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The Commander-in-Chief’s Plans

The threat from enemy surface ships might be met by moving our battle fleet into the area west of Crete, but from that area it would sooner or later be bound to return to harbour for fuel, leaving the enemy free to attack. The C.-in-C. therefore decided to clear merchant shipping out of the area between Crete and Egypt for a time, and to dispose all his available forces to bring the enemy to action.

As it was important, however, to avoid arousing his suspicions and it was hoped that convoys in the Aegean would draw the Italians out, one convoy was left at sea – A.G.9,3 bound north for the Piraeus. This was a troop convoy of six ships which had sailed from Egypt on 26 March with an escort of three British destroyers and a Greek flotilla leader. It was ordered to turn south at nightfall on 27 March so as to be eastward of the battle fleet at daylight 28 March. The sailing of a southbound convoy (G.A.8)4 from the Piraeus was cancelled at the same time and the authorities in the Aegean were warned to keep the area clear of all shipping. The battle fleet was to proceed to sea from Alexandria under cover of night on the evening of 27 March.

The British fleet5 was organised in four groups as follows:–

Force A Battle fleet – Warspite (Flag of Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, C.-in-C.), Barham, Valiant, Formidable.

Force A Destroyers (14th flotilla) – Jervis (Captain D.14), Janus, Mohawk, Nubian.

Force B Cruisers – Orion (Flag of Vice-Admiral Pridham-Wippell, Vice-Admiral, Light Forces), Ajax, Perth, Gloucester.

Force B Destroyers (2nd flotilla) – Ilex (Captain D.2), Hasty, Hereward, Vendetta.

Force C Destroyers (10th flotilla) – Stuart (Captain D.10), Greyhound, Griffin, Hotspur, Havock.

Force D6 – Juno, Jaguar, Defender. Submarines Rover and Triumph.

Orders for appropriate disposition of the cruisers and destroyers were issued on 26 March as follows:

(a) Force B, consisting of 4 cruisers and 4 destroyers under Vice-Admiral, Light Forces, was to be S.W. of Gavdo Island, Crete, at daylight 28 March.

(b) Force C, consisting of 5 destroyers (Stuart, Greyhound, Griffin, Hotspur, Havock) was to join the VALF at that time.

(c) The T.S.R. squadrons (F.A.A.) in Crete and Cyrenaica were to be reinforced.

(d) The R.A.F. in Greece was requested to do its utmost with reconnaissance and bombing aircraft in the Aegean and to the west of Crete on 28 March.

(e) H.M. submarines Rover and Triumph were to patrol in the Aegean off Suda Bay and Milo respectively.

(f) Force D, consisting of 3 destroyers (Juno, Jaguar and Defender) at the Piraeus, was to be at short notice.

(g) The cruiser Carlisle was to proceed to Suda Bay, in Crete, to augment the A.A. defences there.

(h) The Greek naval forces were warned to be at short notice. This disposition was adopted with the intention of countering a possible cruiser raid into the Aegean. “It was designed to give flexibility and allowed for a quick change of plan if more intelligence came to hand.”

Of the Fleet Air Arm, 37 aircraft7 were available, viz.: A/c

(1) HMS Formidable. 13 Fulmars (803 and 806 Sqdns.), 10 Albacores (826 and 829 Sqdns.) and 4 Swordfish. 27

(2) Royal Naval Air Station, Maleme, Crete. 5 Swordfish (815 Sqdn.) 5

(3) Catapult aircraft (700 Sqdn.). 2 Swordfish in Warspite; 2 Swordfish in Valiant; 1 Walrus in Gloucester 5

The R.A.F., at the request of the C.-in-C., ordered the following aircraft to be held in readiness in Greece:

At Menidil8 aerodrome 12 Blenheims, No. 84 Sqdn. 12 Blenheims, No. 113 Sqdn.

At Paramythia9 aerodrome 6 Blenheims, No. 211 Sqdn.

These were armed with 500 lb. and 250 lb. S.A.P. Bombs. In addition, 201 Group R.A.F. undertook reconnaissance of the area of operations with Sunderland flying boats working from Malta and Alexandria.