 3149, Victoria, AUSTRALIA, Tel: 03 9884 6237; Email: raydotgill@optusnet.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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