Serving the Nation 1948 to 1972, Always underway 1948 – 1972

Serving the Nation 1948 to 1972, Always underway 1948 – 1972

Price range: $22.00 through $93.50

This book is the history of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne. Designed and built in the United Kingdom it traces the lengthy career of the Fleet Flagship in both words and illustrations. From the earliest days in service, in 1955, through to the ship’s final demise in a Chinese scrapyard, this completely revised and expanded edition of the original 1980 book describes the most important activities of the RAN across Melbourne’s 30-years presence in Australian waters. During her long naval career, Melbourne was the most powerful ship in the RAN, operating two generations of embarked fixed wing aircraft.

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Description

This book examines RAN activities during the 1950s and 1960s. These were demanding times for the Royal Australian Navy. The Navy was busy with intensive involvement in the Korean War, partnership with other navies to counter the communist insurgents against Malaya, Indonesian Confrontation against Malaysia and the war in Vietnam. Added to these challenges were the introduction and integration of 41 new warships into the Fleet and, on the home front, the never ending ‘political battle’ to secure the funds and personnel needed to perform the assigned tasks. The same years also witnessed the revitalisation of the Fleet Air Arm from its modest beginnings in 1948, through to a sophisticated generation of carrier-based warplanes. Despite this heavy tempo the Navy departed the 1960s in good shape, a major blue water navy in the region.

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