THROUGH TO MALTA

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22478, 13 January 1943, Page 3

THROUGH TO MALTA

Three Hectic Days

Dodging Bombs And Torpedoes

“You have no doubt heard about the convoy that was taken to Malta. Well, I was there! The three most hectic days of my sheltered career!” wrote a Napier gunner to his father, Mr E. Luke, in a recent letter. “One thing about the cruise for which I am very thankful is that I am now the proud possessor of a nice even sun-tan, acquired while steaming around the lazy blue Mediterranean. But don’t get me wrong; the ‘Med.’ is still blue, but it fairly bristles with activity, as we soon found out. The fun started on Tuesday about one o'clock in the afternoon.

“I had finished dinner and went up to the flight-deck to have a look-see and grab a smoke and some sun. when all of a sudden three huge jets of water shot up in the air and the aircraft-carrier lying on our starboard hand reeled right over, hit by tin-fish fired from a Jerry sub. "In 15 minutes she was under, and then we knew the pace was on. We dodged torpedoes all day nearly. The aircraft that were in the air landed on us and survivors were picked up by the destroyers. We still had suffered no damage to the convoy.

“From then on we were closed up at action stations, and it wasn’t long before the fun started in earnest. High-level Junkers 88 and the 87 divebombers were plentiful. The heat was on, and there were more bombs than that dropping. “We were slamming rounds away from the turrets, the pom-poms were 'woof-woofing'—a veritable umbrella of fire. Our fighters were up breaking up formations of bombers, landing on to refuel and off again. In the whole action we shot down 66 Jerries for the loss of four of our boys. Attacks were frequent and heavy. Just before dusk they came over in force, and a Hectic time was had by all. “With all the bombing that day the convoy was Intact. When darkness came things quietened down and we were able to snatch some sleep. We were up with the sparrows the following morning ready for anything. We were attacked again all day, and by mid-day we were still intact, except for one merchant ship which had dropped astern after a pretty hefty battering. "We were dive-bombed all afternoon by Junkers 87’s. Boy, when those babies get into their dive they take a power of stopping. One that was shot down must have been doing 500 miles per hour when he hit the water, startling the fish out of their scales. The dusk attack that night was the worst of the lot. Dive-bombers, high-level bombers, torpedo bombers and U-boats —and what have you?

“Everybody was tired out, but we kept on slamming rounds away. Those two days were hell, but our guardian angel was looking after us and we were saved any misfortune. I can tell you I said some hasty prayers, but when you are in action your mind centres only on one thing—to get the rounds away and blast seven bells out of the so-and-so’s.

"The few days’ trip back to Gibraltar was uneventful. Spent a few hours ashore in Gib. It’s really nothing to write home about—lousy with dagoes. The promenade along the .sea front is quite picturesque, but not a patch on Marine Parade.

“I'm glad it’s over, I’m glad it’s finished. Your prayers have borne fruit—you don’t know how near we were to taking the count. Thank God our ship was spared and that casualties from other ships were slight. I can tell you Malta convoys are not my idea of a joke. No, sir! However, now that it is all over I wouldn’t have missed it for quids.”