The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

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CharlieOneSix
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The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#1 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Nov 11, 2018 12:53 pm

On Remembrance Sunday it is coincidentally the 78th anniversary of one of the Fleet Air Arm's great successes and one that is celebrated each year with a Taranto Night Dinner at various locations.
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The Taranto Raid
Ignore the video title crediting the RAF with the Taranto Raid - any Fleet Air Arm member is well used to the media etc thinking that only the RAF fly aircraft!
Navy Wings - Taranto

I'm particularly proud that my predecessors in 815 Naval Air Squadron were involved in this action, together with Swordfish from 813, 819 and 824 Squadrons.

I think FD2 will share the pride of one of his Squadrons being involved as I think he is ex-819. He and I had the honour about a decade ago of meeting a wartime Swordfish pilot - the late Jock Moffatt. In a separate action to Taranto he is credited with launching the torpedo from his Swordfish that crippled the Bismarck's rudder. His description of the Bismarck attack was enthralling.
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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#2 Post by Cacophonix » Mon Nov 12, 2018 2:30 am

With respect to the sinking of the Bismarck I wonder if there was any truth to the rumour that the Swordfish were not allowed to finish off the job as the fleet were brought in, almost as if in revenge for the loss of the Hood? It would have made more sense to have sent the aircraft back in as they would have reached the Bismarck faster and lowered the risk that she might be repaired and have escaped.

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#3 Post by Alisoncc » Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:40 pm

This is my story, this is my song.
I've been in this Air Force too f... long.
So bring out the Romulus, the Remus, Renown,
'Cos you can't have the Hood 'cos the barstewards gone down.

Chocks away .........


With apologies to those who might be offended. ;)))
Rev Mother Bene Gesserit.

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#4 Post by Pontius Navigator » Mon Nov 12, 2018 9:21 pm

Caco, I don't know, but consider the 18 inch torpedoes carried by the Swordfish compared with the 14 and 16 inch shells from the Battleships. The battleships had more shells than the Ark had Swordfish.

Having damaged the Bismark they were best employed for reconnaissance should surface forces have lost contact.

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#5 Post by Cacophonix » Tue Nov 13, 2018 2:29 pm

Some detail here on the Swordfish attack that damaged the rudder and steering gear of the Bismarck.
Realistically, the prospects for the attack were not good. The squadron was ill-prepared for its assignment, several of the pilots having only made their first carrier landing on the 19th, and they had not made even a single squadron attack in training. Under the prevailing weather conditions, eight-tenths cloud cover at 1,500 feet with intermittent rain squalls, a visual search was like looking for the proverbial ‘needle in a haystack’, but the squadron’s new ASV radar was expected to make the difference. At 2327 ASV contact was established on a contact some 16 miles ahead of the formation and Bismarck was sighted briefly through a gap in the clouds only to be lost again seconds later. Descending below the clouds with his squadron, Esmonde located the cruisers still shadowing, and HMS Norfolk directed the aircraft towards their target some fourteen miles ahead on the starboard bow.

At 2350 hours a further ASV contact was made and Esmonde again led his squadron below the cloud cover to begin his attack. Unexpectedly, the contact proved to be the United States Coast Guard cutter Modoc, peacefully pitching and rolling in the heavy Atlantic swell. Unfortunately Bismarck, then only six miles to the south, spotted the aircraft and the vital element of surprise was lost. When the Swordfish finally closed to deliver their torpedo attack, they were met by a ‘very vigorous and accurate’ barrage of heavy and light AA, which tagged Esmonde’s Swordfish (5A) at a range of four miles. Though Swordfish 5M lost contact in the dense cloud covering the area, the remaining eight aircraft pressed home their attack with elan.

At exactly midnight Esmonde led the first sub-flight into a simultaneous attack. His starboard lower aileron was hit almost immediately, and he abandoned his original intention to attack from starboard, deciding to drop there and then, whilst he was still in a good position on the target’s port beam and Bismarck was nicely silhouetted against the glow of the setting sun. Both he, and Sub-Lieutenant(A) Thompson, in 5C, released on Bismarck’s port bow from an altitude of 100’. The third member of the flight, Lieutenant MacLean, in 5B, got separated in the descent through the clouds and attacked separately, but also on the port side. Proving that his ship handling skills were superb, Captain Lindemann artfully dodged all three “fish”.

The three Swordfish of the second sub-flight were led in by Lieutenant Gick. Approaching from starboard, he was not satisfied with the approach angle, and elected to pull back into the clouds and work his way round to a better position. The remainder of his flight continued on however, Lieutenant (A) Garthwaite in 5G dropping on Bismarck’s starboard bow and Sub-Lieutenant(A) Jackson, in 5H/V4337 from her starboard quarter, but again Lindemann avoided the deadly missiles.

Moments later, the two Swordfish remaining in the third sub-flight appeared on the Bismarck’s port quarter, and amid a hail of AA fire, Lieutenant(A) Pollard, in 5K, and Sub-Lieutenant(A) Lawson, in 5L released from a good angle but, again, to no avail. Meanwhile, Percy Gick, in 5F, now appeared low down on the water on the enemy’s port bow. His sudden appearance caught the Germans by surprise, and there was no avoiding his torpedo, which plowed into Bismarck amidships, exploding on her armour belt.

As the aircraft turned away, the air gunners sprayed Bismarck’s superstructure and gun positions with .303 machine gun fire at almost point blank range. As one of the air gunners remarked later: “It didn’t sink the Bismarck, but it certainly kept their heads down and in any case, it relieved our feelings.” As the Swordfish departed, Petty Officer Airman Parker, Esmonde’s TAG, signaled “Have attacked with torpedoes. Only one observed.” A German account of the attack is summarized from an eyewitness report and states:

“They came in flying low over the water, launched their torpedoes and zoomed away. Flak was pouring from every gun barrel but didn’t seem to hit them. The first torpedo hissed past 150 yards in front of the Bismarck’s bow. The second did the same and the third. Helmsman Hansen was operating the press buttons of the steering gear as, time and time again, the Bismarck maneuvered out of danger. She evaded a fifth and then a sixth, when yet another torpedo darted straight towards the ship. A few seconds later a tremendous shudder ran through the hull and a towering column of water rose at Bismarck’s side. The nickel-chrome-steel armor plate of her ship’s side survived the attack ...”

The single hit was confirmed by a shadowing Fulmar who, just after midnight, reported a “great, black column of dense smoke rising from the starboard side”, and also that “the battleship's speed was reduced”. At this point, relief was in order for the three Fulmars over Bismarck, so at 0100 Victorious launched a further pair to relieve those on duty and continue shadowing Bismarck until dawn. The crews of these two aircraft were:
bis1.JPG
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This mission proved to be beyond the rookie crews of 800Z Flight. Operating at night, it horrific weather, without radar, the aircraft soon found themselves separated; neither was able to locate their target. Lost at sea, with little hope of survival short of a miracle, both aircraft eventually were forced to settle into the Atlantic. Lieutenant(A) Cambell, RN and Sub-Lieutenant(A) Goodger were slated to join the vast number of Naval personnel missing and presumed lost. Lieutenant Furlong and Sub-Lieutenant Hoare proved much luckier. Left bobbing in the stormy North Atlantic in their small raft for 36 hours, the forlorn pair was ultimately rescued by the SS Beaverhill (GB, 1928, 10,0041 BRT).
Seems ultimately it was the fleet radar and it effectiveness in tracking the Bismarck that was the deciding factor in strategy.

http://www.kbismarck.com/article2.html

Caco

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#6 Post by CharlieOneSix » Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:36 pm

Thanks for that excellent article on the Bismarck attacks, Caco. I didn't realise until now that the S-Lt.(A) M. J. Lithgow, RN who piloted a Swordfish in the attack was the same Mike Lithgow who held the World Speed Record in a Swift in 1953 and who was killed when the BAC 1-11 he was test flying in 1963 didn't recover from a deep stall and crashed in Wiltshire.

Another pilot involved in the attack was Percy Gick. I met him very briefly in 1964 during an inspection just before he retired when he was Flag Officer Naval Flying Training and I was a lowly Midshipman who had just completed fixed-wing training and was moving to helicopters. He was quite a character and it was while Captain of the carrier HMS Bulwark that he had occasion to discipline an unpleasant bully from the lower deck. The miscreant was told that he could suffer a conventional punishment, or go two rounds in an improvised boxing ring with Gick himself, who was welterweight champion of the Navy. He opted for the latter, and was soundly beaten. The punishment fitted the crime but in a different era - today he'd probably complain his human rights had been violated.
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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#7 Post by FD2 » Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:13 pm

C16 - apologies for being late on watch.

Yes I was in 819 - our crest was a sandalled foot with an arrow through the heel commemorating Taranto. Absolutely amazing raid and we were very lucky to have had a presentation at a Taranto Night Mess Dinner at Prestwick from several of the aircrew who took part in the raid - it must have been about 1975 I think. Great evening and like our encounter with Jock Moffatt it's something that will stick in my memory.

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#8 Post by FD2 » Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:21 pm

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#9 Post by Boac » Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:43 pm

I recall a few Taranto nights at Leuchars when 892 were aboard.

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#10 Post by llondel » Sat Dec 15, 2018 1:58 am

The tale I always heard about Swordfish and AA fire is that most of it passed in front of the aircraft because most gunners couldn't believe they were flying that slowly (obviously if you're flying directly towards the gun then this isn't true). I guess that gives the effect of apparently flying into a hail of fire but the dense patch is always just in front of you. Not something I'd want to try though.

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#11 Post by Boac » Sat Dec 15, 2018 8:38 am

Yup - I'd rather it were behind me, I must admit. :))

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#12 Post by FD2 » Sat Dec 15, 2018 10:29 am

+1 I think it's not easy to shoot down an aircraft anyway, even in good conditions. Bismarck will have been altering course constantly to avoid the torpedo tracks, as well as trying to shoot down aircraft flying at less than 100 kts straight towards them, which is apparently very hard. Waiting till the range was down to less than a mile must have been a real ordeal by fire - excuse the pun.

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#13 Post by Undried Plum » Sun Dec 16, 2018 2:45 am

CharlieOneSix wrote:
Sun Nov 11, 2018 12:53 pm
the late Jock Moffatt
So sorry to read that word "late" with regard to Jock.

As if yesterday, I remember when he pitched up at AST Perth, asking for a job, in the mid 1990s. I'd never heard of him so when he brought his logbook I produced two jets of nasal tea when I read the page which included the remarks of "Attacked Bismarck".

Spluttered "**** hell, that's impressive". A voice from down the corridor said "I heard that and thankyou". That was when I first met Jock. An excellent fellow, quite apart from the Bismarck thing.

Personally, I greatly wish I'd photographed some of those pages. I seem to recall that there had been another entry which said the same thing, perhaps earlier on the same day, but I later discovered that he'd actually attacked one of His Majesty's own war canoes, mistaking it for Bismarck.

It is to be hoped that his widow or other descendants will donate that logbook to an appropriate museum or library. It's a national treasure, as was he.

Here's tae ye, Jock. (Standing with a glass of Whyte & Mackay, facing Westwards, with head bowed for a moment)

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#14 Post by FD2 » Sun Dec 16, 2018 10:14 am

I'm sure C16 would agree when I say how thrilled we were to be able to talk to someone who'd been there and done it. Bismarck was 823 ft long - it must have occupied a large part of the horizon at less than a mile range and most of it shooting at them.

I think it was the cruiser Sheffield they had a go at first time.

Slainte mhath Jock.

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#15 Post by Boac » Sun Dec 16, 2018 11:07 am

Plum - you have a PM

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Re: The Taranto Raid - 78 years ago tonight - 11/11/1940

#16 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Dec 16, 2018 12:21 pm

Plum - here is Jock Moffat's obituary from The Scotsman:
Jock Moffat's obituary
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