Michael Pearson - Red Sky in the Morning

S70 2AS

Copyright © Michael Pearson, 2002, 2007

9781783460823

The right of Michael Pearson to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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1 Toland, John (1997) Hitler , Wordsworth Editions.

2 Ibid.

3 Pitt, Barrie & Francis (1998) The Chronological Atlas of W.W.II , Bookmart Edition.

4 Ibid.

5 Pelling, Henry (1999) Winston Churchill , Wordsworth Editions.

6 PRO. PREM 3/395.

7 Ibid.

8 Ibid.

9 Ibid.

aFrom this point on ‘miles’ will refer to nautical miles, with the appropriate metric conversion, unless otherwise stated.

10 PRO. PREM 3/393.

11 PRO. ADM 234/369.

12 The name given to decodes of German radio traffic, sent by operators using the Enigma coding machine. Believed by the Germans to be unbreakable, but cracked by British codebreakers at Bletchley Park. The German B dienst teams performed a similar service and had successes against British naval codes.

13 PRO. ADM 234/340.

14 PRO. ADM 234/369.

15 PRO. ADM 234/340.

16 PRO. ADM 234/369.

17 Ibid.

18 Ibid.

19 Watts, Anthony J. (1999) The Royal Navy, An Illustrated History , Brockhampton Press.

20 PRO. PREM 3/393.

21 PRO. ADM 234/369.

22 Ibid.

23 PRO. ADM 116/5307.

24 AHB/II/117/3(B), p. 270–1, quoted in Terraine, John (1997) The Right of the Line , Wordsworth Editions.

bAnti-submarine detection equipment developed between the wars by the Anglo-French Allied Submarine Detection Investigation Committee.

1 PRO. ADM 199/1104.

2 Lt-Cdr Donovan, in conversation with the author.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Captain Hutton, in correspondence with the author.

6 Commander Loftus Peyton-Jones, in correspondence with the author.

cSee Royal Navy turret designations, diagram HMS Sheffield , p. 128.

7 Lt-Cdr Albert Twiddy, in correspondence with the author.

8 Lt-Cdr Donovan, in conversation with the author.

9 Lt-Cdr Twiddy, in correspondence with the author.

10 Ibid.

11 Cdr Peyton-Jones in correspondence with the author.

12 Leading Stoker Walter Watkin, in correspondence with the author.

13 Johann Hengel, in correspondence with the author.

14 Ibid.

1 PRO. ADM 199/73.

2 PRO. ADM 234/369. Admiral Tovey, still concerned at the U-boat threat, laid down instructions that the cruisers were not to close within 50 miles (92 km) of the convoys unless enemy surface craft were located.

3 PRO. ADM 199/73.

4 PRO. ADM 234/369.

dThese cargo values are an approximation, but are believed to be reasonably accurate.

5 While part of the escort for Atlantic convoy OB318 in May 1941, Bulldog attacked, forced to the surface and captured, U110 . On board the U-boat an Enigma machine was discovered with signal set, along with many confidential books and papers. This was the first of the prized German coding machines to be captured and was sent to Bletchley Park where it greatly assisted British code-breakers to crack the German naval codes. See Smith, Michael (2000) Station X , Channel 4 Books.

6 Rhead, Cdr Eric Bertrand, DSC, Paddling My Own Canoe: The Autobiography of a Sailor , unpublished. Quoted with kind permission of Mrs Helen Rhead.

7 Memoir (unpublished) of Commander Loftus Peyton-Jones, supplied to the author. As a first lieutenant, Commander Peyton-Jones served aboard HMS Achates at the time, and subsequent descriptions of events concerning this ship are largely based on his recollections.

8 PRO. ADM 234/369.

9 PRO. ADM 199/73. Commodore’s report.

1 Kummetz, Vice-Admiral War Diary of Operation Regenbogen, Bundesarchiv. Translated from the original German.

2 Ibid.

3 PRO. ADM 199/73.

4 In latitude 73° N at this time of year, the sun at no time rises above 6° below the horizon (civil twilight). Nautical twilight (12° below horizon) starts at about 08.00 and ends about 14.50. In late December 1942 the moon (3rd quarter) set about 11.10. PRO. ADM 234/369.

5 PRO. ADM 234/369.

6 Bekker, Cajus (1974) Hitler’s Naval War , Macdonald & Jane’s.

7 Kummetz, op. cit.

8 Ibid.

9 Ibid.

10 Ibid.

11 There were four British submarines at that time off the northern coast of Norway: Unruly , Trespasser , Seadog and Graph – the former German U570 , uniquely captured by one of Coastal Command’s Hudson bombers in August 1941.

12 Kummetz, op. cit.

13 Ibid.