I Sank The Bismarck Read online

  Whether or not it was my torpedo that hit the Bismarck's stern and made her uncontrollable does not really matter to me. What is important is that I along with the rest of my colleagues did it. Flying back to Ark Royal, desperate to find the safety of the flight deck in a darkening night and a stormy sea, no one realized it then, but after our attack the end was inevitable. It was only a matter of time – the Bismarck was sunk.

  Author's Note

  I met John Moffat in February 2002 when I was producing a series about the history of the navy. Even then, I was surprised by his energy and his sense of humour. It hasn't diminished. We continued to meet, and when I heard that he was being pressed by his children to put on paper what he remembered of his early life, I suggested to him that there might be a book in it. He was hesitant at first, but after a few months I was allowed to look through the initial notes he had produced, and I managed to persuade him to continue. We met several times, and as we talked and discussed various drafts of the chapters, personalities and incidents arose fresh in his memory.

  The story that John has to tell is unique because he was one of the very few pilots in the Fleet Air Arm who took part in the attack on the Bismarck, an action that required a great deal of courage, skill and luck, and which really did affect the course of the Second World War. John's account, however, is a deeply human one, and since I have known him he has never tried to hide how affected he was by what he saw when the Bismarck sank, or how he felt when so many of his friends were killed, or disappeared. These emotions are common to the great majority of people who lived through the war years of 1939–45, or indeed of those who took part in the wars that have happened since, and I think that it is for this reason that John's story deserves the widest possible audience. It is almost beyond imagination now to read or hear about what ordinary people were once called upon to do, and it should not be forgotten.

  John and I checked a great deal of his story against documents in the National Archives and other records, but in the one or two instances where there seemed to be some discrepancy, I decided to rely on John's memory. I take full responsibility for this, because during my search for the wreck of the Ark Royal, I learnt that sometimes personal memories, if they are very strong, can be as accurate as the official account.

  Mike Rossiter

  Picture Acknowledgements

  Where not credited, photographs were kindly supplied by John Moffat.

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  Argus, c. 1928: © TopFoto; Swordfish brought up to the deck, Argus, c. 1935: © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS; Skua and Swordfish on deck, Ark Royal: courtesy Percy North; extra pilots standing by, Ark Royal: IWM A3740.

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  Scharnhorst, 1936–9: © ullsteinbild/TopFoto; Admiral Somerville: © Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix; bombs miss the Ark Royal off Norway; view of bombing from Ark Royal and bombs dropping in the Mediterranean: all courtesy Percy North; battle of Oran, 1940: © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS; ships in Taranto harbour, 12 November 1940: © 2003 Topham Picturepoint; Hood, 24 May 1941: © Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy.

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  Hitler inspects the Bismarck, 12 April 1941 – 2nd from left, Admiral Günther Lutjens, 3rd from left, General Field Marshall Wilhelm Keitel, next to Hitler, Captain Ernst Lindemann: akg-images/ullsteinbild; the Bismarck seen from the deck of the Prinz Eugen: © 2000 Topham Picturepoint; the Bismarck firing at the Prince of Wales, 24 May 1941; survivors from the Bismarck, 27 May 1941: © Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy; Formidable enters Sydney Harbour, spring 1945.

  Index

  Abbotsinch

  Acasta

  Achilles

  Addu Atoll

  Admiral Graf Spee

  Admiral Hipper

  Ajax

  Albacores

  Altmark

  Arbroath

  Ardent

  Argus

  Ark Royal, HMS,

  aircraft on board

  anti-submarine patrols

  attack on by German fighters and success against the Luftwaffe

  attack on by Italian bombers

  camaraderie on board

  and Dakar operation

  defence of Malta

  destruction and sinking of Bismarck in final torpedo attack

  discovery of wreck of

  escorting of convoys

  fame of

  first Swordfish torpedo strike on Bismarck and accidental firing on theSheffield

  involvement of aircraft in bombing raids of Elmas aerodrome

  involvement of aircraft in large-scale attack on Italian naval bases operation

  involvement in operation against French ships in Oran and Mers-el-Kébir

  involvement in Operation Collar and attack on Italian fleet

  refit

  reliance onSheffield's radar for locating enemy aircraft

  search forBismarck and sighting of

  search forScharnhorst andGneisenau

  sinking of (1941)

  and Tirso dam raid

  see also Moffat, John: Naval Career: Ark Royal

  Attenborough, Sub-Lieutenant

  Avro

  Ballard, Bob

  Barham, HMS

  barrage balloons

  Bayly, Lieutenant

  Beale, Sub-Lieutenant Tony 'Bud'

  Bianca

  Biggs, Leading Airman 'Baron'

  Bigsworth Board

  Bismarck

  attack on by destroyers

  attack onPrince of Wales and damaging of by

  attempt to intercept

  damage inflicted on byPrince of Wales

  decision to separate fromPrinz Eugen by Lutjens and to head south to France

  destruction ofHood by

  discovery of wreck of

  final attack on and sinking of

  firing on by battleships

  first Swordfish torpedo strike on and accidental firing onSheffield

  force and military capability of

  launching of Swordfish strike on by Victorious

  loss of contact with bySuffolk

  Lutjens' error of judgement and sending of signals

  monitoring of and attempt to intercept

  search for byArk Royal and sighting of

  Blitz

  Brabner, Rupert

  Breconshire, HMS

  Bretagne

  Britain, Battle of

  Brokensha, Guy 'Brok'

  Brown, Captain Eric

  Cagliari

  Cam, Sir Sydney

  Cape Town

  catapult launches

  Cavour

  Ceylon

  Chamberlain, Neville

  Chambers, Dickie

  Charlier, Sub-Lieutenant Dick

  children, evacuation of

  Churchill, Winston

  Colombo

  bombing of by Japanese

  Coode, Lt Commander Trevenon 'Tim'

  Cornwall, HMS

  Cossack, HMS

  Cottle, Marjorie

  Courageous, HMS

  Crane, Lieutenant

  Crete

  evacuation of British troops from

  Cross, Sub-Lieutenant

  Cubitt, Lt Commander

  Cunningham, Admiral Andrew

  Dakar operation

  Dawson, George

  de Gaulle, General

  Deans, Mr

  Denmark Strait

  Dewoitine D.520

  Diamond

  Dixon-Childe, Sub-Lieutenant Eric

  Doric Star

  Dorsetshire, HMS

  Douglas, Lt Commander

  Douglas, Robert

  Dubber, Petty Officer

  Duilio

  Dunkerque

  Dunkirk

  Dunkley, Sub-Lieutenant Ed

  Duplex triggers

  Eagle, HMS

  Earlston

  Eastern Fleet

  Eastleigh

  Eccleshall, Petty Officer

  Edward VII, King, abdication of

 
Egypt

  convoy operation (Operation Collar)

  Eighth Army

  Elias, Sub-Lieutenant

  Elmas aerodrome (Cagliari)

  England, Sub-Lieutenant

  Enterprise, HMS

  Esmonde, Lt Commander

  Evans, Glan 'Taff'

  Exeter

  Fairey Fulmar see Fulmars

  Fairey Swordfish see Swordfish

  Faroes

  Faulkner

  Ferguson, Sub-Lieutenant

  Fiat CR.32s

  First World War

  Firth, Lieutenant

  Fleet Air Arm

  casualties in

  Fleet Air Arm Museum

  Focke Wulf 190 fighters

  Foote, Sub-Lieutenant

  Force H

  Operation Collar and inquiry into

  Formidable, HMS

  assistance in landings on Madagascar

  in Battle of Matapan

  damage to and repairs

  design

  docking in Colombo

  mechanical problem

  patrols in Indian Ocean and search for Japanese warships

  see also Moffat, John: Naval Career: Formidable

  Foxhound, HMS

  France

  invasion of by Germany

  Free French

  Frobisher, HMS

  Fulmars

  Furious, HMS

  Furlong, Frankie

  Gallipoli

  Gan

  Gannet, HMS

  Gardner, Lieutenant Nigel

  General Strike (1926)

  Genoa

  shelling of harbour by Malaya and Renown

  German Afrika Corps

  Ghurkha, HMS

  Gick, Percy

  Gladiators

  Glasgow, HMS

  Glorious, HMS

  attack on by Scharnhorst and sinking of

  Gloster Gladiators

  Gneisenau

  impact of

  search for and sighting of

  sinking of convoys by

  wiping out of 825 Squadron in attempted attack on

  Godfrey-Faussett, Lieutenant David 'Feather'

  Gorizia

  Gort, Lord

  Graf Spee

  Greece

  invasion of by Germany

  Guthrie, Lieutenant

  Hale, Lt Commander

  Halifax, Leading Airman

  Harland and Wolff

  Harvard (plane)

  Hawker Hart

  Hay, Lieutenant

  Hayman, Albert

  Hearn, Charlie

  Heinkel

  Hermes, HMS

  attack on by Japanese

  Hitler, Adolf

  Holland, Captain Cedric 'Hooky'

  Holland, Vice Admiral Lancelot

  Hood, HMS

  destruction of by Bismarck

  Horan, Mark

  Howard, Petty Officer

  Hurricanes

  Illustrious, HMS

  bombing of by German Stukas and damage caused

  involvement in attack on Italian fleet at Taranto

  Indian Ocean

  Indomitable, HMS

  Italian bombers

  attack on Ark Royal

  attack on Illustrious

  Italian fleet

  attack on at Taranto harbour

  attack on during Operation Collar

  Italian naval bases

  large-scale operation against

  Jack, Flight Sergeant

  Jackson, Lieutenant

  Jackson, Pat

  Japanese

  bombing of Colombo

  destroying of Dorsetshire and Cornwall

  fleet and carriers

  sinking of Prince of Wales by

  Japanese torpedo aircraft

  Jarrow March (1936)

  Johnson, Petty Officer

  Johnstone, Lt Commander Mervyn 'Johnnie'

  Jolson, Al

  Junkers see Stukas

  'Kate'

  Keane, Lieutenant Stanley

  Kelso

  Kelso Abbey

  Kelso High School

  Kemp, Lieutenant

  Kindersley, Lieutenant

  King George V

  Kingsmill, Sub-Lieutenant

  Knight, Sub-Lieutenant

  Königsberg

  La Spezia

  dropping of mines at harbour of

  Larcom, Captain

  Lawson, Robert

  Leach, Captain John

  Leggett, Petty Officer

  Leghorn

  Lewis, Sir George

  Lindemann, Captain Ernst

  Lithgow, Mike

  Littorio

  Liverpool, HMS

  Low Fell (County Durham)

  Luftwaffe

  attack on Ark Royal

  Lutjens, Admiral Günther

  Lyster, Admiral Arthur

  'Mabel'

  Machrihanish

  Mackinnon Road

  Madagascar

  Malaya

  Malta

  Manchester, HMS

  Margetts, Eric

  Mark IX warhead

  Mark VIII warhead

  Matapan, Battle of

  Maund, Captain Loben

  May, Buster

  Mayes, 'Maxie'

  Mediterranean

  Mediterranean Fleet

  Mers-el-Kébir

  operation against French ships at

  Messerschmitt fighters

  Miles Magister

  Miller, Dusty

  Moffat, John

  Early Years

  applies to Naval Air Service Reserve

  applies to the Southern Rhodesian Mounted Police and attends interview in London

  childhood in Earlston and scrapes got into

  first flight in an airplane

  and horse riding

  leaves school and gets job at bus company

  living in Kelso

  living in London

  moves from Earlston to Low Fell

  plays the piano and violin

  rescue mission in heavy snow

  resigns from bus company job

  schooling

  Naval Career:

  assigned to Furious

  in charge of flying at Naval Air Station Cowdray Park

  depth-charge explosion and nearfatal disaster

  drafted on to Argus and escorting of Gibraltar-bound convoy

  end of carrier duties due to illness

  flying accident in Albacore

  at Hatston

  posted back to squadron 818 at Arbroath

  posting to Machrihanish and exercises undertaken

  posting to Twatt

  Ark Royal

  anti-submarine patrols

  arrival at Gibraltar and boarding of

  disappointment at not being picked for Tirso dam operation

  dropping of mines on La Spezia's harbour

  familiarization flight and first deck landing

  fellow pilots and crew

  German fighter attack on

  getting lost on patrol

  hierarchy aboard

  influence of Coode on

  involved in second strike on Bismarck and dropping of torpedo on

  landing of Swordfish on

  life on board

  manning machine gun on flight deck

  notice of posting to

  quarters

  search for Bismarck

  search for Scharnhorst and Gneisenau

  ship's duties

  training and practice on board

  trip down to on Argus

  Formidable

  assists in building of airstrip on Mombasa

  at Cape Town

  encountering of tropical storm

  life on board

  made deck landing officer

  patrols in Indian Ocean

  posted to and arrival on board

  practising night-time operations

  return to England />
  Naval Training

  attacks by German fighters on Eastleigh base

  becomes sub-lieutenant in RNVS

  bombing and gunnery course at Stormy Down

  bombing of Worthy Down and killing of companions

  course at Royal Naval College

  encountering of enemy fighters during

  end of

  first crash

  first solo flight

  initial flying training at Belfast

  learns to dive-bomb and launch a torpedo

  love of flying

  at Netheravon and conditions at

  posted to Eastleigh for naval fighter aircraft instruction

  practises dropping of mines

  at St Vincent

  sent to Naval Air Station Arbroath to practise carrier landings

  TSR aircraft course at Abbotsinch and flying of Swordfish

  weekend leave

  Personal Life

  courtship with and marriage to Marjorie

  diagnosed with septicaemia

  as hotel manager

  interest in fishing

  and rugby

  sighting of Ark Royal wreckage

  Moffat, Marjorie (wife)

  Moffat, Mary (mother)

  Moffat, Peter (father)

  Mombasa

  Moore, Sub-Lieutenant

  Munich Agreement

  Mussolini, Benito

  Nagumo, Admiral

  Narvik, Battle of

  Naval Air Service Reserve

  Netheravon

  Newson RN, Captain

  Norfolk, HMS

  Norfolk, Lieutenant Val

  North, Percy

  Norwegian campaign

  observers

  Oliver, Chief Petty Officer

  Olivier, Laurence

  Opdell, Sub-Lieutenant Peter

  Operation Collar

  Operation Excess

  Oran (Algeria)

  operation against French ships in

  O'Sullivan, Lieutenant 'Spike'

  Owensmith, Lieutenant Alan

  Patch, Captain Ollie

  Pearl Harbour

  Pearson, Sub-Lieutenant

  Penrose, Sub-Lieutenant

  pocket battleships

  Polykarp

  Pound, Admiral Sir Dudley

  Prince of Wales

  attack on by Bismarck and damaging of

  damage inflicted on Bismarck

  sinking of by Japanese bombers

  Prinz Eugen

  Provence

  Queen Elizabeth, HMS

  Ramillies, HMS

  Ramsey, Admiral

  remembrance ceremonies

  Renown, HMS

  Repulse

  sinking of

  Resolution, HMS

  Revenge

  Richardson, Ralph

  Richelieu

  Rocs

  Rodney, HMS

  Rommel, Field Marshal Erwin

  Rose, Sub-Lieutenant

  Royal Air Force (RAF)

  Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS)

  Royal Naval College (Greenwich)

  Royal Oak

  Royal Sovereign

  St Vincent barracks