The Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm in Operation Torch
By Cdr. Peter Mersky, USNR
While the Americans saw considerable action in the west, the British task forces were covering their own landings. Although these landings were relatively simple, the French mounted an active anti-air campaign – at least for a few days.
Incongruously marked with pseudo- American markings – a white star on a blue circle, surrounded by a yellow ring – in a vain attempt to fool the defenders into thinking they were American, British aircraft made bombing attacks and fought several aerial engagements. The first British carrier strikes came at dawn when 42 aircraft launched against Vichy airfields at La Senia, Maison Blanche, and Tafaroui near Oran. Albacores struck La Senia and destroyed several hangars and 47 aircraft. The biplanes were intercepted by nine D.520s, which were engaged by Sea Hurricanes from HMSs Biter and Dasher. The escort claimed five French fighters destroyed, but the Vichy fighters had taken out three of the Albacore3 and flak hit another as the attackers began their dive. Half the force was gone.
One Mart/et pilot landed to accept the surrender of a French garrison at Blida, after receiving permission from his superiors on the ship. The station commander promptly wrote out a surrender on a piece of note paper. American Army Rangers soon arrived to relieve the Royal Navy officer.
On November 8, six Seafire /Es of No. 885 Squadron from HMS Formidable found a Vichy Maryland bomber over Mers-el-Kebir and shot it down. Seafires from No. 807 Squadron (HMS Furious) engaged several D.520 and shot down three. Soon after this encounter, 807 Squadron was attacked by more Dewoitines. The Royal Navy fighters climbed to meet the threat, and although low on ammunition, shot down another D.520 and damaged several others. It had been an auspicious opening for the Seafires.
Seafires flew armed escort and reconnaissance missions throughout the day. Two British pilots landed their Seafires near American columns. Sub- Lieutenant Peter Twiss – who would become a famous postwar test pilot – offered to fly short reconnaissance missions for a U.S. Army tank column, even though his aircraft had only about 50 gallons of fuel left.
Sub-Lieutenant P. J. Hutton crash-landed alongside another armored column and made his way to the US. Army Air Force’s 31 st Fighter Group, which had flown its Spitfire VCs into Oran at the end of the day. The next day, November 9, Hutton borrowed an American Spitfire and flew a mission before being ferried back to Gibraltar by a Royal Air Force Hudson. (American Spitfires were ferried, along with British aircraft, aboard British carriers to Gibraltar.)
The Royal Navy also tried to finish things up in Algeria. The task was made harder by the not-unexpected appearance of German and Italian bombers, which attacked the task forces offshore. Martlets and Seafires flew combat air patrol against these raiders who could do little to alter the outcome of the successful invasion.
At dusk on November l0, 15 German Ju.88~ mounted an attack off Algiers but were intercepted by Seafires from HMS Argus and antiaircraft artillery from the task force ships. One small bomb managed to hit the carrier’s after flight deck. While the hit did little damage to the deck itself, four valuable fighters were destroyed. The three Seafires in the air had to recover ashore. Like the Americans, the Royal Navy suffered a high percentage of losses to operational causes rather than to direct enemy action.
Indeed, 21 Seafires – 40 percent of those types available at the beginning of Operation Torch -were destroyed, only three to enemy action. To add to the count, HMS Avenger, one of the escort carriers, was sunk by a torpedo from U-155, a German submarine that caught the carrier on the night of November 15 near Gibraltar. Avenger exploded; only 17 of her crew survived.
British Aircraft Carriers and Squadrons of Operation Torch
HMS Victorious
No. 809 Squadron 6 Fulmar IlPs
No. 882 Squadron 18 Martlet IVs
No. 884 Squadron 6 Seafire IlBs
No. 817 Squadron 8 Albacores
No. 832 Squadron 8 Albacores
HMS Formidable
No. 885 Squadron 6 Seafire IlBs
No. 888 Squadron 12 Martlet IVs
No. 893 Squadron 12 Martlet IVs
No. 820 Squadron 12 Albacores
HMS Avenger
No. 802 Squadron 6 Sea Hurricane Ils
MO. 883 Squadron 8 Sea Hurricane Ils
HMS Argus
No. 880 Squadron 18 Seafire IlBs
HMS Furious
No. 801 Squadron 12 Seafire ICs
No. 807 Squadron 12 Seafire IlBs
No. 822 Squadron 8 Albacores
HMS Dasher
No. 804 Squadron 6 Sea Hurricane Ils
No. 891 Squadron 6 Sea Hurricane Ils
HMS Biter
No. 800 Squadron 15 Sea Hurricane Ils
