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The First Fight

A short historical tale, by Cdr M P (Malcolm) Pollock. Cdr Aviation at the Maritime Warfare Centre.

If there is a message within this short historical tale (and I am not so sure that there has to be one) it is that Taranto was by no means the first successful battle for the FAA in World War 2. Perhaps, Taranto is [for very good reasons] the best remembered and most celebrated battle, but it was not the first. No, that honour probably falls to the Skua Squadrons of 800 and 803 Squadrons. These Squadrons flew a brilliant - but almost forgotten - feat of arms during the Norwegian campaign of 1940.

The Norway campaign in the spring of 1940 was the first naval operation to be decisively affected by air power. From its opening day, the Norwegian Campaign began to demolish old theories. Coastal Command had discovered several German warships at anchor in Bergen, and so Admiral Layton was ordered to take a task force into Bergen to deal with them. This dangerous mission was called off, but not before Layton's force had approached Bergen closely enough to provoke a strong reaction from the Luftwaffe. It was the first time that the Royal Navy had ever experienced a prolonged and determined attack from a skilful and well-provided enemy air force.

For three hours on the afternoon of 9th April 1940, 47 Junkers & 41 Heinkel He 111s attacked Layton's force. Employing a mixture of shallow dive and high level bombing it was the first sustained sea and air battle in history. The weather conditions were loathsome and the naval gun directors' task was greatly challenged by sea spray cascading over them, especially the destroyers. Sir Antony Buzzard, a noted gunnery officer, commanded one of these, HMS GURKHA. After years of training, Sir Antony was 'frisky' because at last he was presented with live targets to shoot at. However, he became annoyed by his inability to hit them and turned his ship away from the wind and sea, in order to improve the conditions for gunnery. This manoeuvre isolated the GURKHA from the rest of the Squadron. A soft and easy target, she was quickly overwhelmed and the GURKHA became the first significant warship to be sunk by aircraft during World War 2.

The following morning the FAA went into action. The COs of 800 & 803 Squadrons decided that they could reach Bergen in their Skuas from Hatston. A round trip of some 600 miles, it would only be just feasible for the Skua aircraft. Precise navigation and absolute surprise were required, because the Skuas would have no margin for error or evasive flying. This was, however, the very kind of mission for which the FAA was trained and a force of 15 Skuas, operating at extreme range and in difficult weather conditions made a precise landfall within 30 seconds of their ETA. Diving at 60 degrees from 12000 feet over Bergen harbour the Skuas caught the Germans by surprise and began their attack runs on the light cruiser Königsberg moored alongside.

Delivering some of the most accurate bombing of the War all 15 of the 500lb bombs were either hits or near misses. The cruiser caught fire, turned over and sank. It was a model attack in every way and indeed the 'spectacular success for naval aviation' that a subsequent Admiralty communiqué described it as. The BBC evidently thought otherwise; “The RAF,” they said that evening “have done it again!” Either way, air power had claimed its greatest success so far, and one that was noted by the worlds' air forces and navies.

'On the return journey,' notes the 803 Squadron Log, 'sections reformed as well as possible, but several aircraft returned on the 250 mile journey alone. Lieutenant Smeeton lost his section in a thick cloud and [with Midshipman Watkinson] crashed into the sea about 50 miles from the coast, and he has not been heard of since. All the remainder returned safely.'

Flying [in his number 1 uniform and flying jacket] on this daring raid was Lieutenant 'Skeets' Harris Royal Marines. Harris was quite a remarkable aviator. He attended the first flying training course to be held at Netheravon after the transfer of the Fleet air Arm from the RAF to the Royal Navy in 1938. Qualifying as a fighter pilot he joined 803 Squadron as a 'bog rat' (the squadron's 'junior boy') in October 1939. Casualties were high and by the time Harris became 803's CO on May 12 1940 few of the original aircrew were still alive. On May 16, flying from Ark Royal he too was wounded and shot down. Harris recalled, “the Skua, sedate to the end, waddled to the seabed. Luckily the Royal Navy had a ringside seat and, after a remarkably short but very cold bath, picked up my observer and myself. That was that for six months.”

Whilst convalescing Harris was awarded the DSC for 'daring and resource in the conduct of hazardous and successful operations by the Fleet Air Arm on the coast of Norway.' Returning to flying duties Harris flew extensively throughout the war. Notably, in 1941 he led 9 Fairey Fulmar fighters ashore from the carrier Furious for an epic flight across Africa to join forces based at Alexandria. However, arguably his greatest post-Norway legacy was as the father of Fleet Air Arm night fighting. As the Commander of 746 Squadron, the Naval Night Fighter Interception Unit from 1942 through to the end of the war, Harris was to make a huge contribution to a raft of developments in this area. Working closely with the RAF Harris benefited from their extensive experience and their 'exotic' aircraft such as the Mosquito. (In these he flew low-level operational sorties over Germany.)

After the War and some time serving in [non-aviation] 3 Commando Brigade appointments Harris set up a team to look into the utility of a helicopter borne assault role for the Royal Marines. This capability was exercised for the first time during the Suez Crisis in 1956, where the importance of amphibious forces (and crucially amphibious forces supported by large strike carriers) was paramount. [A lesson that chimes with current affairs.] Harris completed his active service as the first Royal Marine, Junglie pilot, in Command 701 (Helicopter) Squadron at RNAS DAEDALUS, flying Whirlwinds.

Major 'Skeets' Harris's son Nick also Commanded a Junglie Squadron, 846 NAS. And I can report that Nick Harris, [along with Trevor Ling and Clare Hynett] continue to make sterling contributions to the FAA by writing our [the FAA's] Tactical publications, here at the Maritime Warfare Centre. Finally, I am grateful to Nick for his help in writing this tale and to the FAA museum for sharing their Skua photographs.