The Whale Has Wings Vol 1 - Rebirth (37 page)

10th October.

Although mass attacks we
re now only being attempted by the Luftwaffe at night, there was a constant stream of small, high speed daytime attacks, by Me110 fighter-bombers and Ju88 bombers. These were difficult to intercept due to the high speed and the varied choice or targets (it is noted with some irony by the RAF that the Luftwaffe finally seem to be targeting the British aero industry). Even so, these daytime attacks were losing the Luftwaffe planes at the rate of more than 2:1 (and a far worse ratio of pilots) for little damage. As by now Britain is heavily out-producing the Luftwaffe in planes, the RAF is steadily increasing its strength relative to the Luftwaffe, which only makes the losses steadily improve in the defenders favour.

Earlier in the month a resupply convoy had been mounted from Alexandria. This had been escorted by the Implacable and Indefatigable, and the battleships Wa
rspite and Valiant, as well as six cruisers and 16 destroyers; there was also a close escort force of two AA cruisers and four destroyers. Twelve Goshawks were successfully flown off on the 10th, and the convoy of four merchant ships arrived on the 11th. The Italian fleet had been prevented from intervening by poor weather. However on the 11th an Italian patrol aircraft spotted the ships returning from Malta. While this was happening, the cruiser HMS Ajax had been detached for a scouting mission (the poor weather was also affecting British air reconnaissance)

The Italian commander ordered a force of four destroyers to Cape Bon, in the chance the British ships were heading for Gibraltar (he judged that if they were in fact retiring to Alexandria that it would not be possible to intercept them). At the same time a force of four destroyers and three large torpedo boats were on patrol in the same area as Ajax.

At 0137 on the 12th Ajax was sighted by the three torpedo craft. They turned to engage (Ajax not having noticed them), and launched an attack with torpedoes and guns from a range of 1,900 yards. Ajax was hit three times, twice on the bridge and once below the waterline by 3.9" shells. The cruiser returned fire, hitting the Ariel (which would sink some 20 minutes later), and the Airone, left burning (she would sink some 2 hours later). The third craft, the Alcione, broke off contact.

Ajax resumed her course to the east, and at 0215 her radar detected two Italian destroyers. Aviere was hit by a surprise broadside, and forced to retire southwards. Artigliere managed to fire torpedoes and a number of salvoes before being hit by the cruiser an
d crippled. Ajax then engaged another destroyer, the Camicia Nera, but one of the hits from the Artigliere had disabled her radar, and at 0330 she broke off the action, short of ammunition.

The disabled Artigliere was taken in tow by the Camicia Nera, while the Aviere managed to withdraw under her own power. However although the damaged Ajax made her way back to the main body (she would require a month in dock to repair her damage), a strike was ordered from
Implacable. Eight SeaLance and 16 Cormorant armed with 1,000lb bombs set off before dawn to intercept the fleeing Italian destroyers. The first ships spotted were the Camica Nera, still towing the Aviere, at 0730. Although the destroyers slipped her tow to try and evade the dive bombers, she was hit by two 1,000 pound bombs and sank within 15 minutes. The helpless Aviere sank after a single bomb hit. Four of the Cormorants still had bombs, and the planes then carried on to search for the other damaged destroyer. She was sighted at 0815, and received the attentions of all eight SeaLance and the remaining four Cormorants. Although she managed to avoid the dive bombing attack, in doing so she was hit by a torpedo, and left disabled and sinking (she sank some hours later after her crew had been taken off by another destroyer). No planes were lost to the destroyers AA fire.

While the daytime sinkings were not unexpected, the Italian Navy was very concerned at the efficiency the Royal Navy had shown in the night action; the use of starshells, searchlights and incendiary shells, plus the suspected use of radar, had completely outclassed the Italian night fighting skills.

The fleet returning to Alexandria was the subject of a number of attacks by the RA. These are driven off and disrupted by the carriers CAP; after months of experience the carriers and steadily increasing in their efficiency of managing and directing their fighters, although it appreciated there are still many improvements to be made. No ships are sunk or damaged, although the cruiser HMS Liverpool gets a nasty shock when a torpedo passes only yards from the ship; the torpedo plane had been attacked by a Goshawk and had launched just a little too soon before it was shot down.

The Japanese and authorities in the Dutch East Indies have discussions regarding oil supplies. It is agreed to supply 40% of production to the Japanese for the next six months. Attempts are made by the British to block this agreement
, but the Dutch government does not wish to antagonise the Japanese Empire too greatly.

In China, the first lorries to bring war supplies along the re-opened Burma Road - closed three months ago by agreement between Japan and Britain - arrived from Lashio. Drivers reported an uneventful journey free from the air attacks threatened by Japan against the Chinese section of the road.
Sixty lorries arrived in the first convoy and another 2,000 - given a banquet send off in Burma - are expected tomorrow. Waiting at Rangoon are another 500,000 tons of war supplies, including planes and munitions. On the return leg the lorries will carry tungsten, wood, tin, oil and pig bristles for export to the US.

In the Mediterranean theatre, four Italian aircraft make an audacious long-range attack on the British oil refinery at Bahrein, in the Persian Gulf. The SM82 bombers were in the air for more than 15 hours, flying 3,000 miles from Rhodes in the Mediterranean to Massawa, in Eritrea, on a triangular route whose most easterly point was Bahrein Island. Each aircraft dropped 66 30-pound bombs on the complex. The pilots claimed significant damage with huge fires visible for 'hundreds of miles'. The refinery engineers had in fact turned up the refinery safety flares to simulate uncontrolled fires.

In the Atlantic the Royal navy was evaluating the new German U-boat tactic of the wolf pack, consisting of up to a dozen U-boats. A heavy attack had taken place on the slow convoy SC-7. This convoy, escorted only by two sloops and a corvette, had been spotted by U-48. After reporting the sighting, the captain attacked himself without waiting for the rest of the pack, sinking two merchant ships. He was then chased off by a sloop and a Sunderland flying boat, but these were unable to force him out of contact with the convoy. After dark he was joined by another five U-boats, and with them sank 15 merchant ships in six hours. The escorts were unable to provide any effective defence.

U-48 and two of the other U-boats headed for home having used up all their torpedoes. The rest stayed to pick off any stragglers and search for another convoy to attack. They detected the fast convoy HX-79 (49 ships), however when they attempted to close they were repeatedly forced to submerge by patrolling Swordfish A/S aircraft from the light car
rier HMS Glory. The frustrated U-boats tried to get into an attacking position, however their slow underwater speed made this almost impossible.

The pack was joined by three
more U-boats, by which time the convoy escort was now two destroyers, four corvettes and three A/S trawlers as well as the light carrier. The carrier was keeping a steady standing patrol in the air around the convoy, and as a result only one U-boat was able to get into an attacking position. Unfortunately for the convoy this was the boat of Gunther Prien, and despite the difficult conditions he sank two ships before having to withdraw under attack by two of the escorts. The air cover had forced the other boats too far away from the convoy to make a successful night attack. However the following day the remainder of the pack found the outbound convoy HX-79A (with no air cover), and attacked as a group sinking a further seven ships.

The new tactics were obviously very dangerous, and the effect of continual air cover quite obvious; unfortunately for the Admiralty they did not have unlimited carriers to deploy, although a number of escort carriers and merchant conversions would be available soon. Until then all that could be done was to try and give the maximum cover from Coastal Command aircraft and to use their available carriers on the most important convoys.

That night the Italians sent four small destroyers on a sortie to intercept a British Red Sea convoy, which was protected by a light cruiser, a destroyer, and five smaller escorts. Contact was briefly made, and there was a short and ineffective exchange of fire, mainly between the Italian destroyer Nullo and the British destroyer HMS Kimberly. Shortly after beginning this indecisive affair, the Nullo developed a severe mechanical problem with its steering, and was forced to break off and head as best it could back toward its base.

As part of their regular reviews of the possible threats posed by other powers, the Admiralty considers the October report on their countries naval aviation during 1940. While the USA is now considered a friendly power, its capabilities have also been evaluated to allow for the case of the USA becoming a co-belligerent.

USA

The USN had been observing the use of air power by the Royal Navy with considerable interest (aided by the 'Canadian' observers on ships) and the full reports they have been given. The main building plans include huge increases in the number of planes, and the building of the large Essex class carriers, however the first of these is not scheduled to be at sea before early 1943. Although the possibility of speeding them up is being looked at, the proposed build times are already very short and the design is not yet complete.

In the meantime, the USA has ordered
the construction of a fourth Yorktown-class fleet carrier, the USS Ticonderoga. The ship was laid down in March 1940 and given priority; it was expected to commission her in May 1942. After the fall of France and the corresponding increase in planned USN construction, the ship is given a maximum priority - it is now hoped to have her complete by February 1942. The designers also hope to incorporate a heavier AA armament; they have noted that the Yorkdown class carry only 16 27mm cannon and 25 0.5" mg, compared to the British Formidable class carry 64 40mm and around 30 20mm cannon. The designers are told that the excellence of the USN's AA control makes the fitted guns far more effective than those fitted to Royal Navy ships, but this statement is controversial. When asked, the RN simply says 'the more guns the better'. As a compromise, 2 additional quad 27mm will be fitted.

The production of the Wildcat
(F4F) fighter has been speeded up, although at the moment many of the planes being produced are scheduled to be sold to the British and French. The USN is rather concerned that its frontline fighter, by no means in full operation in the fleet, is already outclassed in power and armament by the Goshawk (and the Goshawk engine is still being developed further). A new and much more powerful aircraft, the Vought F4U Corsair, has flown for the first time in March 1940 (its development has been brought forward as much as was possible). The plane undergoes acceptance trials for the USN in late November of 1940.

Japan

Japan has also been following the success of the FAA with great interest, as it indicates to them that their intention of making naval aviation of major importance in the IJN is correct. Indeed, the aviation enthusiasts claim that this shows that all future resources should be aimed at carriers rather than battleships, a claim that is refuted completely by the battleships traditionalists in the IJN. In any case the current building program is full, with six fleet carriers expected to be available by late 1941.

However it is possible to increase the 'shadow carrier' program; these are large liners designed to be quickly converted into carriers
as war nears. Two of these, the Hiyo and the Junyu were laid down in 1939 with completion expected in 1942. Two additional ships are laid down in March 1940, and it is hoped to have these complete by 1942. While not as fast as fleet carriers, they do carry over 50 planes. A small expansion of the naval aviator training program is made to allow for the extra 100 pilots these carriers will need, although due to the extreme difficulty and length of the IJN training programs this target will in fact not be met.

Germany

The Graf Zeppelin completed her basic working up in October. Although the ship is classed as operational, her flight operations are still the subject of much experimentation (although some advice has been obtained from the Japanese). An air group has been assigned, and the carrier is continuing training in the Baltic, safe from the Royal Navy, along with the Bismark (who has also completed basic workup and is undergoing gunnery training while working with the Graf Zeppelin)

As a result of the success of the Royal Navy in naval air operations, the specialised anti-ship unit Fliegerkorps X has been given more resources. Founded in 1939, the formation has been in poor repute with the Kriegsmarine after the disastrous Operation Wikinger incident where the aircraft had sunk a German destroyer and caused a second one to be sunk in a minefield. However the obvious need to use aircraft to attack the Royal Navy has led to its rehabilitation after a more successful campaign in Norway. The unit will be transferred from Norway once it has been decided if it is best to deploy it in the North Sea or the Mediterranean - the current advice from the Kriegsmarine is in the Med
iterranean. There is also a need to transfer additional planes; the unit currently consists mainly of Ju87 and Me109, and longer ranged aircraft are seen as necessary to attack the Royal Navy at sea. Priority is given for additional Ju87R, and Me110 (although this means reducing the daylight raids on England, this is actually seen as a bonus by the Luftwaffe due to the losses they are sustaining). He111 bombers are also being allocated. The support structure for the force is being moved to Sicily, and it is expected to be operational by the end of the year