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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 0980.PDF
2 t April 4, 1940 Not what it looks like when landing on. The enormous flying deck oi H.M.S. Ark hoyat appears mucn smaner from the air. The crane structure is used to correct the tension of the arrester wires. Things have progressed since the early days, when the arrester gear consisted of ropes with sandbags at their ends laid across the deck. Lord Haw-Haw continued to ask, "Where is the Ark Royal ? " He could not hear the delighted roar of '' Here! '' from the sailors in that ship when they listened in to his broadcast. But when papers published photographs of the ship at Capetown even the Germans had to admit her survival. Since the fight in the North Sea the Ark Royal has travelled far and wide. She has joined in the contraband control operations in the South Atlantic, and her wander- ings covered many thousands of miles. She was not lucky enough to discover the Admiral Graf Spec, but she and her aircraft played their part in accounting for the German steamers Uhenfels, Watussi, and Adolf Woerman. Her air- craft have attacked three or four U-boats with bombs, but cannot claim a certain success. One enemy submarine was attacked by both types, T.S.R. Swordfish and Skua dive- bombers. The Attacker Sunk Once Ark Royal was herself attacked by torpedoes, but they passed behind her stern, and her destroyer screen sank one of the submarines. The crew were picked up and taken on board the carrier. They were hugely surprised to find themselves in the Ark Royal, which they had all been told was lying on the bottom of the sea. Another mis- fortune was a collision in the air between two Skuas, when two of the crews were killed but the remaining four were saved. It is satisfactory to record that not one of the ship's aircraft has been lost by failing to find its way back to the carrier. Once, south of the Equator, an aircraft reported having seen a marine monster, which, the observer said, iooked like a huge banana on the surface of the water. Such sights are not uncommon, I believe, in southern waters, and may be caused by masses of floating vegetable matter covered with marine animalculae. They add to the interest of patrolling the oceans. Night flying by carrier aircraft is growing more common and popular. In this connection perhaps may be men- tioned the high opinion held by the Ark Royal officers of the Fairey Swordfish as a T.S.R. machine. Doubtless newer types will soon be in production for the Fleet Air Arm, and it is to be hoped that our designers will be able to produce the best possible craft within the limitations set by the need of operating off an aircraft carrier. Vice-Admiral L. V. Wells, C.B., D.S.O., Vice-Admiral Commanding Aircraft-Carriers, with Lieutenant H. Wyldbore- Smith, his flag-lieutenant, on board his flagship H.MS. Ark Royal at Portsmouth.
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