I Sank The Bismarck Page 28
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.
Page 2/3
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.
Page 4/5
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.
Page 6/7
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