The Little World

I mean I miss the warship paint scheme that was favored in Victorian times: a white hull and upperworks with buff funnels and the occasional black funnel cap. Brass, too, just to trim up the works.

Oh, I understand perfectly the need to paint them a uniform grey in wartime to let the ship approach an enemy unseen. Haze on the horizon and all that. Must fool the lookouts.

But these days the lookouts are nearly all electronic, and they look from space continually. They look on electronic frequencies that go far above what a human could do, and they do so instantly. The colour of the ship means very little.

So what would be wrong with a little Victorian pizazz? The sailors would love repainting it all the time and the brass cleaners would welcome the occupation.

HMAS BRASSO…