HMS Invincible

[Lord Wyclif]

The Siege of Singapore.
As early as 1937, the British general staff had concluded that a Japanese land attack was feasible and could capture Singapore in two months’ time.

October 1941 saw General Percival being replaced by General Franklin at Singapore. December 1941 saw the arrival of a Canadian armoured brigade under the command of General (fighting Frank) Worthington and consisting of the Royal Rifles of Canada, the Winnipeg Grenadiers the 11 Ontario Regiment (tank), the 12 Three Rivers Regiment (tank) and the 14 Calgary Regiment (tank), the later 3 without their Valentine tanks which were on ships diverted to Australia to be delivered at a date as yet unknown.

The British 18th Infantry division under the command of General Beckwith-Smith along with Barstow's 9th Indian division and Bennett's 8th Australian formed the Singapore garrison.

The siege proper began on January 18th when the Allies were shelled by Japanese artillery and air attacks. These intensified over the next five days. The artillery and air bombardment strengthened, severely disrupting communications between Allied units and their commanders and affecting preparations for the defence of the island.

The Australians were centred on RAF Tengah in the western side of the Island, the British centred on RNAS Sembawang in the east with the Indians in between. The Canadians and local forces formed a rear-guard in the south.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

The USS Ranger was stationed in the Bermuda area until March 13, 1942, making routine training cruises from Grassy and Shelly Bays. On that date, she proceeded from Bermuda, along with the US Navy's newest battleship USS Massachusetts, arriving in Roosevelt Roads Naval Base in Puerto Rico on March 19th, where she underwent a 16-day amphibious assault training.

It was suspected that Vichy agents were infiltrating the island of Martinique, then prowling around the region while the port was being used as a refueling base for German U-boats, so a strong US military presence was built up in the Caribbean.

The aircraft-carrier Bearn along with the light cruisers Jeanne d'Arc and Émile Bertin, was moored at Fort-au-France naval base at Martinique. The governor of the tiny island was pro-Vichy, meanwhile the crew of Bearn was split between pro-Vichy and pro-de Gaulle feelings. Georges Thierry d'Argenlieu and Emile Henry Muselier spent a considerable time talking with Admiral Georges Robert, the highest-ranking French naval officer on the island, reminding him of the American presence, and to convince the French sailors that as the United States had entered the war, Germany was sure to be defeated. Also clandestinely operating on the island were men of the Chantiers de la Jeunesse (the “Young Workmen”).

Dawn April 3rd
The battleships USS Massachusetts, USS New York and USS Texas accompanied by the aircraft-carriers USS Constitution, USS Wasp (Yorktown class) each with 18 F4F-3 Wildcats, 12 TBD Devastators, and 28 SBD Dauntlesses and USS Ranger embarking 72 Army P-40 Warhawks, sailed out the Vieques Passage.

The Battleships, USS New York and USS Texas, cruisers USS Philadelphia, and USS Savannah were joined with 4 escort carriers, the USS Santee, USS Suwanee, USS Sangamon and USS Chenango along with a dozen destroyers, ten troopships, and four cargo ships departed from their anchorage at Guantanamo Bay.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

Sunday May 9th - Saturday May 15th
Admiralty Islands.
The 2nd Naval Construction Regiment, with the 11th, 58th and 71st Naval Construction Battalions began arriving on the Monday morning to construct a bulk storage at Papitalai, and at Lombrum Point, a seaplane repair base, a ship repair base, and a landing craft repair base.
At Manus the 5th Naval Construction Regiment, with the 35th, 44th and 57th Naval Construction Battalions, which arrived on the Friday . There task was to complete service facilities there. Momote airstrip was lengthened to 7,800 feet and a new airstrip at Mokerang, where a naval fighter overhaul facility was constructed. The work would last for eleven months

Dutch New Guinea
On May 11th troops from the 2nd Australian Commando Regiment captured the main Hollandia Airfield on the northern coast.

India
The Indian 44th Para-Commando Division was established at Secunderabad, India under the command of Major General Ernest Down.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

Operation Vendetta

Royal Navy
First carrier squadron
HMS Excalibur, 803, 820, 827
HMS Invincible, 800, 801, 845
HMS Vengeance, 825, 843, 850
HMS Victorious, 828, 841, 849


Fourth carrier squadron
HMS Ark Royal, 802, 804, 837, 839, 846
HMS Colossus, 823, 844, 896
HMS Glory, 809, 821, 898


The fifth carrier squadron
HMS Archer, 812, 814
HMS Attacker,866, 870
HMS Battler, 833, 836
HMS Biter, 855, 856
HMS Dasher, 857, 860

The sixth carrier squadron
HMS Hunter, 834, 853
HMS Chaser, 847, 858
HMS Fencer, 846,873
HMS Stalker, 851, 854
HMS Tracker, 816, 852

Commando carriers
HMS Magnificent 701, 705
HMS Majestic 703, 709

First battleship squadron
HMS Anson, HMS Duke of York, HMS Howe, HMS King George V

Second battleship squadron
HMS Malaya, HMS Nelson, HMS Royal Sovereign, HMS Resolution

heavy cruisers - 8
HMS Northumberland, HMS Surrey, HMS Bedford, HMS Hawkins, HMS Hertford, HMS Rutland, HMS Stafford, HMS Warwick.

Light cruisers - 16
HMS Ajax, HMS Arethusa, HMS Argonaut,HMS Aurora, HMS Belfast, HMS Danae, HMS Delhi, HMS Emerald, HMS Enterprise, HMS Glasgow, HMS Mauritius, HMS Orion, HMS Royalist, HMS Scylla, HMS Shropshire, HMS Sirius.

anti-aircraft cruisers - 17
HMS Alybank, HMS Cambrian, HMS Capetown, HMS Carlisle, HMS Centaur, HMS Ceres, HMS Champion, HMS Charybdis, HMS Colombo, HMS Concord, HMS Comus, HMS Conquest, HMS Constance, HMS Palomares, HMS Pozarica, HMS Tynwald, HMS Ulster Queen.

The destroyers 46
HMS Beagle, HMS Bleasdale, HMS Boadicea, HMS Brissenden, HMS Cattistock, HMS Cottesmore, HMS Eglinton, HMS Faulknor, HMS Fury, HMS Grenville, HMS Jervis, HMS Kelvin, HMS Kempenfelt, HMS Loyalty, HMS Melbreak, HMS Middleton, HMS Onslow, HMS Offa, HMS Onslaught, HMS Oribi, HMS Pytchley, HMS Pelican, HMS Saumarez, HMS Scorpion, HMS Scourge, HMS Serapis, HMS Stevenstone, HMS Swift, HMS Talybont, HMS Tanatside, HMS Ulster, HMS Ulysses, HMS Undaunted, HMS Undine, HMS Urania, HMS Urchin, HMS Ursa, HMS Venus, HMS Verulam, HMS Vigilant, HMS Virago, HMS Wanderer, HMS Wallflower, HMS Watchman, HMS Whimbrel, HMS Wrestler.

frigates
HMS Barle, HMS Byron, MS Ettrick , HMS Struve, HMS Usk

sloops
HMS Chanticleer, HMS Narbada, HMS Weston

Canadian destroyers
HMCS Alberni, HMCS Algonquin, HMCS Cape Breton, HMCS Chaudiere, HMCS Kitchener, HMCS Regina, HMCS Sioux.

Cutter,
HMS Totland.

Assault ships
HMS Antenor - LSI (L), HMS Bachaquero - LST, HMS Ben-my-Chree – LSI(M), HMS Boxer - LST, HMS Bruiser - LST, HMS Cicero - LSI, HMS El Hind - LSI, HMS Empire Battleaxe - LSI(L), HMS Empire Broadsword – LSI(L), HMS Empire Javelin – LSI(L), HMS Empire Spearhead - LSI(L), HMS Glengyle – LSI(L), HMS Glenearn – LSI(L), HMS Glenroy – LSI(L), HMS Invicta – LSI(S), HMS Misoa, - LST, HMS Prince Charles - LSI (M), HMS Prince Leopold – LSI(M), HMS Princess Astrid – LSI(M), HMS Princess Beatrix – LSI(M), HMS Princess Josephine Charlotte – LSI(S), HMS Prince Albert - LSI(S), HMS Queen Emma – LSI(M), HMS Rocksand - LSI(L), HMS Royal Scotsman – LSI(H), HMS Royal Ulsterman - LSI(L), HMS Sainfoin – LSI(L), HMS Sansovino - LSI, HMS St Helier – LSI(H), HMS Sobieski - LSI(L), HMS Tasajera - LST , HMS Thruster - LST , HMS Ulster Monarch – LSI(H), SS Dover Hill - cargo ship, SS Empire Bunting - cargo ship, SS Empire Defiance - cargo ship, SS Llangibby Castle, SS Llanstephan Castle, TSS Duke of York

HMCS Prince David – LSI(M), HMCS Prince Henry – LSI(M)

American Fleet
Aircraft carrier
USS Yorktown (Essex-class)
battleships
USS Nevada, USS Texas, and USS Arkansas.
cruisers
USS Augusta, USS Quincy, USS Tuscaloosa.
destroyers
USS Amesbury, USS Baldwin, USS Barton, USS Carmick, USS Corry, USS Doyle, USS Emmons, USS Fitch, USS Frankford, USS Glennon, USS Hulbert, USS Harding, USS Herndon, USS Hobson, USS Jeffers, USS Laffey, USS Maloy, USS McCook, USS Murphy, USS O'Brien, USS Rich, USS Thompson.
Plus 25 other vessels - troop transports, LST’s, LSI’s etc

French Fleet
battleships
Strasbourg, Dunerque, Richelieu.
light cruisers
Duguay-Trouin, FR Lamotte-Piquet, FR Primauguet.
large destroyers
Milan, Epervier.
destroyers
Casque, Epee, Fleuret, Lansequenet, Le Corsaire, Le Flibustier, Le Hardi, Mameluk. Simon, Tornade, Trombe, Typhon, Minstral Tempete, Tramontane.
submarines
Ceres, Iris, Le Conquerant, Le Tonnant, Meduse, Antiope, Minerva, Pallas, Le Heros and Le Glorieux, Venus, Junon.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

The first Allied forces landed at Le Luc at 23:00, with their aircraft doors already open the eight Commandoes, wearing their padded suits, stepped out off their Norseman as it flew at hedgerow level, and rolled to a stop just outside the airfield. The British hoped they could bypass security checkpoints and control the airfield. As they approached the terminal, two Vichy sentries challenged the men. The Commandoes shot both with silenced weapons, but didn’t kill them.
Ten minutes later three gliders, one Horsa with a further 28 Commandoes on board and two Hamilcars each carrying a Morris Light armoured 6x6 vehicle, came in swiftly and silently. Because the proper layout of the airport was not known, the first glider almost crashed into a ditch. As they pulled away, a commando in one of the follow Morris trucks spotted the two Vichy soldiers and killed them with an unsuppressed rifle. Fearing the German garrison would now be alerted, the assault team quickly approached the terminal. On reaching the buildings German soldiers shot at them in the process. The commandos returned fire inflicting casualties on the Germans. During this brief but intense firefight, German soldiers fired from the airport control tower. At least five commandos were wounded, and the unit commander Lieutenant Johnny Smith was killed. The commandos fired light machine guns and a PIAT round back at the control tower, suppressing the Germans fire. The assault lasted only 30 minutes, and 33 German soldiers were killed and the remaining 45 soldiers surrendered. With the airfield secure the Commandoes went on to destroy eleven Bf109 aircraft that were parked there.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

103 Commando Brigade arrived by parachute and glider north of Le Muy on the northern side of the Nartuby River. Colonel Spencer and the 1st RMAAG were airdropped at 23:30 with Col Joe Cawley and 19RMAAG following twenty minutes later in gliders. Lt Col Mark Collet OC 19 RMLI quickly grouped his men together, 6 of his Commandoes had confirmed broken limbs and another pair sever lacerations when one of the gliders crashed into a stone wall. Fortunately there were no fatalities. Major Charles Ranson RM and his armoured cars of 19 RMASG and Major Roy Smith RM, 19 LRMSU and their light support 6x6 trucks quickly advanced on the village of Le Muy. A battalion of German soldiers garrisoned in the village were swiftly captured without a shot being fired. Support troop 19 RMLI set up a road block with two 3” shoulder AT guns and two Vickers medium machine guns guarding the bridge over the riviere la naruby. A rifle section, which also included two PIAT’s and a Vickers VGO provided Infantry support. Captain Les Spray RMA With 19 battery containing 8 25 pounder field guns, spent most of the night digging in on the forested hills to the east. Captain Denis Stevens RM And his 19 light AA battery also dug in, in the same location.
Another hour followed before Phibbs and 3RMLI landed by glider. They quickly established strongpoints all along the the Argens valley to prevent the enemy advancing on the beach-head.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

Throughout the day and night the relentless bombing in the north intensified. At Lille and in Ghent a large numbers of locomotives were wrecked. The rail yards at Juvisy and La Chapelle near Paris were completely destroyed after single attacks on each, with minimal collateral damage. Railroad wagon numbers were reduced from 70,000 to 10,000 following the raids. A raid on a military depot at Lyon destroyed many tanks and vehicles.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

The moon was full in the sky as men from the 1er Commando Français de l'Afrique du Nord came ashore near Cap Nègre. After assailing the cliff they discovered that the suspected gun emplacement was still under construction. Four German soldiers guarding the building site were silently killed. 30 minutes later more landing craft arrived carrying French Commandoes, who quickly set up road blocks on the main costal road.

On the Îles d'Hyères Canadian Commandoes and American Rangers came ashore at 02:00. On Port Cros after a few skirmishes the German garrison was quickly captured. On Île du Levant French Commandoes came ashore at Plage des Grottes, where the marched on the garrison at Fort Napoleon. It was captured without a fight.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

At La Mole the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, of the 101st successfully captured the airfield following a brief firefight which killed 20 Germans and captured another 58. The 502nd, commanded by Colonel John H. Michaelis, established a perimeter around the airfield to permit its use as a forward supply centre for supply gliders. The 501st Regiment had been dropped in the wrong place, When Kinnard arrived at La Mole village, his troopers had already taken the bridge over the La Verne River. Meanwhile, the 2nd Battalion of the 501st seized the bridge over the Ruisseau de Carian 3/4 of a mile to the southwest.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

U.S. 17th Airborne Division ‘Thunder From Heaven,’ commanded by Maj. Gen. William ‘Bud’ Miley began to arrive at Hyères at 01:17. The 507th Parachute Infantry, commanded by Colonel Edson Raff, captured the airfield and small harbour. They were followed by Colonel James ‘Lou’ Coutts’ 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment that secured the two bridges across the Gapeau river. On their heels, the 194th Glider Infantry Regiment of Colonel James R. Pierce landed at the airfield and advanced to Hyères, capturing the town just after sunrise.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

The 82nd Airborne were targeted the area at Vidauban. 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, took the road and rail bridges over the River Argens 2.5 and 1 mile east of the town respectively. The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment were assigned the hills overlooking the bridge across the River L’Aille 3 miles west of the town and the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment the capture of the town itself.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

Naval convoys approached the attack areas during darkness and arrived in the Initial Transport Areas codenamed Kodak in time to meet H hour.
H hour was set for 05:45, the attack convoys were required to be in the Initial Transport Areas at approximately H-3 hour in order to carry out the assault landing on schedule. As well as the major naval ships the convoys were made up of a further 175 RFA’s, 965 civilian cargo ships, 237 transports and 638 minor vessels.
Convoy speeds-of-advance used were thirteen knots for combat loaders, twelve and a half for LCIs, eight knots for LSTs, and six and a half for LCTs.
The Cavalaire-Agay area, extending southwest from Antibes to Cap Benat along the French Côte d’Azur, was chosen for the landings. The stretch of coast provided good sea approaches, and German formations were of mediocre quality, and was a suitable bridgehead for attacks on the strategic ports of Toulon and Marseilles farther to the southwest. The proximity of the landing area to Corsica was also advantageous, since additional tactical air-support assets were based there.
The initial landing was off 5 Divisions, the American 1st Armoured, the American 3rd Armoured, the French 2nd Armoured, the British 7th Armoured and the British 1st Armoured on Romeo, Alpha, Delta, Camel and Rosie respectively.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

The strategic bombing started well before the landing, and targeted airports, traffic hubs, railroads, coastal defenses, and communication lines. The Allied ground and naval forces were supported by a large aerial fleet of 3470 planes. 1,300 Allied medium and heavy bombers arrived from Algeria, Italy, Sardinia, and Corsica. Bombing was continuous from 05:45 until 07:30, heavy bombers ranged far up the Rhône river, and fighters struck targets from Sète to Nice.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

At 07:40 the battleships and cruisers launched spotting aircraft and began firing on specific targets detected by aerial surveillance. Naval gunners provided not only massive weights of exploding metal but also sophisticated firing schedules designed to catch the defenders off guard. Experience taught that the Germans would often remain in deep bunkers until any artillery fire slackened, then rushed outside to take up positions before the Allied infantry and armour arrived. Recognizing this, Naval artillery preparations would consist of a period of massive artillery fire, a few minutes without firing, and then renewed shelling to catch the defenders in the open after they left their bunkers.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

On board HMS Vindictive 100 miles to the south Admiral Ramsey along with Supreme Allied Commander General Jacob Loucks Devers, Field Marshall Wilson Allied Commander Mediterranean and U.S. Eighth Fleet, commander Vice Admiral Henry Kent Hewitt, kept an eye on progress. Radar control operators were having a busy time monitoring the movements of the heavy bomber force, RAF & USAAF medium and fighter-bombers, transport aircraft, glider tugs and gliders flying in heavily congested airspace. A careful eye was also kept for an expected appearance of the Luftwaffe. Currently two AS10’s from HMS Ark Royal and another pair from HMS Excalibur were flying over the target zone.
Throughout the night the Gallants of the Carrier Air Patrols (CAP) of the carriers were constantly responding to radar intercepts and sighting reports, though no enemy aircraft actually appeared.
Onboard HMS Invincible the Thunderbolts were squeezed into the hangar, the aircraft were wheeled on to a tram-line trolley system that allowed the machine to be twisted onto an angle and moved down the hangar. This was to ensure there was a clear line down the centre of the hangar space for maintenance crews and their equipment to move about efficiently. The first day’s Thunderbolt operations began at 06.15 and ended some 13 hours later. Sorties lasted about 85 minutes – 60 minutes in the combat zone, with the remainder being spent in launch and landing. The eight squadrons were rotated to enable a total of 20 jets operating above the beach-heads. The reality of operations were somewhat different. With wind speed at zero, a constant sea haze made launching and recovery hazardous for the fast landing aircraft. But the Thunderbolt had also proven it possessed excellent carrier-deck take-off characteristics, needing as little as 5mph of “over-deck” wind to get into the air. And in spite of its evil deck-landing reputation, the jet squadrons also proved to be capable of catching an arrester-wire at 40-second intervals.
The Thunderbolts“first blood” came during these landings – a French Dewoitine D520 shot down by an 801 Squadron pilot of HMS Invincible near Fréjus at 08:20 and a Ju88 also was claimed by 828 Squadron twenty minutes later as it loitered near the assault ships anchored of Cavalaire-sur-Mer.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

With the Astronomical twilight at 03:59 the Combined Operations Pilotage Party for Task Force Rosie swam ashore. Their primary operation was to assist Commandoes from 7 RMAAG under Colonel TBW Sandall to come ashore at Le Trayas. First to arrive at 04:45 in two LCI’s were Alpha Troop 7RMLI with their commanding officer Lt Col. Fredrick Spencer Chapman. The men disembarked at the small marina before proceeded into the village of Miramar. Six more LCI’s sailed unto the beach and the Commandoes quickly took up defensive positions covering the village. At 05:30 a convoy of nine Alligators and 15 DD Matilda tanks came ashore along with five Terrapin amphibious cargo carriers belonging to 1, 3 and 19 RMAAG. As they progressed inland French villagers began to appear on the streets to cheer their arrival. Major Gordon Stockley and his 5 DD Matilda’s swam up the beach and formed a blocking force between the railway and the coast road at the Abel Baliff beach 1/2 mile to the west.
At the same time Colonel Peter Young and his 17 RMAAG came ashore at Théoule-sur-Mer and secured the town, beach and harbour areas. The Morris trucks and Daimler armoured cars followed by Whiskey Troop moved to conduct a reconnaissance in force into La Napoule.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

Naval gunfire ceased as the first landing craft headed ashore at 08:00.
The first wave proper provided infantry forces support with engineers, Sentinel tanks, Vanguard Armoured Carriers and self-propelled guns of the 11th Hussars plus C Company 1st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corp raced past the Marines and progressed inland supported by the heavy armour from 103 Commando Brigade. If the enemy armour was in the area, self-propelled 17 pounders would take up overwatching positions behind the first line of attackers, waiting to ambush the German tanks when they appeared. Artillery and air support was planned to moved forward along with the attackers, who brushed past the German front-line defenses and reach the rear before sunset.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

Back on HMS Invincible four Ace fighters had just been launched when the ASV Oxford on overwatch at Romeo beach picked up a flight of FW190’s approaching the American landing craft on their run in to the beach. The German fighter-bombers managed to drop their ten bomb payload sinking an LCA and badly damaging three more before the Aces arrived. The piston engined aircraft were no match for the nimble jet fighters. Even though the dropped to wave top height, they were easily caught and all five were ripped apart by the RNAS aircrafts 20mm guns.

During the night the aerodrome at Mandelieu had been bombed twice, but a reconnaissance flight by an RNAS Grendel from 802 squadron on Ark Royal reported ten French built Dewoitine D520 being brought out and prepared for combat operations. The information was relayed to a flight of four Sea Mosquito aircraft of 837 squadron who were loitering in the taxi rank. The twin engined Mossies came in low over Antibes, following the nine mile of coastline on their attack run, dropping their 500lbs bombs ranging over the main runway and apron. Three craters from the exploding ordinance rendered the runway inoperable and though none of the Luftwaffe’s French built fighters received direct hits, four were destroyed by debris from explosions on the apron and another pair were blown over destroying their landing gear.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

Major Gerry Schooley’s five Matilda tanks were the first to arrive at Le Muy at 16:20. His unit would remain in the village, where most of the young ladies would take the opportunity to get their photographs taken posing with the Commandoes or sitting on one of the vehicles turret.
Major Martin Richardson and his tanks met up with Colonel Spencer and dug in east of the village. Major Charles Ranson and his tanks were parked in support of the roadblock set up by 19RMLI support troop.

 

[Lord Wyclif]

General Friederich Wiese was informed of the landings at 09:00. He in turn tried to inform General Johannes Blaskowitz, head of Army Group G but covert commando units and the French Resistance had cut all telephone lines south of Lyon. It was 12:45 before Wiese could get any organisation into his forces. Many units had been captured before they could even get to their posts.
The second wave of landing craft had already off loaded their troops and the third wave was expected by low tide at 14:49. Wiese requested the immediate assistance of the 11th Panzer Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. Wend von Wietersheim, which was at half strength with 14,000 men, but only 26 PzKpfw. IV tanks and 49 French built S38 tanks at hand. However, the division was under Adolf Hitler’s control and could not be released from reserve without the Führer’s permission.
It was evening before Berlin received the report of the landing. By this time British armoured columns from 12 Lancers had already advanced 10 miles from the beachhead to La Baisse and also secured the bridge over the Le Siagne river towards Cannes. The 11th Hussars had advanced to Draguignan 18 miles inland, and took control of the Villa Gladys headquarters of General Ferdinand Neuling capturing him and his staff in the process.