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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 1413.PDF
478 FLIGHT. MAY II, 1939 Service Aviation (Left) Spitfires lined up at Dux- ford before the interception de monstration de scribed on the opposite page. (Centre) The ap proach : A vivid snap, heightened by the slightly crazy horizon, from a Swordfish about to land-on during the Ark Royal's escort duty for Their Majesties last Saturday. (Extreme right) : Another impres sion during the escort flight. In the foreground are Swordfish and in the distance is a formation of Skuas. THEIR MAJESTIES SAIL FOR CANADA Air and Sea Escorts By MAJOR F. A. de V. ROBERTSON, V.D. AIR power and sea power gave the King and Queen a great send off as they left Great Britain last Saturday on L the start of their voyage to Canada. The King had decided not to travel in the battle cruiser Repulse, as had been the original intention, but to embark on the Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Australia. This was a great dis appointment to the Repulse and all on board her, and as a sort of compensation this powerful ship was chosen to escort the Royal liner for the first part of the voyage. The cruisers Southampton and Glasgow formed the escort which was to accompany the liner across the Atlantic. The King and Queen embarked at Portsmouth and were escorted by R.A.F. aircraft until they were clear of the Isle of Wight, but those on board the Home Fleet saw nothing of the shore-based squadrons. The Home Fleet provided the most imposing and spectacular part of the farewell ceremonies, and the aircraft from the carrier Ark Royal gave the final parting salute. I was privileged to be on board the Ark Royal throughout that memorable day, and from her bridge (a still further privilege, for which I am most grateful) I had as good a view as could well be obtained of the dignified ceremonial with which the Fleet and its Air Arm said "Godspeed" to the King who has been both practical sailor and practical air pilot. The Home Fleet started that morning from Portland Har bour. It was not at full strength, for reasons into which we need not enquire too closely, but its units were representative of its great power. The flagship was the battleship Nelson, and another battleship, the Rodney, was also present. The Ark Royal carried the flag of the Vice-Admiral (Carriers), and the cruiser Newcastle, together with certain destroyers, made up one line. The other line was composed of destroyers (four of them of the famous Tribal class) led by the cruiser Aurora, which flew the flag of the Rear Admiral commanding the destroyers of the Home Fleet. In these two lines we steamed out from Portland to meet Their Majesties as they came round the south coast of the Isle of Wight. The Ark Royal can carry up to 73 aircraft in her hangars, and her present complement is six squadrons, but only four were on board on Saturday. One is a fleet fighter squadron equipped with Skuas, and three T.S.R. squadrons fly the Swordfish. When we were clear of Portland, our carrier sent up a Sword- fish, which flew off to Lee-on-the-Solent, picked up the Fifth Sea Lord, Rear Admiral the Hon. Sir Alexander Ramsay, G.V.C.O., K.C.B., D.S.O., who is the chief of Naval Air Ser vices, and brought him back to the Ark Royal. Sir Alexander is a hardy air passenger, who scorned the protection of flying clothing and only put a flotation jacket on over his uniform. The day was just perfect, rightly described as King's weather. The sun shone rrom a cloudless sky, the visibility was wonderful, and the sea was calm. The coast of Dorset and Hampshire was clearly in sight as we steamed eastward. There was only one ground for dissatisfaction, namely that the wind, which was distinctly fresh, was blowing from the east. That meant that after the ceremony was over and while the rest of the Fleet was returning to Portland, the Ark Royal had to continue on to Sussex before she could get all her thirty-six aircraft landed back on her deck. But I am anticipating. Soon after 1500 hours the Fleet " dressed ship " with mast head flags and then the Ark Royal commenced to fly off her four squadrons. Two squadrons at a time were massed on her flying deck, but that left plenty of room for the leading machine to take off. The deck is a very large one, and the ship is fast and can raise enough wind to lift an aeroplane very quickly. We hardly had to turn out of line as the machines took off. We may give marks for that to the east wind, though we came to objurgate it afterwards. I was much impressed by the smartness with which each flight and each squadron took up its formation after the machines had flown off one by one Then the squadrons vanished into the blue, and we turned our attention to other doings on board. We, like the other ships in the fleet, "manned ship," the sailors being drawn up all round the flying deck and holding hands. A Guard of Honour and band of Royal Marines was also on the deck, looking very smart "in their white helmets, and the R.A.F. airmen were also paraded. The Meeting About 1730 hours the smoke of the approaching Royal cortege was sighted, and every ship in the Fleet fired a Royal Salute of twenty-one guns from its saluting battery. It would be an exaggeration to say that the salutes " thundered out," but the little saluting guns did their best and, anyway, created some smoke, which the wind quickly dispersed. By this time binoculars showed us the approaching ships. The Southamp ton led the line, followed by the Glasgow, a name which recalls the tragedy of Coronel and the smashing victory of the Falk land Islands. Then came the Royal liner, looking beautiful with her white hull and three buff funnels. She was flying the White Ensign, but not (so far as I could see) the Royal Standard. The powerful Repulse brought up the rear of the line. As the Southampton steamed between our lines, both of the lines turned outwards, and swung round to reverse direction and accompany the Royal party. It is a delicate manoeuvre and it was carried through with beautiful precision. As one watched it one felt simply full of pride in the Royal Navy. We were now steaming alongside the Empress of Australia.
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