DECEMBER 1941
Atlantic
15th-21st - Battle for Convoy HG76:
Closing of the Gibraltar/UK Air-Gap - Gibraltar/UK convoy HG76 (32 ships)
was escorted by the 36th Escort Group (Cdr F. J. Walker)
with a support group including escort carrier
“Audacity”. In advance of the convoy leaving
Gibraltar, destroyers of Force H including the Australian
“Nestor” located and destroyed “U-127” on the 15th. In the four
days from the 17th, four more U-boats were sunk
for the loss of two of the escorts and two merchantmen.
The battle took place to the far west of Portugal, north
of Madeira and the Azores: 17th - “U-131”
was
sunk by destroyers
“Blankney”, “Exmoor” and
“Stanley”, corvette “Pentstemon” and
sloop “Stork” together with Grumman Martlets
flying from “Audacity”. 18th - “U-434”
was accounted for by
“Blankney” and “Stanley”. 19th
- Destroyer “STANLEY” was torpedoed and sunk by “U-574”, but then sent to the bottom,
rammed by sloop “Stork”. 21st - The sole
escort carrier “AUDACITY” was torpedoed by “U-751” and
lost, but in the general counter-attack “U-567”
was sunk by corvette
“Samphire” and sloop “Deptford”. The
sinking of five U-boats in exchange for two merchant
ships was a significant victory for the escorts, and
proved beyond any doubt the value of escort carrier
aircraft against the submarine - as well as the
patrolling Focke Wulf Kondors, two of which were shot
down.
Mediterranean
21st - “U-457”
was sunk in
the Strait of Gibraltar by
Swordfish of 812 Squadron flying from Gibraltar. The
Swordfish managed to get away from the sinking ”Ark
Royal” a month earlier and now played an important
part patrolling the waters in which the carrier went
down.
Indian & Pacific Oceans
Strategic and Naval
Background
Allied
Britain
and Dominions - Responsible for defending India,
Ceylon, Burma, Malaya, northern Borneo, Hong
Kong, Australia, New Zealand, the Papua New
Guinea/Bismarck Archipelago/Solomon Islands
chain, and numerous island groups throughout the
Indian Ocean and Central/South Pacific. Britain's
main base was at Singapore with its two recently
arrived big ships. Three old cruisers and some
destroyers were in Malayan waters, and a few old
destroyers at Hong Kong. By now the surviving
seven cruisers and smaller ships of the Royal
Australian and New Zealand Navies were back in
the area.
United
States -
Apart from the defence of its Western seaboard,
Panama Canal Zone, Alaska and the Aleutians,
Hawaiian Islands and various islands in the
Central Pacific, the US had responsibilities
towards the Philippines. In the event of attack,
the defenders were expected to hold out until
relieved by the US Pacific Fleet fighting its way
from the main base at Pearl Harbor, a distance of
4,500 miles. The Pacific Fleet itself consisted
of eight battleships, three fleet carriers, 21
cruisers, 67 destroyers and 27 submarines.
Dutch - Naval forces allocated
to the defence of the many islands of the Dutch
East lndies included three cruisers, seven
destroyers and fifteen submarines.
Japan
Already
established in Korea, Manchuria, northeast China,
its main ports and Hainan, Formosa, and the
Mariana, Caroline and Marshall Island groups,
Japan now had the whole of French Indochina. Japan went to war with both
the
strategic and military advantages. Militarily, Allied and Japanese naval forces were about
balanced in numbers. There the comparison ends.
The Imperial Japanese Navy
had far more carriers (11 to
three American), its surface task forces were
well trained, especially in night-fighting, and
they had no command or language difficulties. In
contrast, the Allied ships were scattered and
had no central command. Their main bases at
Singapore and Pearl Harbor were 6,000 miles
apart, and most of the strength was concentrated
with the US Pacific Fleet. Only the US Navy posed
an immediate danger to Japanese plans. Hence the
decision to attack it in Pearl Harbor rather than
wait for it to try to fight through to the
Philippines. The Japanese chose the time and
place of their landings, all well escorted by
cruiser and destroyer forces. Air cover was
maintained by land-based aircraft or from
carriers and seaplane carriers as necessary, and
battleships and cruisers provided distant
support. By this time the annihilation of the
Allied capital ships made their presence
unnecessary.
The few
Allied
maritime sorties - some surface, but
mainly by aircraft and submarine - had few
successes against the invasion fleets. And in
return they suffered heavy losses.
|
East -
Hawaiian Islands, Guam, Wake Island and British Gilbert
Islands - On the morning of the 7th local time
(shortly after the Malay landings) the Japanese Strike
Force carrier aircraft hit Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian
island of Oahu. In the Attack on Pearl Harbor, battleships
“ARIZONA” and “OKLAHOMA” were total losses, three more sank but
were later re-commissioned, and the remaining three
damaged. Many were killed and a considerable number of
aircraft destroyed. Although the Pacific battlefleet
ceased to exist, the three priceless fleet carriers
“Enterprise”, “Lexington” and
“Saratoga” were fortunately absent and the
large oil stocks and important repair installations left
virtually untouched.
1942
JANUARY 1942
Indian & Pacific Oceans
West - Malaya and Burma
- On the last day of January, the retreating British,
Australian and Indian troops in Malaya withdrew into
Singapore Island, having been driven down the length of
the Malay Peninsula. By then carrier
"Indomitable" had flown off 48 Hurricanes for
Singapore via Java.
FEBRUARY 1942
Europe
11th-13th - The Channel Dash - The Brest Squadron with
"Scharnhorst", "Gneisenau" and
"Prinz Eugen", heavily escorted by air and
other naval forces, left late on the 11th for Germany in
Operation 'Cerberus'. The aim was to pass through the
Strait of Dover around noon the next day. A number of
problems conspired to prevent the RAF standing patrols
detecting their departure. The first intimation of the
breakout came with a RAF report around 10.45 on the 12th
as the German force steamed towards Boulogne. This left
little time for attacks to be mounted. Soon after midday
the first was made by five motor torpedo boats from Dover
and six Fleet Air Arm Swordfish torpedo-bombers of 825
Squadron (Lt-Cdr Esmonde), but no hits were made. All
Swordfish were shot down. Lt-Cdr Eugene Esmonde was
posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
Before they reached
German ports both battlecruisers were damaged by mines.
After further damage in air raids, "Gneisenau"
never went to sea again.
Indian & Pacific Oceans
Australia -
Aircraft from four of the Pearl Harbor Strike carriers
raided Darwin, Northern Territories on the 19th. One
American destroyer and a number of valuable transports
were lost.
MARCH 1942
Atlantic
1st-12th - Russian Convoy PQ12 and Return
QP8 - By now German
battleship "Tirpitz", the ship that dictated
Royal Navy policies in northern waters for so long, had
been joined in Norway by pocket battleship "Admiral
Scheer". The next Russia-bound and return convoys
therefore set out on the same day, the 1st, so
they could be covered by the Home Fleet with battleships
"Duke of York", "Renown", "King
George V" and carrier "Victorious". On the
4th, cruiser "Sheffield"
was damaged on a mine off Iceland as she
sailed to join the cover force. Convoys PQ12 and QP8
passed to the southwest of Bear Island and with
"Tirpitz" reported at sea, the Home Fleet tried
to place itself between her and the convoys. There was no
contact between the surface ships, but on the 9th,
aircraft from "Victorious" attacked but failed
to hit "Tirpitz" off the Lofoten Islands. Of
the 31 merchantmen in two convoys, only one straggler
from QP8 was lost to the German force.
APRIL 1942
Mediterranean
Malta - President
Roosevelt lent US carrier "Wasp" to ferry
nearly 50 Spitfires to the Island. Escort was provided by
battlecruiser "Renown", cruisers
"Cairo" and "Charybdis" and six
destroyers including two American. Sadly most of the
aircraft were destroyed by bombing attacks soon after
landing on the 20th.
Indian & Pacific Oceans
5th-9th - Japanese Carrier Attacks on
Ceylon - A new
Eastern Fleet had been assembled under the command of Adm
Sir James Somerville, recently of Force H. The variety of
ships were split into two groups. A fast group included
battleship "Warspite", carriers
"Indomitable" and "Formidable", heavy
cruisers "Cornwall" and
"Dorsetshire", two light cruisers plus
destroyers. In the slower group were four 'R' class
battleships, old carrier "Hermes" and some
cruisers and destroyers. Two Australian destroyers
accompanied each group. As the Ceylon bases of Colombo
and Trincomalee were poorly defended and too far forward,
Adm Somerville was operating out of the secret base of
Addu Atoll in the Maldive Islands, SW of Ceylon. Early in
April, two Japanese forces headed into the Indian Ocean.
One under Adm Ozawa with carrier "Ryujo" and
six cruisers made for the Bay of Bengal and east coast of
India. In a matter of days 23 ships of 112,000 tons were
sunk. Japanese submarines sank a further five off the
Indian west coast. Bad as this threat was, the real one
came from the carrier strike force of Adm Nagumo with
five Pearl Harbor carriers - "Akagi",
"Hiryu", "Soryu", "Shokaku"
and "Zuikaku" - plus four battleships and three
cruisers.
The Japanese fleet was
first sighted on the 4th south of Ceylon, and
shipping cleared from the ports. In the morning of the 5th
a heavy raid on Colombo sank destroyer
"TENEDOS"
and armed merchant cruiser "HECTOR". Heavy cruisers "CORNWALL"
and "DORSETSHIRE" were to the southwest,
sailing from Colombo to rejoin the Royal Navy's fast
group. Found at noon they soon went to the bottom under a
series of aircraft attacks. But Adm Nagumo had not yet
finished. As Adm Somerville's two groups searched for the
Japanese from a position between Addu Atoll and Ceylon,
they circled round to the east. From there, on the 9th,
Japanese aircraft found the shipping cleared from
Trincomalee and back on its way in. Carrier "HERMES", Australian destroyer "VAMPIRE"
and corvette "HOLLYHOCK"
were amongst those that soon went down.
The Japanese carrier force left the Indian Ocean, never
to return again. Not knowing this, the surviving ships of
the Royal Navy withdrew - the slow group to Kilindini in
East Africa and the other to the Bombay area.
The
Doolittle Raid - American B-25 bombers under the command of Col
Doolittle took off from US carrier "Hornet" for
the first ever raid on Japan on the 18th. Damage was
slight, but the strategic implications were to prove
fatal to the Japanese.
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Strategic
and Maritime Situation - Pacific Ocean - The "Doolittle
Raid" made a decisive impact on Japanese
strategy. The Allies had to be kept away from the
homeland. Japanese conquests would be extended
both to the southeast and east. Landings would
made at Port Moresby to bring Australia within
bomber range; the southern Solomons and beyond
taken to cut US-Australia supply lines; and
Midway Island and the Aleutians occupied to
isolate Pearl Harbor. Each of these three moves
led to three famous battles - Coral
Sea, Guadalcanal, and Midway, two of
them involving
only carrier aircraft. Thereafter the Japanese
were on the defensive. |
MAY 1942
Mediterranean
Malta - USS Wasp
and the "Eagle" flew off a further 60 Spitfires
to Malta on the 9th. More were ferried in by
"Eagle" and "Argus" a week or so
later. This time they were kept safe on arrival.
Indian & Pacific Oceans
8th - Landings at Diego Saurez,
Madagascar: Operation 'Ironclad' - Concerned about
the Japanese carrier sorties into the Indian Ocean and
the vulnerability of the Cape of Good Hope/Middle East convoy routes, Britain
decided to take Diego Saurez at the north end of Vichy
French Madagascar. Under the command of Rear-Adm E. N.
Syfret (recently appointed to Force H), a large force of
ships including battleship "Ramillies" and
carriers "Indomitable" and
"Illustrious" assembled at Durban, South Africa
towards the end of April. The assault took place on 5th
May in Courrier Bay to the west of Diego Saurez. The
advance on Diego Saurez was held up and next day a Royal
Marine unit stormed the town from the sea. By the 7th the
fighting was over and the important anchorage was in
British hands. On the 7th and 8th, French submarines
"LE HEROS" and "MONGE" were sunk by
joint air and sea attacks.
Papua New Guinea and
British Solomon Islands - Sailing from Rabaul, a
Japanese invasion force headed for Port Moresby, Papua
New Guinea covered by light carrier "Shoho" and
cruisers. Distant cover was given by a carrier strike
force of two fleet carriers. From the Coral Sea, aircraft
of US carriers "Lexington" and
"Yorktown", with a support group including
Australian cruisers "Australia" and
"Hobart" searched for them. First success in
the Battle
of the Coral Sea
went to the Americans on the 7th when their planes sank "SHOHO" off the eastern tip of New Guinea.
Next day, on the 8th, more aircraft strikes put fleet
carrier "Shokaku" out of action on one side and sank "LEXINGTON" and damaged "Yorktown" on the other. A draw in naval
terms, the battle was a strategic defeat for the Japanese
as the invasion ships turned back, leaving Port Moresby,
so close to the north tip of Australia, safe for now.
Throughout the battle, neither side's ships sighted each
other - the first time in naval history a major action
had taken place in this way. Before the battle started,
the Japanese took the opportunity to occupy a small
island called Tulagi in the southern Solomons, close to a
larger island known as Guadalcanal.
JUNE 1942
Mediterranean
Malta - Early in
the month carrier "Eagle" ferried over 50
Spitfires to Malta in two operations. By now the Germans
had transferred many of their aircraft to Russia. This,
together with the arrival of yet more RAF fighters, eased
the terrible burden Malta had suffered for so long.
2nd - Attacks on
Allied shipping making for Tobruk before its fall brought
further losses to both sides. Aircraft of FAA 815
Squadron and RAF No 203 Squadron damaged "U-652" off Sollum on the Egyptian/Libyan
border. She was scuttled by a torpedo fired from
"U-81".
12th-16th - Malta Convoy 'Harpoon' from
Gibraltar - Six escorted
merchantmen passed through the Strait of Gibraltar
covered by battleship "Malaya", carriers
"Argus" and "Eagle", cruisers
"Kenya", "Charybdis",
"Liverpool" and destroyers.
Attacks by Italian aircraft on the 14th
led to the first merchant ship going down south of
Sardinia. "Liverpool"
was also damaged and had to return.
Later that day at the entrance to the Strait of Sicily,
the big ship cover force turned back. After further
attacks by an Italian two-cruiser squadron in conjunction
with Italian and German aircraft, just two of 'Harpoon's'
six ships reached Malta for the loss of two destroyers
and serious damage to three more and a cruiser.
Indian & Pacific Oceans
Midway and the
Aleutians - Adm Yamamoto, with over 130 ships in a
number of separate groups, set out to seize Midway
island, occupy the western Aleutians, attack the eastern
end, and draw out the Pacific Fleet for destruction. At
the heart of the armada was the First Carrier Fleet (Adm
Nagumo) with four of the Pearl Harbor attack carriers.
The Americans had far fewer ships, but these included
carriers "Enterprise", "Hornet" and
"Yorktown" barely repaired after the Battle of
the Coral Sea. Battle of Midway - On the 3rd, Dutch Harbor, close
to Alaska, was attacked from two light carriers. But the
main battle was far to the south off Midway between the
carrier aircraft of both sides. On the 4th/5th in the
close run battle, all four Japanese carriers - "AKAGI", "HIRYU", "KAGA" and "SORYU" went down. "YORKTOWN"
was badly damaged and finished off by a
Japanese submarine on the 7th. The Japanese forces
retreated, Midway was spared, and the Allies had their
first major strategic victory of World War 2. However,
the Japanese Navy remained strong, with more carriers in
the Pacific than the Americans.
JULY 1942
Atlantic
Destruction of Russian Convoy PQ17 -
PQ17 left Reykjavik, Iceland
with 36 ships, of which two returned. The close escort
included six destroyers and four corvettes. Two British
and two US cruisers with destroyers were in support, and
distant cover was given by the Home Fleet with
battleships "Duke of York" and the US
"Washington", carrier "Victorious",
cruisers and destroyers. The British Admiralty believed
the Germans were concentrating their heavy ships in
northern Norway. In fact pocket battleship
"Lutzow" had run aground off Narvik, but this
still left battleship "Tirpitz", pocket
battleship "Admiral Scheer" and heavy cruiser
"Admiral Hipper" - all formidable adversaries,
which reached Altenfiord on the 3rd. At this time PQ17
had just passed to the north of Bear Island, after which
German aircraft sank three merchantmen. Fear of attack by
the German ships led the First Sea Lord, Adm Pound, far
away in London, to decide the fate of the convoy. In the
evening of the 4th the support cruisers were ordered to
withdraw and the convoy to scatter. Thirty-one
merchantmen tried to make for the isolated islands of
Novaya Zemlya before heading south for Russian ports.
Between the 5th and 10th July, 20 of them were lost, half
each to the aircraft and U-boats sent to hunt them down.
Some sheltered for days off the bleak shores of Novaya
Zemlya. Eventually 11 survivors and two rescue ships
reached Archangel and nearby ports between the 9th and
28th. No more Russian convoys ran until September 1942.
Mediterranean
Malta - Carrier
"Eagle" again flew off Spitfires for Malta.
AUGUST 1942
Mediterranean
10th-15th - Malta Convoy: Operation
'Pedestal' - For Malta
to survive another convoy had to be fought through. The
biggest operation ever was mounted from the Gibraltar
end. A total of fourteen merchantmen, including two
American and the British-manned tanker "Ohio"
had a massive escort. Close in were cruisers
"Nigeria", "Kenya",
"Manchester" and "Cairo" and 12
destroyers. Covering were the three fleet carriers
"Eagle", "Indomitable" and
"Victorious", battleships "Nelson"
and "Rodney", three cruisers and another 12
destroyers. The opportunity was taken for carrier
"Furious" to fly off 38 Spitfires for Malta.
The Mediterranean Fleet would try to distract the enemy
at the other end of the Mediterranean. In overall command
of 'Pedestal' was Vice-Adm E. N. Syfret. The convoy
passed Gibraltar on the 10th and from the next day
was subjected to increasingly intense attacks by
submarines, aircraft and later coastal forces. Early on
the afternoon of the 11th, "Furious"
sent off her Spitfires and later that day headed back for
Gibraltar. On the 12th one of her escorting
destroyers "Wolverine", rammed and sank Italian
submarine "DAGABUR" off Algiers.
Still on the 11th
and now north of Algiers, "EAGLE"
was
torpedoed four times by
"U-73" and went down. Air attacks took place
later that day and early on the 12th, but not
until noon, south of Sardinia, did they gain their first
success. Italian and German aircraft slightly damaged "Victorious"
and hit a merchantman
which later sank. More submarines then appeared and the
Italian "COBALTO"
was
rammed by destroyer
"Ithuriel". Once the convoy was north of
Bizerta, Tunisia, submarine, aircraft and Italian MTB
(mas) attacks came fast and furiously. At 18.30,
still on the 12th, aircraft badly damaged "Indomitable" putting her out of action and
destroyer "FORESIGHT"
was torpedoed by an Italian bomber and
scuttled next day. The main Royal Navy cover force next
turned back at the entrance to the 100 mile wide Strait
of Sicily. The convoy carried on, still with 13 of the
original 14 merchantmen afloat and its close escort of
four cruisers and 12 destroyers. In the next few hours,
two cruisers were sunk and two damaged in Italian MTB and
submarine attacks. Now into the afternoon of the 13th,
three merchant ships reached Malta. The fourth struggled
in next day, but the crippled "Ohio", lashed to
destroyer "Penn", only made port on the 15th.
By now the close escort had just returned to Gibraltar.
Only five out of fourteen transports had got through to
Malta for the loss of one aircraft carrier, two cruisers
and a destroyer sunk, and a carrier and two cruisers
badly damaged. But the supplies delivered - and
especially "Ohio's" oil - were enough to
sustain Malta as an offensive base at a time critical to
the coming Battle of El Alamein. More was still needed
however, and only two days after "Ohio's"
arrival, "Furious" flew off more Spitfires
while submarines continued to make supply trips.
Indian & Pacific Oceans
Guadalcanal,
British Solomon
Islands - The Japanese were now extending their hold
in the southern Solomons and building an airfield on the
island of Guadalcanal. From there they could move against
the New Hebrides, New Caledonia and other islands along
the supply routes to Australia and New Zealand. After the
Japanese presence was discovered, the US 1st Marine
Division was landed on the 7th, soon capturing the
airstrip which was renamed Henderson Field. Close cover
was provided by a force of American and Australian
cruisers. Battle of the Eastern Solomons - On
the 24th, Japanese and
American carrier groups covering supply operations to
Guadalcanal were in action to the east of the Solomons
island chain. Japanese light carrier "RYUJO"
was
sunk and the American "Enterprise" damaged.
Indian Ocean - Adm
Somerville's Eastern Fleet carried out diversionary moves
in the Indian Ocean at the time of the Guadalcanal
landings. But he was continually losing ships to other
theatres and by month's end was down to battleships
"Warspite", "Valiant", carrier
"Illustrious" and a few cruisers and
destroyers.
SEPTEMBER 1942
Atlantic
Russian Convoy PQ18 - PQ18 left Loch Ewe in Scotland on the 2nd
with over 40 merchantmen. The hard learnt lessons of PQ17
and previous convoys were not forgotten. Close escort was
provided by 17 warships plus escort carrier
"Avenger" and two destroyers. Two separate
forces were in support - close cover by AA cruiser
"Scylla" and 16 fleet destroyers under Rear-Adm
R L Burnett, and further out three heavy cruisers. More
distant cover was by Vice-Adm Sir Bruce Fraser with
battleships "Anson" and "Duke of
York", a light cruiser and destroyers to the
northeast of Iceland. German heavy ships moved to
Altenfiord but did not sortie. Instead the attacks were
mounted by bombers and torpedo aircraft as well as
U-boats. On the 13th, aircraft torpedoed nine
ships, but next day "Avenger's" Hurricanes
ensured only one more ship was lost to air attack. In
total over 40 German aircraft were shot down by the
convoy's defences. U-boats sank three merchantmen but
lost three of their number to Adm Burnett's forces.
Destroyers "Faulknor", "Onslow" and
"Impulsive" sank "U-88", "U-589" and "U-457" respectively between the
12th and
16th in the Greenland and Barents Seas. Escort
carrier "Avenger's" Swordfish from 825 Squadron
helped with the destruction of "Onslow's"
U-boat on the 14th. Of the original 40 ships, 27
reached Archangel on the 17th. In late 1941,
escort carrier "Audacity" closed the Gibraltar
air-gap for the first time. "Avenger" had now
done the same for the Russian route. However, further
convoys had to be postponed as ships were transferred in
preparation for the North African landings.
Battle
of the Atlantic - A long felt need started to be met when Adm Noble formed
the first convoy support groups. These highly trained
flotillas were used to reinforce the escorts of convoys
under heavy attack, and although called Escort Groups
should not be confused with the groups of 1941, often
temporary in nature and with a diversity of ship types.
Some of the new Escort Groups were formed around the
escort carriers now entering service - the first since
"Audacity" lost in December 1941. Unfortunately
none of them would be available to fight the Battle of
the Atlantic for another six months: they were needed for
the invasion of French North Africa.
Indian & Pacific Oceans
Guadalcanal, British
Solomon Islands - As the two sides struggled to build
up their forces, more fighting took place for possession
of Henderson Field. An old friend of the Royal Navy and
Malta was lost when US carrier "WASP"
was torpedoed by submarine
"I-19" on the 15th, yet another casualty of the
attempts to reinforce the island. Only carrier
"Hornet" remained operational in the South
Pacific, but she was joined by the repaired
"Enterprise" in October.
OCTOBER 1942
Atlantic
Battle
of the Atlantic - Losses continued high in the North Atlantic, many
in the air-gaps on the transatlantic routes which
aircraft could not reach from Newfoundland, Iceland,
Northern Ireland. Apart from escort carriers, more very
long range (VLR) aircraft were needed by RAF Coastal
Command.
Mediterranean
Malta - At the end
of the month, carrier "Furious" flew off
Spitfires to Malta. The island was even now short of
supplies and the little getting through was carried by
submarines and cruiser-minelayers.
Indian & Pacific Oceans
Guadalcanal,
Solomon Islands - As the struggle carried on for the island's
one airfield, supply and support operations led to
another major naval battle:
Battle of Santa Cruz - From
Truk, a large Japanese
carrier and battleship task force approached the southern
Solomons to support a major land attack on Henderson
Field. On the 26th they were in action with a much
smaller US carrier group north of the Santa Cruz Islands. "HORNET"
was lost and "Enterprise" put out of action in exchange for
heavy damage to the carrier "Shokaku". The damaged
"Enterprise" was now the only US carrier in the
South Pacific. Adm King, US Navy Commander-in-Chief,
asked for the loan of a fleet carrier from the Royal
Navy. Anglo-US relations were strained when problems
arose about the need to re-equip with US aircraft, but
"Victorious" was ordered out in December.
NOVEMBER 1942
4th - Second Battle of El Alamein had
been won by Eighth Army
Atlantic
15th - The Germans
reacted to the 'Torch' landings on French North Africa
(following) by concentrating U-boats off Morocco and to
the west of Gibraltar. A number of empty transports were
sunk, and on the 15th escort carrier "AVENGER" sailing with return convoy MKF1
was torpedoed by "U-155" and went down off the
Strait of Gibraltar. Only 12 men survive.
21st - Aircraft of
817 Squadron from fleet carrier "Victorious"
account for "U-517" southwest of Ireland.
Mediterranean
left - HMS Furious
8th - French North African Landings:
Operation 'Torch' - Plans were formally approved in October, by
which time the large amounts of shipping needed had been
organised and assembled. To provide them, Russian convoys
and those to and from Britain and Gibraltar/West Africa
had been suspended and the Home Fleet stripped bare. The
Allies' greatest concern was the hundred or more U-boats
at sea. The landing force for Casablanca included US
fleet carrier "Ranger" and escort carriers
"Sangamon", "Chenango",
"Suwanee" and "Santee"; for Oran in
Algeria, British escort carriers "Biter" and
"Dasher"; and for Algiers itself, the old
"Argus" and escort carrier "Avenger".
In the Mediterranean, British Force H reinforced by Home
Fleet and under the command of Vice-Adm Sir Neville
Syfret, covered the Algerian landings. Their main task
was to hold off any attack by the Italian fleet. Strength
included three capital ships, three fleet carriers
("Victorious", "Formidable" and the
old "Furious"), three cruisers and 17
destroyers. Over 300 ships were directly involved in what
at that time was the greatest amphibious operation in
history, and the forerunner of even greater ones to come.
17th - "U-331"
was damaged by RAF
Hudsons of No 500 Squadron and tried to surrender.
Aircraft of 820 Squadron from carrier
"Formidable" torpedoed her in error off
Algiers.
Since Operation 'Excess'
in January 1941, two aircraft carriers, four cruisers, 16
destroyers and five submarines had been lost in the many
attempts to supply and reinforce the island, and in the
heavy air attacks launched against the George Cross
island.
1943
JANUARY 1943
|
PROSPECTS FOR ALLIED
VICTORY - The Russians gained a famous victory
with the German surrender at Stalingrad in
January 1943. Taken with the October 1942 British
Battle of El Alamein and June 1942 American carrier Battle of
Midway, the
three Allied successes were usually considered as
marking the turning point in the 40 month old war
against the Axis powers. The Battle
for Guadalcanal, ending as it did Japanese hopes
of controlling the South West Pacific should also
be added to this roll-call of victory. |
FEBRUARY 1943
Indian & Pacific Oceans
Guadalcanal, Solomon
Islands: Conclusion - By the 8th, Japanese destroyers
had quietly evacuated over 10,000 troops from the Cape
Esperance area. This marked the end of one of the most
intense struggles ever for a single island. In the seven
main naval battles alone, US losses had been one carrier,
six cruisers and eight destroyers plus the
"Wasp" and Australian "Canberra".
Japanese losses were two battleships, one carrier, a
cruiser and six destroyers.
MARCH 1943
Atlantic
Battle
of the Atlantic - The first five Royal Navy support groups with
modern radars, anti-submarine weapons and HF/DF were
released for operation in the North Atlantic. Two were
built around Home Fleet destroyers, two around Western
Approaches escorts, including Capt Walker's 2nd Escort
Group, and one with escort carrier "Biter".
Escort carriers "Archer" and the American
"Bogue" were also ready for action, but
"Dasher" was unfortunately
lost in UK waters. Nevertheless, the mid-Atlantic air gap
was about to be finally closed.
Europe
27th - Escort
carrier "DASHER" worked up in the Firth of Clyde after
repairs to damage sustained during the February Russian
convoy JW53. An aviation gasoline explosion led to her
total destruction.
|
PACIFIC
OCEAN - STRATEGIC AND MARITIME SITUATION - At the Casablanca
Conference in January, the Allied strategy for
the South West Pacific was agreed. Twin
offensives were to be mounted up the Solomons and
along the New Guinea coast (and thence across to
New Britain), leading to the capture of the main
Japanese base at Rabaul - later by-passed.
Breaking through the Bismarck Archipelago in this
way would open the route to the Philippines.
American strategy was subsequently revised to
allow for a parallel push through the Japanese
mandated islands to the north. Gen MacArthur,
C-in-C, South West Pacific, had full
responsibility for the New Guinea area, and Adm
Halsey as C-in-C, South Pacific, tactical command
of the Solomons. This overlapping caused some
complications. The US Seventh Fleet was formed to
support Gen MacArthur's campaigning in New
Guinea. Main US naval strength would remain with
Adm Halsey's Third Fleet and its growing carrier
task forces in the South Pacific Command area. |
MAY 1943
Atlantic
The May 1943 Convoy
Battles - Victory of the Escorts
At the beginning
of the month over 40 U-boats were deployed in
three patrol lines off Greenland and
Newfoundland. Another group operated to the far
west of the Bay of Biscay. A number were passing
through the northern transit area and over 30 on
passage between their Biscay bases and the North
Atlantic. More still were on patrol in the South
Atlantic or passing through. There were numerous
Allied convoys crossing the North Atlantic as
suitable targets. Only those convoy battles
involving escort carriers
are
summarised:
Slow UK/North
America ONS6 - 31 ships escorted by British B6
group and 4th EG with escort carrier
"Archer"; no merchant ship losses.
North
America/UK HX237 - 46 ships escorted by Canadian
C2 group and 5th EG with escort carrier
"Biter". Three stragglers sunk in exchange for possibly
three U-boats in mid-Atlantic, including: 12th
- "U-89" to destroyer
"Broadway" and frigate
"Lagan", both of C2 group, assisted by
Swordfish of 811 Squadron from "Biter".
North
America/UK SC129 - 26 ships escorted by British B2
group, with 5th EG
(escort carrier
"Biter") transferred from HX237 on the
14th. Two merchant ships lost in mid-Atlantic in exchange
for two U-boats.
UK/North
America ON182 - 56 ships escorted by Canadian C5
group, with 4th EG (carrier
"Archer") transferred from ONS6; no merchant
ship losses.
UK/NorthAmerica
ON184 - 39 ships escorted by Canadian C1
group and US 6th EG with escort carrier
"Bogue". No merchant ship losses in exchange for one U-boat:
22nd - "U-569" in mid-Atlantic to
Avengers flying from "Bogue".
North
America/UK HX239 - 42 ships escorted by British B3
group and 4th EG (carrier
"Archer") transferred from ON182 (and
before that ONS6). No merchant ship losses in exchange for one more
U-boat: 23rd - In the first success with
aircraft rockets, "U-752" in mid-Atlantic was badly
damaged by "Archer's" Swordfish of 819
Squadron, and scuttled as surface escorts
approach.
By the 24th,
U-boat losses were so heavy and the attacks so
fruitless, Adm Doenitz ordered his captains to
leave the North Atlantic battlefield. They either
returned home or concentrated on the US/Gibraltar
routes. It was some time before the Allies
realised the North Atlantic was almost free of
U-boats. The air and sea escorts were winning. |
Indian & Pacific Oceans
Royal Navy in the
Pacific - After re-equipping with American aircraft
and working-up out of Pearl Harbor, fleet carrier
"Victorious" joined the Third Fleet under Adm
Halsey seven months after a first USN request was made.
From now until August 1943, she and "Saratoga"
were the only Allied big carriers in the South Pacific.
In the few months she was out there, there was not one
carrier battle to follow on the 1942 Battles of Coral
Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz.
Merchant Shipping War -
Adm Somerville's Eastern Fleet had lost its remaining
carrier, two battleships and many smaller vessels to
other theatres.
JUNE 1943
Atlantic
Monthly Loss Summary - 16 German and 1
Italian U-boats including two to US escort carrier
"Bogue" off the Azores
