alternatehistory.com
3 May 1945 - A return to the old world
3 May 1945, aboard HMS King George V
How rapidly events had changed thought Vice Admiral Bernard Rawlings. He looked again at his new instructions.
“Proceed to Sydney where you are to rendezvous with HMS Implacable, an Australian squadron and shipping support, there to embark elements of the 7th and 9th Australian Divisions and 4th Armoured Brigade and Commando elements and then proceed to Grand Harbour, Malta for deployment in European Theatre of operations.”
Over 100 ships including five Fleet carriers, three modern battleships, seven light cruisers and more than 20 destroyers, with as many as 70 support ships, were to turn their noses back to Sydney, their eventual destination Malta and then deployment against a new enemy.
Aboard the command ship USS Eldorado, Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner faced the problem of how to move a whole fleet. The U.S 7th Fleet consisted of a hundred of ships but more than five times that. Three Marine Divisions and the 98th Infantry plus a fleet consisting of 22 escort carriers, 13 battleships, 12 cruisers and 51 destroyers as well destroyer escorts and a myriad of other units would all receive order to deploy to Europe. Only the fast carriers would stay in the Pacific region.
How rapidly events had changed thought Vice Admiral Bernard Rawlings. He looked again at his new instructions.
“Proceed to Sydney where you are to rendezvous with HMS Implacable, an Australian squadron and shipping support, there to embark elements of the 7th and 9th Australian Divisions and 4th Armoured Brigade and Commando elements and then proceed to Grand Harbour, Malta for deployment in European Theatre of operations.”
Over 100 ships including five Fleet carriers, three modern battleships, seven light cruisers and more than 20 destroyers, with as many as 70 support ships, were to turn their noses back to Sydney, their eventual destination Malta and then deployment against a new enemy.
Aboard the command ship USS Eldorado, Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner faced the problem of how to move a whole fleet. The U.S 7th Fleet consisted of a hundred of ships but more than five times that. Three Marine Divisions and the 98th Infantry plus a fleet consisting of 22 escort carriers, 13 battleships, 12 cruisers and 51 destroyers as well destroyer escorts and a myriad of other units would all receive order to deploy to Europe. Only the fast carriers would stay in the Pacific region.
- johnboy
- Word Count: 210