AHTL:Vox Non Incerta

[HMS Audacious]

2nd December 1939

The second troop convoy of Canadian troops leave's Halifax Nova Scotia consisting of five fast liners carrying 7400 men consisting members of the 48th Highlanders of Canada regiment and Ontario (Black Cats) regiment. Escorting the troop ships out of Canadian water's are four Royal Canadian Navy destroyers who will hand over escort to the Royal Navy.

Part of the escort for the crossing of the mid Atlantic consists of the battlecruiser Repulse, battleship Resolute and the carrier Argus. With the hand over of the five fast liners Argus launches four Swordfish on anti submarine patrol.

 

[HMS Audacious]

7th December 1939 North Atlantic

With most of the troop convoy TC2 across the Atlantic three light cruisers and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse leave behind HMS Argus and Resolute to meet six destroyers to escort the convoy into Liverpool. Unknown to the elderly carrier U-36 which is on a mine laying mission to lay the new magnetic mine in the mersey estuary spots her and her charge at 10 knots. The Captain of U-36 waits until both the elderly carrier and battleship is within 2000 yards and fires four torpedoes and dives to 150 feet incase a destroyer is in the vicinity.

 

[HMS Audacious]

7th December 1939 Mersey Estuary

With U-36 firing four torpedoes from 2000 yards and HMS ARGUS steaming at 10 knots the result was never in doubt three of the torpedoes hit. One of the torpedoes fails to explode while the other two explode near the engine room. The damage to the engines cause the elderly carrier to stop dead in the middle of the main shipping channel.

A call is made to John Brown and Sons at Birkenhead for two tug boats to rescue the elderly carrier. As the carrier is dead in the water U-36 who is now at 1200 yards and got two torpedoes reloaded fires another torpedo at her. The damage control party had managed to counter flood to keep the elderly carrier afloat. With the most of the crew in life boats and two Swordfish able to fly off the carrier. The fish runs hot straight and normal hitting again near the engine room. Argus is doomed the last torpedo ruins any chance to save her.

Two of the destroyers that escorted convoy TC2 are sent to find and sink the U-boat. Onboard Resolute the survivors from Argus are brought onboard and taken to Liverpool docks for treatment. The only casualties are four of the damage control party when the fourth torpedo hits and sends two into a bulkhead.

 

[HMS Audacious]

U-36 Mersey Estuary

With HMS Argus sunk U-36 leaves the Mersey Estuary and heads into the Irish Sea and home to Willhamshaven to what is hoped to be a hero's welcome. The two destroyers that were sent to find the u-boat fail to find her.

 

[HMS Audacious]

8th January 1940 Kiel Germany

The first of the Kreigsmarine's aircraft carriers KMS Graf Zeppelin now complete sails through the Kiel Canal and into the Baltic for sea trials under the command of Rear Admiral Gunther Lutjens. Part of his air group consists of the Arado 196C fighter, The Fi 167 bi-plane torpedo bomber and the Ju-87C dive bomber.

The design of the Graf Zeppelin is unique due to being powered by twelve diesel engines.

12th January Baltic Sea

The first training accident on the Graf Zeppelin happens when a JU-87C fails to launch. The problem occurs when the catapult jams and then launches the Stuka over the bow. Both pilot and rear gunner are killed when they are dragged under the ship and into the propellers. Rear Admiral Lutjens on the advice of the Japanese observer decides not to use the catapults till they can either be fixed onboard or when they get back to Kiel.

 

[HMS Audacious]

16th February 1940

Having managed to sneak through the Denmark Strait the resupply ship Altmark enters Norwegian territorial waters.
The Norwegians first search the vessel on the 15th and find nothing out of the ordinary even though the prisoners are making noise down in the hold. The next time they search the vessel Admiral Carston Tank-Nielson personnely inspects the tanker.

Unknown to the Altmark the admiralty are warned by bletchley park that the Altmark is carrying an unknown amount of merchant men from the Graf Spee. The first lord of the admiralty sir Winston Churchill sends four destroyers under the command of captain Philip Vian on the tribal class destroyer Cossack. Churchill personally tells captain Vian that if the Norwegians interfere he is to force the issue and board the Altmark but he wants the merchant men freed at any cost.

 

[HMS Audacious]

The light cruisers HMS Belfast and Edinburgh along with the carrier HMS Glorious to act as cover for the four destroyers under the overall command of Rear Admiral Wake Walker.

Onboard HMS Cossack captain Vian increases speed to 32 knots and to close towards the Norwegian coast. Four torpedo boats sortie from Stavanger to interdicte the RN from entering Norwegian waters. Glorious turns into the wind and launches eight Goshawk fighters, four as CAP over the covering force and the other four to cover the four destroyers.

 

[HMS Audacious]

Kapitain Heinrich Dau on the bridge of the Altmark which is being escorted by the RNN destroyer Garm and two torpedo boats spots smoke on the horizon. HMS Cossack moves to block the tanker but is forced to move when the Garm moves to intercept the British destroyer. Captain Vian again moves to intercept the tanker, This time the Norwegian destroyer Garm attempts to block the destroyer but decides better of it when Cossack fires two 4.7 MM shells across the tankers bow. Dau onboard Altmark orders a hard turn towards Jossingfjord. Onboard Cossack Captain Vian moves his destroyer to follow the tanker.

Mean while messages are being sent between London and Oslo. The Norwegian government is in uproar over British aggression against Norwegian neutrality, While London is screaming that the Altmark has British, French and Norwegian sailors onboard and that Germany has broken Norwegian neutrality laws by not releasing their prisoners.

Captain Vian sends a message via blinker light to the Norwegian destroyer that he is under orders to open fire on the tanker and anyone who is harbouring her as there is 300 merchantmen including Norwegians onboard. At 1500 hours the Norwegians pull back to 8000 yards and allow Cossack to close with tanker.

Captain Dau sends a message to Berlin asking for orders as a RN destroyer has closed to 3000 yards in Norwegian waters. Ten minutes later he gets a reply that he is to remain where he is as the cruiser Nurnburg is on route to escort him back to Germany with his prisoners.

 

[HMS Audacious]

Onboard Cossack Captain Vian and fifteen of his ships crew armed with Webley revolvers, Lee Enfeild SMLE iii rifles and two lewis machine guns are lowered in a boat into the water. During the crossing to the tanker Vian orders three of the crew to get to the bridge and take the German Captain under arrest while two more are to go to the radio room and the rest are to come with him to rescue the prisoners.

As soon as Vian and his boarding party step foot on the Altmark all hell breaks loose as a German HMG opens fire. One crewmember is wounded as the chief engineer shoves Vian to the ground. Three of the boarding part lead by petty officer Athel Smith manages to make their way behind the machine gun and kills the two men there. With the machine gun nest now silent Vian and six of the crew enter the tanker proper.

Eventually the boarding party reach the hold someone shouts are there any British below. A tremendous yell assured Vian that the prisoners are all British. Vian shouts "Come on up then, The Navy is here" a loud cheer is heard from within. On the bridge captain Dau and his first officer are under the watchful eye of a hard scots man armed with a Lewis gun and a revolver. Captain Dau and his first officer are taken from the bridge down to the deck and transferred to HMS Cossack along with the rest of the tankers crew.

 

[HMS Audacious]

With the prisoners freed from the Altmark and the Germans now POW's, Captain Vian assigns four of the prisoners to bury the dead. Two of the boarding party are tasked to keep the Germans under control while five of the party keep the ninety six other prisoners under control.

On-board the light cruiser Nurnburg at 32 knots the crew are preparing for action with the Royal Navy. Unknowingly to the Germans the four destroyers are being covered by Glorious.

 

[HMS Audacious]

With the dead of both sides buried and the Altmark crew now having to be released into Norwegian custody at their behest, HMS Cossack and the three other destroyers are asked to leave Norwegian waters. The crew of the German tanker are put back on board and asked to leave as well. They will be allowed to leave two hours after the RN has departed.

Seventy-five miles away and under a heavy cloud bank HMS Glorious and her escorts Belfast and Edinburgh slowly manoeuvres at 18 knots are advised that the Altmark crew are back oonboard and sailing back to Germany. The Admiralty orders that the tanker is to be sunk as soon as they are out of the Norwegian waters. A strike of Skua dive-bombers and Swordfish torpedo bombers in one wave is expected to be enough to sink her.

 

[HMS Audacious]

With the Altmark now out of the Norwegian waters and KMS Nurnburg fifty miles away from the tanker, HMS Glorious turns into the wind and launches twelve Swordfish and ten Skua with eight Goshawks as escort. Onboard Nurnburg the Arado 196B is launched on a eighty mile scouting mission. Captain Vian Onboard Cossack decides to shadow Altmark incase the airstrike doesn't sink the German tanker.

Four Me-110 heavy fighters which took off from an airfield outside of Kiel to act as cover for the Altmark and Nurnburg.

 

[HMS Audacious]

With the Altmark now out of Norwegian waters and heading south at 12 knots and unknowingly being watched by a Sunderland flying boat which is relaying the modified tankers course and speed to both Glorious and Cossack. The four ME-110 find the lumbering flying boat with three circling just out of range of the numerous 7.7 mm machine guns, While the leader moves behind the Sunderland.

Unfortunately for the ME-110 the eight Goshawks from Glorious that are escorting the strike jump the twin engined heavy fighters. The fighter that was manoeuvring to shoot down the flying boat disintegrates under a hail of 20mm cannon shells from a Goshawk diving from twelve thousand feet. The three remaining fighters break from the Sunderland flying boat and climb to intercept the Goshawks. Unfortunately for the German's seven thousand feet below them the ten Skua are closing in the Altmark.

The Swordfish split into flights of three each and unseen by both the fighters and the crew of the German tanker close to 1800 yards and send six 18in torpedoes towards the Altmark.

 

[HMS Audacious]

The Arado 196b float plane from the Nurnburg on it's eighty mile scouting mission spots the Altmark coming under fire from the Swordfish and increases speed to try and split one section of the torpedo bombers. The Altmark has no chance at twelve knots and unable to turn fast enough to evade all six fish. Four fish hit two on the port and one on the starboard side ripping massive holes in the converted tanker. The fourth fish hits near the main fuel tanks which still contains twenty five tonnes of diesel fuel rupturing the tanks. Unfortunately for the Altmarks crew which is undisciplined and a untidy vessel with electric wires exposed. One of these exposed wires shorts sending sparks flying.

Captain Dau knowing that he still has oil onboard shouts abandon ship. As oil that has been leaking out of the tank catches fire and spreads rapidly. Within minutes an all mighty explosion lifts the converted tanker out of the water killing captain Dau and thirty of the crew instantly. Two of the Swordfish that were about to launch their torpedoes are knocked into the water by the shockwave killing both pilots and injuring the four other crew members.

 

[HMS Audacious]

With the Altmark blown up and most of the crew in the cold water of the North Sea looking up at the dogfight between the Luftwaffe and the FAA. Two of the ME-110 try and dive to escape the eight Goshawks four 20mm cannon. The third trys to get into a turning fight with a Goshawk piloted by Lt George Henry Jones of 804 Squadron. Lt Jones who has had tactics drilled into him and his squadron mates about how to use the Goshawk effectively by commander William *Bill* Bruen. Jones instead of getting into a dogfight with the German breaks left and climbs up and behind the heavy fighter. The pilot of the ME-110 desperately looking for Jones breaks right to try and find the Goshawk instead finds Commander Bruen making a head on pass with all four cannon blazing at 300 yards. Bruen sends the German down in flames.

The light cruiser Arathusa who was returning from Hull to Scapa Flow is diverted to pick up survivors from the Altmark. U-25 who was watching the battle can't believe their luck as the cruiser slows down to try and bring on some of the surviving crew for the Altmark. The submerged Uboat fires two torpedoes at the now slow cruiser. Both torps hit and ripping a big hole in the cruiser. U-25 surfaces to try and take some of the surviving crew from the Altmark.

The Skua dive-bombers who until that point had no target decide to try and sink the surfaced Uboat. The leader of the Skua sends off a message *SSS* the message is picked up on Cossack who was shadowing the German tanker.

 

[HMS Audacious]

With the Arathusa dead in the water and slowly sinking, The captain sends off a message that his ship has been torpedoed and the crew of the German tanker is still in the water. The Skuas who are armed with anti-ship weapons not anti-submarine weapons decide to try and sink the surfaced Uboat. The lead Skua dives from four thousand feet and releases it's 500lb AP bomb, which misses by forty-five yards scaring the Uboat to crash dive to escape the dive-bombers.

HMS Hood which is being escorted by four destroyers for a small refit is ordered to converge on the light cruiser and the Altmark survivors who are starting to go into shock. The submarine sighting is passed to the flagship and Admiral Holland on board Hood asks for six Goshawks as cover for his ship along with six Swordfish loaded with ASW to drive the submerged Uboat deep while they pick up survivors from both ships.

 

[HMS Audacious]

With Nurnburg closing in the Altmark survivors and the crippled light cruiser Arathusa the remaining nine Skuas return to the carrier due to low fuel. A strike of Swordfish that was with the Skuas and Goshawks return to Glorious to rearm and refuel for a anti submarine strike.

The carrier Ark Royal who was to leave for Gibraltar from Scapa Flow with six destroyers and the light cruisers Newcastle and Manchester are sent to cover Hood. With the impromptu battlegroup out of British waters and heading east at 32 knots.

Onboard Ark Royal twelve Goshawks are being prepared and armed to cover Hood . Also being prepared are the first Autogyro to be sent to sea by the Royal Navy. The Cierva C.40 which only went to testing in early 1938 and was to be tested in the calmer seas of the Mediterranean. It is hoped that they can be used as a scouting force and to maximise the amount of aircraft available for carrier strikes at the enemy.

The first C.40 powered by a Bristol Jupiter engine VIFM rated at 440 horse power and giving a range of 285 miles and a maximum range of 330 miles at a cruising speed of 145 mph.

Four Goshawks are launched from Ark Royal on a combat air patrol over the impromptu battlegroup. Another eight are kept back to reinforce the aircraft on CAP while the twelve Goshawks are sent southeast at maximum speed to cover Hood and the Destroyers.

 

[HMS Audacious]

With the first two C.40 Autogyro taking off and heading southeast at 150 mph to act as anti submarine patrol a second pair of C.40 are launched from Ark Royal and head east on a two hundred mile anti submarine patrol.

Onboard Glorious a strike of eight Swordfish armed with depth charge bombs are armed and fueled in the hangers. It is hoped to sink the Uboat but driving her deep enough so that the Hood escorts can pick up survivors from both the Arathusa and the Altmark. Admiral Holland onboard Hood is informed that there is Luftwaffe aircraft in the area of the survivors.

With the dogfight between the Luftwaffe and the FAA still continuing four more ME-110 escorting eight HE-111 and four Junkers Ju-88 bombers at near their maximum range arrive over the still a float Arathusa. The four Ju-88 begin their attack runs on the slowly sinking and dead in the water cruiser. The Goshawks running low on fuel turn into the new ME-110 to find eight Goshawks from Glorious have arrived to take over as cover. Squadron leader William Bruen gets his squadron mates to return to Glorious while four Goshawks split off and head towards the Ju-88s. The first time the Luftwaffe notice that the FAA has sent reinforcements is when the flight leader of the Ju-88 explodes under a hail of 20mm cannon shells curtesy of a Goshawk piloted by Flying officer Henry Jones.

 

[HMS Audacious]

With the first JU-88 going down in flames the other three dive for wave top height and away from the Goshawks. The escorting ME-110 find that the Goshawks are nimble and hard to shoot down due to their speed and tight turning circle as a HE-111 spirals down inflames. 8000 feet below the Arathusa is starting to sink despite her crews best efforts to keep her afloat. The Nurnburg having pushed her engines to near breaking point to get to thirty-eight thousands yards from the Arathusa and the Altmark survivors.

On board HMS Hood vice admiral Holland who doesn't know that the Kreigsmarine has sent reinforcements to pick up survivors from the Altmark assumes that the Uboat has either gone deep or has escaped. One of the C.40 Autogyro launched from Ark Royal spots U-18 on the surface and heading north-east towards Norwegian waters. The crew of U-18 who doesn't know what the strange looking flying machine is stays on the surface as the Autogyro radios to Ark Royal who sends the sighting report off to all the Royal Navy ships in the area.

 

[HMS Audacious]

With the sighting report received from the Autogyro sent on by Ark Royal to every Royal Navy ship in the area. Unfortunately Hoods battle group doesn't pick up the signal due being under a heavy squall and continues on eastward at 28 knots through rough seas.

With the ME-110's trying to get behind the more nimble Goshawks and the HE-111's trying to line up to start there attack runs on the Arathusa eight more Goshawks from Glorious who pushed there Hercules engines to near melting point to get extra cover over Arathusa.

With Hoods battle group closing on the stricken light cruiser at 28 knots and closing fast on the Nurnburg. The eight new Goshawks lead by a Polish exile flight leader Jerzy Swordski sends a HE-111 down in flames from three hundred yards and barrel roles away as a ME-110 who manages to make it behind Swordski flies past the Goshawk who gets behind the ME-110 and closes to 300 yards sending twenty cannon shells through the left engine sending it tumbling in flames.