I
n the early years of the 20th Century Germany
strove to expand its influence on the world
stage, which included an intensive naval building
programme to challenge Great Britain’s supremacy at
sea. In the arms race that followed the infant nation
of Australia saw to it that we possessed a modern
navy capable of defending our shores against enemy
attack.
Thus when war broke out on August 4, 1914 the
Royal Australian Navy was ready with a powerful
new fleet unit based in Sydney. Pride of the fleet
was the battle-cruiser HMAS Australia, up-to-date,
fast and armed with the latest 12 inch guns. She
was supported by modern cruisers, destroyers and
submarines.German interests in the Pacific were widespread,
from northern New Guinea and New Britain to a
chain of scattered island groups further afield. To
guard them Germany based a powerful squadron
of armoured and light cruisers in the Far East which
cruised their island possessions.
First task of the Australian Navy on the outbreak
of war was to eliminate the German squadron and
Australia immediately led a raid on Rabaul harbour
hoping to surprise any enemy warships in port. But
the bay was empty.
Far away from home and friends, the German
Admiral Graf von Spee took a cautious approach. He
considered the guns of Australia more powerful thanaustralia’s War
at sea, 1914-1919:
Queensland Maritime Museum is currently commemorating
Australia’s nautical involvement in the First World War with the
Australian National Maritime Museum’s travelling ‘War at Sea’
exhibition. Presenting first hand stories, artefacts and personal
memorabilia, the exhibition brings to life the personal experience of
Australians during the war at sea a hundred years ago.by DaviD jones, queenslanD maritime museumthe navy