Taranto 1940 by Angus Konstam

Author:Angus Konstam
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472808981
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Published: 2015-03-19T16:00:00+00:00

LAUNCH OF THE FIRST WAVE FROM HMS ILLUSTRIOUS

Shortly before 8.30pm on 11 November, the aircraft carrier Illustrious has reached ‘Point X’ – the position chosen by Rear Admiral Lyster from which to launch the air strike on Taranto. The Italian port lay 189 nautical miles to the north-west. The carrier group turns into the wind for the launch, and increases speed to 30 knots. On board Illustrious the 12 aircraft of the first wave have already been ranged on the after end of the flight deck (1) in ‘herringbone’ formation, and are ready for take-off. At 8.30pm precisely a green lamp is flashed from the bridge (2), and the leading Swordfish piloted by Lt. Cdr. Williamson speeds down the flight deck and takes off. The other aircraft follow at 10-second intervals. Of the dozen aircraft in the first wave, six are armed with torpedoes, four with bombs, and two with a mixture of bombs and flares. In this view the Swordfish in the foreground (3) is the third to take off. It is aircraft L4R, crewed by Sub. Lt. Macaulay (pilot) and Sub. Lt. Wray (observer), both from Illustrious’ 815 Squadron. Usually a Swordfish had a crew of three, but for this mission, because an extra fuel tank was mounted over the observer’s position in torpedo-armed planes, the rear gunner was left behind, and his seat occupied by the observer instead. All of 815 Squadron’s Swordfish have a darkened lower fuselage, as they have been repainted using distemper for night flying missions. The remaining Swordfish which took part in the raid retained the lighter lower fuselage and lower wing colour of light blue-grey. Below them (4) the fourth aircraft – L4K, crewed by lieutenants Kemp and Bailey – has just taken off, while in the centre of the flight deck (5) L4M is just about to begin its take-off run. Both of these aircraft are armed with a single torpedo. One of the carrier’s escorts, the heavy cruiser York (6) can be seen, keeping station off the port beam of Illustrious. The four cruisers are stationed ahead, astern and on either beam of the carrier, while the four destroyers take up positions between each pair of cruisers, to form an eight-ship cordon around the carrier.

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