AWNR India: 14 May 1921
1. Indian Ocean Naval Symposium Concludes
2. As Salif Occupation Complicates Saudi Campaigning
1. Indian Ocean Naval Symposium Concludes
The first Indian Ocean Naval Symposium has wrapped up. Approximately two hundred fifty delegates attended the five day event in Durban.
After a day of discussing treaty-restricted warship designs, the second day of presentations were on naval operations in a post-treaty environment. Captain Neshi Mahal, currently assigned to SPEARFISH, spoke to the increasing difficulty of remaining undetected. “Fifteen years ago, all you had to do to remain undetected was avoid the enemy’s warships while you went about with your mission. If you were spotted, chances are your own lookouts would also spot the other fellow - so even if you were found out, the odds were good that you would at least know it.
“Now, however, we have aeroplanes and submarines to concern ourselves with. Aeroplanes travelling at high altitude afford spotters quite an expanse to examine, and it can be done at over a hundred miles an hour. Observers will tell you that even battleships are difficult to pick out in many cases - but try locating an aeroplane before it’s close enough to shoot at. If the aeroplane spots you, the first warning you might get is the appearance of the enemy’s smoke on the horizon.
“And submarines, of course, are far more worrisome. Not only can they detect without being detected, they can also inflict devastating damage without warning. While it may not be possible to detect submarines in time to avoid them, any kind of warning gives your screening forces a chance to harass them before they can positively identify your force’s composition, let alone put a torpedo into its midst.” Captain Mahal later spoke to zeppelins and small civilian ships as other sources of enemy scouting.
The next day, the topic was Great War Operations in the Indian Ocean. Special guest speaker Kapitan Karl von Muller spoke about the epic voyage of his ship, SMS Emden , in the Great War. “I believe we demonstrated just what a cruiser can accomplish with a good crew and a sense for logistics. There were a great many islands to hide amongst, and enough civilian traffic about that our auxiliaries could travel as they pleased. There were also enough neutral waters in India and the Dutch East Indies that supplies could be arranged, legally or otherwise. We were able to put into port at Madras, for example, and do so legally; our stay at Diego Garcia was perhaps less legal, but the locals did not object.”
On the 13th, Commander Rahul Haghi, commanding officer of the destroyer G-118 , talked about his ship’s fire support missions during the As Salif operation. “On the morning after the landings, we were advised that a force of approximately seven hundred hostile infantry were massing east of the town. The force commander directed us to provide fire support for the Guard companies defending the east end, and we moved into position three hundred yards offshore. At 0923, the hostile forces were taken under fire with mounts Anton and Bruno, followed at 0926 by Ceasar and Dora. Our fire was initially ineffective as topography hindered our spotters. However, at 0948, a Japanese seaplane arrived over the area and began dropping smoke canisters. We were able to range on the smoke and began dropping full salvos on the hostile forces.
“At approximately 1013, we were engaged with light machine guns and mortars by a company-sized formation of hostile troops. Our starboard 1.4" cannon and 0.6" machine gun returned the enemy fire, disrupting the formation and inflicting a number of casualties. Although we sustained minor damage from shrapnel and bullets, there were no casualties.
“At approximately 1028, we received word that the hostile forces were retreating in disarray. We ceased firing, having expended two hundred six rounds of 4.1" ammunition. I later heard from the Guard commander that our fire prior to the arrival of the Japanese spotter was ineffective, but was quite accurate once there were smoke canisters to range on.”
Today’s concluding session addressed naval aviation heard from keynote speaker General William Mitchell of the United States. General Mitchell spoke passionately of the future of aerial bombardment: “I firmly, unquestionably believe that the future of war is in the air. This is not what many of our peers wish to hear; they cling to the past glories of battlefleets and scouting forces, but these are now outdated concepts. A handful of men can now travel over a hundred miles in a matter of an hour and deliver enough firepower to sink any vessel. Any vessel. Gentlemen, in just a few weeks my men will demonstrate this by sinking the Ostfriesland , one of the most powerful battleships ever built. This will pave the way for massive firepower delivered by the air, vast armadas of airplanes scouring the ocean of hostile vessels long before they can approach close enough to do any harm.”
While there was some skepticism about General Mitchell’s comments, members in the audience nonetheless seemed to agree that there probably was a greater role of aeroplanes to play in naval warfare. There was certainly a considerable amount of interest in both navy’s aviation programs.
With the conference over, the Indian delegation will spend the next few days engaged in less formal meetings before the Raj returns to Durban on the 19th. After a formal dinner that night, the Indian ships and a large contingent of South African vessels will set sail for India, with several days of tactical exercises planned on the way.
2. As Salif Occupation Complicates Saudi Campaigning
India’s presence in As Salif continues to become more and more complex. A senior Indian official has told AWNR that India’s occupation of As Salif is affecting a war in the Arabian peninsula. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the official said, “Our understanding is that As Salif is, in fact, not a part of Yemen as defined by international treaty - a fact we did not appreciate earlier, much to our chagrin. As Salif is actually located in a...state, I suppose...called Asir, although the area has ill-defined boundaries at best.”
While the town is near Yemen and is coveted by that country, other forces are also at play: “There is a war under way between two dominant Arabian families, and one, that of Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, overran the rest of Asir soon after we arrived in As Salif. Undoubtedly he would have taken As Salif as well, had there not been two battalions of Indian infantry and three warships present.”
Our source tells us that there is some concern in As Salif about being occupied by Ibn Saud after Indian forces withdraw in December. “Ibn Saud and his followers have embraced an ultra-orthodox view of Islam, known as Wahhabi, which teaches among other things that luxurious living is evil. This may well include what we consider basic urban infrastructure, like sewers our engineers are currently building in As Salif. It would seem that some of the locals find the idea of losing these benefits unpalatable.”
Asked what the future might hold for As Salif, the source said, “It’s the same range of possibilities we’ve always faced - anywhere from withdrawing as scheduled to not withdrawing at all.”
This is the Voice of India...
Thursday, May 23rd 2024, 9:54pm
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