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John Currin

15 years in Royal New Zealand Navy

British Special Service Squadron – May 1924

Date published 23/05/2024

In this ongoing blog series, the National Museum of the Royal Navy is following the route of the British Special Service Squadron during the centenary of its voyage. In this entry we discuss its travels to New Zealand and across the Pacific Ocean. 

Content warning – historic image of Māori peoples which may now be seen to have been taken in exploitative circumstances. 

During May 1924 the Squadron was separated, visiting many different locations.

Contemporary map of the Pacific Ocean, showing Brisbane, Sydney, Wellington, and Fiji.
Detail of the World Cruise. RMM 1982/87/a006 – Courtesy of the National Museum of the Royal Navy

Wellington, North Island 24 April – 8 May 1924

The battle cruisers HMS Hood and Repulse, with the Australian cruiser HMAS Adelaide arrived at Wellington on 24 April 1924. They met with HMS Chatham, which was being commissioned for New Zealand service, and with the Governor General, Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Jellicoe of Scapa. 

The arrival had been timed in advance of ANZAC Day, the annual commemoration on 25 April for Australian and New Zealand service personnel at   Gallipoli in 1915  . At the Cenotaph in Wellington, the Governor-General conveyed a message from the King and Queen and then continued:

“I am sure they appreciate the presence in our midst of Vice Admiral Sir Frederick Field, the officers and men of the British Squadron, and of the Royal Australian Navy. The former represent the Navy which worked with the men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on the Gallipoli Peninsula… the latter stand for the other and larger part of that Anzac force.” Scott O’Connor, 1925

ANZAC Day is still commemorated every year, with ceremonies in Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, at the Cenotaph in London and here at the National Museum of the Royal Navy with HM Monitor 33, the last surviving ship from Gallipoli. Our service this year can be viewed on YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/UkWcWMWyYPkANZAC Day Service – Thursday 25th April 2024

The battleships stayed at Wellington until Wednesday 7 May 1924. Lord Jellicoe then sailed in HMS Hood, invited by Vice-Admiral Field. HMS Hood and HMAS Adelaide made a visit to Napier while HMS Repulse proceeded independently to Gisborne before sailing to Auckland. 

Lyttleton (Whakaraupō), South Island 26 April – 8 May 1924

Meanwhile, the light cruisers sailed from Sydney on 26 April 1924, with HMS Delhi at the front. Most of the cruisers were bound for Lyttleton Harbour (Whakaraupō) near Christchurch. At Lyttleton, 24,200 visitors were received by HMS Delhi, Danae and Dragon before they sailed for Napier on the east coast of North Island, where HMAS Adelaide and HMS Hood joined them.

HMS Dauntless off the Foveaux Strait on route to South Island, New Zealand. RNM 2015/175/4 – Courtesy of the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

Dunedin and Bluff Harbour, South Island 26 April – 8 May 1924

HMS Dauntless and HMS Dunedin had parted company from the other light cruisers outside Sydney Heads and continued to Dunedin, arriving on 1 May 1924. The passage was rough with hurricane force winds blowing during the last part of the trip. Once in Dunedin, an official dinner and a Navy League dance formed part of the ceremonies.

HMS Dauntless then sailed on to Bluff Harbour on Sunday 4 April. Captain Round-Turner wrote:

“At 3.30 we sailed for Bluff, leaving the Dunedin behind… the weather was comparatively kind, but it is a vile part of the world from a sailor’s point of view, lonely, barren, unfrequented, unlighted and badly charted… my recollections of Bluff and what I saw of the country round are much the same as those which I have of a rain-soaked Scapa Flow, but I know that it would be quite unjust to say that was the real character of the country”. (RNM 2015/175/4)

Western charts and means of navigation in this area were still being improved and created. Māori peoples had instead navigated by stars, rather than charts. The Māori star compass (Te kapehu whetū) is a system of separating the 360 degrees around a canoe into sections (houses). The excerpt above demonstrates how, thus far, the indigenous population’s understanding and knowledge of their lands had been somewhat discounted.

Overall, it was a brief and peaceful two-day visit to Bluff Harbour. HMS Dauntless then sailed again, meeting HMS Dunedin off Dunedin Heads on 8 May 1924 to jointly continue their voyage directly up to Auckland.  

Auckland 10 – 18 May 1924

When HMS Hood arrived in Auckland, Lord Jellicoe left the ship and returned to Government House. The whole city was decorated with flags and the important buildings were lit up in honour of the Squadron’s visit. The formal ceremonies were observed, and the Naval Brigade marched through the city. Hood and the other ships of the squadron were placed in ‘At Home’ status and received visitors. The ‘At Home’ status was a relic of a Victorian and Edwardian social custom, when a household would be available to receive visitors; it was considered impolite to visit on other days without an invitation when the host might be out.

At this time, the New Zealand Naval Forces were under the control of Commander-in-Chief, China and therefore directly part of the Royal Navy, unlike Australia whose Royal Australian Navy (RAN) began in 1911. In 1909 the Admiralty had proposed the development of a Pacific Fleet; the increase in German naval development during this period had encouraged the establishment of the RAN. Control of the China station had transferred to New Zealand after its formation. HMS Dunedin was officially transferred to this New Zealand Division on 10 May after the squadron’s arrival, taking the place of HMS Chatham. The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) would not be formally established until 1 October 1941, when the service was recognised as independent of the Royal Navy.

As part of the visit a group of officers and men visited Rotura, where they stayed in the Grand Hotel as guests of the New Zealand Government. Their visit included a trip to a nearby Māori village, Ohinemutu.

Maoris, including a Chief, at Rotorua at Rotorua, album kept by Stuart Bonham-Carter, HMS Delhi. RNM 1981/899/240 and RNM 2015/175/4 – Courtesy of the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

There is no confirmed identified iwi (kinship) connection in the photograph, but Ohimemutu is the home of the Ngāti Whakaue tribe. The image has been included to acknowledge the Māori peoples as hosts to the officers and men of the ships who visited them. We would like to hear from anyone who could help us describe this image more appropriately. 

“An elderly man clothed in a skirt of black and white straws (really seisil   [sisal grass]) appeared brandishing his wooden sword and uttering horrible challenges. He laid three sticks on the ground, indicating we might advance in peace… the Chiefs came forward in turns beginning “Haere Mai, Haere Mai, Haere Mai welcome, welcome, welcome” and then continued “welcome great sailors from over the seas. We bid you welcome in the name of the great Māori race” They told of how the Māori first came to New Zealand in canoes, how we were their brothers because we too had come in ships and went on to assure us of everlasting loyalty and devotion to the empire.” Captain Round Turner, RNM 2015/175/4.

This excerpt belies the complex history of British settlers in New Zealand during the mid-19th century and their relations with the Māori people.  Māori servicemen had served in the First World War in the Gallipoli campaign, and as part of the New Zealand (Māori) Pioneer Battalion. Following the War, there was some political recognition for the Māori peoples, and the Board of Māori Ethnological Research had been established in 1923. However, the treatment of Māori people continued to be poor and visits to them such as this were more for touristic value than for respect. Today the issue of visiting of indigenous populations as a tourist stop is regarded as less acceptable, but it was common for Royal Naval personnel on this tour and in naval service at this time generally.

Suva, Fiji 21 May 1924

The Squadron departed for Suva, the capital of Fiji on Sunday 18 May 1924 after a gale postponed the sailing of the squadron. This was the first time all the ships had been together since their visit to Hobart, Australia in April. The late start meant the squadron put on a good pace, doing 15 ½ knots to make up time meaning they did make good progress. 

On their arrival at Suva, 21 May 1924, their entrance was carefully planned:

“The Dauntless is going in first, with Danae following, the two B.C.s [battlecruisers] at 1.45 followed by Delhi and Dragon.” Captain Round Turner, RNM 2015/175/4

The crews were given a welcome (meke) which included the ceremonial preparation of kava from the roots of the Yaqona plant; their indigenous hosts prevailed upon the Admirals to drink it. All other formalities were also observed, with a ceremonial march through the town on 24 May 1924.

The Squadron sailed Tuesday 27 May 1924:

“This evening, we cross the 180th meridian, and so tomorrow is also Tuesday, giving us 8 days this week instead of the usual 7. Of course, this event has been a topic of interest for days past. We have the unusual experience of having 367 days in one year”. Wilfred Woolman RNM 1999/31

After anchoring briefly off Samoa, for just an hour and a half on 29 May 1924, the ships set off across the Pacific for Honolulu, Hawaii. The sailors had clearly enjoyed their time in the southern hemisphere and 141 were recorded as having ‘run’, (going absent without leave).

“There have been a good many desertions in the S.S.S [Special Service Squadron], mostly in Australia but a few in New Zealand. The B.C.s [battle cruisers] lost 70 men between them and the L.C.s [Light Cruisers] an average of about 12 each. I have lost fewest of all, 7 and they were all men that Australia is quite welcome to!! Three went in Sydney and four in Brisbane, it is the high wages that attract them.” Captain Round Turner, RNM 2015/175/4 

Come back next month to hear about the next leg of the squadron’s journey. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the British Special Service Squadron you can search our Collection.

Search our CollectionSources and further reading

RNM 2015/175/4 Letters of Captain Charles Round-Turner to his wife. 1923-1924

RNM 1981/899/240 Album kept by Stuart Bonham-Carter, HMS Delhi) page 67

RNM 1999/31. Woolman, Wilfred. Typescript transcription of a diary kept by Wilfred as Schoolmaster in HMS Repulse during the world cruise of the Special Service Squadron, 27th November 1923 – 29th September 1924.  Transcript by his son Aubrey Woolman

Scott O’Connor, Vincent Clarence.  The Empire Cruise. Riddle, Smith & Duffus, 1925 

HMS St Albans rededicated to the Royal Navy’s fleet after major five-year revamp

HMS St Albans has been formally rededicated after spending five years away from operations.

The Type 23 Duke-class frigate began an intense refit in 2019 following 20 years of continual service across the globe.

But she has now made her return to the fleet, with a ceremony and celebration taking place in Portsmouth.

Several weapons and sensors have been upgraded and all four diesel engines have been replaced, as well as approximately 350 more structural enhancements to strengthen the frigate.

“This renovation will carry HMS St Albans into the middle of the next decade, making her more efficient, reliable and able to meet the needs of sailors in the 2030s,” said the Royal Navy.

HMS St Albans is a fast, adaptable, versatile Type 23 frigate – and the most recent addition to the Royal Navy’s frigate fleet.

a rededication ceremony took place in HMNB Portsmouth for HMS St Albans 19052024 CREDIT Royal Navy, MOD
A rededication ceremony took place in HMNB Portsmouth for HMS St Albans (Picture: Royal Navy)

HMS St Albans’ Commanding Officer, Commander Helen Coxon, said: “Rededicating HMS St Albans is a significant milestone in our regeneration journey, as we transition from engineering project to warship.

“Regenerating a frigate is a challenging time, with complex trials on cutting-edge equipment.

“But it is the people and the support from their loved ones that is central to our success.

“It was fantastic that affiliates, friends and families of our ship’s company have been able to join the celebrations.”

Watch: In March, there was excitement for HMS St Albans’ crew as frigate returned to sea following four-year refit

The rededication ceremony saw friends and family of the ship’s company in attendance, alongside the ship’s sponsor, Lady Essenhigh, and other VIPs and dignitaries.

All guests were invited to watch the ceremony and were also invited on board for a tour of HMS St Albans.

HMS St Albans will now continue sea trials, before beginning Operational Sea Training off the coast of Plymouth later this year.

21st May 2024 at 9:00am

Royal Navy’s most powerful hunter-killer sub one step closer to frontline deployment

Alex Candlin 21st May 2024 at 4:18pm

The Royal Navy’s newest and most advanced hunter-killer submarine is moving closer to frontline deployment following intensive tests in the Atlantic.

HMS Anson, the fifth Astute-class vessel, conducted trials off the east coast of the United States and in the Caribbean Sea, rigorously testing her state-of-the-art systems and weaponry.

During trials, Anson spent time in waters off the UK coast and then sailed further north of Scotland to test her weapons systems with successful firings of both Spearfish and Tomahawk test missiles.

More intensive trials were conducted in the Atlantic at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) near the Bahamas.

Tests at AUTEC are crucial for her to prove she can operate without detection.

The sea trials bring HMS Anson one step closer to being deployed (Picture: Royal Navy)
The sea trials bring HMS Anson one step closer to being deployed (Picture: Royal Navy)

The sea trials also gave the crew the chance to get ashore.

“It was a great opportunity to see a new place and meet new people. I’d never been to the US before,” said one member of the crew.

“The opportunity for the majority of the ship’s company to spend a few days on Andros was fantastic,” another submariner said.

“This afforded us a few days of rest from the sea trials we were conducting and allowed us to spend time on the beach in the sun relaxing and playing volleyball with base personnel.”

Watch: ‘World-leading’ submarine HMS Anson commissioned into Royal Navy

Astute-class nuclear-powered submarines are the largest and most advanced submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy.

The submarine, which will soon join the operational cycle, can launch long-range Tomahawk missiles and fire lethal Spearfish torpedoes.

HMS Anson will soon join her sister ships, HMS Astute, Ambush, Artful and Audacious around the globe.

Furthermore, the new submarine will have a nuclear reactor which will not need to be refuelled during her 25-year service period.

USS Minnesota (BB-22), the fifth of six Connecticut-class pre-dreadnought battleships, was the first ship of the United States Navy in honor of the 32nd state.

USS MINNESOTA 1907

She was laid down at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia in October 1903, launched in April 1905, and commissioned into the US fleet in March 1907, just four months after the revolutionary British battleship HMS Dreadnought entered service. Minnesota was armed with a main battery of four 12-inch (305 mm) guns and a secondary battery of twenty 7 and 8 in (178 and 203 mm) guns, unlike Dreadnought, which carried an all-big-gun armament that rendered ships like Minnesota obsolescent.

Shortly after she entered service, Minnesota joined the Great White Fleet for its circumnavigation of the globe in 1908–1909. The years from 1909 to 1912 were uneventful, but thereafter the ship began to become involved in conflicts in the Caribbean. She supported efforts to put down an insurrection in Cuba in 1912 and patrolled the coast of Mexico in 1913–1914 during the Mexican Revolution. In 1916, the ship was placed in reserve, though she quickly returned to service when the United States entered World War I in April 1917. During the war, she trained naval personnel; while cruising off the eastern coast of the United States in September 1918, she struck a naval mine laid by a German U-boat. The extensive damage required lengthy repairs that kept her out of service for the rest of the war. She helped to return American soldiers from Europe in 1919 before resuming her training ship duties in 1920–1921, before being decommissioned in December 1921 and broken up for scrap at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1924.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Minnesota_(BB-22)

USS Massachusetts (BB-2) is an Indiana-class battleship and the second United States Navy ship comparable to foreign battleships of its time.[7] Today she is a diving site off Pensacola, Florida.

USS Massachusetts

USS Massachusetts – June 1901

Authorized in 1890 and commissioned six years later, she was a small battleship, though with heavy armor and ordnance. The ship class also pioneered the use of an intermediate battery. She was designed for coastal defense and as a result, her decks were not safe from high waves on the open ocean.

Massachusetts served in the Spanish–American War (1898) as part of the Flying Squadron and took part in the blockades of Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. She missed the decisive Battle of Santiago de Cuba after steaming to Guantánamo Bay the night before to resupply coal. After the war she served with the North Atlantic Squadron, performing training maneuvers and gunnery practice. During this period she suffered an explosion in an 8-inch gun turret, killing nine, and ran aground twice, requiring several months of repair both times. She was decommissioned in 1906 for modernization.

Although considered obsolete in 1910, the battleship was recommissioned and used for annual cruises for midshipmen during the summers and otherwise laid up in the reserve fleet until her decommissioning in 1914. In 1917 she was recommissioned to serve as a training ship for gun crews during World War I. She was decommissioned for the final time in March 1919 under the name Coast Battleship Number 2 so that her name could be reused for USS Massachusetts (BB-54). In 1921 she was scuttled in shallow water in the Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola and used as a target for experimental artillery. The wreck was never scrapped and in 1956 it was declared the property of the State of Florida. Since 1993 the wreck has been a Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserve and it is included in the National Register of Historic Places. It serves as an artificial reef and diving spot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Massachusetts_(BB-2)

USS Ohio (BB-12), a Maine-class pre-dreadnought battleship, was the third ship both of her class and of the United States Navy to be named for the 17th state.

USS Ohio

USS Ohio 1904
She was laid down at the Union Iron Works shipyard in San Francisco in April 1899, was launched in May 1901, and was commissioned into the fleet in October 1904. She was armed with a main battery of four 12-inch (305 mm) guns and could steam at a top speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).

Ohio initially served in the Asiatic Fleet, from 1905 to 1907, when she returned to the United States. In December that year, she joined the Great White Fleet for its world cruise, which lasted until early 1909. She served with the Atlantic Fleet for the next four years conducting a peacetime training routine. In 1914, she was sent to Mexico to protect American interests in the country during the Mexican Revolution. She served as a training ship during America’s involvement in World War I from 1917 to 1918. Thoroughly obsolete by that time, Ohio was decommissioned in July 1919, and was ultimately sold for scrap in March 1923 under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ohio_(BB-12)

End of an era as first RAN Anzac-class frigate is decommissioned after 28 years of service

20 May 2024 | Andrew M

HMAS Anzac returns to Fleet Base West in September 2023 after its final deployment. Photo: ADF.

One of the key elements of February’s Surface Combatant Review was the replacement of the Royal Australian Navy’s eight Anzac-class frigates with a new class of ”general purpose frigates” from 2030.

This plan saw the much larger Hunter-class frigate program reduced in scope from an intended nine vessels to six, and the Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) program reduced from at least 12 hulls to just six as well.

While these changes will eventually boost the navy’s overall number of surface combatants, in the short term there will be a dip in numbers, as some of the Anzac-class frigates won’t make it until the first general-purpose or Hunter-class frigate enters service.

In fact, the lead vessel of the class, HMAS Anzac III, was decommissioned on the weekend – 28 years to the day after it was commissioned – at a ceremony in Fremantle.

Based on the German Blohm + Voss Meko 200 frigate design, HMAS Anzac is a helicopter-capable frigate (FFH) built by Tenix Defence Systems (now BAE Systems) at the Williamstown yard in Melbourne. A total of 10 Anzac-class frigates were built by Tenix, including two vessels for the Royal New Zealand Navy.

frigate

HMAS Anzac operating in the Persian Gulf in 2002. Under the ASMD and AMCAP upgrades, the Anzac class’s rear mast was dramatically reprofiled. Photo: ADF.

The third RAN vessel to carry the name, it was launched in 1994 and commissioned as HMAS Anzac III, with the hull number FFH 150, on 18 May, 1996.

The vessel is 118 metres (390 feet) long, has a beam of 15 (49 feet) metres and displaces about 3800 tonnes full load. All Anzacs are powered by a single LM 2500 gas turbine and two MTU 12V 1163 TB83 diesels, giving a top speed of about 27 knots.

Nicknamed ”First Lady of the Fleet”, HMAS Anzac III has a crew complement of 170. It was granted freedom of entry to the city of Albany in WA – the departure port for Anzac troops in World War I – and has a close association with the city of Rockingham in Perth.

READ ALSO Government outlines plans for largest Royal Australian Navy since World War II

During its service, HMAS Anzac has been awarded battle honours for participation in operations in East Timor in 1999, three deployments to support operations in the Persian Gulf in 2001-2003, and in Iraq in 2003.

The East Timor operations from 19-29 September, 1999, were part of a larger multinational Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce.

On 21 March, 2003, HMAS Anzac provided naval gunfire support to troops ashore in the battle of Al Faw near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway in Iraq, a battle also colloquially known by the crew as ”five-inch Friday” in reference to the calibre of the ship’s main guns.

The Anzac class is equipped with a Sikorsky MH-60R Romeo Seahawk combat helicopter for anti-surface, anti-submarine and logistics operations, a five-inch-calibre main gun, a Thomson Sintra sonar system, the Enhanced Sea Sparrow (ESSM) anti-air missile, Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles, MU 90 anti-submarine torpedos, and the Australian-developed Nulka active missile decoy system.

frigate

HMA Ships Anzac and Arunta sporting their advanced CEA Technologies CEAFAR and CEAMOUNT phased-array radar masts in 2020. Photo: ADF.

The Anzac class has undergone two major upgrades under Projects SEA 1440 Phases 2A/2B, and Phase 4B.

Also known as the Anzac anti-ship missile defence (ASMD) program, Phases 2A/2B saw the eight vessels fitted with upgraded combat management and fire-control systems, an infrared search-and-track (IRST) sensor, and Canberra-based CEA Technologies’ CEAFAR phased-array radar and CEMOUNT missile illuminator, which allow incoming anti-ship missiles to be tracked and intercepted by ESSM missiles.

The follow-on SEA 1448 Phase 4B Anzac Midlife Capability Assurance Program replaced the Anzacs’ ageing SPS-49(V)8 air-search radar with CEA Technologies’ CEAFAR-2L phased-array radar system and added upgraded communications systems, new power, air conditioning and chilled-water systems, and power-plant and electrical upgrades.

READ ALSO Federal Budget: Some spending and project clarity in Defence

When combined, the Phase 2A/2B and 4B upgrades not only gave the Anzac class a distinctly different profile, but also resulted in one of the most capable air defence systems of any small surface ship in the world.

“This technology has delivered a significantly advanced air warfare and missile self-defence capability to the navy’s Anzac-class frigates and provides the navy with one of the most advanced, sovereign air-search radar capabilities in the world,” then Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Michael Noonan said at the upgrade’s initial operational capability (IOC) declaration in 2021.

HMAS Anzac completed its final deployment last September and has remained tied up at HMAS Stirling Fleet Base West ever since due to crew shortages. At least one and possibly two more Anzac-class frigates are scheduled to be decommissioned before the first general-purpose frigate enters service from 2030.

Original Article published by Andrew McLaughlin on PS News.

USS Ronald Reagan Departs After 9 years as FDNF-Japan Carrier

Posted on  by Seapower Staff

TOKYO INLET (May 10, 2024) Sailors stand in formation to form Japanese hiragana characters spelling “dewa mata,” which translates to “see you again,” on the flight deck of the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), in the Tokyo Inlet, May 10. (U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Charlotte Dudenhoeffer).

By Petty Officer 2nd Class Timothy Dimal, May 16, 2024 

YOKOSUKA, Japan  –  The U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, Japanese Government officials and leaders from the U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) bid farewell to USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) before the ship departed Yokosuka, Japan, for the last time as the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier, May 16. 
 
Ronald Reagan’s departure from Japan marks the beginning of the ship’s final scheduled Indo-Pacific patrol. 
 
“We have a debate in the United States about who constitutes the 1 percent. The true measure is not in how much wealth you acquire, but in how much you give in service to something bigger than yourself,” said Emanuel. “So, to the sailors and aviators of the USS Ronald Reagan, who devote their lives to preserving and protecting the freedoms we all enjoy, it is you and your fellow service members who make up America’s true 1 percent. After nine years of deployment to Japan, the USS Ronald Reagan and her 6,000 crew deserve our heartfelt appreciation for their selflessness, their service, and their sacrifice in keeping the Indo-Pacific safe, secure, and stable.” 
 
Departing with Ronald Reagan were the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG 62) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83). 
 
“On behalf of the strike group, I want to express my gratitude to the people of Japan and city of Yokosuka. You are our friends, family and our close and trusted allies,” said Rear Adm. Greg Newkirk, commander of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5. “Our relationship with Japan and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has never been stronger. Whether it’s aboard USS Ronald Reagan today or USS George Washington in the future, we will continue to strengthen those ties at all levels, on-shore and at-sea.” 
 
As the ship pulled away from the pier and made its final transit through Sagami Bay, hundreds of CSG 5 Sailors manned the rails in their summer dress white uniforms. 
 
Ronald Reagan is scheduled to turn over with USS George Washington (CVN 73), and then transit to Bremerton, Washington, later this year. 
 
“For nearly nine years, thousands of Ronald Reagan Sailors have lived and worked here in Yokosuka, and have deployed throughout the region to uphold the international rule of law and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific along with our allies and partners,” said Capt. Daryle Cardone, Ronald Reagan’s commanding officer. “And as forward-deployed naval forces, we had the privilege of living in Japan. Japan has been an incredible host and a second home for the crew. And for this, I am very grateful to the Japanese people, the City of Yokosuka, and the Japanese government for their support and for welcoming us as citizens.” 
 
In 2011, while deployed near the Korean Peninsula, Ronald Reagan was heavily involved with the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission during Operation Tomodachi. Following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the ship and its crew was instrumental in refueling JMSDF ships, transporting soldiers and Marines, and providing food, water and supplies to affected communities. In addition, Ronald Reagan’s embarked airborne assets flew reconnaissance missions. 
 
In 2015, Ronald Reagan arrived to Japan as part of an historic tri-carrier hull swap. 
 
In 2021, the Nimitz-class carrier deployed to the Middle East in 2021 to assist in Operation Allies Refuge providing safety and security to more than 7,000 U.S. citizens and evacuees in Afghanistan. 
 
“While the crew and I are sad to bid Japan farewell, the Ronald Reagan’s strong relationships with the JMSDF and rich history with the Japanese people assure me that we shall see each other again,” added Cardone. 
 
CSG 5 is forward-deployed under U.S. 7th Fleet, the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Gaza Pier Ready for Deliveries, Navy Command Ship USS Mount Whitney Underway

SAM LAGRONE MAY 16, 2024 10:20 PM

Soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, and Israel Defense Forces emplace the Trident Pier on the Gaza coast, May 16, 2024. US Army Photo

The U.S.-built pier that will funnel humanitarian aid into Gaza is ready for deliveries, according to photos released by U.S. Central Command on Thursday.
The pier, assembled by the U.S. Army 7th Transportation Brigade, was positioned and fixed to the shore this week with the assistance of Israeli Defense Forces, deputy CENTCOM commander Vice Adm. Brad Cooper told reporters on Thursday.

“IDF engineers prepared the beach at Gaza and secured the temporary pier to the beach,” Cooper said.
“This group of engineers were specially trained for this mission by U.S. Army engineers in the preceding weeks on a beach in Israel.”

Over the last two months, Army watercraft and Navy ships have assembled in the Eastern Mediterranean to construct a logistics chain from supplies in Cyprus to Gaza that would augment the humanitarian aid for civilians trapped there. Announced in President Joe Biden’s State of the Union in March, the effort promised to deliver up to 2 million meals per day.

“Across Gaza, 2.2 million people, the entire population, is facing acute food insecurity,” Sonali Korde with USAID told reporters on Thursday.
“More than half of the population in the north is at catastrophic levels, and I want to underscore just how dire this is for the most vulnerable, particularly mothers and children, and that is who we are particularly focused on reaching with our assistance.”

About 1,000 U.S. military personnel, comprised of the 7th TBX from Virginia and Naval Beach Group 1, are operating the pier to Gaza and a transit platform for cargo about two miles off the coast. Under the current plan, the cargo is checked in Cyprus and then shipped to the platform that’s two miles off the coast from the pier.

Photos on social media show a Besson-class Army watercraft docked at the pier on Thursday and the Maritime Administration ship MV Roy A. Benavidez off the coast of Gaza. Ship spotters have tracked U.S.-flagged container ship MV Sagamore, which left from Cyprus on Thursday and was seen transferring cargo to Benavidez, shipping analyst Sal Mercogliano told USNI News.

The White House and the Pentagon have pledged that no U.S. troops will set foot in Gaza and that Israel will handle protecting the pier and the cargo inside its territorial waters.

“Israel has dedicated a brigade of troops, ships, and air force assets solely focused on the force protection of this operation. We have been working closely with the Israeli Defense Force for six weeks to ensure every aspect of logistics operations, command and control, communications, and force protection are in place,” Cooper told reporters on Thursday.

Additionally, two U.S. guided-missile destroyers are in the Eastern Mediterranean operating outside Israel’s 12 nautical mile territorial sea in support of the

The presence of the DDGs assigned to the mission was first reported by Military.com.

Blue Ridge-class command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) steams alongside the world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) while an MH-60S Sea Hawk, attached to the “Tridents” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9, performs a flyby in the Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 3, 2023. Gerald R. Ford is the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, representing a generational leap in the U.S. Navy’s capacity to project power on a global scale. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Tajh Payne)

Meanwhile, the U.S. 6th Fleet command ship was back underway in the Mediterranean Sea, as U.S. sailors and soldiers prepare to deliver the first shipment of humanitarian aid via the Gaza pier.

USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) departed from its homeport at Gaeta, Italy, on Tuesday, reads a statement from U.S. 6th Fleet.

“During [its] patrol, Mount Whitney will engage with allies and partners in support of maritime operations, which encompasses naval diplomacy and national efforts to build comprehensive U.S. and allied maritime power,” reads the statement.

Outfitted with an extensive array of communications equipment, Mount Whitney serves as the flagship for the U.S. 6th Fleet commander, allowing commanders more freedom to direct operations from international waters rather than at an allied base.

Leaders aboard Mount Whitney coordinated the initial U.S. Navy presence operations following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel.

Norwegian pursuit of Type 26 expands fleet, presents challenges for the Royal Navy

Future HMS Glasgow preparing to leave Govan for the first time (Source: Ian Dick)

The Royal Norwegian Navy has made a request to BAE Systems to potentially provide it with a fleet of up to five Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates in an extensive modernisation of the Norwegian military amid mounting tensions in Europe.

The request comes amid the release of Norway’s updated defence plan, titled, The Norwegian Defence Pledge, under which the Norwegian government has committed to expanding the nation’s defence spending beyond the 2 per cent floor expected of NATO member states within the 2025–36 time frame.

At the core of this push is a commitment to expanding the Royal Norwegian Navy’s capabilities, with the announcement release stating, “Norway is a nation with considerable maritime interests. Combined with our immediate proximity to Russia’s nuclear submarine force, maintaining situational awareness in the High North and in the North Atlantic is paramount.

“This long-term defence plan emphasises capabilities in the maritime domain through the planned procurement of a minimum of five new frigates with anti-submarine warfare capability as well as minimum of five new submarines,” the Norwegians announced.

This push for new anti-submarine warfare frigates has seen the Scandinavian country make an approach to BAE Systems for the Royal Navy’s future Type 26 or City Class frigates to form the basis of the Royal Norwegian Navy’s new major surface combatant fleet.

However, this isn’t without major challenges, particularly for the Royal Navy which is struggling under the ageing nature of its existing Type 23 frigate fleet, which the City Class is slated to replace.

Norway’s request would see the country gain access to one of the first block of four hulls before the Royal Navy, at best, leaving one of the service’s ageing anti-submarine warfare frigates in service longer than expected or at worst, leaving the Royal Navy a hull short at a time when it is already at its smallest point in decades.

Despite this, the UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson told UK paper The Telegraph, “We are working jointly with BAE Systems on options to support Norway’s future frigate program and actively support the promotion of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship design to other navies around the world with a similar requirement.”

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Adding to this, BAE Systems also told The Telegraph, “We’re committed to delivering the eight ship Type 26 program for the Royal Navy and are making good progress with construction underway on the first four vessels.”

While not the only option expected to be pursued by the Norwegians, with other options including the Dutch ASWF, the German F126 Class, the French FDI, the American/Italian Constellation Class, and the Spanish F-110.

The Royal Navy’s first Type 26 frigate, the future HMS Glasgow, began to take shape at BAE System’s yard in Glasgow in April 2019, with the ship not due to begin sea trials until 2025. Meanwhile, the second ship, the future HMS Cardiff, began construction in August 2019 and will be followed by a third frigate, HMS Belfast, in 2021.