News, Articles and Comment

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers a book exploring and responding to claims that Nelson was linked to the slave trade.

Ed. The author questions how the MoD organises strategic direction and employs the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ): The MoD has an institutional tendency to be overly centralised and does not use its Joint commander effectively. Force structures should flow from defined operational objectives and not the other way around. A 10 minute read.

Ed. ‘NIHL RHYFEL’

In Spring 2023, Lt Col Cripsin Black’s book Too Thin for a Shroud was published. In it he defends robustly 5 Bde’s C2 and the Welsh Guards’ who were still on board the LSLs RFA Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram on 8 June 1982 when they were attacked by the Argentinian Air Force during the Falklands conflict. Over 40 years after the event the opportunity for many, both Green and Navy Blue involved in these events no longer exists, however, the authors of the following  article layout the reasons why they seriously disagree with the book’s suggestions. The Naval Review is an ideal place to hold this rebuttal on record for the benefit of those that wish to study Operation CORPORATE, Amphibious Operations and the fog of war (nihl rhyfel). The following is a review essay dissecting Black’s claims. A 50 minute read.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers the latest edition of The Trafalgar Chronicle, the Journal of the 1805 Club.

Ed. In an impressive and no-holds-barred investigation into the command decisions that led to the destruction of Force Z, reflecting on a tragically recurring and lethal combination of command over-confidence and staff obsequiousness, the author catalogues a cascade of failures that at innumerable stages were all too predictable. A 50 minute read.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers a new addition to the Osprey Campaign series, looking at the Battle of Cape Matapan in 1941.

Ed. Persistent personnel and procurement challenges leads the author to question the viability of Continuous At Sea Deterrence and raise concern over the future of the SSN-AUKUS program.

BRE. The latest book review is now available. It considers a short book from Helion exploring the opening phase of the Iran-Iraq War at sea. Given current events in the Middle East, this book may also be valuable background reading.

Ed. The Royal Navy not only logistically enabled Wellington’s campaigns during the Peninsular War, but also acted as a force-multiplier during the critical operations at Cadiz, Lisbon and elsewhere. Originally published in 2010 [98/4, p. 385]. A 30 minute read.