大象传媒

鈥溾�� and stow. Lash up and 鈥︹��

That was enough to drag me out of my flea pit (hammock) and stumble bleary eyed to the heads (washroom). Shortly afterwards I climbed out of the fug and body stench of the lower deck, and scrambled up to the weather deck. I was amazed to see how many of my messmates were already there - and even more amazed when I saw the reason for their amazement. During the night we had acquired company, some kind of blurred image was forming between us and the rising sun. Gradually the light changed from a faint glow to a serried silver as it lit up the wave tops, and then to orange and gold. Dawn; and excited cries of wonderment.

鈥淭hat's a bloody battler (battleship)!! Where the hell is the escort?鈥� We hung there draped over the rails and gradually it became apparent that this was the beginning of a different kind day. 鈥淲hat the hell's going on?鈥� It was the voice of 鈥楽tripey鈥�, the long service career man who was 鈥楾he Daddy鈥� of our mess. There was a sound like tearing canvas, and a poisonous stench of vile body gasses as he flexed his knees and exclaimed 鈥淕OD; that's better!鈥� and immediately his gaze was riveted on the unfolding scene. 鈥淭hat's not a battler; it's another flat top (aircraft carrier)鈥�. Half heard came the shrill sound of the boson鈥檚 call and the imperious sound of 鈥淗ands to breakfast鈥�. This, however, was to be one day that breakfast was the least of our concerns. Ships were identified and named; a veritable awe-inspiring sight of capital ships and the merchants they were escorting. 鈥榁ictorious', one of the latest armoured aircraft carriers, with the massive merchant 鈥楤risbane Star鈥�, light cruisers 鈥楶hoebe鈥� and 鈥楧orset鈥�; vaguely visible the destroyer 鈥楲aforey鈥� in the shadow of a gigantic oil tanker the 鈥極HIO鈥�. (Later to become affectionately know as the Oh-Ten.) There were ships of all descriptions that disappeared over the horizon. 鈥淲here is all that lot going?鈥� said Stripey. 鈥淪ome one is going to catch HELL. I hope to Christ we are a long way from it when it happens.鈥� How were we to know that this was to be the beginning of a convoy that was going to be different? How were we to know that this would be the critical convoy, code 鈥楶edestal鈥�, that was going to be recorded in history books? How were we to know that this was to be the final attempt to relieve the besieged island of Malta; the failure of which would mean that Malta would be surrendered to the Axis powers and the military, strategic and political dominance of the situation would be fatal to any of the Allies prospects of retaining a marginal foothold in the Middle East? How was I to know that within 48 hours I would be clutching the mangled corpse of Stripey?

West of the Mediterranean, in the Atlantic, strange and intricate manoeuvres began to take place as the mixed assembly was shepherded into a semblance of some of the formations they would have to achieve. All kinds of drills and emergency situations were practised. Aircraft from the carriers flew singly and in formation over the armada to enable the crews to recognise their shape, size and appearance. The 14 merchant ships that were the reason for the whole venture were normally in a 4-column block. They were drilled repeatedly into forming into a 2-column formation to ready themselves for the foreseeable sprints through the Gibraltar Straits and the Pantellaria Narrows. Every merchant ship carried a Naval Liaison Officer and a mixed cargo that included flour, munitions and crated fuel; a total of 85,000 tons. During the hours of darkness the leading ships, and then the accompanied merchant ships, made the passage through the restricted Gibraltar Straits.

As the ships surged their way passed 鈥楾he Rock鈥�, a commercial aircraft on a routine flight from North Africa to Spain saw them and within minutes the position and size of the convoy was reported to the Germans and Italians. Eagle meantime made a refuelling stop at Gibraltar and reformed at the rear of the convoy. First contact with the enemy was made when the Italian submarine 鈥楿arsciek鈥� launched three torpedoes at an unidentified aircraft carrier at 4:25am. The attack did not succeed. Uarsciek was forced down by depth charges but resurfaced and radioed Rome at 8:39am. At 10:55am the convoy was informed of this signal, relayed from Malta.
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Transcribed by A Brigham - www.hullwebs.co.uk

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