Brown D K - Rebuilding the Royal Navy

D K Brown

In some ways, this is the sequel to my series of four books dealing with British warship design from 1800 to the end of the Second World War. It is similar in that it concentrates on naval architecture and marine engineering, with developments in weapons, electronics etc, mentioned only in so far as they affect the design of the ship. For much of the period, this distinction governed design, enshrined in the separation of DG Ships and DG Weapons.

However, this book differs from its predecessors in several important aspects. The Thirty Year Rule means that official documents are not available for the whole period, though much information is given at an earlier stage than in the past. Nor can I pretend to be unbiased, as I was party to many of the decisions made. On the other hand, I can give an insiders view which some later historian may use in less biased form. This is my excuse for intruding my memories into George Moores chapters! Rather than attempting to impose a uniform style, we have chosen a lead author for each chapter (George Moore for , and David Brown for the remainder); but each chapter has been vetted by both authors, who may have inserted their views.

This was a period of great change: in particular, the RN was no longer the biggest and, in some aspects, not even the best navy in the world, but it was a long time before the government, the Navy itself and the general public realised and accepted this fact. Technically, armour and (except in nuclear submarines) steam engines disappeared, and guns lost their predominance. Electronics dominated the topside layout and had a major impact inside. Everyone expected vastly better living conditions. At the same time, many ship classes were severely cost-limited.

Nuclear weapons influenced building policy as well as the design of ships, while submarines turned to nuclear power (it was also considered for surface ships). Considerable space has been devoted to designs that were not built, as often these form the missing link between classes that were put into service, and they are inherently fascinating as so little is known about them.

And now a word from my co-author.

George Moore

The reader may wonder just why a second author is involved in the compilation of this work. The answer lies in the expanse of time and the sheer complexity of the subject in an period lasting more than 50 years.

The chapters for which I take prime responsibility are set in the first two decades covered by the book. The evolution of each warship design is chronicled by the use of original documents to ensure that the history is accurate. However, as a general rule only some 1 per cent of the paper produced by government departments survives in archives, which inevitably means that there are gaps in the detail. Another problem faced is that some records are restricted for far longer than the stipulated 30 years for either security or practical reasons. Some warships do, after all, have very long lives, and policies, particularly in the nuclear area, have sensitive security considerations. It is, however, feasible to compile an outline history of each class from conception to birth, and this has been this authors aim. The political and financial aspects are not neglected.

The first two decades of the post-war era, although not encompassing major hostilities, were some of the most dramatic, technically and economically, in the long history of the Royal Navy. The battleship died, the cruiser and destroyer were effectively merging, the desirable aircraft carrier proved unaffordable, whilst the submarine grew into one of the worlds most formidable weapons. It is a fascinating story.

Any views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Ministry of Defence.

Acknowledgements

As usual, this book would not be possible without the help of many friends.

First come former colleagues who contributed so much to the design of the ships described in this book and then put their memories on paper: Messrs Alan Bull, Martin Cawte, (Dr) David Chalmers, (Dr) John Coates, Alan Creighton, Keith Foulger, Geoff Fuller, Norman Gundry, Arthur Honnor, Jim Lawrence, Peter Lover, Dennis ONeill, Doug Pattison, Ken Purvis, Jack Revans, Eric Tupper, (Dr) Peter Usher, Alfred Vosper, Brian Wall, Fred Yearling, all RCNC, also Miss Mcnair, the HTP specialist, and Les Savage. Also Nick Pattison and John Sadden, shipbuilders, and Ian Johnston.

Then the keepers of historical records and librarians: John Shears (Journal of Naval Engineering); Ms Jenny Wraight (Admiralty Librarian); the late J David Brown and his successor at Naval Historical Branch, Chris Page; Bob Todd and his staff (National Maritime Museum, Brass Foundry); the Cambridge University Library (Vickers Archive); the Public Record Office; the Chairman of the World Ship Society, Dr Richard Osborne.

The Chief Executive, Royal Institution of Naval Architects is thanked for permission to quote from RINA papers. The Crown Copyright Administrator is also thanked. Some illustrations are Crown Copyright MoD, reproduced with the permission of Her Majestys Stationary Office and individually identified as MoD.

We are particularly grateful to John Roberts, who has not only drawn many illustrations but has also cast an informed and critical eye over the text. Other drawings are by Len Crockford. BAE SYSTEMS, the World Ship Society, Walter Cloots and Mike Lennon are thanked for permission to use their photographs.