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Original Articles

IN DEFENCE OF HOME WATERS: DOCTRINE AND TRAINING IN THE CANADIAN NAVY DURING THE 1930s

Pages 167-177 | Published online: 22 Mar 2013

References

  • This paper was originally presented to the Ottawa chapter of the Canadian Nautical Research Society in January 1990. The author would like to thank two colleagues at the Directorate of History in Ottawa, Don Graves and Roger Sarty, for sharing research and ideas.
  • Vol. 3840 , 1 – 2 . CNS Memorandum, ‘The Naval Defence Policy of Canada’, 9 Nov. 1935, National Archives of Canada (NAC), NSS–1017–10–18, RG 24, Vol
  • Ibid.
  • Sarty , Roger . March 1990 . March , See ‘Entirely in the Hands of a Friendly Neighbour’—The Canadian Armed Forces and the Defence of the Pacific Coast 1909–1939, (Conference Paper
  • Marder , Arthur . Old Friends, New Enemies: The Royal Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy (London, 1981), 296–317. Stephen Peltz, The Race to Pearl Harbour (Cambridge, 1974)
  • 1935 . 1–2, NAC, NSS 1017–10–18 Vol. I, RG 24, Vol. 3840; and ‘The Objective of the Canadian Naval Service’, 17 Jan. 1939, 1–2, Directorate of History (DHist), Naval Policy, 1650–1, Vol. I. G.N. Tucker . The Naval Service of Canada , 9 Nov. CNS Memoranda, ‘The Naval Defence Policy of Canada’, I, 261278. Roger Sarty, ‘Hard Luck Flotilla: The RCN's Atlantic Coast Patrol, 1914–1918’, in W.A.B. Douglas, RCN in Transition 1910–1985 (Vancouver, 1988)
  • 1937 . Venture Two battle-class trawlers formed the balance of the R.C.N, for most of the 1930s. They were joined by the training schooner in and four Fundy-class minesweepers and a training vessel the next year
  • 1988 . Destroyers of World War II 97 – 8 . The first two River-class destroyers had four 4.7-inch guns in single turrets, two 2-pounder, and eight 21-inch torpedo tubes in two quad mountings. Because they were equipped with Two Speed Destroyer Sweeps (TSDS) for minesweeping they carried only six depth charges without throwers. They could make 35 knots and had a range of 4,800 nautical miles at 15 knots. M J. Whitley, (Annapolis, 25
  • Champlain and Vancouver were armed with three 4-inch guns in single mounts, one 2-pounder, and four 21-inch torpedo tubes in twin mounts. They had a design speed of 36 knots but could only manage 30 by the 1930s, and they had a range of 3,440 nautical miles at 15 knots. Ibid., 83. E.J. March, British Destroyers (London, 1966), 215–223. MacPherson and Burgess, The Ships of Canada's Naval Forces 1910–1985 (Toronto, 1985), 206
  • 1937 . United States Naval Institute Proceedings , June LXIII 773
  • 1974 . From the Dardanelles to Oran: Studies of the Royal Navy in War and Peace 85 – 88 . London Marder, (48. For an example of such an exercise see Rear Admiral H.G. Thursfield R.N., ‘Naval Manoeuvres of 1934’, Brassey's Naval and Shipping Annual 1935
  • 1968 . Naval Policy Between the Wars For the prevalence of battle fleet tactics see Stephen Roskill, I (London, 533; Arthur Marder, Old Friends, New Enemies: The Royal Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy (Oxford, 1981), 296–324; and From the Dardanelles to Oran (London, 1974), 47–9; Jurgen Rohwer, ‘Admiral Gorshkov and the Influence of History Upon Seapower’, United States Naval Institute Proceedings—Naval Review 1981, 160–4; Ronald Spector, Professors of War (Newport, 1977), 147; Wayne Hughes, Fleet Tactics: Theory and Practice (Annapolis, 1986), 79
  • Hughes , Wayne P. Fleet Tactics: Theory and Practice 76
  • “ A&WI Memo, ‘Combined Torpedo and Gunnery Practice — ” . In Saguenay Vol. 4014 , Champlain, 22 April 1933. NAC, NSC 1057–62–11TE, RG 24, Vol. The standard R.N. flotilla of the interwar period consisted of eight destroyers, usually of the same class. Each flotilla was organized into two divisions of four vessels which were in turn split into sub-divisions of two
  • Vol. 4014 , C in C A&WI to CNS, 25 May 1933. NAC, NSC 1057–62–1 ITE, RG 24, vol
  • Commander , L. W. and Murray , R. C.N. Vol. 4013 , undated Exercise Narrative. NAC, NSC 105762–1 IGE, RG 24, Vol
  • 1934 . 1934 Ottawa Annual Report of the Department of National Defence for the Year Ending March 31st, (19
  • 26 Feb. 1934 . Saguenay Vol. 7724 , 26 Feb. , Deck Log HMCS NAC, RG 24, Vol
  • Oland , J. E. 1935 . “ Winter Cruise’, undated. DHist, HMCS ” . In Skeena Commander Some Remarks on Training During (II) 8000
  • Log , Deck . HMCS . Ottawa , 28 Feb. to 27 March 1939. NAC, RG 24, Vol. 7712
  • 4012 – 4 . From exercise orders contained in NAC, RG 24, Vols
  • 29 July 1933 . 29 July , C in C A&WI to CNS, DHist, R.C.N./Admiralty Liaison, 1700–193/96
  • Vol. 4012 , C in C A&WI to CNS, 29 July 1933 DHist, R.C.N./Admiralty Liaison 1700–193/96. Captain G.C. Jones, ‘Full Calibre Firings—27th March 1939’, 23 April 1939, 1 NAC, NSC 1057–61–1 IGE, RG 24, Vol. 4012; Captain G.C. Jones, ‘Torpedo Practices—July 1939’, 8 Aug. 1939; and DNO&T Memo, 21 Aug. 1939, NAC, NSC 1057–61–1 ITE, RG 24, Vol
  • Agnew , R. I. “ ‘Some Remarks on Training During Winter Cruise 1935’, 22 April 1935, 1–2 DHist, HMCS ” . In Saguenay Commander (I) (Reports of Proceedings 1932–1940), 8000
  • Murray , L. W. May 1970 . “ 26, DHist, BIOG M, Rear Admiral L.W. Murray. Roskill ” . In The War at Sea May , Rear Admiral ‘Recollections of his Naval Career’, III–2, 400
  • Captain Jones , G. C. Vol. 4012 , ‘Full Calibre Firings—27th March, 1939’, 23 April 1939, 2; NAC, NSC 1057–61–1 IGE, RG 24, Vol
  • Whitby . ‘“Fooling” Around the French Coast: RCN Tribal Class Destroyers in Action’ . Canadian Defence Quarterly , 19 54 – 61 . See no. 3, winter 1989
  • CNS Memo, ‘Objective of the Canadian Naval Service’, 17 Jan. 1939, 1. DHist, Naval Policy 1650–1, I. This assessment was based upon the conclusions of a Joint Staff Forms and Scales of Attack sub-committee.
  • Old Friends, New Enemies 385 Marder
  • Feb. 1938 . Royal United Services Institute Journal Feb. , Commander John Cresswell ‘The Defence of Merchant Ships in War’, 129. A reserve officer who warned of the possible dangers of co-operation between aircraft and submarines in the discussion that followed Cresswell's lecture was accused of being overly pessimistic
  • Vol. 37 , CNS Memo, ‘The Defence of Trade’, 12 Feb. 1937. NAC, D-26, MG 27, III, B5, Vol
  • Roskill . Naval Policy Between the Wars , II 227
  • Commander , R. and Bidwell , R. C.N. “ Report of Proceedings, 2 Sept. 1937. DHist, HMCS ” . In Saguenay Lieutenant (I) (ROP's 1932–1940), 8000
  • North Atlantic Run 28 – 9 . An Admiralty report to the 1937 Imperial Conference suggested that R.N. submarines ‘pay periodic visits’ to the Dominions to serve as targets for A/S training but none came to Canada. Admiralty, Naval Appendix to ‘Review of Imperial Defence By the Chiefs of Staff Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence’, 24 March 1937, 17, DHist, CAB 21/700. Milner
  • Roskill . The War at Sea , I 34
  • Commander Pressey , A. R. ‘History of Anti-Submarine Measures on the Canadian Atlantic Coast—1927–1940’, 12 June 1940, DHist, 81/520/1000–973
  • 1990 . The Sea Is At Our Gates Toronto In his recent history of the R.C.N., for example, Tony German acknowledges the proficency of Canadian naval personnel but when describing their 1939 summer exercises off British Columbia concludes they were ‘on the wrong coast dealing with the wrong target (according to German a ship representing a battleship but it was actually posing as a cruiser; see page 10 above) and, firing a weapon (the torpedo) only very few would ever use again’. See German, (70. Marc Milner presents a more balanced view describing the ‘traditional naval tasks’ undertaken in R.C.N, exercises as ‘good basic naval training, though it bore virtually no resemblance to the type of war the Canadian navy was about to fight’. See Milner, North Atlantic Run, 11
  • 24 March 1937 . 24 March , Admiralty, Naval Appendix to ‘Review of Imperial Defence by the Chiefs of Staff SubCommittee of the Committee of Imperial Defence’, 14. DHist, CAB 21/700
  • Dawson , Lionel . 1933 . Flotillas: A Hard Lying Story London (266

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