Dates or Periods not
Known
(Indian Ocean Campaign Summary) |
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HMS Indomitable - "Abominable" |
HMS Victorious in a fast turn |
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1944 or 45 -
Dido-class
cruiser. (Either
Euryalus
or Argonaut as both had
4 twin 5.25in and 3 quad 2-pounders by the end of the war, but not
Phoebe
or
Cleopatra
which had quad 40mm Bofors instead of the 2-pounders
- thanks to Tim Stoneman, with more comments following)
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Indomitable, looking aft from islands -
twin 4.5's firing |
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"the other half" - see next image |
Aircraft (Hellcat) missed arrester wires, hit gun turret and broke in
half, throwing the tail unit "aft". The pilot broke his wrist but was
otherwise un hurt when jumped off the wing
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A "pasty mess" |
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Indomitable, (Hellcat) Fight Squadron 1839 - Maurice Whiteing possibly below prop |
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early 1945 |
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January
1945
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Joined Task Force 63.
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4th
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Deployed with HMS
INDEFATIGABLE and HMS
VICTORIOUS, H M Cruisers
SUFFOLK,
CEYLON,
ARGONAUT and
BLACK PRINCE screened
by HM Destroyers
KEMPENFELT,
WHELP,
GRENVILLE,
WAGER,
URANIA,
UNDAUNTED,
UNDINE and
URSA for air attacks on oil refineries at Pangkalang
Brandan,
Sumatra (Operation LENTIL).
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(Note:
The unsuitability of SEAFIRE aircraft for sustained carrier operations was
mentioned in the report on this operation).
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16th
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Sailed
from Trincomalee with TF63 for offensive sweep in
Indian Ocean prior to transfer of
British Pacific Fleet for service in Pacific area.
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24th
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With
HMS
ILLUSTRIOUS, HMS
INDEFATIGABLE and HMS
VICTORIOUS, carried out air attacks
on the oil refinery at Pladjoe,
Sumatra. Cover was provided by HM
Battleship
KING GEORGE V, HMS
ARGONAUT, HMS
EURYALUS and HMS
BLACK PRINCE screened
by Fleet Destroyers. (Operation
MERIDIAN ONE)
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29th
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With
same aircraft carriers launched raids on Soengi Gerong oil refineries and airfields at Lembak and Tanglangbetoetoe
(Operation MERIDIAN TWO).
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(Note:
These attacks were marred by various problems. All seven KAMIKAZE aircraft
which attacked Fleet in retaliation were destroyed but 16 RN aircraft were
lost in action and another 14 by deck landing accidents. 9 pilots captured
after baling out were executed by the Japanese in August 1945. (Operation
MERIDIAN TWO).
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February
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4th
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Arrived
Fremantle with British Pacific Fleet.
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9th
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Arrived
at
Sydney to prepare for operational service as TF113
with US Navy.
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March
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Re-designated
as part of Task Force 57.
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17th
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Joined
Task Force 57, BPF element of US 5th Fleet, at Manus
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23rd
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Sailed
from Ulithi to take part in combined RN/USN carrier
operations in support of US landings on
Okinawa until 7th April (Operation
ICEBERG).
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1945 -
Avenger circles Indomitable - Hellcats and Avengers ranged for take-off
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Indomitable flight deck aft of island. Aircraft "ranged" ready to take
off with Firefly overhead, Operation Palembang, January 1945
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A casualty from raid on Pankalan Brandon oil refineries, Sumatra 4
Jan 1945 - Barracuda?
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Avengers over Pankalan Brandon, Sumatra, bombs right on target
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Possibly January 1945 - Hellcat fighter |
Possibly January 1945 - "done it again" - more work
(Hellcat - presumably "more work" as a result
of her hitting the barrier) |
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| Possibly 1945 |
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Oiler from BPF Fleet Train
Note: "During 1945, British and Dominion destroyers serving in the Pacific
assumed temporary pendant numbers with flag D superior to bring them
into near conformity with their American counterparts ...." "British and
Empire Warships of the Second World War" by H T Lenton
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Oiling at sea - destroyer R.4?
(Could be
Undine (R42) or
Tenacious (R45). The only other War Emergency destroyers whose
pennant numbers began with R4 were
Wrangler (R48), which had
different fire control and
Volage (R41) which had a quad 2-pounder
and not the Hazemeyer twin Bofors shown. Of the two, I suspect she
is HMS Undine as I think I can see three funnel bands, thus
25th Destroyer Flotilla - 'U' class, rather than the two bands worn
by the 24th DF - 'T' class - thanks to Tim).
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Destroyer D.46
(HMS
Tenacious
wearing her BPF pennant number D46 - thanks to Tim)
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Destroyer D.17
(HMAS
Quadrant wearing her BPF pennant number D17 -
thanks to Tim)
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Mail coming aboard from destroyer
G.39 (I
believe this is HMS
Obdurate. It is certainly one of the four minelaying
'O' class as the mine-rails are visible and G39 was her pennant number - thanks to Tim).
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"Day of days", destroyer steams alongside to transfer mail at sea during
rest days, Formosa 1945. (She
may possibly be HMS
Wager again, based on the configuration and the
shape of the stain on the ship's side below the bridge (oil stain)
which looks very similar to one on the photo in Part 1 - thanks
to Tim).
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Another mail boat - River-class frigate Parret, possibly May 1945 |
Parret's Hedgehog A/S mortar forward |
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