H.M.S. VICTORIOUS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 252, 23 October 1943, Page 5

H.M.S. VICTORIOUS

I SERVICE IN PACIFIC Captain's Story Of Co-operation With American Fleet British Official Wireless Rcc. 11 a.m. RUGBY. Oct. 22. The manner in which the British | aircraft-carrier Victorious, went to I the Pacific to serve side by side with the American Navy was described in London to-day by her commander, Captain Lachlan D. Mackintosh, D.5.0., D.F.C. The Victorious went first to the North Virginia navy yard, where the ship's personnel were royally entertained, and then was taken through the Panama Canal "with a shoe horn." The Victorious proceeded to Pearl Harbour, and an incident on the journey provided what Captain Mackintosh described as a "demonstration of the co-operation and I efficiency of the American Naval Air Force." There was a bad case of diphtheria aboard and the supply of the diphtheria serum both on the Victorious and the accompanying vessels was exhausted. Captain Mackintosh asked Panama to fly more serum to them. Sixteen and a half hours after the signal was received in Panama a Liberator met the fleet with the serum after a 1300mile flight. The Victorious duly arrived at an American base in the Pacific, and the Americans ("this was an instance of trust and fairness") gave Captain Mackintosh his full seniority. lie took command of a squadron which included one of the latest American battleships and a fleet of destroyers. Commanded American Ships "I took them 4000 miles, and on the way back I had under my command an even later American battleship," he said. "The Victorious then took part in the various operations, creating a carrier record by remaining at sea 28 days." In the course of these operations, Captain Mackintosh said, he never worked in such complete harmony as with the American officers. He was pleasantly surprised at their efficiency, as many had joined the service onlv since the outbreak. As evidence of the complete co-operation, he said, during offensive sweeps in the Pacific a squadron of pilots and planes was transferred to an American carrier, while a squadron from the latter came to the Victorious and operated from her. It was a tactical necessity, but, the tactical experience gained was invaluable, and the knowledge of operations and tactics exchanged would be of the highest importance when Britain, Australia and New Zealand mobilise their forces for the full-scale action in the Pacific. Captain Mackintosh said since he was commissioned two years ago the Victorious had steamed 150,000 miles. When the Victorious returned from , America, the Americans had many ! more carriers at sea. ■