1957-05-11 — Page 7

As the U.S. SIXTH FLEET raced·· to the Middle East crisis, the greatest British naval base lay waiting an axe that could reduce the ROYAL NAVY to second class force. I report to you from Portsmouth

looks good. White Ensigns stiffly Buttering.

Seagulls wheeling over.

quarterdecks.

Salt Water slapping

+

a

Tom Pocock

against armour plate. Gun will survive, Fast frigates and turrets, compass platforms, submarines,

that

will

A few destroyers

the survive

and radar acrinls towering eruirent. Liltie minesweepers

above grey hulls.

This is Pismouth Harbour today. This is the traditional Ecene at the heart of Brilish

sea power.

Damning

evidence

YET

7ET there in un air of doom

the in

breeze.

Dista bugle calls Anch plonaces bouncing aerges choppy waler do not stir the blind,

big

that my

and torpedo boals

cape the axe. Already the word has come [rom Whitehall. "The role of naval forces in total war is somewhat uncertain."

܂

The Suce operation showed that, in limited war, politicians of were the main armament the three Services. The Royal Navy tomorrow faces an enemy more deadly than those 1 faced. at Trafalgar and Jutland.

The Navy Estimates will Aticl kr

fund careful This is a Fleet under sentener

To fiom the Orkneys to 10/ death. The Judze was Me Falmouth, and frum the Duncan Sandys, The damalog Falkland Bands to Hougkong. evidence that swayed the jury But nowhere will those readers Won the thermonuclear beint, be more attentive than here al The sentence was published i Portsmouth. the Navy Estimates.

This

elty that exists becaure of the Royal Navy Richard Lionheart and Henry

month Point,

But it looks good. There lying al the dolphins where ships of the Be have moored mailed fo war past Por's- for centuries, lies the battleshke Vanguard. Full load displice meni, 1,420 tons. Sixteen inches of armour on the water- All mod, eua, Sleepy

2,000.

But will Vanguard ever fita those sin, guns in anger?

Five aircraft-carriers. Two may survive. One, the new Bulwark, with her nodera flight-deck

padgo's efficient record off Port Said, will Jain

vard

new, eut-to-ile-

The Sallyport s known en officers from Blake to Cummander Crabb,

And about place is the spirit of the cocky, valu, brave, brillant, battered little man who slands on a column In Trafalgar Square.

Death of

this city

baze baithe group. 41.2 7 the Royal Navy is allowed other, the Teista it Victorious. to die, ro, does Portsmouth, will emerge from this doel:-

I will not only lose the chief as the Bust modern craft-cartier in the world. Petty offers and petty officers rld, who have given rönis" to the The others will die at the neat beek streets, Chec the

to Shipbreakers

some orers' wives in the suburban foreign navy with the sncil of villas, Earlic or curry in their gulleys. It may lose the dockyard and THE Triumph I remember

depot workers nearly 25,000

triumphant t Leningrad, of them--and their families, It just 18 months ago, showing the flag in the midst of the biggest and must secret naval dockyard In the Soviet Union,

The Theseus I remember

with her Callant

may lose the bulchers and bakers, tho tailors and pubileums that have lived by the Fleet,

These people know what this fighter may mean. On their doorstep

bomber crew's who demon-Old Portsmouth, the naval stratod, over Korea, the abiding

importance of human skill send

courage. The Leviathan, which

ghost town,

The High Street,

ener the liveliest. rowdiest, Bawdlest

bas never felt the touch-down street in England, is now D of un airplane on her light aicry emply dead-end. In the deck and now may never do short street that leads

to Portsmoutli Point there wro doomed cruisers have today two pubs, where 50 years

ago, there were 33.

kept their rakish good looks

seem

but how

lifeless hollow as suits of armour.

Fighting

and

cruisers

naval And this is not just history. I; ut 31, am already an old salt. I can point out to sea and say, "My boy, I remember seeing 12 battleships and 20 cruisers at Splikead."

In 1960, it is most probable, be no battleships

TUERE is the Liverpool that there will

επινο.

fought off the Torpedo and three cruizers, A few bombers and dive-bombers all aircraft-carriers and submarines through those tong Mediterra- will be the capital ships.

There is the As nean afternoons.

1 look out across

this that whipped

historic #

harbour. DOW filled Glasgow German striking force in the with dying ships, the news is Bay of B hardest-lighting

In the Mediterranean, in cruiser of them all, the delicate water all these ships have little Dido. Slender 5.25-inch known, another fleet is carrying gun barrels, that once were out the traditional British task blistered by hol cordite. The United States Sixth Ficol Blegantly raking masta and is steaming into the heart of the fumes azer seen against n Middle East crisis, They are blue sky

freckled with white going there, g British fleet shell-bursts,

went before them, to maintain Here

in and there

this order, That was once our job. ancient harbour art ships that Now, it exems, it is theirs,

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

THIS IS THE LAST

· ILLEGAL. TIMË

MACHINE ON

EARTH!

52,000 A.D.

UHN--

JOHNNY HAZARD

THEY SHOULD BREAK

| OUT INTO THS CLEAR ANY MOMENT NOW! AND THEN THE AMERIKANEKI ATOM-

BOMBER IS OURSI

1-1

YOU'VE SMASHED THE ONLY TIME MACHINE LEFT ON EARTH! NOW-HOW DO WE GET BACK TO OUR OWN TWENTIETH CENTURY?

DE OUT OF IT ANY SECOND NOW, IF THE TOWER MAN HAS HIS CHILING ALTITUDE RIGHT HOW'S OUR SITUATION, TREV?

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1957.

A CUMMINGS-EYE VIEW OF THE 6TH FLEET MOVEMENT

Ammings

October. 1956

Cummings

8888