LATE ADMIRAL PAKENHAM

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 28, 2 August 1933, Page 8

LATE ADMIRAL PAKENHAM

Dr. Guy H. Scholefield, Parliamentary Librarian, writes:—^ Admiral Sir William Pakonham, whoso* death you recorded yesterday, was one of the most interesting personalities of his generation in the Navy. In 1910 ho was commanding the Second Battle Cruiser Squadron, carrying his flag ia the Australia. When the squadron was manoeuvring in heavy weather the flagship and the New Zealand collided, with the result that the Australia had to go into dock and the flag was moved into tho New Zealand. I was Admiral Pakcnham'siguost for a day or so at that time, just four days before 'the Battle of Jutland. There again the Australia had tho bad luck 'that always dogged her. She was still in dock wheji tho Gorman fleet put to sea, and her crew had the mortification of missing the show onco" more. I believe one signal yeoman who went with the Admiral was the only, member of the Australia's crew who was in tho battle. Tho Now Zealand, of course, was.in tho thick of it, and suffered the only square hit she got in the war, tvhon a heavy shell punched a holo right through the steel of one of her turrets. The Australia was very unlucky throughout tho war, never oven seeing a shot fired in anger by a capital ship. . Admiral Pffkcnham told mo an interesting story of his experiences with tho Japaueso Fleet during the RussoJapanese War. The capital fleet consisted of about half a dozen ships, divided into two squadrons, Togo commanded ono and Kamimura tho other. Those two squadrons, taking turns roHoving oach other, patrolled up and down one set course for months'on, cud. Pakcuham warned the Japanese admiral that sooner or later if they did not change their course, even the Russians would get some of them. It was too soft a thing altogether. Sure enough ouo day when the squadron on patrol was being relieved it was seen to be ono ship short. Tho signal for captains was flying from the flagship, and every ship in tho relieving squadron sent its boat. Some time later they came back full of merriment, giving tlie impression to the anxious ships' companies that all was well, and that so far from anything untoward having happened all was going according to plan. As a matter of fact tho Russians had destroyed one of the Japanese ships—tho Yashima —with a mine, leaving the Japanoso dangerously weak in capital ships to meet tho big Russian fleet which was lumbering painfully round the south of Asia towards its doom. Tho merriment of the captains was official camouflage to spread tho impression in tho fleet that all was well, and to maintain the high spirits of the men. I belicvo that the Eussians were never aware of their success until after their own fleet had been destroyed. Whether it would have made any difference to their tactics or not is a mystery.