Big Aircraft-carrier Arrives at Wellington

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 281, 28 November 1945, Page 6

Big Aircraft-carrier Arrives at Wellington

Proud Record During The War Years (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 27. H.M.S. Indefatigable (Captain I. A. P. Maeintyre), wearing the Hag of ViceAdmiral Sir Philip Vian (Flag Officer Commanding the First Aircraft-carrier Squadron and Second-in-Command of the British .Pacific Fleet), with H.M.S. Wizard ('Lieut.-Commander R. H. Hodgkinson) and H.M.S. yrchin (Lieut.Commander D. R. N. Murdock) in company arrived off Wellington Heads soon after dawn to-day and later berthed at the wharf* With members of the crew lined up on the flight deck and with a number of her Sealires, Fireflies and Avengers glinting in the sunlight, the Indefatigable berthed just before noon. Her arrival was watched by thousands of people from vantage points in the city, but the crowd at the wharf was not large as the ship is not open to the public until later in the week. Escorted by the destroyers Wizard and Urchin in line astern, the Indefatigable presented a magnificent picture as she entered the Heads and made her way leisurely up the harbour, clearly defined against the surrounding hills. There was keen disappointment among the watchers that no flight of aircraft from the carrier appeared over the city, but the cloud ceiling was too low to enable the aircraft to take off in complete safety. As the carrier approached Aotea Quay, Admiral Vian received a signal from Captain Enright of the vessel Port Philip, which had an adjacent berth, recalling that they had not met since the time of a Malta convoy in 3942, in which both participated. While the vessels are in New Zealand waters, aircraft will fly off to make goodwill visits to air stations in New Zealand. One of the six large carriers in service iu the Royal Navy, H.M.S. Indefatigable is a sister ship of H.M.S. Implacable. She was built on the Clydeside, iu the j-ards of John Brown and Company. She was laid down in 1939, launched on December 8, 1942, and completed for service on May 3, 1943. Her full load displacement is more than 32,000 tons. She operates some 60 aircraft. Proud Record The Indefatigable's record includes operations against the Germans off Norway and against the Japanese in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. She has steamed nearly 120,000 miles, equivalent to five trips round the world. The Gorman battleship Tirpitz was the first enemy objective attacked by the Indefatigable’s aircraft (in June, 1944). She embarked Admiral Vian and left for the Far East in the following November. In January aud February she took part in a series of air strikes against enemy-held oil-fields in Sumatra with other famous carriers, the Indomitable (to which Admiral Vian had transferred his flag), Illustrious and Victorious. 3n cue strike at Palembang the Indefatigable was attacked by aircraft for the first time. All six or seven which attempted to bomb her were shot down. To achieve this her Sealires braved the ship’s flak and the squadron commander, Lieut.-Commander Crossland, was awarded the D.S.O. as a sequel. Covering the southern flank of tho American invasion of Okinawa in April, the fleet’s task was to neutralise airfields in the Sakishima area and to prevent enemy aircraft from leaving there, China or Formosa to reacii Okinawa. In the course of the Japanese retaliation the Indefatigable became the first British ship to be hit by a kamikaze plane (on April I). It crashed on the flight deck, causing fires and explosions. Ten men were killed outright, four subsequently died of wounds, and 14 others were injured. But the fact that the flight deck was armoured prevented more serious damage and heavier casualties. Indeed, 37 minutes after being hit tho ship was flying off aircraft again. Her next operation was against the Japaneso homeland iu July. The Indefatigable was part of tho British task group which ranged off the Japanese coast with United States task groups to attack airfields, shipping, and war installations. The Indefatigable was still fighting on the morning the Japanese surrendered. The normal dawn strike had gone off to attack a seaplane base in Tokio Bay. Twelve Zekcs rose to intercept, all being shot down or damaged.

After the end of the war the Indefatigable’s aircraft searched for prisoner-of-war camps and dropped supplies for prisoners awaiting release. In approximately 14 months’ warfare the ship lost 34 aircraft ou operations, but 51 of the enemy were destroyed, three of them by the ship’s guns. The ship’s aircraft sank or damaged many merchant ships. Officers’ Service Six New- Zealanders from the Indefatigable have received awards or have been mentioned in- dispatches in consequence of her operations. For attacks on the Tirpitz, Sub-Lieut. W. Percy was awarded the D.F.C., and mentioned in dispatches was Lieut.Commander R. A. Richardson, who was killed. His aircraft was last seen diving towards the Tirpitz. The D.S.O. was awarded to A/Lieut.-Commander A. S. McLeod for Avork during the Sakishima strikes. For service in tho same operation Sub-Lieut. L. W. Holdaway received a ‘ ‘ mention. ’ ’ Awards so far announced in connection with operations off the Japanese homeland include two New Zealanders —tho D.S.C. for Lieut. J. D. Alexander and a “mention” for Lieut. S. G. Woodroffe. Sub-Lieut. (S.) I. Featherstone, R.N.Z.N.V.R., of Canterbury, has served with the Indefatigable since she was commissioned in December, 1943. He was a Avriter in the naval accountants branch at Singapore when the island fell to tho Japanese, but escaped by a small coaster to Java and later went to Colombo. He joined the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of tho Last Indies Fleet at Mombasa, and after 12 months Avas drafted to H.M.S. Resolution on convoy work in tho Indian Ocean. He went to England and Avas commissioned as a paymaster sublieutenant in November, 1943. In the Indefatigable he first srav action in northern waters when she attacked the Tirpitz, and when she came east he was present during the air strikes in December and January ou the Japanese-held oilfields in Sumatra. After home lea\o he rejoined the ship in time to see the final nssaults on Japan.