Fred's Tales
HMS Indomitable's adventures with the Royal Navy Far East Fleet
Early on Indomitable went to Bombay for docking down and so we were told to improve ventilation. Unfortunately on the Port side forward, mid way between the water line and flight deck they removed the shimmering disk – a very small dingy sized motor boat about ten foot over all length, plated over the ship’s side and turned it in to a mess for twenty men. Similar docking was done on the Starboard side. After a week in Bombay, rest visit, if you please, we returned to Trincomalee, took the flag of Admiral Sir Philip Vian, who also assumed overall command of the aircraft carriers. We continued operations against the Japanese, striking targets in Sumatra, Malaya, Burma, the scattered islands, venturing in to the Malacci Straights between Singapore and North Sumatra, oil refineries, etc.
The Barracuda aircraft were used in their designed and primary role, that of dive-bombers. One pilot had a green pet monkey, which always flew, in the cockpit with him. At one point when diving the monkey blacked out and went hurtling around the cockpit. Inadvertently on its travels it grabbed the bomb release lever, and of course down went the bombs,,, it actually struck and sank a Japanese ship that was in the harbour that nobody was aware of.
The routine was always the same, one week, seven days; out on strikes followed by one week, seven days, at Trincomalee harbour, storing and ammunitioning ship, doing repairs and maintenance. Shore leave was no good, as the village of Trincomalee consisted of about half a dozen small huts, and a general store/shop. The only thing worth buying was orange pekoe tea for us on board or to send home.
Indomitable operated like this, our targets including oil storage tanks and harbour installations at Panghalan Brandan, Belawan Deli and Japanese airfields at Sabang and Singapore. On the last day of 1944 an attack was carried out on Panghalan Brandan to finish the place off. By that time Indomitable had replaced all her aircraft with Avengers and HellCats, which of course meant that the squadron personnel changed. The Japanese had always broadcast that the army pilots captured would immediately be executed. This also applied to any ship’s company of the carriers, We were also warned that if the ship should be sunk, and anybody was lucky enough to make it to shore to destroy all pay books, etc, and conceal the fact that you were from a carrier.
On its passage from Ceylon to Australia the fleet was asked to carry out a strike on the oil fields and tanks at Palembang and Sumatra. The Americans had tried but without success. The targets in the Palembang area where at Songei Gerong, which had been the East Indies oil refinery for the Standard Oil Company. The other was at Pladjoe, the former Royal Dutch Shell refinery. Both were quite large and between them produced and supplied 50% of the oil used by Japan, including 75% of the vital aviation spirit. A heavy blow would cause irretrievable damage to the Japanese war effort. When the fleet was in position to commence it then consisted of: The first Aircraft Carrier Squadron: Indomitable (Flag), Illustrious, Indefatigable and Victorious. Cruisers: Argonaut, Black Prince and Eurgglus. Two destroyer flotillas: Grenville, Undine, Urza, Undaunted, Kemperfelt, Wakeful, Whirlwind, Wager and Welp. HMS Suffolk had returned to Ceylon, and Ceylon (The ship) had been despatched to rejoin later with mail, together with the destroyer Wessex with radar spares.
The position chosen for flying off was a position between Emgano Island and the coast of Southern Island. It was decided at the last moment to strike at Pladjoe first, as it was the largest. Bad weather conditions prevented flying off on 21/22 Jan, but cleared and fighter aircraft were flown off to form a C.A.P. (Combat air patrol) over the Jap airfields. Indomitable mounted 4 Avengers and 4 Hellcats over Mana airfield. Strike force flew off at 0615 am 24th Jan. They had an 11, 000-ft mountain range to cross before the target. Each Avenger carried 4 500lb bombs and the Fireflies carried rockets. Damages inflicted later confirmed by photographic reckon were powerhouse, crude oil distilleries, a refining unit and the radio station.
The fighter escort claimed thirteen definite and six probable at a cost to us of six corsairs and one Hellcat.
What we didn’t know and the Americans did, but for one reason or another did not pass on to us, was that there was a very heavy concentration of Flak around Palembang. It had actually turned back the Flying Fortresses attacking. Our aircraft had to fly though it. Although badly damaged the Avengers did manage to get back, although staggering. A Walrus Amphibian from the fleet flew in to Lake Raman in search of a missing aircrew, but this was not considered an extremely dangerous enterprise. By 10:25 embarkation of aircraft was completed and the fleet retired at 22 knots, to refuel. After refuelling and dispatching the pilots’ reports, especially in view of the fact that the Japanese would be expecting a second attack, accordingly on the 29th January it was decided to fly off. Japanese air forces were soon engaged, losses on both sides being heavy. The attack caused extensive damage to the distilling and powerhouse complexes, the whole refinery being left on flames. This was Songei Gerong. We lost four Avengers, one Firefly, one Corsair, and deck crashes amounted to 25 of all types of aircraft. The Japanese lost 38 destroyed on the ground, 30 in the air, plus 7 probables. Fourteen Japanese bombers carried out a low-level attack on the fleet. All fourteen were shot down with no damage to the ships. Unfortunately, the Illustrious was hit by two 5.25" shells from one of the cruisers. This caused 12 fatalities and 12 wounded.