News, Articles and Comment

Ed. The author investigates the career of Admiral Sir Frederick Richards, who played a critical but little understood role in the late Victorian Navy. A 10 minute read.

Ed. The author provides a biographical history of his father, Lt R S Frost RNR, a consummate professional who served aboard liners in the interwar period and met his fate as a Mediterranean submariner during the Second World War. A 20 minute read.

Ed. The author reviews some principles of sea power, highlighting the differences between land and maritime-based operations and tactics. A 10 minute read.

Ed. Churchill’s final volume of his war memoirs is titled Triumph and Tragedy: the theme of the volume is “how the great democracies triumphed and so were able to resume the follies which had so nearly cost them their life.” What did Churchill mean by tragedy? Was he referring to the incredible loss of life caused by the firestorms of Dresden and Tokyo or by the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Or was he lamenting the tragedy that, for most of Eastern Europe, he foresaw that one jackboot was to be replaced by another. As it wasn’t just the democracies that triumphed, the most successful victor of the Second World War was indeed Stalin claiming territories and spoils both in Europe and in Asia. Once again, we risk another tragedy as it looks increasingly likely the jackboots are on the rise.

Ed. Our correspondent defends the value of Initial Sea Training (IST), and argues that reduction of fleet size is the fundamental reason ‘at sea’ training has been discarded for Officer Cadets.

Ed. The author outlines the current online Admiralty Interview Board (AIB) format, considered ponderous and impersonal, and proposes a reversion to the pre-Covid method of RN officer selection. A 15 minute read.

Ed. Our correspondent continues his Operation HIGHMAST reporting, with the Carrier Strike Group beginning the return voyage through the Indian Ocean and conducting defence engagement and Joint Operations with the Indian Navy, before turning for Suez. A 5 minute read.

Ed. Taking stock of current challenges, with an eye to the strategic decisions made during the Cold War, the author argues that future RN thought leaders must be cultivated today. A 10 minute read.

Ed. Our correspondent responds to Lt Gen Robert Fry’s recent article, sounding a note of caution and encouragement.