Marking 110 years of silent service

It’s been 110 years since the Royal Australian Navy took delivery of its first submersible ships, and while the technology has changed dramatically, the mission and purpose of the nation’s “quiet service” remains the same.

FILE PHOTO (September 9, 1914): Last known image of AE1 – five days before its loss – with HMAS Ships Australia and Yarra in the background.

At the turn of the 20th century, the British and German empires were engaged in an epic global arms race that produced two of the greatest naval forces ever created.

Facing two superpowers exerting influence in a global geopolitical chess game, the fledgling Royal Australian Navy knew that the new island nation’s security depended on its adoption of new underwater technology.

Entering Sydney Harbor on 24 May 1914, HMAS AE1 And AE2 became the first submarines in service with the Royal Australian Navy.

Commanded by Royal Navy officers with a mixture of British and Australian crews, the two ships quickly became central to naval strategy, immediately deploying to assist in the capture of Germany’s Pacific colonies at the outbreak of the Great War .

Barely seven months of service, AE1 was lost with her entire complement of 35 crew members off the coast of the Duke of York group of islands in what is now Papua New Guinea.

The ship remained on eternal patrol until its discovery at a depth of 300 m in 2017.

Not only was this first ship lost by the newly created Royal Australian Navy, AE1 was also the first submarine lost by an Allied nation during the Great War.

Her sister ship, AE2 continued to serve with distinction across the Pacific until November 1914 when he was ordered back to Australia for deployment to the northern hemisphere.

The last Australian submarine of the Great War, AE2 then achieved legendary status by becoming the first submersible vessel to successfully navigate the mine-infested Dardanelles Strait on April 25, 1915, cementing its place in Anzac folklore.

AE2 continued to harass the enemy in the Sea of ​​Marmara for five days, before coming under fire and being scuttled to avoid capture.

As the crew escaped the wreckage, they were captured and held for the remainder of the war, four of them dying before Armistice Day.

Although it has been in service for just over a year, Australia’s first generation of submarines has proven its strategic value to the fleet as a “force multiplier”, helping the Royal Australian Navy take the lead. advantage over countries with much larger deep-sea navies.

During their short service, their presence proved crucial to the protection, surveillance and intelligence gathering of the fleet.

Since their inception, the Royal Australian Navy has also seen the Royal Navy’s Odin and Oberon class submarines in service, as well as the Swedish-designed and locally manufactured Collins-class submarines.

This experience demonstrated that the most practical and cost-effective way to provide an Australian undersea capability fit for purpose was to source the best designs from around the world and adapt and build the technology for Australia’s needs. Australia.

The delivery of AE1 And AE2 was the first ever demonstration of this global alliance to produce an effective naval deterrent capability to protect Australia’s coasts.

Both ships were built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering in the North West of England and transported to Australia on what was the longest underwater voyage ever attempted at the time.

Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering later became part of the modern multinational corporation known as BAE Systems, meaning the company that delivered Australia’s first submarine technology in the 20th century would continue to serve Australian needs until ‘in the 21st century.

May 24 marks a significant anniversary where Australia draws on the skills and expertise of its allies and harnesses local innovation to build a unique capability.

The special partnership that began more than a century ago continues to help the Navy ensure the protection of Australia and its national interests.

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