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Aviation History
1933
1933 - 0642.PDF
FLIGHT, SEPTEMBER 28, 1933 H.M.S. Furious : The Fairey " 3 F " machines of No. 822 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Squadron ready to take off from the deck of the carrier. Note the smoke issuing from below the flying deck. ing boat officers have good sea eyes. I could not distinguish any sign of such activity on either of the flying decks. By this time our wireless officer had sent off a report which doubtless gladdened the hearts of Blue H.Q. at Leuchars. Our hearts were glad, too. We might have spent the whole day search ing our sector and seen nothing, but actually we had flown right at the two carriers as if we had known the exact spot on which to look for them. The R.A.F. nar rative that evening said that our report was " confirmed a few minutes later by another flying boat." I considered that word ing almost an insult. What con firmation was needed? The other flying boat may also have- seen the carriers, but what need of confirmation '' ? Our eyes had not played us false, and even a landlubber like myself had seen that the two ships were carriers. No, they were our bag, and I decline to share the honour with anybody else. We were about 80 miles out from May Island when we sighted the carriers, and we kept on our course for a while, and soon we saw another big ship some miles astern of the carriers, with her attendant destroyer. This proved to be the Renown. Then our pilot began to fly in large circles above the Fleet, always keeping the carriers in sight. They broke forma- tioi\, and began to steam on irregular courses. The four destroyers kept on in line abreast imperturbably all the afternoon. They seemed to be intent on getting some where. Air Attack I was gazing down at the interesting scene on the water below, when our pilot started a rather sudden bank ing turn, and immediately after I saw three " Nimrods " in flight formation dive past us from behind on our star board beam. The rule was that aircraft must not approach within 100 yards of each other, but they fired a green Very light to show that they had made an air attack. Almost immediately after a single machine flashed past underneath us, and I had not time to see if it was a " Nimrod " or an " Osprey." Probably it was the latter, which could use its rear gun as it passed below. There after during the afternoon, at intervals of about half an hour, fighters would come and attack us. The later attacks were all by " Ospreys," and always by a whole flight in formation, which, of course, was unreal. But I did admire the skill with which our pilot banked and turned his boat so as always to bring the fighters under the fire of our three cockpits. Our guns were imaginary, but the manoeuvring gave me some idea that a " South ampton " would not go down without peppering its assailants a bit. Two flying together would be more than twice as defensible. No casualties were to be allowed in this war, so our GULLANE : An old aerodrome near the charming golfing town of Gullane was used as a fuelling station by the two squadrons of Hawker " Harts." (FLIGHT Photo.) 966
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