1941, Friday 17 January;
Dawn broke over a calm sea as the sleek lines of the grey painted cruiser glided by the small jungle clad island, her guns traversing northwards, waiting for a glimpse of her prey, who’s rising smoke told of ship’s crews trying to raise steam. And as the island slide by port side, so the first of two torpedo boats emerged, anchored close to the shoreline. Gun fire breaks out, a number of shots, 76mm guns firing from the torpedo boat, water splashes well short of the cruiser.
The captain on the bridge listened, an officer reporting “range 8,000 metres”, “open fire” he replied, and first two and then a second later another two 155mm guns roared out. The shells crashed into the land behind, the gunnery officer noted and adjusted the range, and as the cruiser fully cleared the island so the aft two twin turrets fired, followed about five seconds later by the front guns. Hits! Flashes of explosions, debris flung in the air, smoke beginning to rise.
And now sight of a second torpedo boat emerges, anchored in line, further along the coastline. More gunnery adjustments, as the first two turrets reacquire their new target, the aft guns continuing to play fire on the first boat. More fire from single 76mm guns is coming in, inaccurate, sporadic. Further hits on the first torpedo boat, men now jumping off the ship, she’s well ablaze now, listing, in a sorry state.
A hit now on the second boat, a further two hits, smoke, fire. The first boat is listing badly now, going down, the sea rushing in to extinguish the fires, as she fills and sinks.
More hits on the second boat, no returning fire, men leaping off her too, swimming, trying to head for shore, 200 yards away, a sandy beach. Another salvo, hit after hit, explosions, debris in the air, the ship begins to roll over. “Cease Fire” and in the following silence, the noise of a ship breaking apart can be heard, escaping air bubbling up, as she too descends beneath the waves.
Another island begins to slide by, the last moments of the sinking boat lost behind the jungle foliage. They sail on, still at action stations, searching. The waters begin to shallow, and the captain orders a 180-degree turn. As she turns, her starboard side swinging northwards, a shout goes up, “Ship bearing 320, battleship, range 10,000 metres, open fire,” pauses in between as the information is processed.
The guns begin to fire, the fall of shot being observed, range adjusted. The “battleship” fires back, 8-inch shells whistling in. A small tall isle slides by, target lost, five, ten, fifteen seconds pass, she’s in sight again, gunfire begins, turret by turret. A hit, the bridge of the battleship, a large gunboat in reality, but another isle, slightly bigger, longer, sliding by, target lost, count the seconds, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, target back in sight.
The “Battleship has shifted her fire onto the two French sloops, who were offering support for the cruiser, sailing through another channel, salvoes falling all around the leading sloop. The cruiser resumes fire, as she turns about, rounding another of the small islands, port side swinging round again. A full salvo, the turn continuing, broadside on now, another full salvo, another hit, the battleship’s aft turret stops returning fire, belching smoke and fire, but she’s saved as another island slides by, the cruiser can’t use the channel to close with the “battleship”, due to the shallow waters. They count the seconds, awaiting the next gap between the islands, the “battleship” remaining in the shallower waters, in some safety.
The island passes, the “battleship in sight” again, looking in a bad way, burning fiercely, creeping northwards, away to safety. The guns resume, no returning fire, a straddle, a hit, the ship listing over to starboard, but still creeping north. Another island coming up and she’ll be out of sight, and out of range when they next acquire her again. A change of tactics, range 15,000 metres, launch torpedoes, four 22-inch fish dive in and surge forward, (maximum range at about 30 knots) as they near the next island. The fish swim by the island, heading for the “battleship” and the island obstructs their view again. The waters shallowing again, mustn’t ground, time to turn, orders given, and the bows swing round. Back pass the island, guns ready again, but no “battleship” in sight, she’s either sunk or beached further up the channel, but it’s too shallow to go look.
Time to break off the action, head back out into open sea. The sloops come into sight, and then two smaller gunboats, who had been covering a third channel, everybody happy. Semaphores flashing, formation set, and they begin the journey home.
Three hours after dawn now, and the warning cry “aircraft bearing…” the 3-inch AA guns swivelling round to acquire their targets. The planes begin their bombing run, the guns firing as fast as they could. Bombs fall, miss, near miss, hit, but it fails to explode, near miss, and then it’s over, the aircraft flowing home, the damage being assessed being minor, but a small price for what they had done.
The initial border skirmishes between France and Thailand had begun in late 1940, but had quickly developed in a full-scale war in the new year. Thai troops quickly overran Laos, the French were able to slow the advance down in Cambodia, but a counter attack failed. At best a stalemate for now. And in the air, Thailand had the better of it too.
But now France was fighting back, a major portion of the Thai navy was destroyed at the battle of Ko Chang, leaving Captain Regis Berenger, and his light cruiser
Lamotte-Picquet as heroes of Vichy France.
