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Discussions, Comments and Notes

September 1946
Proceedings
Vol. 72/9/523
Article
View Issue
Comments

This html article is produced from an uncorrected text file through optical character recognition. Prior to 1940 articles all text has been corrected, but from 1940 to the present most still remain uncorrected.  Artifacts of the scans are misspellings, out-of-context footnotes and sidebars, and other inconsistencies.  Adjacent to each text file is a PDF of the article, which accurately and fully conveys the content as it appeared in the issue.  The uncorrected text files have been included to enhance the searchability of our content, on our site and in search engines, for our membership, the research community and media organizations. We are working now to provide clean text files for the entire collection.

 

World War II and the Changing Conception of Sea Power

(See page 709, May, 1946, Proceedings)

Mr. Eugene E. Wilson, Vice-Chair­man United Aircraft Corporation.— Commenting on Captain Roland Krause’s discussion of Fletcher Pratt’s article, I might point that the universally careless use of the expressions Sea Power, Air Power, etc., tends to obscure their true meanings and to con­fuse thinking on the subject. The Sea Power of a country is a trident comprising the Navy, Maritime Commerce, and Shipbuild­ing Industry. Similarly Air Power is the integrated trinity of Air Force, Air Com­merce, and Aircraft Industry. This concept of Air Power, now clearly recognized in aero­nautic circles, has brought about close col­laboration between the elements of this trin­ity. Similarly we might use the expression “Land Power” to cover Ground Forces, Land Transport, and Industrial capacity.

General Eisenhower, recognizing the mu­tual interdependence of these three elements, has recently issued orders designed to pro­mote their close integration in preparedness and industrial mobilization. He has also been vocal in setting forth the principle that a nation’s war-making power is the integration of the three powers: Land, Sea, and Air. I do not refer here to the legislative aspects of unification and integration, but rather to the basic principle. Secretary Forrestal has en­couraged the creation of a new association of navy industrialists called the Navy Indus­trial Association. His support of this move­ment grew out of his clear convictions in the matter. We now have three organizations: The Army Ordnance Association, the Navy

Industrial Association, and the Aircraft Industries Association as the active media through which collaboration can take place.

Experience has shown that Land, Sea, and Air Power cannot be separated into water­tight compartments on the basis of the kinds of weapons employed. Each has its own clear- cut mission, namely, the control of the Land, the Sea, or the Air, and each must be pro­vided with the weapons of all kinds neces­sary to the execution of that mission. There has been a strong tendency to think of the airplane as a weapon. It is not a weapon, nor has it ever been one. Like a ship or a truck, the airplane is simply a vehicle capable of carrying personnel, material, and all forms of weapons, and is susceptible of utilization in certain fields for which it is suited.

The advent of the airplane as a new vehicle is one of the most revolutionary events of all times. Only twice before in history has such an important event taken place; once when the wheel gave us land transport, and again when ocean-going vessels gave us marine transport. In the field of private commerce the airplane is now a self-sustaining vehicle of transport, one that has returned to the United States Post Office Department all of the subsidies paid out in pioneering it, and that now pays the government a substantial profit.

If now we look at Land, Sea, and Air Power in the light of history we must realize that our country as the superior Sea and Air Power faces the opportunity to exercise a controlling influence in world history. Just as Britain exercised profound influence through her understanding of and applica­tion of Sea Power, so might we utilize our Sea

and Air Power to keep the peace of the world:

(1)     By removing the incentive to aggressors to resort to war

(2)     By removing the causes of war through facilitating world trade.

It would seem, then, that those who are responsible for the Sea Power of the United States could better discharge their responsi­bilities in that field if they clearly understood the difference between Sea Power and Sea­borne Force, and did those things necessary to integrate the Fleet, Maritime Commerce, and Private Shipbuilding Industry in na­tional defense. Among other things this would help remove partisan conflicts as to the utilization of weapons, and would assist in the scientific research and technological development so essential to continued leader­ship.

Finally, Sea Power could learn a lesson from Air Power in the matter of Policy. The Economics of Air Power contemplate that public funds expended on research and de­velopment need not be a burden on the peo­ple, tending to depress their standards of living, if applied through the private manu­facturing industry in the construction of im­proved transports capable of expanding air commerce on sound economic grounds. Un­der good leadership these expenditures be­come self-liquidating investments through the process of creating new jobs, new wealth, and new enterprises. American Air Transport and American Aircraft Produc­tion furnish proof of the soundness of this concept.

Let us, therefore, draw a clear distinction between Land, Sea, and Air Power, and Ground, Seaborne, and Air Forces. Let us seek to understand their broad implications and direct them toward world peace.

Naval Intelligence, 1856

(Picked out of old files, we publish this interesting note written by the then Major J. D. Murray, U. S. Marine Corps.)

I have just found in an old trunk at home a copy of the Bunker Hill Aurora and Boston Mirror, of August 23, 1856, and under the caption “Naval Intelligence” appears the following:

The steam frigate Wabash will leave Philadel­phia in about two weeks, for this station. She will remain here for about two weeks, and then cruise along the coast, as flag ship of the home squadron.

The Navy Department has received no report of the cruise of the frigate Independence; but it is known that she occupied some three months in the survey of the guano islands, which are repre­sented to be on the line of the equator, in E. longitude about 111.

Commodore Lavallette assumed the command of the Washington navy yard, on Saturday last, relieving Captain Forrest, who will hoist his broad pennant on the steam frigate St. Lawrence, as the flag ship of the Brazil squadron.

The steamer Mississippi is undergoing repairs and alterations. She is to be fitted out with water­tight compartments.

The machinery of the new steam frigate Ni­agara is being put in. Her engines are 900 horse power. She will make a trial trip in about two months.

The U.S. steamer Susquehanna, from Key West and Fayal, arrived at Gibraltar on the 23rd ult.

The steam frigate Merrimack arrived at New York on Sunday morning last. She made the pas­sage from this port in two days.

The following is a general estimate of the sums required for the support of the office of the Secre­tary of the Navy and of the bureaus of the De­partment, for the fiscal year ending June 30,1857:

Office of the Secretary........................ $ 32,136

Bureau of Ordnance & Hydrography. 13,066

Bureau of Yards and Docks............... 17,892

Bureau of Construction, Equip. & Re­pairs     22,092

Bureau of Provisions and Clothing...            9,516

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. . ..             9,966

$104,668

Statement of the estimate for the Navy, for the year 1856, 1857:

Pay of the Navy Proper.............      $8,142,418.00

Pay of the Marine Corps...........           851,113.31

Special Objects.

Navy Yards..................................... $2,217,989.00

Hospitals...................................... 84,400.00

Magazines.................................... 142,600.00

Miscellaneous.................................... 2,085,958.06

Total.............................................. $13,524,505.37

The sum required for the trans­portation of mails is      $1,408.850.00

The sloop Cyane will sail today or Monday. She has taken on board provisions sufficient for one month. She will cruise in Martha’s Vineyard, and will then return to this station.

 

It is said that Commodore Joseph Lanman is to be “Captain of the Fleet,” in the steam frigate Wabash, of the Home Squadron.

Why a “Boot”

(See page 1353, November, 1945, Proceedings)

Captain K. C. McIntosh (S.C.), U. S. Navy (Retired).—In regard to Captain Hall’s discussion of the origin of the term “Boot,” I have heard it in the making. The old-time bare feet were disappearing when I entered the Navy; crews wherein young American boys slightly outnumbered the die­hard “stick-and-string” hereditary mariners were usual. These youngsters came in drafts from NTS, Newport, with a full bag, includ­ing the recently established issue of rubber boots. By some strange alchemy, the fol­lowing morning, the recruits were bootless, and the old-timers were outfitted. As a re­sult, as the launch with a new draft came alongside, you could hear grinning cox­swains remarking, “Here come the boots!”

“Gob,” when I first heard it, was in the original, longer form “Gobshyte,” which is Cantonese water-front slang for “sailor.” Kipling called it “Gobbie” in his tale, “Their Lawful Occasions.”

“Snipe” I have never heard.

A Post-War Naval Reserve

(See page 813, June, 1946, Proceedings)

Lieutenant Grey Burns, U. S. Naval Reserve (Inactive).—Captain Copeland’s excellent plan for “A Post-War Naval Re­serve” should receive the full approval of all reserve personnel and will undoubtedly be given careful consideration by the Depart­ment.

I can think of only one thing that might be added. Why not inaugurate a plan where­by reserve personnel might, without cost to the government, voluntarily contribute to a fund to provide medical service at naval hos­pitals to those members of the Reserve whose homes are within areas already served by established Naval Medical facilities?

If it is worthwhile to train a man at con­siderable expense to the Government, it should be worthwhile to keep him in top physical condition at a minimum expense to himself.

Admiral Willson’s “Tropical Cruise” in the same issue provided the light touch that every issue could use.

 

 

Digital Proceedings content made possible by a gift from CAPT Roger Ekman, USN (Ret.)

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