SHIPS OF WAR

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 60, Issue 4285, 27 May 1940, Page 7

SHIPS OF WAR

GERMANY CONFORMS TO OLD TRADITIONS. (By Pay Sub.) The traditions and influences surrounding the naming of British ships of war apply equally well to Germany. Reports of the British Navy’s activities against German naval units around the Norwegian coast mentioned many German names which link up with historic ships and personalities of the last war. Although Germany really only grew as a naval Power early this century, she developed a great pride in- her navy, which has always been of the highest order with regard to the quality of her ships and personnel. Practically all the German war ships we have been reading about recently had predecessors bearing names that figured prominently in the last war. Some of these, such as Schamhorst, Gneisenau and Emden, are of particular interest to Australians because of their activities with our own ships or off our own shores during the early years of the last war. The new German battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, which

were the two most powerful ships the German Navy had in commission at the outbreak of this war, are named after- the two “crack” armored cruisers that formed part of the German Pacific squadron under Admiral Count von Spee in 1914. The old Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were operating in the East Indies and China Seas, with other light cruisers when war broke out, and at that time were among the most powerful cruisers afloat with their 8-8.2 and 6-5.9 guns. It has been claimed that the only factor which prevented them attacking Australian ports was the presence of our own battle cruiser Australia, with her 12-in. guns. However, shortly after the outbreak of war they steamed for the South American coast, and were next heard of when they attacked and defeated a British force under Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock on November 1, 1914, off the Chilian port of Coronel. VON SPEE’S DEFEAT. The German squadron, apart from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, comprised three light cruisers, Dresden, Nurnberg and Leipsig, and was overwhelmingly stronger than the British force, which consisted of the old heavy cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth, and- the light cruiser ■ Glasgow. The story of how the newly appointed First Sea Lord im-

mediately despatched the battlecruisers Invincible and Inflexible, under command of Admiral Sturdee, to relieve the situation in the South Atlantic is well known. Von Spee, in spite of the disaster that befell the cruiser Emden when she went to laid the British cable station in the Cocos Islands, undertook a similar risk by raiding the fuel and cable station in the Falkland Island, and here met and was subsequently destroyed by the reinforced British squardon. It is interesting to note that the first pocket battleship to be destroyed last December off the River Plate, which is in the same area, was named after Admiral von Spee, who flew his flag in the Scharnhorst. Gerhard Johann von Scharnhorst was a Prussiah general in the (Napoleonic War, and Count von Gneisenau was a Prussian field marshal about the same period. THE SECOND EMDEN. All the German light cruisers are named after German towns, and included in this gjroup is )the cruiser Emden, which was sunk by Norwegian coastal, batteries and minelayers. This ship carried a name historic in Australian naval annals, as it was named after the German raider that was destroyed by the Australian cruiser Sydney. This light cruiser, under the skil-

ful command of Captain von Muller, accounted for 70,000 tons of British shipping before being destroyed. Another German light cruiser which was sunk by the British submarine Truant this month was the Karlsruhe. She was named after another successful raider of the last war, which was, in fact the most modern cruiser Germany had in foreign waters at the outbreak in 1914. After exciting escapes from British naval units off the West Indies, she helped to arm several German merchant ships at sea, and then carried out many successful attacks against British shipping in the South Atlantic. On November 4, 1914, the Karlsruhe disappeared in most extraordinary circumstances off the coast of Trinidad, when it is reported a terrific internal explosion at night literally blew her to pieces. It has since been suggested that the ammunition or torpedo warheads, having undergone some chemical change during months of tropical heat, spontaneously exploded. • Her fate remained a mystery for months.

The majority of German war ships launched under the Nazi regime have been named after German heroes of the past, particularly former German naval chiefs. The Admiral Graf. Spee is one already mentioned, while the other

pocket battleship reported torpedoed by the British submarine Spearfish recently is another. This ship, Admiral von Scheer, is named after the commander of the German High Seas Fleet at Jutland. The heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, which figured in the incident with the Scharnhorst against the British battle cruiser Renown, is named after the admiral in command of the German battle cruisers of the last war.

The other cruiser of this type reported lost was the Blucher, which bears the name of the Prussian general at Waterloo, and follows the armored cruiser of that name which was lost in the Dogger Bank action of 1915. It is interesting to note that the admiral in command of the German squadron, including the Blucher, which attacked British coastal ports at the commencement of this action, was Admiral Hipper. The Blueher was the slowest of the squadron, all the other ships being battle cruisers, and was later destroyed by British battle cruisers under Beatty, when retreating. The two new 35,000-ton battleships which were launched early last year bear names of two of the most outstanding personalities in German history, namely, Bismarek and Admiral von Tirpitz. Bismarck I is one of the fathers of modern Ger-

many, whilst von Tirpitz may be called the father of the German navy. It was he who built up the German navy to its impressive strength of 1914, and many modern naval developments are due to his expert knowledge and vision.