LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

[timlewin]

November sees Valiant back at sea, plenty of action with aircraft attacks; Roosevelt wins the USA elections

SUMMARY OF NOVEMBER 1942

2nd. – At 2100 hours destroyers HYPERION, HAVOCK, DAINTY, DECOY, DIAMOND, NUBIAN,
MOHAWK, JUNO, JANUS and HMAS VOYAGER detached to carry out an anti-submarine
sweep off Alexandria.
At 2330 hours VALIANT, MALAYA, RAMILLIES, EAGLE, ORION and HMAS SYDNEY arrived
back at Alexandria.
6th. – Battleships WARSPITE, VALIANT, RAMILLIES and MALAYA, aircraft carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS, heavy cruisers YORK and light cruiser GLOUCESTER and destroyers
DECOY, DEFENDER, HASTY, HAVOCK, HEREWARD, HERO, HYPERION, ILEX, JANUS,
JERVIS, JUNO and MOHAWK sailed from Alexandria on Operation MB 8 and Operation
COAT.
Later the Fleet was joined by the light cruisers AJAX and HMAS SYDNEY from Suda Bay.
(Operation MB 8 was to provide cover for the passage of Convoy MW 3 [sailed from
Alexandria on 5/11/40] to Malta and Convoy AN 6 [sailed from Port Said on 4/11/40] to the
Aegean. Operation COAT was the passage of reinforcements, Force F, for the Mediterranean
Fleet).
7th. – The Fleet covered the passage of convoy AN 6 and MW 3. The two convoys proceeded
together from off Alexandria towards West Crete. (Operation MB 8).
9th. - In the evening RAMILLIES, HAVOCK, HYPERION and ILEX detached for Malta to refuel.
10th. - The Mediterranean Fleet cruised to the South East of Malta.
At 1015 hours Force F, comprising battleship BARHAM, heavy cruiser BERWICK and
GLASGOW and destroyers GALLANT, GREYHOUND and GRIFFIN and preceded by the
destroyers FAULKNOR, FORTUNE and FURY acting as minesweepers, RVed with the
Mediterranean Fleet.
Force F (The reinforcements for the Mediterranean Fleet, Operation COAT) entered Valletta
harbour to disembark 2150 troops and supplies and the 3 F’s to refuel.
At 1330 hours convoy ME 3, which included the monitor TERROR, sailed from Malta,
escorted by RAMILLIES, COVENTRY, DECOY, DEFENDER and HMAS VENDETTA.
After disembarking their troops and supplies BARHAM, BERWICK, GLASGOW, GALLANT,
GREYHOUND and GRIFFIN sailed from Malta and joined the Mediterranean Fleet sailing
East.
11th. – The Fleet covered passage of convoy ME 3 from Malta to Alexandria.
At 0600 hours the monitor TERROR and destroyer VENDETTA detached for Suda Bay.
At 1310 hours AJAX, ORION, HMAS SYDNEY, MOHAWK and NUBIAN detached from the
Fleet to carry out a raid on Italian military convoys in the Southern Adriatic.
At 1800 hours ILLUSTRIOUS, YORK, BERWICK, GLASGOW, GLOUCESTER, HASTY,
HAVOCK, HYPERION and ILEX detached from the Fleet to carry out Operation JUDGMENT.
(Note: The successful air attack on Taranto (Operation JUDGMENT) by aircraft from
ILLUSTRIOUS during the night of 11/12 November was also covered as part of Operation
COAT).
12th.- At dawn ILLUSTRIOUS, YORK, BERWICK, GLASGOW, GLOUCESTER, HASTY,
HAVOCK, HYPERION and ILEX rejoined the Fleet.
13th. – The Mediterranean Fleet arrived back at Alexandria.
16th. – Early in the morning battleships VALIANT, BARHAM, aircraft carrier EAGLE and
destroyers HYPERION, VENDETTA, DAINTY, DIAMOND, JERVIS, GREYHOUND, GALLANT
and GRIFFIN sailed from Alexandria and set course for the West of Crete.
Their mission was to provide cover for various convoys from Egypt to Greece.
17th. – At 1200 hours the covering force put into Suda Bay for the destroyers to refuel.
In the evening BARHAM developed engine problems so the whole force set course for
Alexandria.
19th. - VALIANT, BARHAM, EAGLE and destroyers HYPERION, VENDETTA, DAINTY,
DIAMOND, JERVIS, GREYHOUND, GALLANT and GRIFFIN arrived back at Alexandria.
25th. - At 0325 hours battleships WARSPITE and VALIANT, aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS and
destroyers DECOY (for repairs at Malta), JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, NUBIAN, MOHAWK,
GRIFFIN, WRYNECK and HMAS WATERHEN sailed from Alexandria and set course for Suda
Bay. They were designated the Mediterranean Fleet for Operation MB 9 and Force A for
Operation COLLAR.
At 1200 hours the troopship ULSTER PRINCE joined the Fleet at sea.
At 1600 hours HM Cruisers YORK, GLASGOW and GLOUCESTER of 3rd CS joined the Fleet
at sea.
At 2330 hours off South East Crete ILLUSTRIOUS, GLASGOW, GLOUCESTER JANUS,
JUNO, MOHAWK and NUBIAN detached from the Fleet and proceeded ahead to a flying off
position 60 miles North East of Suda Bay to carry out Operation MB 9.
(Operation MB 9 was an air strike on the Italian seaplane base at Port Laki on the Island of
Leros)
26th. - The Fleet followed astern of the ILLUSTRIOUS force to provide distant cover.
At 0300 hours ILLUSTRIOUS flew off 15 Swordfish on Operation MB 9.
At 0600 hours ILLUSTRIOUS recovered 14 Swordfish.
All Fleet units then proceeded to Suda Bay to refuel arriving between 0700 hours and 0830
hours.
At 0800 hours HM Destroyers HERO and HEREWARD arrived at Suda Bay to join the Fleet.
At 1030 hours Force A sailed from Suda Bay to carry out Operation COLLAR.
(Operation COLLAR was the passage of 1400 troops embarked on MANCHESTER and
SOUTHAMPTON, designated Force F, from Gibraltar to Alexandria. To pass three freighters
from Gibraltar, two for Malta and one for Suda Bay. To sail reinforcements for the
Mediterranean Fleet from Gibraltar to Alexandria).
The 3 CS comprising YORK, GLASGOW and GLOUCESTER detached to patrol to the North
of Force A.
27th. - Force A proceeded towards Malta.
28th. - Force A patrolled North of the MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON Force F, sailing for
Alexandria.
3oth. - At 1800 hours arrived back at Alexandria.

ON WITH THE JOURNAL from TTL


Friday 1 November 1940
We moved our scene of operations further to the South today, although we are
still covering convoys. We were off Crete most of the time. We were shadowed
again, but this time the fighters were successful. The Italian bombers are
concentrating on the military objectives and open towns of Greece in preference
to facing the A.A. fire of the fleet. We have heard from a prisoner, captured in
Africa, that in a recent raid on the fleet, nine aircraft took part and every one
returned damaged.
In the afternoon the two divisions parted. The first division, except Valiant, is
proceeding on to Alexandria tonight; we are covering the last of the convoys and
then following on. We have been left with the second division as an R. D/F and
high angle guard. The squadron is under the orders of V.A.L.F., in Orion.

Saturday 2 November 1940
We set course for Alexandria during the night. What was thought to be a
shadower appeared during the forenoon, flying around astern. We fired a few
rounds to indicate it to the fighters, which, being Gladiators, could not be
controlled from the carrier. The aircraft was not a shadower however, but a
Bombay transport, a type we are not yet familiar with, although it is quite old.
This and others are being employed taking supplies and ground personnel for the
R.A.F. in Greece.
One particular Bombay has been doing useful work in Africa, too. It is stationed
at an aerodrome in the Western desert. When the R. D/F picks up aircraft
coming from Tobruk, to raid Alexandria, this Bombay is loaded up with some five
hundred twenty pound bombs, and flown to the Italian aerodrome. Here the
bombs are swept out of a chute in the stern with a broom, all over the landing
ground. This hinders the returning raiders considerably.
Later in the day, several aircraft were picked up closing from about twenty miles.
When they faded it was understood that they had opened again. Actually, they
had gone down very low as soon as they sighted us and were consequently lost in
the ground wave. We sighted them soon after; four Savoia S79’s very low down.
We opened fire with pom-poms and 4.5’s, and they immediately dropped
torpedoes, although we were still about three miles away. We had plenty of time to
take avoiding action and none hit its mark. The aircraft went round astern out of
range, and flew away to the South West, still low down. The Italian torpedo-carrying
aircraft all seem to be based in Libya.

Sunday 3 November 1940
The sand in the Great Pass made it inadvisable for heavy ships to enter harbour,
so although we should have got in during the middle, it was postponed until next
forenoon. This time we came to single anchor in our old berth, and then sent
away the stern anchor. Diving operations commenced almost at once at the spot
where our port anchor was lost. We started oiling and storing ship during the
forenoon. We have been put at twelve hours’ notice because the guns of P2 are
being changed while we are in. to do this we have to use P2 derrick for the first
time this commission.
Ajax entered harbour soon after us. All her convoys got safely to their bases.
Some aircraft dive bombed store ships she was with, apparently not noticing
Ajax, and she shot two of them down with point fives.
The Italians are certainly not getting things all their own way on the Albanian
frontier. Although they have broken through to the Westward, along the coast,
the Greeks have reciprocated at the Eastern end and are pushing on towards
Coritza. A stand along their present line will considerably shorten the
Macedonian front. The Italians have bombed many towns, including Salonika and
Piraeus. We have certainly got forces at the latter, and if the Italians are showing
interest, probably the former as well.

Monday 4 November 1940
If our divers had not located the anchor by 0900 we were going to use a grapnel.
They found it with about five minutes to spare. This is, I believe, a habit of all
service divers. The harbour sheer legs were towed to the spot and soon recovered
the anchor and cable from the deep mud.
In a general signal today, the C-in-C warned us that in the future we should
probably spend long periods at sea and only short stays in harbour. The strain
will fall particularly on destroyers and aircraft of the Air Arm. The cruisers too,
seem to be doing plenty of sea time. Ajax and Sydney sailed again today. The two
A.A. cruisers are seldom in harbour for more than two days at a time.
The dress for the fleet is now whites, we are no longer allowed to wear tropical rig.

Tuesday 5 November 1940
Orion has gone alongside one of the sheds and is loading with stores and
soldiers. We shall probably be covering another big convoy of reinforcements for
the Greeks quite soon. Ramillies was also taking stores aboard during the night,
from lighters which came alongside her.
We have been able to give all night leave during the last two nights, because the
guns of P2 are being changed.
The Presidential election is at present taking place in the United States. The two
candidates are Franklin Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie. Whoever wins, it will be a
case of heads we win, tails you lose against Hitler, for both are pro-British, and
both against American entry into the war. A decision in either direction will be
favourable to us. Roosevelt has had to be moderated in his “Aid for Britain”
campaign, with the election close upon him, in case too violent a policy made
public opinion go against him.
America’s entry into the war would not give us any extra support; we would in
fact be worse off. The immense amount of aid she is at present giving us in the
way of war materials would stop, she would need them herself; and any active
help would be some time in arriving.
Two more A.M.C.’s, the Laurentic and Patroclus, have been torpedoed and sunk.
Most of their crews have been saved.

Wednesday 6 November 1940
The five senior Midshipmen left the ship this forenoon. They have been
discharged to Resource to await passage home for course.
The whole fleet, except Eagle, went to sea about noon. The Third C.S. and the
second division of the battle squadron went out first. We left just before noon. We
could see the stores and R.A.F. personnel on Ramillies as she went by us.
The first part of the operation, which is to be a long one, is our old job of covering
convoys. There are three of these and they are taking important stores for the
establishment of our Suda Bay base. Some of the larger ships are going to Malta
with R.A.F. stores and Army reinforcements. It is this convoy that we are
covering, keeping to the North and West of it. Ramillies and some destroyers will
operation was not disclosed, but an intimation was given that it would be more
interesting than our recent trips.
The Greeks are still holding up the Italian advance, in fact, the Italians seem to
be affording them every facility. One small detachment of scouting troops was
retreating on to the main body, which attacked them. Italian aircraft dropped
food onto a Greek company. An Italian tank attack was broken up and nine tanks
destroyed by British anti-tank guns.
Roosevelt has been elected to his third term of office. He is the first man to serve
three terms. I think he has been the first to achieve this, not because he is an
outstanding politician, but because the opposition was not at all brilliant.

Thursday 7 November 1940
We steered our usual North Westerly course and today we were about forty-five
miles South of Crete. Although the Italians usually patrol this part of the
Mediterranean with C.A.N.T. float plane from Derna and Bomba, the day passed
very peacefully. The R. D/F picked up nothing which might have been a
shadower.
Ajax and Sydney have arrived at Suda Bay from Piraeus with stores. When they
have finished unloading they are coming out to join us. We are turning to the
North at the Western end of Crete, to get to the North of the convoy, which is
coming through the Antikythera Channel. When in position off the channel we
turn West. One of the convoys arriving at Suda Bay during the forenoon comes
from Port Said.
We intercepted a signal during the day which intimated that the Italians had
affected a landing in the gulf of Patras. There was no confirmation of this and it
seemed improbable, as the position is too far South of the fighting line to be of
much use to them in an encircling movement.
Stoker Shields died onboard today and was buried at sea.

Friday 8 November 1940
We went down South-West of Crete today, still in our capacity of convoy-coverers.
One C.A.N.T. shadower was shot down and later a bomber force was intercepted
by fighters and two shot down before they had a chance to escape. We saw no
enemy aircraft.
We flew off a long reconnaissance flight of Swordfish with extra fuel tanks. One of
them may have gone up to Patras to investigate.
We sighted the convoy about noon. There were five big merchant ships and one
Abingdon class minesweeper, escorted by the two A.A. cruisers and some of the
older destroyers.
During the last dog the weather broke and we had a thunderstorm. All night
lightning was flickering around the horizon.

Saturday 9 November 1940
In the morning watch, just after the moon had set, it got even darker as the sky
was covered by black cloud. Shortly afterwards it started to blow and rain, and
we passed through the middle of a thunderstorm. The wind was well over a
hundred knots and the rain was being driven almost horizontal. Flashes of
lightning were playing all round the ship and our R. D/F aerials were glowing
brightly. The two receiving aerials on the starboard side of the bridge kept
glowing along their whole length, and then suddenly the charge would earth with
a blinding flash. The storm lasted about half an hour, but even then the sky did
not clear completely and the wind was still strong.
The weather was so bad that no aerial reconnaissance could be sent to Taranto to
check up on the position of the Italian fleet. Because of this the fifteen inch
personnel were in two watches all day. No flying was possible from Illustrious in
the early part of the day; the flight deck was wet and slippery. By noon conditions
had improved and anti-submarine patrols were off. One of those crashed while
coming in to land on. His engine failed and he went down into the sea just ahead
of us. The wreck passed down our port side about two hundred yards off. We
dropped an aircraft lifebuoy and threw wood overboard from B gun deck. HMS
Juno picked up all the crew of three unharmed. They increased suddenly to full
speed to close the crash, and the speed they did into the short sea split a plate
just below the waterline, but not badly.
In the afternoon, fleet fighters shot down a shadower in flames. This is now
indicated by the signal “W.O.P”
Ramillies, escorted by destroyers, left to go into Malta at 1700. There she will oil
and disembark stores.

[jbryce1437]

The detail in these reports is amazing. I bet whoever was marking up the journals was greatly informed by them, as some of these occerences may just have been a blur to them when it happened in real time. Great to read and thanks for sharing them Tim.

Jim

[timlewin]

thanks Jim, I bet they couldn't get away with that signal code for shooting down an Italian bomber these days!

W.O.P.....

it will be his centenary on 19th November, I urge all forum members to charge their glasses and raise a toast to the memory.

[jbryce1437]

thanks Jim, I bet they couldn't get away with that signal code for shooting down an Italian bomber these days!

W.O.P.....

it will be his centenary on 19th November, I urge all forum members to charge their glasses and raise a toast to the memory.

Just got a bottle of rum in to be ready.

Jim

[ivorthediver]

Same here Tim , not that we need an excuse ......and thanks for the last report .....

[timlewin]

From the Journal of TTL, 80 years ago this week. Taranto is a huge success, we know all this now but as he wrote this it was the subject of daily news, no one knew how it would pan out. The duplex torpedoes referred to were equipped with magnetic sensors to explode beneath a ship rather than on impact. They were notoriously unreliable, these were the torpedoes fired at HMS Sheffield in the hunt for Bismarck, all of which fortunately failed resulting in the next attack on Bismarck by Swordfish reverting to older impact pistol weapons. The lack of RDF equipped ships (Radar) is brought home daily but the benefits of having it are incalculable.


The full book and more is available on Amazon and all eBook sellers, the reader app is a free download and works on any computer or device, you don’t need a kindle!

Sunday 10 November 1940
We steamed up and down in the vicinity of Malta all night. At dawn we were West
of it, near the island of Linosa, an Italian possession. This island was abeam,
about fifteen miles away when a strong detachment of reinforcements joined us.
They were the Barham, Glasgow, Berwick, Griffin, Gallant, Greyhound and
Hotspur. There were also other escorting destroyers of the eighth and thirteenth
flotillas who will be returning to their base. This force steamed through the
Straits in brilliant moonlight without meeting any opposition, an even greater
achievement than our own.
Other reinforcements were three Fulmars for Illustrious. These flew off Ark Royal,
landed at Malta, refueled and flew out to Illustrious. The pilots are to be
returned to Ark Royal in the destroyers.
As soon as we met the new force, we turned East again. They are all going in to
Malta to fuel and, I should think, to land the many soldiers we could see lining
their guardrails.
We are all disappointed in Barham. She has had apparently little or no
reconstruction. An armoured forecastle deck was put on, but her 4 inch high
angle armament remains the same. She is even more out of date than Malaya,
who has hangars for her aircraft. Barham keeps one Walrus on X turret catapult.
Barham has been in the new graving dock at Gibraltar, repairing the damage
done by two hits at Dakar.
Glasgow and Berwick are better off. Both have an R. D/F set. This seems to be of
a new type. The aerial is on the foremast only and consists of three antennae. I
believe it is only a short range gunnery control set. Glasgow, who was in dock at
Liverpool having her bows repaired while we were there, has had an immense
amount of upper deck armour added. The four inch mountings have new splinter
shields as well as additional thicknesses added to their old ones. The inefficiency
of this protection was shown in the first raid on the Forth, when Edinburgh lost
six ratings who were standing behind the screen when bomb splinters pierced it.
Glasgow also has inch thick sliding doors to protect her torpedo tubes from
splinters, and also the sea, which washes down the waist in her class of ship.
Like other cruisers of the Town and County classes, she has had nearly all her
lower deck scuttles blanked off.
The reinforcements greatly increase the usefulness of the Mediterranean fleet.
Cruisers are always needed to bring us up to Italy’s strength, more particularly
so now that the Liverpool and Kent are not available. The Barham makes the
battle squadron a symmetrical force. In the first division are the two modernised
ships, with the increased range to main armament. In the second division are the
two older ships, capable of gunnery concentration with each other. The whole
squadron is now capable of twenty-three knots, with no lame duck to hold us
back. Ramillies would be more a hindrance than a help in an action between the
Italian fleet and our battle squadron.
Bad weather again prevented air reconnaissance of Taranto, so the fifteen-inch
personnel were in two watches all day. Another Swordfish crashed while taking
off today. All the crew were picked up by Nubian. These Swordfish crashes are all
due to engine failure. They are landed when the carrier is in harbour, and the
sand possibly gets into the engines.
A shadower was shot down at the end of the forenoon, but not before he had sent
out his “Tartar” report. A small flight of five bombers were sent out from Tripoli to
deal with us. The weather was cloudy, but the R. D/F gave us very accurate
bearings. We were just about to open fire in R. D/F blind barrage when they
came into a blue patch of sky. Unfortunately, the cordite smoke from the first few
salvos being about and obscured everybody’s view, so the fire became a true
“blind” barrage. All the bombs fell wide of the fleet, the nearest being about five
cables ahead of Warspite. Fighters attacked this formation of Savoia S79’s and
damaged two.
A convoy left Malta today. It consisted of the ships we brought out from
Alexandria about a month ago. Ramillies is to escort them back, at the same time
covering the monitor Terror. She is going from Malta to Suda Bay.

Monday 11 November 1940
We steamed South and then North during the night. Berwick and Glasgow,
followed later by Barham, came out from Malta and joined up astern. Orion
joined us during the forenoon, and we then had our full cruiser force with us.
At noon, Ajax, Sydney and V.A.L.F, in Orion, accompanied by the 53 sub-division
(Nubian and Mohawk) left to go up into the Straits of Otranto. They will
arrive there tonight and will attack transports sailing between Brindisi and
Valona. The latter is the Italian base in Albania, where troops and supplies for
the campaign in Greece are landed.
The remaining cruisers, York, Berwick, Gloucester and Glasgow, left us just
before dark to sweep ahead of the fleet. They would then be ready to back up the
light cruisers, or to cover Illustrious. She left soon after, heading to the North-West.
Her aircraft are to carry out a simultaneous bombing and torpedo bombing
raid on ships in Taranto harbour, by the light of a nearly full moon.
We were in the second degree of readiness after dark. Before midnight our R. D/F
picked up several groups of aircraft, apparently hostile and searching for us.
None came within ten miles. They approached from several directions on the
starboard side and went away to port, passing ahead and astern. These R. D/F
reports at night give one the feeling of a blindfolded man who can sense
something hostile in the vicinity, but can’t see it.
A second aircraft alarm came when we saw parachute flares being dropped about
twelve miles away. These were probably our own aircraft returning to illustrious,
dropping flares to find the direction of the wind.
During the middle watch we altered course to the Southward, Illustrious’ raid
finished. We were then between her and Taranto, in case anything should be
tempted out to attack her.
The Greeks are still doing well. They have routed an Italian Alpine division in the
Pindus Mountains, capturing a large quantity of stores, guns and H.E.

Tuesday 12 November 1940
Illustrious and her covering cruisers rejoined us soon after dawn, with the Island
of Zante in sight to Port. Her raid was successful. The first wave of bombers had
scored two hits on cruisers in the outer harbour before the Italians had any
warning, so they obviously have no form of R. D/F. Immediately the warning was
given, guns all round the bay opened fire, putting an archway of bursts over the
harbour. The raiders flew round until they came to a gap in the barrage, and
then went in. Eleven torpedoes with Duplex heads were dropped, so all explosions
must have been under ships bottoms, doing far more damage than a hit on the
armour belt. They claimed hits on one Littorio and two Cavour class battleships.
We lost two aircraft only.
An aerial reconnaissance later in the day reported, although not with any
confidence, that the Littorio had a heavy list, one Cavour had her stern under
water to Y turret, and that the other Cavour was beached.
This halving of the Italian battle fleet has altered the aspect of naval warfare in
the Mediterranean. Even though the Italian fleet didn’t come to sea before, now
they can’t, and we can safely redispose our fleet as the situation may demand.
The light striking force rejoined us during the forenoon, eight hours earlier than
they had been expected. They also met with a measure of success. They swept up
past Valona to the North and saw nothing. Then they turned and came South.
This time they caught a convoy of four ships, escorted by one new and one old
destroyer, just leaving Valona.
Nubian, who was ahead, opened fire on the newer destroyer, which at once
withdrew under cover of the convoy and its own smoke screen. The older
destroyer showed some fight until hit three times, then she too made off. Of the
convoy, one was sunk, two were left burning fiercely, and the fourth got back into
Valona, although she was hit.
If, when the force had sighted the convoy, they had turned North again to give
them a chance to get clear of the land, they could have come in astern of the
merchant ships, cutting them off so that none could get away.
A large convoy of thirty eight ships was attacked in mid-Atlantic on November 5
by a raider. The convoy’s only escort was an A.M.C. Jervis Bay. The gallant action
of this ship in drawing the enemy’s fire and engaging her until she sank, and was
on fire from stem to stern, enabled the convoy to scatter and escape under cover
of approaching darkness. So far nine of the convoy have failed to reach port, but
some of these may be safe. The ships were in ballast, returning from Canada. The
raider, which was unidentified, was a pocket battleship or a Nurnberg class
cruiser, showed remarkable lack of forethought in the timing of this attack. He
opened fire in the late afternoon, as he didn’t have much time to do anything
before dark. If he had shadowed the convoy until dawn the next day, he would
have had ample time to finish off the lot.
In contrast to this is the timeliness of the raid on Taranto. Now battleships are
available for ocean escort duties, as they used to do last winter. One of our
Mediterranean fleet battleships could relieve Renown at Gibraltar while she
searches for the raider.
Not to be outdone by their slower brethren, the Fulmars from Illustrious had a
gala afternoon, treating the fleet to three spectacular crashes – not their own.
Directed by R. D/F they discovered, and shot down, three C.A.N.T. seaplanes. Of
the first we saw only a pillar of smoke on the horizon, the second a glimpse of the
burning aircraft as it came out of a cloud and crashed over the horizon. The third
was the best of the lot. The Fulmars must have got outside him, because he came
towards the fleet followed by the three fighters, diving and zooming round him.
All four disappeared into a cloud, then, a second later; the C.A.N.T. appeared,
burning from wingtip to wingtip. It crashed into the sea about four miles away.
In the afternoon, Berwick and York left for Alexandria, and the second division
for Suda Bay. The remainder of the fleet turned North again, with the intention of
repeating last nights blow on Taranto. In the last dog, about an hour before
Illustrious was due to fly off, the raid was cancelled and we all turned for
Alexandria and increased speed to twenty-one knots. Much speculation was
caused by this move. It was in fact due to a thick ground mist over Taranto,
which would have made a useful raid impossible. We increased our speed to get
out of the torpedo bombing area as soon as possible.

Wednesday 13 November 1940
The day passed peacefully as we proceeded back to our base, still at high speed.
In the afternoon we were shadowed by a C.A.N.T. seaplane, who used methods
that we have not seen since we left the North Sea. He flew round the horizon
about fifty feet above the sea, so that he was quite easily visible from the ships.
When the fighters went up however, from their great height he was not
silhouetted as he was for us, and his blue camouflage made him almost invisible.
They searched for over an hour. At times it was most exasperating for us. I could
see both the fighters and the follower in my glasses at the same time, but still
they didn’t see him. They got him in the end, but out of sight from us. They got
as close as fifty yards before they saw him.

Thursday 14 November 1940
We anchored in our old berth at 0800. While we have been away Alexandria has
been heavily bombed. Last night Decoy was hit in Y gun and ten were killed.
Other bombs have damaged an Egyptian passenger steamer, and killed many
people ashore.
We started oiling and storing in the forenoon. There are now few potatoes
available, we have been without for some time.
In the afternoon we had a red air raid warning. This was probably a
reconnaissance aircraft. As our own R. D/F was broken down, we didn’t know
how near he got or where he came from.
During the afternoon, Malaya and Barham entered the harbour. They have come
down from Suda Bay. Barham has forty tons of mail for the fleet. Our new
Captain joined the ship during the evening; he has taken passage in Barham.
Air raids started about seven in the evening. The Italians have adopted the tactics
used by the Germans, tactics which are calculated to tire out our personnel
rather than do bomb damage. They send over single raiders in succession, so
that the next arrives within an hour of the other leaving. The second warning was
given about eleven, another soon after midnight and the third and last about
three bells of the middle watch. After this one they shortened the time interval so
we were closed up from then until one bell of the morning. On one raid only did
we see bombs drop. Four fell into the sea outside the harbour entrance.
While this last raid was on a convoy sailed. The ships, three merchantmen, were
already anchored outside the harbour. They were full of lorries, guns, tanks and
troops for Greece. The escort, Coventry, two Tribal and one V and W destroyer,
sailed during the raid.
Of the thirty-eight ships in the convoy attacked by the German raider, only four
are lost. The Captain of the Jervis Bay has been awarded the Victoria Cross,
posthumously. The Prime Minister has made a statement about the raid on
Taranto. The final result of aerial reconnaissance is that one Cavour is sunk, only
the fore superstructure being left above the water, one other Cavour aground
with a list to starboard. The Littorio class has now had her stern raised but is
listing to port. Both the latter have auxiliaries alongside and have been
surrounded with nets to prevent further damage. Two cruisers and two
auxiliaries can be seen on the bottom.

Friday 15 November 1940
Berwick and Gloucester sailed in the afternoon, loaded with R.A.F. stores and
personnel for Piraeus.
We had a repel aircraft about 2000. There was one solitary raider who dropped
four bombs on shore astern of us. We fired about forty rounds of barrage. As far
as we were concerned, it was effective for no bombs hit us.

Saturday 16 November 1940
We secured for sea in the middle watch and sailed at 0300. We took station in the
rear of a line consisting of Barham (R.A.1), Eagle and ourselves. We are screened
by the “G” class destroyers, V class destroyers, under the command of Captain
D14 in Jervis. We are going to Suda Bay to act as A.A. guard while several
transports are loading with Greek troops for the mainland. Eagle has extra
Gladiators and Swordfish which she is to fly off to be shore based at the recently
established aerodrome. While we are in Suda Bay, our screening destroyers will
carry out a submarine hunt in the bays along the North coast of Crete.
The day passed peacefully, the only excitement being a supposed floating-mine
which Vendetta fired at, and an abandoned Carley float, which Vendetta picked
up. This may have been one of Liverpool’s, as we were in approximately the
position that she was torpedoed.
We were ordered to use our R. D/F for all round sweeps every quarter of an hour.
This seems to be a mistaken policy. It is to prevent R. D/F-ing of our squadron;
R. D/F cannot be D/F-ed; only the presence of a R. D/F ship can be proved.
Anyway, we were just as likely to be D/F-ed in our occasional sweep. If the policy
is meant to save wear of our set, because we are the only R. D/F ship with the
fleet and will consequently always be on watch, it is still mistaken, for it harms
the set more to be switched on and off frequently, more than if it is running for
some time.
As we are passing through the Kaso Strait, with the Italian island of Kasos on the
Eastern side, we went to the second degree of readiness at 2100.
About eleven o’clock, when Kasos was looming black against the sky on our
starboard beam, E boats were reported. We went immediately to full action
stations, and all guns loaded. All eyes strained to catch the white flash of a bow
wave or wake, but we were unlucky. We stayed at action stations for nearly two
hours until it was improbable that E boats would come out and chase us.
We had another alarm later on. We sighted three ships on our starboard bow,
about eight miles away. They looked like three cruisers, or two destroyers and
one cruiser. Diamond was detailed to investigate and we also increased to full
speed to back her up, after asking permission from R.A. 1. The ships, when
challenged, made the correct reply, and later a signal was made, “I think you are
chasing me”, from C.S. 3, whose squadron it was. This did not deter the
Diamond. She apparently missed the signals and fired three salvos before she
discovered the identity of her adversaries.
There seems to be something wrong with the staff organisation which allows two
squadrons to be operating near one another at night without either knowing the
position of the other.

[timlewin]

Sunday 17 November 1940
We had no further alarms during the morning and at three o’clock were far
enough away from Italian islands to go back to a lower degree of readiness. Crete
was now visible on the port hand. After our diversions of the previous night, we
were late entering Suda Bay, and did not anchor until after nine o’clock.
The transports were already loading with troops alongside the pier that moderate
sized ships could use, a stone one.
Suda Bay is an excellent potential fleet anchorage. It is a U-shaped inlet, about
seven miles long, and the entrance is partly blocked by an island which has the
remains of an old fort on it. The water is very deep (we anchored in 32 fathoms)
and clear. Crete is of volcanic origin, and very steep to, high hills rising straight
out of the sea along nearly all the coast line. The two sides of Suda Bay have
these high hills, but the far end, as one would expect, is flatter, and a valley leads
down to this small plain. Probably a river runs into the bay there.
Anti submarine protection is given by indicator nets and patrol vessels only at
the moment. The laying of booms and loops might give more than the ordinary
difficulty in laying, because of the depth of water, but the difficulties should not
be insurmountable.
Anti-aircraft protection is very essential. Ships in the harbour are easy meat for
dive-bombers that swoop suddenly over the hills, especially on a moonlit night.
Ships R. D/F gives no warning, the hills interfere. An R. D/F station on top of
one of these, and batteries capable of a “Scapa” barrage are the answer.
Ajax, the exception to the rule, shot down two, damaged a third out of five dive-bombers
that attacked her in Suda.
Six Greek destroyers came in during the forenoon. They have been searching for
Italian convoys in the Straits of Otranto without success. Some of these are
Italian, some British built. The ships look clean, well painted and efficient, but
the crews were a dirty looking crowd and seemed to do no work.
A Board of Inquiry was held on board during the forenoon, to investigate the
circumstances of Stoker Shields death. As a result, the immediate release of
Stoker Carrigher was ordered.
We weighed during the first dog and left the bay astern of Barham and Eagle. Our
destroyer screen had spent the day submarine hunting in the bays along the
North coast of Crete and along part of the transport convoy’s route. Vendetta
came in to oil during the afternoon.
We were to return to Alexandria through the Kaso Straits during the night, but
soon after we set course, Barham signaled that she had engine trouble and could
only make fifteen knots. Because of this we turned about and sailed for home
Westabout, passing through the Antikythera Channel.

Monday 18 November 1940
The day was fine and the sea flat calm. These conditions helped Barham, for she
had to take in feed water from Jervis during the forenoon and Diamond during
the afternoon. She has apparently got a serious form of condenseritis, for there is
salt water in every bit of her auxiliary machinery, as well as in her feed water.
This means that it will all have to be stripped down and washed.
The Greeks have now got the upper hand over the Italians. The fighting is all in
Albanian territory except on the Western front. This is the least important, the
most serious part being the protection of the route to Salonica.

Tuesday 19 November 1940
We maintained our moderate speed, and when we were about twenty miles out
we split into two groups. We went on ahead with Eagle, Barham followed. We
moored about 1400. Barham came in later, tended by tugs. We were greeted with
the usual stories of heavy air raids every night since we had been out. While still
at sea, on the previous night we had picked up the red air raid warning for
Alexandria, and then Illustrious’ “2.P.M’s” (fire barrage). The conditions for
reception must have been excellent for those barrage signals are made in
auxiliary wave, which should only be audible up to fifty miles. One of HM ships
was hit, the first in Alexandria harbour. This was the Decoy. A bomb hit Y gun,
went through the mounting and burst in the wardroom flat below. Two officers
and eight ratings were killed, probably most of the gun’s crew.

*Today was Terry Lewin’s twentieth birthday, he had been almost
continuously at sea for nearly two years since joining the RN

Wednesday 20 November 1940
There were two air raid warnings during the middle and morning. In neither did
we have to open fire. The Army A.A. batteries ashore are now enthusiastically
blind-barrage minded. They opened fire when the aircraft were at least twenty
miles away.
The Egyptian Prime Minister, Sabry Pasha, collapsed and died while reading King
Farouk’s speech at the opening of parliament today. He has until now offset the
king’s pro-Italian tendency, for Sabry Pasha was pro-British.

Thursday 21 November 1940
Illustrious sailed today, escorted by five destroyers, no cruisers. They may be
going up to the Dodecanese just to keep things going with a dawn raid on the one
of the Italian bases.
Liverpool was towed from her berth alongside, to the floating dock today. She
went in stern first. Most of the twisted plating has been stripped, and “A” turret
complete, has been lifted out and left on the waste ground near her old berth. I
believe she is to be fitted with wooden bows. If this is true, the drydock will be
out of action for some time. The destroyers, however, can still dock in the graving
dock near the floating dock.

Friday 22 November 1940
No entries for this date.

Saturday 23 November 1940
Koritza has now fallen to the Greeks. The Italians did not defend the town with
any tenacity, withdrawing before the Greeks got near. The fall of Koritza is
probably more important than any future driving forward of the Greek army,
because the way to Salonika is now barred by a complete front. Germany, if she
wants to satisfy her “Drang nach Osten” (“desire to push East”) will have to do so
through Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria, and her flank will be threatened by
allied forces in those.
The Italians are now retreating along almost the whole front, and with the major
part of her battle fleet out of action, she cannot be expected to last much longer.
More light has been thrown on to the Taranto raid. It had been projected for some
months, and so that the Italians would not tighten up their anti-aircraft defences,
the R.A.F. had to be held off from indecisive bombing raids. The raid itself was
preceded by two months staff work. Charts were studied and compared with
intelligence reports and R.A.F. reconnaissance photographs. The plans of the raid
were worked out in advance to the last detail, the hard work put in was certainly
repaid by the results.
The second division and the third cruiser squadron sailed during the morning
watch. Calcutta and Coventry went too, presumably to cover a convoy.

[jbryce1437]

Many thanks for the latest extract Tim. I often wondered what the circumstances were surrounding the death of Stoker Shields. The entry that he was buried at sea on 7th November then the entry on 17th November about a Board of Inquiry into his death and the immediate release of Stoker Carrigher has me wondering.

Jim

[timlewin]

I think this was the chap who sadly had the misfortune to be fatally electrocuted by an arc-welder while making repairs to some part of the ship, why stoker Shields might have been possibly negligent or guilty of something he did not report.

Pelican sent me a fascinating report on Souda/Suda Bay yesterday;-

https://greece.greekreporter.com/2020/0 ... or-greece/

all of which pretty much justifies TTL's appreciation, the fiasco of the Crete invasion and evacuation notwithstanding!

[ivorthediver]

Again our thanks Tim , and sorry we Missed TTL's anniversary ,it seems that the Souda bay saga could be a serious problem if Nato losses it and the facilities it provides .

kind regards Ivor and Karen ...