By Euan Graham
The strategic potential of Submarine Rotational Force-West, the AUKUS initiative that commits the United States and United Kingdom to forward-deploy a small flotilla of nuclear-powered attack submarines to HMAS Stirling, near Fremantle, isn’t adequately appreciated.
Fortunately, history has set an instructive if insufficiently known precedent. During World War II, from a precarious start, Fremantle was a key base in one of the most effective sea-denial campaigns ever, hosting 127 American submarines, over 30 British boats and a handful of Dutch vessels. The parallels are revealing from various angles.
