SPIRIT OF ARK ROYAL CANADIAN NAVAL BUILDING

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23717, 15 August 1942, Page 5

SPIRIT OF ARK ROYAL

CANADIAN NAVAL BUILDING

AIRCRAFT-CARRIER’S STORY

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, August 13. ‘‘The Germans sank the Ark Royal, yet something remained which they could not sink. That gallant company had been close to death many times and reached the peaks of life. Together they created that indestructible fellowship which became the spirit of the Ark Royal. That spirit was real if imponderable, and more enduring than the ship itself. Those of the Ark Royal will take it with them m other ships and other aircraft out to sea and into the sky.” That is the keynote of the full story of the aircraft-carrier Ark Royal which has now been told in a book issued by the Admiralty. The Ark Royal, carrying 1575 men and 60 aircraft. began her career in this war cruising off the Orkney Islands to prevent enemy ships leaving the North Sea. Her Swordfish aircraft flew on reconnaissance over Norway and located the survivors of the ship Fanad Head. They bombed a U-boat which attacked and the Ark Royal just escaped a torpedo. In October, 1939, the Ark Royal sailed to Freetown, and later to Cape Town, to intercept the Graf Spec. She crossed to Rio de Janeiro on her way to the River Plate, but turned back after hearing that the Graf Spee had been scuttled. After refitting in England she sailed for Alexandria in March, 1940, when her aircraft wore night flying over the desert. In April she was recalled to Scapa Flow and covered the troops in Norway. She was attacked continuously for 12 hours by German aircraft. She covered the evacuation from Norway and attacked the Scharnhorst in Trondheim. She left for Gibraltar in June and spotted for the Oran action against the French. She attacked the battleships Strasbourg and Dunkerque, helped to protect Mediterranean convoys, raided Cagliari, and attacked the Italian Fleet. Returning to Freetown in September the Ark Royal took part in the Dakar action. She returned to the Mediterranean, bombed Genoa in February. 1941, and continued convoy and offensive action until she was torpedoed off Gibraltar in November.

SHIPS FOR BRITAIN AND U.S. (Received August 14, 7 p.m.) OTTAWA. August 13. The Minister of the Navy (Mr A. Macdonald) said that it was probable that Britain would give the United States some of the 100 warships now under construction in Canada for Britain. They were mainly corvettes and minesweepers. Fifty had been commissioned for the Navy this year. “The Battle of the Atlantic is not any worse.” said Mr Macdonald. “Ships are still going through. Canadian warships are doing one-third of the escort work, the United States one-third. The British likewise are taking their share. Additional Canadian ships are convoying north and south and operating down to the Caribbean.” Mr Macdonald said that the Royal Canadian Navy was making every effort to keep submarines out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but it was impossible to guarantee that a submarine would not come in. They could enter almost any area. Mr Macdonald added that the Canadian Navy has received a message of congratulation from the First Lord of the Admiralty. The congratulations were,on convoy work, and as the principal business of the Canadian Navy was submarine-hunting, it might be assumed that the hunting was good.