Re: LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:46 am
Another week in the life of TTL, midshipman in HMAS Valiant, available as an eBook “He who would Valiant be”
Sunday 5 January 1941
The day passed very quietly. We were still duty battleship and A.A. guard, so there was no leave. I was on boom patrol from midnight until sunrise, and for the first time that I have been on the sea was smooth enough to allow us to get well outside the breakwater and up into the Great Pass. We went well out to sea twice during the patrol, and were surprised to find all the flashing lights on the buoys marking the channel were lit. As the port was closed and no ships expected, this seemed unnecessary, as well as a dangerous aid to enemy submarines, large or midget.
The only arrivals during the day were the gunboat Aphis and the Hospital Ship Dorsetshire. The gunboats have been busily bombarding Bardia and the flank of the Italian defences. Although bombed from a high level many times, there have been no hits, only very few splinter casualties from near misses.
Bardia is now almost completely overwhelmed, but full details of numbers captured or killed have not yet been published by the Headquarters in Cairo, the source of all information regarding the fighting in the Western desert.
Monday 6 January 1941
Eagle went to sea early today, the first time in nearly two months. She was escorted by Greyhound and Gallant only, so we realised that she couldn’t be going far. There is a persistent rumour that she is to get six Italian C.R. 42’s captured by the army, and she had gone out on this trip to fly them on and do flying trials with them. She returned to harbour again during the first dog, but there was no evidence that the rumour was true.
Protector arrived during the forenoon, the forerunner of the stream of ships bringing prisoners from Bardia. She was packed with them. All resistance ceased there yesterday afternoon, and twenty-five thousand prisoners have been taken. This brings the total of prisoners up to over sixty-thousand, and it is estimated that the Libyan army has been depleted by ninety-thousand men, or a third of its initial strength.
Gloucester, Southampton and Janus went to sea in the afternoon. The Janus has a number of ratings for passage home. They will probably be taken to Malta and transferred to a West-bound ship from there. In her present company, Janus provides
R. D/F protection.
The second in command of the fleet, Vice Admiral Pridham-Wipple, in Orion, sailed at 1630. Earlier in the day she had been calibrating her newly fitted R. D/F just outside the harbour, but she returned to her buoy before sailing.
With the sailing of the cruisers, the rumour that we were leaving too was strengthened, but the usual leave was given.
The Dorsetshire, after her short stay here, sailed again. She is probably going along the coast to add to the assets of our new base at Sidi Barrani.
Tuesday 7 January 1941
Rumour proved correct, and at 0500, we followed Warspite and Illustrious out of harbour. The crack destroyer flotilla, the fourteenth, is screening us. Janus is the only absentee, she is already out. Our immediate destination is Suda Bay; there the destroyers will oil in readiness for operations to the Westward. There are a number of convoys to be covered, the most important one of M.T. ships that is coming through the narrows.
We set course for the Kaso Strait, and expected to arrive at Suda next morning. Late in the afternoon an aircraft was sighted which we considered to be friendly, but the C-in-C thought it was a shadower. We soon altered course to the North of West. In the evening it was announced that our plans were changed. We would now go to Suda Bay Westabout, passing through the Antikythera Channel and arriving about noon.
Wednesday 8 January 1941
The Western headlands of Crete were in sight at dawn, and we passed through the Antikythera Channel during the forenoon. The destroyers preceded us into harbour, and were all alongside oilers by the time we had anchored. Illustrious, ourselves and Captain D all sent boats to the flagship. Our boat also took some books for the naval ratings ashore.
Suda Bay seems to be a very efficiently run base. The destroyers are allocated oilers and the business of fuelling is quickly completed. We sailed again at five bells of the afternoon.
Our efforts to get in and out P.V.’s, usually so good, met with no success today. When getting them in before entering harbour. The standing after guy of the port derrick was slipped while the P.V. was still running, so that it came in against the ship’s side, nearly under the bilge keel, but we managed to hoist it inboard slowly, and undamaged. The next catastrophe occurred when we were streaming paravanes again when leaving Suda. We slipped the paravanes while the front of the bow was still being hove down, and this, coupled with a slightly excessive speed, put too much strain on the messenger. This parted in the turns round the capstan, so that all whip was taken out in these turns and no one was hurt. The chains rushed forward and the weight was taken on the fairleads. We quickly got up a new messenger, and shackled it on to each monkey-face in turn, heaving in enough to get the slips on. Then we set up the messenger properly, hove up the point of tow in the normal way, and recovered the paravanes. C-in-C decided that we needn’t stream them again. I learnt three things by the experience: Always heave the point of tow right down before shipping; be sure that the speed has been reduced enough and; never let anyone stand in the bight of the chains while moving the point of tow.
When we left Suda we steered West, and passed through the Antikythera Channel during the last dog.
Thursday 9 January 1941
During the day we steered South of West towards Malta. We rendezvoused with Orion, Ajax, York and Perth in one group, and Sydney, Stuart in another, all during the forenoon. The two Australian ships have come from Malta where they have been refitting. The first four joined us, the other two left after being in company for two hours.
We tried to R. D/F high-angle shell bursts, S3 turret doing the firing, but we had no success.
In the Western desert, some motorised units that are not engaged in mopping up operations near Bardia have pressed on as far as Tobruk, capturing several Italian aerodromes on the way, and finding others deserted.
In the early evening we passed to the Southward of Malta, and at 1900 we altered up to the North Westward, steering for a rendezvous some twenty miles from Pantellaria. There we meet the convoy, escorted by Bonaventure and some destroyers, at dawn tomorrow.
Friday 10 January 1941
We came to the first degree of readiness soon after seven o’clock. We had not been closed up for long when we sighted gun flashes ahead, in the direction of Pantellaria. The main cages of the guns were loaded up and we prepared for action. Then we got an enemy report from Bonaventure, to say she was engaging two enemy destroyers at a range of three miles. The convoy was sighted, escorted by Gloucester and destroyers. They passed close on our port hand, steaming an opposite course, while we carried on towards the action at twenty knots. Soon we could see Southampton, leaving the action, and Bonaventure, backed up by a destroyer still hotly engaged with one enemy ship, which was just distinguishable against the dim shape of Pantellaria. The Italian destroyer was on fire amidships and only firing back spasmodically. As we closed, Hereward, the destroyer with Bonaventure, scored three successive hits forward before she fired a torpedo to deal the death blow. The other destroyer that Bonaventure reported had escaped. We all turned to the South Eastward to follow the convoy.
Hardly had we steadied on our new course when the Gallant, starboard wing destroyer, struck a mine. Her bows were blown off and left afloat, stem uppermost. The break was between A and B guns. Greyhound and Griffin went over to stand by their flotilla-mate, and boats were lowered. Mohawk also went over. Greyhound was then ordered to rejoin C-in-C, while Bonaventure, Griffin and Mohawk stood by. Griffin went alongside to take off survivors, but when it was found that the bulkhead was holding, Mohawk took her in tow, stern first. These four ships followed on, gradually falling further astern. Greyhound, Griffin and Gallant are the only three left of the G class flotilla in the Royal Navy. The Garland, fourth remaining, was given to the Polish navy when they lost the Grom off Norway.
During the forenoon we had several R. D/F alarms but nothing materialised. Bonaventure reported that she was engaging two enemy bombers.
Just as the watches were changing over for the afternoon, our attention was drawn to two torpedo bombers by a destroyer which opened fire on them. Repel Aircraft was sounded, pom-poms opened fire, but the two came in to a mile, then one torpedo was dropped. We swung to port, and had the satisfaction of seeing the track cross our stern and come up our port side. Why the two aircraft (which were Savoia 79’s) dropped only one torpedo remains a mystery. While we were waiting for the second torpedo to come, more aircraft were sighted.
High up on our starboard quarter was a loose formation of about sixteen aircraft. They were engaged by the after group. On closer observation through binoculars those aircraft were identified as dive-bombers, German JU 87’s, so we knew what to expect. Almost immediately they broke off and delivered the most determined and fearless attack to which we have ever been subjected. Illustrious was hit four times and fires broke out inside her hangar and on her flight deck. We had five near misses, all on the port side. All the time our high-angle armament was in fierce action, but although the aircraft swooped low over the water, quite close to us, we saw none hit. The whole attack lasted only eight minutes.
Illustrious was then steaming about in rather a wild way, with not-under-control balls up. Her steering was apparently damaged. We left her to make her way towards Malta, steering by main engines, while we covered the convoy “Excess”. We had a short respite towards the end of the afternoon, but early in the first dog we closed up again. The situation was rather obscure. There were several large groups of aircraft about, some of which might have been friendly. Malta was in sight on the port bow. Illustrious, just on the horizon towards Malta was high level bombed by nine aircraft. She made a signal to say that all was well, her speed seventeen knots, but that one fire was still burning. Three Savoias approached us from ahead, but our four-five fire turned them before they dropped their bombs. Then we sighted another formation of dive bombers, high up. They attacked Warspite and ourselves, and we were lucky not to be hit. The thousand pound bombs came so close to us and in such quick succession that it was impossible to try and keep pace with the diving aircraft. Our guns could do nothing but fire in the general direction of the attackers. We were ringed by about eight bombs, all very close. This time one aircraft was seen to fall into the sea. Some of the aircraft machine-gunned us, and we had four casualties from splinters and bullets. All these were machine guns or pom-poms crews. Two were seriously injured, one of those died later in the evening.
The day’s attacks proved that a covered bridge is useless in war. Illustrious, with a covered bridge, was hit, Warspite and ourselves, although attacked with as much determination, managed to avoid the bombs.
We were left in peace for the short time left before dark. During the night we stood on to the East, covering “Excess”. Illustrious went in to Malta. As we had heard nothing from Bonaventure during the day we believed her to be quite safe. She will be going back through the Straits very shortly. She used three quarters of her low angle ammunition in her dawn engagement, and there are no 5.25 shells East of Gibraltar.
Saturday 11 January 1941
Just before the end of dawn action we sighted a floating Italian mine. P1 pom- pom sunk it with a second burst of three rounds.
Our immediate plan is to go to Suda Bay to refuel the destroyers. “Excess”, with supplies for our forces in Greece, is bound for Piraeus, and is escorted by Calcutta. Later in the forenoon the plan was changed. We were to cover the convoy until dusk, and then set course for Alexandria. Both capital ships had aircraft at short notice during the day, in readiness to fly off with despatches, but the message was passed to a Sunderland that flew round the fleet.
Janus joined us from Malta and told us the latest news about Illustrious. She was hit by four bombs, two of those were aft. One hit the after lift and burst in the hangar, another penetrated to the steering compartment. She had sixty killed and seventy cot cases.
In the afternoon we had a signal from C.S. 3 in Gloucester to say that both she and Southampton had been hit in a raid by dive-bombers. They were about two- hundred miles South-East of Syracuse, the supposed base of the German squadron. When we received the first report they were doing seventeen knots but later reports said that Southampton was badly damaged and had now stopped. Fires over her after magazine and after engine room were not under control. C-in- C then changed his plans again. He ordered Gloucester to get Southampton in tow after dark and make for Suda. The seventh C.S. were despatched from our squadron to join C.S. 3 (The seventh C.S. were Orion and Perth). Barham and Eagle, with Ajax were ordered to steer for the damaged ships with all convenient despatch. The fact that Mohawk and Griffin, out from Malta, were also ordered to the spot, told us that Gallant was safely in. The Battle fleet then left the convoy and turned to the South-West.
Even this vast re-distribution of forces did not last long. Another report from Gloucester told us that it was unlikely that the fires could be got under control. At half past ten, Southampton sunk, we do not yet know whether she blew up or had to be sunk. Gloucester took off survivors. The final orders were then issued. Eagle’s aircraft carried out their projected attack on Tobruk, and all forces at sea, except convoy escorts, were ordered to rendezvous West of Crete at 0800 next morning.
Sunday 12 January 1941
During dawn action the detached groups joined the C-in-C’s flag, Barham, Eagle and Ajax, up from the South, Orion and Perth with Gloucester. After an exchange of signals, R.A. 1, with Eagle and the seventh cruiser squadron left us for the North-Westward, while we carried on towards Alexandria with Gloucester.
We could see that C.S. three flagship had had a very near miss on her starboard side, abreast the bridge. The ship’s side had numerous small splinter holes, and was bulged inwards so that the frames stuck out like ribs. She had another direct hit on her D.C.T., but the bomb failed to explode.
During the day we did not steer directly for Alexandria, but wasted time by steering to the Northward and Southward of our mean line. This adjusted our time of arrival for the next morning.
Sunday 5 January 1941
The day passed very quietly. We were still duty battleship and A.A. guard, so there was no leave. I was on boom patrol from midnight until sunrise, and for the first time that I have been on the sea was smooth enough to allow us to get well outside the breakwater and up into the Great Pass. We went well out to sea twice during the patrol, and were surprised to find all the flashing lights on the buoys marking the channel were lit. As the port was closed and no ships expected, this seemed unnecessary, as well as a dangerous aid to enemy submarines, large or midget.
The only arrivals during the day were the gunboat Aphis and the Hospital Ship Dorsetshire. The gunboats have been busily bombarding Bardia and the flank of the Italian defences. Although bombed from a high level many times, there have been no hits, only very few splinter casualties from near misses.
Bardia is now almost completely overwhelmed, but full details of numbers captured or killed have not yet been published by the Headquarters in Cairo, the source of all information regarding the fighting in the Western desert.
Monday 6 January 1941
Eagle went to sea early today, the first time in nearly two months. She was escorted by Greyhound and Gallant only, so we realised that she couldn’t be going far. There is a persistent rumour that she is to get six Italian C.R. 42’s captured by the army, and she had gone out on this trip to fly them on and do flying trials with them. She returned to harbour again during the first dog, but there was no evidence that the rumour was true.
Protector arrived during the forenoon, the forerunner of the stream of ships bringing prisoners from Bardia. She was packed with them. All resistance ceased there yesterday afternoon, and twenty-five thousand prisoners have been taken. This brings the total of prisoners up to over sixty-thousand, and it is estimated that the Libyan army has been depleted by ninety-thousand men, or a third of its initial strength.
Gloucester, Southampton and Janus went to sea in the afternoon. The Janus has a number of ratings for passage home. They will probably be taken to Malta and transferred to a West-bound ship from there. In her present company, Janus provides
R. D/F protection.
The second in command of the fleet, Vice Admiral Pridham-Wipple, in Orion, sailed at 1630. Earlier in the day she had been calibrating her newly fitted R. D/F just outside the harbour, but she returned to her buoy before sailing.
With the sailing of the cruisers, the rumour that we were leaving too was strengthened, but the usual leave was given.
The Dorsetshire, after her short stay here, sailed again. She is probably going along the coast to add to the assets of our new base at Sidi Barrani.
Tuesday 7 January 1941
Rumour proved correct, and at 0500, we followed Warspite and Illustrious out of harbour. The crack destroyer flotilla, the fourteenth, is screening us. Janus is the only absentee, she is already out. Our immediate destination is Suda Bay; there the destroyers will oil in readiness for operations to the Westward. There are a number of convoys to be covered, the most important one of M.T. ships that is coming through the narrows.
We set course for the Kaso Strait, and expected to arrive at Suda next morning. Late in the afternoon an aircraft was sighted which we considered to be friendly, but the C-in-C thought it was a shadower. We soon altered course to the North of West. In the evening it was announced that our plans were changed. We would now go to Suda Bay Westabout, passing through the Antikythera Channel and arriving about noon.
Wednesday 8 January 1941
The Western headlands of Crete were in sight at dawn, and we passed through the Antikythera Channel during the forenoon. The destroyers preceded us into harbour, and were all alongside oilers by the time we had anchored. Illustrious, ourselves and Captain D all sent boats to the flagship. Our boat also took some books for the naval ratings ashore.
Suda Bay seems to be a very efficiently run base. The destroyers are allocated oilers and the business of fuelling is quickly completed. We sailed again at five bells of the afternoon.
Our efforts to get in and out P.V.’s, usually so good, met with no success today. When getting them in before entering harbour. The standing after guy of the port derrick was slipped while the P.V. was still running, so that it came in against the ship’s side, nearly under the bilge keel, but we managed to hoist it inboard slowly, and undamaged. The next catastrophe occurred when we were streaming paravanes again when leaving Suda. We slipped the paravanes while the front of the bow was still being hove down, and this, coupled with a slightly excessive speed, put too much strain on the messenger. This parted in the turns round the capstan, so that all whip was taken out in these turns and no one was hurt. The chains rushed forward and the weight was taken on the fairleads. We quickly got up a new messenger, and shackled it on to each monkey-face in turn, heaving in enough to get the slips on. Then we set up the messenger properly, hove up the point of tow in the normal way, and recovered the paravanes. C-in-C decided that we needn’t stream them again. I learnt three things by the experience: Always heave the point of tow right down before shipping; be sure that the speed has been reduced enough and; never let anyone stand in the bight of the chains while moving the point of tow.
When we left Suda we steered West, and passed through the Antikythera Channel during the last dog.
Thursday 9 January 1941
During the day we steered South of West towards Malta. We rendezvoused with Orion, Ajax, York and Perth in one group, and Sydney, Stuart in another, all during the forenoon. The two Australian ships have come from Malta where they have been refitting. The first four joined us, the other two left after being in company for two hours.
We tried to R. D/F high-angle shell bursts, S3 turret doing the firing, but we had no success.
In the Western desert, some motorised units that are not engaged in mopping up operations near Bardia have pressed on as far as Tobruk, capturing several Italian aerodromes on the way, and finding others deserted.
In the early evening we passed to the Southward of Malta, and at 1900 we altered up to the North Westward, steering for a rendezvous some twenty miles from Pantellaria. There we meet the convoy, escorted by Bonaventure and some destroyers, at dawn tomorrow.
Friday 10 January 1941
We came to the first degree of readiness soon after seven o’clock. We had not been closed up for long when we sighted gun flashes ahead, in the direction of Pantellaria. The main cages of the guns were loaded up and we prepared for action. Then we got an enemy report from Bonaventure, to say she was engaging two enemy destroyers at a range of three miles. The convoy was sighted, escorted by Gloucester and destroyers. They passed close on our port hand, steaming an opposite course, while we carried on towards the action at twenty knots. Soon we could see Southampton, leaving the action, and Bonaventure, backed up by a destroyer still hotly engaged with one enemy ship, which was just distinguishable against the dim shape of Pantellaria. The Italian destroyer was on fire amidships and only firing back spasmodically. As we closed, Hereward, the destroyer with Bonaventure, scored three successive hits forward before she fired a torpedo to deal the death blow. The other destroyer that Bonaventure reported had escaped. We all turned to the South Eastward to follow the convoy.
Hardly had we steadied on our new course when the Gallant, starboard wing destroyer, struck a mine. Her bows were blown off and left afloat, stem uppermost. The break was between A and B guns. Greyhound and Griffin went over to stand by their flotilla-mate, and boats were lowered. Mohawk also went over. Greyhound was then ordered to rejoin C-in-C, while Bonaventure, Griffin and Mohawk stood by. Griffin went alongside to take off survivors, but when it was found that the bulkhead was holding, Mohawk took her in tow, stern first. These four ships followed on, gradually falling further astern. Greyhound, Griffin and Gallant are the only three left of the G class flotilla in the Royal Navy. The Garland, fourth remaining, was given to the Polish navy when they lost the Grom off Norway.
During the forenoon we had several R. D/F alarms but nothing materialised. Bonaventure reported that she was engaging two enemy bombers.
Just as the watches were changing over for the afternoon, our attention was drawn to two torpedo bombers by a destroyer which opened fire on them. Repel Aircraft was sounded, pom-poms opened fire, but the two came in to a mile, then one torpedo was dropped. We swung to port, and had the satisfaction of seeing the track cross our stern and come up our port side. Why the two aircraft (which were Savoia 79’s) dropped only one torpedo remains a mystery. While we were waiting for the second torpedo to come, more aircraft were sighted.
High up on our starboard quarter was a loose formation of about sixteen aircraft. They were engaged by the after group. On closer observation through binoculars those aircraft were identified as dive-bombers, German JU 87’s, so we knew what to expect. Almost immediately they broke off and delivered the most determined and fearless attack to which we have ever been subjected. Illustrious was hit four times and fires broke out inside her hangar and on her flight deck. We had five near misses, all on the port side. All the time our high-angle armament was in fierce action, but although the aircraft swooped low over the water, quite close to us, we saw none hit. The whole attack lasted only eight minutes.
Illustrious was then steaming about in rather a wild way, with not-under-control balls up. Her steering was apparently damaged. We left her to make her way towards Malta, steering by main engines, while we covered the convoy “Excess”. We had a short respite towards the end of the afternoon, but early in the first dog we closed up again. The situation was rather obscure. There were several large groups of aircraft about, some of which might have been friendly. Malta was in sight on the port bow. Illustrious, just on the horizon towards Malta was high level bombed by nine aircraft. She made a signal to say that all was well, her speed seventeen knots, but that one fire was still burning. Three Savoias approached us from ahead, but our four-five fire turned them before they dropped their bombs. Then we sighted another formation of dive bombers, high up. They attacked Warspite and ourselves, and we were lucky not to be hit. The thousand pound bombs came so close to us and in such quick succession that it was impossible to try and keep pace with the diving aircraft. Our guns could do nothing but fire in the general direction of the attackers. We were ringed by about eight bombs, all very close. This time one aircraft was seen to fall into the sea. Some of the aircraft machine-gunned us, and we had four casualties from splinters and bullets. All these were machine guns or pom-poms crews. Two were seriously injured, one of those died later in the evening.
The day’s attacks proved that a covered bridge is useless in war. Illustrious, with a covered bridge, was hit, Warspite and ourselves, although attacked with as much determination, managed to avoid the bombs.
We were left in peace for the short time left before dark. During the night we stood on to the East, covering “Excess”. Illustrious went in to Malta. As we had heard nothing from Bonaventure during the day we believed her to be quite safe. She will be going back through the Straits very shortly. She used three quarters of her low angle ammunition in her dawn engagement, and there are no 5.25 shells East of Gibraltar.
Saturday 11 January 1941
Just before the end of dawn action we sighted a floating Italian mine. P1 pom- pom sunk it with a second burst of three rounds.
Our immediate plan is to go to Suda Bay to refuel the destroyers. “Excess”, with supplies for our forces in Greece, is bound for Piraeus, and is escorted by Calcutta. Later in the forenoon the plan was changed. We were to cover the convoy until dusk, and then set course for Alexandria. Both capital ships had aircraft at short notice during the day, in readiness to fly off with despatches, but the message was passed to a Sunderland that flew round the fleet.
Janus joined us from Malta and told us the latest news about Illustrious. She was hit by four bombs, two of those were aft. One hit the after lift and burst in the hangar, another penetrated to the steering compartment. She had sixty killed and seventy cot cases.
In the afternoon we had a signal from C.S. 3 in Gloucester to say that both she and Southampton had been hit in a raid by dive-bombers. They were about two- hundred miles South-East of Syracuse, the supposed base of the German squadron. When we received the first report they were doing seventeen knots but later reports said that Southampton was badly damaged and had now stopped. Fires over her after magazine and after engine room were not under control. C-in- C then changed his plans again. He ordered Gloucester to get Southampton in tow after dark and make for Suda. The seventh C.S. were despatched from our squadron to join C.S. 3 (The seventh C.S. were Orion and Perth). Barham and Eagle, with Ajax were ordered to steer for the damaged ships with all convenient despatch. The fact that Mohawk and Griffin, out from Malta, were also ordered to the spot, told us that Gallant was safely in. The Battle fleet then left the convoy and turned to the South-West.
Even this vast re-distribution of forces did not last long. Another report from Gloucester told us that it was unlikely that the fires could be got under control. At half past ten, Southampton sunk, we do not yet know whether she blew up or had to be sunk. Gloucester took off survivors. The final orders were then issued. Eagle’s aircraft carried out their projected attack on Tobruk, and all forces at sea, except convoy escorts, were ordered to rendezvous West of Crete at 0800 next morning.
Sunday 12 January 1941
During dawn action the detached groups joined the C-in-C’s flag, Barham, Eagle and Ajax, up from the South, Orion and Perth with Gloucester. After an exchange of signals, R.A. 1, with Eagle and the seventh cruiser squadron left us for the North-Westward, while we carried on towards Alexandria with Gloucester.
We could see that C.S. three flagship had had a very near miss on her starboard side, abreast the bridge. The ship’s side had numerous small splinter holes, and was bulged inwards so that the frames stuck out like ribs. She had another direct hit on her D.C.T., but the bomb failed to explode.
During the day we did not steer directly for Alexandria, but wasted time by steering to the Northward and Southward of our mean line. This adjusted our time of arrival for the next morning.