THIS WEEK IN 1970: £3m Dryad complex marks new naval era
A new era in Royal Navy warfare training began officially at HMS Dryad, Southwick, near Fareham, when Admiral Sir Horace Law opened a £3m complex.
The development meant Dryad, the navy’s navigation and direction school had the most modern facilities in the world for teaching officers warfare tactics.
Its combined tactical trainer in Cunningham Building, opened by Admiral Law, would enable it to simulate modern battle situations ashore.
To provide this training, a large number of models or exact replicas of the operation rooms of all classes of warships were provided.
By carrying out war games aboard these models ships, operational crews would be able to integrate into effective fighting teams before going to sea.
The Royal Navy, it was hoped, would grow to know its enemy through simulating battle situations better than ever before.
Captain D Hepworth, the RN director of the Tactical School, said simulating conflicts with enemy units – a Russian fleet for example – would be as near to the real thing as was possible.