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F,y Navy: The History of Naval Aviation
Brian Johnson. New York: William Morrow and Co., 1981. 362 pp. Illus.
Blb- $14.95 ($13.45).
U* S. Carriers at War
Beter Kilduff. Harrisburg, PA.:
“lackpole Books, 1981. 166 pp. Illus.
B'b. $16.95 ($15.25).
Reviewed by Norman Friedman
With the accession of a Secretary °f the Navy convinced of the value of Carriers and their aircraft, the carrier navy would seem to have regained the Political strength it had before the era of Robert S. McNamara. These two b°oks, both of them pro-carrier, illustrate the political problem which resins. Brian Johnson’s Fly Navy, al- 'ogedly “The History of Naval Aviation,” devotes only 18 of 362 Pnges to the period since 1945. Peter Kilduff’s Carriers at War is a World “Tu- II history of the U. S. carrier jorce, centering on the Pacific oper- a,|ons. In both cases, an uninformed Header might reasonably conclude that *ne value of the carrier ended in 1945, a°d that the surviving carriers are anachronistic at best. Current U. S. carrier photographs advertising Carriers A* War in England, and the jet fighter Painting on the cover of the U- S.—but not the British—edition of '’O’ Navy reinforce this view. Of c°urse, Kilduff is hardly at fault; he °n'y promised a history of the wartime carrier force.
This said, Kilduffs book is by far more satisfactory of the two. He ls far more concerned with the aircraft 'han with their carriers, a natural enough view given his previous interest in military aircraft. His book is the atest in a series of “at war” volumes Published in England by Ian Allan, all based on eyewitness accounts of operations, largely during World War II. fhe net effect can hardly be described as a comprehensive or balanced his- t0ry, but it does provide a much more Street account of the naval air war than do many more complete books. As in many such books, there are numerous illustrations, more than half of them new. There are also the usual complement of errors. One deserves comment, although it is not Kilduff s fault. A photograph of a flaming single-engine aircraft has often been printed as an example of a Japanese bomber brought down by proximity- fuzed shellfire. Charles Haberlein of the Naval Historical Center has, however, identified it as a U. S. Navy Wildcat fighter, brought down by mistake after it ventured into the keep- out” zone above the task group.
This doomed World War II aircraft has often been identified as a Japanese
bomber_ and is again in Fly Navy. Not so, says reviewer Friedman, it’s one of
our Wildcat fighters that was shot down by our own people.
U. S. Carriers at War delivers what it claims: a series of relatively unconnected accounts of carrier warfare in World War II at the personal level, from the aircrew's rather than from the carrier crew’s point of view. The naval strategist and tactician will learn little about hardware, since that element does not appear to have involved original research. They will, however, learn a great deal about the texture of war, an element often missing from more formal accounts. As for the photographs, with a few important excep-
tions, the U. S. ships and aircraft are well represented, but the Japanese aircraft are the usual grainy views from the National Archives and other depositories. It is unfortunate that the author was unable to gain access to the excellent photographs which so often grace Japanese accounts of the Pacific War aircraft.
Fly Navy is both more ambitious and much more unfortunate. It is based on a British Broadcast Corporation television series for which research clearly went far beyond the usual; the footnotes refer to documents in the Public Records Office and even to ships’ logs. Unfortunately, the bulk of the more careful research appears to have been concerned with the period up to and through World War I. Johnson’s account of developments in the interwar period does include some new material, but much of it is a repetition of already familiar material. Aircraft and ship statistics, some inaccurate, fill far too much of the space. Johnson’s errors are compounded by what appears to be atrocious proofreading. Nearly all the dates, particularly of aircraft and ship design and authorization, are unreliable. For example, Johnson dates the Essex class from a 1938 authorization. A more appropriate date would be 1940, as that is clearly more closely related to the political realities which engendered the class. Similarly, an American would find it difficult to understand Johnson’s contention that in 1939 Britain had a prospective enemy whereas the United States (whose Navy had for almost two decades trained against that of Japan) had none. He uses this statement to explain why the U. S. Navy did not develop a modern monoplane naval fighter earlier.
It is unfortunate too that what purports to be a history of naval aviation does not dwell on the role of shore- based or seaborne aircraft after 1918. Japan, for example, appears to have considered such aircraft an essential element of naval defense, and they certainly proved effective against HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse in 1941. Any student of recent arguments in favor of land-based maritime patrol aircraft (or B-I derivatives for sea control) would be curious to examine the World War II record, but on this score Johnson is mostly silent.
Indeed, Fly Navy is most concerned with naval air policy during the interwar period, and far too little concerned with overall lessons (i.e., the effects of policy) in wartime. It does provide a large number of anecdotes of naval action, some new to this writer.
For an American, the post-1945 chapter is probably the saddest. Surely, a period of over three decades deserves more than passing mention. Surely, too, Korea and Vietnam had some effect on carrier operations other than to cause the construction of the Forrestals. The chapter emphasizes the British experience, ending on a note of hope for the Fleet Air Arm, with the development of the Sea Harrier V/STOL fighter/attack aircraft. The survival of a French fixed- wing naval air arm is not even mentioned, nor is the extension of carrier capability to many lesser navies since 1945. The Indian Navy even used carrier aircraft in combat in 1971, a point worthy of mention in a book advertised as comprehensive.
Dr. Friedman is a physicist with the Hudson Institute. specializing in the analysis of naval and military problems. He is a frequent contributor to the Proceedings and is the author of several books, including Carrier Air Power (published and distributed in the United States by the Naval Institute Press, 1981). plus two to be published this year by the Naval Institute Press. U. S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History and U. S. Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History.
Soviet Military Power
Department of Defense. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1981. 99 pp. Illus. $6.50.
Reviewed by Norman Polmar
Probably the best-selling book in Washington last fall was Soviet Military Power, the long-awaited “red book” of Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger. This paperback report, lavishly illustrated with color as well as black-and-white illustrations and with numerous charts and tables, seeks to provide “A clear understanding of Soviet Armed Forces, their doctrine, their capabilities, their strengths and their weaknesses . . . essential to the shaping and maintenance of effective U. S. and Allied Armed Forces.”
There is a lot in these pages about the Soviet armed forces. Most of the material has appeared previously in the published hearings of the various congressional committees. This report, however, is probably the most concentrated dose of Soviet military developments available to the public. Beyond recounting the impressive numbers of ships, tanks, aircraft- guns, and missiles being produced, the report addresses organization, industrial development, and the Soviet “quest for technological superiority. However, there is very little about the “weaknesses” referred to in Secretary Weinberger’s preface.
The naval sections of the report provide the latest data on Soviet surface ships, aircraft, and submarines. There are 377 submarines currently in service (up 25 from three years ago) and 390 strike/bomber aircraft, including more than 70 of the supersonic “Backfires” (up 50 strike/bomber aircraft from three years ago). There are also detailed data on the strategic submarine force and the first published views of the giant (25,000-ton) "Typhoon’ ballistic missile submarine. (See November 1981 Proceedings, page 89.)
Some of the scientific-technological material in the report is fascinating- as well as frightening. For example- the Soviets appear to be developing a space booster which will have six to seven times the thrust of the U. S- space shuttle. While the United States leads the Soviet Union by two to seven years in microelectronics and computer technology, it is quickly losing its edge in electro-optical sensors, guidance and navigation systems, optics, and propulsion, and the Soviets should be able to deploy laser weapons against planes and troops by the mid-1980s.
The publication, including the naval sections, shows a great similarity to the U. S. Navy's Understanding Soviet Naval Developments, published periodically since 1974. However, the large print of the DoD publication, its many tables and illustrations, and almost “gee whiz” approach at times distract the reader from the seriousness of the material. Also, many of the warship photographs have been retouched to remove their names or pennant numbers. The retouching <s obvious and ridiculous since the unretouched photographs had previously been released and have appeared in several publications.
But the information and illustra-
l|ons in this publication make it an invaluable reference document for all those interested in the current Soviet rri|litary and naval developments.
r- Polmar, a regular Proceedings contributor ^nd defense consultant, is the author of the Naval Institute's forthcoming third edition of Guide to le Soviet Navy. He was the author of the first edition of the U. S. Navy publication Under- st(*nding Soviet Naval Developments.
Nautical Rules of the Road: The International and Unified Inland Rules
O
“■ A. Farnsworth and Larry C. Young, ^entreville. MD.: Cornell Maritime Press, 1981. 192 pp. Ulus. $13.50.
($12.15).
Reviewed by Captain William B. Hayler, • S. Navy (Retired)
This comprehensive small book is ’he first text which compares the 1972 International Rules of the Road (72 COLREGS) with the new Unified In- httid Rules which went into effect on J;4 December 1981. It is an ideal guide ’°r naval officers, midshipmen, or for ^arnen preparing for the Coast Guard hcensing examination. This book is also for the yachtsman whose interest extends beyond a quiet sail.
Old salts will remember that until the 1972 International Rules became effective, the authoritative Coast Guard pamphlet Navigation Rules (CG-169), printed the International and Inland Rules side by side so the reader could compare each Inland Rule with its international counterpart. If there was no corresponding Inland Rule, the space was left blank. When the 1972 rules became effective in 1977, this was no longer possible because the paragraphing changed, making a comparison of the rules more difficult. The current edition of Farwell's Rules of the Nautical Road (Naval Institute Press, 1977), now being revised, goes to great lengths to treat the same subjects on the same page, regardless of the paragraph numbering.
Most of us thought we would never live to see the modernization of the Inland Rules, but it has finally happened. The archaic provisions of the old Inland Rules have been laid to rest. We no longer read, “a steam vessel proceeding under sail only, but having her funnel up . . • The new wording made it possible for the authors to return to the format of CG- 169, placing the Inland Rules side by side with the International Rules. In addition, they have added their own extremely well thought out. very helpful comments, full of practical advice for the mariner. These comments, printed on the right-hand pages, give the student some background of the rules which appear on the left-hand side. They are in understandable, nonlegal terms. Although they do not have the force of court interpretations. they are more than adequate for the depth to which the text goes into the subject. The sketches of lights, arcs of visibility, and ranges are exceptionally clear. The comment pages usually have the bonus of ample space for the student to add his own memory aids or notes.
The authors are well qualified in their subject. Lieutenant Commander Farnsworth is in the Coast Guard Reserve, and is at the Coast Guard Institute which is responsible for preparing, updating, and correcting licensing examinations from third mate to master. Lieutenant Young is on active duty in the Coast Guard, currently assigned to the Institute.
In reviewing this book, it is imperative to comment upon the awesome importance of understanding the Rules of the Road and obeying them intelligently. As the number of subjects which a midshipman must master in preparing for a life at sea mushrooms, it is easy to downgrade or de- emphasize a study of the rules in an academic atmosphere. After all, there will be ample time for the new officer to glance through the rules before he goes on watch. Or will there? This trend is unfortunate and unfair to the new ensign or third mate, as well as to his shipmates whose lives are entrusted to his care.
This text will be equally helpful to the novice in studying the rules and to the seasoned mariner in bringing himself up to date. The book does not pretend to replace Farwell on a mariner’s bookshelf. For an in-depth study, including background on the evolution of the rules and court decisions which have an impact on the interpretation of the rules, one must still turn to Farwell.
A master mariner. Captain Hayler is on the faculty of the California Maritime Academy. He is a contributor to the Proceedings and editor of American Merchant Seaman's Manual.
Books of Interest
Compiled by Professor Craig L. Symonds, Associate Editor
NAVAL AFFAIRS
ES Axis Blockade Runners of World War II
Martin Brice. Annapolis. MD.: Naval Institute Press. 1981. 160 pp. Illus. Bib. Ind. $18.95 ($15.16).
Despite Nazi claims of self-sufficiency, critical war materials from overseas —especially petroleum, tin, and rubber—made continued imports necessary during World War II. The task was not an easy one: the long runs from South America and Japan—Germany's principal trade partners—ran through waters commanded by Allied navies. This briskly written little book is a history of Germany's effort to maintain the flow of critical supplies through those waters, first in traditional surface merchantmen and then in submarines. The flow had slowed to a trickle by 1943 and had clearly failed by 1945.
1-2 Carrier Air Power
Norman Friedman. Annapolis. MD.: Naval Institute Press. 1981. 192 pp. Illus. Append. Notes. $29.95 ($23.96).
This is an attractive, oversized analytical history of aircraft carriers from their inception in the 1920s to the present. It is
not a source book, though it is replete with specific information. Rather, it is a detailed and thoughtful history in which Friedman assesses the policy changes as well as the physical changes that have marked the history of aircraft carriers.
ES Everybody Works But John Paul Jones: A Portrait of the U. S. Naval Academy, 1845-1915
Marne Warren and Marion E. Warren. Annapolis, MD.: Naval Institute Press. 1981. 120 pp. Illus. $19.95 ($15.96).
This picture book offers a portrait of the U. S. Naval Academy from its earliest years to World War I. The old photos are of remarkable quality, depicting landmarks still recognizable a century later. Though one is struck by the differences between the academy then and the yard today, one is also reminded that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
0 A Glorious Way to Die: The Kamikaze Mission of the Battleship Yamato, April 1945
Russell Spurr. New York. NY.: Newmarket Press. 1981. 341 pp. Illus. Bib. Ind. $14.95 ($11.96).
In April 1945, with Japan in the last throes of its death agony, the Japanese high command made a desperate gamble, expending its precious oil reserves to send the superbattleship Yamato to attack the U. S. fleet off Okinawa. The ship never reached her destination. Instead, she was sent to the bottom en route by U. S. naval aircraft. In this well-written account, Spurr tells the story of the Yamato's sortie from the perspective of the Japanese as well as the Americans, thus illuminating the mentality of Japanese leadership in 1945 as well as the morale of the Japanese sailors.
David A. Anderton. New York. NY.: Crown Publishers. Inc.. 1981. 56 pp. Illus. $15.95 ($12.76).
This oversized illustrated account of the Navy’s F6F fighter plane features two huge foldouts on heavy gauge paper. The illustrations by Rikyu Watanabe—the principal feature of the book—are meticulous in their detail.
MARITIME AFFAIRS
The Blue Water Dream: The Escape-to- the-Sea Syndrome
D. H. Clarke. New York. NY.: David McKay Company. 1981. 277 pp. Charts. Append.
$12.95 ($11.65).
Clarke has written an effective antidote for
those whose minds have been poisoned by "how-to" books glorifying escape to the sea in one’s own sailboat. His penetrating questions and chilling examples are designed to push the reader to think for himself about the many facets and implications of consolidating one’s resources into a well-found sailboat and setting out for three years. Those still intent on putting to sea will find this book a splendid combination of detail and philosophy. Clarke provides detailed practical considerations for both the amateur and the professional- Armchair dreamers and experienced sailors will benefit from reading this comprehensive book.
Making Ocean Policy: The Politics of Government Organization and Management
Francis W. Hoole. Robert L. Friedheim. and Timothy M. Hennessey. Editors. Boulder.
CO.: Westview Press. 1981. 291 pp. Tables. $23.75 ($21.37).
This collection of articles surveys the history of U. S. ocean policy and the policy debate within the government regarding how best to develop a practical ocean policy. Among the issues covered are governing the coastal zone, management of seaports, fishing rights, and marine research. But primarily, this is a study of government management techniques, and the contributors emphasize the policymaking process rather than the policy itself.
MILITARY AFFAIRS
The Age of the Biplane
Chaz Bowyer. Englewood Cliffs, NJ.: Prentice-Hall, 1981. 192 pp. Illus. Bib. Ind. $24.95 ($22.45).
From Wilbur and Orville Wright’s first test flight at Kitty Hawk through World War I to the barnstorming 1920s, the biplane dominated aviation. This oversized, heavily illustrated volume surveys their history in photographs and text. Many of the photographs are in color, and a few cross-sectional drawings provide details of the inner workings of these aircraft.
The Evolution of Weapons and Warfare
Trevor N. Dupuy. Indianapolis. IN.: Bobbs- Merrill. Inc.. 1980. 350 pp. Append. Ind.
$14.95 ($13.45).
This book provides an evolutionary view °f military tactics and technology through three major periods, called the ages of Muscle, Gunpowder, and Technological Change. Its scholarship updates the pre- vi°us standard in the field, Tom Win- tringham's 1943 Weapons and Tactics, reused in 1973 by John Blashford-Snell. Dupuy demonstrates that human intelligence is the real continuity in this evolution and weapons are not in themselves successful until employed within a viable tactical system. Tactical systems generally '''ork best when emphasizing a balanced ’°rce of all arms. The best of these, according to Dupuy, were Alexander’s Macedonians, Scipio’s legions, Ghengis’s horde, the Black Prince’s feudal army, Napoleon's Corps d'Armee, and the Ger- uian blitzkrieg army. The critical essay nature of this book spoils the author’s thematic development; he cannot resist the desire to assail contemporary military Practice—chiefly the U. S. Army—for its historical and statistical-scientific approach to the art of war.
The History of American Wars
Harry Williams. New York, NY.: Alfred A. K-iopf, 1981. 435 pp. Bib. Ind. $20.00 ($18.00).
T- Harry Williams was one of the most Prolific military historians of this century. His classic Lincoln and His Generals (Ran- °m House, 1964) has dominated the his- oriography of the Civil War, and his coauthored American history textbook is ^idely used and universally respected.
his history of American wars was to have surveyed U. S. military history from colonial times to Vietnam. Mr. Williams’s death in 1979 cut his project short, but this book carries the story through 1918 to the end of World War I. It is a well-written, insightful analysis, sure to become a standard work on the subject.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Q The Road to Pearl Harbor: 1941
Richard Collier. New York. NY.: Atheneum, 1981. 310 pp. Illus. Bib. Ind. $16.95 ($13.56).
In this detailed history, Collier focuses on the diplomatic background to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Unlike many other such histories. Collier emphasizes the role of events in Europe—the North African battles and the Soviet-German war—in creating the climate that led the Japanese to make their crucial but foolish decision to attack. This book places the Japanese- American war in global perspective.
FICTION Sea Leopard
Craig Thomas. New York. NY.: Viking Press, 1981. 316 pp. $13.95 ($12.55).
In this improbable potboiler, the Soviet Red Banner Fleet attempts to board and seize a British nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea in order to learn the secrets of her anti-sonar technology. It is essentially a spy story with the addition of some unlikely sea heroics. Purists will object to the occasionally simpleminded situations—e.g., only one man in all the Western world can explain how the anti-sonar system functions; of course, he is missing. Nonetheless, this is good escapist fiction.
Torpedo Run
Douglas Recman. New York. NY.: William Morrow and Company, 1981. 290 pp. $11.95 ($10.75).
Reeman is the author of more than 20 sea novels, nearly all of them concerning battle action in World War II. In this novel, he focuses on a British motor torpedo boat squadron sent to the Black Sea to help the Russians in their campaign against the Germans holding the Crimea. The protagonist. Lieutenant Commander John Devane, Royal Navy, leads this squadron in combat against German E boats, and this confrontation serves as a microcosm of war at sea.
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