The British Carrier Strike Fleet. David Hobbs

      Aircraft storm-lashed on HMAS Sydney’s flight deck while she rides out Typhoon RUTH.

      Individual accounts of every sortie would make this a very long narrative but I will include several within the accounts of individual carrier operations that are illustrative of overall Commonwealth carrier operations. For example, on 26 October 1951 Firefly WB 393 of 817 NAS was hit by anti-aircraft fire while attacking a railway tunnel near Chaeryong, north of Haeju. The pilot, Sub Lieutenant N D MacMillan RAN, managed a successful forced landing in enemy territory and both he and his observer, Chief Petty Officer J Hancox RAN, got out of the wrecked aircraft and took cover in a ditch, keeping NKPA soldiers that had encircled them at bay with their Owen submachine-guns. Sydney had a section of Sea Furies in the area and these were instructed to provide top cover, strafing enemy troops to prevent them from capturing the downed aircrew. Sydney herself was 75 miles away and her captain, Captain D H Harries CBE RAN, had doubts about the wisdom of sending her USN helicopter to rescue them because of fears that it might not locate the crash-site and clear enemy territory before nightfall. The crew insisted that they be given the chance to try, however, and Harries approved the sortie. Meanwhile Meteor jet fighters of 77 Squadron RAAF joined the Sea Furies in giving top cover. By 17.15 the jets had to go but the Sea Fury pilots, Lieutenants Cavanagh and Salthouse RAN, elected to remain, despite their low fuel state, another advantage of the piston-engined Sea Fury over the early generation of jet fighters. At 17.25 the SAR helicopter arrived, having flown at a speed considerably above the maximum quoted in the S-51’s aircrew manual. As it landed the observer, Chief Petty Officer Gooding USN, jumped out and shot dead two NKPA soldiers who had crawled to within fifteen yards of the wrecked Firefly. An hour later the helicopter with the two rescued aircrew on board, and still escorted by the Sea Furies, landed at the Allied airfield at Kimpo just as darkness fell.

      Sydney sailed on 28 December for her sixth war patrol during which emphasis was placed on the defence of small islands off the west coast held by South Korean forces. Her seventh and last patrol began on 16 January 1952 and when she entered Sasebo for the last time on 26 January, FO2 described her work in the Korean war zone as being ‘quite excellent’. She had flown a total of 2366 sorties in forty-three operational flying days, an average of 55.2 per day, and her expenditure of ammunition amounted to 154 500lb and 1000lb bombs, 1197 rocket projectiles and 73,440 rounds of 20mm ammunition. All replacement aircraft, ammunition and stores came from RN stocks. She lost fifteen aircraft in action and three pilots killed.

      HMS Glory – February 1952 to May 1952

      On 1 February 1952 Glory arrived in Hong Kong after her Australian refit to take over aircraft, stores and equipment from Sydney. She had the same squadrons embarked as in her previous deployment and arrived in Sasebo on 5 February, beginning a war patrol off the west coast a day later. Her tasks included reconnaissance in support of the UN blockade, close air support for the army ashore, especially the Commonwealth Division, and the defence of small Allied-held islands including Chodo and Paengyong-do. On 9 February Fireflies operating in the strike role armed with 1000lb bombs blocked a railway tunnel north of Haejin and Sea Furies spotted for a bombardment by the cruiser Ceylon. When she returned to Sasebo for a break, she was relieved off the west coast by the USS Bairoko, one of a number of USN escort carriers now operating in the war zone. Glory was able to resume her combat routine quickly and her operations were recognised by the UN command as making a significant and very visible contribution to the Allied war effort.

      On 1 March 1952 Lieutenant Fraser’s Sea Fury suffered an engine failure as he ‘slotted’ to starboard of Glory to join her visual circuit. The USN helicopter was already airborne as a planeguard and was able to winch him out of the water in seconds. He actually stepped onto the carrier’s deck two minutes later, in less time than it would have taken him to complete the circuit and land in his own aircraft! After a replenishment period in Kure, Glory sailed with FO2 embarked on 12 March to take part in a number of Allied deep-penetration raids against targets in the Anak area which were intended to destroy enemy logistical targets on the ground. On 17 March 1952 she flew the maximum number of sorties possible in order to defend Allied troops against a Communist attack on Sok-to. 804 NAS flew sixty-five sorties and 812 NAS a further forty, a combined total of 105, setting a new record for a light fleet carrier. Both squadrons maintained their aircraft at 100 per cent serviceability. From 1 April both Sea Furies and Fireflies regularly carried 500lb bombs on armed reconnaissance sorties and successful attacks were carried out on enemy warehouses at Kyomipo and Simpo. On 4 April Glory’s aircraft flew a number of close air support missions north of the Imjin River in support of the Commonwealth Division and two days later they bombed and destroyed an important rail bridge north of Chinnampo. On 9 April her aircraft gave close air support to the 1st US Marine Division.