completion over the year, to allow for easier inclusion into the fleet, but the obvious war now approaching made it imperative to get them available for action as soon as possible.
First to complete was HMS Venerable in Jan 1939, followed by HMS Formidable in May.
Working up these two ships engaged the FAA to the full, and in fact although the light carrier HMS Mars was completed in mid-June, she only went to sea with a single squadron to work-up, as the remaining available squadrons were earmarked for HMS Victorious , which completed in July.
HMS Glory had been deliberately delayed in order to accelerate the completion of HMAS Melbourne by the end of August, and in fact she completed and sailed for the West Indies with workmen and equipment still on board on August 21st - it was intended to get her clear of Europe and off to work up in a quieter area. As soon as she had done so she would sail to Australia to match up with her airgroup, the planes for which had been shipped out some weeks ago. In order to give them the maximum flexibility of use of the light carrier, the RAN had purchased 150 planes (split evenly between fighters, dive bombers and TBR) to allow them to support three squadrons. The Australian production line for the Goshawk wasn't ready yet, neither was the engine plant, but it was hoped they would both be ready before the end of the year. In the meantime the RAAF would be training up pilots on some of the spare naval fighters, as it seemed unlikely that the UK would be able to produce the complete order.
As a result of this HMS Glory would not complete until November , but in any case the planes and pilots would not be available until the end of the year.
On the 19th August, intelligence reports indicate d that up to 14 U-boats had left Germany to take up patrol stations in the North Atlantic. The Navy treats this as a war warning. Worse is to come
On the 23rd, Germany and the USSR sign a non-aggression pact in Moscow. A severe blow to the hopes of Britain and France, and Poland’s death-knell, since one of the clauses agreed a split of the country between Germany and the USSR. It also gave Russia a free hand in the Baltic states and Bessarabia. Hitler now gives orders for the invasion of Poland to begin on the 26th August 1939. Another German pocket-battleship, this time the Deutschland, sails through the North Sea, without the British noticing.
Intelligence suggests that Germany will invade Poland at any moment. On the last day in August the Royal navy is put on full alert. Army and navy mobilization is commenced, censorship of all communications to and from the British Isles is imposed, the Stock Exchange is closed, and civil airplanes are banned from flying over half of Britain
On September 3rd, Britain declares war on Germany. Winston Churchill is appointed First Lord of the Admiralty.
Chapter 9
1939 - War
One of the uses that carriers (in particular the light carriers) had been intended for was to hunt and suppress submarines. There had been considerable discussion about the best way to do this, between the school of defending the convoys (and letting the submarines come to them), and that of hunting the submarines down, particularly those near to the UK, before they can actually sink any merchantmen and when the hunting group have complete freedom of action.
The Navy had allocated Colo ssus, Vengeance, Argus and Hermes, with attendant destroyers, as four hunting groups to find and destroy any submarines found in coastal waters. This was considered especially important during the early part of the war, as many ships were not yet sailing in convoy. As well, the idea of hunting and sinking the enemy submarines at sea appealed to the new aggressive First Lord. Consideration had been given to using some of the fleet carriers as well, but the shortage of escorts meant that initially only four groups could be formed.
The policy was to be found to have unintended consequences, due partly to
First to complete was HMS Venerable in Jan 1939, followed by HMS Formidable in May.
Working up these two ships engaged the FAA to the full, and in fact although the light carrier HMS Mars was completed in mid-June, she only went to sea with a single squadron to work-up, as the remaining available squadrons were earmarked for HMS Victorious , which completed in July.
HMS Glory had been deliberately delayed in order to accelerate the completion of HMAS Melbourne by the end of August, and in fact she completed and sailed for the West Indies with workmen and equipment still on board on August 21st - it was intended to get her clear of Europe and off to work up in a quieter area. As soon as she had done so she would sail to Australia to match up with her airgroup, the planes for which had been shipped out some weeks ago. In order to give them the maximum flexibility of use of the light carrier, the RAN had purchased 150 planes (split evenly between fighters, dive bombers and TBR) to allow them to support three squadrons. The Australian production line for the Goshawk wasn't ready yet, neither was the engine plant, but it was hoped they would both be ready before the end of the year. In the meantime the RAAF would be training up pilots on some of the spare naval fighters, as it seemed unlikely that the UK would be able to produce the complete order.
As a result of this HMS Glory would not complete until November , but in any case the planes and pilots would not be available until the end of the year.
On the 19th August, intelligence reports indicate d that up to 14 U-boats had left Germany to take up patrol stations in the North Atlantic. The Navy treats this as a war warning. Worse is to come
On the 23rd, Germany and the USSR sign a non-aggression pact in Moscow. A severe blow to the hopes of Britain and France, and Poland’s death-knell, since one of the clauses agreed a split of the country between Germany and the USSR. It also gave Russia a free hand in the Baltic states and Bessarabia. Hitler now gives orders for the invasion of Poland to begin on the 26th August 1939. Another German pocket-battleship, this time the Deutschland, sails through the North Sea, without the British noticing.
Intelligence suggests that Germany will invade Poland at any moment. On the last day in August the Royal navy is put on full alert. Army and navy mobilization is commenced, censorship of all communications to and from the British Isles is imposed, the Stock Exchange is closed, and civil airplanes are banned from flying over half of Britain
On September 3rd, Britain declares war on Germany. Winston Churchill is appointed First Lord of the Admiralty.
Chapter 9
1939 - War
One of the uses that carriers (in particular the light carriers) had been intended for was to hunt and suppress submarines. There had been considerable discussion about the best way to do this, between the school of defending the convoys (and letting the submarines come to them), and that of hunting the submarines down, particularly those near to the UK, before they can actually sink any merchantmen and when the hunting group have complete freedom of action.
The Navy had allocated Colo ssus, Vengeance, Argus and Hermes, with attendant destroyers, as four hunting groups to find and destroy any submarines found in coastal waters. This was considered especially important during the early part of the war, as many ships were not yet sailing in convoy. As well, the idea of hunting and sinking the enemy submarines at sea appealed to the new aggressive First Lord. Consideration had been given to using some of the fleet carriers as well, but the shortage of escorts meant that initially only four groups could be formed.
The policy was to be found to have unintended consequences, due partly to
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