The Navy To Borrow USS Gunston

[Colin Parkinson]

Well the Royal Canadian Marines (RCM) would be kind of catchy. In a perfect world it would make sense to have such a unit, but there are lots of other more pressing issues for the moment, but perhaps later.

You could designate a reserve unit as a Marine unit (no doubt the military will choose a unit from the prairies)  :  where they could start practicing with tactics and being used in exercises to start building the knowledge base.

 

[3rd Herd]

In addition it served to mask the excursion of large numbers of vessels departing from British ports with troops bound for the North African landings.  In addition to its training value (amphib ops generally, canadian force in particular)  it also was intended to pick up radar intelligence, as well as acting as a diversionary raid.

Just to tag onto Kirkhill, the Dieppe Raid was also a political opperation in that Churchill had to appease Stalin's repeated requests for the opening of a second front. Secondly, it could be also deemed a strategic opperation in that the political opperation of appeasing Stalin caused the Germans to shift resources from the east to the west.

Added:

As previously mentioned in preceeding posts in this thread. The 3rd Bn did participate in several water landings and maybe some one will dust off the learned lessons.

 

[vonGarvin]

2 RCR also did some exercises in the late 90s with US forces on Newfounland.  MARCOT?

 

[Danjanou]

You could designate a reserve unit as a Marine unit (no doubt the military will choose a unit from the prairies)  :   where they could start practicing with tactics and being used in exercises to start building the knowledge base.

Probably right especially when there is a unit that once operated as Marines or Naval Infantry, albeit not since 1814 aside form one amphibious op in 1915, and is surrounded by water, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. 

 

[ringo]

Geo, care to define your statement further, Sir Galahad IIRC is currently moored alongside Whale Island in Portsmouth, taking place of HMS Bristol which was used there as an accommodation ship.
Sir Galahad with a limited crew of 50 with limited Ro/Ro space two flight spots and only 20 years old would be an excellent start.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I think it will be political suicide to buy another used British warship, regardless of the shape it is in.

 

[tlg]

But British == MAD QUALITY. 'cause I sure want a Sub with a dent the size of a large pepperoni pizza in the side of it, and that smell of smoke, that's nothing, it's there for the ambiance.

 

[Sub_Guy]

Nevertheless they are good boats (ref to subs)...   That being said, for a BHS how about we follow the same road as our "much smarter with their cashola brothers down south".   The Canberra class looks to be a decent project.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canberra_class_large_amphibious_ship

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

RFA Sir Galahad was mainly designed as a logistics ship,  from my RN collegues she has been pretty much gutted and will be scrapped soon.

 

[ringo]

I have been advised that Sir Galahad is tied up at Whale Island Portsmouth as an accommodation ship the vessel's mess facilities are I am informed a great improvement over the former accommodation ship HMS Bristol, I emailed the Disposal Service Agency, UK Aug 30/06 regarding Sir Galahad.
Sir Galahad has been declared surplus.
The ships value will depend on what any government is prepared to pay.
Currently Sir Galahad has not been offered to the Canadian government but if they are intrested DSA will gladly pursue a sale.
I believe a couple LSL's were offered for sale to Sri Lanka, but don;t know how this panned out.

Canada has managed several landing ops in WW2 without dedicated Marine forces although I agree Royal Canadian Marines sounds great.
The SSF operated in the Aleutians and Anzio, these were however primarily US operations, where as Juno Beach and Vimy Ridge were primarily Cdn operations.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Vimy Ridge was not a landing....

 

[geo]

Vimy Ridge was not a landing....

- though the terrain did look like the moon landing

 

[ringo]

There are quit a few amphibious which carry names which have nothing to do with landings, IE Tobruk, Ocean, Foudre, Galicia, San Giorgio, Rotterdam, Wasp, Belleau Wood, San Antonio and Pearl Harbour.
Vimy Ridge Canada's outstanding military success off WW2.

 

[geo]

Ringo,
Vimy Ridge was a WW1 battle
Dieppe was a naval op in WW2

Given that Nfld is now part of Canada, we might consider Gallipoli as a landing where (now) Canadians made their ultimate committment.

 

[Danjanou]

There are quit a few amphibious which carry names which have nothing to do with landings, IE Tobruk, Ocean, Foudre, Galicia, San Giorgio, Rotterdam, Wasp, Belleau Wood, San Antonio and Pearl Harbour.
Vimy Ridge Canada's outstanding military success off WW2.

er that would be World War 1 there. :-[

As for the other names: Tobruk was partially an amphibious action wijh landings resupplies and withdrawals by sea. The naval connections of Pearl Harbour, Rotterdam,  Ocean should be apparant, Wasp is named after a WW2 carrier ( several actually) and carries on a long line of navla ships with that name.  Belleau Wood was a USMC battle therefore appropriate for the name of a ship that carries Marines.

Edit Geo beat me to it.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Canada has managed several landing ops in WW2 without dedicated Marine forces although I agree Royal Canadian Marines sounds great.
The SSF operated in the Aleutians and Anzio, these were however primarily US operations, where as Juno Beach and Vimy Ridge were primarily Cdn operations.

You were referring to landings in this segment hence the eason why Vimy was pointed out as it was not a landing at all...

 

[cobbler]

Given that Nfld is now part of Canada, we might consider Gallipoli as a landing where (now) Canadians made their ultimate committment.

Ease up there mate.

I doubt that would make Canada very popular in Australia and New Zealand, the Gallipoli landings are seen as the 'true' birth of our nations, loss of our innocence, and the ANZACs who served there (all since passed away) are held in almost god like status by the entire population (in Aus anyway).

 

[geo]

Same can be said in Newfoundland ... whose boys fought at the ANZACs side

 

[Kirkhill]

cobbler, there was room enough for the Newfoundlanders on the hills at Gallipoli.  There should be room enough in the history books too.  Even those written by rabbit poachers.  ;D

 

[ringo]

My Bad of course Vimy WW1, nor did I mean to imply that Vimy was a landing.

Were is it written that amphibious ships needs to be named after a landing naval action or operation my marine unit?

WW2 Canada operated Prince Henry and Prince David as Landing Ships.

HMAS Tobruk recognizes the Australia part of Tobruk.

Gallipoli is a non-starter IMO.