The Collins Class
The Collins class It was disappointing to see negative publicity from Canberra, especially around 1999-2000 about our new submarines and other RAN ships, such as “rust bucket Manoora“. Certainly there […]
Month: August 2009
A WW II Australian in the RNVR
An Australian RNVR in WW II This essay was awarded second prize in the Naval Officers Club Literary Prize competition, 2001. It was published in the Naval Officers Club Newsletter […]
Type VII U-Boats vs Convoy ONS-5
The ONS-5 Convoy and U-boat battle By Mike Downes Paper presented to the Company of Master Mariners, Sydney Branch, 24 November 1993, reprinted with permission. The chief ONS-5 adversary was […]
Hong Kong
Honkers revisited The first impression made by its striking new architecture is nothing short of profound. Unlike Australia, the soaring elegant skyscrapers attest to the importance of outstanding architecture in […]
Chinese ferries
Some Chinese ferries Apart from its people and its carefully preserved historic sites, nearly everything in China seems less than 20 years old nowadays. The tourist ferries are no exception. […]
Radiance of the Seas
Radiance of the seas It may be asserted confidently that in design concepts, the modern cruise liner is a clear generation or two away from the gentle old 1950s and […]
Manila revisited
Manila revisited by Laurie Watson During the 1960s and 1970s many RAN ships visited Manila during SEATO exercises, on R&R from Vietnam, or just on goodwill visits. There are plenty […]
Iran visit
Iran observations by John Da Costa These observations were compiled after a recent three-week study tour of Iran, conducted by the University of Sydney in conjunction with the Near East […]
Australia in a 4 x 4
Around Australia in a 4 x 4 By John and Pam Da Costa We left Sydney on 11 June in our SWB Pajero, towing our very comfortable off-road camper-trailer, and […]
Anti-ship Missiles
Anti-ship missiles HMS Sheffield (above) on fire after her fatal Exocet hit, 4 May 1982, off the Falklands and USS Stark on fire and listing after taking two Exocet AM-39s […]