Читать книгу Dark Seas - JE Harrold - Страница 24

HMS Formidable’s First Striking Force Takes Off

In order to relieve the pressure on our cruisers, at 0939 the C.-in-C. ordered the Formidable to fly off a torpedo striking force to attack cruisers in sight of VALF or other squadron of enemy cruisers if sighted. This order was carried out at 0956 by 5 Albacores (826 Sqdn.) and 1 Albacore (829 Sqdn.) with an escort of two Fulmars (803 Sqdn.). A Swordfish (826 Sqdn.) also took off for “Action Observation, Duty J”. The striking force was armed with Mark 12 torpedoes with duplex pistols, set to 400 yards safety range, 40 knots speed and a depth setting of 34 ft. This setting the observers in three planes succeeding in altering to 28 feet when it was known that cruisers were the target of attack.

Meanwhile the Orion and cruisers of Force B were following hard (course 310°) in the wake of the enemy cruisers (Force X) which were barely in sight 16 miles away. A number of aircraft were sighted and Force B between 1045 and 1100 fired on several, including some of our own.

About 1045 the enemy was again visible from the Orion’s director, but nothing more had been heard of the three battleships reported by aircraft, ‘5F’ to the northward and the VALF came to the conclusion that they were in reality his own cruisers.