199905 Royal Tournament Supplement by Navy News

NAVY NEWS, MAY 1<W9 Options

The

Royal Tournament

• Favourite colours - the greens of the Fleet Air Arm, the blues of Portsmouth and the reds of Devonport sweat it out in a gruelling training schedule to reach their peak in the show-stopping Field Gun competition in the Royal Tournament.

Last chance MAGELLAN 315 MENTOR to see historic extravaganza MILITARY GPS RECEIVER FULLY WATERPROOF FOR NAVAL OPS

HIS YEAR'S Royal Tournament will be the last. Press speculation that 1999 will see the end of an event that began almost 120 years ago has been confirmed by a Joint Service Defence Council Instruction.

The DCI, issued by the Deputy Director of Personal Services (Army), also announces that this year's grand finale for the event will not, as in previous shows, be led by one Service, but will be equally tri-Service throughout. This year would have been the Navy's turn to take the lead under the normal rota system. The end of the Royal Tournament will also see the demise of its most enduring display - the Field Gun runs in which crews of RN ratings from Portsmouth, Devonport and Fleet Air Arm commands compete for coveted awards. Roots of the Royal Tournament can be traced to 1880 when the Army's Grand Military Tournament and Assault at Arms opened at the Agricultural Hall, Islington. The first true display - a musical ride by the Life Guards - was introduced into the 1882 event, and two years later Queen Victoria gave permission for the Royal prefix to be added to the show's title. The Royal Navy first took part in 1887, though it was eight more years before the event was retitled the Royal Naval and Military Tournament, moving from Islington to Olympia in the following year. The first Field Gun run - a competitive reenactment of the Navy's overland movement of guns in the Boer War - made its tournament

WORLD WIDE GRIDS AND DATUMS

debut in 1907. The speed with which the one-ton guns and their carriages are dismantled, manoeuvred over a testing obstacle course, reassembled and fired has thrilled audiences for most of this century. What makes the daily feat all the more remarkable is that the three, 18-man volunteer crews - from all branches of the Service - are given less than three months to train. After a break during World War 1, the tournament reappeared in 1919 and included the newly created RAF. The following year it adopted its present title. Again, war forced the cancellation of the annual event from 1940 until 1947 - when it was revived to increased public interest, the greater demand for tickets resulting in its relocation to the present venue at Earls Court. This year's final show will run from July 20 to August 2, with two daily performances at 2.004.45 and 7.30-10.15. There will be no performances on Sunday evenings and Monday afternoons. As well as the Field Gun Run, Naval contributions will include a dramatic Royal Marines display involving Rigid Raiders, and RN simulators among the static, interactive stands. • Ticket prices range from £6 to £20, with discounts for children, senior citizens and members of the Armed Forces. They can be booked through The Royal Tournament Box Office, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Road, London SW5 9TA, tel. 0171 244 0244 for the credit card hotline, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm.

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The Roval 1

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niontlis of (lie Boer War of 1899-1902 brought TIN:0PENING niany disasters to the 13ritish

By Lt Cdr Brian Wilts, Museum HMS Excellent

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While the Army*s reputation suffered. tile Navy*s reputation soared. 'Jack*. the nation's handyman. could do no wrong. , fie Arm% had found it necessary it) call urgent1stir 1 the Navy's assistance %%hen" it s nans were lotind Io he oul-classed by those of Ite LIX:1`%. At tile outbreak tit mar tire nitist effective guns .t\.iilzilile Its the Royal Field Arlillen were l~--lit. gun%. It %%ould lye several weeks :,",,tjtider hire the siege train %kitti its 5in guns and hin li.,~kitzers couldarrive. 1 lie Boers, ho%%ever, had tner the years ,,kltjired 155,nim Creta%ots. (Long 'li)ms). maximuni range and 75mm Krupp OF cuns.. maximum range 4.4(Xkds. [he Army'.. 15-pounder had a maximum thus they were heavily outiange of ,~ttiiinci.i. Fortunately for the Brifish Empire the Royal N~t%,.'s latest and most powerfularmoured cruiscl. IINIS'K.rrible - commanded by (*.apt Perav Zott, the Navy's foremost gunnery e"rl received a signal ordering her it) proceed to South Africa %%here she would he joined hy her ~mer ship. 11 MS Knierful. On October 11. ;a,, Scoil's ship was two dilly S out tit Simonstown, lkierh from the Orange f-ree State and the Transvaal began it) [x)ur over 1he lx)rders into Natal. 11c swcond 11ocr War had

hegura. Capt Scott. concerned a% ever about gunnery. Icarned that 'I~.rrible's long 12-potanders - cari ied for use against torpedo hoats - could equal .tiiyihing in ust hy llic Army or the Boers. Removing one of the un,, from its mounting. st:t)tt went ashore anx purchased a pair tit %% liceh. and an axle-tree that normally carried it larniliar Cape wagon. On hi.. return he set it) work hisarmourers tin it his the P( ar -1L .-Ion of , Cu'1.1 C.nun g'nrr, .0. b

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,iiilli,'i II Its li_il II 55*5 11111 .1 5 " I It ill, 'UIIOI1L looked rather amateurish. Nevertheless, amateurish or not, another three guns were quickly prepared to the same pattern. On October 25 I'eres Scott learned that the lights of Kimberle'., h'. now under siege 1w the Boers. could he seen from where the British Iroops were camped. It 111(w billow, he reasoned, that the defenders tit Kirntuerle should be able to see a strong light directed at them from the British positions lie immediately contacted Admiral Sit Robert I lards, (ape Station, with an otter to mount one of krrihlcs searchlights on a railway truck to be sent to the front and used as a means of setting up commu-nications with the beleaguered town. The Admiral agreed and. alniost in passing. mentioned to Scott that Genctral Sir George White. defending the town tit lad-smith. had sent him a signal requesting gun tiring t1clv'. projectiles at long ranges.' The obvious answer was the Naval 47in, but both the Army and the Admiral's own staff had assured him that such guns could not be mounted for shore use. Scott assured him differ-

ently. tie offered to have two 4.7in guns mounted for land use by late afternoon the following day. l laving gained the Admiral's permission to proceed. Scott returned on board and drew up his design. Ale decided that the mounting should consist of four haulki. of timber secured in the shape of a cross with the fun mounted in the centre. Its simple design enabled the mounting to be hn.Irg'n down and reassembled with cast. thus

givingthe gun a degree tit mobility thal wit% to design. *1~%,enty-ft)ur hourti later the joh wit% complclprove ;a great asset when they were used.

BENEVOLENT TRUST BY THE NAVY

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Powerful sd sail hut l)uurt'.,ii 5.,Ii',IIlg Iriihit tour 12-pounders on their wagon wheels and two 4.71,i guns mounted for use ashore.

t.Tpon their arrisal l'uwcrluls Naval Brigade. under the command of their Captain, the Honourable I tedwonth Lamhton. set out for t.advsnnith. The railway was used for most of the journey, but where the track could not go oxen were used to haul the guns - and where the oxen failed the sailors themselves dragged the guns into dongas. up kopjes, and over streams. 1-hey arrived in Ladysmith "in the nick of time". Forty-eight hours later the Boers cncir" clcd the town and the 119-day siege had begun. Almost as soon as they arrived the Naval guns were in action against the bin long linus which the Itoers had positioned on Pepworth hill. The enemy was forced to withdraw, but not before an early tragedy had struck the Naval Brigade. Lt Fgerton RN. the Powerful's gunnery officer, lay dying. his legs shattered by a Boer shell - "This wilt nut a stop to my cricket. I'm afraid." As the siege progre%%cj AIMS li:rritile wirs ordered it) Duilmn %%here Capt %(,oil 1%;ยง% to

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ages save the day " By land and sea - a Naval Brigade 4. 7in gun from HMS Terrible shelling Boer lines.

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ii ,iddit iH iiI (or 1 he being. I delence ot the town, he also applied hi,. mind to preparing more guns for use against the enemy and, in particular, for use in relieving l.advsmith. Before he had left Simonstown he had visited the dockyard blacksmith's shop where he had draw n a design on the floor in chalk of a mobile carriage for 4.7in guns. Although he could only use the materials that were immediately at hand, the gun-carriage was a great success (the sailors nick-named it the "scrap-iron carriage.") At Durban more carriages were built and 4.7in guns mounted. By the end of the campaign a total of 41 guns were mounted on Scott's es n. - inclu ni. one tin a railway, truck and d i~fired by, Lady f~iindtilph Churchill. test 'li keep his sailors lit Scott sent them on forced marches, taking their guns with them. Of one such march Scott records: "I wired to Cdr l.impus - 'Take a 4.71n gun without oxen to Umcni f(.5 miles). lire a round. report time of leaving and lime of return.' 'in live minutes I got a reply - 'have left' and four hours later I rode out to meet them returning.

- I lic nd were almost ha, k 1 .1 111cr coining up a hill. I have i1CLI "The 1(N) men were marching magnilicently, pulling for all they were worth. Everything they had on was sweated through. "When they saw me they broke into double time, and Cdr l.impus. watch in hand, said: 'We shall do it in four and a half hours,' and they did." Eventually two 4.7in guns and lb 12-pounders complete with their crews were taken by General Buller on his way to relieve Ladysmith. On December 15 the guns were used to great effect during the Battle of (olenso where "they succeeded in silencing every one of the enemy's guns they could loeatcf', and January 16. 1900. saw them in action at Spion Kop. In February General l3riller asked Scott for a bin gun to he mounted on a carriage - "I want it Monday." Scott replied "bin gun on mobile mounting will leave here on Sunday night." The gun required 2(N) men to haul it to the beach for test firing, and to drag it to the railway. Within clays it was firing from a range of lh.(KMh'ds at hoer positions at ('olenso. It had been given the nickname Roma after Percy Scott's wife. The great day came on March 3. 19(X).

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" Gun crew - one of HMS Powerfuls 4.71n guns as the crew prepare to inspan the oxen.

'krrihlc's gun crews marched into Ladysmith to relieve their colleagues from Powerful. A grateful nation went wild with joy at the news, and the parts played by the Royal Navy', guns earned a permanent and glittering role in the Empire's slot. The great Queen herself telegraphed: "Pray express my deep appreciation to the Naval Brigade for the valuable services they have rendered with their gun...Sir Arthur Conan DosIc wrote ecstatically of the long, thin 4.7s and the hearty bearded men who worked them 1'lw' Nai'r and Arm, /lIuiraa'/ trumpeted 'None hut sailors could handle such ponderous Itis with such ease and freedom-. and the eiti ,ens of Simunstown told (apt lledworth I ambron and his crew that they wished "to record our admiration of the ver conspicuous part you have performed in so gallantly and worthily upholding the best traditions of the British Navy and in maintaining the supremacy of our Queen and Empire." Rudyard Kipling dipped his pen to write that the sailors had "trundled their way to heaven to the tune of the four point seven." Some weeks after the relief of l.adysmith the two great ships sailed. ElMS terrible continued on her way to China where where the four 12.pounders originally mounted by Capt Scott took part in the raising of yet another siege - this time licking. IIMS Powerful returned home to a rapturous welcome. 'l'he ship's company paraded through London and marched through packed, flag-waving, cheering crowds. As they passed the Royal Exchange "sober. sided men of business lost their self-control and hurled their hats into the air after the manner of schoolboys." But the greatest accolade was yet to come. As the sailors were inspected on horse Guard... Parade by the Prince of Wales the great man reached forward and shook the hand of one of the gun crew. "an honour in all probability never been paid to any Naval gunner before,"

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NAVY NEWS, MAY 1999

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Beating Retreat Now and then ALMOST 50 years separate the taking of the two pictures above - but the muchloved formula of the Royal Tournament spanned the gulf of time. Equipment changed, technology added to the spectacle, and the roles and tasks of the Armed Forces have altered over the decades. But the common thread the talent, resourcefulness and courage of the men and women of the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force, is as strong an attraction as it ever was. From Islington to Earls Court, via two World Wars this is your last chance to sample the special atmosphere of the Tournament.

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By the Massed Bands of Her Majesty's

Royal Marines

- HORSE GUARDS PARADE • WHITEHALL • LONDON 8 - 9 - 10 June 1999 at 6.15pm

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