大象传媒

The next operation, code named 鈥淥peration Collar鈥�, in which we took a part was the most exciting, in the true sense of the word, of all my service. The reason I say this is because it featured a whole series of events that encapsulated the role of the Navy and was blessed with significant success. The events unfolded in a planned way and involved Battleships, Cruisers, Destroyers, the Ark Royal aircraft carrier, in direct conflict with an Italian Fleet of superior strength and their shore based Air Force.
The time was December 1940 and the first move was when our naval force left Gibraltar. This consisted of; Renown, (battle cruiser), Southampton and Manchester (cruisers), and eight destroyers including of course the Firedrake. This force sailed east as escort to an important convoy of merchant ships sent with supplies for the Army in Egypt.
We sailed east with no early alarms, but there was a great change of atmosphere on approaching the Sicilian Channel. I was on the wheel as duty quartermaster at the time when the ship closed up to Action Stations. My vivid personal memory of the next step was an order down the voice- pipe from the bridge to open the scuttle directly in front of me (the scuttle being the glass port hole in the wheel-house bulkhead) and change to the new course which was to follow the destroyer Faulkner (the senior destroyer of the 鈥� F鈥� class) at the distance advised. What we were doing was in fact to go full speed in line ahead to take up a forward screening position ahead of the Renown The information came to us in the wheel-house that the Italian Fleet had been sighted and was making a course to intercept us. Our change of course was a move to ensure that we did make the interception and protect the convoy directly. The feelings I had at this stage were memorable. I was a vital part of the chain of command, steering a course at full speed in line ahead into battle as it actually happened.
As a bonus, I had a grandstand view as I looked out to the Faulkner ahead. The rush of air and spray from the open scuttle enhanced the excitement and I could see way ahead towards the expected enemy. The Firedrake took up station eventually with an enhanced Fleet of ships that had arrived to take over as convoy escort and now joined ready for action. The additions were the battleship Ramillies and three cruisers, Sheffield, Berwick and Newcastle.
At this stage we were at action stations and I was then relieved on the steering wheel by the Coxswain. Word had been passed down that the Italian Fleet was now visible and soon there was the flash of gunfire from both sides. Then came the sound of Italian shells passed over us, the aim of course being for the big ships. At some stage, during a short relief by a colleague, I was able to step out to the signaling platform just outside the wheelhouse. There I got a panoramic view of our ships, which were in formation. Destroyers in the van of the battleships, and the cruisers standing out on our starboard some distance away, say 2 or 3 miles. All were going at full speed. The Ark Royal was astern with her Swordfish torpedo bombers being launched. In the clear skies visibility ahead was perfect. I was able to spot the telltale flash of gunfire of the Italian ships and in particular the fall of shot around the Navy cruisers near by. They were all near misses that I saw, but afterwards it was known that the Berwick (cruiser) had been hit in the after turret with casualties. The whole action was unusual in that there was such clear visibility all the time. Like a set of painted ships upon a painted ocean if I have quoted the poetry lines aright. The Italian fleet had in fact turned back to the mainland, and had reached their protected waters, both minefields and airfields. For that reason the action finished, and our fleet turned back towards the convoy again to resume its protective role. History had however been made, recorded as the Battle of Spartivento.
The next action for us was again a follow up attack by Italian bombers but once again we emerged unscathed.

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