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Australia in the War of 1939–1945 #2.2
Royal Australian Navy 1942-45
This is the second volume of the official history of the Royal Australian Navy's involvement in the Second World War. The first volume covered the period from 1939 until March 1942. This volume continues the story, chronicling the activities of the ships and men of the RAN as they fought alongside their British and American allies in the war against the Japanese in the Pacific. RAN actions in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean are also covered.
These activities are seen against the background of the political and military policies that ultimately directed where and how Australian seamen and ships went into combat during the Second World War.
These activities are seen against the background of the political and military policies that ultimately directed where and how Australian seamen and ships went into combat during the Second World War.
757 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1968
9 people want to read
About the author
G. Hermon Gill
4 booksCommander George Hermon Gill, MBE, VD, was a Royal Australian Navy officer, mariner, journalist and naval historian who wrote the two volumes on the Royal Australian Navy in the official history series Australia in the War of 1939–1945, which are available in digital form from the Australian War Memorial:
http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/secon...
http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/secon...
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 18, 2022
This is the second of two volumes that make up the official history of the Royal Australian Navy in the Second World War. Like the first, it is clear much effort was put in by the author to tell not just the story of the RAN between April 1942 and September 1945, but why certain operations took place (and thus some of the strategic background to what was going on). Similarly, to help the book flow, some encounters that did not involve Australian ships, like the Battle of Midway, are also covered, albeit in limited detail.
The book is well-written, with only a couple of grammatical slips (in over 700 pages – a performance that would be unheard-of today – another example of technology not fully compensating for lapsed good practice) and excellent attention-to-detail, with no substantial errors that I could see (and a Corrigenda for the less substantial errors is after the index). The style of writing is clear, although it can be a bit “list like” when going through names of ships or people involved in an operation, and is on the dryer side of the scale more generally.
As well as covering the events and strategy of the war, there is also a discussion of personnel, rates of pay, victualling (including how it compared with the RN and USN, and how it improved later in the war, in no small part due to the comparison with the USN). The author (not surprisingly) has a good grasp of the logistical underpinnings that are required to make a navy work, and while they’re not the focus of the book, they are referenced from time-to-time.
Generally the work is very well-researched and written, taking advantage of sources from all sides (Japan, Australia, the US, Britain, the Netherlands and so on). The one blemish, that sticks out a bit, is that there’s only very infrequent passing reference to the US Army Small Ships Section, which served alongside RAN ships in supplying Allied forces in New Guinea. Indeed, the first clear reference to “Small Ships Section” is on page 282, and at no point is it actually explained what it was, or that it had a large proportion of Australians in its complement. Granted, they weren’t in the RAN, but as Australians serving in ships during WW2, it stands out given the otherwise thorough coverage of events that they aren’t covered in at least a little more detail.
As with his first work, Gill makes an effort to mention people, whether they are the commanding officers of ships involved, or crew that rated special merit for a particularly good achievement. There’s a lot packed into the 700 pages, and it’s a good overall summary of the Pacific War “from Australian eyes”.
As well as the main body of the text, there are short appendices for: DEMS gunners; minesweepers; peak strength in ships and personnel, and casualties; The RANVR on Mine Disposal; and a list of Abbreviations.
All up, as far as I’m aware, there’s still no more thorough book covering the Royal Australian Navy’s part in he Second World War. Given its heft, it’s best for those only seriously interested in the topic, but for those that are, it’s an excellent read.
The book is well-written, with only a couple of grammatical slips (in over 700 pages – a performance that would be unheard-of today – another example of technology not fully compensating for lapsed good practice) and excellent attention-to-detail, with no substantial errors that I could see (and a Corrigenda for the less substantial errors is after the index). The style of writing is clear, although it can be a bit “list like” when going through names of ships or people involved in an operation, and is on the dryer side of the scale more generally.
As well as covering the events and strategy of the war, there is also a discussion of personnel, rates of pay, victualling (including how it compared with the RN and USN, and how it improved later in the war, in no small part due to the comparison with the USN). The author (not surprisingly) has a good grasp of the logistical underpinnings that are required to make a navy work, and while they’re not the focus of the book, they are referenced from time-to-time.
Generally the work is very well-researched and written, taking advantage of sources from all sides (Japan, Australia, the US, Britain, the Netherlands and so on). The one blemish, that sticks out a bit, is that there’s only very infrequent passing reference to the US Army Small Ships Section, which served alongside RAN ships in supplying Allied forces in New Guinea. Indeed, the first clear reference to “Small Ships Section” is on page 282, and at no point is it actually explained what it was, or that it had a large proportion of Australians in its complement. Granted, they weren’t in the RAN, but as Australians serving in ships during WW2, it stands out given the otherwise thorough coverage of events that they aren’t covered in at least a little more detail.
As with his first work, Gill makes an effort to mention people, whether they are the commanding officers of ships involved, or crew that rated special merit for a particularly good achievement. There’s a lot packed into the 700 pages, and it’s a good overall summary of the Pacific War “from Australian eyes”.
As well as the main body of the text, there are short appendices for: DEMS gunners; minesweepers; peak strength in ships and personnel, and casualties; The RANVR on Mine Disposal; and a list of Abbreviations.
All up, as far as I’m aware, there’s still no more thorough book covering the Royal Australian Navy’s part in he Second World War. Given its heft, it’s best for those only seriously interested in the topic, but for those that are, it’s an excellent read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review