Hi drach, Captain Arthur Wilson won the Victoria Cross for his actions during the 2nd Battle El Teb in the Sudan. What was his career in navy before and after this event?
I hope Drach is becoming a regular stop for authors of naval history books to promote their new work. Thank you both - and I just ordered a copy of the book from USNI.
I love these stories. The story of one ship really encompasses the entire story of two countries, the people who settled them, the politics of the time, economics, and ultimately, why that part of the world is the way it is to the present day. Magnificent!
Australia and new Zealand we're so happy and proud to actually have a capital ship back then and they paid for the ships themselves instead of british navy and was mad when they scrapped the ship barely 10 yrs later lol 😑
My great Uncle served on her. He was around 16 and was at the main battles, at Jutland he was in the spotting position at the top of the mast, and witnessed the destruction of the Queen Mary, I remember asa boy chatting to him, Albert Eyes, and his description of his awe as he saw the keel of the ship lift out the water and the ship disappear in seconds as the magazines went up. He told me the only significant hit was on a torrent that jammed it and it couldn’t traverse…but they were known as a lucky ship…..I couldn’t imagine being in those circumstances as a teenager…the generation were a tough bunch…
Same here, I know bits and pieces abut HMS New Zealand, but not the reasons why or the background. Sounds like politics between NZ and Aus never really changed
As an Aussie, I have to say that New Zealand is one of our greatest adversaries, on the sports field, but is also one of our greatest friends. We are two nations who together punch well above our weight internationally and have similar ideals of not taking ourselves too seriously. The Kiwi jokes about Aussies and visa versa are legion, and are often the same joke reversed. One of my favourite stories of Kiwis comes from the Italian campaign in WW2, General Freyberg was receiving some complaints from British officers that his troops were not saluting them, Freyberg's response was, "Ah yes, but if you wave to them, they'll wave back." Tena Koutou Katoa New Zealand.
It's the Marmite / Vegemite factor, other countries just don't get it. The reason why a certain beer from Queensland is called XXXX is because the Aussies don't know how to spell the word beer. lol
The joke I like is an Aussie baiting a Kiwi saying Kiwis are sheep shaggers and the Kiwi replied Yes, we shag all the sheep, then sell them to Aussies for their Sunday roast.
I get the feeling that the answer at 22:13 can be used to respond to a large number of questions about the Royal Navy (and related organizations). "The answer is quite straightforward, I can sum it up in two words. Admiral Fisher"
@@Dave_Sisson I'm not suggesting it's a BAD thing that many questions about the RN/associated organizations at that point in time can be answered "Because: Admiral Fisher" Simply saying that he had an incredibly large impact.
@@steveamsp Exactly, how many admirals made such a huge impact that they are still widely talked about over a century after their deaths? Not many, there's Nelson, Fisher and Byng, although he was executed for cowardice, so not the best epitaph.
@@Dave_Sisson I'd add Cunningham to that list, but your point is very well made. Of them all, Fisher's biggest impact was when he was NOT being shot at, unlike the others...
Not only was she in many of the battles of WW1 she survived with barely a scratch, metaphorically, when others around her were lost. If any ship deserved the epithet 'Lucky' it was certainly HMS New Zealand.
I'll see your HMS New Zealand and raise it HIJMS Yukikaze... KMS Prinz Eugen was rather lucky too, but although it did have a varied and active career, it wasnt as active as Yukikaze's. USS Enterprise is also up there, but it did suffer some serious hits, and faced fewer threats than the prior two ships.
@@VersusARCH You're right on _Yukikaze_ . How the heck did it survive is amazing. If it had been in some rear area, I'd get it, but it went everywhere and fought everywhere... damn.
@@jlvfr It probably helped that most of the time there were bigger targets available sailing with her, but then again destroyers too sank all around her and also quite a few of the engagements she fought in were the unpredictable night battles, but the damn thing barely received a scratch...
18:05 - that picture was shown for just over a minute but I recognised it as Lyttleton straight away. Then just before the picture was changed I saw that it actually said "Lyttleton" at the bottom. Do I know New Zealand or what?
The fear of a Russian invasion was so great in New Zealand that large fortifications were built in the 4 major coastal cities. These were equipped with 8" disappearing guns and are still there to this day.... in various states of disrepair. One of the forts in Devonport, Auckland has been restored and still has one of these massive guns on dislay.
@@gwimbus4399 The question is if that gun could handle a proper shell still or if they can only safely fire low-pressure blanks designed to look good for audiences but won't stress weak old components like the recoil mechanism that would potentially fail under a normal shell's power. Even a full-powered blank is considerably less stressful than normal ammunition since you are not containing the pressure with a full-weight projectile needing to be shoved out the barrel. It is impressive that they fire them at all, though, as ammunition of any kind for those guns wouldn't be just pence on the pound.
This is one of those questions that might be interesting but fundamentally irrelevant - you'd not risk blowing up a historic artifact just to see if it *can* still shoot the full military load... when all you really needed was for it to make a loud boom. You're right, though - the charges used are all entirely hand-loads. ;-)
What’s not often realized is that New Zealand is so lucky that she dodged the scrapyard’s attentions entirely, and is hidden behind a conveniently large pile of scrap metal, waiting for her moment to come once more.
Thank you both and especially Matthew for a fascinating glimpse into a "bye gone era". The thing with history like this - is that you don't just see the story of a ship - but - of the people of it's time. This ship was part of the end of the Victorian Era that WW I brought about. People then had much different ideas about life and our place in it. Some of which are very much a loss that they are gone. I can remember the way the US was when I was a child in the years right after WW II - and we are sadly not the same people we were then. Some things were changed for the better but so much was lost for the worst. Here - we can see a time when - some ... people thought very differently than we do today. I wouldn't want to over do that as the past was certainly not all sweetness and light at any time - but - there were good things in the past that we have very little of today. That's the thing about History that is so fascinating. It's the "yes ... people really did that ..." aspect of it. I'm afraid my USNI Membership, along with my memberships in _a lot_ of other things had to lapse when I went from being a well paid computer professional to being a ... retiree ... One of the somewhat inevitable aspects to how things really are ... along with the scrapping of so many historical ships ... including some now that I worked on. It's sometimes hard to believe that such massive, powerful ships are just ... gone ... Again - Thank you both. .
Drach and Mr (Dr) Wright, thank you so much for a fantastic episode about a fantastic ship. I live in Maine, USA on the Canadian border with New Brunswick , and my mum is a New Brunswicker, so I've always followed Canadian events as much as US. I particularly enjoyed Mr. Wright's story line about Australia , New Zealand and Canada competing to be the best "child" in the British Empire. It made me chuckle to think that the New Zealand PM basically says were going to give Daddy (the King Emperor) the best gift ever, and not only that we're going to give our gift before the other kids can give him theirs. The one thing that can be said, no matter the time, that the three sibling colonies of New Zealand, Australia and Canada certainly gave the British Empire the fullest service through 2 world wars. Their sons fought and bled for King and Empire as much and in many cases even more, than the native British. Their heroic fights at places like Jutland, Galipoli, Dieppe, Tobruk and so many more is proud testament to their devotion to the Empire.
Well said Brian. The Dominion troops from NZ, Canada and Australia were the difference that the Brits had at the final months of WW1. the shock troops of the empire, lead by 3 of the best Generals.
Back in the day, NZ always gave terrific receptions to visiting warships, as did South Africa. Crews in those days must have had wonderful times when visiting.
This was a fascinating topic! I knew the more "colorful" aspects of the ship but I found it very interesting how much the New Zealand the ship was involved or related to the creation of New Zealand the country.
Great to hear about HMS New Zealand by a historian with a kiwi accent. Very expensive naming rights for New Zealand. Major exports at the time: Butter, mutton, lamb, cheese, scientists and writers.
I once asked a Kiwi what the difference was between themselves and Aussies. She replied “The settlers in NZ were mostly yeoman farmers who wanted to come south. The original Australians settlers were the scrapings from the worst of English prisons. They certainly didn’t want to come.” Nothing against Australia but that’s why we have a different accents and the outlook on our heritages.” As a Yank descended from a Dane who emigrated to escape the draft into the Kaiser’s army, who went on to become. Multimillionaire in the USA, I say good on the Aussies, but I’d rather move to NZ. (I could handle the poisonous snakes, but the thought of box jellies invisible in the water would effin’ *terrify* me!
@@drcovell There were convicts working on plantations and capital works projects from Virginia to Georgia until the colonial authorities in what is now the eastern United States spoke up to the Privy Council and told them to cease transportation. You have got to watch some of the marine life in the Gulf of Mexico too I take it.
What a superb history lesson. Really enjoyed Matthew's presentation backed by pertinant questions from drach. I also liked the enigmatic smile on his face every time NZ got one over on the Wallabies. Hope to see more
That was fun. Good guest and interesting topic. Cheers from Texas where yesterday we had sleet in the morning and today it was 74F. Changeable weather, that's us.
Wright's remarks on the patronizing ill-treatment of the indigenous Maori are absolutely on point. My only criticism: one could easily get the impression that kiwi colonial treatment of 'natives' was as hypocritical and deadly as that of their Aussie cousins. This could not be further from the truth. One cannot scan newspaper archives of the era without realizing that the place of Maori in colonial society represented a marked improvement on the situation of nearly every other aboriginal people, and especially the Australian one. This had huge implications during the debate over joining Australia, and should not be so casually dismissed. Primary reason for much of the cavalier treatment of treaty rights is surely that Maori were thought to be a dying people. This prompted white authorities to act in ways modern kiwis find abhorrent, including for example suppression of the Maori language for decades (it was felt that mastery of English was considered essential to improve their lot). From 200,000 at the time of Cook's visit, the population had declined to around 40,000 by 1900 - mainly from disease. This attitude also meant outrage over any notion of Australian-style massacres of the indigenes. The treaty of Waitangi played little part in land-grab discussions since it had not been ratified - or so it was thought before the researches of Claudia Orange in the 1980s. Consequently only the common-law principles of ownership applied, which were fatal to Maori principles of ownership. But this belief in proper legal standards could also result in startling reversals of prejudice. One example: Maori defended themselves against a white militia trying a land grab. There were many white fatalities, but the resulting legal inquiry found the colonists to be entirely at fault, as even the Governor-General had to acknowledge. In sum, the respect in which NZ whites held Maori did have other sources, from strategic and tactical surprises inflicted on imperial militia and troops during land wars of the 1840s to 1870s, to residual guilt over the part played by white traders during the musket wars. I would also cite the general awareness that Maori had unparalleled skills not just as warriors but as seamen. But the notion that Maori would eventually disappear as a people was, I suspect, of greater importance than any of these.
First and foremost, my thanks to Drach and Mr. Wright for this nifty conversation! I just thought that I would contribute by saying that there are other precedents for communities contributing to the cost of building warships. Off the top of my head the USS Essex frigate was built with contributions from Essex, Massachusetts. The same with the frigates USS Philadelphia, USS Boston, USS New York and I believe either the USS John Adams or the USS Adams plus some smaller ships in the late 1790's. Once again thank you for an enjoyable hour!
I live just across the river from Essex, MA - my son and his family live there. It's a very small town. I haven't heard of any contributions they may have made. It's entirely possible though. I just can't see it being a very large amount. If I find out anything about it I will try to make a comment here.
Thank you for hosting interviews like this one and the one with Jon Parschall. So interesting and so informative! You do wonderful work. Thanks so much. Roger in Wisconsin
I loved the whole video. I loved the guest speaking to public thought and period. It is so important to understand ing history and seems to be more or less overlooked in so many modern descriptions and understanding s of history amongst my fellow Americans
@Benjamin Rees - It has been my experience that far too many of my fellow Americans are woefully uninformed about history, and now that school curricula are determined to rewrite history, new generations are coming along who are MISinformed about history. It appears you are not one of them. You distinguish yourself, sir.
Always a treat to hear history directly from the researcher. Too often the folks that do the research are dead and gone by the time their work is well circulated.
When the USS Loig Beach (CGN-9) arrived in Auckland in 1975, we too were greeted by a large flotilla of small boats. Alas, it was not a particularly inviting moment. The boats were manned by members of Nuclear Free Pacific and supporters who did their darndest to block us from entering the harbor, in the belief (correct) that were were carrying nuclear weapons and This Was Evil. One small craft would slide into our path, get moved out of the way by the local marine police and coast guard, and as we headed forward, another would take its place....and so on and etc. Our captain Dirty Harry Schrader, went on local TV to praise the skill of the New Zealand skippers (I understand that was not the case on the bridge, but diplomacy rules). Liberty was excellent, and we got there in time to see Richie Blackmore's Rainbow with Ronnie James Dio.
@@RedXlV Well, I suspect the then government just didn't want to make an issue with an ally. Fortunately, they did not nose around the Talos and ASROC magazines, so that was not a problem.
If I recall, the NZ PM David Lange, rightly asked the USN to declare if the ship was carrying nukes. The Americans refused to confirm, which was against the sovereign policy of NZ at the time. Basically the Yanks bullied their way in. Nothing against the US individual servicemen, but it was bully politics. Lange had the cahoona's to stand up for NZ soverignty.
@@wizofoz0605 You are correctly informed. We were VERY strictly told not "to confirm or deny" that nuclear warheads were being carried. And, withrrespect, as to "bullying," the NZ government could have said no. to the visit.
Dreadnought architecture is a most interesting thing to study. In this particular example they did away with superfiring turrets in order to have a high free board and good metacentric height in order to keep afloat in heavy seas.
@@Battleship009 the US got in very late on the dreadnought craze, thus we had the standard battleships which kind of stretched from pre to super dreadnoughts which did a lot of good by getting sunk in the opening salvos of ww2
@@AsbestosMuffins Standards came after the dreadnought, and first USN dreadnoughts were the South Carolina class battleships laid down in 1906 and launched in 1908. Both of them and their successors had superfiring turrets.
A Beautiful Ship, with an amazing story, I always enjoy going down to the Museum at Devonport and seeing all of the surviving artefacts and the chunk of Y turret on display.
There is a large piece, this wooden sideboard referred to at the end of the video in the Navy chapel. The Royal New Zealand Navy Museum in Devonport has many pieces including the piupiu.
What a shame things like this wasn't mentioned in social studies. Maybe not the ship itself but the weird politics around the time. We went over obvious things like the Treaty of Waitangi and Captain Cook. The rest of it though was a slap dash mess of a joke. Wasted a lot of time on local area history when we didn't have a national timeline. We certainly didn't come out of it with a sense of history, only that it happened. "Turning on the electricity" had me giggle a little as we take it for granted that much.
*Fun Fact.* When the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, NZ was still being governed by the colony of New South Wales. That little titbit were weren't taught in school either.
@@Bill_Falsename New Zealand has gone full blown authoritarian with Covid. Three cases in Auckland? Lockdown _both_ islands and stay in your house or be arrested. Vaccine available? Make it impossible to do _anything_ , even grocery shopping unless you're double jabbed and we will _make_ you accept it. Want to have a smoke? We're gonna pass a law to progressively increase the smoking age every year so that within 3 generations _no one_ will be able to buy tobacco and make New Zealand a Tobacco-free country. New Zealand and Australia have truly lost the plot.
Hi Drac, awesome video coming all the way from a kiwi in NZ! so much I didn't know about this ship. I was taught in school we didn't join the Aussies because of one man - PM Richard Seddon who didn't want to go down the power ladder from a nation Prime minister to a mere State premier. There is still a preserved naval gun battery in the capital Wellington built to fight the Russians. Fun fact the NZ/UK refrigerated meat export industry started just south of my hometown at Totara Estate in the Otago province.
so they went out to buy a battleship, ended up buying a last model battlecruiser. Can relate, this is how my parents go car shopping, don't get me started on the time they went to buy an Iowa and returned home with an Alaska
I find it a bit interesting that in Naval historical context, Lionel Halsey was Captain HMS New Zealand and later became a Admiral. The United States also had a Admiral with the last name Halsey. William Halsey. I wonder if there is some distant family connection between the two???? Both served in WWI.
Fascinating, so interesting to hear the background of naval infighting and shenanigans of the time and not the airbrushed revisionist prevelant theories!
Oh how wonderful - I really enjoyed this so much - a very colourful discussion about a wonderful ship by a superb narrator - thanks for giving this to us
While New Zealand had (by modern standards) a relatively short career, war-service is absolutely brutal on the material condition of a warship. Had she been retained for extended post-war service, she would have required major overhaul which, undoubtedly, would have improved her speed, endurance, etc. Nevertheless, she was a 12"-gun battlecruiser, with no possibility of improving on her main-battery (such as up-gunning). She did her duty and retired with dignity, bringing the bulk of her crews safely back to home shores......
Not to mention the not so great layout of the guns. Had she been akin to a mini-Tiger in configuration with superfiring guns, you'd have a ship that with modernization would have been a viable cruiser-killer (or cruiser squadron flagship) all the way into WW2. Though even then, she would've been very expensive to keep in service for that fairly limited role.
Excellent episode about a fascinating ship and era. Being a Skip, I have long been interested in the other colonial battlecruiser, HMAS Australia. It is most interesting to compare similarities and differences particular to the histories of these two vessels and more generally the contrasting political and cultural contexts within Australasia that this comparison reveals. Unlike HMS New Zealand, it would appear that HMAS Australia realised its intended role as capital ship of a 'fleet unit', which it fulfilled until after the threat of the German East Asian Cruiser Squadron was neutralised. TFP.
New Zealand didn't have a navy until 1941. Prior to that all "NZ" ships were part of the "New Zealand Division" of the Royal Navy, along with ships of the RN proper that were crewed by New Zealand (eg. HMS Achilles in WW2)
HMS Maori was a Tribal class destroyer. It picked my Step-Grandad from Norway in April 1940 after his Blue Tunicked Royal Navy Commando unit was almost obliterated in the landing feint at Andalsnes .
HMS Maori did not have any connection to new zealand, no more than HMS Nubian or HMS Cossack having any connection to the Nubians or Cossacks. Moori, Cossack, Nubian etc were Tribal class destroyers named after ....tribes! Names do not really mean anything; HMS Achilles had a half NZ crew, as did Leander (light cruiser) and the British cruiser Gambia transferred to NZ ownership (RNZN) during the 2nd World War.
It bears mention that the number of New Zealanders who went aboard or to see the ship is not just upwards of four hundred thousand, but also upwards of forty (!!!) percent of the total population of the country at the time. Which is insane when you think about it.
Historically, to win wars at sea, you must be skilled, aggressive, well supported by your supply line and most importantly, you need to be lucky. No matter how good your plan or navy is,sooner or later you’ll have to roll the dice of chance and trust to luck.
My paternal grandfather, Walter Alexander, served in HMS New Zealand and was present at Dogger Bank and I believe Jutland. I never met him, as he died, running to catch a bus, a year before I was born. Family legend has it that he recieved prize money for the sinking of the Blucher.
What a great video! Imperial political shenanigans, financial legerdemain, indigenous peoples protest, magic amulets, unusual battle dress and last but not least plenty of battle action!
As an American, I found the political dynamics between Britain and "her children" fascinating. We know so little about that aspect. The relationship between "the center" and the colonies was incredibly complex, interesting, and is important for today. side question: Was the nickname for Royal Navy subs' first officers, "Jimmy"? If so how and when did that come about? Another great Drach vid dropping some serious knowledge!
Great episode. I am a kiwi and resident in the uk although Im from NZ Devonport . Last time I was in Nz I visited gunnery points around the harbor for WW 2 coastal defence and the plague suggested that the 4.0 inch bunker batteries were guns from HMS New Zealand . Assuming she was scrapped in the UK I wondered if this could be the case.
Thankyou an enjoyable video. it is always joy to see old photos of Lyttleton, the port hills still the same from my window. Now i want to visit the torpedo boat museum near Governors bay
Thanks for another good "rum ration", the guest , Mr. (Dr?) Wright showed superb scholarship and brought out lots of great details. It occurred to me there is a certain coincidence that the early 20th century saw two instances of "gift" capital ships. One was HMS New Zealand and the other was one of the Swedish coast defense battleships. I think in 1911? It would be interesting to ask Mr. Wright if he thinks there are any parallels. Not, of course, the "competition" between colonies, I'm pretty sure Sweden didn't have any colonies at that time, but maybe a similar psychology, or similar economic conditions?
What a great piece of work! It does worry me now that hard copy records are being replaced with digital documents and strings of E-Mails that historical research is going to be a whole lot more difficult for future generations.
@@egoalter1276maybe so- but electronic records are easier to delete and lose as well, and are only accessible as long as the software that understands them is compatible with the computers of your era. greater brains than me are quite worried about it as a thought, and would laugh at your above easy offhand dismissal of the idea.
@@egoalter1276 It depends how they are filed. I worked with a Government department and the digital filing system was a mess: E-Mail strings with meaningless titles, poor document version control, no thought to how you might retrieve a particular piece of information and no notes of action outside the actual documents. Determining how a decision was reached, and even what that decision was, was a nightmare.
@@keefymckeefface8330 The resiliency of the individual record (which is still greater than anything but a rock carving) is made irrelevant in face of the fact that virtually every record will have numerous wildly geographically separated copies made at no cost. Similarly no encoding has thus far been lost, and even were one lost, they are easily decypherable through simple frequency analasys. I do not believe such concerns are well founded.
Pinned post for Q&A :)
Can you please do a video on HMAS Canberra and possibly USS Canberra?
Uh? Point of order, Its hm(NZ)s New Zealand, HMS New Zealand was a pre-dreadnought battleship.
Hi drach,
Captain Arthur Wilson won the Victoria Cross for his actions during the 2nd Battle El Teb in the Sudan. What was his career in navy before and after this event?
Could you possibly do a video about some of the more notable shipyards like Newport News or Harland and Wolfe?
@@johnlavery3433 oh that sounds like a good idea!
I hope Drach is becoming a regular stop for authors of naval history books to promote their new work. Thank you both - and I just ordered a copy of the book from USNI.
As he should be. He gives more detail and goes deeper than many documtaries I've seen.
This author is generally not good.
@@blabbitch How so?
Item: Maori Flax Piupiu Skirt
Legendary Heavy Armor
Grants +50 Strength
30% Increased Damage
100% Awesomeness
The ship is the weapon fought by the captain wearing his Piupiu to give the necessary agility and strength.
Her X turret was hit and did not explode, I would give credit to thee Piupiu.
wargaming need to include those stats into the next patch for HMNZSNZ to NZ players!
I love these stories. The story of one ship really encompasses the entire story of two countries, the people who settled them, the politics of the time, economics, and ultimately, why that part of the world is the way it is to the present day. Magnificent!
And told in a very engaging way. His discussions about the difference between Australia and New Zealand are completely on point and very nuanced.
Australia and new Zealand we're so happy and proud to actually have a capital ship back then and they paid for the ships themselves instead of british navy and was mad when they scrapped the ship barely 10 yrs later lol 😑
My great Uncle served on her. He was around 16 and was at the main battles, at Jutland he was in the spotting position at the top of the mast, and witnessed the destruction of the Queen Mary, I remember asa boy chatting to him, Albert Eyes, and his description of his awe as he saw the keel of the ship lift out the water and the ship disappear in seconds as the magazines went up. He told me the only significant hit was on a torrent that jammed it and it couldn’t traverse…but they were known as a lucky ship…..I couldn’t imagine being in those circumstances as a teenager…the generation were a tough bunch…
You know your an awesome ship when anime style plot armor works in real life
HMS Australia and HMS New Zealand didn't collide, they were just playing nautical rugby.
Mind the offside penalties, mind you... :D
@@rambling_reiver betcha the All Black won....
Late as usual, but yes, I can visualise this. Did the All Blacks do the Hakka before play?
@@Jayne22of course they did
Lucky my foot! It was Kiwi Battle Magics that did it!
Also, HMS New Zealand and HMAS Australia collided, because of course they did
As someone from New Zealand, I love that the politics of the time gets talked about as well.
Same here, I know bits and pieces abut HMS New Zealand, but not the reasons why or the background. Sounds like politics between NZ and Aus never really changed
@@BrickNewton HAS NOT CHANGED~~ and i hope it never will. proud to be a kiwi
As an Aussie, I have to say that New Zealand is one of our greatest adversaries, on the sports field, but is also one of our greatest friends. We are two nations who together punch well above our weight internationally and have similar ideals of not taking ourselves too seriously. The Kiwi jokes about Aussies and visa versa are legion, and are often the same joke reversed. One of my favourite stories of Kiwis comes from the Italian campaign in WW2, General Freyberg was receiving some complaints from British officers that his troops were not saluting them, Freyberg's response was, "Ah yes, but if you wave to them, they'll wave back."
Tena Koutou Katoa New Zealand.
It's the Marmite / Vegemite factor, other countries just don't get it.
The reason why a certain beer from Queensland is called XXXX is because the Aussies don't know how to spell the word beer. lol
It's kind of like a sibling rivalry - only we're allowed to bully each other, anyone else tries it they get both of us! :D
@@kiwitrainguythat’s just Queenslanders… the Sun roasts their brains 😊
The joke I like is an Aussie baiting a Kiwi saying Kiwis are sheep shaggers and the Kiwi replied Yes, we shag all the sheep, then sell them to Aussies for their Sunday roast.
"We don't know how lucky we are, mate....
We don't know 'ow lucky we are!"
- Fred Dagg
I get the feeling that the answer at 22:13 can be used to respond to a large number of questions about the Royal Navy (and related organizations). "The answer is quite straightforward, I can sum it up in two words. Admiral Fisher"
I suspect that Drach rather admires Jacky Fisher, but Matthew Wright leaves us in no doubt that he is NOT a fan.
@@Dave_Sisson I'm not suggesting it's a BAD thing that many questions about the RN/associated organizations at that point in time can be answered "Because: Admiral Fisher" Simply saying that he had an incredibly large impact.
@@steveamsp Exactly, how many admirals made such a huge impact that they are still widely talked about over a century after their deaths? Not many, there's Nelson, Fisher and Byng, although he was executed for cowardice, so not the best epitaph.
@@Dave_Sisson I'd add Cunningham to that list, but your point is very well made. Of them all, Fisher's biggest impact was when he was NOT being shot at, unlike the others...
The most effective and successful of the "Higher Ups" are usually the bloody-minded ones. Another one that comes to mind is Arthur "Bomber" Harris.
Not only was she in many of the battles of WW1 she survived with barely a scratch, metaphorically, when others around her were lost. If any ship deserved the epithet 'Lucky' it was certainly HMS New Zealand.
I'll see your HMS New Zealand and raise it HIJMS Yukikaze...
KMS Prinz Eugen was rather lucky too, but although it did have a varied and active career, it wasnt as active as Yukikaze's.
USS Enterprise is also up there, but it did suffer some serious hits, and faced fewer threats than the prior two ships.
She kind of cost the NZ govt a LOT of money, so just as well she was lucky..!
@@VersusARCH You're right on _Yukikaze_ . How the heck did it survive is amazing. If it had been in some rear area, I'd get it, but it went everywhere and fought everywhere... damn.
@@VersusARCH Shared honours
@@jlvfr It probably helped that most of the time there were bigger targets available sailing with her, but then again destroyers too sank all around her and also quite a few of the engagements she fought in were the unpredictable night battles, but the damn thing barely received a scratch...
"Luck... protects fools, small children, and ships named HMS New Zealand"
Love the photo of HMS New Zealand in Lyttleton Harbour with the snow covering the hills in the background
18:05 - that picture was shown for just over a minute but I recognised it as Lyttleton straight away. Then just before the picture was changed I saw that it actually said "Lyttleton" at the bottom. Do I know New Zealand or what?
"Yes yes, *of course* we're going to give a dreadnaught. But you could have asked before you did it!" Best line, full stop.
A typically New Zealand response.
The fear of a Russian invasion was so great in New Zealand that large fortifications were built in the 4 major coastal cities. These were equipped with 8" disappearing guns and are still there to this day.... in various states of disrepair. One of the forts in Devonport, Auckland has been restored and still has one of these massive guns on dislay.
The gun, on the south side of North Head, still works, they fired it back in 2017, for a celebration event.
Visit the site in Dunedin New Zealand and see one in working order.
Fort Taiaroa, established over 100 years ago to counter the threat of invasion from Tsarist Russia, is hidden beneath the albatross colony.
@@gwimbus4399 The question is if that gun could handle a proper shell still or if they can only safely fire low-pressure blanks designed to look good for audiences but won't stress weak old components like the recoil mechanism that would potentially fail under a normal shell's power. Even a full-powered blank is considerably less stressful than normal ammunition since you are not containing the pressure with a full-weight projectile needing to be shoved out the barrel. It is impressive that they fire them at all, though, as ammunition of any kind for those guns wouldn't be just pence on the pound.
This is one of those questions that might be interesting but fundamentally irrelevant - you'd not risk blowing up a historic artifact just to see if it *can* still shoot the full military load... when all you really needed was for it to make a loud boom.
You're right, though - the charges used are all entirely hand-loads. ;-)
What’s not often realized is that New Zealand is so lucky that she dodged the scrapyard’s attentions entirely, and is hidden behind a conveniently large pile of scrap metal, waiting for her moment to come once more.
Nice assessment CP!!
*Heads off to sink a Chinese warship made in the 2000's*
Thank you both and especially Matthew for a fascinating glimpse into a "bye gone era". The thing with history like this - is that you don't just see the story of a ship - but - of the people of it's time.
This ship was part of the end of the Victorian Era that WW I brought about. People then had much different ideas about life and our place in it. Some of which are very much a loss that they are gone. I can remember the way the US was when I was a child in the years right after WW II - and we are sadly not the same people we were then. Some things were changed for the better but so much was lost for the worst. Here - we can see a time when - some ... people thought very differently than we do today. I wouldn't want to over do that as the past was certainly not all sweetness and light at any time - but - there were good things in the past that we have very little of today.
That's the thing about History that is so fascinating. It's the "yes ... people really did that ..." aspect of it.
I'm afraid my USNI Membership, along with my memberships in _a lot_ of other things had to lapse when I went from being a well paid computer professional to being a ... retiree ... One of the somewhat inevitable aspects to how things really are ... along with the scrapping of so many historical ships ... including some now that I worked on. It's sometimes hard to believe that such massive, powerful ships are just ... gone ...
Again - Thank you both.
.
Drach and Mr (Dr) Wright, thank you so much for a fantastic episode about a fantastic ship.
I live in Maine, USA on the Canadian border with New Brunswick , and my mum is a New Brunswicker, so I've always followed Canadian events as much as US.
I particularly enjoyed Mr. Wright's story line about Australia , New Zealand and Canada competing to be the best "child" in the British Empire. It made me chuckle to think that the New Zealand PM basically says were going to give Daddy (the King Emperor) the best gift ever, and not only that we're going to give our gift before the other kids can give him theirs.
The one thing that can be said, no matter the time, that the three sibling colonies of New Zealand, Australia and Canada certainly gave the British Empire the fullest service through 2 world wars. Their sons fought and bled for King and Empire as much and in many cases even more, than the native British. Their heroic fights at places like Jutland, Galipoli, Dieppe, Tobruk and so many more is proud testament to their devotion to the Empire.
No argument from Britain, always glad to have Canada , Australia and New Zealand on board if there's a fight coming!
Ah, the power of THE BIG IDEA. Flowing one way, you get The Commonwealth. With a slight twist and a whole lot of attitude, you get The United States.
Well said Brian. The Dominion troops from NZ, Canada and Australia were the difference that the Brits had at the final months of WW1. the shock troops of the empire, lead by 3 of the best Generals.
A 5 minute or so review that lasts over an hour. Drach is really getting it done.
Back in the day, NZ always gave terrific receptions to visiting warships, as did South Africa. Crews in those days must have had wonderful times when visiting.
A fascinating discussion, thank you both. My grandfather was on the New Zealand and was on board her at Jutland. Stephen Edwards
This was a fascinating topic! I knew the more "colorful" aspects of the ship but I found it very interesting how much the New Zealand the ship was involved or related to the creation of New Zealand the country.
Pretty much an artifact of it rather than a causation.
Great to hear about HMS New Zealand by a historian with a kiwi accent. Very expensive naming rights for New Zealand. Major exports at the time: Butter, mutton, lamb, cheese, scientists and writers.
Don’t forget wool!
Tin?
I once asked a Kiwi what the difference was between themselves and Aussies. She replied “The settlers in NZ were mostly yeoman farmers who wanted to come south. The original Australians settlers were the scrapings from the worst of English prisons. They certainly didn’t want to come.”
Nothing against Australia but that’s why we have a different accents and the outlook on our heritages.”
As a Yank descended from a Dane who emigrated to escape the draft into the Kaiser’s army, who went on to become. Multimillionaire in the USA, I say good on the Aussies, but I’d rather move to NZ. (I could handle the poisonous snakes, but the thought of box jellies invisible in the water would effin’ *terrify* me!
@@drcovell There were convicts working on plantations and capital works projects from Virginia to Georgia until the colonial authorities in what is now the eastern United States spoke up to the Privy Council and told them to cease transportation. You have got to watch some of the marine life in the Gulf of Mexico too I take it.
Another engaging, knowledgeable guest on a fascinating battlecruiser! Keep up the good work!
What a superb history lesson. Really enjoyed Matthew's presentation backed by pertinant questions from drach.
I also liked the enigmatic smile on his face every time NZ got one over on the Wallabies.
Hope to see more
That was fun. Good guest and interesting topic. Cheers from Texas where yesterday we had sleet in the morning and today it was 74F. Changeable weather, that's us.
Enjoyed the video.... My Grandfather served as an engineer on HMS New Zealand.
Wright's remarks on the patronizing ill-treatment of the indigenous Maori are absolutely on point. My only criticism: one could easily get the impression that kiwi colonial treatment of 'natives' was as hypocritical and deadly as that of their Aussie cousins. This could not be further from the truth.
One cannot scan newspaper archives of the era without realizing that the place of Maori in colonial society represented a marked improvement on the situation of nearly every other aboriginal people, and especially the Australian one. This had huge implications during the debate over joining Australia, and should not be so casually dismissed.
Primary reason for much of the cavalier treatment of treaty rights is surely that Maori were thought to be a dying people. This prompted white authorities to act in ways modern kiwis find abhorrent, including for example suppression of the Maori language for decades (it was felt that mastery of English was considered essential to improve their lot). From 200,000 at the time of Cook's visit, the population had declined to around 40,000 by 1900 - mainly from disease. This attitude also meant outrage over any notion of Australian-style massacres of the indigenes.
The treaty of Waitangi played little part in land-grab discussions since it had not been ratified - or so it was thought before the researches of Claudia Orange in the 1980s. Consequently only the common-law principles of ownership applied, which were fatal to Maori principles of ownership. But this belief in proper legal standards could also result in startling reversals of prejudice. One example: Maori defended themselves against a white militia trying a land grab. There were many white fatalities, but the resulting legal inquiry found the colonists to be entirely at fault, as even the Governor-General had to acknowledge.
In sum, the respect in which NZ whites held Maori did have other sources, from strategic and tactical surprises inflicted on imperial militia and troops during land wars of the 1840s to 1870s, to residual guilt over the part played by white traders during the musket wars. I would also cite the general awareness that Maori had unparalleled skills not just as warriors but as seamen. But the notion that Maori would eventually disappear as a people was, I suspect, of greater importance than any of these.
I have one of the tiny commemorative medallions stamped for the NZ visit, dates 1913. Has been passed down in my family.
Ah yes, that one battlecruiser with divine armor
The New Zealand, the Maori War "skirt" and pendant are among my favorite ships and topics among this channel.
First and foremost, my thanks to Drach and Mr. Wright for this nifty conversation! I just thought that I would contribute by saying that there are other precedents for communities contributing to the cost of building warships. Off the top of my head the USS Essex frigate was built with contributions from Essex, Massachusetts. The same with the frigates USS Philadelphia, USS Boston, USS New York and I believe either the USS John Adams or the USS Adams plus some smaller ships in the late 1790's. Once again thank you for an enjoyable hour!
I live just across the river from Essex, MA - my son and his family live there. It's a very small town. I haven't heard of any contributions they may have made. It's entirely possible though. I just can't see it being a very large amount. If I find out anything about it I will try to make a comment here.
@@hilarymckinnon5424 , I admit I was commenting from memory. I might be off. My apologies if I'm in error.
@@albertoswald4904 No need for apologies. I'm just next door and don't know myself.
Great guest to have on your channel. Hope the two of you do more together
What an amazing story. You two wove a perfect picture of something, most have never seen. 5stars
Perfect timing. Looks like I’m not starting work for at least an hour.
Time to binge for an hour with our Rum Ration!
Thank you for hosting interviews like this one and the one with Jon Parschall. So interesting and so informative! You do wonderful work. Thanks so much. Roger in Wisconsin
I loved the whole video. I loved the guest speaking to public thought and period. It is so important to understand ing history and seems to be more or less overlooked in so many modern descriptions and understanding s of history amongst my fellow Americans
@Benjamin Rees - It has been my experience that far too many of my fellow Americans are woefully uninformed about history, and now that school curricula are determined to rewrite history, new generations are coming along who are MISinformed about history. It appears you are not one of them. You distinguish yourself, sir.
It’s a good Wednesday morning, when I have time for a second cup of coffee while listening to the Rum Ration. Great stuff.
Thanks, Drach and guest.
we nave been twice to NZ, in the last 8 years - up NZ & the British Empire ! - from New England , CT. USA
Always a treat to hear history directly from the researcher. Too often the folks that do the research are dead and gone by the time their work is well circulated.
When the USS Loig Beach (CGN-9) arrived in Auckland in 1975, we too were greeted by a large flotilla of small boats. Alas, it was not a particularly inviting moment. The boats were manned by members of Nuclear Free Pacific and supporters who did their darndest to block us from entering the harbor, in the belief (correct) that were were carrying nuclear weapons and This Was Evil. One small craft would slide into our path, get moved out of the way by the local marine police and coast guard, and as we headed forward, another would take its place....and so on and etc. Our captain Dirty Harry Schrader, went on local TV to praise the skill of the New Zealand skippers (I understand that was not the case on the bridge, but diplomacy rules). Liberty was excellent, and we got there in time to see Richie Blackmore's Rainbow with Ronnie James Dio.
IIRC, New Zealand now prohibits nuclear-equipped ships from their ports. So that wasn't the case yet in 1975, I suppose.
@@RedXlV Well, I suspect the then government just didn't want to make an issue with an ally. Fortunately, they did not nose around the Talos and ASROC magazines, so that was not a problem.
If I recall, the NZ PM David Lange, rightly asked the USN to declare if the ship was carrying nukes. The Americans refused to confirm, which was against the sovereign policy of NZ at the time. Basically the Yanks bullied their way in. Nothing against the US individual servicemen, but it was bully politics. Lange had the cahoona's to stand up for NZ soverignty.
@@wizofoz0605 You are correctly informed. We were VERY strictly told not "to confirm or deny" that nuclear warheads were being carried. And, withrrespect, as to "bullying," the NZ government could have said no. to the visit.
@@jayfelsberg1931 Hi Jay. My recollection is cloudy, but I thought Longe did say 'no'. that was what caused the furore.
The last time I was this early Kamchatka hadn't spotted any Japanese torpedo boats yet.
Fascinating video! Congrats to Drach and Matthew!
Dreadnought architecture is a most interesting thing to study. In this particular example they did away with superfiring turrets in order to have a high free board and good metacentric height in order to keep afloat in heavy seas.
Funny thing, all USN dreadnoughts had super firing turrets.
Superfiring turrets came after the Dreadnought. The earlier Dreadnought class brought in one size main calibre and turbines.
@@Battleship009 the US got in very late on the dreadnought craze, thus we had the standard battleships which kind of stretched from pre to super dreadnoughts which did a lot of good by getting sunk in the opening salvos of ww2
@@AsbestosMuffins Standards came after the dreadnought, and first USN dreadnoughts were the South Carolina class battleships laid down in 1906 and launched in 1908. Both of them and their successors had superfiring turrets.
A Beautiful Ship, with an amazing story, I always enjoy going down to the Museum at Devonport and seeing all of the surviving artefacts and the chunk of Y turret on display.
I think that turret is from HMNZS Achilles.
@@shanemcdowall yeah the turret is from Achillies, but the chunk of HMS New Zealand, that was shot off, is in the navel Museum.
Well! After sixty odd years of following naval history I’ve learned things I never knew with this edition. *happy*
Best guest you have had on. Very clear points, knows his stuff. Get him on again!
There is a large piece, this wooden sideboard referred to at the end of the video in the Navy chapel. The Royal New Zealand Navy Museum in Devonport has many pieces including the piupiu.
What a shame things like this wasn't mentioned in social studies. Maybe not the ship itself but the weird politics around the time. We went over obvious things like the Treaty of Waitangi and Captain Cook. The rest of it though was a slap dash mess of a joke. Wasted a lot of time on local area history when we didn't have a national timeline. We certainly didn't come out of it with a sense of history, only that it happened.
"Turning on the electricity" had me giggle a little as we take it for granted that much.
*Fun Fact.* When the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, NZ was still being governed by the colony of New South Wales. That little titbit were weren't taught in school either.
Thanks Drach for an engaging rum ration. This has kept me sane as I sit up rocking a baby to sleep :)
As an Aussie history buff, that was extremely interesting...and a story well told Matthew. Thank you.
How cool would it be to have HMS Australia and HMS New Zealand in their respective countries as museum ships today ? : (
The way things are in New Zealand these days, the ruling party would melt it down to make hypodermic needles.
agreed !!
HMAS Australia is still present, albeit on the bottom off Sydney.
@@schwinglo I've tuned out of geopolitics for the last few years, what is the context for this statement?
@@Bill_Falsename New Zealand has gone full blown authoritarian with Covid. Three cases in Auckland? Lockdown _both_ islands and stay in your house or be arrested. Vaccine available? Make it impossible to do _anything_ , even grocery shopping unless you're double jabbed and we will _make_ you accept it.
Want to have a smoke? We're gonna pass a law to progressively increase the smoking age every year so that within 3 generations _no one_ will be able to buy tobacco and make New Zealand a Tobacco-free country.
New Zealand and Australia have truly lost the plot.
Hi Drac, awesome video coming all the way from a kiwi in NZ! so much I didn't know about this ship. I was taught in school we didn't join the Aussies because of one man - PM Richard Seddon who didn't want to go down the power ladder from a nation Prime minister to a mere State premier. There is still a preserved naval gun battery in the capital Wellington built to fight the Russians. Fun fact the NZ/UK refrigerated meat export industry started just south of my hometown at Totara Estate in the Otago province.
so they went out to buy a battleship, ended up buying a last model battlecruiser. Can relate, this is how my parents go car shopping, don't get me started on the time they went to buy an Iowa and returned home with an Alaska
And paid an Iowa price tag with the "extended warranty"?
I find it a bit interesting that in Naval historical context, Lionel Halsey was Captain HMS New Zealand and later became a Admiral. The United States also had a Admiral with the last name Halsey. William Halsey. I wonder if there is some distant family connection between the two???? Both served in WWI.
Fascinating, so interesting to hear the background of naval infighting and shenanigans of the time and not the airbrushed revisionist prevelant theories!
Absolutely wonderful talk from Drach and Matthew Wright - superb and hope to hear more from Matthew at a later date - I will be getting the book!
Oh how wonderful - I really enjoyed this so much - a very colourful discussion about a wonderful ship by a superb narrator - thanks for giving this to us
]]⁰⁰⁰⁰]⁰on hmm l
l
While New Zealand had (by modern standards) a relatively short career, war-service is absolutely brutal on the material condition of a warship. Had she been retained for extended post-war service, she would have required major overhaul which, undoubtedly, would have improved her speed, endurance, etc. Nevertheless, she was a 12"-gun battlecruiser, with no possibility of improving on her main-battery (such as up-gunning).
She did her duty and retired with dignity, bringing the bulk of her crews safely back to home shores......
Not to mention the not so great layout of the guns. Had she been akin to a mini-Tiger in configuration with superfiring guns, you'd have a ship that with modernization would have been a viable cruiser-killer (or cruiser squadron flagship) all the way into WW2. Though even then, she would've been very expensive to keep in service for that fairly limited role.
Excellent episode about a fascinating ship and era. Being a Skip, I have long been interested in the other colonial battlecruiser, HMAS Australia. It is most interesting to compare similarities and differences particular to the histories of these two vessels and more generally the contrasting political and cultural contexts within Australasia that this comparison reveals. Unlike HMS New Zealand, it would appear that HMAS Australia realised its intended role as capital ship of a 'fleet unit', which it fulfilled until after the threat of the German East Asian Cruiser Squadron was neutralised. TFP.
I don't know why, but i've always loved battlecruisers
Will add this to my collection of named capital ship books
Fascinating hearing the real deal behind the legend.
I have been waiting for this one since the episodes on Jutland
I learned a ton of NZ history I did not know. Muchisimas gracias!!
I love these series ! I love building WW1 & pre-Dreadnaught battle ships !
Thank you, Drachinifel.
Ah excellent, a nice long video to enjoy with my morning coffee and paperwork! :)
Oh wow didn't even realize there was a british ship related to nz except for hms Maori. Greetings to everyone from New Zealand 🇳🇿
New Zealand didn't have a navy until 1941. Prior to that all "NZ" ships were part of the "New Zealand Division" of the Royal Navy, along with ships of the RN proper that were crewed by New Zealand (eg. HMS Achilles in WW2)
HMS Maori was a Tribal class destroyer. It picked my Step-Grandad from Norway in April 1940 after his Blue Tunicked Royal Navy Commando unit was almost obliterated in the landing feint at Andalsnes .
There was also a HMS Zealandia.
@@iatsd HMS Achilles had a mixed crew of half British and half NZ crew, as did all of the New Zealand Division ships.
HMS Maori did not have any connection to new zealand, no more than HMS Nubian or HMS Cossack having any connection to the Nubians or Cossacks. Moori, Cossack, Nubian etc were Tribal class destroyers named after ....tribes! Names do not really mean anything; HMS Achilles had a half NZ crew, as did Leander (light cruiser) and the British cruiser Gambia transferred to NZ ownership (RNZN) during the 2nd World War.
Thanks Drach, I'll be searching Matthews book out. 👍.
It bears mention that the number of New Zealanders who went aboard or to see the ship is not just upwards of four hundred thousand, but also upwards of forty (!!!) percent of the total population of the country at the time. Which is insane when you think about it.
They wanted to see "Their" ship!
Historically, to win wars at sea, you must be skilled, aggressive, well supported by your supply line and most importantly, you need to be lucky. No matter how good your plan or navy is,sooner or later you’ll have to roll the dice of chance and trust to luck.
Obviously, a large group of tohunga snuck into Scotland and lifted the tapu from every single object in that dockyard.
"Not something you'd usually try to do if you valued your continued existence." Referencing the continued use of a, "split" 12 inch naval gun!
I got Wrights book for xmas. A fantastic read, especially as I'm a kiwi.
Quite a cool interview, interesting and informative
NZ offering a Battlecruiser just to fuck over Australia is the most NZ thing ever done
And it having no discernible effect whatsoever, also very NZ....
The Divine armor should be a consumable on world of warships
It is, except it's called Russian bias lol
@@austin0351 I have a hard time with the russian tech tree they are hard to win with, my opinion
That was excellent. I can't wait to read this book.
Ordered my copy of the book after I found out about it thanks to this video can’t wait to read it looks like it will be a great read
Fascinating. Really interesting to hear more about the contextual detail.
My paternal grandfather, Walter Alexander, served in HMS New Zealand and was present at Dogger Bank and I believe Jutland. I never met him, as he died, running to catch a bus, a year before I was born. Family legend has it that he recieved prize money for the sinking of the Blucher.
How wonderful is it that a bit of treen still survives?!!
That WAS a completely rhetorical question 💜
An excellent interview with some incredible information and excellent audio!
What a great video! Imperial political shenanigans, financial legerdemain, indigenous peoples protest, magic amulets, unusual battle dress and last but not least plenty of battle action!
As an American, I found the political dynamics between Britain and "her children" fascinating. We know so little about that aspect. The relationship between "the center" and the colonies was incredibly complex, interesting, and is important for today.
side question: Was the nickname for Royal Navy subs' first officers, "Jimmy"? If so how and when did that come about?
Another great Drach vid dropping some serious knowledge!
The book should make a good reading, judging by this quickly passing hour.
Thank you both for the story!
Really fascinating in-depth review of a fascinating ship. Great collaboration.
Great episode. I am a kiwi and resident in the uk although Im from NZ Devonport . Last time I was in Nz I visited gunnery points around the harbor for WW 2 coastal defence and the plague suggested that the 4.0 inch bunker batteries were guns from HMS New Zealand . Assuming she was scrapped in the UK I wondered if this could be the case.
Well 2 of her 4 inch guns, are currently on display outside the Auckland Museum, so is probably true.
Plaque ****
Too bad they didn't give New Zealand the 12" gun turrets to mount on fortifications, just because that would've meant they would be preserved.
This is very interesting given the present AUKUS arrangements
Great episode guys-the guest was very interesting
Thankyou an enjoyable video. it is always joy to see old photos of Lyttleton, the port hills still the same from my window.
Now i want to visit the torpedo boat museum near Governors bay
New Zealand is in New Zealand
Now this is top quality content 🤣
Do we have a vid on HMAS Australia!!! We just missed out the Battle of Jutland due to a collision with HMNZ New Zealand. Interesting story.
Thanks for another good "rum ration", the guest , Mr. (Dr?) Wright showed superb scholarship and brought out lots of great details. It occurred to me there is a certain coincidence that the early 20th century saw two instances of "gift" capital ships. One was HMS New Zealand and the other was one of the Swedish coast defense battleships. I think in 1911? It would be interesting to ask Mr. Wright if he thinks there are any parallels. Not, of course, the "competition" between colonies, I'm pretty sure Sweden didn't have any colonies at that time, but maybe a similar psychology, or similar economic conditions?
1:05:34 Time is, of course, fleeting... Madness, takes its toll... But listen closely (not for very much longer)... You've got to... Keep control...
You didn't .....
Yes, he did.
Not even Enterprise had this much plot armour.
Well THAT Enterprise didn't have the Captain James T. Kirk plot armor....
Beresford ? Bought your book on Kindle, a good book review in this video
What a great piece of work! It does worry me now that hard copy records are being replaced with digital documents and strings of E-Mails that historical research is going to be a whole lot more difficult for future generations.
I believe you will find that digital records are easier to keep duplicate translate and search.
@@egoalter1276maybe so- but electronic records are easier to delete and lose as well, and are only accessible as long as the software that understands them is compatible with the computers of your era.
greater brains than me are quite worried about it as a thought, and would laugh at your above easy offhand dismissal of the idea.
@@egoalter1276 It depends how they are filed. I worked with a Government department and the digital filing system was a mess: E-Mail strings with meaningless titles, poor document version control, no thought to how you might retrieve a particular piece of information and no notes of action outside the actual documents. Determining how a decision was reached, and even what that decision was, was a nightmare.
@@keefymckeefface8330 The resiliency of the individual record (which is still greater than anything but a rock carving) is made irrelevant in face of the fact that virtually every record will have numerous wildly geographically separated copies made at no cost. Similarly no encoding has thus far been lost, and even were one lost, they are easily decypherable through simple frequency analasys.
I do not believe such concerns are well founded.
@@egoalter1276 your thoughts are directly opposite to the conclusions of those working in tech museums who actually have expertise in the field.