COMBINED OPERATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 87, 14 April 1942, Page 5

COMBINED OPERATIONS

NEW CHIEF

LORD LOUIS MOUNTBATTEN

(tr.P.A. and Official Wireless.)

(Rec. noon.)

LONDON, April 13.

It is stated authoritatively that Lord Louis Mountbatten, who on October 19 last succeeded Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes in charge of combined operations, with the title of Adviser on Combined Operations and the rank of commodore (first class), on March 18 was appointed Chief of Com-

bined operations, with the acting rank of Vice-Admiral.

Lord Louis Mountbatten is 41 years old, and is a second cousin of the King.

He has had a long and adventurous service career. He entered the Royal Navy before reachirig the age of 13, and went to sea as a midshipman in 1916. During the last war he served in Admiral Beatty's flagships Lion and Queen Elizabeth. He also served in the submarine' K6 as a first lieutenant.. When the present war broke out he was in command of H.M.S. Kelly, of the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla. He was in the Kelly when she was damaged by a German mine towards the end of 1939, and when she was torpedoed in the North Sea in 1940. On both occasions he brought her home to port. He was on board H.M.S. Javelin when his flotilla engaged German destroyers in a night action in the English Channel on November 29, 1940. The Javelin was torpedoed during the action, but was able to return to port. Returning to H.M.S. Kelly, Lord Louis Mountbatten took his flotilla to the Mediterranean. His own ship was attacked by dive-bombers and sunk during the Battle of Crete, but he was picked up by another destroyer of his flotilla. Later he was given the command of H.M.S. Illustrious, and joined the air-craft-carrier while she was being repaired in a United States dock.— 8.0. W.