EXERCISES DEMONSTRATE GROWING NAVAL POWER

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27427, 13 August 1954, Page 10

EXERCISES DEMONSTRATE GROWING NAVAL POWER

N.A.T.O. AT SEA

[By

NOWELL HALL,

Lieutenant-Commander

D.S.C., R.N.V.R.]

[From the United Kingdom Information Service)

The maritime nations of N.A.T.0., who in time of war would be responsible for safeguarding the allies’ vital sea communications, nave made great progress in co-ordinating their fighting forces since the organisation was formed five years ago. There is, however, no cause for complacency or reason to relax effort: they have still far to go along the road to their ultimate goal—“instinctive” teamwork producing a truly international air-sea force strong enough to deter any potential aggressor. Yet, how far along the road they have already come! I well remember “Verity,” the first big meeting at sea in 1949 by the navies of the four nations of N.A.T.O.’s predecessor, the Western Union. It was a simple exercise centring on the protection of convoys against underwater, surface, and air attack. This pattern though much elaborated, has been followed, either entirely or in part, in all the large and small combined exercises that have been held since.

Early Difficulties “Verity” was an exacting experi-ment,-for never before in peace time had navies of so many different countries gathered in such circumstances. More than 100 ships of the Royal Navy and the French, Dutch, and Belgian Navies met off the south-west coast of Britain and, in perfect weather, exercised together for several days and nights in the English Channel and Bay of Biscay. Plenty of "snags” were found. Language difficulties, differences in naval practice and procedure, and lack of a unified signalling system caused misunderstanding and confusion. Having no previous experience of such co-operation, ships were sometimes unable to keep in formation, and for this reason one phase of the night manoeuvres had to be abandoned.

But with its faults “Verity” achieved its purpose. An “international” fleet was shown to be a workable proposition—provided that all the navies concerned contributed wholeheartedly to the common effort. The measure of “Verity’s” importance to the allied nations can best be given in the words of Admiral Sir Rhoderick McGrigor (now an Admiral of the Fleet and Britain’s First Sea Lord), who conducted this exercise. After the manoeuvres he said: “My chief impression has been that we are extraordinarily alike in our ideas. We can now go forward in great confidence; before we had only great hopes ” Many Exercises Annually

Since 1949 his confidence has been abundantly justified. The W estern Union, having prepared the ground, became absorbed into the larger North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Steadily, painstakingly, persistently, naval and maritime forces of member nations, holding annually a host of large and small exercises, have advanced towards their ideal of true cooperation. About 20 exercises have been held every year since the Organisation was formed. Inevitably most of them have lacked “popular" appeal. They have been unspectacular, as much war at sea is bound to be unspectacular, it being essentially an endless struggle to get convoys to their destination against the grim threats of the mine, submarine, surface ship, and aircraft. As in the last few years the pieces have fallen into place in the Allies’ general pattern of defence at sea, so

have the size and scope of the major N.A.T.O. exercises increased. "Activity,” 1950; “Progress,” 1951; “Mainbrace,” 1952; “Mariner,” 1953. In the last were engaged 300 warships and 1000 aircraft of nine nations. For 19 days “battles” were fought right across the Atlantic, south to the North African coast and north to the coast of Greenland. Concurrently, another big exercise, "Weldfast,” took place in the Mediterranean. “Morning Mist,” the 1954 counterpart of “Mariner,” will be conducted by the three main N.A.T.O. commands—those covering the Atlantic, the Channel area, and the mainland of Western Europe. “Morning Mist,” which is to take place from September 23 to October 3, will involve sea, air, and land forces of six nations —Canada, Denmark. France, the Netherlands, Norway, and Great Britain. It will be held in the north-eastern Atlantic the south-western approaches, and the English Channel, in the North Sea and Norwegian waters, and in land areas of Norway and Denmark. Of the four exercises held last month three took place in northern Europe "Dividend,” a nine-day exercise to test and were closely integrated. One was Britain’s air defences. “Haul,” an airsea exercise in the Channel Command area, took place over the same period, attention in this event being concentrated on the defence of shipping against air attack. About 100 small warships and aircraft of Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Norway, the United States, and Britain were engaged, mostly in bad weather, in this of the narrow seas; and ond more the passage of escorted convoys between Britain and the Continent was opposed by “Orange” attacking forces. Sea, Air, and Land “Haul” was more realistic—so far as the phrase can be applied to any of these exercises—than was “Castinets.” the larger Channel “war” of 1952. In the earlier exercise, when the emphasis was on countering mine and submarine, air forces were used in association with sea effort. “Haul” was. however, a battle within a battle. It was fought out under an “umbrella” of aircraft attacking or defending convoys on passage between Britain and the Continent. “Dividend” and “Haul” were so dovetailed that they were, in effect, one exercise. The third, "Winch,” was an army practice involving the land- . ing of men and supplies on open beaches to the east and west of Zeebrugge. Among “Haul” convoys were ships bound for these operations. Meanwhile, in the central and eastern Mediterranean, ships and aircraft of France, Greece, Italy, Turkey, the United States, and Britain were carrying out the five-day exercise, "Medflex Baker.” This was another test of the defence of sea communications providing maximum opportunities for cooperation by commanders ashore and afloat. It was held under the overall direction of Admiral Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces. Mediterranean. The North Atlantic Council, headed by Lord Ismay, the Secretary-General, visited Malta and saw the concluding stages of “Medflex Baker,” and afterwards .inspected the participating forces. The interest the manoeuvres aroused in official circles was also indicated by thfe visit of King Paul of the Hellenes to the Athens headquarters of Admiral Lappas and that of President Celal Bayer, of Turkey, to the operations room of Admiral Altican.