17th
–
At
0001 ARK ROYAL escorted by the destroyers
TARTAR, VOLUNTEER, BRAZEN and
ENCOUNTER was steaming in a generally
south westward course, to achieve a
flying off position from which to cover
the EFFINGHAM convoy.
[At 0400/17 the heavy cruiser EFFINGHAM with 1,020 troops
embarked,
comprising the 2nd Battalion the South
Wales Borderers, 24th (Guards) Brigade
HQ and support troops, 10 Bren Gun
Carriers, and 130 tons of supplies,
escorted
by the anti-aircraft cruisers COVENTRY
(Flag Rear Admiral G. VIVIAN, Rear
Admiral, Anti-Aircraft Ships), CAIRO and
the destroyers MATABELE and ECHO,
sailed from Harstad for Boda. The route
that the force took was outside the
leads so as to reduce the risk of air
attack. Speed of advance 20 knots.
At
0503 EFFINGHAM informed the Flag that
she would like to arrive off
Svartoksen Light at 2000. Increased
speed to 23 knots.
At
1034 EFFINGHAM suggested to the flag
that, in view of the possible
submarine danger in the main approach to
Boda, the force should proceeded
between Briksvaer and Terra Islands,
stating that a large scale Norwegian
Chart, No. 65, was held onboard.
Rear Admiral, Anti-Aircraft Ships
informed EFFINGHAM accordingly,
stating he would be ordered to lead the
force in, preceded by MATABELE and ECHO
as A/S screen, and that he should make
the necessary course signals.
At
1615 two Skuas arrived over the force
and Skuas remained over the
force until the operation was abandoned.
At
1730 an enemy aircraft was sighted by
the force
At
1912 the force was in position 67-13N,
13-28E and EFFINGHAM was
ordered to exchange stations with
COVENTRY and take the lead.
At
1923 EFFINGHAM altered course to 080¡,
speed 23 knots.
At
1925 EFFINGHAM was in position 67- 15N,
13-37E, course O4O ¡. The
gyros had previously been checked by
transits.
At
1945 EFFINGHAM was ordered to take
MATABELE and ECHO under orders and
proceed independently to Boda. COVENTRY
and CAIRO were to follow.
At
1947 in the
Briksvaer
Channel,
about 8½ miles west of Boda, EFFINGHAM
ran aground at a speed
of 23 knots, in what was apparently very
deep water. MATABELE was ordered to
tow her off and ECHO was ordered provide
an A/S screen, but MATABELE informed
the Flag that she had also been aground
and reported damage to her starboard A
bracket and propeller. CAIRO was ordered
to proceed to Boda with all dispatch
and send out all puffers and trawlers
that were available.
It
soon became clear that EFFINGHAM was
lost so ECHO was ordered to
commence taking off the 1750 souls on
board.
By
2240 ECHO had taken off all on board and
transferred them to COVENTRY]
At
1500 ARK ROYAL was in position 68-08N,
07-00E
At
1500 a Walrus of 701 Sqd from GLORIOUS
landed on ARK ROYAL.
[At 2130/14/5/40 the aircraft carriers GLORIOUS (with 18
Hurricane 1s of
46 Sqd RAF embarked) and FURIOUS
(with 18 Gladiator IIs of 263 Sqd
RAF
embarked) escorted by the
destroyers
DIANA, VETERAN, VISCOUNT and
WITHERINGTON sailed from the Clyde for
operations
off Norway.
Early
on 15/5/40 destroyer AMAZON joined from
Scapa Flow and the
WITHERINGTON detached.
During
the afternoon of 17/5/40 the force
arrived in the vicinity of the
ARK ROYAL]
Between
1510 and 2200 ARK ROYAL flew off four
fighter patrols to cover
the EFFINGHAM convoy.
At
1700 ARK ROYAL flew off the 701 Sqd Walrus
to Harstad, taking with it
for the information of the Flag Officer,
Narvik, proposals for the
disembarkation of the RAF Squadrons from
GLORIOUS and FURIOUS.
At
2030 ARK ROYAL received news of the
grounding of EFFINGHAM, west of
Boda, while shortly before midnight a
signal was received from the Admiral
Commanding Anti-Aircraft ships, that the
operation had been abandoned, and
requesting that air protection be
continued while ECHO remained to arrange
for
the sinking of EFFINGHAM.
At
2145 the Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers
received the Flag Officer,
Narvik's signal timed 1731/17, requesting
reconnaissance of the Rombaksfjord
and area south of it, and bombing of
Sildvik and Hundalen. It was decided
that ARK ROYAL would
proceed northwards on completion of
present operations to comply with this
request.
18th
–
At
0030 and 0300 ARK ROYAL flew off Skua
fighter patrols to cover Boda and
operations around the EFFINGHAM.
At
0630 the last fighter patrol was landed
back on. Following which
course was altered at this time to the
Northwest, preparatory to carrying out
fighter operations off Narvik in the
evening.
At
1700 ARK ROYAL was in position 70-06N,
15-15E.
At
1710 and 1830 ARK ROYAL flew off fighter
patrols of three Skuas for
Narvik. Neither patrol sighted any enemy
aircraft and
both patrols reported unfavourably on the
weather, Clouds were reported to be
9/10th at 1000 feet, therefore
no further patrols were sent.
At
1810 ARK ROYAL was joined by GLORIOUS and
FURIOUS. This was the first
time in the war that three aircraft
carriers had operated together.
The
combined force now consisted of the
aircraft carriers ARK ROYAL,
GLORIOUS and FURIOUS escorted by the
destroyers TARTAR, VOLUNTEER, BRAZEN,
ENCOUNTER, DIANA, VETERAN, VISCOUNT and
WITHERINGTON.
At
1900 ARK ROYAL flew off a Swordfish to
take photographs of Bardufoss
Aerodrome for the RAF pilots embarked on
GLORIOUS and FURIOUS.
19th
–
At
0800 ARK ROYAL was in position 70-27N,
15-47E. The carrier force remained in
this approximate position with ARK ROYAL
prepared to launch a bombing attack by
Swordfish aircraft on Sildvik and
Hundalen. The weather, however, was
consistently bad inshore and
patches of thick weather were frequently
met at sea. It was therefore
necessary to wait until conditions
improved,
and ship retired to the north
west in the evening.
At
1115 a signal was received from the Flag
Officer, Narvik (T.O.O.
2331/18) giving arrangements for
disembarking the RAF Gladiators from
FURIOUS
to Bardufoss on Tuesday, 21/5/40.
The signal also stated that Hurricanes
from GLORIOUS could not be received
until Sunday, 26/5/40. The Vice
Admiral, Aircraft Carriers, signalled the
Flag Officer, Narvik (T.O.O. 1308/19)
suggesting that GLORIOUS should leave for
the United Kingdom forthwith and that
ARK ROYAL and FURIOUS should return in
company on Tuesday, 21/5/40, after the
Gladiators
had been disembarked. No reply was
received.
At
1700 ARK ROYAL was in position 71-16N,
16-19E.
20th
–
A
signal was received reporting a
considerable improvement in the weather
over
night.
At
0330 ARK ROYAL was in position 70-24N,
16-10E. Weather O, wind south
southeast force 1, sea calm.
At
0330 ARK ROYAL flew off a strike force of
nine Swordfish of 810 and
820 Sqds, armed with 20 lb Cooper bombs
and 25 lb Incendiary bombs, plus either
2x500 lb or 4x250 lb GP bombs, their
objective was Hundalen and Sildvik The 250
lb GP bombs included the last twelve of
these bombs on the ship.
At
0330 ARK ROYAL flew off a Skua fighter
patrol for Narvik.
[As the strike force approached the
coast the weather deteriorated.
One sub flight of three proceed up to
Narvik below the cloud, but at
Narvik the cloud ceiling was at 500 feet
and coming lower, and the sub flight
returned having jettisoned its
bombs.
The other flight of six tried above the
cloud layer at 5000 feet, but
was unable to find gaps large enough to
enable an attack to be made. This
flight also jettisoned its bombs
on its return trip to the ship, which by
then was in rain with visibility down
to two miles, a front having arrived
rapidly from the south west. All aircraft
returned to ARK ROYAL]
At
0400 ARK ROYAL flew off a Skua fighter
patrol for Narvik to support
the Swordfish strike force. On arrival at
the coast, this section found the
weather so bad that they returned to the
ship at 0630.
At
0600 ARK ROYAL flew off a Skua fighter
patrol for Narvik.
[This Fighter patrol was carried
out at 50 to 400 feet over Ofotfjord and
narrowly escaped hitting a previously
unknown HT cable between Skogoy Island, in
Bogen Bay and the mainland when
returning to ARK ROYAL]
At
0950 the Skua patrol returned to ARK
ROYAL, by which time the
visibility had deteriorated to under one
mile. Further operations were
abandoned and ARK ROYAL held off to
the North.
At
1600 ARK ROYAL was in position 70-33N,
16-21E. At this time the
Weather was getting steadily worse.
Wind southwest force 6 and freshening, sea
41, and visibility 1 to 2
miles. Continuous rain, though by
this time the weather in the Narvik area
had apparently cleared.
[At 2101 the Flag Officer, Narvik,
signalled that weather conditions were
suitable at Bardufoss and ordered
FURIOUS to fly off the RAF GLADIATORS of
263 Sqd immediately. FURIOUS replied
that Gladiators would
arrive between 0300 and 0400 tomorrow
morning. The advanced echelon of 263 Sqd
had arrived in the Bardufoss area since
11/5/40 and had been joined by the
second echelon on 20/5/40]
21st
–
At
0300 ARK ROYAL was in position 70-25N,
15-50E. Weather OC; wind west by south,
sea state 21.
At
0300 ARK ROYAL flew off six Skuas, the
first section of three 6F, 6G
& 6H of 800 Sqd and the second section
of three 8A, 8B & 8C of 803 Sqd,
Their mission was to patrol over Bardufoss
airfield, 100NM distant, to cover
the landing of 265 Squadron Gladiators
from FURIOUS.
[All encountered banks of fog, rain, and low cloud on
the coast. 8A and 8C returned at
0430 having lost 8B in cloud. 8B,
pilot Sub Lt I Easton, finally arrived
over Harstad and forced landed at Sands¿y,
north of Harstad at the end of patrol, as
visibility to seaward was less than
half a mile. 6F, 6G, and 6H came back and
landed at 0530 having experienced
similar conditions, and flying ceased
until weather improved]
[At approximately 0300,
in poor flying weather, FURIOUS
commenced flying off the 18 Gladiators
of 263
Sqd for Bardufoss. Each section was led
by a Swordfish who provided navigation.
The first section was led by Swordfish
P4216 of 818 Sqd, near Senja Island they
ran into thick mist and due to a
navigational error the Swordfish and two
Gladiators, N5697 pilot P/O Walter
Philip Richards and N5693 pilot P/O
Randolph Stuart Mills, flew into
H¿ystakktind mountain, 2060 feet high,
which is between Sifjord and Osterfjord
on Senja Island. Pilot Officer Richards
was killed all the other aircrew
survived. By 0930 sixteen Gladiators had
safely landed at Bardufoss]
At
0730 Swordfish 2K, pilot Lieut. NR
Corbett, of 820 Sqd landed back on
ARK ROYAL from SkŒnland where they had
made a successful forced landed on
13/5/40. The crew had waited until the
field to dry out enough for a successful
takeoff with ARK ROYAL within range.
At
1120 ARK ROYAL flew off a Skua fighter
patrol to Bardufoss. This
patrol reported clouds very low
inshore.
Further patrols were impracticable.
At
1230 a signal was received from FURIOUS
stating that 18 Gladiators had
been disembarked, but that one Swordfish
and two Gladiators were overdue and
missing.
[ARK ROYAL was now in need of
replenishment of her aircraft ordnance
stores. So when Flag Officer Aircraft
Carriers received the signal from FURIOUS
and with the knowledge that 46 Sqd
Hurricanes could now be landed before
26/5/40 he ordered ARK ROYAL and escort
proceeded to Scapa. GLORIOUS and FURIOUS
and escort were ordered to proceed
independently to Scapa.
During her latest operations off
Norway, the ARK ROYAL air group had flown
250 sorties, 60% of them by the Skua
Sqds. Aircraft losses had been 8 Skuas and
5 Swordfish. Two
aircrew had been lost Lt. WP Lucy
and Lt. MCE Hanson both of 803 Sqd]
At
approximately 1300 ARK ROYAL escorted by
the destroyers ANTELOPE,
BRAZEN, VOLUNTEER and ENCOUNTER set course
for Scapa.
22nd
–
At
0800 ARK ROYAL was in position 68-11N,
02-04E. Course 230¡, speed 14 knots. Weather,
thick fog.
At
1200 ARK ROYAL was in position 67-37N,
00-52E.
At
2000 ARK ROYAL was in position 66-21N,
03-10W. Thick fog continued
throughout most of the day.
23rd
–
At
0800 ARK ROYAL was in position 63-38N,
04-12W. Course 190¡, speed 14 knots. Fog
continued except for a break during the
afternoon.
At
1200 ARK ROYAL was in position 62-44N,
04-54W.
At
2000 ARK ROYAL was in position 61N,
04-42W.
[At 2130/23/5/40 GLORIOUS, FURIOUS and the destroyers
VETERAN, DIANA,
AMAZON and VISCOUNT arrived at Scapa
Flow]
24th
–
At
0500 North West of the Orkneys, ANTELOPE
was detached to proceed to Scapa
independently as she was getting short of
fuel. She arrived at Scapa at
0720/24/5/40.
At
0800 ARK ROYAL was in position 59-17N,
04-17W. Thick fog prevented ARK
ROYAL entering the Pentland Firth and she
stood off to the northwest until fog
cleared.
At
1200 ARK ROYAL was in position 59-17N,
0409W.
The
fog cleared in the evening
At 1915 ARK ROYAL, escorted by
BRAZEN, VOLUNTEER and ENCOUNTER entered
Hoxa Gate, Scapa
Flow
25th
– At 1600 ARK ROYAL (Flag Vice Admiral,
Aircraft Carriers) and FURIOUS, screened
by the destroyers ANTELOPE, AMAZON,
ENCOUNTER, CAMPBELL and VISCOUNT sailed
from Scapa for the Clyde via the
Minches.
At 1700 in the Pentland Firth the
destroyer VOLUNTEER, who had sailed from
Scapa at 1615/25, joined and ENCOUNTER
detached for Rosyth.
At 1800 replacement aircraft were
flown on from RNAS Hatston.
[In
the Minches the ARK ROYAL force passed
the destroyers BEDOUIN and FOXHOUND who
were en route to Scapa from the Clyde.
They had departed the Clyde at 1550/25
for Scapa. En route, they conducted an
anti-submarine sweep from North Channel
to Lower Minch, then from North Minch
to Pentland Firth, arriving at Scapa
Flow at 1745/26th]
26th – At 1100 the force was in position
55-19N, 06-05W.
[At
1100 FURIOUS flew off five Swordfish to
RNAS Campbeltown and ten Skuas to RNAS
Abbotsinch]
At 1730 ARK ROYAL, FURIOUS, ANTELOPE,
AMAZON, VOLUNTEER, CAMPBELL and VISCOUNT
arrived off Greenock.
[Immediately
after
ARK ROYAL picked up her mooring the
process of replenishment commenced
and damaged aircraft were disembarked on
to lighters. Crew were given local
leave]
27th to 29th
– ARK ROYAL off Greenock
carrying out replenishment.
30th
– At 0515 ARK ROYAL (Flag Vice Admiral,
Aircraft Carriers) screened by the
destroyers ACASTA, ARDENT and ACHERON
sailed
from the Clyde for Scapa via the Minches.
At 0755 off the Isle of Arran, ARK
ROYAL landed on three Swordfish from RNAS
Abbotsinch. A further four Swordfish
and two Skuas failed to arrive due to low
cloud and rain. The four Swordfish that
were unable to find ARK ROYAL landed at
RNAS Machrihanish, the Skuas returned
to Abbotsinch and then flew to RNAS
Hatson.
At 1830 ARK ROYAL was in position
55-32N, 06-35W and she landed on the four
Swordfish from Machrihanish.
31st
– At 0600 ARK ROYAL, ACASTA, ARDENT and
ACHERON arrived at Scapa.
At 0800 ARK ROYAL (Flag Vice
Admiral, Aircraft Carriers) and GLORIOUS
escorted by the destroyers HIGHLANDER,
DIANA, ACASTA, ARDENT and ACHERON sailed
from Scapa for Operation ALPHABET.
Course was set to pass west of the
Orkneys.
[Operation
ALPHABET was the code name for the
Allied withdrawal from Norway. The role
of ARK ROYAL was to provide fighter
cover and that of GLORIOUS to evacuate
RAF fighters.
On 24/5/40 the British Government decided that
events in the Low Countries and northern
France necessitated a withdrawal of
Allied forces from Norway. The troops
were required in the UK and the warships
were wanted for possible anti- invasion
operations and deployment to the
Mediterranean, for possible action
against Italy.
The withdrawal order was communicated to the
Flag Officer Narvik early on 25/5/40,
with the proviso that the operation was
to be carried out in a manner that would
keep it secret from the Germans for as
long as possible. The Allied commanders
agreed that the attack on Narvik should
continue as this would disguise the
retreat and allow the destruction of the
harbour and iron ore loading facilities.
(On
29/5/40 Narvik was captured by a
combined
force of French Foreign Legion, Polish
and Norwegian troops supported by naval
gunfire. The German troops retreated
along the railway line towards Sweden,
destroying the railway tunnels as they
went)
The evacuation would entail the embarkation of
23000 troops from the Harstad/Narvik
area and 4000 from Boda.
On 26/5/40 the Flag Officer Narvik decided to
carry out the evacuation in three
phases, as follows:-
First
Phase,
embark valuable stores in five ships
then at Harstad and sail them to Scapa.
Second
Phase,
embark valuable stores in three MT ships
and 13000 troops from the Narvik
area in liners in fjords to the west and
north of Harstad and also embark the
Boda force.
Third
Phase,
embark 10000 troops from the Narvik area
in liners as in the second
phase.
The date proposed by the Flag Officer Narvik
for the second phase was 1/6/40 and for
the third phase 4/6/40. These dates
were later amended]
Between
0925
and 1630 ARK ROYAL's Swordfish carried out
A/S patrols.
At
1015 in
position 59N, 04-20W, ARK ROYAL flew on
Skuas of 803 Sqd from RNAS Hatston
together with two replacement Skuas for
800 Sqd, these latter two were the
aircraft that failed to find ARK ROYAL on
the morning of 30/5/40. On completion,
course was set to the Northward, to
proceed towards the Narvik Area.
[ARK
ROYAL now had embarked 24 Skuas, 12 of 800
Sqd
and 12 of 803 Sqd, and 21 Swordfish, 12 of
810 Sqd and 9 of 820 Sqd]
JUNE
1st
–
At 0730 ARKROYAL was in position 64-50N,
02-40W and steering northerly, the weather
was foggy and the fog persisted
intermittently throughout the day.
At
2201 the
Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers signalled
the Flag Officer Narvik with an RV
position for 1700/2/6/40, for a Walrus
bringing out orders for Operation
ALPHABET.
2nd
–
ARK
ROYAL continued steering northerly and
maintained ADA patrols during daylight
hours.
At
1710 ARK
ROYAL was in position 68-58N, 00-33E when
she landed on a Walrus from Narvik.
[In
a
signal timed 1959/1/6/40, the Flag
Officer, Narvik, indicated his
requirements
from the Carrier Squadron. Embarkation
operations were to begin on the night of
3/6/40; he requested fighter patrols each
night over the points of embarkation
ashore and the rendezvous of ferrying
destroyers with transports, and also
reconnaissance and bombing of troop
movements in the S¿rfold – Drag area,
and bombing of enemy headquarters at
Hundalen]
At
1748 the
destroyers ARDENT and ACASTA were detached
to refuel at Harstad.
At
1825 ARK
ROYAL flew off the Walrus to return to
Narvik.
3rd
–
At
0730 GLORIOUS and HIGHLANDER were detached
to the northwest, to conserve fuel
until required for embarking shore based
aircraft.
[During
ARK
ROYAL's last operations off Norway it had
become obvious that the weather on
shore was often different from the weather
at sea. In order to combat this
problem the Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers
took the decision that before
fighter patrols were despatched a
Swordfish would be flown off to ascertain
weather conditions over the patrol area]
At
1002 The
Flag Officer Narvik signalled; operation
ALPHABET is to start tonight, Monday,
without further orders.
[Destroyers
were to evacuate the troops then ferry
the troops to troopships that would be
assembled in Ersfjorden, position
69-42N, 18-17E or if the weather was
suitable at sea. The Flag Officer Narvik
had the following destroyers at his
disposal HAVELOCK, BEAGLE, CAMPBELL,
DELIGHT, ECHO, FIREDRAKE, FAME, ARROW,
WALKER, VANOC and VETERAN]
At
1600 ARK
ROYAL was in position 71N, 12-56E and flew
off two Swordfish 4K & 4C of 820
Sqd for an ADA patrol. Searching
sector, 130¡ to 180¡.
At
1700 the
ACASTA and ARDENT rejoined from
refuelling. Following which DIANA and
ACHERON
were detached to Harstad to refuel.
At
1700
Deck landing practice for new pilots
carried out.
At
1835 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2P & 2Q
of 810 Sqd for an ADA patrol.
Searching sector 130¡ to 180¡
At
2050 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 4A & 4B
of 820 Sqd, 4B for an ADA patrol,
searching sector 130¡ to 230¡, and 4A for
a weather reconnaissance over Narvik.
[The
weather
report indicated low cloud and conditions
generally unsuited for bombing. It
was therefore decided to postpone
bombing attacks by Swordfish which were to
have been delivered on Hundalen from
0130/4 onwards]
At
2230 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Skuas 6B & 6C of
800 Sqd for a fighter patrol over the
troop transports. Aircraft 6C returned
soon after taking off with undercarriage
jammed in the down position.
At
2337 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 4G & 4H
of 820 Sqd, 4G for an ADA patrol,
searching sector 130¡ to 230¡, and 4H for
a weather reconnaissance over Narvik.
4th
–
At
0001 ARK ROYAL was in position 70-22N,
16-00E; weather O; wind west force 3;
sea state 34.
[Fighter
patrols
were continued throughout the night,
morning, and forenoon in
accordance with the Flag Officer, Narvik's
signal timed 1959 of 1st
June. Cloud conditions remained unsuitable
for bombing]
At
0035 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Skuas 6G & 6H of
800 Sqd for a fighter patrol over the
troopships at position C.
[At
0035although
the latest weather reports were still
unfavourable, however it was
decided that further fighter patrols must
leave the ship and attempt to reach
the objectives. The patrol which
took off at 0035 found that the
embarkation of troops at Position 'C' was
about
to commence; a thick layer of cloud at
1000 feet lay above the ships and there
were frequent rainstorms]
[Position
C was Ersfjorden which is located
north of Harstad and about 84NM by sea
from Harstad. The troops were embarked
at Narvik and Bod¿ on destroyers and
Norwegian fishing boats and transported
to
Harstad, From Harstad they were taken by
destroyer to Ersfjorden where they
trans-shipped on to the troopships]
At
0245 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2P & 2Q
of 810 Sqd, 2P for an ADA patrol,
searching sector, 130¡ to 230¡, and 2Q for
a weather reconnaissance over
Narvik.
[The
weather report from
2Q indicated low cloud
and poor visibility for the whole of the
Narvik area, and in particular Rombaksfjord]
At
0345 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6P, 6Q & 6R
of 800 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the troopships at position C.
At
0550 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 8F, 8G & 8H
of 803 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
Reisen Fjord; this patrol reported
that there was no sign of activity in or
near the fjord.
At
0550
ARK ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 4C
& 4L of 820 Sqd, 4C for an ADA patrol,
searching sector 130¡ to 230¡, and 4L
for a weather reconnaissance over Narvik.
[In
late May the German high command became
concerned about the situation in
Northern Norway, particularly at Narvik.
On 25/5/40 the Seekriegsleitung, German Naval High Command, SKL, informed German
Army Group XXI in Oslo that they were
going to undertake an operation against
Allied naval operations off Northern
Norway.
The
purpose of the operation was to
interrupt
Allied re-supply convoys and to relieve
the pressure on German troops fighting
around Narvik. The operation was
to be called Operation JUNO.
On 1/6/40 Army Group XXI signalled their
requirements to SKL; these were the
destruction of all transports and small
vessels in the Narvik, Namsos and Bod¿
areas also any target in Narvik except
the hospital.
At
0800/4/6/40
the German battlecruisers GNEISENAU
(
flag Admiral Marschall),
SCHARNHORST, heavy cruiser ADMIRAL
HIPPER, with destroyers HERMAN
SCHOEMANN, KARL GALSTER, ERICH
STEINBRINCK and
HANS LODY sailed from Kiel on Operation
JUNO.
At
Bletchley
Park Harry Hinsley had been studying
German W/T traffic and had
reached the conclusion that heavy German
units were at sea. Hinsley contacted
the OIC at the Admiralty that analysis
of wireless intercepts indicated that
German heavy units had left the Baltic
and might be moving north into the
Norwegian Sea. However because Hinsley's
work was tentative and could not be
confirmed from other intelligence, the
OIC decided to take no action. Therefore
the Admiralty did not pass this
information on to the fleet or RAF
Coastal
Command]
At
0645 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6K & 6L of
800 Sqd and 8M of 803 Sqd for a
fighter patrol over the troopships at
position C. This patrol
reported
that the
embarkation appeared to be proceeding
smoothly.
At
0750 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 8K, 8L & 8M
of 803 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
Reisen Fjord; this patrol reported
that a ship was loading at pier in
Reisen Fjord.
At
0850
ARK ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 4H
& 4G of 820 Sqd, 4H for an ADA patrol,
searching sector 130¡ to 230¡, and 4G
for a weather reconnaissance over Narvik.
At
1005 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Skuas 8P & 8Q of
803 Sqd for a fighter patrol over the
troopships.
At
1115 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Skuas 6A & 6B of
800 Sqd for a
reconnaissance
of the road
between
S¿rfold and Drag, and of the area near
Korsnes.
[This
patrol found that the clouds were low and
the
S¿rfold-Drag road could not be investigated. Aircraft 6B, pilot PO
H.A. Monk, dropped one 250 lb GP bomb on
the jetty at S¿rfold.
A small vessel flying the Norwegian flag
was seen in
Sorfolla, this is believed to have been a British
ship disguised]
At
1145
ARK ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6F,
6G & 6H of 800 Sqd for a fighter
patrol over the troopships at position C.
At
1200 ARK
ROYAL was in position 70-08N, 16-31E. At
this time the destroyers DIANA and
ACHERON rejoined from Harstad.
[At
1430
the 1145 patrol
reported transports
leaving the fjord.
The troop
transports, GEORGIC 27759grt, MONARCH OF
BERMUDA 22424grt and LANCASTRIA
16243grt, with 4700 troops embarked,
escorted by the destroyer ARROW and
sloop
STORK, sailed from
Ersfjorden at 1425/4/6/40
and steered for rendezvous B. At the RV
they were to await the other three
transports of Group 1 before proceeding
to the UK]
At
1515
ARK ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2P
& 2Q of 810 Sqd, 2Q for an ADA patrol,
searching sector, 130¡ to 230¡, and 2P
for a weather reconnaissance.
[By
1515/4
the weather inshore was now bad and
the visibility near ARK ROYAL was
poor.
Aircraft 2P was sent inshore to see if
there were any signs of
improvement; this aircraft reported
conditions unsuitable for flying and
operations were temporarily suspended.
None of ARK ROYAL's aircraft had so far
sighted any enemy]
At
2200 ARK
ROYAL flew off Swordfish 4F of 820 Sqd to
carry out an A/S over a convoy which
had left Harstad at 2200/4.
[The
convoy was Convoy Greek, consisting of
the
British merchant ships MV HERON 2374grt,
SS MARINA 5088grt and SS BALTEAKO
1328grt and the French merchant
ships SS ENSEIGNE MAURICE PRECHAC
4578grt, SS VULCAIN 4362grt and MV PAUL
EMILE
JAVARY 2471grt, escorted by the
anti-submarine trawlers ST ELSTAN and
WASTWATER
The SS BALTEAKO whilst at Harstad had been
subjected to frequent bombing attacks
that had culminated on 20/5/40 in a
number of bombs near missing her. Her
whole superstructure amidships was
damaged and distorted, and she was holed
near the waterline in 36 places. Her
master, Captain Francis Butcher, beached
her, the destroyer DELIGHT was
alongside at the time and assisted in
the beaching. Later the chief engineer
Robert
Towns,
plugged the holes. As she was lying at a
steep
angle she was moved to a more level
beach and more lasting repairs were
made.
Finally, with the assistance of one of
H.M.'s trawlers, she was refloated and
joined Convoy Greek]
At
2330 ARK
ROYAL sighted the anti-aircraft cruiser
COVENTRY (Flag Rear Admiral Anti-Aircraft
Ships).
At
2350 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 7A, 7B & 7C
of 803 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
troopships that were loading troops and
stores in Ris¿y Sound. (Ris¿y Sound is
off Andfjorden located between the Island
of Gryt¿ya and the Lyng¿yan Islands)
[The
troopships were the SS
MONARCH OF
BERMUDA 22575grt and the Polish ships MV
BATORY 14287grt and MV SOBIESKI
11030grt. There vessels didn't arrive at
the anchorage until 0551/5]
At
2350 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Swordfish 2B, 2C
& 2F of 810 Sqd, 2B for an ADA
patrol, searching sector, 130¡ to 230¡, 2F
for a weather reconnaissance over
Narvik and 2C for an A/S patrol over
Convoy Greek.
5th
–
At
0320 ARK ROYAL flew off Swordfish 4B of
820 Sqd for an A/S patrol over Convoy
Greek.
At
0325 ARK
ROYAL recovered Skuas 7A, 7B & 7C.
Rain
and low cloud on the coast now made the
weather too bad for flying
to be continued; operations were therefore
temporarily suspended.
[At
0400 the
COVENTRY who was in
Andfjorden reported
weather as wind southwest force 3, rain,
slight swell, cloud 10/10ths at 1000
feet]
At
0540 ARK ROYAL
flew off Swordfish 4G of 820
Sqd for an A/S patrol over Convoy Greek.
At
0715 ARK
ROYAL was in position 70-26N, 15-57E. At
this time she landed on a Walrus who
was carrying despatches from Harstad. At
the same time ARK ROYAL ran into fog.
At
0727
Flag Officer Anti-Aircraft Ships in
COVENTRY made the following signal to Flag
Officer Aircraft Carriers, 'no fighters
over Ris¿y Sound yet'.
At
0835 ARK
ROYAL flew off the Walrus to return to
Harstad.
At
0910
Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers replied to
Flag Officer Anti-Aircraft Ships 0727/5
with the following signal.
'Your 0727
last patrol left Ris¿y at 0300. Conditions since
then unsuitable.
Report
cloud
conditions at Ris¿y every hour'.
[At
1254/5 the troop transports
MONARCH OF
BERMUDA, BATORY and SOBIESKI having
competed loading and with 4900 troops
embarked sailed from Ris¿y
Sound
escorted by the COVENTRY and steered for
the ocean RV with the troop transports
GEORGIC and LANCASTIA.
At 2000/5 the
COVERNTRY, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, BATORY
and SOBIESKI were in position 69-31N,
14-05E.
At 2015/5
the MONARCH OF BERMUDA, BATORY and
SOBIESKI detached to wait at the ocean
RV.
At 2118/
COVENTRY closed the repair ship
VINDICTIVE,
(VINDICTIVE had sailed from Scapa
at 2116/1) GEORGIC and
FRANCONIA. The
four vessels then steered for
Andfjorden and
Ris¿y Sound]
At
1420 ARK
ROYAL with the destroyers ACASTA, ARDENT,
DIANA and ACHERON in company, was in
position 70-38N, 15-50E, in which position
she RVed with GLORIOUS and
HIGHLANDER
At
1430
HIGHLANDER detached to refuel at Harstad.
At
1930 there
was a slight improvement in the weather.
At
1935 ARK
ROYAL was in position
70-15N,
16-20E and she flew off two Swordfish 2B
& 2P of 810
Sqd, 2P for an
ADA patrol and 2B for a weather
reconnaissance over Narvik. 2B reported
low
visibility inshore.
At
2047 ARK ROYAL flew off a Swordfish of 810
Sqd to relieve 2P on
the ADA patrol.
[At
2231/5 the
Flag Officer Anti-Aircraft Ships Informed
ships and authorities concerned that
Ris¿y
Sound was to be the rendezvous for
tomorrow, Thursday, 6th June 1940,
embarkation of troops]
At
2305 ARK ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2C
& 2H
of 810
Sqd, 2H for an ADA patrol and 2C for a
weather reconnaissance over Narvik.
At
2330 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6P, 6Q & 6R
of 800 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the troopships that were loading troops
and stores in Ris¿y Sound.
The
weather was still bad inshore and the
fighters reported
that the transports had not yet arrived in
position for embarkation.
[GLORIOUS
who
was in company was
waiting
for the weather to clear in order to
land on the Gladiators of 263 Sqd RAF
and
the Hurricanes of 46 Sqd RAF from
Bardufoss and return them to the UK]
6th
–
At
0200 ARK ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6A, 6B
& 6C of 800 Sqd for a fighter
patrol over the troopships that were
loading troops and stores in Ris¿y Sound.
The patrol reported on their return that
the transports had not arrived by the
time they left the area.
[Late
on 5/6/40 the Allied ground forces that
were pursuing the retreating German
forces along the railway line towards
Sweden requested an aerial bombing
attack on German headquarters at
Hundalen.
Swordfish of 823 Sqd, embarked on
GLORIOUS were tasked with this attack
and a
Swordfish of 810 Sqd was tasked to lead
them to their target]
At
0200 ARK
ROYAL flew off Swordfish 2A of 810 Sqd to
lead the four Swordfish of 823 Sqd,
each armed with
with four 250 lb GP
bombs, four Cooper bombs, and four
incendiary bombs. Their orders were to
attack
Hundalen.
At
0200 ARK ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 4C
& 4L
of 820
Sqd, 4C for
an ADA
patrol and 4L for a weather reconnaissance
over Narvik.
At
0230 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6A, 6B & 6C
of 800 Sqd, Their
orders
were to attack suitable targets and
protect
the
Hundalen strike force.
[The Hundalen strike force
encountered a thick layer of low cloud
and generally poor visibility this made it
impossible to these aircraft to
reach an objective, and the bombs were
jettisoned in the sea.
Low cloud also prevented the
fighter covering force carrying out their
mission. Bombers and fighters
jettisoned their bombs in the sea, before
returning at 0530/6]
At
0315 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Swordfish 2K, 2L
& 2M of 810 Sqd for a reconnaissance
in sector 220¡ to 270¡ to a depth of 125
miles. This search was because it was
considered possible from intercepted
messages that an enemy surface force might
be in the vicinity.
Clearing searches such
as these were to be made at intervals
until the probability of surprise by
enemy surface vessels no longer existed.
At
0430 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 7P, 7Q & 7R
of 803 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the troopships that were loading troops
and stores in Ris¿y Sound.
[At
0450/6, (two hours late) the VINDICTIVE,
GEORGIC and FRANCONIA arrived in Ris¿y
Sound. They immediately commenced
embarking troops. The COVENTRY remained
in Andfjorden]
At
0530 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 4F & 4H
of 820 Sqd for an ADA patrol.
At
0645 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 7F, 7G & 7C
of 803 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the troopships that were loading troops
and stores in Ris¿y Sound.
At
0645 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Skuas 6K & 6L of
800 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
Sagfjorden. The patrol reported that
one destroyer
had loaded and left the fjord.
At
0900 ARK
ROYAL was in position 70-03N, 16E when she
flew off three Swordfish 2F, 2Q
& 2R of 810 Sqd for a reconnaissance
in sector 220¡ to 270¡ to a depth of
150 miles. The objective was to search for
enemy ships in the direction from
which they would be most likely to
approach. Nothing was sighted except
for an Allied Convoy.
At
1015 the
destroyer HIGHLANDER rejoined from
Harstad. Following which GLORIOUS and
HIGHLANDER detached to the Northwest to
conserve fuel until required for
embarking aircraft during pm 7th
June.
At
1030 the
destroyers ARDENT and ACASTA were detached
to Harstad to refuel.
[At
1100/6 the troopships GEORGIC and
FRANCONIA with VINDICTIVE (VINDICTIVE
had embarked the RAF ground crews of 46
and 263 Sqds) having completed with
troops sailed for the ocean RV, escorted
by
the destroyers HAVELOCK,
ECHO and WALKER,
to join the other troopships of Group 1]
At
1200 ARK
ROYAL was in position 70-15N, 16-56E.
Weather
BC,
wind W by S force 4; sea state 33.
[The
weather was reported as bad at
Rombaksfjord,
but suitable for bombing
at Drag. The decision was made to make a
reconnaissance of the Drag and Sorfold
areas
and to bomb any suitable
targets]
At
1210 ARK ROYAL flew off two
Skuas
7A & 7B of 803 Sqd,
each armed with a 250lb GP bomb
to make a reconnaissance of the Drag and
S¿rfold areas, and to bomb any suitable targets.
[Aircraft
7A,
pilot, Lt. Cdr. J Casson,
bombed the runway of the landing ground
behind
Boda.
Aircraft 7B, pilot, Sub Lt GW
Brokensha,
found
German troops
at
Finneid,
near
Fauske, in Sorfolla;
two platoons of
troops appeared to be using the hotel as
their Headquarters and several army
vehicles were seen on the road leading
north from Finneid. The aircraft dropped a
bomb on the hotel and missed by ten yards.
When ARK ROYAL received 7B's report
of German troops; the decision was taken
to carry out a strike mission as soon
as possible]
At
1210 ARK ROYAL flew off three
Skuas
6B, 6C & 6L of 800
Sqd
for a fighter patrol
over the troopships that
were loading troops and stores in Ris¿y
Sound.
At
1210 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2B & 2H
of 810 Sqd, 2H for an ADA patrol and
2B for a weather reconnaissance over
Narvik.
At
1535 the
last fighter patrol returned and patrols
ceased until later in the day.
At
1710 ARK ROYAL flew off Swordfish 4C of
820 Sqd for a
weather reconnaissance over Narvik.
[The
purpose
of this mission was to ascertain whether a
dive bombing attack could be
carried out on the railway stations at
Sildvik and Hundalen where the German
headquarters were reported to be. The
French Military Headquarters had asked for
these objectives to be attacked and ARK
ROYAL was particularly desirous to meet
their demands. Aircraft 4C reported
that the clouds had lifted in Rombaksfjord
and that attacks could now be
expected to have a good chance of success]
At
1715 ARK
ROYAL flew off a strike force of six Skuas
7K, 7L, 7M, 7P (L2984), 7Q (L2955)
& 7R (L2956) of 803 Sqd. Each aircraft
was armed with one 250 lb GP bomb,
four 20 lb Cooper bombs and four
incendiary bombs. Yellow section
comprising 7K,
7L & 7M and red section comprised 7P,
7Q & 7R. Their mission was to
bomb the German troops at Finneid, near
Fauske. Because ARK ROYAL was so far from
the
objective at this time the Swordfish could
not have covered the distance and
retuned with safety.
[Report
on the attack by yellow section. We
proceeded to our objective via Andenes
Point, Korsnes, Drag, Musken, S¿rfjordmo,
Sorfold, and Djupvik. An extensive
reconnaissance of all roads was made at
1000
ft. for troop movements. The
weather deteriorated towards the south and
at Fauske. The cloud ceiling was
between 1500 and 2000 ft.
Fire
was opened by the enemy as we approached
and no
troops were visible at any point in the
town. From this it can be assumed
that warning of our approach had
been given to the enemy sometime before
our arrival.
Yellow
section was the first to attack. The
first objective was a hotel,
believed to be the enemy HQ, near a large
warehouse at the S.E. of the
town. The attack was made at 1845
with 250 lb bombs diving from 1800 to 1000
ft. However, owing to the low
ceiling, accurate dive bombing was
impossible and no hits were observed on
the hotel.
The
bombs were observed to fall as follows:
Yellow
1, 7K, 30 yards from hotel, between
it and the warehouse.
Yellow
2, 7L, on the road south of the
warehouse about 100 yards from the
hotel.
Yellow
3, 7M, 20 yards south of the
warehouse.
An
attack was then made on the warehouse with
incendiary bombs dropped in sticks of
four. One fire was observed, but
lasted only a short time.
Aircraft
then attacked independent objectives as
follows, with 20 lb bombs:
Yellow
1, attacked a row of houses to the right
of
the main pier from which intensive flak
and machine gun fire was coming. A
stick of four 20 lb bombs was dropped
and direct hits were observed. It
is estimated that three or four machine
gun and Flak posts were destroyed.
Yellow
2, attacked the main pier. A stick
of four 20 lb bombs was dropped
just north of the pier damaging houses
were troops had been previously
reported.
Yellow
3, chose the same objective as Yellow 2
and
scored one direct hit on the pier.
The remaining three fell in the sea.
On
completion of this attack, Red Section
began
theirs. In the meantime yellow
section
made an extensive reconnaissance of the
area to the north of the town. No
troops were seen]
[Report
on the attack by Red Section. Followed
Yellow Section to the objective. On
arrival at Fauske, we separated from
Yellow
Section and proceeded to the west to await
completion of Yellow's attack.
At
1840, 7P led the Red Section on an attack
on the
warehouse and hotel at Fauske. Owing to
extremely bad visibility and clouds at
1200 feet accurate bombing was difficult.
Attack
by Red 1, 7P, one 250 lb bomb miss in
water
alongside warehouse, 4 x 20 lb bombs in
grounds of wireless station, 4 x
Incendiary bombs caused a fire alongside
the wireless station.
Attack
by Red 2, 7Q, one 250 lb bomb in grounds
of
the warehouse, 4 x 20 lb bombs in grounds
of the warehouse, 4 x Incendiary
bombs caused fire near wireless station.
Attack
by Red 3, 7R, one 250 lb bomb close to
hotel,
4 x 20 lb bombs on road near hotel, 4 x
Incendiary bombs caused a fire among
cars outside hotel.
Red
1 and Red 2 were hit in several places by
small
calibre AA fire (.303 probably).
This appeared to come from the shrubbery
of the wireless station, the
unit was made to stop firing, and probably
put out of action by the 20 lb bombs
and extensive low altitude front gun
attack. On completion of the attacks, at
1900, Red Section left the target and
proceeded up the road leading north from
Fauske. Military Lorries on this
road were attacked closely with the
remainder of our front gun
ammunition. They were obviously hit.
The Lorries
had drawn up under the trees and the
personnel had taken shelter in a
wood.
We
arrived back on ARK ROYAL at 2015]
[At
1813 in
position 70-06N, 11-56E, the COVENTRY
(Flag
Rear Admiral Anti-Aircraft Ships) RVed
with
the troopships of Group II, comprising
ORAMA 19840grt, ORONSAY 20,043grt,
ORMONDE 14,982grt, ARANDORA STAR
15,501grt, DUCHESS OF YORK 20,021grt,
ROYAL
ULSTERMAN 3244grt, ULSTER PRINCE 3791grt
and ULSTER MONARCH 3791grt and the
Armed boarding vessel VANDYCK.
The ORAMA, ARANDORA STAR, DUCHESS OF YORK and
VANDYCK were ordered to remain at sea.
The ORAMA reported that she was short of fuel
oil and water, so after consultation
with FO
Narvik, FO AA Ships ordered ORAMA to return to the
UK.
The remaining
troopships then proceeded under escort
to Ris¿y Sound]
At
2105 ARK
ROYAL flew off six Swordfish, 2K, 2L, 2M,
2F, 2G & 2Q of 810 Sqd. Each
aircraft was armed with four x 250 lb GP
bombs, four 20 lb Cooper bombs and
four incendiary bombs. The first
sub-flight comprising 2K, 2L & 2M were
tasked to strike at Hundalen and the
second sub-flight comprising 2F, 2G &
2Q were tasked to strike at Sildvik.
[Report
on
the attack on Hundalen. The sub flight
proceeded to Hundalen in very good
weather conditions. The Objective
was sighted at 2210 and approached from a
height of 4500 ft. A group of four
Bofors guns immediately
opened fire. These guns were well
concealed in some scrub, about 400 yards
north of the village of Hundalen and
could only be located by the gun
flashes.
Flak fire was observed coming from
positions on the hill side. The
target was buildings at
Hundalen. The approach was in line
astern on a southerly course at a height
of 4500 ft. Continuous fire was
experienced from a group of four Bofors
guns, and a number of MG.s.
2K
dropped
a number of bombs on a group of small
buildings and a large fire was started,
which appeared to be spreading
satisfactorily when the sub flight
returned.
2M
scored a
direct hit on a large white building
several stories high, with a number of
windows and was possibly a residential
building of some nature. Further
bombs were dropped amongst
smaller buildings. Two of the 250 lb bombs
on 2L hung in the racks, but near
misses were obtained with the remaining
bombs on the tunnel mouth and on some
corrugate iron roofing over the railway
line.
2M
was hard
hit by flak causing considerable damage to
the tail unit, and severing one
control wire, but the aircraft remained
airworthy. The sub flight returned to
the ship at 2400]
[Report
on
the attack on Sildvik. Sildvik was
approached from North West in line astern
at
6500 feet.
2F
made an
approach dive to 4000 feet in the same
direction then to 2500 feet and
released, made away to the East, and
climbed to 4000 feet. The second attack by
2F was made from eastward along the
railway line. A hit was made on the
junction
of railway lines. No AA fire was
experienced during the attack.
2Q
followed
2F after one minute making one attack from
the North West on Sildvik and
thereafter machine gunning huts in the
vicinity. 2G dived in the same
direction scoring one hit about 5 yards
from the track and fired a building]
[At
2200 the
ORANSAY,
ORMONDE, ULSTER PRINCE, and ULSTER
MONARCH arrived in Ris¿y
Sound.
The DUCHESS OF YORK remained in
Andfjorden and the
ROYAL
ULSTERMAN went to
Harstad]
At
2330 ARK
ROYAL was in position 70-14N, 16-14E.
Weather
bc, wind
SE force 3, sea state 22
At
2330 ARK
ROYAL flew off six Skuas 7A, 7B, 7C, 7F,
7G & 7K of 803 Sqd for a fighter
patrol over Reisen and Ris¿y Sound to protect the embarkation of troops.
At
2330 ARK ROYAL flew off three
Swordfish 4F, 4H & 4L of 820 Sqd for
search
between the bearings
220¡
and
270¡
to a
depth of 140 miles, with the object of
clearing the bearing upon which enemy
surface craft were most likely to
approach. Only a Norwegian gunboat
and a small loaded tanker were
seen.
At
2330 ARK ROYAL flew off Swordfish
4K of 820 Sqd for
reconnaissance over Drag and the road
leading there from the
south. No enemy forces were
sighted and two 250 lb GP bombs were
dropped near the bridge on the road ten
miles to the southwest of Drag.
7th – At 0035
ARDENT
and ACASTA rejoined from refueling at
Harstad. Following which DIANA
and ACHERON detached to Harstad
to refuel.
At
0200
ARK ROYAL flew off two Skuas 6K & 6L
of 800 Sqd for a
fighter patrol over the troopships that
were loading troops and stores in Ris¿y
Sound.
At
0200 ARK
ROYAL flew off Swordfish 2C of 810 Sqd for
an ADA patrol.
At
0435 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6A, 6B & 6C
of 800 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the troopships that were loading troops
and stores in Ris¿y Sound. This patrol
reported
no enemy aircraft in sight and loading of
transports proceeding satisfactorily.
At
0445 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Swordfish 4A, 4B
& 4C of 820 Sqd each armed with 4 x
250 lb GP bombs, 4 x 20 lb Cooper bombs
and 4 x 25 lb incendiary bombs. Their
mission was to attack enemy positions and
the Flak and Bofors positions reported
and located at Hundalen by aircraft of the
previous day's night raid.
[This
is
the report of the attack on Hundalen by a
sub-flight of 820 Sqd. On approaching
the land, the section climbed to 7000 feet
above a scattered layer of thin
Stratocumulus
cloud and conditions appeared ideal for
bombing. However, the cloud layer
became denser and more extensive as
the objective was approached, and when
within 20 miles the section was forced
to come below the clouds.
Rombaksfjord
was entered in the base of the clouds at
1500 feet with clouds down on the
hills on either side. Breaks in
the cloud were observed at the head of the
fiord and it was decided to press on
in the hopes of getting through to
Hundalen. AA fire was encountered
from a Bofors gun when passing
Sildvik. On reaching the head of
the Rombaksfjord, it was found that
Hundalen could not be reached and it was
decided to attack enemy positions in
Sildvik.
Attacks
were
made on Sildvik, dives being started from
inside the cloud at a height of
3500 feet and bombs released about 1000
feet. 12 x 250lb GP, 12 x 20 lb, and 12
incendiary bombs were dropped.
Attacks
were
continued for about 10 minutes.
Direct
hits
with 250 lb GP bombs were obtained on two
buildings and a fire started. Four x
250 lb GP bombs fell on the
railway lines. A machine gun was
silenced by Cooper bombs.
Fire
was
encountered from what was probably a
Bofors gun which appeared to be located in
the mouth of the tunnel and was possibly
mounted on a railway truck, also from
an Oerlikon, or similar guns, and machine
guns.
No
hits
were obtained by the enemy on our
aircraft]
At
0445
ARK ROYAL flew off Swordfish 2A of 810 Sqd
to report on the weather at
Drag and Vestfjord as it was the
intention to send further bombing forces
to Fauske if bombing conditions were
good.
At
0540
ARK ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2B &
2N of 810 Sqd for an
ADA patrol.
At
0800 ARK
ROYAL was in position 70-09N, 16-55E.
Weather bc,
wind, light airs, sea state 02.
At
0800 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6F, 6G & 6H
of 800 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the troopships that were loading troops
and stores in Ris¿y Sound. The patrol
reported five destroyers hunting a
submarine in Andfjorden; three destroyers
loading transports at Ris¿y; weather
conditions unsuitable for enemy bombers.
At
0800 ARK
ROYAL flew off Swordfish 2P of 810 Sqd to
report on the weather on the Drag
area.
At
0900
ARK ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2L &
2R of 810 Sqd. 2L was to carry
out an ADA patrol and 2R was to fly to
Bardufoss airfield to communicate with the
R.A.F.
At
0930
ARK ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6P, 6Q
& 6R of 800 Sqd for a
fighter patrol over the troopships that
were loading troops and stores in Ris¿y
Sound.
[At
0650/7 the ROYAL ULSTERMAN joined the
transports in Ris¿y Sound.
At 1052/7 the embarkation of troops and the
ORANSAY,
ORMONDE, DUCHESS
OF
YORK and ROYAL
ULSTERMAN escorted by the COVENTRY and
the destroyers HAVELOCK,
ARROW and WALKER sailed for the Ocean
RV. The ULSTER PRINCE and ULSTER MONARCH
sailed for
Harstad escorted
by the destroyers DELIGHT, BEAGLE, and
CAMPBELL.
During the
7th about 5200 troops were embarked.
The
0930 fighter patrol reported the movements
of
the ULSTER PRINCE and ULSTER MONARCH]
At
1205 ARK ROYAL flew off Swordfish 4K of
820
Sqd
for an ADA patrol.
[At
1314/7 the
COVENTRY reported that the convoy was
being shadowed by a FW 200 Condor, which
at 1315/7 she opened fire on, without
apparent success]
At
1330 in position 71-11N, 15-25E, GLORIOUS
and
HIGHLANDER rejoined the Flag from the
Northwest.
At
1355 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 7K, 7L & 7M
of 803 Sqd to attack enemy aircraft
which had been reported in
position 310 degrees 20
miles from Andenes point. This was
probably the FW 220 Condor sighted by
COVENTRY. No enemy aircraft were sighted
by
this patrol.
[At
1430
GLORIOUS flew off four Swordfish to
Bardufoss
for navigating fighter aircraft back to
carrier]
At
1550 DIANA and ACHERON rejoined from
Harstad.
At 1615 ARK ROYAL flew off Swordfish 2K of 810
Sqd to Bardufoss aerodrome with the orders
for embarkation of Hurricane,
Walrus, and Gladiator aircraft in the
Carrier Squadron on Saturday, 8th
June.
[At
1925 the
GNEISENAU
[flag
Admiral Wilhelm Marschall], SCHARNHORST,
heavy cruiser ADMIRAL HIPPER, with
destroyers HERMAN SCHOEMANN, KARL
GALSTER, ERICH STEINBRINCK and HANS LODY
on
Operation JUNO RVed with the fleet
supply ship DITHMARSCHEN in approximate
position 67-52N, 2W and refuelling of
the HIPPER and the destroyers commenced.
Whilst
refueling Admiral
Marschall received a reconnaissance
report of a seven ship convoy on a south
westerly course,
whose course and speed would put it
about 110 NM south east of his current
position.
(This
was the Group 1 troopship convoy
comprising
the MONARCH OF BERMUDA, BATORY,
SOBIESKI, FRANCONIA, LANCASTRIA and
GEORGIC
escorted by the VINDICTIVE)
Admiral Marschall,
who was unaware that the Allies had
commenced the evacuation of Norway, was
undecided what to do about the convoy
believing it to be of empty ships. So at
2030 Marschall called a captains'
conference on board
the
GNEISENAU. Just as the conference was ending Marschall received a signal
informing him that only one warship
remained at Harstad. From this he
deduced
that the evacuation had begun so he
could profitably attack south bound
shipping.
At
2215 the captains' conference
ended and at 2300 the Force got under
way. The ships set off due south in line
abreast 10 miles apart]
[At
1930
GLORIOUS landed on three Hurricanes of
46 Sqd RAF as a trial to test the
feasibility of landing Hurricanes
without arrester hooks on a
carrier. The aircraft landed on
very
successfully, and it was decided to
embark the remainder in GLORIOUS a.m.,
tomorrow, Saturday]
At
2000 hours ARK ROYAL landed on five Walrus
of 701
Squadron from
Harstad.
[At
2000 the
Heavy cruiser DEVONSHIRE (Flag Vice Admiral
Cunningham, FO 1st Cruiser Squadron)
departed Tromso for the Clyde with the
King of Norway, his government and
allied legations embarked]
[At
2035
GLORIOUS flew off a Swordfish of 823
Sqd to
Bardufoss with
instructions for landing on remaining
RAF fighters]
At
2305 ARK
ROYAL flew off nine Skuas 6A, 6B, 6C, 6F,
6G, 6H, 6K, 6L & 6M of 800 Sqd
for fighter patrols over Narvik, SkŒnland,
and Bardufoss, each patrol being
charged with the protection of evacuating
allied troops from air attack.
[The
patrols
reported that Norwegian fishing boats were
ferrying men and stores, to
three destroyers off Narvik, and that the
R.A.F. were striking camp at
Bardufoss. The patrol which went
to SkŒnland was fired on by Allied
demolition parties. A large convoy of 15
ships was seen to be assembling off
Andenes Point]
At
2305 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2F & 2M
of 810 Sqd for an ADA patrol.
At
2310 ARK
ROYAL sighted the COVENTRY.
[At
around midnight the cruiser SOUTHAMPTON
(Flag Flag Officer Narvik) embarked the
last Allied troops from Narvik. These
were the rear guard, troops of 13th
Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade. SOUTHAMPTON
then sailed for Harstad]
8th
–
At
0100 ARK ROYAL was in position 70-05N,
15-53E Weather ocp, wind WNW, sea state
32.
In company were the GLORIOUS and
destroyers ARDENT, ACASTA,
DIANA,
ACHERON and HIGHLANDER.
At
0100 ARK ROYAL flew off two
Skuas
7A & 7P of 803 Sqd
for a fighter patrol over Narvik.
The
patrol
reported that destroyers were bombarding
the piers.
[By
0115 GLORIOUS had landed on ten
Gladiators of 263 Sqd RAF, (the
first
Gladiator had taken off just after 2300/7)
followed by seven Hurricanes of 46 Sqd
RAF, all from Bardufoss, and one
Walrus of 701 Sqd FAA, ferrying Group
Captain Wood, RAF from Harstad. All
landings were completely
successful.
GLORIOUS then landed on the Swordfish of
823 Sqd that had acted as navigating
aircraft]
At
0130 ARK
ROYAL flew off four Skuas 7F, 7G, 7Q &
7R of 803 Sqd, 7F & 7G for a
fighter patrol over Reisafjorden (RAF
ground crew were being evacuated through
S¿rreisa and taken in fishing boats to
Harstad) and Bardufoss aerodrome and
7Q & 7R for a fighter patrol
over Ris¿y Sound.
At
0130 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2G & 2Q
of 810 Sqd for an ADA patrol.
At
0207 ARK
ROYAL landed on Walrus 5A of 701 Sqd,
pilot Lt
M
B
Francklin from GLORIOUS. (This was
to be the last aircraft to take off from
GLORIOUS)
At
0300 ARK
ROYAL flew off six Skuas 6P, 6Q & 6R
of 800 Sqd and 7K, 7L & 7M of 803
Sqd, 7K, 7L & 7M for a fighter patrol
over Reisafjorden and Bardufoss
aerodrome and 6P, 6Q & 6R for a
fighter patrol over Ris¿y Sound.
[At
0300 in position 70-17N, 14-10E,
GLORIOUS, ARDENT and ACASTA detached for
Scapa. They were routed through the
following positions, speed of advance 16
knots, 69-30N, 06-40E, 66-00N, 02-00W
& 63-00N, 04-30W.
The Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers agreed to
the CO of GLORIOUS, Captain,
D'Oyly-Hughes RN, request for GLORIOUS
to proceed
independently to Scapa to expedite a
Court Martial]
At
0515 ARK
ROYAL flew off six Skuas 6F, 6G. 6H, 6K,
6L & 6M of 800 Sqd, 6F, 6G &
6H for a fighter patrol over Reisafjorden
and Bardufoss aerodrome and 6K, 6L
& 6M for a fighter patrol over Ris¿y
Sound. This patrol reported that
embarkation at Reisafjorden was completed.
[At
about 0530 in position 67-26N, 4-23E,
the
German Force were steaming south in line
abreast when the HIPPER sighted two
ships, these were the tanker MV
OILPIONEER 5666grt escorted by the
trawler
JUNIPER of the 19th Anti-Submarine
Striking Force, they had departed Tromso
on
the 7/6 for the UK. On sighting the
Enemy force JUNIPER hoisted her battle
ensign and turned towards the enemy.
HIPPER took on JUNIPER and amazingly
JUNIPER managed to survive for 90
minutes before being overwhelmed by
HIPPER.
GNEISENAU attacked the OILPIONEER with
her secondary armament setting her
ablaze and the destroyer SCHOEMANN
despatched the tanker with a torpedo.
Neither of the British ships got off an
enemy sighting signal]
At
0805 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 7P, 7Q &7R
of 803 Sqd for a fighter patrol over Ris¿y
Sound. The fighters sighted a He 111K (this
was
probably a He 111H of KG 26) when on
patrol and immediately chased
after him, but the Heinkel was able to
take cover in a convenient layer of
thick cloud and escaped after an
indecisive action.
At
0815 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2H & 2P
of 810 Sqd for an ADA patrol.
[At
0900/8/6/40in position 68-02N, 03-36E
the HIPPER
and HANS LODY came upon two ships, the
empty troopship SS ORAMA 19840 grt and
the hospital ship ATLANTIS. The HIPPER
sank the ORAMA but allowed the ATLANTIS
to proceed on her way. In accordance
with the Geneva Convention ATLANTIS
maintained radio silence]
At
1030 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Skuas 7F & 7G of
803 Sqd for an ADA patrol and to look
for a shadower which had been sighted from
the bridge. The shadower disappeared
as the Skuas took
off and was not seen again.
At
1050 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6A, 6B & 6C
of 800 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the transports leaving Andfjorden. The
patrol also had orders to search for a
shadower reported by COVENTRY, but no
enemy aircraft were seen.
At
1100 ARK
ROYAL escorted by the destroyers
HIGHLANDER, DIANA, and ACHERON steered to
the
westward to keep to northward of convoys.
At
1330 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 7K, 7L & 7M
of 803 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the Store ship convoy which had been
bombed by a four engine flying boat. The
patrol reported very low cloud near the
convoy and no enemy aircraft in sight.
[The
convoy was of slow (7knot) auxiliaries
that
had departed Harstad late on the 7th.
The convoy consisted of the RFA SS
OLIGARCH
6897grt, the tanker MV CONCH 8376grt and
the freighters SS BLACKHEATH 4637grt,
SS HARMATTAN 4558grt, SS CROMARTY FIRTH
538grt, SS THESEUS 6527grt, SS ACRITY
403grt and SS COXWOLD 1124grt. At 0300/8
the convoy was off Andenes Point and was
escorted by the anti-submarine trawlers
ST CATHAN and LOCH MONTEITH of the 18th
Anti-submarine Striking Force. At 1300/8
the convoy was in approximate position
69-30N, 13E]
At
1515 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6P, 6Q & 6R
of 800 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the troopship convoy.
[At
1005/8 the troopship convoy which was
part of Group II had completed with
troops and had sailed from Ris¿y Sound.
(This completed the withdrawal of
Allied
troops from Norway) The convoy
comprised ARANDORA STAR, DUCHESS OF
YORY, ULSTER MONARCH and ULSTER PRINCE
escorted by
COVENTRY (flag Rear Admiral Anti-Aircraft Ships), the
light cruiser SOUTHAMPTON (Flag
of Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Cork and
Orrery, who had delegated command of the
convoy to
Rear
Admiral Anti-Aircraft Ships) and the destroyers HAVELOCK (D 9),
CAMPBELL,
FAME, DELIGHT, BEAGLE, ECHO, FIREDRAKE,
VANOC and VETERAN.
At 1200/8
this convoy was in position 69-32N,
16-08E and steering for an RV with the
other troopships of Group II]
[At
1546 the GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST (At
1300 HIPPER and the destroyers had been
detached to refuel at Trondheim) were
in
position 69N, 3-10E steering 345¡ speed
19 knots with the flag ship leading,
when a lookout on the SCHARNHORST
sighted smoke bearing 60¡. The Germans
initially identified the vessel sighted
as ARK ROYAL but it was actually the
GLORIOUS escorted by ARDENT and ACASTA
they were steering 205¡ speed 17 knots.
The
German battlecruisers turned on to a
south easterly course and closed to
attack.
At 1600 the battle cruisers were sighted by
GLORIOUS and ARDENT was ordered to close
and identify them.
At
1627 ARDENT was fired on by GNEISENAU
and at
1630 by SCHARNHORST at a range
of about 14600M. ARDENT withdrew, firing
torpedoes, one of which was seen to
pass close ahead of the SCHARNHORST.
Both
destroyers made smoke to screen the
GLORIOUS.
The smoke was effective enough to cause
the Germans to cease fire from
about 1658 to 1720. ARDENT achieved one
hit on SCHARNHORST with her 4.7-inch
guns, but was
extensively damaged by return fire from
the 150mm secondary armament of
the battlecruisers, and sank at about
1725.
At 1630 at a range of 26150M on a bearing 120¡
the battlecruisers opened fire on
GLORIOUS, ARDENT and ACASTA made smoke
and
turned towards the enemy.
At 1652, GNEISENAU picked up GLORIOUS
transmitting the following message on
8.29 MHz addressed to Scapa W/T;
"Two battlecruisers bearing 308¡ 15
miles course 030¡, my position 54-69N,
4¡E'. This signal was not picked up by
any British station or ship.
At about 1730, ACASTER passed ahead of SCHARNHORST
and turned to run down her starboard
side, ACASTER then fired two four-tube
salvos of torpedoes. One torpedo hit
SCHARNHORST below Caesar turret, causing
heavy damage and casualties, and causing
a sharp reduction in speed. ACASTER also
made a hit on SCHARNHORST's B turret
with her 4.7 "guns, but came under
heavy and accurate fire after she had
turned away, which left her burning and
in a sinking condition. The Germans
ceased fire on ACASTER at about 1808 and
she sank at about 1820.
AT
1638
GLORIOUS received
her first 280mm hit from SCHARNHORST's
third salvo.
At 1720 the heavy cruiser DEVONSHIRE who was
then about 70 miles west of
GLORIOUS picked up a weak signal on 3.7
MHz,
addressed to VAA front GLORIOUS.
DEVONSHIRE took no action upon receipt
of the
broken and distorted signal.
At about 1740 the German ships ceased fire and
GLORIOUS sank at about 1820.
At 1815, the German ships set course for
Trondheim and left the scene at
SCHARNHORST's best speed of about 20
knots.
At 1851 the SCHARNHORST signalled GNEISENAU 'hit
by torpedo on the starboard side in
compartments III and IV. Turret C
unserviceable".
At 1200/9 they entered the Frohavet.
At 1530/9/6/40 they arrived off Munkholman
Island outside of Trondheim harbour]
At
1715 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 7A, 7B & 7C
of 803 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the troopship convoy.
At
1915 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 7P, 7Q & 7R
of 803 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the troopship convoy.
At
2208 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 4C & 4K
of 820 Sqd for ADA patrols. ARK ROYAL
was now so close to the troop convoy that
A.D.A. patrols to cover both forces
could be provided. Swordfish 4C carried
out the ADA patrol around ARK ROYAL and
4K around the troop convoy.
At
2358 ARK
ROYAL sighted the troop convoy.
9th
–
At 0108
ARK ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2A &
2L of 810 Sqd for an ADA patrol
around the convoy and ARK ROYAL.
[At
0230 the troopships
ORONSAY,
ORMONDE and ROYAL ULSTERMAN joined the
troop convoy. The armed boarding vessel
VANDYCK should have joined at this time
but had failed to RV with the other
troopships]
[At
0310 the
destroyers DELIGHT and FIREDRAKE were
detached from the escort of the troop
convoy with orders to search for the
VANDYCK]
At
0400 ARK ROYAL was in position 70-11N,
7-20E. (This
was position A, the assembly point for the
troop transports of Group II) Weather,
wind northwest force 4, slight swell,
cloud 8/10ths at 6,000 feet.
At
0405 ARK
ROYAL flew off four Swordfish 4A, 4B, 4G
& 4H of 820 Sqd to carry out a
reconnaissance
of the sector 130¡ and 225¡ with the
object of searching for enemy surface
vessels upon their most probable line of
approach to the convoy. A Store ship
convoy was reported at
0440/9 and many small 'stragglers' were
seen to the leaving Norway after the
main convoys.
At
0406 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6F, 6G & 6H
of 800 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the troop convoy.
[At
0431 the FO Anti-Aircraft Ships
Sent
following signal to FO Aircraft Carriers
(R) DELIGHT; 'Request air search for
SS VANDYCK two masts one funnel painted
hull black, upper works grey, which
should have made rendezvous 'A' at 0300
on approximate course 250 degrees. If
located request that DELIGHT and
FIREDRAKE be informed.']
AT
0718 ARK ROYAL flew off two Swordfish 2P
and 2B
of 810
Sqd they were sent
back
to the position in which the ships of the
convoy gathered, the object being to
find SS VANDYCK, which had failed to join
the convoy. VANDYCK was not sighted,
but FAME and DELIGHT were seen
looking for her.
At
0720 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Skuas 7F & 7G of
803 Sqd for a fighter patrol over the
troop convoy.
[At
0750 the destroyer
FIREDRAKE
rejoined the convoy having failed to
locate VANDYCK]
[At
0810 the Following signal was received
from VANDYCK (R) DELIGHT and FIREDRAKE;
'am at rendezvous X']
[At
0847 the destroyer DELIGHT was ordered
to
to
bring VANDYCK on and inform CINC
Rosyth
and authorities concerned of expected
time of arrival in position
63-00N, 04-00E. The DELIGHT failed to RV
with VANDYCK because VANDYCK was
bombed and sunk]
At
1000 ARK ROYAL was in
position
69N,
3-24E, and course approximately 210 ¡.
At
1000 ARK
ROYAL flew off four Swordfish 4C, 4F,
4K & 4L of 820 Sqd for a
reconnaissance
between
headings 130¡ and 210¡, to a depth of 80
miles. The search sighted
nothing.
At
1000 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6K, 6L & 6M
of 800 Sqd for a fighter patrol over
the convoy.
[At
1014 the
Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers received a
signal from the battleship VALIANT
timed 0901/ 9 reporting enemy battleships
and destroyers in position 67-44N, 3-52E
at 0900/8. This was the first
intimation received that enemy surface
forces were at sea]
[At
1020 the CINC Home Fleet signalled
VALIANT,
make all possible speed to join Group II]
At
1110 ARK
ROYAL was in position 68-50N, 3-05E when
she flew off three Swordfish 2B, 2H
& 2Q of 810 Sqd to carry out a search
between 225¡ and 275¡ to a depth of
90 miles to search for the enemy force.
Nothing was sighted.
At
1200 ARK
ROYAL was in position 68-46N, 3-03E,
weather oc, wind northerly force 4, sea
state 30.
[At
1155 the SOUTHAMPTON sighted a body in
the water. She altered course to
investigate a sighted a further three
bodies.
(These were almost certainly from the
previous days engagement between
GLORIOUS, ACASTER and ARDENT and
SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU). At 1205
SOUTHAMPTON proceeded at 20 knots to
re-join the convoy]
At
1300 ARK
ROYAL was in position 68-30N, 2-59E when
she flew off Walrus 5A of 701 Sqd and
seven
Swordfish 2B, 2C & 2P of 810 Sqd and
4A, 4B, 4G & 4M of 820 Sqd these 8
aircraft were to carry out a search
between 110¡ and 285¡ to a depth of 100
miles to search for the enemy force. Also
flown off were three Skuas 7K, 7L
& 7M of 803 Sqd these 3 aircraft were
to carry out a search between 310¡
and 085¡ to a depth of 20 miles astern of
the convoy.
[The
weather
was difficult for air navigation, as the
visibility was low and the
wind extremely changeable; a few of the
less experienced observers had to be
brought back to the ship by D/F at the
completion of this and subsequent
searches. The general standard of air
navigation was high considering the
weather was so unsuitable and the ship
often unable to maintain the mean line
of advance given to the aircraft when they
took off]
At
1545 ARK
ROYAL was in position 68-10N, 2-00W, when
she flew off two Walrus 5C & 5F
of 701 Sqd and six Swordfish 2B, 2E, 2F,
2K, 2L & 2Q of 810 Sqd and 4L of
820 Sqd these 8 aircraft were to carry out
a search between 110¡ and 285¡ to a
depth of 100 miles to search for the enemy
force. Also flown off were three
Skuas 7A, 6B & 6C of 803 Sqd these 3
aircraft were to carry out a search
astern of the convoy.
At
this
time ARK ROYAL was operating close to the
main troop convoy in order to offer
maximum protection.
[At
1707, as VALIANT had reported being
shadowed, the Vice Admiral, Aircraft
Carriers suggested to the Flag Officer,
Narvik, that course of convoy should be
altered to 270¡ in order to open the
distance from the enemy air base at
Trondheim (Vaernes Aerodrome)]
At
1800 ARK
ROYAL and the convoy altered course to
270¡, speed of advance 13 knots.
At
1830 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Walrus 5G, 5H &
5K of 701 Sqd and six Swordfish 2A, 2C
& 2P of 810 Sqd and 4C, 4H & 4K of
820 Sqd for a reconnaissance between
the bearings of 175¡ and 340¡ to a depth
of 120 miles. This reconnaissance
sighted the VALIANT and passed the
position, course, and speed of the convoy
to
her. Also flown off were three Skuas 7A,
7B & 7C of 803 Sqd these 3
aircraft were to carry out a search astern
of the convoy.
At
1830 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6A, 6B & 6C
of 800 Sqd with orders to pass a
message to VALIANT and attack an enemy
aircraft showing her. When the Skuas
arrived over the VALIANT they found that
she was being shadowed by a He 115 which
they attacked and drove off, but were
unable to close due the float plane
disappearing into low cloud.
At
2030 ARK
ROYAL received Admiralty signal timed
1936/9ordering convoy to steer 270¡ to
longitude of Faroe Islands, then turn
south.
[At
2115 the battleship VALIANT and the
destroyers
MASHONA,
TARTAR, BEDOUIN and ASHANTI were
sighted. The
Vice
Admiral,
Aircraft Carriers ordered VALIANT to
take station five miles ahead of
the convoy.
At 2145in position 67-58 N, 1W, VALIANT,
MASHONA,
TARTAR, BEDOUIN and ASHANTI
took
station ahead of the convoy]
At
2145 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Walrus 5L & 5M of
701 Sqd and six Swordfish 2B & 2C
of 810 Sqd and 4A, 4B, 4G & 4M of 820
Sqd for a reconnaissance between the
bearings of 155¡ and 355¡ to a depth of
120 miles. Three Skuas covered the arc
astern of the convoy.
At
2300 in
position 67-55N, 2-10W six He 111H's
(probably of II./KG26
from
Vaernes) approached ARK ROYAL from astern
and flew up the starboard
side. ARK ROYAL opened fire on the
enemy aircraft, without success. When
nearly ahead of the ship, they broke
formation,
four Heinkels disappeared into the clouds
above the ship while the remaining
two shadowed from either bow. The sub
slight of fighters already in the air,
shot down one He 111H and damaged another.
At
2315 ARK
ROYAL flew off a second section of
fighters immediately the He 111H's were
seen, these were 6F, 6G & 6H of
800Sqd. This patrol attacked one He 111H
and probably damaged it.
At
2355 ARK
ROYAL flew off six Skuas 6A, 6B & 6C
of 800 Sqd and 7K, 7L & 7M of 803
Sqd to attack the Heinkels and defend the
convoy and escort. The Heinkels had
all been driven away by 0300/10 and some
of them had jettisoned their bombs
while being attacked by the Skuas.
The convoy and escort suffered no damage
from these enemy aircraft.
10th
–
At
0001 Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Cork,
hauled down his Flag on the SOUTHAMPTON.
At
0107 the
Vice Admiral, Aircraft Carriers suggested
to the Flag Officer, 20th
Cruiser Squadron (Rear
Admiral Anti-Aircraft Ships)
that he
should inform, REPULSE, NEWCASTLE, and
SUSSEX of the position of the convoy and
escort. This was done at 0144.
At
0400 the
convoy was in position
67-48N, 5-02W. Weather: east southeast wind,
force 2, cloud 9/10ths at 6000 feet.
At
0245 ARK
ROYAL was in position 67-23N, 3-30W when
she flew off Ten Swordfish 2B, 2C, 2F,
2K, 2P & 2R of 810 Sqd and 4C, 4F, 4K
& 4L of 820 Sqd for an all round
search to a depth of 120 miles. No
enemy forces were sighted.
[At
0725 whilst
being brought back to the ship by D/F,
Sub/Lt R C Eborn in aircraft 2C lost his
way and forced landed in sea. The crew of
three were picked by the Norwegian
fishery protection trawler SYRIAN and
landed in Iceland]
At
0400 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Skuas 7F & 7G of
803 Sqd for a patrol over the convoy.
At
0445 ARK
ROYAL sighted the NEWCASTLE (Flag CS18)
and SUSSEX. The convoy altered course
to 195¡.
At
0518 the
NEWCASTLE joined and was
stationed one
mile on starboard quarter of convoy to
provide AA defence
on that flank.
At
0532 the SUSSEX joined and was ordered to
provide
AA
defence for the ARK ROYAL.
At
0709 the NEWCASTLE was ordered to provide
AA
defence
for the ARK ROYAL.
At
0730 ARK
ROYAL was in position 66-47N, 4-55W.
Weather OC, wind south east by south force
3, sea state 44.
At
0730 ARK
ROYAL flew off three walrus 5C, 5H &
5K of 701 Sqd to carry out a search
for Swordfish 2C.
At
0800 the
Vice
Admiral, Aircraft Carriers, ordered
SUSSEX and NEWCASTLE to part company and
support the store ship convoy in
approximately position 67-35N, 4-18W.
[At
0846 hours
a RAF Blenheim IVF of 254 Sqd from
Sumburgh on reconnaissance over
Trondheim
reported sighting 4 enemy cruisers; this
was subsequently amended to a
battlecruiser and a large transport and
7 destroyers patrolling off the fiord
entrance]
At 0857 the
battlecruiser REPULSE
joined. Vice Admiral, Aircraft Carriers
ordered
her to take VALIANT under her orders.
These ships and their screening
destroyers MASHONA, TARTAR, BEDOUIN and
ASHANTI
were designated Force 'A'.
[By
the morning of 9/6 it was clear to
Admiral
Marschall that the Allies were
evacuating northern Norway; so he
decided that
he must immediately attack Allied
shipping. At 0902 the GNEISENAU, HIPPER
and
the destroyers LODY, GLASTER, SCHOEMANN
and STEINBRINCK sailed from Trondheim.
In the afternoon the submarine CLYDE on patrol
off the Frohavet sighted this force.
At 1400 the CLYDE reported 'a pocket battleship
and 8" cruiser in 64-35N, 9-45E,
steering 300¡', by this time the
destroyers had returned to Trondheim..
The German
force had sighted the CLYDE so Marschall
knew his mission was compromised. But
it was not until intelligence was
received that the heavy units were
covering
the Allied convoys that Marschall was
ordered to abort the mission.
At 2010 the GNEISENAU and HIPPER turned east
and headed back to Trondheim.
At 1130/11 the GNEISENAU and HIPPER arrived
back off Trondheim]
At
1000 the
CINC Home Fleet ordered ARK ROYAL to join
him.
At
1100 ARK ROYAL's escorting destroyers
DIANA
and
ACHERON were exchanged for the destroyers
MASHONA and ASHANTI from REPULSE's
screen, as the latter had more fuel
remaining. (DIANA and ACHERON joined
VALIANT returning to Scapa)
At
1130 in
position 66N, 6W the ARK ROYAL with the
destroyers HIGHLANDER, MASHONA and
ASHANTI detached from the convoy and
steered easterly to join the CINC Home
Fleet in RODNEY.
At
1445 ARK
ROYAL sighted RODNEY (flag CINC Home
Fleet), RENOWN and the destroyers
INGLEFIELD (D.3), ZULU, KELVIN, ELECTRA
and ESCORT.
At
1525 in
position 66-40N, 2-30W, ARK ROYAL joined
the CINC Home Fleet. The destroyers
HIGHLANDER, MASHONA and ASHANTI detached
to refuel. The Home Fleet then steered
in a generally eastward direction.
At
1540 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6K, 6L & 6M
of 800 Sqd to attack a shadower
which had been sighted from the bridge.
The patrol chased off the He 115 but
could not close the range sufficiently to
open effective fire as the Heinkel
made full use of the low clouds for
avoiding action.
At
1600 the
CINC Home Fleet ordered the Fleet to steer
north eastward at maximum speed. This
was in response to CLYDE's 1400/9 signal.
The CINC's intention was to locate
the enemy force and carry out an air
strike from ARK ROYAL.
At
1650 ARK ROYAL flew off three
Skuas
7A, 7B & 7C of 803 Sqd
to
attack a shadower. An
attack was made on a He 115 and it is
possible that the enemy aircraft was
damaged.
At
1813 the
Fleet altered course to 115¡.
At
1910 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6P, 6Q & 6R
of 800 Sqd to attack another
shadower, but no enemy aircraft was seen
and the patrol returned to guard the
Fleet.
At
2000 ARK
ROYAL was in position 66-29N, 00-33W.
Weather OC, wind east south
east force 4, sea state 21.
At
2000 ARK
ROYAL flew off nine Swordfish 2B, 2K &
2K of 810 Sqd and 4A, 4B, 4C, 4F, 4K
& 4L of 820 Sqd to carry out a search
between bearing 020¡ and 210¡ to a
depth of 150 miles, the object of the
search being to locate the enemy
battleships or battleship, reported by
CLYDE and believed to be in the
vicinity. At 2100 a submerged
submarine was reported 20 miles ahead of
the Fleet.
At
2330 the
Swordfish returned having sighted nothing.
At
2355 the
Fleet altered course to 320¡ to provide
close cover for the slow convoys and
numerous single merchant ships that were
proceeding from Narvik and Tromso to
the UK.
[Between
2345/10 and 0555/1, in position
68-15N, 2-20E the Norwegian ship SS
BORGUND 341grt, sighted rafts with 38
survivors from GLORIOUS and one from
ACASTA. The 39 survivors were taken on
board and landed at T—rshavn, Faroe
Islands]
11th
–
[At
0645 the submarine CLYDE on patrol off
the Frohavet sighted what was
believed to be a pocket battleship off
Lines¿ya Island at the entrance to the
Frohavet. This was certainly the GNEISENAU
and
HIPPER returning to Trondheim]
At
0800 ARK
ROYAL was in position 67-13N, 2-20W.
Weather BC, Wind south east force 3, sea
state 22.
At
0812 ARK
ROYAL flew off nine Swordfish 2A, 2F, 2G,
2K. 2Q & 2R of 810 Sqd and 4F, 4G
& 4M of 820 Sqd to carry out a search
between bearing 181¡ and 359¡, to a depth
of 120 miles. No enemy forces were
sighted and thick weather was reported
ahead.
At
0830 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Skuas 6F, 6G & 6H
of 800 Sqd to attack a shadower. No
enemy was sighted and it seems possible
that one of our own flying boats had
been reported as the shadower. (This
may
have been a Sunderland 1 of 204 Sqd from
Sullom Voe that was searching for the
ships reported the CLYDE)
[At
1130 twelve Hudson 1's of 269 Sqd RAF,
each
armed with four x 250lb SAP bombs, (this
size
and type of bomb was useless against the
targets they were to attack) took
off from Sumburgh. Their mission was to
bomb the enemy heavy ships at Trondheim
reported by the Blenheim IVF of 254 Sqd
at 0846/10.
At about 1415 they arrived over the target
where they were attacked by Bf 109's of
II,/JG77 and
Me
110's of 3./ZG76. Although three hits
were claimed no bombs hit any of the
German ships. Two aircraft were shot
down, UA-G, N7361 pilot Sgt E B
Lascelles,
this aircraft was shot down by A Bf 110
and UA-P, P5131, pilot Sgt G W Robson,
this aircraft was shot down by a Me109]
At
1300 the
weather closed in and no further flying
was possible for the rest of the day.
[At
1706
the Admiralty signalled the CINC Home
Fleet with the intelligence report of the
RAF attack. The Admiralty went on to state
that if weather conditions were
suitable a further attack would be made,
and suggested that Skuas should be
used to finish off the enemy ships]
[The
CINC
Home Fleet ordered the Flag Officer
Aircraft Carriers to commence planning for
the operation on the basis that the Fleet
would remain undetected and reach a
position 65N, 4-40E by 0001/13/6.
Because
at
this time of the year there is almost 24
hours of daylight and the last 40
miles would be over land and the enemy
ships were lying 17 miles from the
largest airfield in Norway at which were
located many Bf 109 and Me 110
fighters the mission would be very
difficult and dangerous.
In
conjunction
with the RAF a three pronged attack was
planned. First Beauforts of
22 Sqd RAF would carry out a low level
attack on Vaernes aerodrome to keep the
German fighters grounded before the attack
by the FAA developed. Second Skuas
of 800 and 803 Sqds would carry out a dive
bombing attack. Third as the Skuas
were attacking, Swordfish of 810 and 820
Sqds would carry out a torpedo attack.
To provide a degree of protection to the
Skuas and Swordfish during the attack,
Blenheim IV fighters of 254 Sqd RAF would
RV with the attack force as they took
off from ARK ROYAL.
In
the
event the weather proved unsuitable for
the Swordfish, they would be flying
into a strong south easterly wind that
would reduce their speed and make them
easy prey for fighters and AA fire. So the
Swordfish were dropped and the
attack would be carried out by the Skuas
alone. Each Skua was to be armed with
a 500lb SAP bomb which, even with the
added impetus of the diving aircrafts
speed would not generate sufficient
velocity to penetrate the armoured decks
of
the German battlecruisers. This fact was
known to those who authorised, planned
and executed to raid.
Therefore
it
is difficult to understand why the
Admiralty suggested that Skuas should be
used to finish off the enemy ships.
Cabinet
Office
minutes from 11/6/40 state 'the Prime
Minister, Winston Churchill,
expressed grave doubts as to the wisdom of
the operation, t would be a gallant
operation, but one which, in his opinion,
might prove far too costly']
The
Fleet
steered for position 65N, 4-40E.
12th
-
The
Fleet
steered for position 65N, 4-40E. Weather
low clouds and frequent rain storms.
At
0630 the
destroyers AMAZON, ANTELOPE, ESCAPADE and
FEARLESS joined the CINC. The Fleet
now comprised NELSON, RODNEY, RENOWN and
the destroyers INGLEFIELD (D.3), AMAZON,
ANTELOPE, ESCAPADE, FEARLESS, ZULU,
KELVIN, ELECTRA and ESCORT.
At
0935 the
Fleet altered course to 080¡ and increased
speed to 18 knots, the maximum that RODNEY
was capable, to reach the flying off
position for the attack on Trondheim.
At
1200 the
Fleet was in position 64-23N, 3-19W.
Weather OV, wind south south
east force 5, sea
state 32.
[At
1616
the CINC Rosyth signalled the CINC Home
Fleet that at 0200/13 precisely four
RAF aircraft would attack Vaernes
aerodrome and six Blenheim fighters would
be
in the vicinity of Trondheim at that time
as a protective escort for the Skuas
and to prevent them from being pursued out
to sea]
At
1650 the
weather was becoming generally more
suitable for flying;
the cloud lifting and the visibility
improving. ARK ROYAL flew off three
Skuas 6P, 6P & 6R for defensive
patrol over the fleet.
[At
1802
the CINC Rosyth signalled the CINC Home
Fleet informing him that RAF aircraft
would be bombing targets at Bergen during
the night from 0001 to 0300/13]
At
2230 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Skuas for fighter
patrol over Fleet.
13th
–
The
Fleet arrived at the flying off position,
64-58N, 4-38E.
At
0002 ARK
ROYAL flew off 15 Skuas 6A, 6C, 6F, 6G, 6H
& 6K of 800 Sqd and 7A, 7B, 7C,
7F, 7G, 7L, 7P, 7Q & 7R of 803 Sqd,
each Skua was armed with a 500lb SAP
bomb, to attack enemy warships in
Trondheim
harbour.
[The
formation climbed to 11,000 feet, formed
up, then
headed for the coastline to the north west
of Trondheim. The attack by the
Skuas
was timed to synchronise
at 0200 with an attack on
Vaernes
aerodrome by four Beaufort aircraft of 22
Sqd
RAF;
also the arrival of six Blenheim IV
long range fighters of 254 Sqd RAF who
were to provide fighter protection.
At
0123 the
15 Skuas were north of Halten Lighthouse,
no doubt from where they were
reported, and they crossed the coast near
to Lys¿ysundet in brilliant sunshine,
35 miles from the target, except that the
one thing all the pilots wanted was a
cloudy day. In the van was 803 Squadron,
led by Lt Cdr J Casson in 7A, in three
flights of three. Following was 800
Squadron, led by Capt RJ Partridge RM, in
6A, in two flights of three.
The
Blenheims
of 254 Sqd failed to arrive at the RV on
time due to an error in
calculating the range. Therefore because
of time pressures the Skuas left the
RV and headed for Trondheim without the
Blenheims.
Seven
Bauforts
of 22 Sqd took off from Wick, three got
lost in bad weather, the
remaining four attacked Vaernes aerodrome
at 0150. The Beauforts landmark for
crossing the coast was the Grip
Lighthouse, but as they flew over the
lighthouse they were sighted from the
light cruiser NURNBERG who was on passage
to Trondheim. The NURNBERG made a sighting
report that was received by the
SCHARNHORST at 0134. The raid on Vaernes
caused little damage and was over by
the time the Skuas arrived. However it had
the opposite effect to that intended
as the Bf109's of II./JG77and Me110's of
I./ZG76 that were scrambled to defend
the aerodrome were perfectly placed to
attack the Skuas even before they
reached their target.
The
enemy
fighters attacked the rear section of 803
Sqd which comprised 6F, 6G & 6H.
Skua 6G, L3028, pilot Mid LH Gallagher was
the first to be shot down by a Me109,
second was 6H, L3047, pilot Mid DTR Martin
and third 6F, L3000, pilot Lt GED
Finch-Noyes.
Lt
Cdr
Casson in 6A led 800 Sqd into the dive
from 5,000ft from the direction of
SCHARNHORST's
bow, into a storm of AA fire. Lt Gibson in
7P, at the rear of the formation
took his flight in the opposite direction,
attacking from stern to bow. Despite
the flak and fighters, the pilots were
determined to get their bombs on target.
Capt
Partridge
in 7A led the remaining three aircraft of
800 Sqd round to the stern of the
ship and dived from 7,000ft, to give them
the best chance of an accurate bomb
run. Lt Spurway in 6K, following Partridge
down, saw one bomb near miss off the
starboard quarter and then a bright flash
just aft of the funnel.
A
further
five Skuas were lost these were, 6A,
L2995, pilot Capt RJ Partridge RM, shot
down by a Me109, 7A, L2896, pilot Lt Cdr J
Casson shot down by a Bf109, 7F,
L2963, pilot Lt CH Filmer shot down by a
Me110. 7L, L2992, pilot Sub Lt JA
Harris shot down by a Me110 and 7Q, L2955,
pilot Sub Lt RE Bartlett shot down
by a Me110.
The
Blenheim
fighters
As
the seven remaining aircraft made
their way back to ARK ROYAL, some pilots
asked for a D/F bearing from the
carrier. This was unusual as a broadcast
from the ship could give away its position
to the enemy, but the aircrews had been
told that they could radio their call-sign
once for a D/F bearing. However, as the
Skuas returned, ARK ROYAL did not break
radio silence and the crews were forced to
navigate back by taking a fix using
the ship's revolving beacon, which was
quite a feat of navigation for a TAG not
trained in formal navigation.
In
the analysis of the attack the VA
Aircraft Carriers considered that two hits
had been achieved, but in fact only
one hit had been achieved and that failed
to explode]
Following
the launch of the strike
mission the Fleet steered north, north
easterly to a pre-arranged flying on
position.
At
0207 ARK ROYAL flew off three
Skuas
for fighter patrol over Fleet.
By
0345 all the remaining seven
Skuas, two
from 800 Sqd and five from 803 Sqd, had
landed back on. ARK ROYAL remained in the
pre-arranged flying on position until 0600, this being the
latest time any of the stragglers could be
expected to return.
[The
high loss rate effected
the morale of the entire ships company.
But particularly
affected were those that had planned the
mission. The total losses amounted to
almost an entire squadron, and effectively
reduced the FAA's two premiere fighter
squadrons to a small nucleus of
experienced flyers]
At
0425 the Fleet entered a fog bank.
At
0553 the Fleet cleared the fog bank and
the three
Skuas on
fighter
patrol were landed back on.
At
0600 ARK ROYAL escorted by the destroyers
KELVIN
and
ESCORT detached for Scapa Flow at a speed
of 22 knots.
At
1115 ARK
ROYAL flew off Swordfish to carry out
patrols ahead of the ships.
At
1340 ARK
ROYAL flew off Swordfish to carry out
patrols ahead of the ships.
At
1610
ARK ROYAL flew off Swordfish to
carry out patrols ahead of the ships.
At
1930 ARK ROYAL was in position 66-46N,
1-30W.
At
1935 ARK ROYAL flew off
six
Swordfish
and two Walrus to carry out a
reconnaissance to a depth of 110 miles
between bearings 110¡ and 250¡ to give
warning of approach of enemy surface
vessels. Four destroyers,
CAMPBELL, FORESTER, MASHONA and VETERAN
were sighted approaching a RV, arranged
by the CINC Home Fleet. The CAMPBELL was
ordered to join the flag of Vice
Admiral, Aircraft Carriers, as part of ARK
ROYAL's screen in accordance with
instructions received from the CINC Home
Fleet.
2150
ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish for a warning
patrol ahead of the ships.
14th
– At 0015 ARK ROYAL
flew off two Swordfish and a Walrus
to
relieve warning patrol.
At
0124 ARK ROYAL
passed the destroyers TARTAR, ASHANTI,
MAORI and BEDOUIN who were on passage to a
RV with the CINC Home Fleet.
At
0245 ARK
ROYAL flew off Swordfish to relieve
warning
patrol.
At
0517 ARK ROYAL commenced Swordfish A/S
patrols
and continued them until arrival at Scapa.
At
1300 ARK ROYAL was in position 59-27N,
4-07W.
At
1300 a Hawker Henley (a 270mph target
tug!)
towing a flare target, of 771 Sqd from
RNAS Hatson (HMS SPARROWHAWK) RVed with
ARK ROYAL and a trial shoot by the 4.5" HA
AA and pom poms was carried
out.
[Early
in 1937
A meeting at the admiralty of the board
of Admiralty, the agenda was: - Future
aircraft for the FAA.
The meeting was
appraised of the aircraft being
developed at that time for the FAA:-
Swordfish,
role TBR biplane with radial engine,
slow but rugged. No alternative
available at this time.
Skua, role, DB,
monoplane with radial engine, good DB
but slow and under armed for other
roles,
Roc, role,
FF2s, Monoplane with radial engine and
turret, slow, (slower than most bombers)
single roll only.
Sea Gladiator
FF1s Biplane with radial engine. Slow
and under armed when compared to newest
land based aircraft.
The First Sea Lord looked up and said 'so thanks to the AM and RAF we are
liable to start the next war with second
rate aircraft and that is despite
expansion scheme F starting last
February! What are we going to do about
it? Any ideas?'
The Head of the
aircraft technical section pause and
replies, 'Actually Sir we do;
Our proposed plan is technically practicable, the problem will be getting
political support and overcoming the
inevitable opposition from the RAF and
AM and the Treasury'
'Leave that to
me' responded the FSL, 'Let's hear your
proposal.
'Right Sir' is
the response,' We propose to accept the
Swordfish as there is no viable
alternative for that role, currently
flying or even in the design stage,
However a specification should be
prepared and issued immediately for a
radial
engine monoplane TBR capable of a
minimum 250 knots top speed using the
next
generation of 1500hp+ radial engines or
their equivalents.
The Hawker
Henley built to specification P4/34 is
about to be ordered by the AM as a
target tug! , Not only is it nearly 70
knots faster than the Blackburn
Skua but by using standard
Hurricane outer wings it can be armed
with up to 8 x 303' machine guns
(Hawker tell
us that the Hurricane outer wing is
currently being configured for 4 x 20mm
Oerlikon cannon as in specification
F37/35 as an alternative). Currently
the aircraft does not have folding
wings, or dive breaks but is stressed
for dive bombing. Informal discussions
with the Hawker design team show no
problems with fitting arrester gear.
Folding wings would take a little longer
so initial
production (to use the capacity
allocated by Gloster Aircraft) would
start with
fixed wings to get aircraft flying for
crew training. Though the wingspan at
47'10' would seem to preclude use at
sea, due to the 46' maximum lift width,
land trials will be carried out to see
if the aircraft can be skewed on the
lifts if required.
The design
effort being expended by the AM required
to turn the Henley into a target tug
would better used optimising it for
Naval service]
At
1450 ARK ROYAL flew of the Walrus aircraft
of 701
Sqd to Hatston aerodrome for onward
routing to RNAS Donibristle (HMS MERLIN)
At
1515 ARK ROYAL
with
the destroyers KELVIN, ESCORT and CAMPBELL
arrived at Scapa Flow.
15th
and
16th –
ARK ROYAL at Scapa Flow.
17th
–
At 1515 ARK ROYAL (Flag Vice Admiral,
Aircraft Carriers) screened by the
destroyers FAULKNOR (D8), FEARLESS and
ESCAPADE sailed from Scapa Flow with
orders to proceed to the Clyde.
At
1630 the destroyer FOXHOUND joined the
screen.
At
1815 ARK ROYAL was in position 59N, 3-45W
and
commenced to fly on replacement aircraft
from RNAS Hatson.
At
1900 flying on completed, ARK ROYAL set
course
for the Clyde.
18th
–
At 0345 when ARK ROYAL was in the Minches,
in approximate position 57-33N, 6-52W,
signal 2314/17 was received from the CINC
Home Fleet, ordering the Vice Admiral,
Aircraft Carriers in ARK ROYAL, to RV with
the battlecruiser HOOD in position 55-44N,
13-10W at 2200/18, and then to
proceed to Gibraltar.
[At
1630/10/40
the British and French Ambassadors in
Rome were informed by Count Ciano that
from 11/6/40 Italy considered herself at
war with the Allies. At 1900/10The
Admiralty ordered the Navy to commence
hostilities against Italy. This was the
same day that the advancing Germany Army
forced the French Government to leave
Paris for Tours. The overall situation
in France looked bad and a French
collapse would cause a problem in the
Western Mediterranean. At 1000/ 14/6/40
German forces marched into Paris and on
15/5/40 the French cabinet voted to ask
Germany for the terms of an armistice.
On the 16/6/40 Marshal Henri PŽtain
takes over the government of France.
Also on 14/6/40
Spain had exchanged her neutrality for
non-belligerency and occupied the
international
zone of Tangier on the pretext of
guaranteeing its neutrality. It seemed
possible that, following the example of
Italy, she was preparing to declare war
and join the Axis.
Therefore the
Admiralty took the decision as a
precaution against total French collapse
to
build up naval forces in the Western
Mediterranean, based on Gibraltar. ARK
ROYAL and HOOD were the first capital
ships to be allocated for the new force]
At
0415 FOXHOUND, being short of fuel, was
detached
to Milford Haven to refuel and RV later
with the Vice Admiral, Aircraft
Carriers southwest of Ireland.
At
0730 when Barra Head had been passed,
course was
set 253¡, speed 17 knots to position
50-00N, 15-30W, and thence by the
following positions (a) 50-00N, 15-30W,
(b) 39-00N, 15-30W and (c) 36-00N,
10-00W to Gibraltar, speed of advance 16
knots.
At
1020 ARK ROYAL flew off six Swordfish to
Aldergrove RAF Coastal Command aerodrome
to collect personnel of 818 Sqd and
fly them back to the carrier.
At
1415 in position 56-12N, 10-02W the ARK
ROYAL
force RVed with the battlecruiser HOOD
escorted by the destroyers ATHERSTONE
and HMCS FRAZER, RESTIGOUCHE, SKEENA and
ST LAURENT
At
1540 ARK ROYAL sighted Swordfish of 818
Sqd flying
in from Aldergrove led by six Swordfish of
810 Sqd.
Between
1555 and 1625 the Swordfish were landed
on.
ARK
ROYAL's air component was now 800 Sqd with
12
Skuas, 803 Sqd with 12 Skuas, 810 Sqd with
12 Swordfish, 818 Sqd with 9
Swordfish and 820 Sqd with 9 Swordfish.
At
1625 the destroyers FRAZER, RESTIGOUCHE,
SKEENA
and ST LAURENT were detached to execute
previous orders from the CINC Western
Approaches.
19th
-
Intermittent fog was encountered in the
afternoon.
At
1440 when in position 51-47N, 14-43W, a
signal
was received from the CINC Western
Approaches to amend route to pass through
the following positions; (1) 45-00N,
20-00W, (2) 40-00N, 20-00W and (3) 36-00N,
10-00W. Course was altered according.
During
the day aircraft from ARK ROYAL made
dive-bombing attacks on HOOD and the
destroyers.
20th
–
Intermittent fog was encountered in the
morning.
At
1100 ARK ROYAL was in position 46-28N,
18-45W.
At
1100 ARK ROYAL flew off five Swordfish the
search
for the destroyer FOXHOUND who was
expected to join from Milford Haven. The
FOXHOUND was not located.
At
1320 ARK ROYAL flew off a further three
Swordfish
to search for FOXHOUND these also failed
to locate FOXHOUND.
Between
1600 and 2150 the destroyers FEARLESS,
FAULKNOR and ESCAPADE were refuelled by
HOOD, each receiving 100 tons.
At
2230 Speed was increased to 20 knots to
make up
for time lost during fuelling of
destroyers.
21st
–
At 1820 in position 40-32N, 20-12W the
FOXHOUND was sighted.
At
1900 FOXHOUND joined and ATHERSONE
detached.
At
1938 reduced speed to 19 knots.
22nd
–
ARK ROYAL maintained A/S patrols during
afternoon and evening.
[At
1600/22/6/40 General Keitel for
Germany and General
Charles Huntziger for France signed
surrender terms in the same railway car
that the Germans had signed their
armistice in November 1918.
Under the terms
of the Armistice the French Fleet was
obliged to keep its ships under Axis
control and be disarmed under German or
Italian control. However, little
attempt to impose this clause of the
Armistice was made, with the Axis being
content to leave the French ships in
French hands so long as they were
withdrawn from the British war effort]
23rd
–
At 0035 sighted Cape Spartel light,
bearing
098¡, 30 miles.
At
0730 the Vice Admiral, Aircraft Carriers
in ARK
ROYAL with HOOD and the destroyers
FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND and ESCAPADE
arrived
Gibraltar and secured alongside.
24th
and 25th
– ARK
ROYAL at Gibraltar.
[24/6
the
destroyer DOUGLAS of the 13th Destroyer
Flotilla, with Admiral Sir Dudley North
CINC North Atlantic aboard, departed
Gibraltar for Mers el Kebir to learn the
terms of the French Armistice. The
DOUGLAS with the CINC NA arrived back at
Gibraltar later that same day]
26th - ARK ROYAL at
Gibraltar.
At
1030 ARK ROYAL (Flag Vice Admiral Aircraft
Carriers), HOOD and the destroyers
FAULKNOR (D8), FEARLESS, FOXHOUND,
ESCAPADE,
DOUGLAS and WRESTLER sailed from
Gibraltar. Their objective was to
intercept
the French battleship RICHELIEU reported
to have sailed from Dakar at 1415 (Z +
1) on 25/6.
[On
18/6/40
the uncompleted (95% complete)
battleship RICHELIEU escorted by the
French destroyers
FOUGEAUX and FRONDEUR sailed from Brest
for Dakar. Shortly after leaving she
was bombed by the Luftwaffe, one hit was
scored but it caused little damage. En
route the destroyers detached to
Casablanca.
23/6/40 the
RICHELIEU arrived at Dakar.
On arrival at
Dakar the CO of RICHELIEU Captain Marzin
found that the local French Governor
and naval Flag Officer were
considering continuing the fight
against Germany, with the British Navy,
a unit of which, the aircraft carrier
HERMES
was moored in the inner harbour. (The German-French
Armistice terms didn't come into effect
until 25/6/40).
The HERMES reported the arrival of the RICHELIEU and the Admiralty
ordered the heavy cruiser DORSETSHIRE
from Freetown to Dakar to assist the
HERMES in watching the RICHELIEU.
The CINC of the French Fleet, Admiral Darlan had, following the signing
of the Armistice, had sent instructions
to the COs of all French warships that
their ships must remain under the French
Flag and any attempt to take them over
must be countered by scuttling or sailed
them to the USA.
On 25/6/40 RICHELIEU escorted by the destroyer FLEURET sailed from Dakar
for Casablanca. Captain Marzin decided
on this course of action because of the
uncertain political situation at Dakar.
The sailing was immediately reported to
the Admiralty. The DORSETSHIRE shadowed
the RICHELIEU as she steered north. The
Admiralty believing that the RICHELIEU
may be returning to France immediately
ordered the sailing of ARK ROYAL and
HOOD]
At
1250 in position 35-56N, 05-42W, the
destroyers DOUGLAS
and WRESTLER were detached to return to
Gibraltar.
At
1600 ARK ROYAL flew off six Swordfish to
search
to a depth of 160 miles between the
bearings 195 degrees to 295 degrees and
along the African Coast. Nothing
of importance was sighted.
[At
1915 a signal timed 1125/26/6/40 was
intercepted
from the DORSETSHIRE reporting that her
seaplane had sighted the RICHELIEU at
0730/26/6/40 in position 19-28N, 18-52W,
steering north at 18 ½ knots,
and that RICHELIEU had altered course to
195¡ at 0741/6/40]
[At
1940/6/40 the Vice Admiral Aircraft
Carriers received
DORSETSHIRE's signal timed 1630/26/6/40
reporting that the RICHELIEU had
informed her that she was returning to
Dakar. (This reversal of course was due
to Admiral Darlan ordering the
battleship
back to Dakar)]
[Following
receipt
of DORSETSHIRE's signal 1630/26 the Vice
Admiral Aircraft
Carriers decided to remain in present
vicinity during the night, and to send a
Swordfish to Casablanca a.m. on 27/6/40 to
order the ten Swordfish of 767 Sqd,
presently at Rabat, to embark in ARK
ROYAL]
At
2315 Vice Admiral Aircraft Carriers
received
Admiralty signal, timed 2107/26/6/40
ordering him to return to Gibraltar and to
embark 767 Sqd during passage.
27th
–
At 0030 course was altered to the south
east.
At
0230 ARK ROYAL sighted French auxiliary
Vessel
FADO steering 170¡ at 8 Knots.
At
0300 Vice Admiral Aircraft Carriers
received
Admiral Commanding North Atlantic's signal
timed 0148/276/40, giving a RV for
767 Sqd with ARK ROYAL at 1100 today.
At
0735 ARK ROYAL flew off a Swordfish to
Rabat to
rendezvous with 767 Sqd and lead them out
to ARK ROYAL. Altered course 020¡
towards the
arranged RV position 35-20N, 07-25W.
At
1020 ARK ROYAL flew off six Skuas for dive
bombing practice.
At
1135 in position 35-30N, 07-43W nine
Swordfish of
767 Sqd arrived from Rabat and landed on.
[767
Sqd had
been a training squadron at Hyres in
southern France. On 18/6/40 when the
German Army reached Tours the squadron
was evacuated to Bone, North Africa.
From where part of the squadron flew to
Malta where on 1/7/40 they formed 820
Sqd. The remaining 10 aircraft were to
return to the UK via Morocco. At Bone
one aircraft was cannibalised for spares
the remaining nine were the aircraft
that landed on ARK ROYAL, some of the
Swordfish that landed on were not fitted
with an arrestor hook]
At
1240 ARK ROYAL altered course 080¡ to
return to
Gibraltar.
At
1700 ARK ROYAL increased speed to 22 knots
for
entering Gibraltar Straits.
At
1945 the HOOD, followed by ARK ROYAL and
destroyers
FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND and ESCAPADE
entered Gibraltar Harbour and secured
alongside.
[By
the
27/6/40 the UK Government was aware of
the terms of the Franco German
Armistice, particularly with regard to
the French Navy and they were concerned
that the ships would fall into the hands
of the Germans or Italians. On this
day the British cabinet approved
Operation CATAPULT an operation which
ordered
the Royal Navy to seize, disable or
destroy the French fleet. The Prime
Minster
Winston Churchill states, "No act was
ever more necessary for the life of
Britain". The men charged with carrying
it out were Vice Admirals, Sir
James Somerville and Andrew Cunningham]
[At
1530/27/6/40
Vice Admiral James Fownes Somerville, at
a meeting held at The
Admiralty, was informed that it had been
decided to assemble a force at
Gibraltar to be known as Force H. Force
H was to be a detached squadron under
the direct control of the Admiralty with
Somerville as its Flag Officer.
The initial
task of Force H would be to secure the
transfer, surrender or destruction of
the French warships at Oran and Mers el
Kebir, to ensure that those vessels
didn't fall into German or Italian
hands.
At 1430/28/6/40
the light cruiser ARETHUSA flying the
flag of Vice Admiral Somerville sailed
from Spithead for Gibraltar]
28th
–
At 0545 the ARK ROYAL (Flag Vice Admiral,
Aircraft Carriers), HOOD and the
destroyers FAULKNOR (D8), FEARLESS,
FOXHOUND
and ESCAPADE sailed from Gibraltar and set
course for the Canary Islands at 20
Knots in accordance with Admiralty signal
timed 0021/28/6/40.
[The
Admiralty signal 0021/28 stated that the
RICHELIEU had sailed from Dakar. However
the report proved to be false and when
confirmation was received the RICHELIEU
was still at Dakar the force was
recalled to Gibraltar]
At
0640 the destroyer ESCAPADE detached and
returned
to Gibraltar (with a defective dynamo)
At
0800 ARK ROYAL was in position 35-53N,
05-52W.
At
0830 the destroyer VIDETTE, who was on
A/S patrol in the Straits of Gibraltar,
joined as replacement for ESCAPADE.
At
0845 the Vice Admiral, Aircraft Carriers
received
Admiralty Signal 0755/28/6/40 ordering his
force to return to Gibraltar. Force
altered course to comply.
At
1130 the VIDETTE was detached to resume
patrol in
Gibraltar Straits.
At
1230 the force entered Gibraltar and
secured
alongside breakwaters.
29th
– ARK ROYAL at
Gibraltar.
30th
– ARK ROYAL at
Gibraltar.
[At
0220 the
Vice Admiral Commanding Aircraft
Carriers received Admiralty message
0015/30/6/40, ordering him to establish
a destroyer patrol thirty miles west of
Oran and that should DUNKERQUE and
STRASBOURG proceed to the westward, they
were to be captured and taken to the UK]
[At
1745/30
the light cruiser ARETHUSA with Admiral
Somerville embarked arrived at
Gibraltar and secured alongside HMS
CORMORANT the Gibraltar Naval Base]
[The
battleship
VALIANT and the destroyers FORESTER,
FORESIGHT and ESCORT arrived at
Gibraltar to join Force H]
[In
the
evening Vice Admiral Sir James Fownes
Somerville hoisted his flag in the HOOD
and the detached squadron Force H came
into being. The VA Force H then called a
meeting in HOOD of Flag Officers and
senior Commanding Officers to discuss
the
Oran operation. The Vice Admiral
Commanding Aircraft Carriers considered
that
torpedo attack by aircraft would be
difficult and unproductive unless
anti-aircraft gunfire was first
silenced. Net defences and the
restricted area
of the harbour appeared to rule out
torpedo attack by destroyers.
In the case of
Oran, it was agreed that gunfire would
cause a large number of civilian
casualties and it was hoped that the
action taken at Mers el Kebir would
induce
the French to scuttle their ships at
Oran.
The view held by
those present at the meeting, was that
it was highly improbable that the French
would use force to resist our demands.
Admiral North,
Vice Admiral Wells and Captain CS
Holland (CO of ARK ROYAL) all expressed themselves
as being strongly
opposed to the use of force. They
considered that there was little fear of
the
French allowing their ships to fall into
German hands.
It was around
this time that the suggestion was made
that a personal approach should be made
to Admiral Marcel Gensoul, the CINC at
Mers el Kebir. The person suggested for
the mission was Captain Holland who had
been the Naval AttachŽ at the British
Embassy in Paris from 17/1/38 to 9/4/40,
was a known Anglophile, spoke fluent
French and considered Admiral Gensoul a
personal friend.
Captain Holland
agreed to carry out the mission]
[The
French Naval
Force at Mers el Kebir was believed to
be the battleships DUNKERQUE (Flag
Admiral Marcel Gensoul) STRASBOURG,
BRETAGNE and PROVENCE, seaplane tender
COMMANDANT
TESTE and the destroyers MOGADOR,
VOLTA, LE TERRIBLE, KERSAINT, LYNX and
TIGER. At Oran were thought to be 7
destroyers and 4 submarines. (Actually
at
Oran were the destroyers
TRAMONTANE, TROMBE, TYPHON, TORNADE,
BOULONNAIS, BRESTOIS, BORDELAIS, CASQUE
and LE CORSAIRE, torpedo boat LE
POURSIVANTE, and submarines EURYDICE,
ARIANE,
DANAE, DIANE, PYSCHE and OREADE).
The
aerial photographs of the harbours were
obtained
by an RAF 202 Sqd Saro London flying
boat from Gibraltar.
The shore
defences were believed to be, 3 x 5'
guns at Ponte Canastel, (Actually Batterie Canastel 3 x 240mm), 2
x 4' guns 2,700 yards East of Oran
Light, 4 x 4.7' guns at Fort Saint
GrŽgoire,
just to the West of Oran harbour, 4 x
4.7' guns half way up the hill South of
Mers el Kebir Harbour and 6 x 6' guns on
top of the hill to the West of Mers el
Kebir Harbour (Actually Fort
Santon 3 x 194mm)
There
was a mine net that stretched from Cap
Falcon
to point one mile north of Pointe du
Canastel.
There
were Anti-Torpedo and Anti- Submarine
booms
protecting the harbour.
Also
five miles south of Oran was the La
SŽnia
aerodrome where there were two squadrons
of French
ArmŽe
de l'Air equiped
with
Curtiss
Hawk H-75A fighter aircraft]
JULY
1st
– ARK ROYAL at
Gibraltar.
[At
0410 Somerville received Admiralty
message 0225/1/7/40, giving four
alternatives to put before the French,
these
were:
To bring their ships to British harbours and fight with us,
To steam their ships to a British port.
To Demilitarise their ships to
our
satisfaction,
To sink their ships]
[At 0812 Somerville informed the Admiralty
that the
earliest date on which Operation
CATAPULT could be put into effect was
early on
3rd July. Somerville also suggested that
Captain C.S. Holland, who he had
arranged should act as an emissary in
view of his long and recent association
with the French, should arrive at Oran
on afternoon of 2nd July, so that
whichever alternative was adopted, the
operation could be carried out by dusk
on 3rd July]
[The
light
cruiser ENTERPRISE arrived at Gibraltar
to join Force H]
[At
1000/1/7/40,
at the suggestion of Admiral North,
Somerville called a meeting to
hear the views of Captain Holland,
Lieutenant Commander A.Y. Spearman and
Lieutenant Commander G.P.S. Davies, the
latter had recently been Naval Liaison
officers with the French naval
authorities. They were unanimous in
considering
that the use of force should be avoided
if possible, as this was bound to
alienate the French completely and
transform them from a defeated ally into
an
active enemy]
2nd
- ARK ROYAL at
Gibraltar.
[During
the
forenoon Somerville held a meeting of
Flag and Commanding Officers, at which
the orders for Operation CATAPULT were
explained and discussed. The orders had
to be framed in general terms since the
exact situation which would arise could
not be foreseen.
In the light of
the after events, it is clear that these
orders did not make sufficient
provision for dealing with any French
ships that might attempt to leave
harbour
after the entrance had been mined and
the ships subjected to bombardment.
Somerville was
informed by Vice Admiral Commanding
Aircraft Carriers that aircraft could be
armed with magnetic mines at short
notice and the plan for laying at Mers
el
Kebir was discussed. However It was not
Somerville's intention, to lay mines,
except as a last resort, since this
would have prevented the French for
accepting the first or second
alternatives and it would also have
prevented the
entrance of our destroyers with
demolition parties]
[At
1426
Somerville informed the Admiralty that
he intended to sail Force H at 1500/2/7
to carry out Operation CATAPULT and that
Captain Holland in FOXHOUND would
arrive at Oran at 0700/3. Force 'H'
would arrive at 0900/3/7. By a
regrettable
error, ARK ROYAL was not included in the
list of ships sailing, and this
omission led to some subsequent signals
until the situation was cleared up]
At
1500, Force H destroyers, ACTIVE, ESCORT,
FAULKNOR
(D8), FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND (with
Captain Holland embarked), FORESTER,
KEPPEL
(D13), VORTIGERN, WATCHMAN and WISHART
sailed from Gibraltar to carry out an
anti-submarine sweep in advance of the
main force leaving harbour.
At
1700 Force H comprising battlecruiser HOOD
(Flag
VA Force H), battleships RESOLUTION and
VALIANT, aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL (in
the absence of Captain Holland she was
under the command of Cdr R M T Taylor
RN) (Flag VA Aircraft Carriers) and the
light cruisers ARETHUSA and ENTERPRISE
sailed from Gibraltar to carry out
Operation CATAPULT. After clearing Europa
Point the Force formed up and headed east
at 17 knots.
[At
2010 the VA
Force H informed Captain Holland who was
aboard the FOXHOUND that the Admiralty
had informed him that the French had a
scheme for demilitarisation at two
hours' notice. Should necessity arise,
he was to question them on this and
satisfy himself the proposed measures
would be effective, that is, that the
ships could not be ready for service
again within twelve months, even with
dockyard assistance]
3rd
-
At 0300 the FOXHOUND was detached to
proceed ahead
with Captain Holland who was to
communicate the UK Government's message to
Admiral Gensoul (CINC Atlantic Fleet
Raiding Force) on his Flag Ship the
battleship
DUNKERQUE.
[At
0545
FOXHOUND closed Cap Falcon (six miles
from the entrance to Mers el Kebir)
signal
station at 0545. Communication was
established with the Port War signal
station
and at 0558 permission was requested to
enter port. At 0620 a similar request
was passed to the port Admiral's signal
station, together with a message for
Admiral Marcel Gensoul.
At 0742
permission was granted for FOXHOUND to
enter Mers el Kebir. The pilot came
aboard bringing instructions for
FOXHOUND to proceed inside Mers el Kebir
and
to berth near the battleship DUNKERQUE.
Berthing in that position would have
prevented FOXHOUND from leaving in a
hurry. So Holland used the excuse that
messages may have to be conveyed between
CINC's, so refused the berth.
At 0800 FOXHOUND
anchored 1.4 NM, 115¡ from Mers el Kebir
light and outside the anti torpedo
net.
At 0810 Admiral
Gensoul's Flag Lieutenant, Bernard
Dufay, arrived alongside in the
Admiral's
barge and informed Captain Holland that
the Admiral was unable to see him and if
he had any message for Gensoul he would
take them to the Admiral. Captain
Holland handed the Flag Lieutenant a
copy of proposals as contained in
Admiralty message 0103/2/7 and informed
him that he would wait for a reply. The
proposals probably reached Admiral
Gensoul at about 0935.
At 0847
FOXHOUND received a signal from Admiral
Gensoul ordering her to sail
immediately. In the belief that Gensoul
would listen to reason if only he could
be approached in person, Holland made a
daring move. He boarded the FOXHOUND's
whaleboat and made a dash across the
harbour to the DUNQUERQUE. Captain
Holland
accompanied by Lt Cdr AY Spearman and Lt
Cdr GPS Davies (both of whom had
recently been the British Naval Liaison
Officers to French units at Bizerte)
embarked in FOXHOUND's
motor-boat and FOXHOUND weighed, with
hands fallen in on deck and sailed.
FOXHOUND proceeded out of the entrance
of Mers-el-Kebir harbour but remained in
visual touch with HOOD and DUNKERQUE.
When the French
saw that FOXHOUND's boat was making for
the DUNKERQUE, the Admiral's barge
turned
and intercept Holland. The Flag
Lieutenant said he regretted that the
Admiral would not see him. Captain
Holland then asked him to take our
proposals and deliver them personally to
the
Admiral. I said I would wait for a
reply. These, copies of Admiralty
message
0108/2, had been placed in a sealed
envelope addressed to the Admiral
Gensoul.
The Flag Lieutenant then proceeded to
the DUNKERQUE, arriving at 0920. Holland
estimated that they were delivered to
Admiral Gensoul not later than 0935. The
message was:-
To:
Monsieur Admiral Gensoul from Admiral
Somerville.
His
Majesty's Government have commanded me
to inform
you were as follows: -
They
agreed to the French government
approaching the
German Government only on conditions
that if an armistice was concluded, the
French Fleet should be sent to British
ports. The Council of Ministers declared
on 18/6/40 that before capitulating on
land, the French Fleet would join up
with the British force or sink itself.
Whilst
the present French Government may
consider
the terms of their armistice with
Germany and Italy are reconcilable with
these
undertakings, HM Government finds it
impossible from their previous
experience
to believe that Germany and Italy will
not at any moment which suits them seize
French warships and use them against
Britain and allies. Italian Armistice
prescribes that French ships should
return to Metropolitan ports, and under
armistice France is required to yield up
units for a coast defence and
minesweeping.
It
is impossible for us, your comrades up
till now,
to allow your fine ships to fall into
the power of the German or Italian
enemy.
We are determined to carry on till the
end, and if we win, as we think we
shall, we shall never forget that France
was our ally, that our interests are
the same as hers, and that our common
enemy is Germany. Should we conquer, we
solemnly declare we shall restore the
greatness and territory of France. For
this purpose we must be sure that the
best ships of the French Navy will also
not be used against us by the common
foe.
In
these circumstances, HM Government have
instructed me to demand the French Fleet
now at Mers el Kebir and Oran shall
act in accordance with one of the
following alternatives:-
a
Sail with us and continue to fight for
victory against the Germans and
Italians.
b
Sail with reduced crews under our
control
to British ports. The reduced crew will
be repatriated at the earliest moment.
If either of these courses is adopted by
you we will restore your ships to
France at the conclusion of the war, or
pay for compensation if they are
damaged meanwhile.
c
Alternatively, if you feel bound to
stipulate that your ships should not be
used against Germans or Italians, since
this would break the Armistice, then
sail them with their us with reduced
crews
to some French port in the West Indies -
Martinique, for instance - where they
can be demilitarised to our
satisfaction, or perhaps be entrusted to
the United
States of America, and remain safely
until the end of the war, the crew being
repatriated.
If
you refuse these fair offers, I must
with
profound regret require you to sink your
ships within six hours. Finally,
failing the above I have orders from HM
Government to use whatever force may be
necessary to prevent your ships from
falling into German or Italian hands.
At
1000 the Flag Lieutenant returned with a
reply.
The gist of which was that the
assurances given by Admiral Gensoul to
Admiral
North some days ago still stood and that
owing to the form of this 'veritable
ultimatum', the French ships would
defend themselves by force. Captain
Holland
then had a discussion with the Flag
Lieutenant and reminded him of his
association with the French Navy and
with Admiral Jean-Francois Darlan
personally. This impressed the Flag
Lieutenant and at 1050 he returned to
the
DUNKERQUE.
At
1109 the Flag Lieutenant returned with
the Chief
of Staff, Captain Lucien Henri DanbŽ,
whom Holland had met before. Holland was
handed a written reply from Admiral
Gensoul the gist of which was:-
(a)
Admiral Gensoul can only confirm the
reply
already sent
(b)
He had decided to defend himself by
every means
possible.
(c)
He would draw Admiral Somerville's
attention to
the fact that the first round fired will
put the whole of the French Navy
against the British, which is the
opposite to which H.M. Government
wishes.
As
Admiral Gensoul seemed determined not to
see
Holland and there appeared no point in
going over the same ground with the
Chief of Staff, and it was imperative
that CINC Force H should have the reply
as soon as possible. Before parting from
the Chief of Staff, Holland agreed
with him that should he have anything
further to communicate, he would signal
the DUNKERQUE, and send in the motor
boat to meet him or his representative.
Holland then returned to the FOXHOUND,
arriving on board at about 1125.
Captain
Holland had meant to keep FOXHOUND close
in
to the inner harbour boom, but
FOXHOUND's CO, Lt Cdr GH Peters, pointed
out
that in this case we should have to run
the gauntlet of the shore batteries
should hostilities commence.
At about 1200,
FOXHOUND proceeded outside the outer
boom in order to avoid having to run the
gauntlet of the shore batteries should
hostilities commence, whilst still
remaining within easy touch by visual
signalling with DUNKERQUE.
At
1222 Holland signalled the VA Force H,
giving the
latest confirmation received from the
Chief of Staff with regard to the
sinking
of the ships.
At
1236 Holland received Somerville's
signal asking
him if he thought there was any
alternative now to Anvil.
At
1242 Holland replied. Your 1236 am
afraid not, I
am waiting in V/S touch in case
acceptance before expiration of time.
At
1419 Holland received VA Force H's 1338
signal
asking Admiral Gensoul to hoist a large
square flag at the mast head if he
accepted the terms, otherwise fire would
be opened at 1500. This was translated
into French and passed to the DUNKERQUE
at 1442.
At
1450 I received VA FORCE H's signal
informing Gensoul
that unless terms were accepted or ships
abandoned, they would be destroyed at
1530. This signal was not passed to the
DUNKERQUE as at the same time, Holland
received
Admiral Gensoul's message 1330 GMT
stating that he was now ready to receive
delegates for honourable discussion.
Holland immediately passed this signal
to CINC
Force H and made preparations to proceed
inshore, receiving orders to do so at
1500 and to get an immediate answer.
From that moment until Holland finally
went over the DUNKERQUE's side, Holland
thought that there was a chance of
winning through and that the French
Admiral would accept one or other of the
proposals.
At
1510 Holland and Davies set out for the
DUNKERQUE
in FOXHOUND's motor boat. From where
FOXHOUND was anchored it was about 7
½ miles to the DUNKERQUE. On passing the
boom gate vessel they were met
by the Admirals Barge with the Flag
Lieutenant onboard. Holland and Davies
transferred to the barge and as the
barge proceeded Holland noted that all
ships were in an advanced state of
readiness for sea. All directors and
control
positions visible were manned, and all
director rangefinders in tops of
battleships with the exception of the
STRASBOURG were trained in the direction
of Force H. Tugs were ready by the
sterns of each battleship. Guns were
trained
fore and aft.
At
about 1615 they arrived on board the
DUNKERQUE.
They were shown into the Admiral's cabin
by the Chief of Staff where they were
greeted very formally by Admiral
Gensoul. The Chief of Staff remained
during
the discussion. The Admiral was clearly
extremely indignant and angry at the
course of events. He commenced by
stating that he had only consented to
see
Holland at this stage because should we
open fire the first shot fired would
not only alienate the whole French Navy
but would be tantamount to a
declaration of war between France and
Great Britain. That if our aim was to
ensure that the French Fleet was not
used against Great Britain, the use of
force would not achieve this aim. We
might sink his ships at Oran but we
should
find the whole of the rest of the French
Navy actively against us. He was angry
at the sudden presentation of terms
which he considered as an ultimatum, and
also at the laying of mines at the
entrances to the harbour which he
pointed
out prevented him in any case from being
able to accent or carry out terms (a),
(b) and (c), and he rejected out of hand
the sinking of his ships forthwith,
saying it was impossible to abandon his
ships at a moment's notice and he
reiterated his former statement given to
Admiral North that he should sink his
ships to prevent them from falling into
German or Italian hands.
Holland
explained most carefully to him that the
British Government were unable to accept
this latter statement as a guarantee
that the ships would not fall into enemy
hands and so be used against us.
Although we trusted his word and the
similar promises given by Admiral Ollive
de Laborde and Esteva that they would do
everything possible to prevent their
ships falling into enemy hands, we could
not trust the Germans or the Italians
who would by treachery do all they could
to achieve this end. Admiral Gensoul,
however, would not listen to this
argument and said he was convinced that
steps
taken were adequate to sink his ships
whatever happened. Holland pointed out
that by sinking his ships, he would
anyway be breaking the terms of the
Armistice, and by his own action. Should
he accept any one of the terms we had
offered to him that morning, he would be
acting under 'Force majeure' and the
blame for any action taken would rest on
us. To this, he replied that, so long
as Germany and Italy abided by the
Armistice terms, and allowed the French
Fleet to remain with reduced crews,
flying the French flag in a French
Metropolitan or Colonial port, he should
do the same, and not until Germany or
Italy had broken their promises would he
break the terms laid down, and that
these were his orders signed by Admiral
Darlan.
Holland
then explained that the orders given by
the
British Government to Admiral Somerville
were those contained in the terms that
he, Admiral Gensoul, had received that
morning, and unless these were accepted
or immediate preparations made to sink
the ships, Admiral Somerville would act
under these orders and use force.
Already Holland said, Admiral Somerville
had
on his own responsibility disobeyed
these orders by not taking the action
within the time laid down, thus showing
his desire to avoid the use of force if
this were possible.
It
was at this point that Admiral Gensoul
began to
think that force might really be used
and he produced a secret and personal
copy
of the orders received from and signed
by Admiral Darlan at 1255/24/6/40, It
was in French:-
De
l'Amiraute Francaise
Clauses
Armistice vous
sont
notifies en clair
par ailleurs.
Je profite
des dernieres
communications que
je peux transmettre
en chiffre
pour vous
faire connaitre
me ponsee sur
ce
sujet.
1.
Les navires
de guerre
demobilises doivent
rester Francias
avec pavillon
Francais,
equipage reduit
Francais sejournant
dans port Francaise
Metropole ou
Colonies.
2.
Precautions secretes d'auto-sabotage
doivent etre
prises pour qu'
ennemi ou
etranger s'emparant
d'un batiment
par la force ne puisse
pas s'en servir.
3.Si
Commission Armistice chargee
d'interpreter
texte decidait
autrement que
dans. I, au
moment d'executer
cetter
decision
nouvelle, navires
de guerre seraient
sane ordre
nouveau, soit
conduite
ETATS-UNIS, soit
sabordes, s'il
ne peut pas
etre fait autrement,
pour les soustraire
a l'ennemi.
En aucun cas
ils
ne devront
etre laisses
intacts a l'ennemi.
4.
Navires ainsi
refugies a l'etranger
ne devront
pas etre
utilises a operations guerre contre
ALLEMAGNE ou
ITALIE sane orders du C.E.C. F.M.F.
It
was noted that the opening sentence read
that
this would be the last cipher message
from him (Admiral Darlan) that they
would
receive. This would seem to be a further
indication of the argument I put to
Admiral Gensoul through the Flag
Lieutenant that morning, that Admiral
Darlan
was now no longer in control.
Admiral
Gensoul asked for and received Holland's
assurances that the contents of the
signal would not be allowed to be
disseminated, as if the Italians or
Germans knew of the existence of these
orders they would take action
immediately.
The
order appeared to be so close to the
British
term (c) that there seemed to be a
chance to persuade the Admiral to accept
this latter one.
By
1700 Admiral Gensoul still remained
intransigent
and would not give way further, except
to state that steps had been taken to
commence the reduction of crews that
morning by demobilising a certain number
of reservists. Holland again pointed out
that Admiral Somerville must obey his
orders and use force unless the terms
were accepted to our satisfaction
immediately, to which Admiral Gensoul
reiterated that the first shot fired
would alienate our two navies and do
untold harm to us, and that he would
reply
to force by force.
At
1715 a message was received from Admiral
Somerville informing Admiral Gensoul
that unless the terms were accepted by
1730, he would sink his ships. (This
message resulted from Churchill
becoming impatient. Suspecting that
Admiral Darlan had ordered eastern
Mediterranean units of the French fleet
to come to Gensoul's assistance, he
finally ordered Force H to resolve the
impasse at once)
Holland then drafted a brief signal in plain language;
from Captain Holland via FOXHOUND,
Admiral Gensoul says crews being reduced
and
if threatened by enemy would go to
Martinique or U.S.A. but this is not
quite
our proposition. Can get no nearer.
Admiral Gensoul then wrote a short
statement in pencil, stating:
1.
The French
Fleet cannot do otherwise that apply the
clauses of the Armistice on account of
the consequences which would be borne by
Metropolitan France.
2.
Formal orders
have been received, and these orders
have been sent to all Commanding
Officers,
so that if, after the Armistice, there
is risk of the ships falling into enemy
hands they would be taken to the U.S.A.
or scuttled.
3.
These orders
will be carried out.
Since
yesterday, 2/7/40, the ships now at Oran
and
Mers el Kebir have begun their
demobilisation (reduction of crews). Men
belonging to North Africa have been
disembarked.
Holland
felt that he could get no nearer than
this
in reaching a settlement, so Holland and
Davies then their leave. The leave
taking was friendly, and from the
Admiral more friendly than the
reception. Even
at that stage Holland still didn't
believe that that fire would be opened.
At
1726 Holland left the DUNKERQUE in the
Admirals
barge and at the same time 'Action
Stations' was sounded off.
At
1735 Holland and Davies transferred to
FOXHOUND's
motor boat.
At
1754 Holland was
clear
of the net defences and about one
mile to seaward when Force H opened
fire.
At
1920 Holland sighted Force H.
At
1935 Holland, Davis and the crew of
the motor boat were picked up by the
destroyer FORRESTER, the motor boat was
abandoned]
At
0458 ARK ROYAL flew
off two Swordfish to patrol to the
westward of the Fleet during dawn period.
At
daylight these aircraft became A/S air
patrols.
At
0530 ARK ROYAL flew
off six Swordfish to search between
bearings 315¡ and 080¡ to a depth of 150
miles, or the Spanish coast. Object of
reconnaissance to report Italian and
French warships which might be at sea.
At
0530 ARK ROYAL flew
off three Skuas to act as fighter cover
for Force H. Their orders were to
engage any aircraft which threatened the
Fleet.
At
0631 ARK ROYAL flew
off one Swordfish to reconnoitre Mers el
Kebir and Oran harbours and to maintain
a watch on these harbours and to assist
the FOXHOUND if required.
[At
0710 the Swordfish
that was watching Mers el Kebir and Oran
harbours signalled that the warships
in harbour were as in the latest
photograph. Three tankers east of Oran
were
raising steam]
At
0800 ARK ROYAL streamed
paravanes.
At
0820 ARK ROYAL
screened by the destroyers FEARLESS,
FORESIGHT and ESCORT parted company with
Force H. While Force H steamed past Oran,
ARK ROYAL conformed keeping about
five miles to seaward of them.
[The
operating position
for ARK ROYAL was governed by the
direction of the wind, which for the whole
period of operations was from the
North-East, force two. The area therefore
lay
between a position 4 miles 000 degrees
from Cap Falcon and position 13 miles
000 degrees from Cap L'aiguille. ARK
ROYAL with her destroyer screen of
FEARLESS, FORESIGHT and ESCORT manoeuvred
independently
as necessary for flying off aircraft]
[In
the planning it was decided that if the
French offered organised and spirited
resistance it would be necessary to
develop a full offensive with all the
means at the disposal of Force H,
against
the French ships and shore batteries. In
this case the code word ANVIL will be
signalled to all ships in company.
Senior Officers are then to take all
necessary action to crush the
resistance, ceasing fire as soon as it
is
apparent that the French have ceased to
resist. Screening destroyers are not to
leave the screen unless so directed.
Under
the ANVIL plan ARK
ROYAL's aircraft to bomb the heavy ships
in Mers el Kebir and the submarines
and light craft berthed in Oran harbour.
And aircraft torpedo attack on the
heavy ships had also been prepared. To
launch these attacks when required and
to provide for essential reconnaissance,
aircraft spotting, observation, A/S
and fighter patrols was a difficult
problem of organisation. It could have
been
done if ANVIL had commenced at 1500. Also
under ANVIL, ARK ROYAL was to provide
fall of shot spotting aircraft as required
by the HOOD, RESOLUTION and VALIANT.
Also
with a special part in ANVIL were the
destroyers KEPPEL and WRESTLER who had
embarked special demolition parties who
were to place scuttling charges in any
French ships not sunk by gunfire,
bombing or torpedo attack.
Under
ANVIL the cruisers ARETHUSA and
ENTERPRISE were
to engage the shore batteries]
[At
0835 the Swordfish that was flown off at
0631 reported
that the French battleships and cruisers
(cruisers was later amended to
destroyers) appeared to be raising steam.
At
0915 a further report was made that the
battleships were furling awnings.
At
the request of the VA Force H this
aircraft was
ordered to also watch the submarines in
Oran.
At
0940 the Swordfish reported that there
was, as
yet, no sign of activity from the
submarines]
At
0930 ARK ROYAL flew
off four Swordfish for relief
reconnaissance between bearings 020¡ and
070¡ to
a depth of 170 miles.
[At
0910 Force
H less the ARK ROYAL and her destroyers
and the destroyer FOXHOUND arrived off
Oran. A message in French ('Pour
Amiral Gensoul
de Amiral
Somerville.
Nous esperons tres
sincerement
que les propositons
seront acceptables
et que nous
vous trouverons
a nos
cotes.'), was sent from HOOD, VALIANT, RESOLUTION,
ARETHUSA and ENTERPRISE by signal
projectors trained on the French capital
ships]
At
1015 ARK ROYAL was in
position 36-01N, 00-30W. Course was
altered to close the HOOD to regain V/S
contact.
[At
1105 the VA Force H
ordered ARK ROYAL to drop six aircraft
magnetic mines across the entrance to
Mers el Kebir Harbour. The mines to be dropped were,
A
Mark I airborne
ground mines. These mines were a similar
size to an 18" torpedo and were designed
to fit the same dropping gear as the 18"
Mark XI torpedo. Weight was
about 1,500 lbs, with a 750 lbs explosive
charge. The mines were known
colloquial as cucumbers]
At
1115 ARK ROYAL was two
miles to the north east of the HOOD.
[At
1122 the VA Force H
ordered ARK ROYAL to be prepared to drop
two further mines across the entrance
to Oran Harbour]
At
1130 ARK ROYAL's
escort was reinforced by the addition of
the light cruiser ARETHUSA. This was
in response to a request from
the Vice-Admiral, Aircraft Carriers for
increased AA protection.
[At
1125 the
Swordfish that
was watching
Mers el Kebir and Oran harbours signalled
that he estimated that the ships at
Mers el Kebir will be ready to leave
harbour by 1230.
At
1215 this aircraft
reported that the battleships were sending
their floatplanes ashore.
At
1230 reported that
three tugs were en route from Mers el
Kebir to Oran]
At
1230 ARK
ROYAL was two miles north of the HOOD.
[At
1252 the
VA Force H signalled the ARK ROYAL and
ordered the mining of the entrance to
Mers el Kebir Harbour. This was in
response to
Holland's signal 1242/3 which replied to the
VA Force H signal of 1236/3, am afraid
not, I am waiting in V/S touch in case
acceptance before expiration of time]
At
1307 ARK
ROYAL flew off five Swordfish armed with
mines and six Skuas as escort to carry
out the mining of the entrance to Mers el
Kebir Harbour. Their orders were one
mine to be dropped in gate of boom and
four mines to be dropped across A/T boom.
Approach course 255 ¡, echelon port. Mines
to be laid on line
of bearing 000 ¡, from 300 feet at 95
knots.
[At
1342 the
Swordfish that
was watching
Mers el Kebir and Oran harbours signalled
four submarines leaving Oran.
At
1358 following receipt
of this signal the VA Force H ordered his
destroyers to Oran to stop and if
necessary sink the submarines.
At
1352
the
Swordfish
that
was watching
Mers el Kebir and Oran harbours signalled
four submarines shifting berth.
At
1405 the aircraft
signalled, no submarines have yet left
Oran
At
1415 the VA Force H
signalled the Swordfish asking, are
submarines in the process of leaving]
At
1345 ARK
ROYAL flew off four 4 Swordfish to relieve
the reconnaissance aircraft, one Swordfish
to relieve the observations aircraft, two
Swordfish to relieve the A/S patrols
and three Skuas to relieve the fighter
patrol.
At
1355 ARK
ROYAL commenced flying on relieved
aircraft.
At
1401 one
Skua of 803 Sqd, pilot
Petty
Officer H A Glover,
forced-landed in sea while waiting to land
on. The crew of two were picked up by the
FORESIGHT.
[At
1425 the
VA Force H signalled the ARK ROYAL and
ordered the mining of the entrance to
Oran Harbour]
[At
1417 the
Swordfish that
was watching
Mers el Kebir and Oran harbours signalled
that the submarines at Oran were
going alongside jetty near entrance.
At
1426 the aircraft
signalled, considerable boat activity in
Mers el Kebir.
At
1429 the aircraft
signalled, DUNKERQUE and STRABOURG have
all turrets trained on our battleships,
western Bretagne class (PROVENCE) fore and
aft, eastern Bretagne class
(BRETAGNE) turrets training.
At
1432 the aircraft signalled,
some activity on aerodrome.
At
1448 the aircraft
signalled, both Strabourgs now have tugs
pushing on their port quarters]
At
1440 ARK
ROYAL completed the landing on of relieved
aircraft, and commenced fitting
mines in accordance with VA Force H signal
1425/3.
[At
1512 the
Swordfish that
was watching
Mers el Kebir and Oran harbours signalled,
one destroyer under way at Mers el
Kebir.
At
1532 the aircraft
signalled all turrets of all battleships
now fore and aft]
At
1525 ARK
ROYAL flew off two Swordfish, 4K & 4M
of 820 Sqd each armed with a mine to
mine the entrance to ORAN Harbour.
[Both
aircraft
reached the breakwater at 1545, flying at
400 feet.
4K
dived
over the breakwater, turned towards the
entrance, and dropped her mine from a
height of 150 feet, at a distance of 200
yards, inside the narrow entrance, and
in the centre of the channel.
4M,
following
in line astern dropped her mine from a
height of 150 feet, 200 yards
outside the same entrance in the centre of
the channel.
It
appeared
that it would be impossible for any ship
of over 1000 tons to avoid passing
over one, or other, of these two mines.
Having
dropped
the mine, 4K flew along the breakwater,
towards the inner docks at a
height of 200 feet. Seventeen destroyers
were counted, lying close together in
the trots, and there were a large number
of transports, (the largest was the
SS MARIETTA PACHA 12239grt)
auxiliaries, and small craft of every
description in the harbour; also a large
hospital ship (this was the SPHINX
11375grt) lying abeam on to the
breakwater.
No
opposition
of any kind was offered by the enemy
during the mission]
At
1620 ARK
ROYAL flew off three Swordfish to relieve
spotting aircraft. Also commenced
landing on 13 Swordfish, 9 Skuas and three
Swordfish floatplanes.
[At
1646
the VA Force H received signal 1614/3
from the Admiralty instructing the VA
Force H, 'settle matters quickly or you
will have reinforcements to deal with'.
This signal had been dictated by
Churchill and was in response to a
signal from
Admiral Darlan directing all ships in
the western Mediterranean,
especially the Third Squadron and
Algiers Squadron, to steam immediately
for Oran to meet force with force. This
signal had been picked up by British
Intelligence and brought the response in
Admiralty signal 1614/3.
The
VA Force H immediately sent a V/S and
radio signal to Admiral Gensoul, (received by
Admiral Gensoul at 1715/3) informing
him that if the terms were not
accepted fire would be opened at 1730.
The
French immediately replied, in
English, from the DUNKERQUE, it said,
'Do not create the irreparable'.
At
1730 the VA Force H signalled all
Force H ships 'prepare for ANVIL]
[At
1754 at a range of 17500 yards Force H
opened
fire on the French warships. Fire was
opened from the north west of the harbour,
G.I.C. (Gunnery Individual Control)
concentration, with aircraft spotting,
firing
over Mers el Kebir fort. Fall of shot
spotting was carried out by Swordfish
from ARK ROYAL. Force H maintained fire
whilst steering easterly.
The
effect of the opening salvoes was observed
and
from the FOXHOUND's motor boat. The first
salvo fell short; the second hit the
breakwater, sending large fragments of
concrete flying into the air.
At
about 1755 the DUNKERQUE and SRASBOURG
opened
fire, followed almost immediately by the
shore batteries. The DUNKERQUE fired
40 shells at the HOOD from about 17500
yards all missed but splinters caused two
wounded and some splinters holes. (The
330mm guns in the quadruple turrets
suffered from unsolved dispersion
problems,
this may have contributed to the failure
to hit the HOOD) The shore
batteries were immediately engaged by the
ARETHUSA, the older guns of the ENTERPRISE
were out ranged.
At
1800 the third salvo fell among the ships,
and
the battleship BRETAGNE was hit, with at
least one shell penetrating her central
turret magazine and at about 1804 she blew
up, killing in the region of 1000 of
her crew.
At
around this time a 15" shell struck the
DUNKERQUE aft passing through the aircraft
hanger, several crew compartments
and out through the light side plating on
the port side of the ship. This shell
did very little damage to the ships
fighting capacity was unaffected. However
about
two minutes later, another salvo struck
the DUNKERQUE scoring three hits and
causing serious damage. DUNKERQUE was run
aground in the harbour to prevent her
from sinking.
The
PROVENCE received at least three 15" hits
putting
her out of action. PROVENCE was run
aground in the harbour to prevent her from
sinking.
The
French destroyer MOGADOR whilst
still
moored fired at a destroyer 16500 yards
away; this was WRESTLER, who was
watching the entrance to Oran. MOGADOR's
first salvo was a straddle, in all
MOGADOR 16 x 138mm rounds in a few
seconds. Meanwhile MOGADOR slipped her
moorings and went behind the tug boat JO
LASRY II, who was opening the boom.
At
1804 the MOGADOR was straddled by
a salvo
of 15" shells one of which hit her on the
stern, causing her depth charges
to explode, blowing her stern off. MOGADOR
sank in the channel
A
total of 1297 French seamen lost their
lives and 351
wounded in the action.
At
1804 after 36 salvoes of 15inch Force H
checked
fire. Force H then steered to the westward
to take up a position from which, if
necessary, the bombardment could be
renewed without causing casualties to men
in boats or exposing Force H to fire from
the shore batteries]
[At
1804
the Swordfish that
was watching Mers el
Kebir and Oran harbours signalled,
STRASBOURG has slipped.
At
1813 both Dunkerques (the
DUNKERQUE was manoeuvring to beach and
STRASBOURG was making for the harbour
entrance) under way inside boom.
At
1818 one Dunkerque has
left harbour and is steering east. (This
was the STRASBOURG. At 1808 the
destroyers VOLTA and LE TERRIBLE had
left the harbour ahead of the STRASBOURG
and had fired on the destroyers FOXHOUND
and FORESTER without scoring any hits.
Also they made a long range torpedo
attack on the HOOD without success. They
were recalled to escort the STRASBOURG)
At
1827 at present one Dunkerque and eight
destroyers at sea on eastern side of
Oran Bay.
(This
was the STRASBOURG with the destroyers
VOLTA. TIGRE, KERSAINT and LE TERRIBLE
who had all sailed from Mers el Kebir
and were joined by the
destroyers
BORDELAIS
and LA POURSIUVANTE from Oran]
At
1825 ARK ROYAL flew off six Swordfish of
818 Sqd
each armed with four 250lb SAP bombs and
eight 20lb cooper bombs and three Skuas,
L2927, L2997 & L2915 of green section
803 Sqd. These aircraft were delayed
taking off due to the large number of
aircraft that had to be recovered who
were running low on fuel. Their mission
was to carry out a bombing attack on
the ships in Mers el Kebir Harbour.
However when the VA Force H learned that
the STRASBOURG was at sea he
ordered the mission changed to an attack
on the STRASBOURG.
[The
Swordfish were equipped for attacking the
small
vessels expected to have escaped the 15"
shells of Force H, their bomb
load was completely inadequate for
attacking a ship with desk armour of 115
to
125mm; so any hits were likely bounce off.
At
1840 the attacking force made for the
STRASBOURG
and her escorting destroyers. On sighting
the STRASBOURG, who was steering
approximately 070¡ at 26 knots,
they climbed to 4000 ft and then dive
bombed her in a 50¡ dive. As soon as the
first bomb was dropped the French force
opened fire.
One
or two probable hits were claimed and two
Swordfish were shot down. The crews of
both Swordfish were picked up by
WRESTLER.
The
WRESTLER also picked up the three man crew
of an
810 Sqd Swordfish that had been spotting
for the HOOD then shadowed the
STRASBOURG until running out of fuel and
landing in the sea]
[At
1830 the Skuas observed 5 French fighters,
Curtiss
Hawk H-75As (these had a top speed that
was about 100mph faster than the Skuas)
attacking spotting aircraft on the
starboard quarter of ARK ROYAL. The
section broke up to attack these, and
after a short engagement, the French
fighters returned to Oran. During the
engagement they succeeded in
shooting down Skua L 2915, pilot Petty
Officer Airman, TF Riddler, observer
Naval Airman HT Chatterley; both of whom
were killed. The remaining two Skuas
returned to escort the Swordfish.
At
1910 while at 12,000
feet, 9 French fighters, Curtiss 75As and
Morane 406s, (both had a
top speed that was about 100mph faster
than the Skuas) were observed
above and astern of the Swordfish. A
section which appeared to be about
to attack them was engaged and a dog fight
ensued, with all the fighters,
during which L2997, pilot Sub Lt GW
Brokensha obtained some hits on a Curtiss
75 which broke off the engagement. L2927,
pilot Lt J M Bruen, was able to get a
long burst on a Morane, which was on
L2997s tail.
Several
other aircraft
were engaged by both Skuas. 3 guns on each
Skua jammed during this fight.
At
about 1930 three
H-75As appeared, and a dog fight ensued
with no apparent results on either
side.
Shortly
after this the
Swordfish started their attack, and the
STRASBOURG put up a barrage in front of
us. The two Skuas set course to return to
ARK ROYAL; on the way back they
encountered a
Breguet
Br.521 Bizerte flying
boat and carried
out attacks on it. During L2927s second
attack, she dropped some bombs on a
destroyer. (This was the WRESTLER). Skua
L2997 put one engine (it was a
three engine machine) out of action
and observed streams of petrol come out
of the tank. The Skuas returned to the
carrier and landed on just after sunset]
[It was not until the VA Force H received the
1827/3
signal from the shadowing Swordfish that
he was prepared to accept that a
French heavy unit (STRASBOURG) had
broken out from Mers el
Kebir and
was heading for Algiers or Toulon. He
immediately
realized that he had positioned Force H
on the wrong side of Oran Bay to
prevent a break out towards
Southern France.
At
1838 the HOOD commenced a turn of 180¡
to face
easterly to commence a stern chase.
At 1843 the VA
Force H commenced a stern chase after
the French force and he ordered the
cruisers and destroyers into the van
leaving the
VALIANT,
RESOLUTION
to
follow
unscreened, whilst the HOOD, cruisers
and destroyers pressed on at their best
speed]
[It
was around this time that a 'one
off' incident occurred on ARK ROYAL.
Earlier in the day the VALIANT had flown
off one of her float equipped Swordfish to
carry out fall of shot spotting.
When the VALIANT joined the HOOD in a
stern chase she could not stop to recover
her aircraft. Rather than ditch the
aircraft her pilot Petty Officer JE Breese
asked permission to land on ARK ROYAL,
permission was granted. As he made the
descent his crew, Sub-Lieu
Peter Starmer and Naval Airman Roy Tolley,
loosened their straps in preparation
for leaping overboard when the Swordfish
skidded over the side. But Breese made
a near-perfect landing, going straight
down the middle of the flight deck to
stop dead after a few yards.
A
Fairey
Aviation mechanic on board then knocked
out the dent in one of the floats and
declared the aircraft fit to fly.
When ARK ROYAL arrived back at Gibraltar
the Swordfish was lowered to the water
and it taxied over to the VALIANT. it was
then recovered by crane]
[In his official report the VA Force H
stated; between 1933 and 1945 a French
destroyer, steering east close inshore,
was engaged at ranges of 12,000 and
18,000 yards by the ARETHUSA and
ENTERPRISE. Later the HOOD and VALIANT
fired a few 15" salvoes at her. At
least three hits were observed before
the Destroyer turned back to Oran. The
'destroyer' was actually the sloop
RIGAULT DE GENOUILLY that had sailed
from Oran
and was heading east when sighted. The
RIGAULT DE GENOUILLY received several
hits from the ENTERPRISE and she had 12
crew killed before reversing course and
returning to Oran]
At
1835 ARK ROYAL was in approximate
position 36N, 00-38E, 19 miles north of
Oran and following the report of a
Dunkerque class battleship steering north
east from Mers el Kebir, it was
realised that if the visibility improved
then ARK ROYAL would be within gun
range of the battleship. Course was
accordingly altered to 315¡ and full speed
was ordered for 25 minutes. Speed
was then reduced and course 315¡
maintained to increase the distance from
the
enemy.
[At
1939
ARK ROYAL received an accurate report of
position of enemy battleship from the
shadowing
aircraft. A strike force of six torpedo
armed
Swordfish was then prepared to attack the
STRASBOURG]
At
1950 ARK
ROYAL flew off six Swordfish A4A, A4C,
A4H, A4K, A4M & A2M of 818 Sqd each
armed with a torpedo, fitted with Duplex
pistols and with a depth setting of
twenty feet, to attack the DUNKERQUE. Use
was to be made of failing light to
press home the attack.
[The
initial
approach consisted of a search along the
coast about 15 miles off
shore. On sighting the STRASBOURG she was
steaming eastward at high speed about
three miles off shore escorted by six
destroyers. Weather conditions, were
thick haze up to 1000 feet above which
visibility was extreme. Visibility at
time of attack was about two miles when
looking towards the afterglow, sunset
was at 2035, no cloud, sea calm.
The
attacking
force worked round in a wide sweep ahead
and on the starboard bow of
the enemy and between him and the land
from which position the target would be
silhouetted against the afterglow and the
aircraft would have a land
background.
When
closing
to identify the target, aircraft came
under long range AA fire. Fire
was continued for about two minutes and
considering the long range and low
angle of sight, was surprisingly accurate.
At
2055 the
attack commenced the aircraft were flying
at the height of twenty feet and at
300 yard intervals. The attack was
delivered unseen and except for the last
two
aircraft who encountered some machine gun
fire from the destroyer of the
screen, unopposed. One or two hits were
possibly obtained. Darkness and funnel
smoke made definite observation
impossible. (Actually no damage was
caused
to the STRASBOURG)]
[At
2020 the
hot pursuit of STRASBOURG was abandoned by
Force H. At that time the enemy
force was about 25 miles ahead of HOOD,
and RESOLUTION and VALIANT were falling
behind. (One of the reasons for calling
off the pursuit was a report
received from the submarine PANDORA, who
was on patrol off Algiers, TOO 1645/3,
stating six French cruisers and four
destroyers steering westwards. These
were
six light cruisers of the
3rd and 4th Cruiser Divisions and the
destroyers L'INDOMPTABLE, LE MALI, LE
FANTASQUE and L'AUDACIEUX)]
[Between
1930
and 2100 French reconnaissance and bomber
aircraft were fired upon. These
dropped a few bombs, which all fell wide
except for four about 50 yards from
the WRESTLER. The attacks were not pressed
home. The aircraft that dropped the
bombs was a
Breguet
Br.521 Bizerte flying
boat that was attacked
by Skuas L2927 and L2997. (See above)]
[At
2250/3/ the VA Force
H received a signal from Admiral Gensoul
stating that 'His ships were hors de
combat
and that their personnel had been ordered
to evacuate them']
By
2310 ARK
ROYAL had recovered all of the strike
force.
At
2310 ARK
ROYAL altered course to pass astern of
Force H and to reach position 36- 2N,
1- 48W, by 0430/3 in readiness to
launch
air strike to attack the French
battlecruiser at MERS EL KEBIR at dawn
4th
– At 0100 ARK
ROYAL ran into fog, her escorting
destroyers were ordered astern.
At
0200
visibility improved.
At
0300 ARK
ROYAL sighted the HOOD and altered course
to 060¡.
At
0330 ARK
ROYAL's escorting destroyers resumed their
positions in screen.
At
0430 ARK
ROYAL prepared twelve Swordfish, each
armed with six 250lb SAP bombs, were
ready to take off to attack French
battleship reported by aircraft the
previous
evening to have been beached under Fort
Mers el Kebir. (This was the
DUNKERQUE with similar armour to the
STRASBOURG so the 250lb SAP bombs would
have been useless). It was intended
that this striking force should be
immediately followed by a second, composed
of nine Skuas each armed with a 500lb
SAP bomb, to carry out a dive-bombing
attack on the same ship.
At
0420 ARK
ROYAL ran into thick fog, which persisted
until after 0600.
At
0620 ARK
ROYAL sighted Force H bearing 180¡.
[At
0630 the
Vice-Admiral, Aircraft Carriers signalled
the VA Force H stating that he had
abandoned
the attack. He took the decision because a
successful attack on the battleship in
its well defended position depended on
surprise attack before full daylight]
At
0645 ARK
ROYAL adjusted course and speed to take
station in the line and set course to
return to Gibraltar.
At
1900
Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
[Operation
CAPAPULT
had cost ARK ROYAL:-
Two
Swordfish
from the bombing force;
One Swordfish shadowing battleship after
spotting for HOOD;
One Skua shot down in combat;
On Skua forced landing near ARK ROYAL.
All
crews
were rescued, except for the crew of Skua
L
2915, pilot Petty Officer Airman, TF
Riddler and observer Naval Airman HT
Chatterley; both of whom were killed.
These were the only British losses in the
action]
[On
the arrival of
Force H at Gibraltar the ships were
immediately completed with fuel and
ammunition in readiness, if required, to
proceed to carry out operations
against the French battleship RICHELIEU
at Dakar]
5th
– ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[At
0100 Vichy French
aircraft, possibly, Glenn Martin 167
A-3's, from Port Lyautey attacked
Gibraltar. Their main target was the
HOOD. All the bombs fell into the sea
and
no damage was caused by the raid]
[Overnight
the VA
Force H was in touch with the Admiralty
regarding the condition of the
DUNKERQUE. There was uncertainty over
the operational state of the DUNKERQUE;
RAF
photo-reconnaissance had established
that she was aground on an even keel off
the town of Mers el Kebir heading 295¡,
but had failed to accurately assess her
damage. However when news was received
that the
French
Admiral Jean-Pierre Estava
at Bizerte
had made a broadcast stating that the
DUNKERQUE was not seriously damaged
and
would soon be repaired; the Admiralty
cancelled Force H's attack on the
RICHELIEU and ordered the VA Force H
to prepare to carry out a further
attack
on the DUNKERQUE. The dead line for
the attack was 6/7/40.
The
staff of the VA
Force H immediately drew up plans for
Operation LEVER which was to be a
further
attack on the DUNKERQUE. At around 1230
the Admiralty was informed that the
attack would take place at 0900/6. The
ships taking part would be as for
CATAPULT less the RESOLUTION and a
destroyer]
[At
1800
the VA Force H signalled the Admiralty
that when drawing up plans for
LEVER it had been realised that owing to
the position of the DUNKERQUE a
bombardment
could only be effected at considerable
loss of French lives and damage to
property ashore]
At
2000 Force H, comprising the battlecruiser
HOOD (Flag
VA Force H), battleship VALIANT, aircraft
carrier ARK ROYAL (Flag VA Aircraft
Carriers), light cruisers ARETHUSA and
ENTERPRISE, and destroyers
FAULKNOR
(D8),
FEARLESS,
FOXHOUND,
FORESTER, ESCORT, WISHART, VORTIGERN,
VIDETTE, ACTIVE
and VELOX
sailed from Gibraltar to carry out
Operation
LEVER. The Force steered west into the
Atlantic then under cover of darkness
reversed course for Oran.
6th
– Force H en route to Mers el Kebir.
[At
0250/6 the VA
Force H, received an Admiralty signal
cancelling the bombardment, and ordering
instead a continuous attack by aircraft
to be carried out until the DUNKERQUE
was
thoroughly damaged. The orders for LEVER
were then altered and recast as an air
strike]
At
around 0400 ARK ROYAL
signalled that she would be ready to
launch the strike 0515.
At
0520 ARK ROYAL was in
position 36-19N, 2-23W, (about 100 miles
from Mers el Kebir) from where she
flew off six Swordfish of 820 Sqd, each
was armed with 18" torpedoes Mk
XII with Duplex pistols, set for a depth
of 12th feet, speed 27 knots.
At
0545 ARK ROYAL flew
off three Swordfish of 810 Sqd, each armed
as above, and six Skuas of 800 Sqd.
At
0620 ARK ROYAL flew
off three Swordfish of 810 Sqd, each armed
as above, and six Skuas of 803 Sqd.
[The
first wave of six
Swordfish made landfall over Hababis
Island (about 24½ miles west of
Mers el Kebir) then flew east, at 7000ft
keeping 15 miles from the coast to
gain an up-sun position from the target as
soon as the sun rose. (Sunrise was
at 0553)
At
0628 as the first rays
of the sun, rising above thick haze,
struck the DUNKERQUE the first wave, led
by 820s squadron commander Lt Cdr GB
Hodgkinson commenced a shallow dive in
line ahead down the path of the sun.
Coming in low over the breakwater the
aircraft attacked in succession. The first
torpedo hit the DUNKERQUE amidships
glanced off and, continuing its run
exploded against the jetty. It had
probably
been released inside pistol safety range.
The
second hit and
exploded under the bridge on the starboard
side.
The
third missed the
target and exploded ashore.
The
remaining three
torpedoes all hit the DUNKERQUE exploding
near B turret, on her starboard side.
The attack proved a complete surprise,
only one aircraft was fired on at during
the getaway]
[At
0647 the second wave
of three Swordfish, led by Captain AC
Newson RM, manoeuvred into a position up
sun
at 2,000ft then in line astern formation
dived to attack, being met by heavy AA
fire that was coming from over the
breakwater.
When
Newson pressed the
torpedo release button the master switch
did not complete the firing circuit
and he was unable to release his torpedo.
The
second and third
torpedoes were successfully launched and
were observed to have hit the
starboard side of the DUNKERQUE.
During
the getaway a
large explosion was observed, smoke and
spray rising in a great column over
600ft high. This was thought to have been
a magazine exploding. (Unbeknown
at the time, a torpedo had hit the
auxiliary
patrol boat TERRE
NEUVE P18
(780grt), which was alongside the
DUNKERQUE. The exploding torpedo set off
her depth charges causing a massive
explosion, blowing the TERRE NEUVE apart
and ripping a huge gash in DUNKERQUE's
side)
No
enemy aircraft were
encountered, but the 6"and 4" batteries to
the east of Oran kept up
continuous accurate fire throughout the
attack]
[At
0650 the third wave
of three Swordfish led by Lt. DF Godfrey-Faussett, made a landfall at a height of 4,000ft over
Cap Falcon. This wave made its approach
over the town of Mers el Kebir and In
line astern they commenced a shallow dive
taking avoiding
action as the grounded PROVENCE and shore
batteries opened fire.
The
first torpedo hit DUNKERQUE
on her port side amidships but did not
explode.
The
second torpedo was
believed to have hit, as an explosion was
seen. (This torpedo hit the tug
EstŽrel (333grt), that was about 70 yards
off DUNKERQUE's port side, the torpedo
blew the tug apart)
The
third torpedo was
dropped too close, and was not armed and
therefore didn't explode]
[The
Skua escort of the
third wave had several dog fights with
French Curtiss H75 fighters of
GC II/5, which,
although they easily outmanoeuvred the
Skuas did not press home their attacks.
One Skua of 803 Sqd crew, pilot Petty
Officer GW Peacock and Leading Airman BP
Dearnley, was damaged in combat and was
forced to ditch. The crew were picked
up by the VIDETTE. There were no
casualties, although several aircraft were
damaged by gunfire]
[The
attacking
aircraft made their approaches based on
aerial photographs which were
interpreted to show the DUNKERQUE lying
at a heading of 295¡. This put her
starboard quarter to attackers coming in
over the harbour breakwater from
seaward. However, when the post strike
photographs were analyzed in 1943 it was
realised that DUNKERQUE was in fact
lying at a heading of 250¡. This meant
that
attackers coming over the breakwater
were presented with an attack angle from
0¡ to 15¡ of the stern axis, or from
virtually astern. This had a an effect
on
the final outcome of the attack]
[When
the VA Force H
evaluated the results of the attack he
was satisfied that the DUNKERQUE had
been put out of action for at least a
year. The order was then given to return
to Gibraltar. So
ended the tragic action against the
French Fleet at Mers el Kebir, the
action had cost the French
1297
killed and 351
wounded, the British lost two aircrew
killed]
At
1830 Force H arrived
back at Gibraltar.
[On
arrival back at
Gibraltar the engine room staff began to
address defects that had built up over
preceding months. the main one being a
leakage from one of three propeller
shaft glands. The leakage was so bad that
the pumps could only just keep the
water level below the shaft bearings.]
7th
– ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[After
Force H
returned to Gibraltar the VA Force H was
directed by the Admiralty to operate
against the west coast of Italy, Sicily,
or possibly Sardinia at his
discretion, in an operation to coincide
with an operation to be carried out by
the Mediterranean Fleet (This was
Operation MA5 a sweep by the
Mediterranean Fleet to cover the passage
of two convoys, MF1 and MS1, from
Malta to Alexandria. This operation led
to the action with the Italian Fleet
off Calabria).
Although
the VA Force H was reluctant to take
Force
H on an operation until they had been
trained and exercised as a fleet he was
under orders to carry out a supporting
action. The VA Force H decided to make
an air attack on Cagliari, Sardinia
supported by the whole of Force H]
8th -
At 0700 H comprising HOOD
(Flag VA Force H), RESOLUTION, VALIANT,
ARK ROYAL (Flag VA Aircraft Carriers),
light
cruisers ARETHUSA, DELHI, and ENTERPRISE
and the destroyers FAULKNOR (D8),
FORESTER, FOXHOUND, ESCORT, FEARLESS,
ACTIVE, DOUGLAS, VELOX, VORTIGERN and
WRESTLER sailed from Gibraltar to create a
diversion for the convoys sailing
from Malta to Alexandria. Part of the plan
was for ARK ROYAL was to launch an
air strike against Cagliari. Since Force H
decoys no subterfuge was necessary. (As hoped
Force
H was seen
leaving Gibraltar and reported by
Italian agents in Spain).
Course was set for a flying off position
south east of Mallorca.
9th
– Force H continued steering easterly
towards a flying off position
south east of Mallorca.
At
around 1400 in approximate position 38N,
2-30E Force H was detected
by Italian reconnaissance aircraft. (Probably
a Cant CZ 506 from
Cagliari-Elmas)
At
1545 Force H was in approximate position
38-30N, 3-30E when the
Force was attacked by about six high level Savoia SM 79 aircraft. Their
main target was the ARK ROYAL but they
also attacked the HOOD both ships were
near missed.
At
1750 a further wave of
12 high level
Savoia SM 79 aircraft bombed Force H and
again ARK ROYAL was near missed.
From
1820 to 1840 two
further waves of 22 high level
Savoia SM 79 aircraft
bombed Force H and again ARK ROYAL was
near missed.
(The
SM
79's were from the
10a Brigata,
including 8¡ Stormo from Villacidro
airfield and 32¡ Stormo from Decimomannu
airfield on
Sardinia)
[ARK
ROYAL's Skuas
managed to shoot down one of the SM 79's,
even though the SM 79's were at about
18,000 ft and faster than the Skuas. (Savoia-Marchetti
SM 79, Sparviero, top
speed 270mph at 13,940 ft, cruising
speed 232mph)]
[Following
the attack the
VA Force H signalled Vice Admiral Wells in
the ARK ROYAL; 'In view of the heavy
scale bombing and the nature of our
objective, do you think continuance of
operations justified'. Vice Admiral
immediately replied; 'Definitely not'. So
because of
the loss of surprise and the possibility of
serious damage to the ARK ROYAL on an
operation that was only a diversion and
with Wells concurring, Somerville ordered
the abandoning of the operation and a
return to Gibraltar]
[Various
sections of the Italian media reported
that 40 bombers had intercepted a
British naval force near the island of
Majorca and for more than one and half
hours, attacked in successive waves. In
the attack the HOOD had been heavily
damaged and ARK ROYAL had its flying
deck
hit by two bombs causing the loss of
seven aircraft. Some escorting
destroyers
were also heavily hit. One SM.79 was
shot down, 5 others were damaged; the 8¡
Stormo was awarded a silver medal]
At
2215 Force H reversed course and set
course for Gibraltar.
10th
–
Force H en route to Gibraltar
11th
–
At 0215 Force H was in approximate
position 36-11N, 3-37E when
the destroyer ESCORT was torpedoed
in the forward boiler room
by
the
Italian submarine GUGLIELMO MARCONI.
[The
FORESTER had witnessed the attack a made
an unsuccessful
attempt to ram the submarine. Attempts
were made to salvage ESCORT by FORESTER
towing her stern first and FAULKNOR
providing an escort. But she was too
badly
damaged and her list increased.
At
1115 hours the
ESCORT sank. FAULKNOR and FORESTER,
having taken off all ESCORT's crew, then
set course for Gibraltar.
Two
ratings were
lost in the attack on ESCORT and
Commissioned Gunner F. E. V. Mathews and
twelve ratings were wounded]
At
0800 Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
12th
to 22rd
-
ARK
ROYAL was at
Gibraltar.
23rd- At 0400 the ARK ROYAL (Flag VA Aircraft
Carriers), light cruiser ENTERPRISE and the destroyers
FAULKNOR (D8), ESCAPADE, FORESIGHT and
FORESTER sailed from Gibraltar and
steered west into the Atlantic. Their
mission was to carry out an air strike
against shipping in Bordeaux harbour.
[The
attack on Bordeaux was occasioned
by intelligence that the Germans were assembling
shipping at Bordeaux for a possible
attack on the Azores and/or the Canary
Islands]
24th
–
The force were on a northerly course
steering for the flying
off position.
25th
–
At 0100 the Admiralty called off the
attack and the force
reversed course to return to Gibraltar.
26th
–
At 1100
the ARK ROYAL,
ENTERPRISE and the destroyers
FAULKNOR (D8), ESCAPADE, FORESIGHT and
FORESTER arrived back at Gibraltar.
27th
to 30th
-
ARK
ROYAL was at
Gibraltar.
[With
the entry of
Italy into the war on 10th June 1940 the
air defence situation at Malta had
become critical.
In
the middle of July Churchill urged the
Admiralty
to urgently consider the possibility of
flying in Hurricanes to bolster the air
defence of Malta.
On
24/7/40 the aircraft carrier ARGUS with
12
Hurricane Mk 1's of RAF 418 flight
(Including ground crew and aircraft spares) and
two Skuas embarked sailed from the Clyde
escorted by the destroyers
GALLANT
and
GREYHOUND, also in company was the AMC
MALOJA. Off Northern Ireland the joined
convoy RS 5, Liverpool to Freetown,
escorted by the destroyers ENCOUNTER and
HOTSPUR.
On
28/7/40 in
approximate position 40-30N, 19W the
ARGUS and the destroyers
ENCOUNTER,
GALLANT, GREYHOUND and HOTSPUR detached
for Gibraltar.
At
0330/30/7/40
the
ARGUS and the destroyers
ENCOUNTER,
GALLANT, GREYHOUND and HOTSPUR
arrived in Gibraltar.
At
Gibraltar the ground crews disembarked
and 11
tons of spares, 0.303" ammunition and
mail were off loaded]
[The
VA Force H was
ordered to provide an escort for the
ARGUS to a flying off position about 420
miles from Malta. This was known as
Operation HURRY.
In
conjunction with HURRY Force H were to
carry out
an air strike against Cagliari to
provide a diversion for HURRY, this was
Operation CRUSH.
The
ground crew, kit, tools, spares and
stores were
to be transported from Gibraltar to
Malta the submarines PANDORA and
PROTEUS,
this was Operation TUBE.
The
light cruiser ENTERPRISE was to position
herself
southeast of Minorca and using radio
signals, simulate activity in the
northern
part of the Western Basin, this was
Operation SPARK]
31st
-
ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
At
0700 Force H comprising
battlecruiser HOOD (Flag VA Force H),
battleships VALIANT and RESOLUTION,
aircraft carriers ARK ROYAL and ARGUS,
light cruisers ARETHUSA and ENTERPRISE
and the destroyers FAULKNOR (D8),
FORESTER, FEARLESS, ESCAPADE, ACTIVE,
WRESTLER, ENCOUNTER, GALLANT, GREYHOUND
and HOTSPUR sailed from Gibraltar on
Operations HURRY and CRUSH.
At
1200 the destroyers
ACTIVE and WRESTLER detached and returned
to Gibraltar.
AUGUST
1st
– Force H sailing eastwards.
From
0530 ARK ROYAL had
Swordfish A/S patrols airborne
[At
1530 Force H was
attacked by Savoia SM 79 aircraft from
10a Brigata, led by Generale Cagna,
aircraft from 8¡ Stormo, 18¡, 52¡
and 10¡ Squadr“glie took part in the
attack, flying from Villacidro,
Sardinia.
Each aircraft was armed with 4 x 250kg
bombs. The first wave of 25 bombers came
in at 14,000ft and the second wave of 15
also bombed from 14,000 ft. There were
several near misses but no ship was hit.
The Italians lost three planes one
shot down by AA fire and two shot down
by Skuas. One of the SM 79's shot down
had Generale Cagna on board]
At
2045, when in
approximate position 38-20N, 4-30E, the
Force split into two groups. Group one,
the HOOD, ARK ROYAL, ENTERPRISE, FAULKNOR,
FORESTER, FEARLESS and ESCAPADE
detached and proceeded north easterly
towards a flying off position about 60
miles from Cagliari for Operation CRUSH.
[Group
two the ARGUS,
VALIANT, ARETHUSA, ENCOUNTER, GALLANT,
GREYHOUND and HOTSPUR proceeded to the
flying off position for Operation HURRY]
At
2130 the ENTERPRISE
detached and proceeded north westerly to
close Minorca to carry out Operation
SPARK.
2nd
– At 0230 ARK ROYAL had reached the flying
off position and commenced flying off the
Swordfish strike force for Operation
CRUSH. Fourteen aircraft of 810, 818 and
820 Sqds formed the strike, but
Swordfish A2K, P4273, of 810 Sqd crashed
when taking off and the crew, Lt JR
Robins, Lt J MM Tarver and Petty Officer J
Clarke were killed.
By
0315 the last of the
strike force had taken off.
[Ten
Swordfish attacked Elmas
airfield, destroying a number of Italian
aircraft, and three laid mines in the
outer harbour. One of the Swordfish
attacking the airfield, A4F, P4127, of 820
Sqd, was shot down and landed on the
airfield. The crew of Lt GR Humphries, Lt
D Williams and Leading Airman C Pendleton
were made prisoners of war.
(Swordfish
P4127 was
captured almost intact; it was repaired
at the Elmas Caproni plant and fitted
with an Alfa Romeo 125 radial engine.
Later it went to the Italian mainland
and
underwent flight testing at Guidonia's
Flight Test Centre)]
[At
0515 the ARGUS was
in position 37-45N, 7-20E, from which
position she commenced to fly off the
Hurricanes. They were flown off in two
groups of six each group led by a Skua.
By
0600 all aircraft had been flown off and
ARGUS reversed course for Gibraltar.
The
aircraft started to arrive at Malta from
0800.
All aircraft arrived but one Hurricane
crashed on landing. It had been intended
that the Skuas would return to ARGUS,
but this would have required ARGUS to
remain in the flying off position for a
further six hours so they were retained
in Malta. The crashed Hurricane was
restored to operational efficiency by
the
Malta ground crews using spares on hand.
Subsequently, on 4/8/40 the Hurricanes
of flight 418, together with the Gloster
Sea Gladiators and the one Hurricane
already at Malta formed 261 Squadron
RAF.
The
submarines PANDORA and PROTEUS arrived
at Malta
on August 6th and 8th respectively]
At
0530 Group 1 rejoined
Group 2.
At
0700 following the
recovery of ARK ROYAL's aircraft,
returning from Operation CRUSH, Force H
reversed direction and set course for
Gibraltar.
3rd
– Force H sailing easterly en route to
Gibraltar.
4th – At 0600 Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
[This
was the end of
the first of 28 of what came to be
called 'club runs']
[The
Admiralty took
the decision to reorganise Force
H, with HOOD being replaced by RENOWN,
the change was to take place in the UK]
At 1915 hours Force H, comprising HOOD (Flag VA Force H),
VALIANT, ARGUS, light cruiser ARETHUSA
escorted by destroyers ESCAPADE,
FAULKNOR (D8), FORESIGHT, FORESTER and
FOXHOUND sailed from Gibraltar for
the UK.
The ARK ROYAL, light cruiser ENTERPRISE and destroyers
GREYHOUND, GALLANT, ENCOUNTER and HOTSPUR
also sailed with Force H.
[En
route
Force H was instructed to search for
neutral merchantiles thought to be
breaking the blockade. To increase the
effectiveness of the search Force H was
initially accompanied by ARK ROYAL and
her escort]
5th
– The destroyer FEARLESS
joined Force H.
6th
- At 1050 ARK ROYAL, ENTERPRISE,
GREYHOUND, GALLANT, ENCOUNTER and HOTSPUR
detached and returned to Gibraltar.
8th
-
ARK ROYAL, ENTERPRISE, GREYHOUND,
GALLANT, ENCOUNTER and HOTSPUR arrived
back at Gibraltar.
9th to 14th -
ARK
ROYAL was at
Gibraltar.
15th
– The
ARK
ROYAL
(Flag VA Aircraft Carriers), light cruiser
ENTERPRISE and the destroyers
HOTSPUR, GALLANT, GREYHOUND, ENCOUNTER and
WRESTLER sailed from Gibraltar for
exercises in the Atlantic.
18th
– 750 miles west of Ushant the
ARK
ROYAL, ENTERPRISE, HOTSPUR, GALLANT,
GREYHOUND, ENCOUNTER and
WRESTLER,
RVed
with the
battlecruiser
RENOWN (Flag VA Force H)
Force H then set course for Gibraltar.
En route ENTERPRISE detached to investigate a
suspicious vessel.
19th
–
At 0215 Force H received a signal from the
independently sailing freighter ROWALLAN
CASTLE 7798grt, stating that
she was under attack from a raider.
The
destroyers
HOTSPUR,
GALLANT, GREYHOUND, ENCOUNTER and WRESTLER
were detached to Gibraltar to refuel and
RENOWN and ARK ROYAL made for ROWALLAN
CASTLE position off Southern
Portugal.
20th
– At 1230 it was established
that the 'raider' that had fired on the
ROWALLAN CASTLE was the AMC CIRCASSIA.
So RENOWN and ARK ROYAL resumed their
course for Gibraltar.
At 1100 they RVed with the destroyers
HOTSPUR,
GREYHOUND,
ENCOUNTER, GALLANT, GRIFFIN and VELOX.
At 1900 Force H arrived at Gibraltar and the Vice
Admiral Aircraft Carriers struck his flag.
21st
to 24th –
ARK
ROYAL was at
Gibraltar.
25th
-
At 0730 ARK ROYAL, ENTERPRISE and
destroyers GALLANT, HOTSPUR and GRIFFIN
sailed from Gibraltar to carry out flying
exercises in the Atlantic.
At
2025
RENOWN (Flag VA Force H), escorted by
destroyers VELOX, ENCOUNTER, GREYHOUND
and VIDETTE sailed from Gibraltar to join
the ARK ROYAL force at sea.
26th
–
Early in the morning the RENOWN
force and the ARK
ROYAL force
RVed
and all came under the command of CINC
Force H in RENOWN.
The whole of Force H then carried out exercises
together.
27th
– At 0600 250 miles west of Cape St
Vincent Force H,
RVed
with the aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS,
battleship VALIANT, light cruiser
SHEFFIELD, anti-aircraft ships COVENTRY
and CALCUTTA and the destroyers
FAULKNOR (D8), FIREDRAKE, FORESIGHT,
FORESTER, FURY and FORTUNE and the LSI
ROYAL SCOTSMAN.
ENTERPRISE, VELOX and VIDETTE detached and escorted
ROYAL SCOTSMAN into Gibraltar.
The combined force then carried out battle practice
under the command of CINC Force H.
29th
– At 0600 Force H comprising RENOWN (Flag
CINC Force H), ARK ROYAL,
SHEFFIELD, FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE, FORESIGHT,
FORESTER, FURY, FORTUNE and
ENCOUNTER. Force F comprising VALIANT,
ILLUSTRIOUS, COVENTRY, CALCUTTA,
GALLANT, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN and HOTSPUR
arrived at Gibraltar.
Later in the day Force A the destroyers JANUS, HERO,
MOHAWK and NUBIAN arrived at Gibraltar
from MALTA.
30th
– At 0845 Force H comprising RENOWN (Flag
CINC Force H), ARK ROYAL,
SHEFFIELD, FAULKNOR (D8), FIREDRAKE,
FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY, FORTUNE,
ENCOUNTER, VELOX and WISHART.
Force F comprising VALIANT, ILLUSTRIOUS, COVENTRY,
CALCUTTA, GALLANT, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN and
HOTSPUR.
Force A comprising JANUS,
HERO, MOHAWK and NUBIAN.
Sailed from Gibraltar on Operations HATS, SQUAWK, SMASH
and GRAB.
[The
objectives
of the Operations were:-
HATS,
was to
cover the passage of Force F
(reinforcements for the Mediterranean
Fleet) to
the Sicilian Channel. En
route Force F was to call into Malta to
offload military supplies. Force A had
been detached from the Mediterranean Fleet
to provide additional escorts for
Force F.
SQUAWK, the destroyers
VELOX
and
WISHART
were
to carry out radio deception measures.
SMASH, ARK ROYAL's Swordfish to carry out air strike on Elmas
airfield, Cagliari, Sardinia
GRAB, ARK ROYAL's Swordfish to carry out air strike on
Cagliari
power station, Sardinia]
31st – The fleet steered towards the south of the
Balearic Islands. During the day Skuas
from the ARK ROYAL shot down two
shadowing Italian seaplanes a Cant Z 506B
and a Cant Z 501.
At
2150 south east of the
Balearic Islands, Force W, VELOX and
WISHART were detached to carry out
Operation SQUAWK and steered for the north
of the Island of Minorca.
[Operation
SQUAWK
required the two destroyers to proceed
to the north of the Balearic Islands and
then to make extensive wireless signals
as if they were the entire fleet, in
the hope that any Italian radio
monitoring service would report that
Force H
was heading for Genoa. This attempt at
deception may well have succeeded, for
on the morning of 1 September Somerville
reported that his fleet was not being
shadowed]
At
2200 Forces F and H
turned to the south east and headed for
southern Sardinia.
SEPTEMBER
1st
– At 0330 in position 38-06N, 10-51E, ARK
ROYAL launched a strike force of 9
Swordfish, each armed with 4 x 250lb HE
bombs and 8 x 25lb incendiaries, to attack
the airfield at Elmas, Cagliari.
(Operation SMASH) Following the launch the
fleet continued towards the
Sicilian
Channel.
[At
0600 hours the Swordfish attacked the
airfield and seaplanes in the
adjacent
harbour]
By
0800 all the Swordfish
had been recovered.
At
2200 half way between
the south-eastern tip of Sardinia and the
western tip of Sicily Force H turned
to the north, in preparation for a second
attack on Cagliari and Force F
maintained a south easterly course heading
for Malta and the Mediterranean
Fleet.
At
2300 Force H turned
west and headed for the south of Sardinia.
2nd
-
At 0330
launched a further strike force of 9
Swordfish, each armed with 4 x 250lb HE
bombs and 8 x 25lb incendiaries, to attack
the airfield at Elmas, Cagliari
power station. (Operation GRAB) Following
the launch the fleet continued
towards Gibraltar. The attacked had to be aborted due to low
cloud and mist obscuring the targets,
3rd
–
At 1100 Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
4th
& 5th
– ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
6th
–
The ARK
ROYAL,
battleships BARHAM and RESOLUTION,
screened by the destroyers FAULKNOR(D8),
FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FORTUNE, FURY,
GREYHOUND, ECLIPSE, ESCAPADE and
INGLEFIELD
(D3) sailed from Gibraltar into the
Atlantic to participate in Operation
MENACE. The destroyer ECHO joined the
force later after completing repairs at
Gibraltar.
[Operation
MENACE
was the joint British and Free French
attack on Dakar.
When
General de Gaulle arrived in
Britain after the fall of France he had
very few followers and no troops,
although after the withdrawal from
Norway and Dunkirk a small number, about
7000, of French troops were persuaded to
join the Free French cause.
General
de Gaulle didn't consider that
France had lost the war; instead he
believed that France had only lost a
campaign.
So he set about trying to bring the
French overseas colonies on to the side
of
the Free French. He also believed that
it was necessary for the seat of the
Free French Government to be on French
soil, if he could achieve this it would
give him legitimacy, prestige and French
colonial troops. Ideally General de
Gaulle would have liked to have bought
the French North African colonies on
side, but these were too close to the
influence of Vichy and after Mers el
Kebir these were defiantly ruled out. He
had success in French Equatorial Africa
but he wanted a base nearer to the wars
centre of gravity. So he set his sights
on Senegal and particularly its capital
of Dakar which had the best harbour on
the North West African coast. So General
de Gaulle set about planning to bring
Senegal into the Free French fold or
failing that to seize Dakar by force.
In
late July General de Gaulle put his
scheme, for an all French assault on
Dakar, to Churchill; at first Churchill
was non committal. Churchill, realizing
the strategic importance of Northwest
Africa,
quickly became enthusiast and endorsed
de Gaulle's idea of establishing a Free
French government on the shores of West
Africa, in Dakar. On 5/8/40 the War
Cabinet gave the plan their approval.
(Churchill's
enthusiasm may in part have stemmed
from his knowledge that in or near Dakar
was 275 tons of gold. On 17/6/40 the
French AMC VICTOR
SHOELCHER
4504grt, carrying 200 tons of Belgian
gold and 75 tons of Polish gold
had sailed from Lorient escorted by
destroyer EPƒE. The VICTOR SHOELCHER
had
arrived at Dakar on 28/6/40).
The initial plan was to land a
Free French force at
Conakry,
the
force would then proceed overland,
gathering strength as they went, and
taking Dakar from the rear. To prevent
the Vichy French naval forces at Dakar
from
sailing south and annihilating the
expedition, General
de Gaulle
requested cover from a British
naval force. From the British
perspective this request had the
disadvantage of
immobilizing a substantial British naval
force for a long time off the western
coast of Africa at a time when Britain
badly needed all her forces for the
defence of Britain. This led to the
British becoming more involved in the
planning. From 7/8/40 the British became
more and more committed to the
operation and Churchill and the Chiefs
of Staff agreed that the expedition
should have enough British backing to
ensure its success.
On 26/8/40, the first
military equipment and stores sailed
from Liverpool in the French
freighters
ANADYR 5278grt, CASAMANCE 5817grt,
FORT LAMY 5234grt and NEVADA 5693grt
British
tanker OCEAN COAST 1173grt, escorted by
the
French sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA and
patrol vessel PRESIDENT HONDUCE attached
to convoy OB 204.
On 27/8/40
the War Cabinet gave their approval
to the plan drawn up by Vice Admiral
Cunningham, Major General N.M.S. Irwin
and
Major General E.L. Spears. The plan
provided for separate landings at dawn
on
six beaches on the North, West and South
shores of the Cape Verde Peninsula and
on GorŽe Island with a view to
surprising and confusing the defence.
The
landing parties were to be mainly
British, with Free French elements to
proclaim their friendly intentions.
The various
elements of the assault force were to
assemble at Freetown which had been
designated the forward base]
7th to 11th
–
The ARK ROYAL force steering towards the
west of the Canary Islands. En route
ARK ROYAL's aircraft carried out mock
attacks on the attached ships and
maintained A/S patrols. On 8/9/40 the ARK
ROYAL refuelled the destroyers
FORTUNE and GREYHOUND.
12th
– At 1145 a Swordfish from ARK ROYAL made contact with convoy MP.
The ARK ROYAL force then steered to RV
with Convoy MP.
[Convoy
MP comprised Naval, troop ships and MT
ships that formed Force M, the assault
force for Operation MENACE]
[At 0512/11/9/40 the destroyer HOTSPUR, which was on
anti-submarine patrol
in company with destroyers GRIFFIN, and
ENCOUNTER, sighted the Vichy French
Force Y.
(The
French
Force Y, comprised the Vichy light
cruisers GEORGES LEYGUES, MONTCALM
and GLOIRE escorted by the large
destroyers L' AUDACIEUX, Le
FANTASQUE and Le MALIN. Force Y
had departed
Toulon at 1600/ 9/9/40 for Libreville,
Gabon. Because of Operation MENACE the
Admiralty wanted Force Y stopped from
leaving the Mediterranean. The Admiralty
knew of the sailing but the information
had not been communicated to Admiral
Sir Dudley North CINC North Atlantic
station due to an oversight by the duty
officer at the Admiralty. The duty
officer
received
in due course the expression of their
Lordships displeasure.
That is all he got, while Admiral North
got the sack. The First Sea Lord
received the information about the Vichy
force in the morning during a Chiefs
of Staff meeting and immediately ordered
RENOWN and the destroyers to raise
steam)
At
1600/11/9/40 the RENOWN
with destroyers GRIFFIN and VIDETTE
sailed from Gibraltar with orders to
intercept French Force Y. The destroyer
VELOX joined at sea.
At
0800/12/9/40 the RENOWN,
GRIFFIN, VELOX and VIDETTE were joined
by the destroyers HOTSPUR, ENCOUNTER,
and WISHART.
At
1620/12/9/40 the RENOWN's
Walrus aircraft reported that there were
no French cruisers in Casablanca and
later sighted French Force Y steaming
south towards Dakar at high speed]
At
approximately 1700
the ARK ROYAL and the destroyers FAULKNOR,
FORESIGHT,
FORESTER, FORTUNE, FURY, ECHO GREYHOUND,
ECLIPSE, ESCAPADE and
INGLEFIELD sighted Force M.
ARK
ROYAL with the destroyers
INGLEFIELD,
ECHO,
GREYHOUND, FORTUNE, ESCAPADE and ECLIPSE
operated independently from Force M
whilst steering toward Freetown.
13th – ARK
ROYAL with Force M en route to Freetown.
14th - ARK ROYAL and Force M en route to Freetown.
At
0200 ARK ROYAL
was in approximate position 9N, 17W when
she received a signal from the FO
Force M in DEVONSHIRE. The signal ordered
ARK ROYAL to join the heavy cruisers
DEVONSHIRE (Flag Officer Force M),
AUSTRALIA and CUMBERLAND to attempt to
intercept a force of French cruisers
reported to heading for Dakar.
ARK
ROYAL set
course northerly and the destroyers
INGLEFIELD, ECHO, GREYHOUND, FORTUNE,
ESCAPADE and ECLIPSE detached to refuel at
Freetown.
[At
0220 in approximate position 9N, 15-30W,
the DEVONSHIRE was joined by AUSTRALIA
and they set course northerly for Dakar.
At 1940 off Dakar the DEVONSHIRE and AUSTRALIA were
joined by CUMBERLAND
At 2320 the three cruisers arrived at a position 75
miles NW of Dakar, approximately 15-50N,
18W and commenced a line ahead patrol
in a northerly direction four miles
apart]
[On
this day the main body of ships of Force
M arrived at Freetown]
15th - At 0200 in approximate position 16-30N,
18W, ARK ROYAL joined the DEVONSHIRE,
AUSTRALIA and CUMBERLAND.
The ARK ROYAL
was ordered to carry out a dawn (about
0600) reconnaissance of Dakar harbour
and
an air search extending 100 miles 020¡
from DEVONSHIRE.
The dawn patrol by two Skuas from ARK
ROYAL reported that the cruisers were
not at Dakar. They also reported that
the
battleship RICHELIEU was alongside the
north jetty with her awnings spread.
A further air
reconnaissance in the morning reported that the
cruisers were in the Harbour
ARK ROYAL, DEVONSHIRE,
AUSTRALIA and CUMBERLAND patrolled off
Dakar
At 1345 the
destroyers INGLEFIELD,
ECHO, FORTUNE, ESCAPADE and FURY
joined from Freetown
At 1500 A further air reconnaissance
of Dakar was
carried out and reported the cruisers were
still in the Harbour.
At 1530 ARK ROYAL,
DEVONSHIRE, AUSTRALIA and the destroyers
INGLEFIELD,
ECHO,
FORTUNE, ESCAPADE and FURY set course
southerly for Freetown. The
CUMBERLAND was left on patrol off Dakar.
16th
-
ARK ROYAL,
DEVONSHIRE, AUSTRALIA and the destroyers
INGLEFIELD,
ECHO, FORTUNE, ESCAPADE and FURY en route
to Freetown.
[At
1400 the British
Government came to the conclusion,
following the arrival of the cruisers at
Dakar, that the execution of MENANCE was
impracticable they considered the best
plan would be for de Gaulle's force to
land at Duala to consolidate the
Cameroons and then march into Chad]
17th
–
At 0700
ARK ROYAL, DEVONSHIRE, AUSTRALIA and the destroyers
INGLEFIELD,
ECHO, FORTUNE, ESCAPADE and FURY arrived
at Freetown.
[In
response
to British Government's 1400/16 a
meeting was held between Vice Admiral
Cunningham, Major General Irwin
and General de Gaulle they expressed the
opinion that the presence of the
cruisers at Dakar had not sufficiently
increased the risks to justify the
abandonment of MENACE. This was
communicated to the War Cabinet]
[After
refuelling
the AUSTRALIA commenced off loading the
two disassembled Caudron C
272 Luciole aircraft that she had embarked
in the Clyde. The aircraft together
with the Free French airmen and mechanics
were transferred to the ARK ROYAL]
18th
–
The
ARK ROYAL was at Freetown where her engine
room staff were
carrying out urgent repairs.
19th
-
The ARK
ROYAL was at Freetown where her engine
room staff were
carrying out urgent repairs.
[Sometime
during the day the first elements
of Operation
MENACE,
the transports OCEAN COAST, NEVADE,
CASANANCE, FORT LAMY, and
ANADYR escorted by the sloop
BRIDGEWATER, boom
defence
vessel QUANNET, and French patrol ship
PRESIDENT
HOUDACE departed Freetown for Dakar]
[At
2019/18/9/40 the heavy cruiser AUSTRALIA
had sailed from Freetown to relieve the
CUMBERLAND on patrol south of Dakar.
At 0820/19 in position 10-12N, 16-50W the
AUSTRALIA sighted the CUMBERLAND en
route to Freetown. Close to their
position
was the MV EMPIRE STAR 11093grt, on a
northerly course, with Rear Admiral Sir
Henry Harwood embarked.
At 0910 the AUSTRALIA sighted a number of masts
sailing towards her.
At 0917 the masts were recognised as three
cruisers about 14 miles distant and
sailing on a reciprocal course.
(These proved to be the
Vichy
4th Division light cruisers GEORGES
LEYGUES
(Flag Rear Almirante Celestin
Jean BourraguŽ), MONTCALM and GLOIRE
they had sailed from Dakar and
were en route to Libreville. They had
orders to
re-establish
Vichy's
authority in Gabon,
following Governor Georges Masson
declaration for de Gaulle)
At 0921 the AUSTRALIA signalled the CUMBERLAND
to join her. At the same time she
noticed that the EMPIRE STAR had altered
course to southerly. The AUSTRALIA
signalled the EMPIRE STAR and told her
that
it was quite safe for her proceed
northerly, she then promptly altered
course
back to northerly.
At 0950 the AUSTRALIA was abreast the Vichy
cruisers, who were on course 142¡, speed
15½ knots. AUSTRALIA reversed
course to keep the Vichy cruisers abeam.
At 1032 the CUMBERLAND was sighted ahead and on
joining the AUSTRALIA swung into line
astern and AUSTRALIA's CO, Commodore RR
Stewart
took command. Captain Stewart ordered
both cruisers to keep steam for full
speed. The Vichy cruisers remained in
line ahead with turrets trained fore and
aft. The British cruisers commenced
zigzagging remaining from 13 to 19 miles
abeam of the Vichy cruisers, keeping
them in sight in changing visibility and
rain squalls.
The AUSTRALIA sent off regular shadowing
reports.
At 1730 the CUMBERLAND moved into her agreed
night shadowing position which was
astern of the French force.
At 1735 the French force changed course in turn
and settled on a northerly course.
At 1745 the CUMBERLAND reported that the French
had increased speed.
At 1754 the Admiralty signalled the CINC South
Atlantic ordering that the Vichy
cruisers must not be allowed to return
to
Dakar.
By 1809 the French cruisers were making 30
knots.
From 1830 to 1900 the AUSTRALIA exchanged
signals, in French, with the Vichy
force.
At 1940 AUSTRALIA changed course to 329¡ and
worked up to a speed of 31 knots, with
the objective of reaching Dakar before
the French cruisers.
At 2010 AUSTRALIA sighted a ship on her
starboard bow which turned out to be one
of the cruisers, the ship flashed the
message 'I am steering for Honskri; Port
Francais', this ship turned out to be
the GLOIRE, who it transpired had engine
trouble. AUSTRAILA remained with the
GLOIRE but was aware that CUMBERLAND was
now unsupported.
At 2139 the DEVONSHIRE with the destroyer
INGLEFIELD in company, who was en route
from Freetown to join AUSTRALIA;
signalled AUSTRALIA to show her position
by shining her searchlight into the
air at 45¡.
At 2145 AUSTRALIA switched on her searchlight
which was seen by DEVONSHIRE.
At 2200 CUMBERLAND reported that the other two
cruisers were still proceeding north.
At 2223 AUSTRALIA had slowed down was circling
the GLOIRE.
At 2252 the destroyer INGLEFIELD closed the
GLOIRE and commenced parleying with her.
It was found that GLOIRE had engine
trouble
and could only make 4 knots.
At 0100/20 AUSTRALIA closed the DEVONSHIRE for
orders, and was ordered to escort the
GLOIRE back to Casablanca.
At approximately 0530/20 the CUMBERLAND having
failed to stop them, the Vichy French
cruisers
GEORGES
LEYGUES and MONTCALM arrived back at
Dakar.
At
1500/20 the AUSTRALIA and CUMBERLAND
passed on
reciprocal courses.
At
0700/21 the AUSTRALIA, satisfied that
the GLOIRE would continue to Casablanca,
signaled GLOIRE ''Bon
voyage.
Je vous remerci
pour votre
courtoisie dans
une
situation difficile'
and set course southerly]
20th
–
The
ARK
ROYAL was at Freetown.
[Vice
Admiral Cunningham FO Force H, shifted
his flag to the battleship BARHAM and
during the day he held a pre-operation
conference on board the BARHAM]
21st
–
[At
0645the heavy cruiser DEVONSHIRE, the
destroyers FAULKNOR (D8), FORESTER,
FURY, the sloops MILFORD, COMMANDANT
DOMINE, COMMANDANT DUBOC, and SAVORGNAN
DE BRAZZA with transports ETTRICK,
KENYA, SOBIESKI, KARANJA, WESTERNLAND
and PENNLAND and the food ship
BELGRAVIAN
departed Freetown on Operation MENACE]
At
0930
the ARK ROYAL, battleships BARHAM (Flag VA
Force M) and RESOLUTION and destroyers
INGLEFIELD (D3), FORTUNE, FORESIGHT,
GREYHOUND, ECHO, and ESCAPADE sailed from
Freetown for Dakar and Operation
MENACE.
[At
1430 the
heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND departed
Freetown on Operation MENACE]
22nd
– The ARK ROYAL
together with the other ships involved in
Operation MENACE en route to Dakar.
[Early
in the morning the MENACE
convoys were joined at sea by the heavy
cruisers CUMBERLAND and AUSTRALIA and
the cruiser DRAGON
(DRAGON was a replacement for destroyer
ECLIPSE which developed engine problems)]
23rd
– At around 0400 ARK ROYAL arrived about
20
miles south of Dakar, the visibility in
the area was poor due to fog. Closer
inshore, south of Cap Manuel, where the
main force was,
the
visibility
was even less.
At around 0515 ARK ROYAL flew off
13 Swordfish and the two Caudron C 272
Luciole aircraft with Free French
markings.
[The
orders of Vice Admiral Cunningham were
to negotiate with Pierre Franois Boisson,
the governor-general of
French West Africa and high commissioner
for French Africa, for a peaceful
occupation, but if this was
unsuccessful, he was to take the city by
force.
Part of the plan was to present the
Vichy
French with an impressive array of force
in the guise of Force M. However this
part of the plan was immediately negated
by the fog]
[One
of the
Swordfish led the two French aircraft to
Ouakam airfield. Following which the
Swordfish was to observe the landing and
report back.
The
two Caudron
C 272's carried Free French air force
officers who were representatives of de
Gaulle and were to land on the military
airfield and attempt to bring their
fellow air force officers over to the Free
French side and to pave the way for the
landing of further French air force
officers and the later landing in the
harbour by emissaries of General de
Gaulle.
Four
Swordfish
carried further Free French officers who
were to be landed at Ouakam
airfield if the mission of the crews of
the two Caudron C 272's was a success.
Four
Swordfish
carried leaflets that they dropped over
Dakar. At around 0545 when
over Dakar the battleship RICHELIEU and
the Forts on the Ile de GorŽe opened
fire on the Swordfish, without achieving
any hits.
Two
Swordfish
to carry out photo
reconnaissance.
Two
Swordfish to carry out A/S patrols.
On
landing
the Free French officers saw troops on
their morning parade they seized the
officer in charge and bound him while the
troops stood by. This led the Free
French to believe that their mission would
be successful so they spread out
markers announcing their success. Other
Vichy officers soon arrived and
arrested the Free French.
The
patrolling
Swordfish signalled success, but then
observed Vichy French Curtis
Hawk 75A-3 fighters taking off and at the
same time the Swordfish came under AA
fire from the ground.
When
ARK
ROYAL received the signal about the
fighters all the Swordfish, except the two
on A/S patrol, were recalled]
[At
0600 the Free French sloop SAVORGANAN DE
BRAZZA was about four miles south of the
Ile de GorŽe when she dropped off two
launches with emissaries from de Gaulle,
led by Capitaine de Corvette Georges
Thierry d'Argenlieu. The launches
proceeded under a white flag and berthed
in
the harbour at around 0700. On landing
d'Argenlieu was met by an officer with a
drawn revolver, but later friendlier
officers arrived and d'Argenlieu
informed
them that he had letters to deliver to
the Governor General and insisted that
he hand them over personally. The naval
CINC Admiral Landriau was contacted;
Admiral Landriau dismissed the envoys
story as bluff, partly because he
couldn't see the invasion force, and
ordered that the emissaries be arrested.
When d'Argenlieu was told he was to be
arrested the Free French party jumped
back into their launches and made off. A
few shots were fired at the launches,
one of which seriously wounded
d'Argenlieu.
At 0755 the RICHELIEU opened fire on the
SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA followed shortly
afterwards by the battery on the Ile de
GorŽe.
The party were eventually picked up by the
SAVORGANAN DE BRAZZA. So ended the
attempt at negotiation]
[The
news of the landing of the Free French
aircraft at Ouakam quickly reached Pierre
Franois Boisson, the Governor
General, followed by news of the
emissaries landing in the harbour. At
0750 he called a meeting of the service
chiefs following which he immediately
declared a state of siege and Dakar was
put under the control of General Jean
Barrau. By 0830 Admiral Landriau had
entered
his command bunker in the harbour, from
where he had sight of the RICHELIEU, the
police were rounding up Gaullist
sympathizers and all civilians had been
confined to their homes]
At
0850 the
Swordfish on A/S patrol reported that two
submarines were leaving the harbour.
[The
submarines were the PERSƒE and AJAX,
they had been ordered by Admiral
Landriau to sail and establish patrol
lines off
Dakar. (The AJAX was attacked later
in the day by a Swordfish from ARK
ROYAL, without success)]
Aircraft
from
the ARK ROYAL maintained A/S patrols and
fighter patrols over the invasion
force throughout the day.
[Throughout
the day the area of operations
remained shrouded in fog, at no time was
the visibility in excess of two miles]
24th
– ARK ROYAL was operating south of Dakar.
At about 0645 ARK ROYAL flew off
six Skuas of 800 Sqd each armed with a 500
lb SAP bomb and six Swordfish of 820
Sqd. The mission of the Skuas was to
attack the battleship RICHELIEU which was
moored alongside the outer mole of Dakar
harbour with its main armament facing
almost due south. The mission of the
Swordfish was to attack Fort Manoel which
was armed with two 240mm guns and was the
fort nearest to the attacking force.
[At
0700
the six Skuas in line astern dived through
the fog to bomb the RICHELIEU, one
near miss was achieved, that caused
minimal damage.
At
0720 the
six Swordfish attacked Fort Manoel, hits
were claimed, but despite its canvas
roof, no hits were achieved and the output
of the battery was not affected]
At
about 0845
ARK ROYAL flew off six Swordfish of 810
Sqd each armed with a torpedo, their
target was the RICHELIEU.
[At
0910
the six Swordfish attacked the RICHELIEU
without scoring any hits. Three were
shot down two by AA fire and one by a
fighter. One the shot down aircraft
crashed
landed in the bay near the light cruiser
GEORGES LEYGUES. Before the plane sank
the French managed to retrieve its signal
code book]
[At
1230
the Vichy French destroyer LE HARDI picked
up an injured British airman]
At about 1445 ARK ROYAL flew off
nine Swordfish each armed with a torpedo
escorted by three Skuas. The target of
the Swordfish was the light cruisers
GEORGES LEYGUES and MONTCALM who were
manoeuvring in Rufisque Bay and
constituted a threat to the transports.
[At
1534
the eight (one was forced to ditch en
route to the target) Swordfish commenced
their attack through a barrage of AA fire,
two were shot down almost
immediately one by the destroyer LE MALIN
and the other by MONTCALM. At the
time of the attack the MONTCALM was almost
stopped but quickly worked up to 20
knots and managed to avoid the three
torpedoes fired at her; GEORGES LEYGUES
also managed to avoid the one torpedo
fired at her. Three explosions, hits,
were reported by the attackers but these
turned out to be prematures]
Throughout
the
day ARK ROYAL maintained A/S and fighter
patrols. However the A/S patrols
failed to sight the Vichy French submarine
BƒVEZIERS returning to harbour in
the evening after having been on patrol 10
miles south of Ile de GorŽe.
[During
the
day ARK ROYAL lost six Swordfish most of
the crews became POW's of the Vichy
French. The crew of Swordfish L2844 of 810
Sqd were picked up by the destroyers
ESCAPADE and ECHO.
Also
lost
was Skua 7K, L2954 of 803 Sqd the crew
were picked up by the destroyer ECHO]
25th
-
ARK ROYAL
was operating south of Dakar.
[The
weather on this day was light airs, flat
calm sea, clear skies and maximum
visibility. After much confusion and the
exchange of signals between the CINC
Force M, the Admiralty and Churchill the
operation was to be continued into a
third day]
ARK
ROYAL's
aircraft were not required for strikes
today, even though ARK ROYAL had put
forward a proposal for a dawn strike on
Ouakam airfield. So ARK ROYAL was to
provide only A/S and fighter patrols.
[At
around
0630 a Swordfish from ARK ROYAL on patrol
over the harbour reported the light
cruisers GEORGES LEYGUES and MONTCALM
manoeuvring in Rufisque Bay and
destroyers in position ready to lay smoke
screens. The report also observed
that the RICHELIEU was now moored to the
outer mole by her bow and a tug was
secured to her stern so she could be swung
to bring her guns on to the most
effective bearing]
[At
0530 six Vichy French Curtis Hawk 75A-3
fighters were airborne, at 0652 one of
them sighted Force M steaming up from
the south to carry out what the CINC
Force M hoped would be the 'knock out'
blow.
At 0740 the lookout at Fort Manoel sighted the
BARHAM and RESOLUTION steaming up from
the south]
[As
the British battleships steamed towards
their bombardment positions, their
movements were observed by Capitaine de
Corvette Pierre Lancelot
the CO of the Vichy French submarine
BƒVEZIERS.
On the 24/9/40 the BƒVEZIERS had tried three
times to achieve a firing position from
where she could launch torpedoes at the
British battleships, but each time he
had been frustrated by air attack from
ARK ROYAL's Swordfish. At 1700/24 the
BƒVEZIERS returned to Dakar harbour to
recharge her batteries.
Admiral Landriau, who together with the CO of the
RICHELIEU Capitaine de Vaisseau
Marzin had studied the courses taken by
the British battleships in the first
two days of the operation which they
noted, was a course that kept them out
of
range of the 240mm guns of the GorŽe and
Mamelles batteries. At 0400/25 the
BƒVEZIERS had been ordered to sea by
Admiral Landriau and given a position
that
she take up in expectation that the next
arrival of the bombarding force would
be in accordance with their previous
positions.
At 0904/25 the BƒVEZIERS achieved a firing
solution on the RESOLUTION and fired a
salvo of 4 torpedoes from 2500 yards at
RESOLUTION, 3 missed but at 0910 the
fourth hit
her on the port side amidships. This
immediately caused flooding in her port
boiler-rooms and she instantly took on a
12¼ list to port and was down by the
bow. Her main armament was rendered in
operative as the turrets jammed up.
At 0913
AUSTRALIA was damaged by two 155mm shell hits,
but
the damage did not require her
withdrawal from the operation and there
were no
injuries to the crew.
At 0915 BARHAM
was hit in the bows by a 380mm shell
from RICHELIEU.
At 0917 the
DEVONSHIRE and AUSTRALIA were ordered to
withdraw. At the same time AUSTRALIA's
Walrus was shot down astern of the
BARHAM.
At 0930 the CINC Force M Vice Admiral Cunningham
called off the bombardment
and the Force turned south.
Following a
discussion between the force commanders
the CINC Force M signalled the
Admiralty reporting the events of the
morning with his recommendation to call
off Operation MENACE.
At the War
Cabinet meeting that commenced at 1130,
the signal was discussed and at 1327
Churchill signalled the CINC Force M,
'Unless something has happened which we
do not know, which makes you wish to
attempt landing in force, you should
forthwith break off'. The CINC Force M
signalled back; 'Concur in breaking
off'. So ended the debacle of Operation
MENACE]
At
1200 hours the various units of Force M
including the ARK ROYAL set course
south to return to Freetown. ARK ROYAL's
aircraft provided fighter cover for
the RESOLUTION who was severely damaged
and making slow progress.
At
around 1700 the Vichy French submarine
SIDI
FERRUCH, from Conakry,
French Guinea, attempted an attack on ARK
ROYAL. The SIDI FERRUCH was sighted
by ARK ROYAL's A/S patrol and forced to
dive and stay submerged.
At
1800 the
destroyers FAULKNOR
and
FORESTER joined ARK ROYAL's screen.
26th
–
ARK ROYAL steering
south at slow speed to provide aircraft
cover for the damaged RESOLUTION who
was now under tow by BARHAM.
27th
- ARK ROYAL steering south
at slow speed to provide aircraft cover
for the damaged RESOLUTION who was now
under tow by BARHAM.
28th
-
ARK ROYAL steering south
at slow speed to provide aircraft cover
for the damaged RESOLUTION who was now
under tow by BARHAM.
At
1400 ARK ROYAL
arrived at Freetown.
29th
– ARK ROYAL
was at Freetown.
30th
–
At 0615 ARK ROYAL,
heavy cruiser AUSTRALIA and the destroyers
FORTUNE, GREYHOUND and FORESTER
departed Freetown for the Clyde.
OCTOBER
1st
to
4th – ARK
ROYAL and escort were en route to the UK.
5th
–
When on the latitude
of the Azores the AUSTRALIA was detached
to investigate a
rumour of an invasion force heading for the
Azores.
6th
-
ARK ROYAL and escort were
en route to the UK.
7th
–
Late afternoon when
off Northern Ireland ARK ROYAL flew off
the Swordfish of 818
Sqd to RNAS Campbeltown
8th
– At around 0800 the ARK ROYAL was off the
Firth of Clyde when she commenced flying
off the rest of her air component, 800
Sqd to RNAS
Crail, 803 and 820 Sqds to
RNAS
Dinibristle
and 810
Sqd to RNAS
Arbroath.
At around 1300 the ARK ROYAL arrived at
Liverpool.
She entered Gladstone dock and was
placed
in the hands of Cammell, Laird & Co.
Ltd for a short refit which included
repairs
to her machinery and the installation of a
new flight deck barrier. The new
barrier speeded up flying on operations
and this reduced the time that ARK
ROYAL had to remain on a set course for
recovery operations.
9th
to
28th ARK
ROYAL at Liverpool under refit.
29th
–
Early in the morning ARK ROYAL sailed from
Liverpool for the Clyde en route she flew
on Swordfish of 810 Sqd from RNAS Arbroath
and Swordfish of 818 Sqd from Campbeltown.
In
the evening ARK ROYAL arrived off
Greenock.
30th
–
ARK ROYAL off Greenock embarking stores.
31st –
In
the morning the ARK ROYAL sailed into the
Firth
of Clyde to land on the remainder of her
air component; 12 Skuas of 800 Sqd
from RNAS Prestwick, 12 Fulmars of 808 Sqd
(this was the first Fulmar Sqd formed
and the second one to embark on a carrier.
They were 40mph faster than the
Skuas) from RNAS Donibristle and 12
Swordfish of 820 Sqd from RNAS
Campbeltown.
[808
Sqd was formed at Worthy Down on 1/7/40
with 12
Fulmar Is. After working up it moved to Castletown,
Isle of Man on 5/9/40 and carried out land
based patrols over the Western
Approaches and Irish Sea. On 2/10/40 it
moved to Donibristle in preparation for
joining ARK ROYAL]
At
1800 the ARK ROYAL was joined by the
heavy cruiser BERWICK, light cruiser
GLASGOW and the
destroyers ISIS, FOXHOUND and DUNCAN in
company was the Free French liner HMT
PASTEUR
30477grt. The force was bound for
Gibraltar.
[The
PASTEUR had embarked army units, 4th
Battalion the Buffs, two 25pdr field
batteries, 67troops of the
1st Independent
Troop, Royal Tank Regiment,
gunners of one
light AA and two heavy AA batteries,
together with Navy and Air Force
personal,
in all a total of 2150; for Gibraltar
and onward passage to Malta. The heavy
equipment was to be transported in
Operation COLLAR]
NOVEMBER
1st
to 5th
–
The ARK ROYAL force
was en route to Gibraltar.
6th
–
At around 0400 the destroyers
VIDETTE and WRESTLER joined the force from
Gibraltar.
At
around 0430 the
ARK ROYAL and the destroyers VIDETTE and
WRESTLER detached for Gibraltar.
At
1315 ARK ROYAL
and the destroyers VIDETTE and WRESTLER
arrived at Gibraltar.
[At
1430 the BERWICK and GLASGOW arrived at
Gibraltar and at 1630 the PASTEUR and
destroyers ISIS, FOXHOUND and DUNCAN
arrived at Gibraltar]
At
1500 the Flag
Officer Force H, Vice Admiral Somerville
hoisted his flag in ARK ROYAL.
7th
–
At 1800 Force H
comprising, the ARK ROYAL (Flag CINC Force
H), light cruiser SHEFFIELD (fitted
with air warning radar Type 79Y, range
60NM) and the destroyers DUNCAN, FAULKNOR
(D8), FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FURY, FORTUNE,
FOXHOUND and ISIS. In company was
Force F, comprising the battleship BARHAM,
heavy cruiser BERWICK, light cruiser
GLASGOW and the destroyers GREYHOUND,
GALLANT and GRIFFIN departed Gibraltar on
Operations COAT and CRACK.
[Operation
COAT was an operation to transport
the troops carried to Gibraltar on board
PASTEUR onward to Malta. BARHAM (700
embarked), BERWICK (750
embarked, these
included troops of the 12th Field
Regiment RA. She also carried 12 x 40mm Bofors guns for Crete),
GLASGOW (400 embarked) and
GREYHOUND, GALLANT and GRIFFIN (50
embarked on each); also the
Force H destroyers FAULKNOR,
FORTUNE and FURY (had a further
150 troops
embarked between them). After
disembarking the troops at Malta Force F
were to continue eastwards to join the
Mediterranean Fleet. The guns, tanks and
equipment for the troops were to be
conveyed to Malta by merchant ship.
Operation CRACK was an air raid by aircraft from
ARK
ROYAL on the Italian seaplane base and
airfield at Elmas near Cagliari.
The operation
was designed to draw attention away from
Force F; it was also intended to
distract attention from the planned
attack on the Italian naval base at
Taranto
(Operation
JUDGEMENT)]
8th
–
In the morning an
Italian reconnaissance aircraft sighted
the force and was shot down by one of
ARK ROYAL's fighters.
At
1530 in
approximate position 37-43N, 2-04E the ARK
ROYAL, escorted by SHEFFIELD, GLASGOW,
DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FOXHOUND and
ISIS detached from Force F, increased
speed and steered for a position south
west of Cagliari.
At
around 1800
SHEFFIELD's Radar picked up an
unidentified aircraft approaching from the
north
east. The aircraft was a
Savoia-Marchetti
SM79, probably from Sardinia
[The
lone SM 79 was at 3,000ft some 50 miles
south
of Sardinia when it was shot down by a
Fulmar of 808 Sqd piloted by Lt Rupert Tillard,
observer Lt Mark Somerville. Tillard's
attack appeared to kill the rear gunner,
and he then shot the aircraft down
into the sea. This was 808 Sqds first
victory]
9th
-
At 0430 ARK ROYAL flew off
9 Swordfish each armed with six x 250lb
bombs to carry out Operation CRACK the
attack
on the Italian seaplane base and airfield
at
Elmas near Cagliari. After launching the aircraft Force H turned south
easterly to RV with Force F.
[At
0950 red section
Fulmars of 808
Sqd intercepted an
Italian Cant Z-506B of the 196a
Squadr“glie at 6500
ft that was shadowing Force H.
The shadower
was
shot down by Lt Tillard
the CO of 808 Sqd].
At
around 1015 ARK ROYAL flew off a section
of three
Fulmars to Malta; these were for onward
passage to join 806 Sqd on the aircraft
carrier ILLUSTRIOUS
By
1035 ARK ROYAL
had recovered all the strike force.
[At
1100 SHEFFIELD's radar picked up 20 plus
unidentified aircraft approaching from
the north; these turned out to
Savoia-Marchetti
SM79's from Decimomannu airfield
Sardinia]
[When
SHEFFIELD's radar picked up the
approaching
aircraft ARK ROYAL had three Fulmars of
808 Sqd and six Skuas, 6F L3015, 6G
L2952, 6H L3017, 6K L2908, 6L L3049 and 6M
L3007 of 800 Sqd airborne. These
aircraft were immediately vectored towards
the attacking Italians.
At
1115 Fulmars of red section 808 Sqd
attacked a
formation of 25
SM 79s about ten miles from the carrier.
Lt Tillard
attacked
the leader of one formation. This bomber
was reported to have crashed into the
sea by another pilot, and by watchers on
the GLASGOW.
At
1130 the Skuas joined the fight and
claimed hits
to several bombers, but none shot down.
Actually
none of the SM 79s were lost, but of the
25
taking part, 18 were hit, many members of
the crews being killed or wounded]
The
SM 79's that got through the fighters
carried
out a high level bombing attack on Force
H, there were several near misses but
no hits.
At
around 1200 Force H RVed with Force F;
following
which ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD, DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FOXHOUND and
ISIS
turned westerly to return to Gibraltar.
10th
-
ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD,
DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FOXHOUND and
ISIS en route to Gibraltar.
11th
–
At 0930 ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD,
DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FOXHOUND and
ISIS arrived at Gibraltar.
12th
– The ARK ROYAL was
at Gibraltar.
At
1400 the battle
cruiser RENOWN arrived at Gibraltar.
13th
- The ARK ROYAL was at
Gibraltar. Vice Admiral Somerville struck
his flag and transferred his flag to
RENOWN.
14th
- Aircraft carrier ARGUS,
with 12 Hurricanes embarked for Malta,
with destroyers WISHART, WRESTLER,
VIDETTE arrived at Gibraltar later for
operation WHITE.
15th
– At 0400 Force H comprising, the RENOWN
(Flag CINC Force H), aircraft carriers ARK
ROYAL and
ARGUS, light cruisers SHEFFIELD and
DESPATCH, destroyers FAULKNOR (D8),
FORESTER,
FURY, WISHART, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND,
FORTUNE and DUNCAN sailed from Gibraltar
on
Operation WHITE.
[Operation
WHITE was an operation to deliver
12 Hurricanes to Malta. The Hurricanes
were to be flown off the ARGUS. Somerville was also planning to carry out a strike against
the
airfield at
Alghero,
north
west Sardinia]
After
sailing the
force was divided into Force A that
comprised the ARGUS, DESPATCH and the
destroyers
FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND
and FORTUNE.
Force
B that
comprised the RENOWN, ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD
and the destroyers FURY, WISHART and
DUNCAN.
[The
sailing of Force H was observed by
Italian agents in Spain and details were
immediately communicated to Supermarina
(Italian Naval HQ). On receipt
of the sighting report
Supermarina concluded that the British
force was probably going to carry out a
further attack on airfields on Sardinia.
16/11 based on
this intelligence Supermarina ordered a
force of two battleships VITTORIO
VENETO and CIULIO CESARE, (these two battleships had only recently
arrived at Naples having sailed from
Taranto after Operation JUDGEMENT) two
heavy cruisers and destroyers to sail
from Naples to an interception point
south west of Sardinia.
Early on 17/11 the Italian force was sighted by
a reconnaissance plane from Malta and its composition and
position
was signaled to the CINC Force H.
By the morning of the 17/11 the Italian Force
was
about 30NM south west of Sardinia]
16th
–
Force A and B were
sailing easterly, in worsening weather,
restricted in speed of advance by the
ARGUS who was
barely
capable of 16 knots.
At
1200 the weather
deteriorated
further and flying
operations were cancelled. Also because of
the weather Somerville abandoned his
plan to carry out a strike against
Alghero airfield.
17th
–
[Early
in the morning Somerville received the
signal informing him that an Italian
naval force was heading towards southern
Sardinia. From this intelligence
Somerville considered that this force
could
well be intent on engaging his much
weaker force, so he decided to launch
the
Hurricanes as soon as possible. Under
ideal conditions the Hurricane Mk 1 had
a
maximum range of 520NM at 10000ft, the
wind at 0500 was westerly, about 20
knots at 2000ft, this was the height
that the Hurricanes were ordered to fly
at, and the forecast from Malta was of a
westerly wind. Therefore Somerville
took the decision to launch 400NM from
Malta]
At
0500 Force A
detached and went ahead to the flying off
position.
[At
0615 in position 37 29N, 6-43E the first
flight of six Hurricanes lead by a FAA
Skua
took off from
ARGUS. Only four of the first flight
reached RAF
Luqa.
The Hurricanes took time forming up, consuming
valuable fuel, before setting off
westerly following the Skua. En route near
Galite
Island they RVed with a Sunderland of 228 Sqd from Malta. Two Hurricanes crashed about 30NM
short
of Malta; one pilot was rescued by the
Sunderland, the other was never found.
The four remaining Hurricanes and the
Skua
landed at Luqa at 0920.
At 0715 in
position 37-24N, 6-52E the second flight
of six Hurricanes lead by a FAA Skua
took off from ARGUS. Soon after
launching the wind veered from south
west to south east, this not only slowed
their westerly advance but also blew
them towards Sicily. The Sunderland that
should have RVed with this flight failed
to take off due to engine problems. All
six of the second flight were lost en
route to Malta there were no survivors
from the Hurricanes.
The Skua 6G, L2987 of 800 Sqd crashed
landed
on south west coast of Sicily, the
beach at Punta Palo near
Syracuse. The pilot Petty
Officer (A) W. E. J.
Stockwell, observer
P/T/A/Sub Lt (A) R. C. Neil were
taken prisoner.
A RAF Martin
Maryland of flight 431 was sent out from
Malta to search for the missing
aircraft but failed to sight any
survivors]
At
0830 Force A
rejoined Force B and course was set for
Gibraltar at
ARGUS' best speed and in deteriorating
weather.
By
1400 the Force
was steaming into a full gale and speed
was reduced to 15 knots, and later to
9knots
At
1545 the
SHEFFIELD detached and pressed on ahead to
Gibraltar.
[At
1500 the CINC Force H, received a signal
from the Admiralty reporting that the
panzerschiffe ADMIRAL SHEER was thought to be in the vicinity
of
the Azores
(the report was incorrect, at the
time the SHEER was about 1350NM south
west of the Azores replenishing from the
NORDMARK).
The CINC Force H was ordered to proceed
with dispatch to Gibraltar with RENOWN
and ARK ROYAL. the
CINC Force H compromised and sent the
SHEFFIELD on ahead.
At 1805 the SHEFFIELD took a huge wave over her
forecastle which caused structural
damage. SHEFFIELD arrived at Gibraltar
at
1800/18/11/40]
18th
–
Force H was steaming
westward towards Gibraltar.
19th
– At 0300 Force H
arrived back at Gibraltar.
[Just
before arriving at Gibraltar the
Admiralty order to the CINC Force H to
search for the ADMIRAL SHEER was
cancelled]
20th
to 24th
–
The ARK ROYAL was at
Gibraltar.
Whilst
at Gibraltar
Captain Holland expressed his concern to
the CINC Force H regarding the urgent
need for training of the Swordfish
aircrews, many of whom were inexperienced
in
strike operations, especially torpedo
attacks. However, due to the lack of
suitable shipping targets in Gibraltar at
the time the CINC Force H was unable
to help.
[The
next operation that involved Force H was
Operation COLLAR. Operation
COLLAR had three main objectives:-
First six
merchant ships (two from Alexandria and four from Gibraltar) were to take supplies
to Malta and one from
Gibraltar to Alexandria.
Second the
battleship RAMILLIES, too slow,
and the cruisers BERWICK, turbine
problems, and NEWCASTLE, boiler
problems, were being transferred from
the Mediterranean fleet because
Admiral Cunningham considered them
liabilities.
Thirdly the
cruisers MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON
(each
carrying
660 and 760 respectively, RAF and Army
personnel for Egypt) with four
corvettes fitted with LL sweeps
for sweeping magnetic mines were to pass
through the Mediterranean and join the
Mediterranean Fleet.
Somerville
informed the Admiralty that because of
the possibility of the Italian Navy
intervening in Operation COLLAR he
considered the inclusion of the
battleship
ROYAL SOVEREIGN, which was repairing at
Gibraltar,
should be included in his force. The
Admiralty agreed, but ROYAL SOVEREIGN
could not be completed in time for
inclusion in the operation. For
operation
Force H was designated Force B and all
the other vessels sailing east were
designated Force F. Force F was under
the command of
Vice Admiral
Holland who was of equal rank to
Somerville]
[21st
–
The light cruiser MANCHESTER (Flag of
Vice Admiral
Lancelot
Holland
CS18) and the troopship HMT
FRANCONIA 20158grt (with 1420, mainly RAF
ground crews
for air reinforcements being flown to
Egypt from Takoradi
and some Army personnel embarked) escorted by
the
destroyers DUNCAN and FORESTER arrived
at Gibraltar]
[When
CS18 was
made aware that MANCHESTER and
SOUTHAMPTON were to be attached to Force
F,
maximum speed 16 knots, he objected to
the CINC Force H; stating that with so
many passengers on board the cruisers
would not be in a condition, should it
become necessary, to fight. Further CS18
considered the safe and timely arrival
of the RAF and army personnel should
take precedence over his cruisers being
attached to the slow Force F. Since CS18
and CINC Force H were of equal rank
the matter was referred to the
Admiralty. The Admiralty signalled
'personnel',
but later amended the reply to 'CS18's
cruisers 'must be the same as if
personnel were not on board']
[22nd
– The light cruiser SOUTHAMPTON
arrived at Gibraltar]
[23rd
– The destroyers JAGUAR and
KELVIN and the corvettes SALVIA,
HYACINTH, PEONY and GLOXINIA arrived at
Gibraltar.
The light cruiser DESPATCH arrived at Gibraltar]
[24th
– The light cruiser
SHEFFIELD
arrived at Gibraltar.
In Gibraltar
harbour
the 1400 RAF and
Army personnel were transferred to
MANCHESTER
and SOUTHAMPTON, 700 embarked on
each]
[At
2400/24/11
part of Force F comprising the
destroyers
DUNCAN
(D13)
and
HOTSPUR and the corvettes PEONY, SALVIA,
HYACINTH and GLOXINIA sailed from
Gibraltar and steered into the
Mediterranean to join the British MT
ships SS CLAN
FORBES 7529grt, SS CLAN FRASER 7529grt (At
0315/6/4/41
the CLAN FRASER was in Piraeus
harbour loaded
with armaments and 250 tons of TNT
when she was bombed by the Luftwaffe
and her
cargo exploded. The shock wave of the
blast was felt fifteen miles away in
Athens. White hot debris detonated the
ΤΝΤ in other ships moored
nearby, setting them and buildings
ashore, on fire. By morning Piraeus
port had
been severely damaged) (The Malta bound ships were
carrying
of 4 Infantry
MKII's, Matilda, tanks 2 MKIV B's. The Matildas
were
later named Faulknor,
Gallant, Greyhound and Griffin
after the destroyers which escorted the
convoy)
and
MV NEW ZEALAND
STAR 10,740grt. Operation COLLAR was
under way]
25th
–
[At
0300
DUNCAN, HOTSPUR, PEONY, SALVIA, HYACINTH and
GLOXINIA joined CLAN FORBES, CLAN
FRASER, NEW ZEALAND STAR and their
escort of
destroyers VELOX, VIDETTE and WRESTLER.
VELOX and WRESTLER then detached for Gibraltar.
The
convoy then became Force F and steered
easterly into the Mediterranean]
At
0700 Force B
(Force H) comprising RENOWN (Flag CINC
Force H), ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD, DESPATCH
and the destroyers FIREDRAKE, FAULKNOR
(D8), FORESTER, FURY, WISHART, DUNCAN,
ENCOUNTER, JAGUAR and KELVIN.
At
same time the
remainder of Force F, comprising the
MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON sailed from
Gibraltar and steered into the
Mediterranean to join the rest of Force F
escorting the MT ships.
Force
B moved out to
the north of Force F to provide distant
cover.
[The
sailing from Gibraltar was communicated
almost immediately to
Supermarina
in Rome. Supermarina took the decision, in the aftermath of the
Taranto
attack, to abandon its 'Fleet in Being'
philosophy and attack the British
force. To carry out the interception
Supermarina ordered
Vice Admiral Inigo Campioni to
take
2 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers and 14
destroyers to
sea]
26th
–
Force B and F
continued on an easterly course.
ARK
ROYAL operated
Swordfish A/S and reconnaissance patrols
throughout the day.
[During
the days flying
operations a Fulmar of 808 Squadron
crashed astern of ARK ROYAL. Lt (E) J. P.
Coates was killed.]
[The
speed of Force F was 16 knots, which was
the maximum speed of the NEW ZEALAND
STAR and notionally the corvettes. However the best speed that the
corvettes could
achieve was 14 knots so the corvettes
were left astern to follow at their best
speed]
[At
around 1200 in response to orders from Supermarina the battleships VITTORIO VENETO
(Flag
Vice
Admiral Inigo Campioni fleet commander)
and
GUILE
CESARE
with
destroyers GRANATIERE, FUCLIERE,
BERSAGLIERE and ALPINO of the 13th
Destroyer
Division and FRECCIA, SAETTA and DARDO
of the 7th Destroyer Division departed
Naples.
Also sailing from Naples were the heavy cruisers
POLA (Flag Vice Admiral Angelo Iachino
squadron
commander),
FIUME
(Flag
Admiral
Matteucci
division commander)
and GORIZIA of 1st Cruiser Division and
destroyers
ALFIERI, CARDUCCI, GIOBERTI and ORIANI
of the 9th Destroyer Division
They were joined at sea by the heavy cruisers
TRENTO, TRIESTE
(Vice Admiral Luigi Sansonetti
division
commander)
and
BOLZANO of the
3rd Cruiser Division with destroyers
LANCIERI, ASCARI and CARABINIERI of the
12th Destroyer Division who had sailed
from Messina.
The combined force steered for the south of
Sardinia
to intercept what
Supermarina
thought was Force H
carrying out another aircraft delivery
to Malta.
The VITTORIO VENETO had been commissioned on
28/4/40
and was large, 41177 tons standard
displacement, fast 29 knots, and armed
with
nine 15" guns that had a range of 26½
miles. She was a formidable
opponent for both RENOWN and RAMILLIES]
27th
– At 0800 Force B was
in position 37-48N, 07-24E. Force F was in
position 37-37N, 06-54E and the
corvettes were 10 miles astern of Force F.
At
0800 ARK ROYAL
flew off three fighters for a CAP, one
Swordfish for an A/S patrol, one
Swordfish for a meteorological flight and
7 Swordfish to carry out reconnaissance
between north and east.
At
0900 Force B
altered course to the south west to close
Force F to provide additional AA
defence in anticipation of the first bombing
attack.
At
0906 a report was
made by one of ARK ROYAL's Swordfish,
timed at 0852 of enemy surface forces,
but this report was not received by any
ship.
At
0920 Force B was
in sight of Force F who was in approximate
position 37-37N, 7-20E.
[At
0945an
Imam
Romeo
Ro43
reconnaissance
floatplane that had been launched by the
Italian heavy cruiser BOLZANO sighted
the British Force. The sighting report
stated
one
battleship, two light cruisers, and four
destroyers, about 135 miles to the
south-west of Cape Spartivento, steering
east. The report undoubtedly referred to
the RENOWN and the ships of Force B.
However the position given was
well to the west of the actual position
and no report was made of ARK ROYAL]
At
0956 ARK ROYAL
sent a visual signal to RENOWN, repeating
an aircraft sighting report timed at
0920, reporting the presence of 5 enemy
cruisers and 5 destroyers to the north
steering south west. So at around the same
time both commanders knew of the
presence of the other force.
At
1016 ARK ROYAL signalled the RENOWN
reporting the
presence of battleships and heavy cruisers
to the NW.
[By1035
the plot in RENOWN was showing the
presence of enemy battleships, cruisers
and destroyers. Somerville ordered
DUNCAN
and HOTSPUR to remain with the MT ships
and DESPATCH and WISHART to join them;
he also ordered that COVENTRY when she
joined with Force D was also to join the
MT ships. The MT ships and escort were
then to continue towards their
destination on course 120¼ (this would
take the convoy towards the Tunisian
coast) to keep away from any action. All
other units, except ARK ROYAL and her
escort of JAGUAR and KELVIN who were to
operate independently between Force B
and Force F, to concentrate on RENOWN]
[At
1058 when Force F was in approximate
position 37-37N, 8E, a RAF Sunderland of
228
Sqd,
from Malta closed
RENOWN and reported the position of
Force D, as being 34 miles, 070¼. This
would put Force D in approximate
position 37-55N, 8-34E. Somerville then
ordered
the Sunderland to shadow and report the
composition of the enemy bearing 025¼]
[Force
D comprised battleship RAMILLIES,
heavy cruiser BERWICK , light cruiser
NEWCASTLE, anti-aircraft cruiser
COVENTRY
and the destroyers GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN,
DIAMOND, DEFENDER and HEREWARD had
departed Malta at 1200/26/11 to join
Force B]
[At
1128 Force D was sighted by RENOWN
bearing
073¼ approximately 24 miles]
[At
1128
Admiral
Campioni led his Fleet round to the
south east. He expected to encounter a
battleship or battle cruiser, with
possibly two cruisers and a few
destroyers, and he wished to bring this
about
in waters nearer to Sicily than to
Sardinia. At this time Campioni was
unaware
of Force D]
The
16 point turn was witnessed by an observer
in
one of ARK ROYAL's Swordfish and he later
reported that the manoeuvre had
thrown the Italian Fleet into utter
confusion such that several collisions
were
only narrowly avoided.
At
1130 ARK ROYAL,
screened by JAGUAR and KELVIN, flew off a
strike force of 11 Swordfish of 810
Sqd armed with torpedoes, their mission was to
attack
the Italian battleships.
[At
1135 the MANCHESTER and SHEFFIELD
launched their
Walrus
aircraft]
[At
1140 RENOWN altered course to 050¼ and
speed increased to 28 knots. At this
time MANCHESTER, SOUTHAMPTON and
SHEFFIELD
were in line ahead, speed 22 knots
working up to 29 knots, course 350¡,
about 5 miles fine on the port bow
of
RENOWN with BERWICK and NEWCASTLE
joining CS18 from the eastward.
RAMILLIES was
trying to catch up by cutting the
corner. The destroyers FAULKNOR,
FIREDRAKE,
FORESTER, FURY, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN,
DIAMOND, DEFENDER and HEREWARD were
between
the cruisers and RENOWN.
ARK ROYAL was astern of RENOWN between her and
the
MT convoy.
BERWICK signaled that she was unable to exceed
26knots due to condenser failure]
[At
1145 an
Imam Romeo
Ro43 reconnaissance floatplane that had been
launched by the Italian heavy cruiser
GORIZIA sighted and reported the
presence
of Force F]
At
1147 ARK ROYAL
signaled CINC Force H (received 1213) an
aircraft sighting report of an enemy
force of 2 battleships, 6 cruisers and
destroyers.
[At
1154 hours the RAF Sunderland reported 6
cruisers and 8 destroyers bearing 330¼,
30 miles from RENOWN and that no
battleships had been sighted]
[At
1207 RENOWN's engine room reported a hot
bearing on one shaft causing a speed
reduction to 27½ Knots]
[At
1207 the aircraft from the GORIZIA
reported the presence of Force D who had
now joined the CINC Force H and ARK
ROYAL, with the nearest enemy forces 20
miles away.
Admiral
Campioni wrote in his official report,
'was thus created which at best was
unfavourable to us both in numbers and
quality'. In reality there were two
capital ships on each side; seven
Italian 8-inch cruisers against one
8-inch
and four 6-inch British; sixteen Italian
destroyers against ten British. But
Campioni attached particular
significance to the presence of the ARK
ROYAL, whose aircraft could cause
much damage if their action was
synchronized with that of the surface
ships. He
had been warned by the Minister of
Marine that it was particularly
important to
avoid damage now that half the Italian
battle fleet had been put out of action
at Taranto. In view of these
instructions Admiral Campioni considered
that it
was his duty not to become involved in
battle in the existing circumstances.
At 1215 he
hoisted the signal to alter course to
due east, and ordered: 'Do not join
action'.
But he was too late; his
lead
cruiser
formation had already angled toward the
British and was committed to combat]
[At
1220 the heavy cruiser FIUME opened fire
on the cruisers in the van; the first 8"
salvo fell near MANCHESTER. At
the same time the Italian force were
turning to the north east to conform
with
the order not to join action.
At 1221 the
heavy cruisers POLA and GORIZIA opened
fire; their fire was concentrated on the
BERWICK.
At 1222 BERWICK was hit by an 8" shell on Y
turret, killing seven and wounding 9 and
caused a fire that took an hour to
extinguish.
At 1223 Somerville informed Cunningham that he
was
engaging the enemy.
The cruisers BERWICK, MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD and
NEWCASTLE concentrated their fire on the
TRENTO, TRIESTE and BOLZANO. The
SOUTHAMPTON fired on the FIUME, POLA and
GORIZIA.
At 1224 RENOWN opened fire at the cruiser TRENTO
at
a mean range of 26,500 yards; six salvos
were fired before the target became
lost in smoke.
At 1226 RAMILLIES fired two salvos at maximum
elevation to test the range. Thereafter
proceeding at her best speed of 20.7
knots she dropped astern and took no
further part in the action.
At 1230 RENOWN fired two salvos at the cruiser
BOLZANO.
At 1235 RENOWN fired 8 salvos, but at 1245 hours
fire was checked when the target was
lost in smoke.
At 1235 BERWICK received a second hit from an
8" shell that destroyed her after
electrical switchboard causing a loss of
power to the entire after section
including X turret]
At
1244 the eleven Swordfish led by Lt Cdr
Mervyn
Johnson from the ARK ROYAL located the two
Italian battleships 25 to 30 miles
to the eastward, screened by eight
destroyers.
[On
arrival over the Italian Fleet the
VITTORIO
VENETO was selected as the target. Johnson
overshot the VITTORIO VENETO and made
his target the GUILE
CESARE,
all
the torpedoes were dropped within the
destroyer
screen at distances from 700 to 800 yards.
One hit was claimed just abaft the
after funnel of the VITTORIO VENETO but in
fact all torpedoes missed. Admiral
Campioni reported that although the attack
was carried out with resolution it
was effectively countered by manoeuvring
and gunfire. In his turn he claimed
that two British aircraft were brought
down, whereas in fact they all returned
safely to ARK ROYAL]
[At
1300 the
two Italian battleships were sighted
from
the British cruisers, and almost
immediately large projectiles began to
fall
round the cruisers so CS18 altered
course to the south east and ordered
smoke, in
order to draw the enemy towards the
RENOWN; but the enemy did not conform so
CS18 altered back and continued the
chase.
At 1302 the cruisers in the van sighted two
Vichy
passenger liners bearing 320¼, these
vessels were carrying
French
civilians and troops. They
were left
unchallenged but did cause some initial
confusion.
At 1308 Somerville signaled CS18, 'is there any
hope
of catching cruisers', the answer was
'no'.
At 1311 RENOWN
fired two ranging salvos. Both salvos
fell well short as the range was rapidly
opening as the enemy speed away to the
north.
At 1312 with the coast of Sardinia only 30 miles
away and the enemy force withdrawing at
speed northward, Somerville called off
the chase and ordered a course of 130¼
to close the MT convoy]
[During
the action, the heavy cruiser FIUME
suffered an engine breakdown during the
battle. The destroyer LANCIERI was
badly damaged by British gunfire and was
left dead in the water. She was towed
from the scene by one of the heavy
cruisers of the 3rd Division]
[Thus
ended what the British called the
Battle of Cape
Spartivento
and the Italians
the Battle of Cape
Teulada. The only British success, other than forcing
the
superior force to turn away, was damage
to
the
Italian destroyer LANCIERE hit by a 6"
salvo from MANCHESTER. In the exchange
of fire the initial Italian cruiser
salvos were very accurate and
highlighted the difference between
Italian,
stereoscopic range finding and British
coincidence range finding gunnery;
Italian telemetry was far superior, but
Italian salvos were dispersed. British
salvos were well grouped but generally
short. Both CS18 and the CINC Force H
raised this matter with the Admiralty]
[When
Somerville called off the
pursuit of the enemy he considered
ordering a further air strike against
the Italian
battleships. However he decided against
because the attack could not take place
before 1530 by which time the enemy
fleet might well be covered by shore
defences of Cagliari. Instead, he
ordered ARK ROYAL to make an air strike
on an
enemy cruiser which had been reported
stopped and damaged some 30 miles north
of RENOWN, this was the destroyer
LANCIERI]
At
around 1330 ARK ROYAL
received orders from CINC Force H to
launch an air strike on a damaged cruiser
reported
dead in the water some 30 miles north of
RENOWN. However Captain Holland, correctly
appreciating that Admiral Somerville had
not received the report of the first
air striking force, in which a certain hit
had been claimed on the VITTORIO
VENETO, decided to send a nine Swordfish
strike against the enemy's main force
and seven Skuas to bomb the damaged
cruiser.
At
1410 ARK ROYAL
flew off a strike force of 9 Swordfish of
820 Sqd armed with torpedoes. The target for the strike force was the
damaged
battleship, but they were given permission
to attack targets of
opportunity.
[When
Lt Cdr
Stewart-Moore the leader of 9 Swordfish
sighted the Italian Fleet he decided
that the battleships were so well screened
by 10 destroyers that the planned
attack from the north hoping to be
unobserved would be impossible. So he took
the strike force around the stern of the
enemy battleships intending to attack
out of the sun. However as this meant the
strike force flew right over the three
heavy cruisers of the 1st Cruiser Division
so Stewart-Moore chose these as the
target instead. All their torpedoes
missed]
[At
1410 the
RENOWN force was attacked by 10
Savoia-Marchetti SM 79 high level
bombers of the 32o Stormo,
escorted by five Fiat CR.42s of the 153a
Squadr“glie, 3o
Gruppo Autonomo]
[At
1430 the attackers
were
set upon by seven Fulmars of 808 Sqd. Lt
Tillard
leading green section claimed one SM 79
shot down just before the
Fulmars were bounced by the CR 42s.
The
Fulmars forced the SM 79s to release their
bombs prematurely, their
bombs fell close to the destroyers but no
hits were obtained.
In
the melee no SM 79s were shot down but
eight
out of the ten were
damaged by the Fulmars and the AA fire.
One
Fulmar, N1941, was
shot down into the sea and its crew pilot
Sub Lt Martin and TAG L/A Noble were
killed. It was thought that Lt Martin had
mistaken the CR 42s for Sea Gladiators
and held his fire until it was too late.
The
Bomber claimed shot
down by Lt Tillard
may well have been a French
SNCAC
(Farman) NC.223.4 mail plane, named La Verrier,
that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea
while on a mail flight from Marseille,
France, to Beirut and Damascus. On board
was the newly-appointed Vichy High
Commissioner to Lebanon and Syria, M. Jean
Chiappe.
The
crew
reportedly radioed that they were hit by
machine-gun fire.
When
the Italian force returned to base the
fighters
reported
a combat against
seven British fighters probably,
Hurricanes, over the sea 200 km south-west
of
Cagliari. They claimed five victories with
the use of 1080 rounds]
At
1500 ARK ROYAL
flew off a strike force of 7 Skuas
of 800
Sqd armed with bombs led by Lt R M
Smeeton.
Their mission was to
attack the cruiser reported dead in the
water.
[The
Skuas failed to find the damaged cruiser, which was
in
fact the destroyer LANCIERI
then under tow
to Cagliari. However off Cape Teulada
steering northerly
up the west coast of Sardinia they sighted
the three heavy cruisers of the 3rd
Cruiser Division and they carried out a
dive bombing attack on these ships.
Near misses were scored on the BOLZANO
which failed to cause any damage no
other hits or near misses were achieved.
On
their way back to
ARK ROYAL, Skua
6F L3015, pilot Lt J A Pooper,
claimed
to have shot
down an Italian IMAM RO 43 reconnaissance
float plane. However the Italians
denied this loss]
At
1630 further bombing attacks were made on
ARK ROYAL by two groups of
8 high level SM 79 bombers. Reporting the
attack
Somerville stated that ARK ROYAL was
completely obscured by bomb splashes two
at least of which fell within ten
yards of the carrier, without causing any
damage. Bomb splinters caused damage
to the destroyers FIREDRAKE and DEFENDER.
At
1900 the detached forces sighted the MT
convoy.
After
having seen Force F and the MT convoy
safely to the north of Cape
Bon Force H reversed course and steered
for Gibraltar.
[Although
the results of the attack on the Italian
Fleet were
disappointing and reinforced Captain
Holland's fears about the lack of
training
of the Swordfish crews, Somerville had
achieved his objectives. The MT ships
had been passed through to the
Mediterranean Fleet as had the
corvettes and Force D had arrived at
Gibraltar and
all without loss to his forces]
[When
Winston Churchill
received the report of the battle he
demanded Somerville's scalp, having
questioned the admiral's offensive
spirit ever since his objections to
attacking the French at Mers-el-Kebir.
Churchill was determined to get
Somerville this time. He immediately
ordered the First Sea Lord Admiral of
the
Fleet Dudley Pound to set up a Board of
Inquiry at Gibraltar. The FSL then
despatched Admiral of the Fleet the Lord
Cork to Gibraltar]
28th
–
Force H were steering westerly heading for
Gibraltar.
During
the day ARK ROYAL had A/S patrols and
fighters airborne.
29th
– At 1430 RENOWN, BERWICK, SHEFFIELD and
destroyers FAULKNOR,
FURY, FORESTER and FIREDRAKE arrived at
Gibraltar.
At
1530 ARK ROYAL,
RAMILLIES, NEWCASTLE, DESPATCH and
destroyers DUNCAN, ENCOUNTER, WISHART,
KELVIN and JAGUAR arrived at Gibraltar.
[Though the
operation had been completely
successful, Somerville was criticized by
the
First Sea Lord Admiral Dudley Pound in
London for not continuing the pursuit of
the Italian fleet. The Admiralty had
actually set up a Board of Inquiry at
Gibraltar before Somerville returned to
base. The admiralty had dispatched
Admiral
the Lord Cork to run a board of enquiry
at Gibraltar. Lord Cork arrived on the
rock before Somerville had even returned
from the operation, but any tension as
to the result must have disappeared when
Somerville was met on the quayside by
Lord Cork who congratulated him on his
successful action. The board of enquiry
sat from the 3rd to 5th December and
their findings fully supported all of
Somerville's decisions during the
fighting, and his career continued
uninterrupted]
[After
the hearing
Somerville wrote to the First Sea Lord
to say that action taken against him was
quite unsatisfactory and hoping that,
the FSL would accept his frank opinion]
30th
& 31st
– ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
DECEMBER
1st
to 7th
– ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
8th
-
ARK ROYAL and the destroyers
FAULKNOR (D8), FIREDRAKE and FURY departed
Gibraltar for patrol in the Atlantic
and flying exercises.
[The
reason for the exercises was to give the
Swordfish crews
experience with attacking moving ships
with torpedoes. Their two attacks on the
Italian Fleet in the action of 27/11/40
had shown up their inexperience in this
form of attack]
9th
& 10th
–
Operating in the North Atlantic carrying
out flying exercises.
During the flying operations a Swordfish
and Fulmar were lost in accidents and
their
crews were saved. The 2 crew members of
the 808 Sqd Fulmar
that ditched on 10/12/40, were picked by
the FIREDRAKE.
[On
10/12/40 Hitler sanctioned
Operation MITTELMEER, the transfer
of the anti-shipping
X Fliegerkorps
from Norway to
Sicily. This was to assist Mussolini
whom Hitler believed was in danger of
being overthrown due to his failures in
North Africa, Greece and also because
of the humiliation of the Regia
Marina at Taranto]
11th
-
Operating in the North Atlantic carrying
out flying exercises, in
which a Swordfish of 818 Sqd ditched and the crew of Lt Sidney G J
Appleby, Act/Sub Lt Joseph W A Grant and
Leading A/M Leslie O Clark were lost.
ARK
ROYAL, FAULKNOR (D8), FIREDRAKE and FURY
arrived back at Gibraltar.
12th
& 13th
-
ARK
ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
14th
-
At
1100 Force H
comprising RENOWN (Flag CINC Force H),
ARK
ROYAL,
SHEFFIELD and destroyers FAULKNOR (D8),
FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FOXHOUND,
FORTUNE, FURY, DUNCAN (D 13), ISIS and
ENCOUNTER sailed from Gibraltar to
patrol in the area north of the Azores
following reports of an invasion force
near the islands.
15th
to 18th
–
Force H on patrol in the vicinity of the
Azores. During this
patrol ARK ROYAL developed a defect in one
of her six boilers; it required time
to rectify and in the meantime her speed
was reduced to a maximum of 26 knots.
Whilst
on patrol no enemy forces were sighted.
19th
–
Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
20th
-
At 1715 Force H comprising the RENOWN
(Flag CINC Force H), ARK ROYAL (restricted
to 26 knots) and destroyers FAULKNOR (D8),
FORESTER, FURY, DUNCAN (D13), ISIS
and ENCOUNTER sailed from Gibraltar and
steered into the Mediterranean on
Operation HIDE.
[Operation
HIDE
was an operation to cover the passage of
the battleship MALAYA and convoy
MG 1 from Malta to Gibraltar]
21st
–
Force H steering easterly.
[At
1250 the MALAYA sailed from Malta
screened by destroyers HEREWARD,
HYPERION and ILEX and escorting convoy
MG 1
formed of the empty freighters SS CLAN
FORBES and SS CLAN FRASER and the
personal ship HMS ULSTER PRINCE, they
were later joined by destroyers HASTY
and
HERO]
22nd
-
Force H steering easterly.
[At
0156,
24
miles 087¡ from Cape Bon
Light
HYPERION was torpedoed and seriously
damaged by the Italian submarine
SERPENTE. ILEX was detached to assist
HYPERION]
At
0940 hours off Galita
Island Force H RVed with MALAYA, HASTY,
HEREWARD and HERO and convoy MG 1.
Force
H and the joining
vessels then steered westerly towards
Gibraltar.
24th
- At 1000, Force H with MALAYA, HASTY, HEREWARD and
HERO and convoy MG 1 arrived at Gibraltar.
25th
- At 1038 hours Force H comprising RENOWN (Flag
CINC Force H), ARK ROYAL
(restricted to 26 knots) , SHEFFIELD,
FAULKNOR (D8),
FOXHOUND,FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE, DUNCAN (D13),
HEREWARD, HERO and WISHART sailed
from Gibraltar into the Atlantic and
steered north westerly to go to the aid of
convoy WS 5A.
[On
30/11/40
the German heavy cruiser ADMIRAL HIPPER
sailed from Kiel to carry out
raider operations in the Atlantic.
On
the night of 6-7/12/40, the HIPPER
transited the Denmark Strait and 'broke' into the North Atlantic.
On
the night of
24/12/40 the HIPPER, using her radar,
discovered a convoy (this
was
a convoy of 26 vessels comprising WS 5A
which consisted of
19
vessels with almost 14000 troops
embarked
including the 25th Australian and 5th
New Zealand Brigades and 7 faster
vessels
that had joined WS5A on 23/12/40 five of
which for Operation EXCESS)
and
shadowed it through
the night intending to attack at first
light. The nominal speed of the convoy
was 11 knots, course SSE.
At
0838/25/12/40, when
in position 43-58N, 24-15W, in rough
seas and poor visibility, the HIPPER
attacked the convoy from the west. At
the same time as HIPPER opened fire she
was sighted by the corvette CLEMATIS who
turned to attack. HIPPER's first
targets were the HMT EMPIRE TROOPER
13994grt (ex German
CAP NORTE captured 10/39)
who
was hit by an
8" shell forward on her starboard side,
killing 16; and the SS
ARABISTAN 5874grt who was also hit by
an 8" shell which passed through her
bows without exploding just missing a munitions store.
At
0840 the heavy
cruiser BERWICK opened fire on the
HIPPER and thus saved the CLEMATIS from
destruction. The BERWICK turned towards
the HIPPER and was later joined by the
light cruisers BONAVENTURE
and DUNEDIN. Orders were given for the
convoy to scatter.
On sighting BERWICK the HIPPER
turned away and the two ships were then
on parallel courses. There then
commenced an exchange of fire between
the two heavy cruisers.
Until 0905 no hits were registered,
then an 8" shell struck and disabled
BERWICK's X turret, four marines were
killed and one seriously wounded.
At 0908 BERWICK was hit by two
8"shells, only one exploded abreast
of B turret below
the waterline, this disabled B turret
and caused flooding, the other put a
4" gun out of action.
At 0914 the HIPPER having fired 174
x 8" shells, broke off the action, she
was low on fuel and her engines
were giving trouble, and headed west.
At around 1530 HIPPER was in
position 44-15N, 27-45W when she
encountered the independent SS JUMNA
6078grt, from
the dispersed convoy OB 260. The JUMNA
was sunk with the loss of all on board.
Late on 27/12/40 the HIPPER arrived
at Brest]
Force
H
sailed into a full gale and heavy seas,
RENOWN sustained damage to starboard
bulge which peeled back for a distance of
30 feet forcing her to reduce speed
to 20 knots.
26th
- During the day the weather
moderated slightly so ARK ROYAL was able
to fly off reconnaissance aircraft.
27th
–
The weather was too rough for
flying.
In
the
morning Force H arrived in the general
position that it was expected that the
convoy was but there was no sign of any
vessels.
Force
H then spent
many hours rounding up the scattered ships
of convoy WS 5A.
[The
SHEFFIELD detached to escort the MV
ESSEX to Gibraltar.
The
Destroyers DUNCAN and HERO were detached
to assist troopship HMT
EMPIRE TROOPER]
Later in the day Force H left the area and steered for
Gibraltar.
28th
&
29th – Force H en route for Gibraltar.
30th
-
At
0830
Force
H
comprising RENOWN, ARK ROYAL, destroyers
FAULKNOR, DUNCAN, HASTY, HERO, JAGUAR
and FIREDRAKE arrived at Gibraltar.
[The
aircraft carrier ARGUS and light cruiser
DUNEDIN with destroyers FORTUNE and
FOXHOUND with the merchant ships
steamers
NORTHERN PRINCE, CLAN MACDONALD, EMPIRE
SONG from the WS 5A convoy arrived at
Gibraltar. The ARGUS had embarked 5
Swordfish of 821X flight; these 5
aircraft
were flown off to North Front airfield
prior to being flown on to ARK ROYAL]
31st
–
ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
1 9 4 1
JANUARY
1st
to 6th
-
ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar. ARK ROYAL's engineering staff were working on
her defective boiler.
[On 2/1/41 the Chief of
the Italian Air Staff, General Francesco
Pricolo,
broadcast a message of welcome to the
German air units arriving in Italy to
partake in the air and naval struggle in
the Mediterranean. By this time
British intelligence was aware that
Luftwaffe transport aircraft were
already
moving personnel to Sicily. On 5/1/41 a
reconnaissance aircraft from Malta flew
over the Sicilian airfields, but found
nothing unusual. However by this date
only seven Luftwaffe bombers had arrived]
[At
the turn of the year Gibraltar was hit
by
extreme weather and this considered with
the
harbour being full of shipping. On 1/1/41
the MV NORTHERN PRINCE 10927grt dragged
her anchor and ran aground and the MV
CLAN
MACDONALD, 9653grt, cable parted]
[The
next operation that involved Force H was
Operation EXCESS. Operation EXCESS had
three main objectives:-
One
was to cover the
passage of a convoy of 4 merchant ships,
SS CLAN CUMMING 7264grt, MV CLAN
MACDONALD 9653grt and SS EMPIRE SONG
9228grt for Piraeus and MV ESSEX
11063GRT (with
4000
tons of ammunition, 3000 tons of seed
potatoes and a deck cargo of 12
crated Hurricanes) for Malta. The
NORTHERN PRINCE was unable to sail so
her 400 embarked troops were transferred
to the BONAVENTURE.
Two
cover the passage
of Force F, comprising the light cruiser
BONAVENTURE and the destroyers DUNCAN (D13),
HASTY, HEREWARD and HERO,
reinforcements
for the Mediterranean Fleet.
Three
cover the passage
of Force B, units from the Mediterranean
Fleet]
[6/1/41in the evening
Operation EXCESS commenced with the
sailing of Force F from Gibraltar. Force
F
comprised the 4 merchant ships, the
cruiser BONAVENTURE and destroyers
DUNCAN,
HASTY, HEREWARD and HERO (the
cruiser
and the destroyers had embarked 400
troops from the damaged merchant ship MV
NORTHERN PRINCE) steered west
into
the Atlantic and after dark they
reversed course and steered through the
strait
of Gibraltar and continued steering east]
7th
– At 0800 Force H comprising RENOWN
(Flag CINC Force H), MALAYA, ARK ROYAL,
SHEFFIELD and
destroyers FAULKNOR (D8), FORESTER,
FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, FURY and
DUNCAN (D13) sailed from Gibraltar to
cover the EXCESS convoy.
Off Gibraltar ARK ROYAL flew on 5 Swordfish of 821X flight
from North Front airfield Gibraltar.
When Force H caught up with the convoy BONAVENTURE detached
and joined Force H.
Force H then took up a position to the north east of the
convoy.
8th
–
Force H and the EXCESS convoy
steered easterly towards Malta.
In the evening ARK ROYAL escorted by RENOWN, SHEFFIELD and
destroyers
FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, FORTUNE and
FIREDRAKE increased speed to reach a
position from which to fly off the
Swordfish of 821X flight to Malta.
At the same time MALAYA, BONAVENTURE and destroyers FOXHOUND
and DUNCAN detached from Force H and
joined the convoy.
[During the night of
8-9/1/40 RAF Wellington bombers,
possibly of 148 Sqd from Luqa, Malta,
bombed
Naples harbour. The battleship GUILE
CESARE
was badly damaged by 3 near misses and the VITTORIO VENETO
was hit but no serious damage was
caused. Following this attack both ships
moved to La Spezia]
9th
– At 0230 when in approximate
position 38N, 7E, ARK ROYAL flew off 5
Swordfish of 821X flight for Hal Far
airfield, Malta. (The aircraft arrived
safely at Malta at 0530/9)
At 0530 ARK ROYAL flew off Swordfish to carry out a
reconnaissance to the east of the Skerki
Channel and north to Capo Carbonara.
At around 0645 the aircraft carrying out the reconnaissance
to the east sighted two cruisers
approaching from the west and made an
enemy
sighting report. The cruisers turned out
to be the light cruisers GLOUCESTER (flag
CS3 Rear Admiral E. de F. Renouf)
and SOUTHAMPTON and
destroyer ILEX who had been sent ahead by
the CINC Mediterranean Fleet to
provide additional support for the convoy
through the Sicilian Narrows.
[One of the Swordfish reconnaissance aircraft of 818 Sqd was
forced to ditch130 miles from ARK ROYAL.
The ditched crew were sighted by a
Swordfish of 820 Sqd who vectored the
destroyer FOXHOUND to their position and
she picked up Lt A H Appleton and Sub Lt R
I W Goddard]
At 1020 off Galite Island Force B comprising cruisers
GLOUCESTER and SOUTHAMPTON and the
destroyer ILEX RVed with the convoy and
joined the escort for the passage through
the Sicilian Narrows.
The RENOWN, ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD and destroyers FAULKNOR,
FORESTER, FURY, FORTUNE and FIREDRAKE
remained in contact with the convoy to
the north.
At 1226 the CINC Force H received a negative reconnaissance
report re the Italian battle fleet, from a
228 Sqd Sunderland from Malta.
At 1320 SHEFFIELD's radar detected aircraft approaching from
the north at 11000 ft about 40 miles
distant.
At 1346 hours the force was attacked by 10 Savoia-Marchetti
SM79's bombers. The attackers were
intercepted by Fulmars of 808 Sqd and two
were shot down by a Fulmar piloted by
Lt Cd Tillard.
The bombers selected the GLOUCESTER and
MALAYA, at the head of the
convoy, as their targets and near misses
were achieved but no hits.
[Of the two SM 79's
shot down, one crewman from one bomber
was picked up by destroyer FOXHOUND; two
crew of the other bomber were picked up
by destroyer FORESTER]
At 1530 hours north of Cape Bon Force H reversed course and
set course for Gibraltar.
10th
-
Force H were steaming west for
Gibraltar.
[At 1238 the EXCESS
convoy and its escort were attacked by
40 Ju 87R-1 dive bombers from Trapani,
Sicily. The Ju 87's singled out the
ILLUSTRIOUS for attack and severely
damaged
her]
11th
-
At 1920 Force H arrived back at
Gibraltar. Prior to entering harbour ARK
ROYAL flew off six Swordfish of 820
Sqd and three Fulmars of 808 Sqd to North
Front.
[On 26/1/41 one of ARK ROYAL's Swordfish, 4H of 820 Sqd,
operating from North Front ditched in
Algeciras Bay the crew of three were
picked
up by FURIOUS' crash tender]
12th
to 27th -
ARK
ROYAL
was at Gibraltar. ARK
ROYAL's
engineering staff
were working on her
defective boiler. After 15 days of
continuous effort and with the help of
dockyard staff the boiler was finally
operational.
[By 12/1/41, Luftwaffe
X. Fliegerkorps had transferred the
following aircraft from Norway;-
At Catania, East Sicily, 80 x Ju 88A-4
of LG1 and 12 x Ju 88D-5 of 1.(F)/121.
At Comiso, South East Sicily, 27 x He 111H-6
of
KG26.
At Palermo, North East Sicily, 34 x Bf 110C-4 of ZG26.
At
Trapani, West
Sicily, 80 x Ju 87R-1 of St.G1 and St.G2]
28th
–
The ARK ROYAL escorted by the RENOWN and destroyers FORESIGHT, ENCOUNTER, FIREDRAKE and JERSEY, joined
later by destroyers FOXHOUND and JUPITER
departed Gibraltar to carry out flying
exercises in the Mediterranean. ARK
ROYAL's Swordfish carried out dummy
torpedo
attacks on the RENOWN.
On
leaving
harbour ARK ROYAL recovered her 8 aircraft
from North Front.
29th
-
RENOWN retuned to Gibraltar,
followed later in the afternoon by the ARK
ROYAL.
31st
– At 1215 Force H sailed from
on Gibraltar Operations PICKET and RESULT.
Force H was split into 4 groups:-
Group
1 was
RENOWN (Flag CINC Force H), MALAYA, ARK
ROYAL and SHEFFIELD.
Group
2 was
destroyers FEARLESS (D.8), FOXHOUND,
FORESIGHT, FURY, FIREDRAKE and JERSEY.
Group
3 was
destroyers DUNCAN (D.13), ISIS, ENCOUNTER
and JUPITER.
Group
4 was
the refuelling group with the RFA oiler
ORANGELEAF and anti-submarine trawlers
ARCTIC RANGER and HAARLEM.
[Operation PICKET was an air attack on Lake Omodeo
Dam and its hydroelectric generating
capacity which
produced 30% of Sardinias
electricity. Lake Omodeo
is a large artificial lake that was
created between
1919 and 1924. The lake was formed by a
dam on the Tirso
River in the Santa Chiara
d'Ula
gorge. The dam was situated in central
Sardinia about 23 miles inland. Operation
RESULT the bombardment of Genoa]
[The reason for the
operations was that following the attack
on Taranto the Italian Fleet withdrew
to Naples. On 10/1/41 Vickers
Wellingtons operating from Malta bombed
the
Italian Fleet anchorage at Naples. The
battleship GIULIO CESARE was damaged and
the Italian Navy withdrew its remaining
battleships further north to Genoa. The
operation to bombard Genoa was designed
to undermine Italian morale, cause
damage to the port and manufacturing
capacity and damage the Italian
battleships LITTORIO and GIULIO CESARE
that were thought to be undergoing
repairs. Even after it was ascertained
that the battleships were not in port
but were actually being refitted in La
Spezia, Genoa was kept as the primary
target. It was later discovered that the
battleship CAIO DUILIO was indeed under repair at Genoa]
FEBRUARY
1st
–
Force H en route to the
flying off position.
2nd - At 0530, in position 40-07N, 6-54E approximately 80
miles west of Cape Mannu
and 103 miles from the
target ARK ROYAL flew off 8 torpedo armed
Swordfish of 810 Sqd to carry out an
air strike against the Santa Chiara
d'Ula dam on
Lake Omodeo,
central
Sardinia (Operation PICKET). One of the
Swordfish returned early due to engine
trouble.
The
target
was 1200 ft above sea level and the
weather was overcast with the cloud base
at
1500 ft and icing conditions above the
cloud base. Due to the bad weather only
4 aircraft reached the dam and they
attacked from the east and four torpedoes
were dropped but none hit the dam. On the
run in they encountered an intense
barrage from the sides of the gorge and on
the dam. One aircraft, L7680 was shot
down when they attacked an AA site, and
the crew taken prisoner.
By
0845
hours all 6 aircraft had been recovered.
The returning aircraft thought that
three torpedoes had hit the target, but in
fact none had hit the dam.
At 0900 Force H proceeded northerly so as to be off Genoa at
dawn for Operation RESULT. During the day
the weather deteriorated until a full
gale was blowing from the North West.
At
1830 due
to weather Somerville took the decision to
call off Operation RESULT. En route
back to Gibraltar all ships carried out a
practice shoot.
4th - At 1800 hours Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
[The attack on the dam had
been planned to take place early on a
Sunday morning in the expectation that
the defences would be caught napping.
But the reverse was the case the
attacking aircraft were met with heavy
AA fire all along their run in. Because
the enemy was so alert it was thought
that there must have been a security
leak
possibly due to loose talk in Gibraltar.
After returning to Gibraltar it was
found that news of Operations PICKET and
RATION had leaked out prior to Force H
sailing. Which is why the Italians were
ready and waiting at the Santa Chiara
d'Ula dam?
For the reasons
the stated above it was considered
important to carry out the bombardment
of
Genoa, so the operation was re-scheduled
under strict security and the
employment of various subterfuges. One
of the subterfuges was to divide Force H
into 3 groups which would sail at
different times and directions]
5th
– ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
6th
– For the re-run of Operation
RESULT (also known as Operation GROG)
Force H was divided into:-
Group 1: RENOWN (Flag CINC Force H), MALAYA, ARK ROYAL and
SHEFFIELD
Group 2: Destroyers FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND,
FURY and JERSEY.
Group 3: Destroyers DUNCAN, ENCOUNTER, ISIS and JUPITER.
At 1400 convoy HG 53 of 21 merchantiles escorted by the
destroyer VELOX and the sloop DEPTFORD
sailed from Gibraltar. Groups 1 and 2
attached themselves to this convoy and
sailed out into the Atlantic.
At 1800 Group 3 sailed from Gibraltar and carried out an
anti-submarine sweep in the Strait of
Gibraltar.
At 2100 Groups 1 and 2 reversed course and steered east into
the Mediterranean.
[HG 53 was a very slow
convoy maximum speed of advance 6½
knots. Therefore by 2100 it was in
approximate position 36N, 6W. Groups 1
and 2 had proceeded ahead and to the
north of the convoy before reversing
course and re-entering the Mediterranean
in the dark]
[The subterfuges failed
and Supermarina was aware from various
sources that Force H had sailed and
believed
that it was another attack on Sardinia
or a Malta convoy.
On
the 8/1/41 various
units of the Italian fleet sailed to
intercept Force H.
At
1900/8 the
battleships VITTORIO VENETO (Flag Ammiraglio di
Armata
Angelo Jachino),
GIULIO CESARE and ANDREA DORIA with the
destroyers MAESTRALE,
LIBECCIO, GRECALE and SCIROCCO of the
10th Destroyer Division and GRANATIERE,
FUCLIERE, BERSAGLIERE, and ALPINO of the
13th Destroyer Divisions sailed from
La Spezia
At
0700/8 the heavy cruisers
TRENTO, TRIESTE and BOLZANO of the 8th
squadron with the destroyers CORAZZIERE
and CARABINIERE of the 12th Destroyer
Division sailed from Messina.
At
1145/8 the destroyer
CAMICIA NERA of the 11th Destroyer
Division joined the cruiser force from
Naples.
At
0800/9 the two
forces RVed, 40 miles west of the Strait
of Bonifacio]
7th
–
At 0200 all three groups RVed
in 36N, 04-30W. Course was then set to
pass between Ibiza and the Spanish
Mainland.
8th
–
At 0800 Force H was in
approximate position 40-30N, 3E and
sailing on a North Easterly course.
[In the
belief that Force H were carrying out an
attack on Sardinia or covering a
convoy to Malta; early on the 8/2/41
Italian aircraft from Sardinia carried
out
reconnaissance flights covering the area
to the west and south west of
Sardinia. However since Force H had
sailed north of the Balearic Islands the
air patrols failed to sight Force H]
[During the late
afternoon and early evening Force H was
sighted by a Spanish civil aircraft and
two Vichy French civil aircraft. So
Admiral Somerville had no doubt that the
presence of Force H would have been
reported and that those reports would
get
back to
Supermarina.
He therefore decided to
detach two of his destroyers to feint
towards Sardinia and make radio signals
as though they were Force H]
At 1800 in approximate position 31-30N, 4E,
Force H
turned easterly in an attempt to convince
the enemy that the target was
Sardinia. At the same time the destroyers
FIREDRAKE and JERSEY were detached
and remained north of Majorca simulating
radio traffic as though they were Force
H.
At 1900 Force H resumed its north easterly
course
steering for the Ligurian Sea.
9th
- At 0400 when in approximate position 43-11N,
8-27E ARK ROYAL and the destroyers DUNCAN,
ISIS and ENCOUNTER detached to carry
out air strikes.
The sea was rough and due to mist the
visibility
was poor.
At 0505 ARK ROYAL flew off 16 Swordfish, 12
armed
with 4 x 250lb bombs and incendiaries and
four with magnetic mines. Their
targets were the Azienda
oil refinery at Livorno (Leghorn)
and the mining of La Spezia Harbour.
At 0615 ARK ROYAL flew off Swordfish with a
fighter
escort to carry out fall
of
shot observations for the heavy units of
Force H who were to bombard Genoa.
[The attack on Livorno was carried out by 10
Swordfish. Two of the attacking force
missed the landfall and attacked the
railway station and airfield at Pisa. The
four Swordfish armed with mines
dropped them at the ends of the
breakwater. The attacks took place at
around 0545
and both forces achieved complete surprise
but shortly after arriving an
intense AA barrage opened up which was
inaccurate and no aircraft was lost to
AA fire. However, Swordfish 4G, L9773 of
820 Sqd, pilot A/Sub Lt (A) N G
Attenborough, crew A/T/Sub Lt (A) S Foote
RNVR, Leading Airman GW Halifax, was
lost along with the crew when they hit
barrage balloon cables]
By 0700 ARK ROYAL had recovered all 13
Swordfish of
the strike force.
[At 0711 one
of the spotting aircraft reported, that
no battleship was in the harbour (but
it was incorrect because the
battleship
CAIO
DUILIO
was in fact in dry dock and she
was not hit in the bombardment)]
[Between 0715
and 0745 whilst 10 miles off the Italian
coast RENOWN, MALAYA and SHEFFIELD
carried out a bombardment of Genoa. The
2 Walrus aircraft from SHEFFIELD with
Swordfish from ARK ROYAL carried out
fall of shot observations. The 3 ships
fired 273 rounds of 15", 125 rounds from
RENOWN, 782 rounds of 6" and
400 rounds of 4.5". The result was the
Italians suffered 144 casualties,
28 civil vessels sunk or damaged and
harbour installations destroyed and
damaged.
At
0754 the
bombarding force set course to the south]
At around 0800 ARK ROYAL also recovered the two
Walrus aircraft from the SHEFFIELD who had
been used to spot fall of shot; but
who could not be recovered by SHEFFIELD
because of the need to leave the area
with despatch.
[At 0800 the
Italian naval forces from La Spezia and
Messina had RVed 40 miles west of the Strait of Bonifacio. At
this time the Italian were 210 miles
south of Force H and in an excellent
position to cut off the withdrawal of
Force H. However at this time the
Italian
Fleet turned on to a South Westerly
course and 0855 and 0935 the heavy
cruisers
TRENTO and BOLZANO launched their IMAM
Ro.43float planes to carry out a
reconnaissance off the west coast of
Sardinia.
The aircraft of course failed to sight
Force H who at the time were about 170
miles to the north]
At
0845 the
ARK ROYAL Force rejoined the bombarding
Force. Force H then set course South
Westerly to pass between Majorca and the
Spanish mainland, heading back to
Gibraltar. The return journey was made at
the best speed that MALAYA could
make, which at one point was only 17
knots. At this time Somerville expected
heavy retaliation from the Regia
Aeronautica but this was not forthcoming.
ARK
ROYAL
maintained a fighter CAP of six aircraft
throughout the day. Because the wind
was from astern, ARK ROYAL had to reverse
course for take offs and landings,
therefore it was necessary for these
operations to be carried out in the
shortest possible time. During one of the
landing operations a Skua went into
the crash barrier.
[Between 0740 and 0832
Supermarina became aware of the attack
on Genoa. Supermarina then signalled Ammiraglio
di Armata
Jachino with
the news of the bombardment.
At
0950 the Italian
Fleet turned on to a northerly course to
intercept Force H]
At
1140 when
Force H was approximate position 43-24N,
8-48E a CANT Z.506 floatplane
reconnaissance
aircraft of the 287 Squadriglia
sighted Force H, but
was shot down by Skua L3015 of 800Sqd
pilot Lt JA Pooper, before they could
make a sighting report. This was the last
Skua combat success of the war.
At
1200
Force H sighted a Vichy French convoy that
was en route from Marseille to
Bizerte, whose course was route was to the
north of Corsica then south along
the east coast of Corsica. Force H ignored
the convoy and pressed on south
westerly.
At
1300 Force
H was attacked by 10 Cant Z.1007s from
Sardinia. The attack was broken up by
ARK ROYAL's fighters and two were shot
down by an 808 Sqd Fulmar piloted by Lt
Cdr
R C Tillard.
The attackers failed to achieve any hits
and further more failed to inform
Supermarina of the position of Force H.
[At 1300 the Italian Fleet was in approximate
position 42N, 7-38E and Force H were in
approximate position 43N, 8-12E; making
the two opposing forces about 65NM apart
and closing. At this time the Italian
Fleet turned west of north for the
cruisers to launch their IMAM Ro.43float
planes, the planes flew off
North Westerly and at 1316 the Fleet
turned on to a course east of north.
The Italian reconnaissance aircraft
crossed ahead of Force H's course and
then
turned parallel on a reciprocal course,
so they failed to sight Force H]
[At 1524, about fifty
miles west of Cape Corso,
The TRIESTE sighted the
masts of a ship and transmitted 'enemy
in sight' to the other Italian units. An
action with Force H appeared imminent,
and the VITTORIO VENETO who was about
32000 meters from the enemy gave the
order to load the main armament.
At 1548, the enemy were identified as a
Vichy French convoy. At this time the
Italian Fleet turned on to a course of
270¡ steering for the coast of France.
At
1600 Force H were
about 60NM from the Italian Fleet and
increasing the distance.
At
1800 the two Forces
were about 50NM apart when Ammiraglio
di Armata
Jachino
gave the order to turn north.
At
1900 the two Forces
were about 75NM apart, at this time Jachino
concluded
that he had missed Force H and Italian
Fleet turned east to return to its
bases.
It was around this time that Jachino learned
from the rescued crew of the CANT Z.506
floatplane shot down at 1140 that he
finally
realized he had missed Force H]
10th
-
At 0800 Force H were in approximate
position 40N, 2E, passing between the
Balearic Islands and the Spanish
mainland, heading for Gibraltar.
[At around 0800 the
Italian Fleet was in the Ligurian Sea
when Supermarina signalled Ammiraglio
di Armata
Jachinoand
ordered the
battleships to Naples and the heavy
cruisers to return to Messina]
11th
- At 1430 Force H arrived back at
Gibraltar.
[The bombardment of
Genoa, the bombing of
Livorno
(Leghorn) and the mining of
La Spezia harbour was one of the most
audacious operations carried out by the
Royal Navy in the Mediterranean. Force H
had sailed over a 1000 miles through
seas dominated by the Regia
Aeronautica and into the 'back
yard' of the Regia Marina. The operation
had been successfully carried out,
although the main target, the battleship
had escaped damage, and Force H had
returned without loss.
Force
H had been
extremely lucky because at 0800/9 the
Regia Marina had been in the ideal
position to cut off the retreat of Force
H, but they had been saved by the poor
visibility and the faulty liaison
between the Naval and Air High Commands.
The
official Italian
naval historian, Captain Bragadin,
stated that the
bombardment caused extensive damage in
Genoa and in the harbour, although the
CAIO DUILIO was not hit. The moral
effect was serious, all the more because
the
action of the Italian aircraft, though
obviously ineffective, was praised,
while there was no mention of the naval
sortie; as a result, the Italian people
thought the Navy had let them down.
On
23/2/41 Mussolini
addressing the Italian people stated:-
The
morale of the Axis
people is infinitely superior to the
morale of the British people. The Axis
fights in certainty of victory, while
the British fight because, as Lord
Halifax said, they have no other choice.
It is highly ridiculous to count on
the eventual moral breakdown of the
Italian people. This will never happen.
To
speak of a separate peace is idiotic.
Churchill
has not the
least idea of the spiritual forces of
the Italian people or of what Fascism
can
do. We can understand Churchill's
ordering the shelling of industrial
plants at
Genoa to disrupt work, but to shell the
city in order to break down its morale
is a childish illusion. It means that
the British do not at all know the race
temperament of the Ligurian people in
general and the Genoese in particular.
It
means that they are ignorant of the
civilian virtues and proud patriotism of
the people who gave the fatherland
Columbus, Garibaldi and Mazzini]
12th
– ARK ROYAL was at
Gibraltar.
[On
the morning of 1/2/41the German
cruiser ADMIRAL HIPPER sailed from Brest
on her second raiding mission with
orders to join up with the
battlecruisers GNEISENAU and
SCHARNHORST.
On
4/2/41
ADMIRAL
HIPPER
re-fuelled from the tanker SPICHERN.
Due to the inexperience of tanker crew
some of HIPPER's crew were sent to
assist and because HIPPER had not been
released by SKL for operations HIPPER
re-fuelled again on the following three
days.
At
0440/9/2/41 BST in
position 35-53N, 13-13W the 21 ship
convoy HG53, with only the sloop
DARTFORD
as escort, was attacked by U 37,
following the attack U 37 made a
sighting
report. On receipt of the report Danitz
sensed an
opportunity to mount a combined U boat,
air and surface attack on the convoy. Danitz
ordered U 37 to shadow the convoy and
transmit
beacon signals.
At
1600/9/2/41 in
35-54N, 14-41W five FW 200's made a low
level bombing attack on HG53 sinking 5
ships.
At first the Oberkommando
der Marine
[OKM]
was reluctant to release the ADMIRAL
HIPPER, but at 1140/10/2/41 when in
approximate position 45N, 30W, ADMIRAL
HIPPER was ordered to attack HG53.
On
the afternoon of 11/2/41, in position
37-03N, 19-50W, HIPPER sighted, stopped
and sank the SS ICELAND 1236grt,
(the Master of the ICELAND was taken
prisoner) a straggler from
convoy HG53. In deteriorating weather
the HIPPER failed
to locate HG53.
At
2355 the HIPPER's radar
located two vessels at 15Km and shortly
afterwards several others, she circled
the vessels and soon determined that it
was a slow moving convoy on a northerly
course.
At
dawn, around 0800 HIPPER discovered 19
unescorted ships of convoy SLS64.
At
0925/12/2/41 in position 37-10N, 21-
20W, ADMIRAL HIPPER opened fire
on the ships of SLS64 and quickly sank 7
and damaged three. 250 seamen from
convoy SLS64 were lost. Their deaths
have not been acknowledged in convoy
loss
statistics as the Admiralty regarded
these ships as independents
By
1000 HIPPER had fired all her
tube-loaded torpedoes and about 65% of
her 203mm head fused HE shells.
At
1040 as the convoy had by then become
well scattered and the weather
and visibility deteriorated with rain
squalls, HIPPER broke off the action]
[At 0930 BST a RRR raider report that was
picked up by the SS
EGYPTIAN
PRINCE
in
convoy HG53. At this time
EGYPTIAN PRINCE was in approximate
position
37-36N, 20-21W, however, having had no
sights for 36 hours this position was
doubtful. If the position was correct
then HIPPER was only 53NM to the South
West of HG53.
When
the Admiralty received the raider
report part of their response was to
signal Somerville at 1240/12/2/41
ordering
Force H to sail to the aid of convoy
HG53]
At 1600 RENOWN (Flag CINC FORCE H), ARK ROYAL,
SHEFFIELD and destroyers WISHART, JERSEY,
FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE and FURY sailed
from Gibraltar to cover convoy HG53.
At 2030, when Force H was in approximate position
36N, 7W, Somerville was ordered to locate
and escort troop convoy WS6A.
SHEFFIELD detached to find and escort
convoy HG53.
[At
2030/12/2/41
convoy WS6A and was in approximate
position 53-30N 19-30W and
steering approximately SSW, speed of
advance was approximately 7½ knots.
The convoy comprised 17 troop transports
with almost 23000 troops embarked and
12 MT ships. The convoy was weakly
escorted by the light cruisers
BIRMINGHAM
and PHOEBE and the AMC CATHAY]
At 2100 Force H turned on
to a North
Westerly course.
13th –
The weather
quickly deteriorated and flying became
very difficult.
At 0900 ARK ROYAL flew off
five
Swordfish reconnaissance aircraft of 820
Sqd. Due in part to the weather
conditions these aircraft sighted nothing.
When the time came for these
aircraft to land back on two of them were
unable to locate the carrier, even
thought as it transpired they were only
five miles away and searchlights were
used to try and alert them to ARK ROYAL's
position. In the end ARK ROYAL had to
transmit a D/F signal.
[Convoy
HG53
spent all day hove too in a NNW gale and
mountainous seas]
14th – The weather continued difficult for
flying.
The destroyers WISHART, JERSEY, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE
and FURY detached and returned to
Gibraltar.
At 1200 Force H was in approximate position 46N,
23W.
15th
– At 1200 RENOWN and ARK ROYAL were in
approximate position 47-10N, 30-40W. At
this time they turned south.
[At
0700 in approximate position
45-30N, 23W, the battleship RODNEY
joined
convoy
WS6A]
16th
- RENOWN and ARK ROYAL were steering southerly to join convoy
WS6A.
17th – At 0830 in approximate position 38-30N,
23W, convoy WS6A and its escort of RODNEY, BIRMINGHAM and CATHAY was joined by the
RENOWN and ARK
ROYAL
At 0900 hours RODNEY, ECLIPSE and ELECTRA detached
from WS 6A.
18th
– Convoy WS 6A steering southerly escorted by
RENOWN, ARK ROYAL and BIRMINGHAM.
19th – Convoy WS 6A steering southerly escorted
by RENOWN, ARK ROYAL and BIRMINGHAM was
joined by the battleship MALAYA.
20th
- Convoy WS 6A steering southerly escorted by
RENOWN, ARK ROYAL, MALAYA and BIRMINGHAM.
21st – At 0930 the light cruiser PHOEBE re-joined
from Gibraltar.
At 1000 hours in approximate position 30N, 31W,
RENOWN and ARK ROYAL detached from WS6A
and returned to Gibraltar.
22nd
– The RENOWN and ARK ROYAL were en route to
Gibraltar.
23rd
– Late in the day RENOWN and ARK ROYAL were
joined by the destroyers FORESIGHT,
FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE and FORTUNE from
Gibraltar.
24th
– The RENOWN, ARK ROYAL and the destroyers
FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE and FORTUNE
were en route Gibraltar
25th –
The RENOWN,
ARK ROYAL and the destroyers FORESIGHT,
FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE and FORTUNE arrived
back at Gibraltar. RENOWN went straight
into dry dock for essential repairs.
26th to 28th
–
The ARK
ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
MARCH
1st & 2nd
–
The ARK
ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
3rd –
The ARK
ROYAL escorted by the destroyers FORTUNE
and DUNCAN departed Gibraltar for
flying exercises. One of the reasons for
the exercises was to assess the flying
characteristics of the Swordfish that had
been fitted with auxiliary 60 gallon fuel
tanks, these had been fitted in the
observers position and extended the range
from four to six hours; this additional
tank also reduced the maximum speed of
the Swordfish from about 100 knots to 90
knots. When the auxiliary tank was
fitted a TAG was not carried.
[On
3/3/41 the German battlecruisers
GNEISENAU (Flag Admiral GŸnther
LŸtjens)
and SCHARNHORST
arrived off the Canary Islands. Their
mission for this part of Operation
BERLIN
was to attack convoys sailing between
Freetown and the UK. Also operating in
the area were the U-Boats U105, U106 and
U124]
4th -
The ARK ROYAL and
the destroyers FORTUNE and DUNCAN arrived
back at Gibraltar.
5th to 7th
–
The ARK
ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[At
0920/7/3/41,
north east of the Cape Verde Islands, in
approximate position
18-24N, 12-42W,
a lookout
on the
SCHARNHORST observed a mast
on the horizon. A closer examination
showed that it was the mainmast of a
battleship which was soon was
identified as the MALAYA who was
escorting convoy
SL67. This was a convoy of 54 merchant
ships that had sailed from Freetown on
the morning of 1/3/41. The destroyers
FAULKNOR
(D8) and FORESTER and the
corvette ASPHODEL were also part of the
escort.
The
SCHARNHORST
called up the GNEISENAU and
LŸtjens,
who was under orders not to engage enemy
capital ships, decided to shadow the
convoy and call up the U-Boats in the
area. LŸtjens'
plan was for the U-boats to attack the
convoy and sink or disable the MALAYA,
following which he would then sink the
merchant ships]
[At
0340/8/3/41
in position 20-35N, 20-40W the U-105
torpedoed and sank the SS
HARMODIUS 5229grt from convoy SL67.
At
0600/8/3/41
in position 20-51N, 20-32W the U-124
torpedoed and sank the SS
HINDPOOL 4897grt, the SS NARDANA
7974grt, the SS TIELBANK 5084grt and the
SS
LAHORE 5304grt from convoy SL67.
Neither
of
the U-Boats sighted the MALAYA.
By
0630/8/3/41
LŸtjens
was aware of the U-Boat attack; however
the U-Boats had lost contact
with the convoy.
At
1030
LŸtjens
decided to close the convoy to search
for stragglers or damaged vessels.
At 1330/8/3/41, in position 21-50N, 19-40W the destroyer
FORESTER, who
was 10 miles west of convoy SL67,
briefly sighted the German
battlecruisers
GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST steaming
towards the convoy. The German ships
were
also sighted at the same time by
MALAYA's patrolling Swordfish.
At 1415 the MALAYA made the signal 'One large ship bearing 251¡,
40
miles, course unknown, own position
21-50N, 19-22W'. This signal was picked
up
and decoded by the German B Dienst
unit on the
GNEISENAU.
For the next eight hours both sides played 'cat and mouse' with
each
other; until LŸtjens
decided to abandon his attempt on the
convoy and set off North Westerly to RV
with his oilers]
8th –
At 2115 Force
H, comprising RENOWN (Flag CINC Force H),
ARK ROYAL, light cruiser ARETHUSA,
and the destroyers VELOX and WRESTLER
sailed from Gibraltar and set course for
the Canary Islands to go to the aid of
convoy SL67.
9th –
The
ARETHUSA and destroyers VELOX and WRESTLER
detached and returned to Gibraltar.
[In
the
morning the GNEISENAU and
SCHARNHORST
in approximate position 30N, 30W came
across the independent Greek freighter
the SS MARATHON 6352grt, en route from
Swansea to Alexandria with a cargo of
coal. The MARATHON was sunk by gunfire
and all the crew rescued. No RRR was
received from the MARATHON]
10th –
At 1500 in
position 26-15N, 19-35W, RENOWN and ARK
ROYAL joined MALAYA, FAULKNOR, FORESTER
and ASPHODEL escorting convoy SL67.
Shortly afterwards the
MALAYA
detached to return to Freetown.
The RENOWN and ARK ROYAL
took up
station in the centre of the convoy and
proceeded at the convoy speed of
7½ knots.
When ARK ROYAL was
operating aircraft
the morning and afternoon Swordfish
reconnaissance and A/S flights it was
necessary for her move out of the convoy
and operate independently.
11th –
Convoy SL67
and escort continued on their northerly
course at 7½ knots.
[The
ASPHODEL
with the tankers SS BEACONSTREET 7467grt
and MV BRITISH HOPE 6951grt
detached from convoy SL67 for Gibraltar]
12th -
Convoy SL67 and
escort continued on their northerly course
at 7½ knots.
During the day Somerville
became so
frustrated at the slow progress of the
convoy that he ordered an increase in
speed to 8 knots. This immediately caused
the Greek SS TAXIARCHIS 4221grt, built
in 1913, to drop astern, so the convoy
resumed its 7½ knot speed of
advance.
13th -
Convoy SL67 and
escort continued on their northerly course
at 7½ knots.
In the morning the
destroyers
FAULKNOR and FORESTER detached for
Gibraltar.
14th to 18th
-
Convoy SL67
escorted by RENOWN and ARK ROYAL continued
on their northerly course at
7½ knots.
[At
1900/16/3/41RODNEY,
who was escorting convoy HX114, briefly
sighted a ship in
approximately 46-15N, 45W. RODNEY
signalled what ship? and
received the reply HMS EMERALD, the ship
then made off at speed to the east. At
2000/16/3/41 RODNEY picked up 27
survivors from the MV CHILEAN REEFER
which had
just been sunk by the GNEISENAU. When
the survivors were questioned they were
able to definitely recognise the raider
as the GNEISENAU. This was the first
positive evidence for the Admiralty that
the raiders were the battlecruisers
GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST]
19th -
Convoy SL67
escorted by RENOWN and ARK ROYAL continued
on their northerly course at
7½ knots.
Around midday in
approximate position
47-36N, 30-03W the light cruiser KENYA
joined from Plymouth. Following KENYA
joining the RENOWN and ARK ROYAL detached
to return to Gibraltar.
[As
Somerville
detached from the convoy he received
orders to search for a German
tanker the MV ANTARKTIS 10711grt that
had sailed from Vigo
on the 18/3/41. Also the Admiralty
informed Somerville of the vessels that
had
been attacked by the German
battlecruisers on 16/3/41, some of which
it was
thought may have been captured and could
be en route to France]
[In
the evening in approximate
position 45-22N, 23-35W a patrolling
Swordfish sighted a tanker that was
definitely identified as the Norwegian
tanker MV BIANCA 5688grt. The BIANCA had
been taken as a prize by the GNEISENAU, in
position 40-30N, 43-45W. A prize
crew of 15 was put on board and when
sighted the BIANCA was en route to
Bordeaux]
20th –
The RENOWN
and ARK ROYAL were steering for the
position of the vessel sighted the evening
before.
At 0900 hours the BIANCA
was
re-located 60 miles away and RENOWN set
course to intercept. ARK ROYAL operated
independently.
[At
1150 one ARK ROYAL's Swordfish
reported sighting the British tanker MV
SAN CASIMIRO 8046grt. Shortly
afterwards another Swordfish sighted the
Norwegian tanker MV POLYKARP 6405grt.
Both of these ships had been taken as
prizes, the SAN CASIMIRO by the
SCHARNHORST and POLYKARP by the GNEISENAU,
in approximate position 39N, 43W,
prize crews had been put on board and they
were en route to Bordeaux]
At approximately 1200 in
position
44-16N, 19-21W, Force H came upon the MV
BIANCA.
[When
RENOWN
came over the horizon the German prize
crew on BIANCA placed explosives
in the engine room and pump room and
opened all the valves, the crew of 34
including the captain's wife and small
son and the 10 prize crew took to the
boats. When RENOWN arrived on the scene
the boarding party took some of the
Norwegian crew back on board, the fires
were extinguished and they closed all
the deck valves, but the engine room had
filled with water and the ship could
not be saved. The captain, his wife,
baby son plus the Norwegian crew and
German prize crew were taken on board
RENOWN, the BIANCA was then sunk by
RENOWN]
At approximately 1430 Force
H set
course to locate the two tankers sighted
at 1150.
At approximately 1630 Force
H came
upon the MV SAN CASIMIRO in position
45-12N, 19-42W. Although ARK ROYAL's
aircraft had attempted to stop the
scuttling of the SAN CASIMIRO, when RENOWN
arrived at her position she was on fire
and sinking RENOWN picked up 38 crew
and 3 prize crew.
At 1600 in an attempt to
locate the
POLYKARP before darkness ARK ROYAL
launched two Fulmars.
[At
1730 one of the Fulmars of 808
Sqd, pilot Lt Cdr Rupert Tillard,
observer Lt Mark
Somerville, sighted the GNEISENAU and
SCHARNHORST in position 46-50N, 21-25W,
steering north east at 20 knots, but on
being sighted they changed course to
northerly. Their position was
approximately 140 miles and 330¼ from
RENOWN. Mark
Somerville transmitted a sighting report
in clear but due to a radio
malfunction the transmission was not
picked up by Force H. The Fulmar aware
that
its sighting report may not have been
picked up returned to ARK ROYAL at
maximum speed to make a visual report.
At
1815 the Fulmar arrived over the RENOWN
and made a report by aldis
light. At the time ARK
ROYAL was about 20 miles away from RENOWN]
At 1815 when Somerville was made aware of the
presence of the German battlecruisers he
immediately ordered RENOWN and ARK
ROYAL to increased speed to RENOWN's
maximum of about 27 knots and set course
northerly
for the reported position. But Somerville
was immediately informed that when
first sighted the enemy was steering north
easterly, for Brest.
At 1830 ARK ROYAL launched another Fulmar crewed by
Tillard and
Somerville but when it arrived at the
location
of the sighting fog had descended on the
area and the battlecruisers were lost.
By 1850 ARK ROYAL had ranged a strike force of nine
Swordfish armed with torpedoes. But
Captain Holland refused to allow the
aircraft to take off since it would soon
be dark and the precise position of
the enemy battlecruisers was not known.
RENOWN and ARK ROYAL steamed through the night
closing the estimated position at 27
knots. Because when last sighted the
Germans had been sailing due north
Somerville had assumed that they were
heading for Iceland. However at 1800 hours
the battlecruisers had turned west
and were in fact heading for Brest.
21st
– The RENOWN and ARK ROYAL were steaming
northerly through the night closing the
estimated position of the German
battlecruisers at 27 knots.
At 0645 ARK ROYAL launched
Swordfish
reconnaissance patrols to attempt to
relocate the battlecruisers, all they
found was thick fog in the area.
At approximately 1000 in position 49-44N, 18-29W,
ARK ROYAL catapulted off Swordfish L7636
of 818 Sqd armed with depth charges,
for an A/S patrol. During the launch
something went wrong and the aircraft
crashed into the sea ahead of ARK ROYAL.
The depth charges exploded killing the
crew of Sub Lt P E Opdall,
Sub Lt C R Hearn and L/A B
C Biggs, the explosion also caused minor
damage to the carrier.
[At
2014
a RAF Hudson of 220 Sqd sighted the
battlecruisers with an escort of one
destroyer, (the destroyer was
actually two torpedo boats the JAGUAR
and ILTIS) in position 47-17N,
07-13W, steering east at 21 knots.
With the chances of catching the battlecruisers now gone and
RENOWN's
low fuel state, the Admiralty ordered
Somerville back to Gibraltar]
22nd -
The RENOWN and
ARK ROYAL were steaming southerly through
the day towards Gibraltar.
Throughout the day ARK
ROYAL flew off
A/S patrols and reconnaissance patrols
searching for German supply ships.
[At
0845/22/3/41
the battlecruisers arrived at Brest. The
Admiralty thought they
were at Brest, but due to low cloud over
the port their presence was not
definitely established until late on
28/3/41 when a PR Spitfire brought back
photographs of the battlecruisers]
23rd -
The RENOWN and
ARK ROYAL were steaming southerly through
the day towards Gibraltar.
Throughout the day ARK
ROYAL flew off
A/S patrols and reconnaissance patrols
searching for German supply ships.
In the morning the
destroyers
FEARLESS, FORESTER, VELOX and WRESTLER
joined from Gibraltar.
24th –
At 0830 RENOWN,
ARK ROYAL and the destroyers FEARLESS,
FORESTER, VELOX and WRESTLER arrived at
Gibraltar and immediately commenced to
refuel.
[At
1931
CINC Force H signalled the Admiralty
with his plans for attacking the
GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST if they were
located off the French coast. This
relied on him having information of then
leaving port]
At 2200 Force H comprising
RENOWN
(Flag CINC FORCE H), ARK ROYAL and the
destroyers FORESIGHT, FORTUNE and
FORESTER sailed from Gibraltar to patrol
off the Bay of Biscay to intercept the
German battlecruisers SCHARNHORST and
GNEISENAU should they attempt to leave
Brest.
[At
2253 the Admiralty signalled, 'air
reconnaissance of the environs of Brest
and French Biscay coast inconclusive
owing to weather conditions']
25th –
Force H
sailing northerly towards the Bay of
Biscay.
The destroyers FORTUNE and
FORESIGHT
detached from Force H.
[At
0920
the CINC Force H signalled the
Admiralty. 'Information received from
the
German prisoners, ex. GNEISENAU
Reliability cannot be assessed,
GNEISENAU left Kiel on 23/1/41 and her
maximum speed stated to be 26 knots']
[At
2249
the Admiralty signalled the CINC Force
H, 'your 1931/24. It is not
considered that shore based air
reconnaissance can be relied on to
detect
departure of enemy in time for action
you suggest. With submarine patrols that
are now being established it may be
hoped that information of enemy's
departure
may be received from this source. It is
considered Force H should normally
operate outside the area of enemy's
shore based air reconnaissance, both to
deny enemy knowledge of its presence and
to provide security from attack by
submarines. Force H alone can give any
measure of cover to HG, OG and SL
convoys in this area. It is consequently
considered that Force H should operate
generally in the vicinity of convoy
routes between the latitudes of Ushant
and Lisbon']
26th -
Force H sailing
northerly towards the Bay of Biscay.
The destroyers FORESTER
detached from
Force H.
[At
1753 the Admiralty signalled; 'air
reconnaissance reports no enemy large
warships in Gironde estuary as far as
Bordeaux']
27th –
At 001
Force H were i
approximate position 47N, 15W.
Force H then commenced to
patrol in
this general area.
28th –
Force H
patrolling in Bay of Biscay.
29th –
At approximately
1000 Force H set course to return to
Gibraltar.
[At
1600 the aircraft carrier ARGUS
(With
12 RAF Hurricanes IIA's embarked for
Malta. These were to be transferred to
ARK
ROYAL), light cruiser SHEFFIELD, depot
ship MAIDSTONE, and troopship MV
HIGHLAND MONARCH 14139grt escorted by
the destroyers NAPIER and NIZAM, arrived
at Gibraltar]
30th –
Force H
sailing southerly en route to Gibraltar.
31st -
Force H sailing
southerly en route to Gibraltar.
The destroyers NAPIER,
NIZAM and
FORTUNE joined Force H from Gibraltar.
APRIL
1st –
RENOWN, ARK
ROYAL and the destroyers NAPIER, NIZAM and
FORTUNE arrived back at Gibraltar.
ARK ROYAL secured close to
the ARGUS
and the 12 Hurricane IIAs and 9 Fulmar Is
were transhipped from ARGUS to ARK
ROYAL.
2nd -
At 0300 Force H
comprising RENOWN (Flag CINC FORCE H), ARK
ROYAL (with twelve Hurricanes
embarked for Malta), SHEFFIELD, and
destroyers FAULKNOR (D8), FEARLESS,
FORESIGHT, FORTUNE and FURY sailed from
Gibraltar eastwards on Operation WINCH.
[Operation
WINCH
was a 'club run' to supply Hurricane and
Fulmar fighters to Malta. These
were desperately required following the
arrival of the Luftwaffe in Sicily.
Even though the Hurricanes could cope
with their Italian opponents, and with
the German bombers the Bf 109Es posed a
serious problem. It had been intended
that the Hurricanes and Fulmars would be
flown off ARGUS as Operation WHITE.
However Somerville insisted that that
they must be flown off ARK ROYAL as her
longer deck would enable the Hurricanes
to carry more fuel and at the same time
ensuring that Force H remained in the
danger zone for the shortest possible
time]
3rd -
At 0400 The RAF
pilots were awoken.
At 0620 when in position
37-42N,
6-52E the first of the 12 RAF Hurricane
IIA's was flown off lead by 2 Skuas of
800 Sqd. All arrived safely at
Malta but one Hurricane crashed on
landing. (The Hurricanes subsequently
became 185 Sqd)
At 0700 Force H reversed
course and
steered for Gibraltar.
Once ARK ROYAL's deck was
clear of
the Hurricanes she launched a CAP of three
Fulmars.
[At
0840,
yellow section of 808 Sqd was advised by
SHEFFIELD of a shadower that was
lurking in the clouds. One of the Fulmars
pilot Petty Officer (A) D. E. Taylor
located the shadower; it was a Cant Z.506B
from the 287a Squadriglia,
which on seeing the Fulmar made off.
However
the Fulmar gave chase and shot it
down.
At
0900 the other two Fulmars piloted by
Lt Cdr Tillard
RN and Lieutenant RC Hay RM, spotted
another Cant Z.506B as they were heading
back towards the carrier, and
attacked. The enemy made for nearby cloud
with its port engine damaged, and
possibly the rear gunner killed.
At
around 0915 a He 111 was sighted, the
first time one had been sighted in the
Mediterranean]
[Because
the Admiralty was concerned that
the Vichy French battlecruiser DUNKERQUE
was about to put to sea the CINC Force
H was ordered to check out the status of
the battlecruiser. So when passing
north of Oran a Fulmar carried out a
reconnaissance of Mers El Kebir harbour
and
found DUNKERQUE at her usual berth with
awnings spread]
[3/4/41
the
battle cruiser REPULSE,
aircraft
carrier
FURIOUS,
and troopship
SS NARKUNDA escorted by destroyers
HIGHLANDER, VELOX and WRESTLER arrived
at
Gibraltar.
On
5/3/41
the FURIOUS had sailed from the Clyde
with a cargo of 24 created
Hurricanes for Takoradi. The Hurricanes
for Takoradi had been delivered and
FURIOUS
was returning to the UK, but first she
had to carry out a swop of aircraft with
ARK ROYAL. FURIOUS had embarked ten
Fulmar IIs of 807 Sqd and six Swordfish
of
825 Sqd, four of the Swordfish were
equipped with ASV. The Fulmars and ASV
Swordfish were to be embarked by ARK
ROYAL and FURIOUS was to embark the
SKUAS
of 800 Sqd from ARK ROYAL]
At Approximately 1600 ARK ROYAL and the
destroyers FAULKNOR and FORTUNE detached
from Force H and proceeded ahead to
prepare to transfer aircraft to and from
the aircraft carrier FURIOUS.
4th
-
At 1045 ARK ROYAL, FAULKNOR and
FORTUNE arrived back at Gibraltar.
Followed shortly afterwards by the
remainder
of Force H.
At 1900 hours Force H comprising RENOWN,
ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD and destroyers
FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORTUNE and FORESIGHT,
with FURIOUS attached sailed from
Gibraltar into the Atlantic.
5th
– At sea the transfer of four Swordfish,
fitted
with Anti-Surface-Vessel (ASV) radar of
825 Sqd and ten Fulmar II of 807 Sqd
from FURIOUS to ARK ROYAL and four
Swordfish and nine Skuas of 800 Squadron
from ARK ROYAL to FURIOUS was carried out.
ARK ROYAL retained three Skuas on
board.
Three of the ASV equipped Swordfish were
allocated
to 810, 818 and 820 Sqds and one was kept
as a spare.
[At
1045
hours FURIOUS escorted by destroyers
FAULKNOR and FORTUNE detached to join
the REPLUSE force that had earlier
sailed from Gibraltar and return to the
UK]
At 1600 hours FAULKNOR and FORTUNE
rejoined Force H.
At 2330 hours Force H arrived back at
Gibraltar.
[At
2311/5/4/41 the Admiralty signalled the
CINC Force H that there are indications
that the German battlecruisers may leave
Brest during the night of 6/4/41. This
because on the 5 /4/41GNEISENAU
had
been moved out of dry dock due to a UXB
and moored in mid stream. Early on
6/4/4l, four Beauforts of 22 Squadron of
RAF Coastal Command flown by F.O.
Kenneth
Campbell, who was posthumously awarded
the VC. carried
out a torpedo attack on GNEISENAU and
aircraft X/22 achieved a hit on the
starboard side aft causing considerable
damage. However, this was not known to
the Admiralty for some time. On 7/4/41
GNEISENAU was moved back into dry dock]
6th – At 0230 Force H comprising RENOWN
(Flag CINC FORCE H), ARK ROYAL, light
cruisers FIJI and SHEFFIELD, and
destroyers FAULKNOR (D8), FEARLESS and
FORESIGHT departed Gibraltar to operate
in Biscay to blockade the German
battleships at Brest.
At sea Force H was joined by the destroyers HIGHLANDER and FURY,
which
had been detached from the escort of
battlecruiser REPULSE.
7th – The destroyers refuelled from RENOWN.
8th – In the evening Somerville assumed command of all the
blockading
vessels including Home Fleet units that
were operating in the Bay of Biscay.
9th - The destroyers refuelled from RENOWN.
Exercises were carried out using SHEFFIELD as a target and FIJI
using
her Type 284 radar to pass range and
bearing to RENOWN.
10th - The destroyers refuelled from RENOWN.
11th – Force H on patrol in Bay of Biscay.
12th - The destroyers refuelled from RENOWN.
14th - The destroyers refuelled from RENOWN.
During the day RENOWN and ARK ROYAL carried out 4.5" at a splash
target towed by one of the destroyers.
At 1630 Somerville handed over command of the blockading force
to
Admiral Tovey CINC Home Fleet.
Force H then covered the minelayer ABDIEL while she laid 300
mines in
the approaches to Brest.
Following which Force H set course for Gibraltar.
16th – On the approach to Gibraltar ARK ROYAL
flew off four Swordfish of 820 Sqd to
North Front; these were to carry out A/S
patrols of the Straits to attempt to
interdict U-Boats entering the
Mediterranean.
At 1245 Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
[On 16/4/41
the Chief of the German Naval General
Staff (Seekriegsleitung, Vizeadmiral
Kurt
Fricke),
demanded that Vizeadmiral Doenitz should
send German U-Boats to
the Mediterranean. Doenitz was unwilling
to carry out the demand as he believed
that it would only be at the expense of
his main task, the destruction of
British shipping. The order was
repeated, and Doenitz, on the third
order,
expressed disapproval that he had not
been informed of the intended attack on
Greece and Crete, which knowledge would
have enabled U-Boats to be sent to the
Mediterranean before it was too
late. All Italian U-Boats, except
11
large ones unsuitable for Mediterranean
operations, were to be withdrawn from
the Atlantic. See below on 6/8/41]
17th
to 23rd – The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar
[19/4/41:
Captain Loben
E. Maund RN
took over
command of the ARK ROYAL from Captain
Holland RN]
24th
-
The
ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar
[The aircraft
carrier ARGUS escorted by SHEFFIELD and
destroyers FAULKNOR, FORTUNE and
WRESTLER arrived at Gibraltar. (ARGUS
had
embarked 24 Mk1 and Mk II Hurricanes for
Malta). Immediately on arrival
23 of the Hurricanes, one remained
unserviceable
on board ARGUS due to damage incurred en
route, were transferred to ARK ROYAL]
25th
–
At
2300 Force H comprising RENOWN
(Flag CINC Force H), ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD,
and destroyers FAULKNOR (D8),
FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FURY and FORTUNE
sailed from Gibraltar and set course east
on Operations DUNLOP and SALIENT.
[At 2200
Force S comprising light cruiser DIDO,
minelayer ABDIEL, and destroyers KELLY
(D5), KASHMIR, KELVIN, KIPLING, JERSEY
and JACKAL had sailed from Gibraltar.
They fainted west into the Atlantic
before reversing course to join Force H]
[Operation
DUNLOP was the supply of RAF Hurricanes
to Malta. Operation SALIENT was the
transfer of Force S through the
Mediterranean to join the Mediterranean
Fleet
and for the cover provided by Force H.
The
Hurricanes
flown off to Malta during April enabled
the formation of 185
Squadron RAF on 12/5/41at Hal Far]
26th
–
Force H
proceeding easterly towards the flying off
position.
27th
-
Between 0515 and 0613
the 23 RAF Hurricanes were flown off ARK
ROYAL in three flights of eight, eight
and seven lead by 3 FAA Fulmars.
By 1047 all had arrived safely at Malta.
Force H waited to the south of Sardinia to
provide Force S with air cover if required
as it passed through the Sicilian
Narrows.
At 1000 Force H set course for Gibraltar.
28th
– At 1330 ARK
ROYAL flew off four Swordfish of 810 Sqd
and three Fulmars of 808 Sqd to North
Front.
At 1800 ARK ROYAL landed on four Swordfish of
820 Sqd from North Front.
Just
before
ARK ROYAL entered harbour Swordfish L2770
of 810 Sqd was landing on when
a gust of wind caused it to go over the
side. The pilot and observer were
picked up by the SHEFFIELD but the TAG L/A
Evans was lost.
At 2000 Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
29th
&
30th – The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
MAY
1st
to
4th –
The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[On the 20/4/41the ships of convoy WS8A were embarking
troops in the UK for the Middle East.
Included in the convoy were five 15 knot
MT ships loaded with 295 tanks and 53
crated Hurricanes. On the same day
General Wavell sent a message to the
CIGS in London, telling them of his
inferiority in armoured vehicles, and
that the situation was to get worse.
When
Churchill saw the message, he decided to
make a bold stroke and send the ships
carrying the tanks through the
Mediterranean to Egypt. The Admiralty
was
opposed; Admiral Cunningham thought the
risks were acceptable, despite the
increased air threat from the Luftwaffe
Fliegerkorps X. At Churchill's
insistence the operation, code named
TIGER went ahead. Included in Operation
TIGER were reinforcements for the
Mediterranean Fleet.
On
26/4/41
Convoy WS 8A comprising the merchant
ships HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN
14,135grt, EMPRESS OF ASIA 16,909grt,
DOMINION MONARCH 27,155grt, REINA DEL
PACIFICO 17,702grt, EMPRESS OF RUSSIA
16,810grt, STRATHAIRD 22,281grt,
SOBIESKI
11,030grt, ABEEKERK 7889grt, ARONDA
4062grt, NEW ZEALAND STAR 10,740grt,
CLAN
CAMPBELL 7255grt, CLAN LAMONT 7250grt,
CLAN CHATTAN 7262grt and EMPIRE SONG
9228grt,
sailed from the Clyde. The last five
vessels were to make up the Operation
TIGER convoy]
[4th the
cruisers FIJI from convoy SL72 and NAIAD
from convoy WS 8A arrived at Gibraltar
and embarked ammunition for the passage
to the Eastern Mediterranean as part of
Operation TIGER.
At
1600
hours the battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH and
destroyers FEARLESS, FORESIGHT,
FORTUNE and VELOX sailed from Gibraltar
into the Atlantic to RV with the Tiger
convoy]
5th
–
[At 0000
200 miles west of Gibraltar the
battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH and
destroyers
FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE and VELOX
RVed with the 5 MT ships, SS CLAN LAMONT
7268grt, SS CLAN CHATTAN 7262grt, SS
CLAN CAMPBELL 7255grt, MV NEW ZEALAND
STAR
10,941grt, and SS EMPIRE SONG 9228grt,
of the TIGER convoy. The MT ships were
carrying a variety of military stores
but their most important cargo was the
295 tanks (185 Matilda I tanks
Mk II A and II A*, 28 light VIC, 15
cruisers A13
Mk II, IVA, 67 A15, Crusader I) and
53 created Hurricanes.
At
0615
the battlecruiser REPULSE destroyers
HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, and HARVESTER
detached
from the convoy and proceeded ahead to
Gibraltar]
At
1000
Force B comprising RENOWN (Flag CINC Force
H), ARK ROYAL, light cruisers
FIJI and SHEFFIELD and destroyers
WRESTLER, KASHMIR and KIPLING sailed from
Gibraltar into the Atlantic to RV with the
TIGER convoy.
[At 1320
the light cruiser NAIAD (Flag Rear
Admiral Edward Leigh Stuart King CINC
15th
CS), sailed from Gibraltar into the
Atlantic to RV with the TIGER convoy]
At 1700 RENOWN, ARK ROYAL, cruisers FIJI and
SHEFFIELD and destroyers WRESTLER, KASHMIR
and KIPLING joined the TIGER convoy.
[At 1730
REPULSE destroyers HAVELOCK, HESPERUS,
and HARVESTER arrived at Gibraltar]
[At 2200
NAIAD joined the TIGER convoy and RA
15th CS took command of the convoy and
the
reinforcements for the Mediterranean
Fleet]
6th
–
At 0200 the
TIGER convoy and escorting warships passed
through the Strait of Gibraltar.
[At 0330
destroyers FAULKNOR (D8), FORESTER,
FURY, HARVESTER, HAVELOCK and HESPERUS
sailed from Gibraltar to join the escort
of convoy TIGER.
At
0345
the light cruiser GLOUCESTER sailed from
Gibraltar to join convoy TIGER]
At 0500 GLOUCESTER, FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY,
HARVESTER, HAVELOCK and HESPERUS joined
convoy TIGER.
At
0630
Force B, RENOWN, ARK ROYAL, FIJI,
SHEFFIELD and destroyers WRESTLER,
KASHMIR and KIPLING increased speed and
moved to the north east of the convoy
to provide cover should the Italian navy
decided to attack.
At 2400 Force B was approximately 70 miles
south of Majorca and 150 miles east north
east of the convoy.
7th
– In the morning
QUEEN ELIZABETH and GLOUCESTER joined
RENOWN and the covering force.
At 0500 ARK ROYAL flew off one of her new ASV
equipped Swordfish; these searched out to
140 miles, south and west of Sardinia
and found no sign of the Italian Fleet.
At 0830 Somerville determined that with no sign
of the Italian Fleet the main threat to
the convoy would be from the air so the
covering force closed the convoy.
At 1115 an enemy signal was intercepted stating
that the convoy had been sighted.
At 1300 the covering force regained contact
with the convoy.
At
1930
two unidentified aircraft were reported
approaching the convoy from dead
ahead and ARK ROYAL flew off three Fulmars
to intercept. The unidentified
aircraft turned out to be two RAF Sunderlands
en
route from Malta to Gibraltar.
VELOX from the TIGER convoy and returned to
Gibraltar.
8th
– At 0600 the
visibility was poor, with low clouds and
showers, and gusting winds.
At 0700 ARK ROYAL flew off Swordfish 4H of 820
Sqd for an A/S patrol.
At 0830 with only 12 out of 18 Fulmars
serviceable,
ARK ROYAL flew off Red section of two
Fulmars, Red 1, pilot Lt Cdr.Douglas
and Red 2, pilot Petty Officer Leggott,
for the CAP.
At 0855 a shadower was picked up on radar and
it was chased off by the Fulmar CAP, but
not before he had signalled the
location of the convoy.
At 1032 ARK ROYAL flew off Blue section of two
Fulmars,
Blue
1, pilot Lt Gardner
and Blue 2, pilot Lt Firth to relieve Red
section, flying the CAP.
At 1033 ARK ROYAL recovered Red section.
At 1143 ARK ROYAL flew off White section of two
Fulmars, White 1, pilot Lt Hallett
and White 2, pilot
Petty Officer Johnson, to join Blue
section flying the CAP.
At 1234 ARK ROYAL flew off Black section of two
Fulmars, Black 1, pilot
Lt Cdr Tillard
and Black 2, pilot Lt Hay RM to join White
section
and relieve Blue section flying the CAP.
At 1238 ARK ROYAL recovered Blue section.
At 1333 ARK ROYAL flew off Green section of
three
Fulmars, Green 1, pilot Lt Taylour,
Green 2, pilot
Petty Officer Dubber
and Green 3, pilot Lt Guthrie to
join Black section and relieve White
section flying the CAP.
At 1334 ARK ROYAL recovered White section.
[At 1345 the first incoming raid of 8 SM 79
torpedo bombers of 38o Gruppo
from Decimomannu, Sardinia with an
escort of 12 CR 42 fighters of the 3o
Gruppo CT from Monserrato,
Sardinia was reported approaching from the
south east at low level about 32 miles
from the convoy]
At
1359
ARK ROYAL immediately flew off four
Fulmars two of Red section, Red 1,
pilot Lt Cdr.Douglas
and Red 2, pilot Petty Officer Leggott
and two of Blue section, Blue 1, pilot Lt
Gardner
and Blue 2, pilot Lt Firth to join Black
and Green sections flying the CAP.
[In the ensuing melee Black 1, piloted by
Lieutenant
Commander Rupert Tillard,
was shot down by a CR 42
and the pilot and his observer, Lieutenant
Somerville, were killed. (Although
the Fulmar I had the edge in speed over
the CR 42 up to 10000 Ft, the CR 42 was
much more manoeuvrable so the general
instruction to Fulmar pilots was not to
dogfight with CR 42s)]
In the melee other Fulmars were hit, while in
Green
1, Lt Taylour's
aircraft the TAG, Petty Officer (A)
L. G. J. Howard received a severe leg
wound from an explosive bullet which
shattered
both tibia and fibula.
At 1405 ARK ROYAL recovered Green 1.
At 1439 ARK ROYAL recovered Green 2 and Green
3.
At 1436 ARK ROYAL flew off two Fulmars of White
section, White 1, pilot Lt Hallett
and White 2, pilot
Petty Officer Johnson, to join Red and
Blue section flying the CAP.
At 1437 ARK ROYAL recovered Black 2.
[A Fulmar of 807 Sqd, White 1, pilot Lt NG Hallett,
observer Lt VA Smith RAN,
shot
down
a SM 79, piloted by Captain Armando Boetto,
95m
SSE of Sardinia, with 3 other Fulmars.
Their own aircraft was hit,
and they were forced to ditch. After half
hour they were picked up by the
destroyer FORESIGHT.
The
other
three Fulmars were hit, two sustaining damage to their tail units.
Two further SM 79s were shot down by shipboard
AA fire]
At 1538 ARK ROYAL recovered Red section.
At 1546 ARK ROYAL recovered Blue section.
[At the end of the engagement the number of
serviceable Fulmars was reduced to seven]
At
1615
ARK ROYAL flew off three Fulmars of Yellow
section, Yellow 1, pilot
Lt.
Kindersley, Yellow 2, pilot Lt Guthrie and
Yellow 3 pilot Lt Hay RM
for the CAP. Yellow 2 was unable to
retract his undercarriage so returned to
ARK
ROYAL.
[At 1615 a small number of high level SM 79s
approached but these were chased off by
the Fulmars. One SM 79 was shot down by
Yellow 3 a Fulmar of 808 Sqd piloted by Lt
RC Hay RM]
At 1648 ARK ROYAL landed on Yellow 2.
At 1658 ARK ROYAL landed on White 2.
[Between 1640 and 1730 a series of attacks by
small formations of SM 79s took place.
These were all beaten off, mostly by
ships AA. In the last of the attacks a
stick of bombs straddled the ARK ROYAL,
no damage was caused but the flight deck
was drenched by water from the near
misses]
At 1720 ARK ROYAL flew off four Fulmars two of
Red section, Red 1, pilot Lt Cdr.Douglas
and Red 2,
pilot Petty Officer Leggott
and Blue 1, pilot Lt Gardner
and Blue 2, pilot Lt Firth for the CAP.
At 1740 ARK ROYAL landed on Yellow 1 and Yellow
3.
At 1750 ARK ROYAL landed on Blue 1. Following
which Blue 2 became Red 3.
[At 1930 just as it was getting dark radar
picked up a large formation of planes at
70 miles and closing from ahead.
The attacking force was 28 Ju 87R of I/StG1 in
three groups, these were from Comiso,
Sicily. Top
cover was provided by 6 Me
110C of 9/ZG26, from Larissa,
Sicily.
The CAP of three Fulmars of 807 Sqd, Red 1,
pilot Lt Cdr J Sholto
Douglas RH, Red 2, pilot Petty
Officer Leggett and Red 3, pilot Lt Firth
RNVR, were vectored towards the
attackers.
Red section on contact with the attackers
immediately tore into the Luftwaffe force,
forcing them to break up and many to
jettison their bombs well away from the
ships. Douglas shoot down a Ju 87 and
Leggett a possibly a Me
110.
ARK ROYAL immediately worked up to full speed
to fly off the remaining four serviceable
Fulmars to join the three of Red
section. Everyone on ARK ROYAL was aware
that the Ju 87Rs were the same
aircraft that had attacked the ILLUSTRIOUS
and put her out of action in
minutes]
At 1933 ARK ROYAL flew off four Fulmars, Yellow
1, pilot Lt Taylour,
Yellow 2, pilot Petty Officer Dubber,
Blue 1, pilot Lt Gardner and Blue 2, pilot
S/Lt
Walker.
[These four aircraft immediately climbed to
9000 feet and ploughed into the attackers.
Gardner shot down a Ju 87 and Walker
shot down a Ju 87 and a possibly Me
110.
All the dive bombers were forced to jettison
their bombs well away from the ships,
following which the whole attacking force
headed back to Sicily]
At 1945 ARK ROYAL landed on Blue 1, which due
to combat damage, crashed on landing.
At 1950 ARK ROYAL landed on Red 1 and Red 2.
At 1953 ARK ROYAL landed on Red 3.
At 2000 ARK ROYAL landed on Yellow 1.
[Of these five Fulmars landing back on ARK
ROYAL, four of them had battle damage,
Blue 1 flown by Lt RE Gardner crash
landed on ARK ROYAL. The serviceable
Fulmars were now down to three]
[At 2015 the ships of Operation TIGER had
reached a position north of Cap Bone where
in accordance with the plan Force B
was to reverse course.
At the same time the Force was attacked without
any radar warning, by three SM 79 torpedo
bombers flying at wave top height,
which made their targets the RENOWN and
ARK ROYAL. One SM 79 was hit by AA fire
and turned away but the other two
continued towards the RENOWN and ARK
ROYAL.
Each aircraft dropped two torpedoes.
Through the brilliant ship handling both
captains
managed to avoid all the torpedoes]
At 2020 the RENOWN, ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD and
destroyers HARVESTER, HAVELOCK, HESPERUS
and WRESTLER now steered west heading
back to Gibraltar.
At 2031 ARK ROYAL flew off two Fulmars Green 1,
pilot Lt Hay RM and Green 2,
pilot Lt Guthrie, but
they failed
to
catch the SM 79s.
At 2136 ARK ROYAL landed on Green 1, Green 2,
Yellow 2 and Blue 2.
[The
TIGER convoy continued eastwards into
the Sicilian Narrows. The 5 MT ships
were
in line astern and the F class
destroyers of the 8th DF acted as
minesweepers.
The 5 MT ships also streamed paravanes
but in spite of these precautions first
the NEW ZEALAND STAR exploded a mine
that caused only minor damage but at
0002/9/5/41 the EMPIRE SONG struck two
mines with her port bow. The crew of the
FORESTER were going to attempt salvage
when the EMPIRE SONG blew up, 18 of her
crew were lost as were 57 tanks and 10
Hurricanes.
12/5/41
the
remaining 4 MT ships arrived safely at
Alexandria where they disembarked 135 Mk.II
& Mk II* Matilda Infantry Tanks, 82
Mk.I
Crusader Cruiser Tanks and 21 Mk.VIC
light tanks and
43 crated Hurricanes. The tanks were
used in Operation BATTLEAXE which
commenced on 15/6/41]
9th
– Force H sailed
slowly along the Algerian coast waiting
for the destroyers of the 8th DF to
re-join from Malta.
10th
– At 1400 Force
H was off Algiers when having received a
signal that the 5 destroyers of the
8th DF were under air attack. So
Somerville reversed the course of Force H
to
go the aid of the 8th DF.
At
1800 Force H RVed
with the destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER,
FURY, FEARLESS and FORTUNE.
(The FORTUNE had received several near
bomb misses causing damage to her
turbines and damage to her stern this
meant that her speed was much reduced).
The
FORESIGHT had returned to Malta with
engine problems.
11th
– The naval
rescue tug ST DAY 800 grt and four motor
launches from Gibraltar, RVed with the
destroyer FORTUNE. SHEFFIELD, HARVESTER
and HESPERUS detached from Force H to
provide an escort for the damaged FORTUNE.
12th
– At 1815
RENOWN, ARK ROYAL and destroyers FAULKNOR,
FORESTER, FURY, FEARLESS, HAVELOCK,
and WRESTLER arrived at Gibraltar.
At 2040 SHEFFIELD, HARVESTER and HESPERUS
escorting the damaged FORESTER arrived at
Gibraltar.
16th
– At 1800 Force
H comprising RENOWN, ARK ROYAL, flying the
flag of VA Somerville, SHEFFIELD,
and destroyers WRESTLER, FEARLESS,
FORESTER, and FURY sailed from Gibraltar
into the Atlantic for exercises.
17th
– In the morning
RENOWN carried out a 'throw off' shoot
with her main armament fall of shot
spotting was carried out by a Swordfish 4C
of 820 Sqd from ARK ROYAL. Following
the shoot the whole of 820 Sqd carried out
a dummy torpedo attack on the
RENOWN.
At 1900 Force H returned to Gibraltar.
18th – The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[At 2000 the
aircraft carrier FURIOUS, with 64 RAF
Hurricane Is & IIs and 9 Fulmar Is
of 800X Sqd embarked for Malta,
heavy
cruiser LONDON with 550 troops embarked
for the Gibraltar garrison, dummy
battleship ANSON (old battleship
CENTURION with wooden guns), and
destroyer BRILLIANT, HAVELOCK, HESPERUS,
and HARVESTER arrived at Gibraltar]
On arrival at Gibraltar FURIOUS moored stern to stern with ARK
ROYAL and
transferred 22 of the Hurricanes and 5 of
the Fulmars to ARK ROYAL across a
timber bridge that was erected between the
two carriers.
19th – At 0330 Force H comprising RENOWN, ARK
ROYAL, SHEFFIELD, and destroyers HESPERUS,
HAVELOCK, and HARVESTER departed
Gibraltar to feint westwards into the
Atlantic prior to commencing Operation
SPLICE.
[Operation
SPLICE was a 'club run' delivering 48 of
the Hurricanes, bought out by FURIOUS,
to Malta. The balance of the Hurricanes,
16, were landed at Gibraltar to await
the next 'club run']
At 1500 the FURIOUS, LONDON and destroyers FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND,
FURY and
FORESTER sailed from Gibraltar westwards
to RV with Force H.
At 1900 the two forces RVed, following which LONDON and
destroyers
HAVELOCK and HARVESTER were detached to
sail westward to cover the movement of
dummy battleship ANSON and troopship
ARUNDEL CASTLE.
Force H then formed up and turned eastwards into the
Mediterranean.
20th – At 0700 the destroyer BRILLIANT joined
Force H from Gibraltar.
At 1345 Force H was over flown by a Spanish commercial aircraft.
21st – Between 0600 and 0729 hours in position
37-47N, 6-08E the 48 RAF Hurricanes, each
fitted with two 44 gallon long range
tanks, were flown off from ARK ROYAL and
FURIOUS lead by 5 Fulmars of 800X
flight. The first 11 Hurricanes flown off
ARK ROYAL were led by F/Lt RA Barton
DFC, the second 11 was led by F/Lt TF Neil
DFC. The section led by F/Lt Neil
were off Cape Bon when they lost their
Fulmar leader, Neil then led the section
back to ARK ROYAL where they arrived two
hours after taking off. ARK ROYAL flew
off another Fulmar and Neil and his group
followed it to Malta, after 5½
hours in the air Neil and the other 10
Hurricanes landed on Malta.
In all 47 Hurricanes and 4 Fulmars arrived safely at Malta.
[The Hurricanes formed 249 Sqd. One of the Hurricane pilots was F/Lt
Charles Palliser DFC. He remained on
Malta until February 1942; which made
him one of the longest serving Malta
pilots. Also on 27/11/41 he carried out
a meteorological flight in the Gloster
Gladiator that was named 'Faith']
[After the
flying off her Hurricanes FURIOUS and
destroyers BRILLANT and HESPERUS were
detached to return to Gibraltar for a
quick docking for the aircraft carrier
to
repair damage and repack her stern
glands from the bomb damage she received
on
the 5/5/41 whilst at Belfast]
The remainder of Force H then reversed course steering at low
speed for
Gibraltar, waiting for FORESIGHT to join
from Malta.
At 1600 hours failing to have RVed with FORSIGHT, who sailed on
to
Gibraltar, Force H increased speed and
headed for Gibraltar.
22nd – At 2300 Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
[On 18/5/41
German battleship BISMARCK, flying the
flag of Admiral GŸnther
LŸtjens, and
heavy cruiser PRINZ EUGEN departed
Gdynia on Operation RHEIN†BUNG. On
21/5/41 the BISMARCK and PRINZ EUGEN
departed Korsfjord,
near Bergen, for a shipping sweep
in the North Atlantic. The sailing was
not confirmed until 22/5/41 when a
Martin Maryland of 771 Squadron from
Hatson advised the German ships had
sailed. At 1922/23/5/41 AB Alfred Newell
the starboard lookout of the cruiser
SUFFOLK sighted BISMARCK at a
distance of 7 miles NNE, SUFFOLK's
position was 66-44N, 26-41W. At 1923
hours a
sighting report was made, but this was
only picked up by NORFOLK. At 2032 hours
NORFOLK made the radio report that she
had BISMARCK in sight at a range of 6
miles. Following the sighting report the
Admiralty started to order various
deployments of fleet units. One of the
forces deployed was Force H]
24th – At 0200 Force H comprising RENOWN (Flag
CINC Force H), ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD, and
destroyers FAULKNOR (D8), FORESTER,
FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND, FURY and HESPERUS
sailed from Gibraltar to join and escort
convoy WS 8B. At the time Force H sailed
convoy WS 8B was approximately 200
miles west of Orsay
sailing at 13½ knots.
Force H set course for a RV with WS 8B in position 47-20N,
26-05W
At 1245 the destroyers FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND and FURY were
detached to
return to Gibraltar.
[Throughout
the 24/5/41 SUFFOLK and NORFOLK shadowed
the BISMARCK. During the period she
was being shadowed BISMARCK made 22
radio transmissions [the
decryption of these signals was carried
out by GC and CS at Bletchley Park, but
too late to be of any tactical value]
but all the transmissions were
monitored
by the Y service, that by DF were able
to give an accurate longitude and
approximate latitude. At 0300/25/5/41
BISMARCK turned to starboard making a
360¼ turn this during a zig
zag
by SUFFOLK caused SUFFOLK to lose
contact. BISMARCK then set course 130¼
and
was not immediately aware that contact
had been broken and she made further
signals that the Y service DFed
all of which
indicated to the OIC that BISMARCK was
making for France. Also GC and CS
advised that whereas the normal control
station for BISMARCK W/T frequency was
Wilhelmshaven, control had been
transferred to Paris]
25th – At 0330 Force H was in position 39-35N,
14-10W, steering 310¼ at 24 knots.
At 0400 Force H was taken under direct control by the Admiralty
and
Somerville was ordered to 'Cancel my
signal ordering Force H to join convoy WS
8B. Steer to intercept the BISMARCK'.
At 0900 destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER and HESPERUS were detached
to
return to Gibraltar.
At 1100 Force H was in position 41-30N, 17-10W when the
Admiralty
instructed Somerville to act on the
assumption that BISMARCK was proceeding to
Brest. Force H then turned on to course
360¼.
At 1805 the Admiralty finally signalled to Admiral Tovey CINC
Home Fleet
that he should assume that BISMARCK was
making for Brest.
At 1215 Force H altered course to 345¼, into the teeth of a
north
westerly gale.
At 2340 Force H had to reduce speed to 21 knots.
26th – At 0112 as Force H ploughed on into
mountainous seas, the waves were washing
right over RENOWN and SHEFFIELD; speed
had to be reduced, ultimately to 17 knots.
At 0300 Force H altered course to 360¼. Somerville reasoned that
in
consequence of Force H's reduction in
speed which BISMARCK with a following sea
would not have suffered this was the best
course to keep Force H to the east of
BISMARCK.
[At 0330 RAF
Catalina I, AH545, WQ-Z/209 Z of 209
Sqd, from Castle Archdale,
the
most westerly flying-boat base in the
UK, took off from
Lough Erne. The CO of the Catalina was
Pilot
Officer Dennis Briggs RAF and his second
in command was Ensign Leonard B
Smith USN.
(When the UK took delivery of the first
Catalinas,
US PBY-5, early in 1941, the USN had
provided 17
pilots to train RAF personnel in flying
the Catalinas.
The USN also believed, rightly, that it
would give their pilots combat training).
The
Catalina took
off and over flew natural Eire via what
was known as the Donegal gap and headed
out into the Atlantic, their task to
find the BISMARCK.
At
1010 the
Catalina was being piloted by Ensign
Smith and flying at 2000 ft, when it
emerged from cloud and was engaged by
accurate AA fire from a large capital
ship below which was the BISMARCK. The
Catalina immediately jettisoned her four
depth charges and took evasive action
after her hull was holed by shrapnel.
The
W/op LAC Alan
Martin then signalled, "One battleship,
bearing 240¼, distance 5 miles,
course 150¼, speed 20 knots. My position
49- 33N, 21- 47W; time of transmission
1030/26"]
At 0835 in position 48-26N, 19-13W, ARK ROYAL flew off 10
Swordfish to
carry out a search for the BISMARCK in a
180¼ arc from south west to north
east. The weather conditions at this time
were wind force 7 from 330¼,
overcast, and visibility 10-12 miles. ARK
ROYAL's round down was rising and
falling up to 56 feet.
At 0930 Force H was proceeding at 15 knots on course 015¼.
At 1050 the sighting report from Catalina Z/209, timed at
1030/26 was received
in RENOWN stating that, they had sighted
BISMARCK in position 49-33N, 21-47W
(the position was 35 miles out) course
150¼, speed 20 knots. At this time Force
H was 112 miles at 285 ¼ from BISMARCK
crossing the track that the German ship
would take for Brest.
[At the time
of the sighting by Z/209 the battleship
KING GEORGE V (Flag Admiral
Tovey CINC Home Fleet) was 135
miles to the north of BISMARCK and the
battleship RODNEY was
125 miles to the north east of BISMARCK
and unless the BISMARCK could be slowed
down there was no way the two
battleships could catch up with the
BISMARCK. So
now it was up the ARK ROYAL's Swordfish
to slow BISMARCK down.
Admiral
Tovey, with
the destruction of the HOOD in mind,
ordered Somerville not to engage
BISMARCK
with RENOWN]
[At 1114 Swordfish 2H pilot S/Lt JV Hartley of 810
Sqd from ARK ROYAL made contact with the
BISMARCK, but reported her as a cruiser,
(this was because they were unaware that
the PRINZ EUGEN was no longer in
company with BISMARCK and because the two
ships were similar in shape) and gave
a position making the enemy 77 miles to
the west of Force H.
At 1121 Swordfish 2F pilot Lt JR Callander of 810
Sqd also made contact with the BISMARCK
and
her observer reported the vessel as a
battleship. The BISMARCK was reported on
a south easterly course, making 20 knots
with a following sea.
Swordfish 2H and 2F were ordered to remain in
contact until relief Swordfish fitted with
long range tanks could take over]
[At 1145 the Admiralty concerned that Somerville would attempt to engage
with RENOWN, signalled 'that RENOWN was
not to become engaged with BISMARCK
unless the latter was heavily engaged
with by either KING GEORGE V or RODNEY']
[At 1154 LŸtjens signalled Group West; 'Enemy
aircraft maintains contact, wheeled
aircraft, my position approximately 48N,
20W'. (The position was
approximately 90 miles out)
A wheeled aircraft could only mean that
there was an aircraft carrier nearby and
probably other heavy ships]
At 1200 hours Force H turned on to course 115¼ parallel and to
the north
of BISMARCK.
[At 1200 ARK ROYAL flew off two Swordfish one from
810 Sqd and one from 818 Sqd; the 818
Swordfish was piloted by Lt Lawrence
Ryder Tivy,
each aircraft was fitted with long range
tanks. Their task was to confirm the
identification of the enemy ship and to
take over the shadowing from 2H and 2F.
At the same time a strike force of 15 Swordfish
armed with duplex magnetic pistol
torpedoes was being prepared.
The weather continued to as it was at 0300/26]
[At 1300 the
CINC Force H ordered the SHEFFIELD to
make contact with the BISMARCK, shadow
and report. The signal to SHEFFIELD was
repeated to the Admiralty and ARK
ROYAL. Because the signal was not direct
to the ARK ROYAL it was not
immediately de-coded and no one on ARK
ROYAL, probably due to the appalling
weather conditions, noticed that
SHEFFIELD had detached]
[At around 1400 Swordfish 2H and 2F landed back on
ARK ROYAL. Their pilots and observers were
immediately ordered to the bridge
where they were interrogated as to what
they had actually sighted. They agreed
that there was only one ship, but they
could not say categorically if it was
the BISMARCK or PRINZ EUGEN.
Captain Maund the CO of
ARK ROYAL signalled the CINC Force H
stating that there was only one enemy ship
and the evidence favours it being the
PRINZ EUGEN. However, Maund
added that he believed that the vessel was
the BISMARCK]
[At 1450 ARK ROYAL flew off a strike force of 15
Swordfish from 810 and 820 Sqds armed with
duplex magnetic pistol torpedoes.
The strike contained a Swordfish fitted
with ASV radar and was led by Lt Cdr
JA Stewart-Moore RN, the CO of 820 Sqd.
The strike force was briefed: -
1. There the only vessel out there was
the BISMARCK, which was currently being
shadowed by two Swordfish.
2. The target was to be located by the
lead aircraft that was equipped with ASV
radar.
3. The strike force was to approach at
high altitude.
4. The attack approach was to be made in a
high-speed descent with the sub flights
fanning out to attack from multiple points
of the compass]
[At 1500 the SHEFFIELD was steering south easterly at 31½ knots,
the wind was from the west south west
force 6. SHEFFIELD had turned off her
Type 79Y radar set so as not the alert
the BISMARCK to her presence]
[At 1550 the ASV equipped
Swordfish of the strike force obtained a
radar contact on a ship and
notwithstanding
that the contact was 20 miles from
BISMARCKs expected position the 14
Swordfish, one had turned back. Lieu Cdr
JA
Stewart-Moore ordered a sub-flight attack
and the Swordfish dived to attack. However
the ship they were
about to attack was not the BISMARCK it
was the SHEFFIELD.
As the Swordfish came
into attack Captain Charles A Larcom
RN the CO of
SHEFFIELD recognised his attackers and
called for full ahead and ordered all
guns not to fire.
At 1600 the attack on
'BISMARCK' commenced with all 14 aircraft
attacking from all points of the
compass and dropping their torpedoes. As
each section attacked Larcom
attempted to identify his ship to the
attackers and
when he failed he manoeuvred to comb the
torpedoes. A total of 11 torpedoes
were dropped, 7 missed, 3 exploded in
SHEFFIELD's wake and 2 exploded on impact
with the water. Three Swordfish didn't
attack as they recognised the SHEFFIELD,
one of them made a signal to her, 'Sorry
for the Kipper', as they turned for
home.
At around the time the
strike force were completing their attack
the deciphered signal informing ARK
ROYAL that SHEFFIELD had been detached to
shadow BISMARCK became known to
Captain Maund.
ARK ROYAL immediately signalled the
strike force about SHEFFIELD but the
signal arrived too late.
When the strike force
arrived over ARK ROYAL the conditions on
the deck were worse than when they had
taken off.
The three Swordfish still
carrying torpedoes had to ditch them
before landing on. However, one of them
failed to release and when that Swordfish
landed on the torpedo broke loose and
rolled across the deck, fortunately
without exploding.
Three Swordfish crashed on
the flight deck as they landed on, the
rising stern smashing their
undercarriages, and the wreckage had to be
cleared away before the others could
be taken on.
By 1710 all the strike
force had been recovered]
[The fact that SHEFFIELD
had refrained from firing at her attackers
meant that all 14 Swordfish had been
able to make it back to the ARK ROYAL. The
skill of the pilots and the flight
deck crews had ensured that most of the
returning aircraft were still
serviceable.
This meant that Swordfish
were available to relieve the shadowing
aircraft and time and weather
conditions permitting mount a further
strike against the BISMARCK]
[At 1740 SHEFFIELD gained contact with BISMARCK on 068¡, at a range of
10 miles and made her first sighting
report at 1747/26. BISMARCK
sighted the SHEFFIELD at the same
time and correctly identified her. At
1824 LŸtjens
signalled Group West and reported the
presence of SHEFFIELD and gave her
course
as 115¡, speed 24 knots]
[The situation was now
desperate. Unless the BISMARCK could be
slowed the CINC Home Fleet Admiral Tovey
could not catch her. The only hope was
another strike by Swordfish from ARK
ROYAL. But with nightfall approaching and
the weather steadily worsening, the
question was, were further air operations
possible. All the crew on ARK ROYAL
were of one mind, another strike must be
mounted.
So the flight deck personnel
put in a herculean effort to get the
maximum number of aircraft serviceable
then get them fuelled and armed. Fifteen
Swordfish were made ready on to the
lifts and onto the pitching flight deck.
While the aircraft were
being prepared the air staff was putting
together the attack plan. Because of
the premature explosions of 45% of the
torpedoes on the first attack, the Duplex
fused torpedoes were replaced by the
older, but more reliable, contact
exploders. The strike leader was to be Lt
Cdr T P
Coode RN, CO of 818 Sqd, he was briefed to
led the strike force to the
SHEFFIELD who shadowing the BISMARCK from
about 12 miles astern. On arrival
over SHEFFIELD he was to receive a bearing
and distance to the BISMARCK. One of
the Swordfish was equipped with ASV radar
and Lt Cdr T P Coode RN would lead
the first wave and Lt Cdr. JA
Stewart-Moore RN, CO 820 Sqd would lead
the
second wave.
A coordinated attack with
the sub flights coming in simultaneously
from different angles was planned; the
first wave were to attack from the port
side and the second wave from the
starboard side]
At 1900 the ARK ROYAL was
in position 48-35N, 16-54W and she turned
into the 50 knot wind and the first of
the 15 Swordfish took off.
By 1915 all 15 aircraft
were airborne. After launching the strike
force ARK ROYAL and RENOWN turned on
to an easterly course.
[The strike force formed
up over RENOWN in sections, the sections
were:-
First
5A
of 818 Sqd, pilot, RN; 5C of 818 Sqd,
pilot S/Lt JWC Moffatt
RNVR and 5B of 818 Sqd, pilot S/Lt E
Dixon- Childe RNVR.
Second
2B
ASV equipped of 810 Sqd, pilot Lt DF
Godfrey-Faussett, RN; 2A of 810 Sqd, pilot
S/Lt KS Pattisson,
RN and 2P of 810 Sqd, pilot S/Lt AWD
Beale, RN.
Third
5K
of 818 Sqd, pilot Lt S Keane, DSC, RN and
2M of 810 Sqd, pilot S/Lt CM Jewell.
Fourth
4A
of 820 Sqd, pilot Lt H de G. Hunter, RN;
4B ASV equipped of 820 Sqd, pilot S/Lt
MJ Lithgow, RN and 4C of 820 Sqd, pilot
S/Lt FA Swanton,
RN.
Fifth
4K
of 820 Sqd, pilot Lt ASS Owensmith,
RN and 4L of 820
Sqd, pilot S/Lt JRN Gardner, RN.
Sixth
4F
of 820 Sqd, pilot S/Lt MFSP Willcocks,
RN and 4G of
820 Sqd, pilot S/Lt AN Dixon, RN.
At 1925 the strike force
set off south easterly to RV with
SHEFFIELD.
At 1954 the strike force
arrived over SHEFFIELD and by signal light
SHEFFIELD informed them that
BISMARCK's position was 110¡, distance 12
miles. The weather conditions were
terrible with seven-tenths cloud cover
extending from 2000 to 5000 feet and the
force became disorientated and the force
leader Lt Cdr Coode had to relocate
the SHEFFIELD.
At 2035, Coode relocated the
SHEFFIELD and obtained a new bearing and
distance. Coode rejoined the force and
they climbed to 6000 feet, and formed up
in line astern, but after about 6
minutes the aircraft started to ice
up.
At 2048 Coode estimated
that they were at the position to commence
the dive. The force then dived
through the thick cloud.
At 2055 the strike force
reached 700 feet and broke out of the
cloud and then commenced a disjointed
attack on BISMARCK. The BISMARCK
immediately opened extremely accurate fire
on
her attackers.
At 2105 as BISMARCK was
turning to port she was hit on the port
side aft by a torpedo dropped by 5C of
818 Sqd, pilot S/Lt JWC Moffatt
RNVR, observer S/Lt JD
Miller, RNVR and TAG Leading Airman AJ
Hayman, Jx.151230. This hit jammed
BISMARCK's rudder at left 12 degrees.
One possibly two other
torpedo hits were achieved but the one
that did the damage was the hit that
jammed the rudder. Several aircraft were
hit by AA fire but no aircraft was lost.
By 2115 thirteen
Swordfish were on their way back to ARK
ROYAL. Swordfish 4G and 4L were still
attempting to get into an attacking
position but due to the AA fire and
weather
conditions they abandoned their attack and
turned for home.
At 2125 the attack was
over.
[At 2115 LŸtjens signalled OKM that the ship
was no longer steerable]
[At 2137 the SHEFFIELD who was still shadowing from astern of BISMARCK,
suddenly saw the BISMARCK emerge out of
the gloom, 9 miles away bows on.
At
2140 the BISMARCK opened fire on
SHEFFIELD, the first two salvos were
HE that had been loaded for firing
against the Swordfish, and they fell
short
and exploded on impact with the sea.
These caused splinter damage and 14
casualties.
SHEFFIELD
reported BISMARCK's change of course.
When Tovey received the
signal, he uttered the deadly insult,
'SHEFFIELD has joined the reciprocal
club' – meaning of ships that have
steered a course 180¡ off true. But
she hadn't.
At
2142 SHEFFIELD made smoke and turned
away]
[At 2205 the first of the
returning Swordfish landed on ARK ROYAL.
Three crashed on landing, five had
been damaged by AA fire and 4C who had a
pilot and TAG hit by shrapnel, and was
so badly damaged it was declared beyond
repair and cannibalised for spares.
Only six of the returning Swordfish were
serviceable and these were immediately
struck down below to prepare for another
strike should it be necessary.
Immediately on landing
the observers were de-briefed, following
which it was decided that there had
been two possible hits]
At 2220 ARK ROYAL reported that one torpedo had definitely hit
BISMARCK
amidships.
At 2235 ARK ROYAL reported that a second hit had most probably
been
obtained aft.
[At 2235 LŸtjens signalled 'am surrounded by
RENOWN and light
forces'. Although at this time RENOWN
was not in sight of the BISMARCK]
[At 2300 the last of the
Swordfish strike force landed back on ARK
ROYAL]
[At 2325, after five
hours in the air, the two shadowing
Swordfish landed back on ARK ROYAL. They
bought the news that following the air
strike BISMARCK had made two complete
circles and was apparently out of control.
When they left BISMARCK had been
steaming slowly in a north westerly
direction]
At 2345 RENOWN and ARK ROYAL were in position 48-42N, 15-17W.
27th
– Through the night ARK ROYAL's air staff
worked to get as many Swordfish
serviceable as possible for a further
strike.
[At 0112
Somerville signalled Tovey that RENOWN,
at 2345 hours, was 165¼, 41 miles from
BISMARCK]
At 0509 ARK ROYAL launched a Swordfish to spot fall of shot for
the
battleship KING GEORGE V, but the aircraft
failed to find her and had to return
to ARK ROYAL.
[Sunrise was
at 0722 and when it came the wind was
blowing force 8 to 9 from the north west
with a rising sea and swell, visibility
was 12 to 13 miles but was at times
down to 500 yards with rain squalls and
the cloud base about 2000 feet]
At 0800 Force H was approximately 20 miles to the south of
BISMARCK.
[At 0848,
with the BISMARCK sailing directly
towards the CINC Home Fleet in his
flagship
KING GEORGE V, the flagship opened fire
on the BISMARCK at a range of about
25,500 yards. Followed by the battleship
RODNEY]
At 0920 the wind speed over the deck was 56 knots,
when ARK ROYAL launched a strike force of
12 Swordfish armed with torpedoes.
Their task was to be available should the
CINC Home Fleet require their
services.
At 0940 SHEFFIELD rejoined RENOWN and ARK ROYAL.
[At 0947
Somerville signalled Tovey that ARK
ROYAL and SHEFFIELD had been detached
and
RENOWN was closing him from the
southward]
[At 1036 the
battered BISMARCK turned over and sank]
[Following the sinking of the BISMARCK, the strike
force that had been circling the area of
the battle, left the scene and
returned to ARK ROYAL]
At 1045 as ARK ROYAL was recovering the strike force, Force H
came under
attack from Luftwaffe He 111's. AA fire
from RENOWN and SHEFFIELD kept the
bombers away and the closest bombs fell
600 yards astern of ARK ROYAL.
By 1152 ARK ROYAL had completed recovery of her aircraft and
Force H
shaped course for Gibraltar at 24 knots.
28th
–
Force H en route to Gibraltar.
29th – At 0830 in position 36-20N, 9-35W Force H
were joined by destroyers FAULKNOR (D8),
FORESTER, FURY and WISHART from
Gibraltar.
En route to Gibraltar FORESTER and FURY were detached to search
for a
reported U-boat.
[At 1334 both
of SHEFFIELD's Walrus aircraft were
catapulted off. One to carry out an A/S
patrol around Force H, and the other to
deliver a message to the RENOWN and
then to fly on to Gibraltar to collect
mail.
At
1340 having
dropped his message on RENOWN's
forecastle, the Walrus flew low over the
stern
of RENOWN and as it flew through the hot
gases from the funnel it went out of
control and crashed hitting RENOWN's
stern before crashing into the sea and
killing the three crew. A passenger RPO
Marjoram, who was on board to collect
the mail, was picked up by destroyer
WISHART, but died of injuries]
At 1900 RENOWN, ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD, FAULKNOR and WISHART
arrived back
at Gibraltar.
30th
–
The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[At 2400 hours aircraft
carrier ARGUS with 29 crated Hurricanes
embarked, escorted by destroyers
FEARLESS, FORESIGHT and FOXHOUND arrived
at Gibraltar.
ARGUS
berthed astern of FURIOUS, who whilst
Force H had been in the
Atlantic had had her stern glands
re-packed and had embarked the 16
Hurricanes
left over from Operation SPLICE]
31st
– The ARK ROYAL was Gibraltar.
[The
cased Hurricanes
from ARGUS were off-loaded on to FURIOUS
and assembly commenced in preparation
for flying off
to
Malta]
JUNE
1st
to 3rd –
The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[The
next 'club
run' for Force H was Operation ROCKET,
this was the
flying off to Malta of 44 Hurricanes
from ARK ROYAL and FURIOUS. In order to
address some of Somerville's concerns
the plan for Operation ROCKET was to be
different from the previous ones. All
the Hurricanes were fitted with
auxiliary
fuel tanks to increase their range so
they could be launched 600 miles from
Malta. They would be launched from one
carrier at a time so the un-engaged
carrier could provide fighter cover. The
escorts would be RAF Blenheims to
preserve Force H's precious Fulmars]
4th
- FURIOUS was moored stern to stern with ARK ROYAL
and transferred 24 of the Hurricanes to
ARK ROYAL across a timber bridge that
was erected between the two carriers.
[Nine RAF
Blenheim IVs of 82 Sqd arrived at
Gibraltar from RAF Bodney
via RAF St Eval;
these were the aircraft that were to
act as escorts for the Hurricanes]
5th
– At 1200 Force H sailed from Gibraltar on
Operation ROCKET. For the operation the
force was divided into two groups.
Group 1 was RENOWN (Flag
CINC Force H), FURIOUS, and destroyers
FAULKNOR (D8), FORESIGHT, FORESTER and
FOXHOUND.
Group 2 was ARK ROYAL, SHEFFIELD, and destroyers
FEARLESS and FURY.
6th – At 0900 Force H formed into its two groups
and Group 1 moved to the north of the mean
line of advance and group 2 moved to
the south.
At 1000 in approximate position 39N, 3E the fly off
of the 44 Hurricanes commenced. At the
same time the Blenheims from Gibraltar
arrived. One Hurricane, that had defects,
returned to FURIOUS, the remaining 43
Hurricanes and 9 Blenheims all arrived
safely at Malta.
Force H then set course for Gibraltar.
At 1100 a Swordfish from ARK ROYAL carried out a
reconnaissance of Mers-el-Kebir harbour.
[The reason
for the reconnaissance was to see if the
DUNKERQUE was in harbour as there had
been intelligence that she may have
sailed to Toulon. The Admiralty wanted
to
know her location as Operation EXPORTER,
the invasion of the Vichy French in
Syria was due to commence on the night
of 7/6/41]
[During the
day the aircraft carrier ARGUS and
troopship SS NEA HELLAS 16991grt with
1000
Gibraltarian evacuees embarked, escorted
by the destroyers WIVERN, WILD SWAN
and VANSITTART, departed Gibraltar for
the UK]
7th – Before entering Gibraltar ARK ROYAL flew
off ten Fulmars to North Front airfield to
provide an air defence should Vichy
aircraft attack following the British
invasion of Syria.
At 0845 Force H returned to Gibraltar.
At 2230 Force H comprising RENOWN
(Flag CINC
Force H), ARK ROYAL, FURIOUS, SHEFFIELD
and destroyers FAULKNOR (D8), FEARLESS,
FOXHOUND, FORESTER and FURY sailed from
Gibraltar into the Atlantic so as to be
clear of the harbour should Vichy aircraft
attack. Then they proceeded west
into the Atlantic to RV with the aircraft
carrier VICTORIOUS.
[At
2230/31/5/41 convoy WS 8X comprising SS
DOUCHESS OF BEDFORD 20123grt with 3100
troops embarked; escorted by the
aircraft carrier VICTORIOUS with 6
Fulmars of
800Z Sqd, 9 Swordfish of 825 Sqd and 48
crated Hurricane I embarked; also
embarked were a RAF Maintenance Party
who were to assemble the Hurricanes en
route, heavy cruiser NORFOLK, light
cruiser NEPTUNE and AMC ESPERANCE BAY,
sailed
from the Clyde.
At
0700/1/6/41, in
position 55-40N, 6-43W the convoy was
joined by the MT ships MV WAIWERA
10800grt
and MV PORT WYNDHAM 8580grt and the
destroyers BRIGHTON,
LEGION,
PIORUN, SAGUENAY, ST MARYS, SHERWOOD,
VANSITTART, WILD SWAN and WIVERN.
After forming up the convoy then headed west into
the Atlantic at a speed of 14½ knots,
this being the maximum speed of
the AMC ESPERANCE BAY]
[At around
1745/4/6/41 in position 43.32N, 23.56W,
a Swordfish of 825 Sqd from VICTORIOUS,
sighted a vessel that turned out to be
the German reconnaissance ship MV
GONZENHEIM 4104grt (ex Norwegian
MV
KONGSFJORD 4000grt). The
GONZENHEIM
had been intended to operate with the
BISMARCK and had been in contact with
the
heavy cruiser PRINZ EUGEN on 27/5/41.
The
Swordfish challenged
the German vessel and ordered her to
stop and await the arrival of the AMC
ESPERANCE BAY who was nearby. However,
the GONZENHEIM failed to stop and the
ESPERANCE BAY didn't have the speed to
catch her.
At
1830 the NEPTUNE
detached from WS 8X and at around the
same time the battleship NELSON detached
from convoy SL 75and both headed for the
GONZENHEIM.
At
2030 in position
43-29N, 24-04W, the NELSON and NEPTUNE
intercepted the GONZENHEIM and NEPTUNE
was ordered to board. But before this
could be achieved the GONZENHEIM
scuttled
and NEPTUNE picked up the 63 survivors.
Both vessels then returned to their
respective convoys]
[At
0001/7/6/41 when convoy WS 8X was in
position 28N, 23W, the VICTORIOUS and
NEPTUNE detached to RV with Force H]
8th
– Force H exercising in the Atlantic waiting
to RV with VICTORIOUS.
[During the
day there were several submarine alerts
and there was a report of a U Boat in
the Strait of Gibraltar from a
patrolling RAF aircraft. Many of these
may well
have been false alarms, however, at the
time there were several Italian
submarines in the area]
[At 1100 in
approximate position 36N, 17-45W, the
VICTORIOUS and NEPTUNE were joined by
the
destroyers WIVERN, WILD SWAN and
VANSITTART. Later in the day the
destroyer
WRESTLER joined]
9th
– At 0650 in approximate position 36-30N,
11-30W, Force H RVed with VICTORIOUS,
NEPTUNE, WIVERN, WILD SWAN, WRESTLER and
VANSITTART.
At 0730 the FURIOUS and SHEFFIELD detached from
Force H to join the ARGUS in 47N, 24W and
hence to the UK.
Force H then cruised to the south west to keep
clear of Gibraltar until the Vichy French
reaction to Operation EXPORTER could
be quantified.
The destroyers WIVERN, WILD SWAN, WRESTLER and
VANSITTART were detached to Gibraltar.
The NEPTUNE was detached to Gibraltar to land
German prisoners and captured documents
from the German ship GONZENEHEIM.
10th
– At 0100 the Admiralty signalled CINC Force
H that Operation TRACER was to commence
without further delay.
At 0130 Force H set course for Gibraltar.
[A Swordfish of 820 Sqd, pilot S/Lt JRN Gardner RN,
sighted a surfaced submarine which dived
and the Swordfish attacked with bombs
that failed to detonate because the
aircraft was too low when they were
dropped.
Because of the need to return to Gibraltar
with despatch no destroyer was
detached to carry out a sonar search]
11th – During the early hours Force H passed
through the Straits of Gibraltar and into
the Mediterranean.
At around 0300 ARK ROYAL, VICTORIOUS and the
destroyers detached and proceeded into the
Mediterranean.
At around 0500 VICTORIOUS flew off the 9 Swordfish
of 825 Sqd and they landed on ARK ROYAL.
All nine Swordfish of 825 were
equipped with ASV radar.
At around 0800 ARK ROYAL, VICTORIOUS and the
destroyers arrived at Gibraltar.
[After both
carriers had completed with fuel and
stores; VICTORIOUS transferred 26
Hurricanes to ARK ROYAL together with
stores for 825 Squadron. ARK ROYAL
transferred stores for 820 Squadron to
VICTORIOUS]
12th
–
ARK ROYAL at Gibraltar
[On 12/6/41 the
first group of RAF Hudsons
of 200 Squadron landed at
North Front airfield Gibraltar en route
from RAF
Bircham
Newton to Jeswang,
Gambia. Four of the Hudsons
were held back at North
Front to participate in Operation TRACER]
13th
– At about 0500 Force H comprising RENOWN
(Flag CINC Force H), ARK ROYAL,
VICTORIOUS, and the destroyers FAULKNOR
(D8),
FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FOXHOUND,
HESPERUS and WISHART departed
Gibraltar to fly off 47 Hurricanes to
Malta, Operation TRACER.
[Operation
TRACER was a 'club run' to deliver 48
RAF Hurricanes to Malta]
14th - At around 0430 in approximate
position 38-56N, 3E the four RAF Hudsons
of 200 Sqd
RV with Force H and ARK ROYAL and
VICTORIOUS commenced to fly off the RAF
Hurricanes for Malta. Each group of 12 was
led by a Hudson.
[47
Hurricanes fitted with long range tanks
were flown off. The navigation of at
least two of the Hudson's was poor and
they took their charges to the north and
south of the island. This was seen by
Malta radar and aircraft were scrambled
to lead them to the island, but before
this happened many of the Hurricanes
were getting desperately short of fuel.
45 aircraft arrived at Malta but two
crashed on landing due to running out of
fuel and the pilot of one, Sgt Robert MacPherson
was killed. One ditched en route about
40 miles
south east of Malta and the pilot was
picked up by an air sea rescue launch.
One
experienced difficulties and landed in
North Africa.
On
arrival the
Hurricanes were formed into 238 and 260
Sqds]
At around 0545 Force H set course for Gibraltar.
15th
- At 1030 Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
At 1800 Force H comprising RENOWN (Flag CINC force H), ARK ROYAL
(who
had most of her aircraft ranged on deck,
in an attempt to fool watching eyes
that this was to be another delivery of
fighters to Malta) ,
VICTORIOUS, and destroyers FAULKNOR (D8),
FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FORESIGHT,
FORESTER and HESPERUS sailed from
Gibraltar to escort VICTORIOUS part way to
the UK. In order to attempt to confuse
watchers in Spain they sailed east into
the Mediterranean.
At 2050 Force H reversed course and passed through the straits
and set
course for position 49N, 29-30W at 18
knots.
16th
- At 0200 when Force H was in approximate position
36N, 6-34W, Somerville received a report,
timed at 2100/15/6/41, of two
unidentified vessels departing from Brest.
They could have been the SCHARNHORST
and GNEISENAU, so Force H was ordered to
take up a blocking position and cover
convoy WS 9A. At the time convoy WS 9A was
about 1000NM SSE of Force H.
[Aerial
reconnaissance later confirmed that the
two battle cruisers were still in Brest
and the two unidentified vessels were
merchant ships]
17th – Force H were steering north westerly.
At about 0600 RENOWN commenced to refuel HESPERUS.
At about 1000 VICTORIOUS and HESPERUS were detached
to proceed to the UK.
At 1140 when in position 38-22N, 15-22W the destroyers
FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORESTER
and FOXHOUND were detached from Force H
to return to Gibraltar.
18th – Force H were cruising northerly with ARK
ROYAL's aircraft searching for the German
battlecruisers.
[At 0500 the
destroyers FAULKNOR, FEARLESS,
FORESIGHT, FORESTER and FOXHOUND were
off Cape
St Vincent; at which time the destroyers
commenced an anti submarine exercise
with FAULKNOR in the centre and two
destroyers on each beam.
At
0920 FAULKNOR obtained
an asdic contact that was confirmed as a
submarine. Both FAULKNOR and FORESTER
made successful DC attacks and the
submarine, U 138.
At
about 1115, in
position 36-04N, 7-29W, U 138 was forced
to the surface. The crew of 4
Officers, 11 Petty Officers and 12 men
abandoned ship and were picked up by
FAULKNOR.
The
U 138, a Type
IID, had sailed from Lorient on 12/6/41
on a secret and possibly dangerous
mission.
The interrogation of the crew at first
revealed very little, but it was noted
that of the 27 crew only two were
married.
Eventually
by
piecing together various remarks and
admissions from the crew it was assessed
that
U 138's mission was to enter the
Mediterranean (had she
have succeeded she would have been the
U-Boat to do so) and to enter
Gibraltar harbour on the
surface and torpedo any vessel of
cruiser size and above. This would have
been
an attempt to emulate U 47's attack on
Scapa Flow]
19th
& 20th
– Force H cruised in the Bay of Biscay.
21st – At 0800 in position 36W, 13W, RENOWN and
ARK ROYAL en route to Gibraltar RVed with
destroyers FAULKNOR, FEARLESS,
FORESTER and FOXHOUND.
22nd – At 0230 RENOWN arrived back at Gibraltar.
ARK ROYAL with FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESTER and
FOXHOUND carried on into the Mediterranean
to carry out exercises.
At 1000 ARK ROYAL, FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESTER and
FOXHOUND arrived back at Gibraltar.
23rd
and 24th
– The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
25th
– The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[At 1830
aircraft carrier FURIOUS, with 64
Hurricanes embarked for Malta and 9
Swordfish
of 816 Sqd, light cruiser HERMIONE, and
the destroyers LEGION and LANCE, from
the Home Fleet, and destroyers FAULKNOR,
FEARLESS, FORESTER, FOXHOUND and FURY,
who had joined west of Gibraltar on the
24/6/41, arrived at Gibraltar]
On arrival FURIOUS moored stern to stern with ARK
ROYAL and 22 Hurricanes and their pilots
were transferred to ARK ROYAL
26th
– At 0400 RENOWN (Flag CINC Force H), ARK
ROYAL, HERMIONE (Fitted with a Type 279
Radar), and destroyers FAULKNOR (D8),
FORESTER, FURY, LANCE and LEGION sailed
from Gibraltar on Operation RAILWAY 1.
[Operation
RAILWAY 1 was the next 'club run' for
Force H, delivering Hurricanes to Malta]
27th – At 0500 in approximate position 39N, 3E,
ARK ROYAL commenced flying off the 22
Hurricanes, the RAF provided an escort of
Blenheims from Gibraltar. One Hurricane
crashed on landing the remaining 21
Hurricanes arrived safely at Malta.
28th – At 0930 Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
FURIOUS transferred 26 Hurricanes to ARK
ROYAL.
[The next
'club run' for Force H was Operation
RAILWAY II the flying off to Malta of 26
Hurricanes from ARK ROYAL and 16
Hurricanes from FURIOUS. Some of the
Hurricanes were tropicalised
type IIC's
which were fitted with four 20mm cannon]
At 1800 Operation RAILWAY II commenced with Force A
comprising FURIOUS, HERMIONE, and the
destroyers FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, LANCE and
LEGION sailing from Gibraltar and feinting
to the west. After dark Force B
reversed course and steered easterly.
29th – At 0130 Force B comprising RENOWN (Flag
CINC Force H), ARK ROYAL, and destroyers
FAULKNOR (D8), FURY, FORESTER, WISHART
and AVONVALE.
At 0700 Force A and Force B joined forces.
WISHART and AVONVALE detached and
returned to Gibraltar.
30th – At 0430 FURIOUS, FEARLESS, LANCE and
LEGION detached and moved to the south in
preparation for flying off the
Hurricanes.
At 0515 in approximate position 39N, 3E,
ARK ROYAL commenced flying off her 26
Hurricanes; the RAF provided an escort of
Blenheims (possibly a detachment from
110 Sqd) from Gibraltar.
[At 0630 FURIOUS
commenced flying off her 16 Hurricanes;
the RAF provided an escort of
Blenheims. The first 9 Hurricanes were
flown off without problems; the
tenth aircraft crashed into the bridge
structure during takeoff and a long
range fuel tank fell off starting a fire
on the flight deck. The accident
caused the death of 12 and injured 10.
The accident prevented the last six
aircraft from being flown off.
35
Hurricanes
arrived safely at Malta. On arrival some
of the Hurricanes formed 126 Sqd]
[On 30/6/41 Somerville received a
signal
from the Admiralty advising him that the
RENOWN would be relieved by the
REPULSE so that RENOWN could return to
the UK for a long-awaited refit]
JULY
[On 1/7/41
Somerville was advised by the Admiralty
that the REPULSE would be available to
relieve the RENOWN around the end of the
month. Somerville informed the Admiralty
that he was convinced that the REPULSE
was totally unsuited for any operation
which involved facing modern heavy ships
or aircraft. The Admiralty, after
consideration of Somerville's opinion,
changed their orders so that, on
16/7/41, when the RENOWN was ordered
home to
refit she was to be relieved instead by
the battleship NELSON]
1st
– At 0530 ARK ROYAL flew off the Swordfish of
818 Sqd for transfer to the FURIOUS.
At 0600 ARK ROYAL landed on the 9 Swordfish of 816
Sqd from FURIOUS.
At 1000 Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
2nd
to 20th – The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[4/7/41 the
FURIOUS and troopships SS SCYTHIA
19761grt and SS CAMERONIA 16297grt,
escorted
by light cruiser HERMIONE and the
destroyers LANCE, LEGION, WISHART, and
FURY
departed Gibraltar for the Clyde]
(The next
operation for Force H was Operation
SUBSTANCE. This involved the passing of
a
convoy, GM 1, consisting of 6 MT ships
and a personnel ship; together with
troops embarked in the escorting
warships to Malta. Also to cover the
passage
of convoy MG 1, 7 empty MT ships, from
Malta to Gibraltar. For the operation
Force H was reinforced by a battleship,
three cruisers and 5 destroyers from
the Home Fleet. Force X was the
designated escort to take GM 1 through
to Malta
and Force H was the designated covering
force)
[At 0145/20/7/41
the light cruiser EDINBURGH (Flag
of
Rear Admiral E N Syfret,
18thCS), cruiser minelayer
MANXMAN, and the destroyers
HMAS NESTOR, LIGHTNING, FARNDALE, AVON
VALE and ERIDGE sailed from Gibraltar to
take over the escort of convoy WC 9C.
The convoy comprised the MT ships, MV
DEUCALION 7740grt, MV DURHAM 10893grt,
SS CITY OF PRETORIA 8046grt, MV
MELBOURNE STAR 12086grt, MV PORT
CHALMERS 8535grt and MV SYDNEY STAR
11219grt.
At 1200 in position 36N, 9-10W,
EDINBURGH, MANXMAN, and destroyers
NESTOR,
LIGHTNING, FARNDALE, AVON VALE and
ERIDGE joined convoy WC 9C.
Following which; the destroyers
FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, FURY,
FORESIGHT
and FORESTER detached for Gibraltar.
At
2345 convoy WS 9C
entered the Strait of Gibraltar. There
was thick fog in the Strait which caused
problems with timings in the early part
of Operation SUBSTANCE]
21st –
[At 0145
having passed through the Strait of
Gibraltar the convoy number changed to
GM1.
At 0200 the RFA oiler MV BROWN RANGER
3400grt escorted by destroyer BEVERLEY
sailed from Gibraltar.
At 0320 hours cruisers MANCHESTER and
ARETHUSA sailed from Gibraltar to join
convoy
GM1]
[The troop
carrier MV LEINSTER 4302grt, with 914
military personnel embarked including
RAF
maintenance personnel for Malta, sailed
at the same time; but at 0400 in the
fog she ran aground off Carnero
Point, south of
Algeciras, Spain]
At 0430 Force H comprising RENOWN (Flag CINC Force H),
battleship NELSON,
ARK ROYAL, HERMIONE and the destroyers
FAULKNOR (D8), FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE,
FOXHOUND, FURY, FORESIGHT and FORESTER
sailed from Gibraltar. Owing to the fog
all the units of Force H were ordered to
proceed independently to the eastward
until daylight.
[At 0530 the destroyers
COSSACK (D4), MAORI and
SIKH sailed from Gibraltar, these
vessels should have been
escorting the LEINSTER]
At
0600 all
the ships of Force H had formed on RENOWN.
[At 0630 three
Swordfish from Gibraltar airfield
arrived over ARK ROYAL. They were
ordered to
search ahead for 40 miles to locate and
report the position of all ships. These
aircraft reported sighting LEINSTER,
although at the time she was aground on
the Spanish coast]
[At 0630 a RAF Sunderland
1of 204 Sqd from Gibraltar arrived over
the fleet and commenced A/S patrol
ahead]
At
0630
hours Somerville signalled that the ships
formed on RENOWN would be known as
Group 4, and those formed on the MT ships
as Group 5. (This was because Forces
H and X were mixed up and would not revert
to H and X until the Skerki Channel
was reached)
ARK
ROYAL
maintained a section of Fulmars ranged on
deck whilst the RAF Sunderlands
from Gibraltar maintained A/S patrols
ahead.
[At 0815 COSSACK, MAORI
and SIKH joined Group 4]
[At 0915 Somerville was
informed by VA North Atlantic that
LEINSTER was aground.
Because
the RAF
personnel were urgently required at
Malta, Somerville did consider sending
HERMIONE back to embark them, but
rejected the move on several grounds]
At
1000
clocks were advanced by one hour.
At
1230
Group 4 now comprising RENOWN, NELSON, ARK
ROYAL, HERMIONE and destroyers
FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, COSSACK, MAORI and
SIKH, was abeam and to the north of
Group 5.
[At 1255 RENOWN in
position 36-28N, 03-16W, a merchant
ship, probably Vichy French, was sighted
westbound, 15 miles north of RENOWN]
At
1500
Group 4 altered course to 060¼ to open out
from Group 5.
At
1600 the
two groups were 30 miles apart.
[At 1900 RENOWN in
position 37-02N, 00-41W, a merchant
ship, probably Vichy French, was sighted
northbound, 10 miles E.S.E of RENOWN]
22nd
–
At 0400 as dawn was breaking,
Group 4 was in position 38-16N, 01-59E;
the sea was calm, the sky cloudless and
the wind was a light breeze from the north
east. So that ARK ROYAL could
operate her aircraft, Group 4 altered
course to 070¼.
[Commencing at 0400 the
destroyers commenced refuelling in
batches from the oiler
RFA MV BROWN RANGER who was escorted by the destroyer
BEVERLEY]
At
0700 with
Group 4 in position 38-41N, 03-03E, Group
4 altered course to 130¼.
At
0715 ARK
ROYAL flew off fighter and A/S patrols.
[At 0810 one of ARK ROYALs aircraft reported a southbound
ship 18 miles south west of Group 4. It
was estimated that it would pass 13
miles ahead of Group 5 at 1230]
[At 0850 an
unidentified floatplane was sighted
about 10 miles north of Group 4; and
chased
away by ARK ROYAL's Fulmars. A few
minutes later an Italian signal was
intercepted timed at 0850, which
appeared
to only refer to Group 4]
At
1200 when
in position 37-41N, 04-32E Group 4
reversed course to the westward to close
the
distance from Group 5.
At
1400
Group 4 turned east. At the same time
aircraft were detected passing 25 miles
north of RENOWN. ARK ROYAL flew off six
Fulmars but they failed to intercept.
[At 1453 a visual
signal was passed to the escorting RAF
Sunderland to locate Group 5 and inform
RA 18thCS that group 4 would remain 20
miles to the eastward of Group 5 during
the night and close during the day.
At
1732 the Sunderland
returned to Group 4 and signalled Group
5 were bearing 240¼, 25 miles from
RENOWN. She also signalled that the RA
CS18 reported that a Vichy merchant ship
had passed northbound 9 miles ahead of
Group 5 at 1300; also that all the
destroyers had had been fuelled during
the day from the BROWN RANGER and that
Group 5 would pass through 37-40N, 6-25E
at 0300/23]
At
1800 in
position 37-49N, 05-04E Group 4 streamed
paravanes.
At
2030
Group 4 turned west.
[At 2315 when in
position 38-03N, 05-45E, proceeding at
15 knots on course 085¼, NESTOR, who was
on the starboard wing of Group 4s
destroyer screen reported a torpedo
approaching from starboard. RENOWN
carried out a drastic turn to port
shortly
afterwards 4 explosions were felt, the
closest about a cable ahead of RENOWN.
Whilst
on the surface
on patrol off Bougie,
Algeria, the Italian submarine
DIASPRO fired four torpedoes against,
what she reported was an aircraft
carrier, but failed to hit it anything.
NESTOR who had heard the torpedoes
running, then launched an attack on the
DIASPRO who then fired two torpedoes
against the NESTOR, narrowly missing
NESTOR]
23rd
–
At 0648 ARK ROYAL flew off
the first fighter patrol of the day, and
Group 4 closed Group 5.
[At 0657 RENOWN
reported a shadowing aircraft in sight
ahead of Group 4]
At
0700 ARK
ROYAL flew off fighters to intercept the
shadower but due to low Sun and mist
they failed intercept.
[At 0729 a second
shadowing aircraft was reported 10 miles
to the north. But again the fighters
failed to intercept]
At
0745
Group 4 took up position on the port side
(north) of Group 5 in a flexible
column with the objective of providing AA
protection. RENOWN and HERMIONE
remained in loose contact with ARK ROYAL
to provide her with radar early
warning and protective AA fire.
At
0910 a group
of 8 enemy aircraft was detected at 60
miles bearing 055¼; and ARK ROYAL
launched 7 more Fulmars lead by Lt Cdr Sholto
Douglas, CO of 807 Sqd, to join the four
on patrol to meet the attackers.
[At 0930 EDINBURGH of
Group 5 recorded a formation of enemy
bombers 40 miles away being attacked by
two groups of fighters from ARK ROYAL.
Also an enemy bomber formation was
recorded approaching from ahead, 24
miles distant.
This
turned out to be
synchronized attack by 8 high level
bombers and 7 torpedo bombers. The
Fulmars
concentrated on the interception the
high level bombers, whose attack was
broken up and failed, but the torpedo
bombers were not seen until it was too
late for the Fulmars to intercept]
[At 0942 in 37-40N,
8-20E the air attack commenced and
developed into a synchronised high level
bombing attack by the 8
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79's of 280
and 283 Squadr“glie,
from Elmas, Sardinia, flying from north
to south and a torpedo attack
from ahead by 7 Savoia-Marchetti SM.79's
of 32 Stormo, from Decimomannu,
Sardinia.
By
0947 the attack was
over.
In
the attack the
destroyer FEARLESS, who was positioned
on the starboard bow of the screen, was
torpedoed on the port side aft, abreast
the 3inch gun, 26 crew were killed.
Both engines failed, all electrical
power was lost and a fuel fire started
aft,
causing FEARLESS to be entirely
disabled. Somerville ordered FORESTER to
take
off the crew and sink FEARLESS. This
action was completed by 1055 hours.
Also
torpedoed in the
attack was the cruiser MANCHESTER who
was hit on the port side aft. MANCHESTER
had 26 crew killed and 1 wounded, also
13 military personnel were killed and 4
wounded
(MANCHESTER had embarked 750 military
personnel, mostly the 8th Battalion
King's Own Royal Regiment). She
was severely damaged and only her
starboard outer shaft was operational.
Somerville ordered MANCHESTER back to
Gibraltar escorted by the destroyer AVON
VALE]
[In the attack the Fulmars shot
down two SM 79s of 283 Squadr“glie and
lost
three of their number, one from 807 Sqd
and two from 808 Sqd. Sub Lt KG
Grant RNVR, and his gunner Leading Airman
H. McLeod of 807 Sqd and Lt AJ
Kindersley and his gunner Petty Officer FA
Barnes of 808 Sqd were lost. A crew
from 808 Sqd were picked up by a
destroyer]
[The AVON DALE picked up six Italian airmen from one of
the shot down SM
79s]
At
1011 in position 37-47N, 08-22E, 5 high
level bombers, probably Fiat
BR.20's, attacked Group 4 from north to
south at 17,000 feet, bombs fell close
to FOXHOUND and SIKH who were on the port
bow of the screen. Five Fulmars who
were at 1000 feet at the time attempted to
make an interception but could not
gain the height quickly enough to make
contact.
[At 1304 EDINBURGH of Group 5 was in approximate position
37-47N, 9E]
[At 1643 a group of enemy aircraft
was detected at 43 miles, flying at 5000
feet, bearing 338¼, closing the
convoy.
At 1658 five Savoia-Marchetti SM 79
torpedo bombers led by a Cant Z 506B
floatplane were sighted low down on the
port quarter, (coming out of the Sun)
being chased by four Fulmars. The Fulmars
broke up the attack and shot down a SM 79
and damaged the Z 506b, no attack
developed on the convoy]
[At 1658 Force H passed through the area of the morning
air battle and
the FORESIGHT picked up four Italian
airmen from one of the shot down SM 79s]
At 1706 ARK ROYAL flew off 11
Fulmars.
At
1713 the entrance to the Skerki Channel
was reached. HERMIONE was
detached from Group 4 to take MANCHESTER's
place in Group 5.
The
two forces now resumed their planned
nomenclature of Force X and Force
H. Force H now comprised RENOWN, NELSON,
ARK ROYAL, DUNCAN, FAULKNOR, FURY,
FORESIGHT, FORESTER and LIGHTENING and
remained to the west of the Skerki
Channel.
[A section of ARK ROYALs Fulmars
remained over Force X until 1830]
[Between 1747 and 1803, 9 Beaufighter
1Cs of
252 Sqd, from Malta arrived over Force X]
[At 1805 the crippled MANCHESTER escorted by the AVON DALE
was attacked
by three torpedo bombers; no hits were
achieved]
At
1922 ARK ROYAL landed on the section of
Fulmars that had been covering
Force X.
[At 1945 north of Cape Bon, a high level bombing attack
took place on
the convoy, in which FIREDRAKE was
seriously damaged when she was narrowly
missed by a 500kg bomb which exploded on
her starboard side, close alongside
No.1 boiler room, causing severe
structural damage; the side plating
which was
blown inwards from upper deck to bilge
keel over most of the length of No.1
boiler room, and over the fore end of
No.2 boiler room; both boiler rooms were
flooded and Nos.1 and 2 boilers actually
shifted position as a result of the
blast. Syfret
ordered ERIDGE to stand by FIREDRAKE.
By
2038 hours ERIDGE had FIREDRAKE under
tow heading west for Gibraltar]
24th
– At
0100 in position ARK ROYAL 37-42N, 07-17E
and flew off 6 Swordfish fitted with
long range tanks to join 830 Sqd at Malta,
All arrived safely.
At
0615 Force H was in position 37-35N,
05-15E. ARK ROYAL flew off two
Swordfish to locate the MANCHESTER. A
further three Swordfish were flown off to
carry out a search between 000¡ and 100¡
to a depth of 50 miles to locate any
surface forces that might be in a position
to attack the MANCHESTER.
[At 0710 the Swordfish reported
MANCHESTER in position 37-19N, 03-44E,
listing to port, down by the stern and
leaving a large oil track. The search
Swordfish failed to sight any enemy
surface forces]
[At 0816 a Cant Z.506B floatplane
shadower, from Elmas, Sardinina,
was sighted 10 miles
east of RENOWN and was shot down by a
Fulmar]
At
1000 Force H was in position 37-18N,
04-30E, steering, 290¼ at 18
knots.
[Convoy MG 1A, which had sailed from Malta commencing
0500/23/7/41. The
seven ship 'convoy' was escorted by the
destroyer ENCOUNTER and comprised the
supply ship HMS BRECONSHIRE 10000grt,
18knots, MV AMERIKA 10218grt, 15knots,
the
tanker MV H¯EGH HOOD 9351grt, 12knots,
SS SETTLER 6202grt, 14knots, RFA tanker
MV SVEN¯R 7616grt, 12knots, MV TALABOT
6798grt, 16¼Knots and MV
THERMOPYLAE 6655grt, 15knots. When
sighted it was in three groups, ranging
from
20 miles to 40 miles east of Galita
Island; with the SVEN¯R just having left
Malta, delayed when she hit the
breakwater on departure. The ENCOUNTER
was with
the second group.
The
ships of the convoy were following a
course that took them 20 miles
south of Pantellaria
to Kilibia
light and into French territorial waters
around Cape Bon and south of Zembra
Island to a position 30¡, 10 miles from
Cani Rocks]
[ERIDGE and FIREDRAKE were south of Galita Island making 8
knots and
AVON VALE and MANCHESTER were about 60
miles west of RENOWN making 11 knots]
[At 1230 the ENCOUNTER who was in company with AMERIKA
and THERMOPYLAE of convoy MG 1A,
reported aircraft in the
vicinity and later reported an attack by
torpedo bombers; no hits were
achieved.
At
1300 the ENCOUNTER group was subjected
to a high level bombing attack,
again without effect.
At
1345 ENCOUNTER reported two unknown
ships bearing 283¡, 12 miles from
position 37-18N, 08-35E; these vessels
were later identified as FIREDRAKE and
ERIDGE ]
[At around 1300, north of Algiers, the MANCHESTER and AVON
DALE were
joined by the destroyers VIDETTE and
VIMY fro Gibraltar]
[At
1342 Group 1 of convoy MG 1A that
consisted of BRECONSHIRE and
TALABOT
was in position 37-19N, 8E, when they
requested help to defend them against a
high level bomber attack. This attack
achieved near misses but no damage]
At
1345 in approximate position 37-48N,
03-24E, Force H reversed course
and steered eastward.
[At 1430 the ENCOUNTER detached from group 2 and proceeded
ahead at 28
knots to join group 1.
At
1740 ENCOUNTER was attacked
unsuccessfully by three high level
bombers.
At
2140 ENCOUNTER joined group 1]
At
1445 in position 37-45N, 03-47E ARK ROYAL
flew off 5 Swordfish to
search to a depth of 90 miles between
bearings 000¼ and 100¼. Nothing was
sighted.
[At 1800 the cruisers of Force X and MANXMAN sailed from
Malta. Force X
then set course westerly to RV with
Force H
At
1845 the destroyers of Force X sailed
from Malta, except for FARNDALE
who had developed condenser trouble and
remained at Malta. The destroyers
sailed south of Pantelleria
and when off the island
the SIKH suddenly stopped in a cloud of
steam of boiling water, she was left to
sort out her boiler problem and follow
on. The remaining destroyers continued
at high speed towards the RV with Force
H]
25th
– At
0130 when in approximate position 37-40N,
08-15E, Force H reversed course and
steered westward.
At
0330 Force H reversed course and steered
eastwards to RV with Force X.
[At 0512 a flashing light was sighted to the north east,
of RENOWN]
At
0520 ARK ROYAL flew off a Swordfish armed
with DC' to investigate the
flashing light sighed by RENOWN. It turned
out to be the Italian hospital ship
SORRENTO, she was small ship of about
500grt, and was thought to be searching
for survivors of the air attack that had
taken place on the morning of the
23rd.
At
0556 in position 37-37N, 07-32E, ARK ROYAL
flew off 3 Swordfish to
carry out a search for enemy forces
between Force H and Force X. Nothing was
sighted.
At
0615 ARK ROYAL flew off a fighter patrol.
ARK ROYAL maintained a two
Swordfish A/S patrol throughout the day.
[At 0715 a shadower, reported as a
Cant, was sighted but the fighters failed
to intercept]
[At 0748 the cruisers of Force X
were sighted and reported by ARK ROYALs
aircraft as bearing 110¡, 22 miles from
RENOWN and the destroyers six miles
astern]
At
0815 in position 37-49N, 08-56E, Force H
RVed with Force X, which was
minus FARNDALE who had remained at Malta
with condenser trouble. Course was
then set for Gibraltar at NELSON's best
speed.
[At 0822 a Cant Z 506B shadower, from
Elmas, Sardinia, was shot down by ARK
ROYALs Fulmars. However before being shot
down the enemy aircraft shot down an 807
Sqd Fulmar, the crew of which were
killed. The destroyer FOXHOUND picked up
four Italian airmen from the Cant]
[At 0930 after FIREDRAKE had been under tow for 37 hours
the tow was
slipped and ERIDGE then towed FIREDRAKE
from alongside for two hours, during
which 10½ tons of feed water and 2 tons
of drinking water was
transferred to FIREDRAKE. Following
which the tow was cast off and FIREDRAKE
was able to proceed at 9 knots under her
own power]
[At 1035 a large group of aircraft,
approximately 20, was detected bearing
080¼, 69 miles and closing.
At 1100 the first Fulmars made
contact with the SM 79s.
At 1103 another section of Fulmars
made contact with the SM 79s.
The attack was broken up by the
Fulmars and the attackers jettisoned their
bombs away on RENOWN's port quarter.
Three SM 79s were shot down but two
Fulmars were also lost. S/L Grant and
Leading Airman McLeod of 807 Sqd were
lost; but at 1309 Lt RC Cockburn RNVR,
and Petty Officer Airman WE Cuttriss
of 808 Sqd, were
picked up by the destroyer NESTOR]
[At 1610 a signal was intercepted from the FIREDRAKE
reporting that at
1315 her position was 37-10N, 4E, course
270¡, speed 9knots, proceeding under
her own steam escorted by ERIDGE and
AVON DALE. The AVON DALE had joined
after
being relieved by WISHART as escort to
MANCHESTER]
At
1720 FORESTER was detached to proceed at
her best speed for Gibraltar
to land the wounded and survivors from
FEARLESS.
26th
–
Force
H and X steered west towards Gibraltar.
During
the day the units of Force H and X passed
FIREDRAKE escorted by ERIDGE
and AVON VALE. Somerville signalled all
the ships of Force to cheer the
FIREDRAKE as they passed her, and every
ship with all their crews on deck
cheered FIREDRAKE as they sailed by.
[At 0239 the MANCHESTER and the destroyers VIDETTE and
VIMY arrived at
Gibraltar]
[At 0800 Group 1 of convoy MG
1A, the BRECONSHIRE and TALABOT
escorted
by the ENCOUNTER arrived at Gibraltar]
[At 1530 Group 2 of convoy MG 1A, the AMERIKA and
THERMOPYLAE arrived at Gibraltar]
27th
-
Force H
and X steered west towards Gibraltar.
[At 0215 the SETTLER of convoy MG 1A arrived at Gibraltar]
[At 0300 the ARETHUSA, HERMIONE and MANXMAN were detached
to proceed to
Gibraltar]
At
0600 ARK ROYAL, EDINBURGH and 4 destroyers
were detached to proceed to
Gibraltar.
At
0700 ARK ROYAL, EDINBURGH and 4 destroyers
arrived at Gibraltar.
[At 0900 RENOWN and the remainder of the force entered
Gibraltar]
[At 0915 the H¯EGH HOOD of convoy MG 1A
arrived at
Gibraltar]
28th
-
The
ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[At 0500 the
SVEN¯R of convoy MG 1A arrived at
Gibraltar]
[So ended Operation SUBSTANCE and was in
. All
the ships of convoy GM 1 had arrived at
Malta and delivered 65,000 tons of
food, equipment, fuel and ammunition.
The 7 MT ships of MG 1 had reached
Gibraltar safety. Somerville was
surprised to learn that a number of
women and
children had been embarked in the ships
of MG 1. Had he have known before the
vessels sailed he said he would have
provided more destroyer escorts.
However,
there remained the unfinished business
of transporting the
military personnel who were on the
LEINSTER and the MANCHESTER to Malta]
29th
-
The
ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
30th
– At
0030 in thick fog Force H comprising ARK
ROYAL and destroyers COSSACK (D4),
MAORI, NESTOR, FAULKNOR (D8), FURY,
FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, ENCOUNTER,
and ERIDGE sailed from Gibraltar on
Operation STYLE.
[The next operation for Force H was Operation STYLE. This
operation was
necessary to convey the military
personnel and equipment that had been
embarked
in the LEINSTER and MANCHESTER to Malta.
The forces involved were split into
Force H, Force X and Force S. Force X
carried the military personnel and
equipment to Malta while Force H would
create a diversion and provide distant
cover.
Force S was the refuelling force]
At
0600 the battleship NELSON (Flag CINC
Force H) and RENOWN sailed from
Gibraltar on Operation STYLE, they should
have sailed with the rest of Force H
but were unable to leave due to the fog.
The
combined Force H then steered eastwards
then north easterly to pass
between the Spanish mainland and Ibiza.
Force
S comprising the RFA oiler BROWN RANGER
escorted by AVON VALE sailed
from Gibraltar.
31st
–
At
0000 Force H was steering north easterly
off the Spanish coast.
[At around 0600 Force X comprising the light cruisers
HERMIONE and
ARETHUSA and cruiser minelayer MANXMAN
with destroyers SIKH and LIGHTNING
sailed from Gibraltar with 1746 military
personnel embarked and 130 tons of
stores for Malta]
At
1900 in position 40-23N, 04-05E, COSSACK
and MAORI were detached from
Force H and proceeded at 25 knots to
Alghero, Sardinia.
AUGUST
1st
–
At
0001 Force H were north east of the
Balearic Islands, steering easterly.
At
0310 in position 40-47N, 6-20E ARK ROYAL
flew off a strike force of 9
Swordfish armed with bombs and flares to
carry out a bombing attack on Alghero
airfield.
[At around 0315 the COSSACK entered Alghero harbour and
turned on her
searchlight and fired star shell to
simulate a commando raid and to search
out
any vessels that may have been in the
harbour. At the same time the MAORI was
off Porto Conte firing star shell and
bombarding the seaplane slipway and
buildings. No shipping was present at
Alghero but star shells set alight a
building on the outskirts of the town.
After 15 minutes both ships withdrew and
set course to rejoin Force H.
It
was later discovered that the Italians
thought these actions might be
the prelude to a landing, but not
necessarily in Sardinia. Orders were
issued
to area defence commands in Sicily and
all round the Tyrrhenian Sea as well as
in Sardinia to be on the alert for a
landing]
[At around 0415 the 9 Swordfish
attacked the aerodrome at Alghero, where
buildings were hit, including the
Eastern hangar. No aircraft were seen
either on the ground or in the air]
At
around 0550 in position 40-00N, 06-30E,
the Swordfish strike force
arrived back over the ARK ROYAL and
commenced landing.
The
third Swordfish to land which was from 810
Sqd, piloted by Lt CM
Jewell, was still armed with a 40lb GP
bomb which had hung up. As the aircraft
touched down the bomb detached, fell on
the deck and exploded killing the
pilot, the observer, Sub Lt LA Royall, and
the TAG. The bomb also blew a hole
in the deck and killed four members of the
flight deck party.
The
remaining six Swordfish had to circle
until the wreckage was cleared
and the hole plated over.
At
0700 Force H steered south to provide
cover for Force X.
During
the day the Force H destroyers re-fuelled
from the BROWN RANGER.
2nd
–
During
the day Force H were cruising between the
Balearic Islands and Sardinia.
[At 0300 Force X was in position 36 21N, 12-40E when the
HERMIONE
sighted the Italian submarine TEMBIEN on
the surface recharging her batteries.
The HERMIONE rammed the submarine, and
sank; there were no survivors. The
HERMIONE sustained a 20 ft gash to her
bows, but she carried on without
stopping.
At
0600 Force X arrived at Valetta and
disembarked there military
personal and stores
At
1600 Force X departed Malta with the
destroyer FARNDALE her condenser
problems overcome. However, FARNDALE
with further problems that reduced her
speed to 18 knots had to return to Malta
for additional repairs]
3rd
- At 0600 in position 37-26N, 7-48E, Force H
RVed with Force X. Course was then set for
Gibraltar at RENOWN's best speed,
which was much reduced due to damage to
her port bulge.
4th
– At 1900 Force H and Force X arrived
back at Gibraltar.
5th to 13th
– The ARK ROYAL was at
Gibraltar.
[On 6/8/41 Vizeadmiral Donitz
stated that
demands that German U-Boats should be
sent to the Mediterranean would receive
further consideration]
14th
- NELSON, ARK ROYAL, HERMIONE and the
destroyers NESTOR, ENCOUNTER, FURY,
FORESIGHT and FORESTER sailed from
Gibraltar to carry out exercises in the
western Mediterranean.
15th
– Exercising in the western
Mediterranean.
16th
- Exercising in the western Mediterranean.
[NELSON and HERMIONE detached and returned to
Gibraltar]
17th
-
ARK
ROYAL
and the destroyers NESTOR, ENCOUNTER,
FURY, FORESIGHT and FORESTER arrived back
at Gibraltar.
18th to 20th
– The ARK ROYAL was at
Gibraltar.
21st
- At 2200 Force H
comprising NELSON (Flag CINC Force H), ARK
ROYAL, HERMIONE and the destroyers
NESTOR, FORESTER, FURY, FORESIGHT and
ENCOUNTER sailed from Gibraltar and
steered east into the Mediterranean on
Operation MINCEMEAT.
[Admiral
Somerville had his first encounter with
the cruiser minelayer
MANXMAN in Operation SUBSTANCE and was
impressed with her mine laying
capability and speed. On completion of
Operation STYLE he and his staff set
about planning and operation in which
the MANXMAN could be used in her
designed
capacity. He came up with Operation
MINCEMEAT which was a plan to lay mines
in
the Gulf of Genoa under cover of a
diversion carried out by Force H.
As part of the deception, before Force H sailed a
number of soldiers in uniform with full
kit were embarked on warships at
Gibraltar in full view of observers in
Spain. The ruse worked, because when the
intelligence was communicated to
Supermarina in Rome it was assumed that
a
convoy was to run to Malta. So the
Italian Fleet were sailed so as to meet
an
inferior British force south of Sardinia]
[On
14/8/41 the MANXMAN was lying in the
Kyle of Lochalsh;
when her CO received a telegram from the
Admiralty, stating that for her next
operation it is desired that Manxman
should resemble the French destroyer
LEOPARD
as far as is reasonably practicable.
This work was carried out over the next
24
hours.
On 15/8/41 MANXMAN, disguised as the French
destroyer LEOPARD, sailed for Milford
Haven to load mines.
At around 1800 on 17/8/41 the MANXMAN having loaded
168 mines, sailed from Milford Haven for
Gibraltar]
22nd - Force H steering eastward simulating a
Malta reinforcement operation.
[At
0100/22/8/41 MANXMAN arrived at
Gibraltar where she refuelled and
received her orders for Operation
MINCEMEAT]
[On
22/8/41 Hitler raised the subject of
sending U-Boats into the
Mediterranean with Grossadmiral
Raeder. Raeder agreed
with Dontiz
that the U-Boats should be concentrated
in the Atlantic. Raeder believed that
the conditions in the Mediterranean were
not suitable for U-Boats and that at
least 40 boats would be required.
Hitler thought that North Africa was very important
to the British and the Afrika
Corps might be relieved
by a few boats, say six.
Raeder proposed a discussion with the Duce
for the provision of an Italian base,
Hitler agreed.
However Raeder thought the Duce
would not agree]
23rd - Force H steering eastward simulating a
Malta reinforcement operation.
[At
0200/23/8/41 the MANXMAN sailed from
Gibraltar in her disguise as
the French LEOPARD and with her visible
crew dressed in French uniforms. She
steered
easterly and then sailed between the
Spanish mainland and the Balearic
Islands,
simulating a Vichy French ship sailing
from Oran to Toulon. Off Toulon she was
to turn easterly along the Rivera coast
heading for the Gulf of Genoa]
At
around 0900 Force H
altered course northerly steering for
39-30N, 6E.
[At
around 0700/ 23/8/41 the Italian
battleships LITTORIO and VITTORIO VENETO
with six destroyers departed Taranto.
The heavy cruisers TRIESTE, TRENTO,
BOLZANO and GORIZIA with four destroyers
departed Messina. Five destroyers
departed Trapani to join the Italian
force. They then steered for a position
south of Sardinia from where they
expected to met an inferior Force H and
bring
it to battle.
The light cruisers ABRUZZI, ATTENDOLO and
MONTECUCCOLI of the 8th Cruiser Division
and five destroyers departed Palermo
and steered for a position north of
Tunisia off Galita Island. This force
was
intended to intercept the expected
convoy]
At 2000 in approximate position 39-30N, 6E, ARK
ROYAL, HERMIONE and one destroyer detached
and made for a position to the west
of Alghero. The NELSON and four destroyers
proceeded to the approximate
position 41-45N, 7-30E to provide distant
cover.
24th
- In the early hours of
the morning in approximate position
40-30N, 8E, ARK ROYAL launched a strike of
ten
Swordfish. The aircraft dropped incendiary
bombs in the cork woods west and
southeast of Tempio,
Sardinia
At approximately 0500 in position 41N, 6E
Force H reformed and set course for
Valencia, Spain.
[Between
0208 and 0338/24/8/41 the MANXMAN
carrying out the laying of
her mines off the port of Leghorn (Livorno).
She then set course to return to
Gibraltar at 10 knots.
By 0415 she had passed Gorgona
Island she then increased speed to 33
knots which she maintained most of the
way back to Gibraltar]
[At
around 1100/24/8/41 Somerville received
a report from Malta of a
sighting made by a Malta based
reconnaissance aircraft of an Italian
force 30
miles south of Cagliari]
[At
around 1500/24/8/41 Somerville received
a report from the submarine
UPHOLDER, on patrol off the western
coast of Sicily, who at 1250 had sighted
a number
of warships 40 miles northwest of
Sicily. They included a battleship, two
cruisers
and six destroyers. These vessels were
steering west north west, towards the
position of the force reported by Malta.
The UPHOLDER fired her last two
torpedoes from a range of 3 miles. One
explosion was heard, following which she
was DCed]
[Somerville
now had
confirmation that the Italian Fleet was at
sea and close to his position so he
ordered the ARK ROYAL to launch
reconnaissance aircraft to locate the
Italian
Fleet which he expected to be closing
Force H from the south east]
At 1615 ARK ROYAL launched Swordfish to
search for 110 miles to the eastward.
These aircraft sighted nothing as the
Italian Fleet had reversed course to stay
close to its land based air cover.
At 1900 hours Force H were six miles off
Valencia at which time ARK ROYAL had 15
Fulmars and 10 Swordfish flying over
Force H in a show of force to counter
Italian propaganda that Force H no longer
existed.
25th
–
Force H en route
to Gibraltar.
[Following
sighting reports from reconnaissance
aircraft who had sighted
Force H returning to Gibraltar;
Supermarina decided that the Italian
Fleet had
forced the British to abandon their
'Malta convoy'. So at around
1000/25/8/41
the Italian Fleet was ordered to return
to its bases]
[At
1030/25/8/41 the MANXMAN arrived back at
Gibraltar]
26th – At 0200 Force H arrived back at
Gibraltar.
[At
0600 in position 38-22N, 15-38E the
submarine TRIUMPH sighted
a number of ships to the North-Westward
(these were the heavy cruisers
TRIESTE, TRENTO, BOLZANO
and GORIZIA and four destroyers
returning to Messina).
At
0638 Triumph fired
two torpedoes from 5300 yards at the
rear cruiser, the BOLZANO, one of the
torpedoes hit the cruiser's stern,
blowing off her screws and rudder. She
was
later towed to Messina]
27th to 30th
–
The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[On
28/8/41
the morning
Chiefs of Staff conference decided that a supply
convoy should be sent through the
Western Mediterranean to Malta with
further
essential supplies. Because of the
importance of the supplies reaching
Malta it
was agreed that the escort would be as
large as possible. So the date of the
Operation had to be chosen when the
necessary warships could be spared
from the Home Fleet and North Atlantic
to reinforce Force H at Gibraltar. The
Operation was given the name HALBEARD]
SEPTEMBER
1st to 6th –
The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
7th -
The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[At
1500/7/9/41
the aircraft carrier FURIOUS and the
destroyers COSSACK, LEGION,
ZULU and LIVELY arrived at Gibraltar
from the UK. The FURIOUS had embarked 49
RAF
Hurricane IIs, that
were to be flown off ARK ROYAL and
FURIOUS to Malta.
Before
entering
Gibraltar harbour FURIOUS flew off nine
Swordfish of 812 Sqd to North Front]
The
FURIOUS moored stern to stern with ARK
ROYAL
and transferred 26 Hurricanes to ARK
ROYAL.
8th
–
At around 0100 ARK ROYAL (Flag CINC Force
H) with 26 Hurricanes embarked for
Malta, and the destroyers GURKHA,
FORESTER, LIVELY and LANCE departed
Gibraltar
on Operation STATUS.
[Operation
STATUS
was another 'club run' to fly off
Hurricanes to Malta. Because ARK
ROYALs deck was full of the Hurricanes
the aerial A/S patrols were carried out
by RAF Catalinas,
possibly of 209 Sqd, from Gibraltar]
At
around 0300 the light cruiser HERMOINE
joined
the force.
9th
–
At around 0330 north of Galite Island ARK
ROYAL commenced flying off the first
of the 26 Hurricanes for Malta. After
flying off 14 Hurricanes the operation
was aborted.
[The
Hurricanes
were to be guided to Malta by Bristol
Blenheim IVs of 107 Sqd but
only two Blenheims arrived from Gibraltar.
So after flying off 14 Hurricanes
the operation was aborted and ARK ROYAL,
with 12 Hurricanes still embarked, set
course to return to Gibraltar]
10th
–
At around 0700 ARK ROYAL commenced flying
on the nine Swordfish of 812 Squadron
from North Front.
At
0900 ARK ROYAL, light cruiser HERMOINE and
the destroyers
GURKHA, FORESTER, LIVELY and LANCE arrived
back at Gibraltar.
ARK
ROYAL tied up alongside FURIOUS and
transferred
the nine Swordfish of 810 Squadron to
FURIOUS.
[At
1900/10/9/41the
FURIOUS and the destroyers LEGION,
FORESIGHT and FORESTER
sailed from Gibraltar]
At
2100 Force H comprising NELSON (Flag CINC
Force
H), ARK ROYAL, HERMIONE, and destroyers
ZULU, GURKHA, LANCE and LIVELY sailed
from Gibraltar on Operation STATUS II.
[Operation
STATUS
II was a 'club run' to fly off RAF
Hurricanes from the carriers ARK
ROYAL and FURIOUS; these were the
balance of the aircraft that FURIOUS had
brought from the UK, the first tranche
of which had been flown off during
Operation STATUS]
At
sea Force H was joined by FURIOUS and the
destroyers
LEGION, FORESIGHT and FORESTER.
11th
–
Force H steering easterly towards flying
off position.
12th
- By 0800 ARK ROYAL had flown off twelve
Hurricanes and FURIOUS a further
nineteen Hurricanes. One Hurricane crashed
as it was taking off from FURIOUS, caught
fire and catapulted into the sea, the
pilot was killed. Force H then turned for
Gibraltar steaming at 20 knots, FURIOUS's
best speed.
[The
Hurricanes
were guided to Malta by seven Bristol
Blenheim IVs of 107 Sqd from
Gibraltar]
14th
- At 0400 all forces arrived back at
Gibraltar.
15th to 19th
–
The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[On
17/9/41
Donitz reported that two U-Boats were on
en route to the Mediterranean
(the first one U 371 had sailed from
Brest on 16/9/41) and two more would
follow shortly]
20th
–
The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[During the early hours of the morning vessels in Gibraltar
harbour was attacked by 3 SLC Maiale
(Italian human
torpedoes) from the Decima
Flottiglia
MAS. The main Italian targets were the
NELSON, who was tried up alongside the
south mole and the ARK ROYAL who was
moored to buoy 27. However due to the
patrolling
ML's who randomly dropped explosives the
Maiales were
unable to attack their primary targets.
But three merchant ships were attacked.
The merchant ships were the RFA oiler DENBYDALE
8145grt, the oil lighter FIONA SHELL
2444grt. FIONA SHELL was tied up
alongside
DENBYDALE. FIONA SHELL was sunk and
DENBYDALE was badly damaged. The third
ship
attacked was the MV DURHAM 10893grt
which was anchored in the roads and was
badly damaged. The DURHAM was in ballast
and already damaged after being mined
on her return trip from Malta]
21st to 23rd
– The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[On
21/9/41 the first U-Boat
to enter the
Mediterranean, U 371 passed through the
Strait of Gibraltar]
24th – The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[At
0900 the battleship RODNEY and
destroyers HNethMS
ISAAC SWEERS, ORP PIORUN and ORP GARLAND
arrived at Gibraltar, having detached
from convoy WS 11X, and commenced
refuelling.
At 1800 Vice Admiral Somerville CINC Force H
transferred his flag from NELSON to
RODNEY. This was part of a deception to
make spies in Spain believe that Force H
was remaining at Gibraltar. However
although Somerville's flag continued to
be flown by RODNEY, Somerville slipped
back to the NELSON who then sailed with
Somerville on board, but not flying his
flag, into the Atlantic]
[At
1815 the NELSON (Flag CINC
Force H) departed Gibraltar in
company with the destroyers ISAAC
SWEERS, PIORUN and GARLAND and steered
westwards into the Atlantic, This was
the commencement of Operation HALBERD.
By
sailing NELSON westward Somerville hoped
to convince the watching eyes that
NELSON was returning to the UK]
[Operation
HALBERD was an operation to pass a
supply convoy to Malta.
The convoy had formed off Orsay,
as convoy WS 11X on
17/9/41 and consisted of CLAN MACDONALD
9,653grt, CLAN FERGUSON 7,347grt, AJAX
7,539grt, IMPERIAL STAR 10,733grt, CITY
OF LINCOLN 8,039grt, ROWALLAN CASTLE
7,798grt, DUNEDIN STAR 11,168grt, CITY
OF CALCUTTA 8,063grt, HM supply ship
BRECONSHIRE and
HM
troopships PRINCESS BEATRIX, QUEEN EMMA,
ROYAL
SCOTSMAN, ULSTER MONARCH and LEINSTER.
As the convoy passed through the Strait of Gibraltar,
Force Z which comprised the PRINCESS
BEATRIX, QUEEN EMMA, ROYAL SCOTSMAN,
ULSTER MONARCH (whose ultimate
destination was Freetown) and LEINSTER
with
their escort of the corvettes JONQUIL,
SPIREA and AZALEA detached to Gibraltar.
At 0130/25/9/41 the
convoy passed south of
Europa Point and became
convoy GM2]
[At
1900 ZULU, GURKHA and LANCE arrived at
Gibraltar to refuel]
[At
2030 the RFA oiler MV BROWN RANGER
3,400grt (nominally capable of
14.5 knots but due to a fouled bottom
her maximum speed was 11 knots) escorted
by the corvette FLEUR DE LYS sailed from
Gibraltar to be in position to refuel
the destroyers on day 2]
[At
2130 in approximate position 36N, 6-20W
the NELSON, ISAAC SWEERS, PIORUN
and GARLAND reversed
course and steered back towards the
Strait of Gibraltar]
At 2330 the RODNEY, ARK ROYAL, light cruiser
HERMIONE, and destroyers DUNCAN (D13),
FORESIGHT, FORESTER, LIVELY, ZULU,
GURKHA, LEGION and LANCE departed
Gibraltar and sailed east to simulate a
normal sortie by Force H but in reality to
take part in Operation HALBERD.
[Following
the attack on Gibraltar harbour the
Italian Supermarina was
expecting a reaction from the British
and the arrival of the RODNEY at
Gibraltar led them to believe that it
was the start of the British response.
So
on receipt of the intelligence of RODNEYs
arrival Supermarina
ordered the Italian Fleet to sea.
24/9/41 late in the evening, the Italian
battleships LITTORIO
(flag Admiral
Iachino CINC
Regia Marina)
and VITTORIO
VENETO with destroyers GRANATIERE,
FUCLIERE, BERSAGLIERE, and GIOBERTI of
the
13th Destroyer Division and DA RECCO,
PESSAGNO, and FOLGORE of the 16th
Destroyer Division sailed from Naples
and steered south westward to intercept
the RODNEY force.
26/9/41, heavy cruisers TRENTO
(flag CS3
Rear
Admiral Bruno Brinovesin),
TRIESTE,
and GORIZIA
with destroyers CORAZZIERE, CARABINIERE,
ASCARI, and LANCIERE of the 12th
Destroyer Division sailed from Messina
and steered north, then westward to RV
with light cruisers ABRUZZI and
ATTENDOLO with destroyers MAESTRALE,
GRECALE,
and SCIROCCO of the 10th Destroyer
Division, who sailed from Palermo to
intercept the convoy.
The two battleships and seven destroyers operated
as one group. The
five cruisers and seven destroyers as
the
second group. The remainder of
the Italian Fleet could not sail due to
fuel shortages]
25th
–
D1,
for Operation HALBEARD. The RODNEY and ARK ROYAL group steered
easterly into the Mediterranean.
[At about 0100 in approximate position 36N, 5-30W Force Z
which
comprised the PRINCESS BEATRIX, QUEEN
EMMA, ROYAL SCOTSMAN, ULSTER MONARCH
(whose ultimate destination was
Freetown) and LEINSTER with their escort
of the
corvettes JONQUIL, SPIREA and AZALEA
detached from WS 11X for Gibraltar]
[At 0130 convoy WS 11X passed south of Europa Point and
became convoy GM
2(OPERATION HALBEARD)]
At
0800 in approximate position 37N, 2W, the
RODNEY and ARK ROYAL group
were joined company; following which the
convoy and escorts were formed into
two groups, group 1 and group 2.
Group
1, comprising NELSON, ARK ROYAL, HERMIONE
and destroyers COSSACK
(D4), ZULU, FORESIGHT, LAFOREY (D19) and
LIGHTNING, preceded ahead of convoy
GM2; at 18 knots, steering a course to the
south of the convoy.
[Group 2 comprised the battleship PRINCE OF WALES (flag of
CINC 2BS and
2IC Home Fleet, Vice Admiral Alban
Thomas Buckley Curteis),
RODNEY,
the light cruisers KENYA (flag CS10 Rear
Admiral Harold Martin Burrough,
CINC close escort), EDINBURGH (flag CS18
Rear
Admiral Edward Neville Syfret),
SHEFFIELD and
EURYALUS and the destroyers DUNCAN
(D13), GURKHA, LEGION, LANCE, LIVELY,
ORIBI,
ISAAC SWEERS, PIORUN, GARLAND, FURY,
FARNDALE and HEYTHORP. Escorting convoy
GM
2, comprising the supply ship HMS
BRECONSHIRE and the merchant ships CLAN
MACDONALD, CLAN FERGUSON, AJAX, IMPERIAL
STAR, CITY OF LINCOLN, ROWALLAN
CASTLE, DUNEDIN STAR, and CITY OF
CALCUTTA]
At
1000 clocks were advance by one hour.
At
1105 ARK ROYAL flew off Swordfish A/S
patrols, these were maintained
until dusk. During the day ARK ROYAL flew
off 24 of her 27 Fulmars to carry out
exercises in interception. Two provided
targets for a height finding exercise
and six flew round the two groups for
recognition purposes.
At
1115 Group 1 sighted the oiler BROWN
RANGER escorted by the FLEUR DE
LYS. The CINC Force H signalled FLEUR DE
LYS to increase speed from 11 knots to
12½ knots. Although it was not known at
the time, due to her fouled
bottom, the BROWN RANGER was unable to go
faster.
[At 1800 Group 1 sighted two Vichy French merchant ships
were sighted.
Several other unidentified ships were
reported by ARK ROYAL's aircraft but
didn't sight Group 1]
26th
– D2,
Group 1 and convoy GM2 and escort
proceeded easterly towards Malta.
At
approximately 0515 ARK ROYAL flew off a
Swordfish for A/S patrol and
a section of three Fulmars as a CAP. The
A/S and CAP were maintained through
the day until dusk.
At
0920 Group 1 reduced speed to 17 knots.
[At 0650 hours the first two destroyers were detached to
refuel from
BROWN RANGER. However because of BROWN
RANGER's slower than expected speed she
was 22 miles to the west of her expected
position. This was to cause problems
throughout the day and refuelling of
Group 2's 12 destroyers was not
completed
until after dark]
During
the day, Group 1 was ahead to the south
eastward and out of sight
of the convoy.
[At
0932 lookouts on NELSON sighted a
shadowing aircraft, bearing 150¡,
10 miles and flying very low; this
aircraft was not detected by radar.
Owing to
a complete failure of R/T in the Fulmar
leaders aircraft the CAP could not be
vectored on to the bogie]
At 1048 Group 1 sighted the Swiss merchant SS
TUNISIAN. At 1537 hours Group 1was also
sighted by two aircraft, though to be
RAF Hudson's so they were not intercepted.
[At
1200 the first ship of convoy MG 2, the
SS MELBOURNE STAR, sailed
from Malta for Gibraltar. This
vessel
was un-escorted]
At 1300 Group 1 reversed course to close
Group 2. ARK ROYAL and HERMIONE were
stationed astern of Group 1 to allow ARK
ROYAL freedom of manoeuvre and for
HERMIONE to provide AA protection and
radar
cover.
At 1537 ZULU, NELSON and HERMIONE sighted two
aircraft low down to the eastward; ZULU
reported them as probably SM 79's, but
since they appeared to be operating IFF
they were thought to be RAF Hudsons.
At 1745 Group 1 altered course to 225¡.
At 1835 Group 1 streamed paravanes.
At 1900 Group 1 altered course to 090¡.
By 2000 ARK ROYAL's Swordfish were all struck
down below and in anticipation of air
attacks the following day all the
Swordfish fuel tanks were drained.
27th – At 0710 Group 1 altered course to
290¡.
At
0720 Group 1 sighted Group 2 right ahead.
The EURYALUS detached from Group 2
and joined Group 1.
At
0750 ARK ROYAL commenced to manoeuvre
within the screen with EURYALUS ahead and
HERMIONE astern to provide AA protection
and radar cover.
At
0720 radar indicated that enemy
reconnaissance aircraft were in the
vicinity of
the Force.
At
0800 ARK ROYAL flew off four Fulmars for
the CAP.
[At
0810 an Italian Cant Z 506B
reconnaissance aircraft of 287 Squadriglia
from Elmas, Sardinia, sighted units of
Operation HALBERD west of La Galite
Island and sent off the following
signal;
'position 37-43N, 08-55E,course 90¡,
speed 12 nm per hour; 1 battleship, 1
carrier, 4 cruiser, unspecified number
of destroyers and steamboats'. The
signal was received around noon by the Comando
Aeronautica
della Sardegna]
At 1000 in expectation of air attacks, Group
1, less ARK ROYAL, EURYALUS and HERMIONE
who manoeuvred ahead of the convoy,
joined the convoy escort. ARK ROYAL flew
off a further six Fulmars, making the
CAP 10 Fulmars.
[At
1030 the remaining two ships of convoy
MG 2 SS PORT CHALMERS and SS
CITY OF PRETORIA escorted by the
corvette GLOXINIA sailed from Malta for
Gibraltar. At 1930 the GLOXINIA detached
and returned to Malta]
At 1100 ARK ROYAL flew off a further two
Fulmars, bringing the CAP up to 12.
At 1158 radar detected an aircraft bearing
210¡, at 14 miles. The LEGION reported
this aircraft as an Italian Fiat BR 20.
ARK ROYAL's Fulmars failed to shoot it
down and a sighting report was
subsequently intercepted.
At 1200 ARK ROYAL flew off a further four
Fulmars, bringing the CAP up to 16.
As the Fulmars ran low on fuel they were
landed on and refuelled.
[At
1255 radar reported two formations at 30
miles and closing, one from
the north and one from the east. These
were eleven Savoia-Marchetti SM 84's
torpedo bombers from Decimomannu
airfield, north of Cagliari. Seven
attacked
from the north with top cover of five
Fiat CR 42 fighters, and four from the
east]
At
1259 eight Fulmars of 808 Sqd attacked the
northern group of
six SM 84's, and shot one down. (The
Fulmars
were mistakenly identified as Hurricanes
by the Italians)
[At
1302 a SM 84 flown by Capitano
Rotolo was
shot down either by RODNEY or PRINCE OF
WALES;
the damaged aircraft collided with his
right wingman, Tenente
Barro and
both crashed into the sea]
[At 1300 two SM 84's targeted RODNEY,
one
flown by Maggiore Arduino
Buri
of 256 Squadriglia
and the other by Tenente
Piercarlo Amante
of 257 Squadriglia.
As the
two torpedoes were approaching, RODNEY
made an emergency turn of 60¡ to port
and avoided both]
At 1315 ARK ROYAL flew off seven Fulmars to
make 14 airborne at the time.
[At
1327 radar reported another wave of
aircraft closing from the east.
These were five SM 84 torpedo bombers of
258 and 259 Squadriglia,
from Decimomannu
airfield and they attacked the Force
from the starboard side]
[At
1330 NW of La Galite Island two aircraft
flown by Colonnello
Seidl and Tenente
Tomasino
targeted NELSON
who was hit by a torpedo (probably Seidl's
and
probably a Type W airborne torpedo 45cm
diameter with a 200 kg warhead) on the
port bow; the second torpedo missed. As
they pulled away both Seidl
and Tomasino
were shot down
by AA fire from PRINCE OF WALES and
SHEFFIELD. The only survivor from the
two
shot down SM 84s, a radio operator, was
picked up by the destroyer FORESTER.
The NELSON had been hit on the port side just
forward of A-turret in the torpedo room,
which had only recently been evacuated;
the damage, from the 40ft x 20ft hole in
her hull caused her to immediately
reduce speed to 18 knots, but she
remained with the convoy]
[During
this action, a
Fulmar of 807 Sqd was shot down by RODNEY,
but luckily the crew, Sub-Lieutenant
Percy Guy and Leading Airman Jones, were
rescued by the DUNCAN. The RODNEY also
shot down a further Fulmar of 807 Sqd and
again the crew Lieutenant Guthrie and
Petty Officer Goodman were rescued by the
DUNCAN.
A
Fulmar of 808 Sqd was
shot down by the PRINCE OF WALES; the crew
Lieutenant Watson and Sub Lieutenant
Couch were lost]
[At
1345 the Force was
attacked by twelve Savoia-Marchetti SM
79's torpedo bombers of 278, 280, 282
and 283 Squadriglia,
from Decimomannu
airfield, escorted by twelve CR 42's, from
the north, south and west. They were
met by the Fulmars and intense AA fire,
which prevented them from attaining a
dropping position. Most were driven off
but three returned and one pressed on
to attack the ARK ROYAL]
At
1354 a single SM 79 of
280 Squadriglia
piloted by Tenente
Carlo Deslex
attacked the ARK ROYAL from astern;
however the aircraft was shot down by AA
fire from ARK ROYAL and/or NELSON
before it could release its torpedo.
[At
1359 a CR 42 flown by Sergente
Maggiore
Luigi Valiotti
of the 354a Squadriglia,
in an attempt to divert the AA from the
torpedo-bombers, began to perform
aerobatic manoeuvres over the heads of
the
starboard wing destroyers, who after a
while started to shoot at him. Valiotti
avoided their shells for six minutes
before being
killed when his CR.42 crashed into the
sea. However Valiotti's
sacrifice was in vain as after several
unsuccessful attempts, to penetrate the
AA barrage the remaining SM 79's gave up
and returned to base]
[At
1404 Admiral Somerville received an
emergency report from aircraft
B, a RAF Maryland of 69 Squadron on a
reconnaissance flight from Malta, timed
at 1340 hours. The signal read, '2
battleships and 8 destroyers in position
38-20N, 10-40E, steering 190¡, speed 20
knots'. At the time of receipt NELSON's
position was 37-46N, 09-04E, the enemy
was therefore 74 miles, bearing 076¡
from NELSON]
At 1408 ARK ROYAL was ordered to fly off two
Swordfish to take over shadowing duties
and to prepare a Swordfish strike
force.
[At
1415 the Italian Fleet was in
approximate position 38-30N, 10-15E
and steering 180¡. Although the Italian
air force had been in contact with the
British Force most of the day, Admiral
Iachino had
not received any intelligence from the
air force or from his scout planes that
he had launched at 1130 and 1350.
Further he had not received the fighter
cover he had been promised and he was
being shadowed by an enemy aircraft that
was transmitting his position.
The weather to the south west, the direction he
expected to sight the British, was
closing in and he was losing sight of
his
scouting cruisers. Rear Admiral Bruno Brinovesin
in
the TRENTO signalled Admiral Iachino
that the
battleships were clearly defined against
the sky to the North West]
[At
1417 Somerville ordered RODNEY and
PRINCE OF WALES to form up on
NELSON ahead of the convoy]
[At
1425 Somerville received a further
emergency report from aircraft B,
timed at 1350 hours. The signal read '4
cruisers and 8 destroyers some 15 miles
WSW of the enemy battle fleet and
steering same course and speed']
[At
1430 NELSON was forced to reduce speed
to 15 knots to reduce
flooding; by now she had taken on board
approximately 3700 tons of water, and
further damage from her torpedo hit.
Somerville ordered Vice Admiral Curteis
in PRINCE OF WALES to proceed with
PRINCE OF WALES,
RODNEY, EDINBURGH, SHEFFIELD and 6
destroyers at best speed to close the
enemy.
At the same time NELSON took station
astern of the convoy.
The surface strike force steered north at their
best speed with the two cruisers ahead,
working up to 30 knots and PRINCE OF
WALES and RODNEY trailing behind]
[At
1430 Admiral Iachino
decided that there
were too many unknowns for him to
continue; so he ordered the Italian
Fleet to reverse
course and increased speed to 26 knots]
At
1448 ARK ROYAL flew
off two Swordfish of 810 Sqd, 2B and 2H,
their mission was to find the Italian
Fleet, report its position and shadow.
[At
1506 a signal was received from the RAF
shadowing aircraft, timed at
1445 hours stating that the enemy had
reversed course and was now steering 360¡]
At
1530 a Fulmar that
was low on fuel force landed astern of ARK
ROYAL and the crew were picked up by
the destroyer PIORUN.
[At
1530 fighter cover, comprising CR 42's,
finally arrived over the
Italian Fleet, and the destroyer
LANCIERI immediately shot one down]
At 1540 ARK ROYAL flew off a strike force of
12 Swordfish of 816 and 825 Sqds, armed
with torpedoes, escorted by 4 Fulmars
of 807 Sqd.
[At
1543 a further signal was received from
the RAF shadowing aircraft,
timed at 1503 hours stating that the
enemy was now steering 060¡]
[At
1658 with no news from the Swordfish
shadowing aircraft, the RAF
Maryland which had departed, or the
strike force; Somerville ordered Vice
Admiral Curteis
to return to the convoy]
At
1740 the strike force
reported that they had been unable to
locate the enemy Fleet. So they were
recalled. The failure of the strike force
to locate the enemy was attributed to
the fact that no report from the RAF
Maryland was received after 1543, timed at
1503. However it was later established
that the Maryland had sent a signal
timed at 1515, reporting that the enemy
had altered course to the north, but
this signal was not received by Malta or
any British vessel.
[At
1830 the PRINCE OF WALES, RODNEY,
EDINBURGH, SHEFFIELD and the 6
destroyers rejoined the convoy]
At 1855 in approximate position 37-30N,
10-15E, the entrance to the Skerki
Channel, Force A comprising NELSON, PRINCE
OF WALES, RODNEY, ARK ROYAL and destroyers
DUNCAN, GARLAND, GURKHA, ISAAC
SWEERS, LANCE, LEGION, LIVELY and PIORUN
detached from the convoy, turned on to
285¡ and proceeded at 14 knots, this being
NELSON's best speed.
By 1915 all 12 of the Swordfish strike force
had been landed back on ARK ROYAL some
aircraft had almost dry tanks.
[At
2032
in position 37-31N, 10-46E the convoy
was attacked by two SM 79s of 278 Squadriglia
from Pantelleria
and
they succeeded in torpedoing the MV
IMPERIAL STAR, the torpedo hit her
stern,
blowing away her propellers and rudder,
in addition to her cargo had embarked
300 troops. The destroyer HEYTHROP went
alongside the IMPERIAL STAR and took
off the troops. Attempts were then made
to tow the IMPERIAL STAR, but these
failed and she was eventually sunk at
0500/28/9/41]
28th – Force A
continued on a westerly course at NELSON's
best speed of 14 knots.
At 0725 ARK ROYAL flew off a Swordfish A/S
patrol and 3 Fulmar fighters. The Fulmars
carried out a search to a depth of 40
miles astern, but nothing was sighted.
At 0730 ARK ROYAL flew off 3 Fulmar fighters
for the CAP. The CAP was maintained for
the remainder of the day.
At 0812 an enemy shadower was sighted, but
escaped into cloud.
[At
0958 Somerville received a RAF
reconnaissance report, timed at 0940
hours stating, '2 enemy battleships, 5
cruisers and 13 destroyers, 70 miles,
105¡ from Cagliari, steering 195¡']
[At
1025 NELSON sighted
a Cant Z506B reconnaissance aircraft low
down to the south east; Fulmars were
vectored and they gave chase, finally
catching the float plane and shooting it
down off Cap de Fer]
[At
1640 and 1740
shadowing aircraft were reported but due
to the failure of ARK ROYAL's R/T
transmitter it was not possible to vector
the fighters for an interception]
At 2000, now dark, in approximate position
37-30N, 03-14E, and the speed of Force A
was reduced to 12 knots to reduce the
strain on NELSON's bulkheads and decks.
At 2010 the PRINCE OF WALES, RODNEY, ARK
ROYAL and destroyers GURKHA, ISAAC SWEERS,
LANCE, LEGION and LIVELY detached
and steered easterly to RV with Force X,
the convoy escort, on their return
from Malta.
[NELSON,
who was now experiencing steering
difficulties and the destroyers
DUNCAN, GARLAND and PIORUN continued at
12 knots heading for Gibraltar]
29th
– At 0555 in
position 37-30N, 6-25E, the PRINCE OF
WALES obtained a radar surface contact
dead ahead. (The contact was the
Italian
submarine DIASPRO)
At 0609 Force A made an emergency turn of 40¡
to port on to course 050¡ to avoid the
contact.
[At
0612 the destroyer GURKHA sighted a
torpedo track approaching from
an approximate bearing of 330¡, a few
seconds later a second track was
sighted.
It was too late for GURKHA to alter
course to avoid the torpedoes, but both
passed under the ship. GURKHA turned to
port; the direction that the torpedoes
had come from and joined by the ISAAC
SWEERS they commenced a sonar search. At
0622 the torpedoes were heard to explode
at the end of their run. The two
destroyers failed to obtain a sonar
contact and no DCs were dropped.
At 0700 the two destroyers re-joined Force A]
At
0835 in approximate position 37-30N,
7-12E, the destroyers FARNDALE
and HEYTHROP of Force X joined Force A
from Malta.
At
1030 in approximate position 37-35N, 8-00E
the remainder of Force X,
comprising EDINBURGH, KENYA, SHEFFIELD,
EURYALUS and the destroyers FORESIGHT,
FORESTER, FURY and ORIBI, joined from
Malta and the combined Force set course
for Gibraltar.
[At 1930 the PRINCE OF WALES, KENYA, SHEFFIELD and
destroyers LAFOREY,
LIGHTNING, ORBI, FORESIGHT, FORESTER and
FURY detached and proceeded ahead]
The
EDINBURGH, RODNEY, ARK ROYAL, HERMOINE,
EURYALUS and the destroyers
FARNDALE, HEYTRHOP, COSSACK, LEGION,
LANCE, LIVELY, ZULU, ISAAC SWEERS and
GURKHA followed astern at 17 knots,
RODNEYs best speed.
30th
– At 0928 the EDINBURGH force was in
position 37-10N, 00-56E the GURKHA
obtained
a sonar contact on 240¡ at 2000 yards,
this was confirmed as a submarine, it
was the Italian submarine ADUA, and GURKHA
turned to attack, at the same time
being joined by LEGION. The remainder of
the Force continued on course for
Gibraltar.
[At 0933 GURKHA attacked the ADUA with
shallow set pattern of 14 pattern
DCs. At 0945 a loud underwater explosion
was heard and oil started to rise to
the surface and GURKHA lost contact.
At 0955 LEGION obtained a sonar contact and also
attacked with a 14 DC pattern and then
lost contact. At 1001 LEGION regained
contact and at 1009 attacked with
another 14 DC pattern. During the second
attack wreckage and oil appeared close
to where LEGION's first pattern had been
dropped. The evidence collected
confirmed that the submarine had been
destroyed. The ADUA was sunk with all
hands]
OCTOBER
1st
–
At 0700 the EDINBURGH Force commenced
entering Gibraltar harbour.
Before entering harbour ARK ROYAL flew off 810 Sqd
Swordfish to North Front airfield, this
was so she could accommodate the
Albacores of 828 Sqd.
At 0900 the final members of the Force GURKHA and
LEGION arrived at Gibraltar.
2nd
to
7th
– The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar carrying out
essential maintenance, particularly on her
boilers; but the list of defects was
growing and Captain Maund
reported that it would be
difficult to keep her operational after
mid November.
8th
–
The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[At around 0400 the aircraft carrier
ARGUS escorted by the destroyers
COSSACK, ZULU, and SIKH arrived at
Gibraltar. The ARGUS moored stern on to
the
ARK ROYAL to facilitate the transfer of
her embarked aircraft.
The ARGUS had sailed from the Clyde on 30/9/41 with
12 Albacore 1s fitted with long range
tanks & 2 Swordfish of 828 embarked.
She had sailed with convoy WS 12 and
detached for Gibraltar at 1700/5/10/41.
The11 Albacores & 2 Swordfish were
to be transferred to ARK ROYAL for
flying off to Malta where they were to
reinforce the Islands torpedo bomber
force. This operation was code named
CALLBOY]
9th
to
15th
– The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
16th
–
Force H comprising the battleship RODNEY
(Flag CINC Force H), ARK ROYAL, light
cruiser HERMIONE, and the destroyers
COSSACK, FORESTER, FORESIGHT, FURY,
LEGION, SIKH and ZULU sailed from
Gibraltar and headed east into the
Mediterranean on Operation CALLBOY.
17th
–
Force H steering easterly through the
Mediterranean.
18th
–
At 0140 ARK ROYAL in position 37-28N,
6-00E, flew off 11 Albacores (the
Albacore piloted by T/Sub Lt (A) T. G.
Davison RNVR failed to take off and
joined the squadron later) and two
Swordfish for Hal Far airfield, Malta. One
Swordfish was lost en route and pilot
T/Sub Lt (A) DM Muller RNVR and Observer
T/Sub Lt (A) AS Denby
RNVR were lost.
Following completion of the flying off Force H
steered west for Gibraltar.
19th
– Force H arrived back at Gibraltar.
20th
–
The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar carrying
out self maintenance.
21st
-
The
ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar carrying out
self maintenance.
[The aircraft carriers EAGLE and ARGUS
escorted by the destroyers
FORESIGHT, FORESTER, and FURY departed
Gibraltar for the UK. Local escort was
provided by destroyers VIDETTE and
LAMERTON until 0915 and 1140/10/41 and
ZULU
and SIKH until 24/10/41.
About two hours after sailing the Force was sighted
by U 83; the submarine fired a salvo of
torpedoes claiming a hit on a
destroyer, but no hits were achieved]
22nd
to
31st
- The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar carrying out self
maintenance.
NOVEMBER
1st
to
7th
- The ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar carrying out self
maintenance.
[On 4/10/41 the U 81 sailed from Brest
with orders to enter the
Mediterranean]
8th
-
The
ARK ROYAL was at Gibraltar.
[The aircraft carrier ARGUS with 23
Hurricanes embarked, aircraft
transport HMS ATHENE 7473 grt (ex CLAN
BRODIE) with 39 Hurricanes embarked and
the destroyers LAFOREY (D19), ZULU,
GURKHA, LIGHTNING and HNLMS ISAAC
SWEERS.
The ARGUS moored astern of ARK ROYAL and
transferred 12 Hurricanes to ARK ROYAL
and 14 crated Hurricanes were
transferred from ATHENE to ARK ROYAL]
9th -
The ARK ROYAL was at
Gibraltar.
10th
–
At 0235 Force H comprising the battleship
MALAYA (Flag CINC Force H), ARK
ROYAL, ARGUS, light cruiser HERMIONE and
the destroyers LAFOREY (D19), LEGION,
LIGHTNING, GURKHA, SIKH, ZULU
and ISAAC SWEERS sailed
from Gibraltar into the Mediterranean on
Operation PERPETUAL.
[Operation PERPETUAL was a 'club run' to
fly off RAF Hurricanes from ARK
ROYAL and ARGUS to Malta]
At around 0700 ARK ROYAL commenced landing on
Swordfish of 810 Sqd from North Front
airfield.
11th
–
Force H steering easterly into the
Mediterranean towards the flying off
position.
At around 0600 Force H arrived at the flying off
position. But due to poor weather
conditions at Gibraltar the RAF Blenheim
guide aircraft had been unable to take
off, so Force H was forced to cruise
about in the general area to await the
arrival of the Blenheims.
Italian shadowing aircraft were in the vicinity of
Force H but ARK ROYAL was unable to launch
fighters due to her flight deck
being full of Hurricanes.
[During the night of 11/12 November the
German submarines U 81 and U 205
passed through the Strait of Gibraltar
and entered the Mediterranean]
12th
-
Force H cruising around the flying off
position.
At around 1015 Force H was in position 37-30N, 4E,
when the first three RAF Blenheims
(probably from 82 Sqd) guides arrived and
ARK ROYAL and ARGUS commenced flying off
the RAF Hurricanes to Malta.
By 1100 ARK ROYAL had flown off 13 Hurricanes and
ARGUS had flown off six.
At around 1045 two further Blenheims arrived and
further Hurricanes, 13 from ARK ROYAL and
five from ARGUS, one Hurricane was
damaged whilst taking off from ARGUS, were
flown off.
[Of the 37 Hurricanes flown off 34
arrived at Malta, one landed in
Sicily, two landed in North Africa. At
1625 Malta reported the safe arrival of
the four Blenheims and 34 Hurricanes,
one Hurricane that arrived at Malta
crashed on landing at Hal Far airfield]
At around 1200 Force H
set course for Gibraltar at 16 knots,
which because of the weather conditions
was the maximum speed the destroyers could
achieve and maintain position. At
the same time ARK ROYAL flew off three
Fulmars for a CAP and a Swordfish for
A/S patrol.
[At 1425 the Fulmars chased off an
Italian shadower]
[During the afternoon the CINC Force H
was informed that an RAF aircraft
had sighted a submarine, possibly a U
Boat, North West of Alboran
Island, this was probably U 81.
Somerville also received intelligence of
the
sinking of a Spanish vessel in Melilla
Bay, west of Ceuta. (The sinking
referred to the Spanish merchant
ship SS CASTILLO OROPESA 6600grt which
had been torpedoed and sunk by the
Italian submarine DANDOLO on 8/11/41).
The
sighting and the sinking put U Boats
near to the return route for Force H]
[At 1500 an Italian reconnaissance
aircraft reported a British force
consisting of a battleship, aircraft
carriers, cruisers and destroyers north
of
Algiers, course 270¡, speed 15 knots
At 2120 when U 81 surfaced after passing through
the Strait of Gibraltar she received the
Italian signal timed at 1500]
13th
–
Force H steering westerly returning to
Gibraltar in adverse weather conditions.
[At 0413 the LEGION reported a heavy
underwater explosion in her wake.
This was thought to have been caused by
the premature explosion of a torpedo,
which is what in fact it was.
Force H had been sighted by U 205, who at 0406 had
fired three torpedoes aimed at ARK
ROYAL, all the torpedoes missed.
After Force H had passed U 205 surfaced and sent
off a sighting report. The sighting
report was picked up by U 81]
At 0645 ARK ROYAL flew
off six Swordfish to carry out an ahead
A/S search.
[At 0817 the CINC Force H signalled the
ships in company warning that
submarines had been reported in the
vicinity so great vigilance was called
for]
During the morning the
weather conditions improved and with the
wind from the west so ARK ROYAL could
carry out flying operations without having
to move outside the destroyer
screen.
[At 1500 in position CG 9652 (36-15N,
4-54W), Kapitanleutnant
Friedrich Guggenberger
the CO of U 81 sighted
Force H. He recorded in his log that the
force consisted of one battleship of
the Revenge or Malaya class, and
aircraft carrier of the Ark Royal class,
the
aircraft carrier FURIOUS, three or four
large destroyers of the latest design
and a further three destroyers. Force is
on a westerly course, steering in line
ahead with a 40¡ stagger to port in the
order set out above. Every 15 minutes
they make a turn of up to 50¡. The
destroyers are in an A/S screen with one
stationed 8000 metres on the starboard
bow. Around 15 to 20 aircraft are
circling the force at an altitude of
about 100 metres, float planes as outer
escort, wheeled aircraft flying in
formations of three and two providing
close
cover]
At 1515 ARK ROYAL was sailing in line with
MALAYA, ahead and ARUS astern,
she had 14 aircraft in the air and several
waiting to take off.
[At 1515 the destroyer LAFOREY
signalled she had a submarine contact.
Force H made an emergency alteration of
course.
At 1519 LAFOREY signalled
that the contact was non-sub]
By 1529 Force H was back on its base course
and ARK ROYAL flew off six
Swordfish and two Fulmars and landed on
five Swordfish.
[At 1536 U 81's war dairy states
her position as CG 9655 (39-06N,
4-54W), Guggenberger
fired four torpedoes with a spread of
150
metres and a depth setting of 5 metres.
His aiming point was the MALAYA who he
estimated was at a range of 3500 meters
and making 16 knots.
The torpedoes fired were
G7e electric torpedoes, speed 30 knots
for 5000 metres and a warhead of 300Kg]
At 1538 ARK ROYAL was making 19 knots when
she altered course to
starboard, on to 290¡, putting her on
MALAYAs starboard quarter and a Swordfish
commenced lining up to land on.
[At 1540 the hydrophone (passive
sonar) operator on the LEGION
detected an unidentified sound, assumed
to be
propeller noise of a nearby destroyer.
But this was in fact U 81's torpedoes]
At 1541, in
recorded position 36-03N, 4-45W, just as
the Swordfish landed, one of U 81's
torpedoes hit ARK ROYAL on her starboard
side abreast the bridge; causing a
great spout of water to shoot up and the
aircraft on the deck to jump. Captain Maund
was on the flight deck when the torpedo
struck and he
raced to the bridge to take command, but
communications within the ship were
immediately
lost and ARK ROYAL continued moving ahead
and started to list to starboard.
The only crew
member lost was Able Seaman E Mitchell,
who was the oldest rating on board, and
was on duty in the lower steering position
when the torpedo struck he was
believed killed in the explosion.
[The torpedo hit ARK ROYAL on the starboard
side, abreast of the Island. Because
it was set to run at a depth of 5 metres
it struck the joint between the side
protection (the side protection was
designed to protect against an explosive
warhead of 750lb, 341Kg) and the turn of
the bilge. Length wise the position
was the worst possible being almost dead
amidships, it was where the list
caused would be the greatest and its
position relative to the transverse
bulkheads was such that four main
compartments were immediately subject to
flooding. The explosion blew a hole in her
side approximately 130ft x 30ft, the
size of which increased during the time it
took to bring ARK ROYAL to a halt,
resulting in additional hull plating being
peeled off. The starboard boiler
room, air spaces, oil tanks, the main
switchboard and the lower steering
position were immediately flooded. The
starboard drive shaft was also disabled by
the explosion, causing the rear half of
the ship to lose electrical power and
communications
were severed throughout the ship and
telephone also the engine room telegraphs
failed. However, the port and centreline
drive shafts were unaffected.
The ship whipped violently with the
explosion which caused the aircraft on
the flight deck to jump into the air.
However, very little shock damage occurred
internally.
Following the explosion ARK ROYAL
immediately started to list to
starboard and very quickly reached 10¡ and
after 3 minutes it was at 12¡.
Because ARK ROYAL had lost electrical
power, and she didn't have a diesel
generator back up, the pumps could not be
operated; so water flowed in
unchecked. However she did have battery
powered auxiliary lighting which had
been activated when power was lost]
At about 1552 ARK ROYAL finally came to a
stop.
By around 1600 ARK ROYAL's list had reached
18¡.
[At around 1600 the MALAYA escorted
by the destroyers SIKH, ZULU and ISAAC
SWEERS departed the scene and made for
Gibraltar.
At 1622 the ZULU was
detached to return to assist the ARK
ROYAL.
At 1830 the MALAYA and
the destroyers SIKH and ISAAC SWEERS
arrived at Gibraltar
On arrival at Gibraltar the
CINC Force H immediately transferred his
flag to the SIKH and returned to the
scene of the attack]
At around 1605 Captain Maund
had decided that
ARK ROYAL was going to sink. So he ordered
the destroyer LEGION alongside and
ordered the evacuation of all surplus crew
on to LEGION. The LEGION was unable
to go alongside due to ARK ROYAL's masts
being horizontal (in the flying
operations position) so LEGION put her bow
against ARK ROYAL's port quarter. Ropes
were lowered from ARK ROYAL and A
'bed' of hammocks
was piled on LEGION's forecastle and most
of ARK ROYAL's evacuating crew landed
or jumped on the hammocks. During the
evacuation of the machinery spaces many
hatches
were left open, allowing the flooding to
spread into other compartments.
Many of the crew, who were taken off
including shipwrights and electrical
staff, deprived the damage control crews
of much-needed expertise.
[While the main bulk of the crew were being
evacuated Commander (E) H
Dixon, Engineering Officer and Lt Cdr
(E) A G Oliver
the Senior Engineer were below. Cdr Dixon
was in the machinery control room but
because of the failure of the internal
communications he was not aware of the
extent of the damage, he sent Oliver to
investigate. Oliver found the starboard
boiler room rapidly filling with water and
almost covering the top of the two
boilers, the compartment had been
abandoned; he then entered the centre
boiler
room and discovered water rising from
below and above through the uptake casing
vents, this compartment was also
abandoned. Oliver secured both
compartments by
closing hatches, fan intakes and vents. He
then checked the port boiler room
and found this to be dry and the two
boilers in steam and the flat manned by
Warrant Engineer S A Woodriffe,
Chief Stoker H Walley,
Mechanician J
Hall and
Stoker H D Scott.
At around 1630, while Oliver was carrying
out his inspection, Captain Maund
had ordered counter flooding, but Cdr
Dixon could not carry out the order until
the necessary specialists returned to
the machinery spaces]
[Between 1625 and 2120 Guggenberger
recorded that U 81 was hunted by three
destroyers who between them dropped 162
DC's, none of which caused any adverse
effects. The submarine moved slowly away
to the north. During this time none of
the destroyers obtained a confirmed
sonar contact on U 81.
At 2122 U 81 surfaced and
sighted destroyers 8 to 10 Kilometres
away to the south, U 81 then continued
north on the surface towards the Spanish
coast]
[At around 1630 the destroyer WILD
SWAN, the tugs ST DAY 860grt and THAMES
624grt, and Fairmile
B motor launches ML.121, ML.130, ML.132
and ML.135 from the 3rd Motor Launch
Flotilla and ML.170, ML.172, and
ML.176 from the 9th Motor Launch
Flotilla sailed from Gibraltar to the
assistance of ARK ROYAL]
By 1648 LEGION had embarked 1487 crew from
ARK ROYAL and she pulled away
and rejoined the screen.
At 1700 the men in
the port boiler room lost boiler feed
water and were forced to shut down the
two boilers this caused the loss of all
power within the ship, and stopping
what few pumps were operational. Ship
board communications were still out but a
field telephone had been set up from an
emergency conning position on the
flight deck and the machinery control
room.
At around 1715 Captain
Maund called
the LAFOREY alongside to provide some
electrical power to ARK ROYAL.
At around 1730
counter flooding of port side compartments
had reduced the list to 14¡, but
because of the lack of specialist
expertise in the damage control parties
only
half of the available compartments on the
port side were flooded. However,
again due to lack of expertise, some of
flooding valves were not closed, so the
water in the counter flooded compartments
was gradually expelled as more water
entered through the hole in the starboard
side.
At around 1800 the
HERMIONE went alongside ARK ROYAL and put
on board an electrical repair party.
By around 1830
LAFOREY had power cables running into ARK
ROYAL providing power for lighting
and the pumps, a hose had also been
connected to pump boiler feed water to ARK
ROYAL's port boiler room.
[At around 1900 the destroyer WILD
SWAN, the tugs ST DAY and THAMES, and
motor launches ML.121, ML.130, ML.132,
ML.135, ML.170, ML.172, and ML.176
arrived on the scene]
At around 1930 the two boilers in the port
boiler room were producing
steam at a sufficient pressure to drive a
dynamo.
By 2000 the tug
THAMES had attached a line to ARK ROYAL.
The ST DAY initially failed to get a
line aboard and stood off to try later.
By 2059 the tug ST
DAY had got a line on to ARK ROYAL and the
two tugs worked up to a towing speed
of two knots.
At 2140 a number of
ARK ROYAL's electrical staff were returned
to ARK ROYAL by boat from LEGION.
By 2200 two of ARK
ROYAL's dynamos were operating, proving
electricity for lighting and pumps.
[At 2230 the destroyer SIKH (Flag
CINC Force H) arrived on the
scene from Gibraltar]
14th
–
The ST DAY and THAMES continued at two
knots, to tow ARK ROYAL westwards
towards Gibraltar. But ARK ROYAL was
getting lower in the water.
At around 0130 the list started to rapidly
increase. Water reached the
boiler room fan flat which ran the full
width of the ship above the boiler
rooms. In the engine room the steam
pressure started to fall from 200lbs/sq
inch.
At 0215 a fire broke out in the port
boiler room.
The boiler room crew fought the fire but
eventually they had to give up. This
forced the shutdown of the port boilers.
By 0220 the list had reached 20¡.
By 0400 the list had reached 27¡.
By 0430 the list had reached 35¡ and the order was
given to abandoned ship and the 250 men
still onboard left, most climbed down
on the ST DAY.
At about 0445 the LAFOREY and the ST DAY cast off.
At about 0530 the THAMES cast off.
At 0619 ARK ROYAL's list reached 45¡ and she
continued rolling to 90¡, in which
position she remained for three minutes,
she
then went vertical standing on her stern
and started sinking.
By 0624 ARK ROYAL's bow had disappeared below the
surface of the Mediterranean.
[Casualty
Lists were
published on 17th and 20th November 1941. (Casualty List -
note on casualties)]
[In December 2002 the wreck of ARK ROYAL
was located and reported as
being 30 NM east of Gibraltar lying at
3500 ft, this would make the final
resting place of ARK ROYAL in the
approximate position 36-06-35N,
4-43-51W]
PRIMARY SOURCES
Admiralty War Dairies
Admiralty Home Fleet Narrative
Admiralty publication THE
WAR at SEA
ARK ROYAL 1939 –
1941 by William Jameson
ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett
THE RELUCTANT ENEMIES by
W Tute
WINGS AT SEA by G A
Woods
THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN by D MacIntyre
BATTLESHIP BISMARCK by
Baron Burkard
von MŸllenheim-Rechberg
SQUADRONS of the FLEET
AIR ARM by Ray Sturtivant
THE SWORDFISH STORY by
Ray Sturtivant
MALTA CONVOYS by Richard
Woodman
SOMERVILLE'S FORCE H by
R Dannreuther
ONWARD TO MALTA by T E
Neil
U-BOAT ATTACK LOGS by
Morgan and Taylor
NELSON to VANGUARD by D
K Brown
Die TORPEDOS der
DEUTSCHEN UBOOTE by Eberhard
Rassler
Uboat.net
freespace.virgin.net/john.dell/fanad.htm
usswashington.com/worldwar2plus55
rafandluftwaffe.info/
epibreren.com
ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-NWE-Norway