Altered States

Chapter 13

The young officer stood before the Admiral’s desk, saluting. “Lieutenant Commander Wells reporting as ordered, sir.”

“At ease Mister Wells. In fact please be seated. I understand you were instrumental in saving Glorious from more serious harm, and you are to be commended.”

“Thank you, sir, but it was all in the line of duty.”

Tovey was looking through a folder as he spoke. “I’ve read the reports, and the statement of the ship’s executive officer as well. A bit of a run in with the Twins…A sticky spot for a carrier with no escort to speak of. I cannot help but wonder why the German ships were not sighted earlier. How was it the ship found itself under those guns, in your opinion?”

Wells started to speak, then checked himself, thinking of the implications of anything he might say here. Captain D’Oyly-Hughes had lost his life in that encounter, and would not be there to present any other side of the story. In spite of what he thought of the man, Wells felt he owed him an easy rest now.

“May I ask if this is this a formal inquiry, sir?”

“The Admiralty will certainly convene such a hearing, but at the moment I should like to get to the bottom of this before all that shuffle and bother. If you feel uncomfortable speaking about it I will understand, however any light you might shed on the incident would be appreciated.”

“I understand, sir. Well… to put it simply, the ship was in a low state of readiness insofar as any potential surface contacts as a threat. The Captain was steaming in a zig-zag pattern, but with six boilers down, sir. Our speed was no more than 16 or 17 knots.”

“You believe the Captain was worried about a possible U-boat attack?”

“That seemed to be the only precaution he took, sir-the zig-zag pattern, with five point turns every ten minutes.”

“D’Oyly-Hughes was a submariner, and a good one, so I can understand his appreciation of the threat posed by U-boats. What I cannot understand, however, was how he allowed his ship, a carrier of some value, to come upon a pair of German battlecruisers. There were two destroyers present. Where were they posted?”

“About two cables off the bow, to port and starboard, sir. In fact I was on a lower weather bridge when we first sighted the enemy smoke on the horizon.”

“You heard the alarm from the mainmast?”

“No sir, there was no alarm. In fact there was no watch posted on the mainmast at all, sir.”

“No watch?”

“No sir, and we had no air cover up, and nothing spotted on deck either. Planes were on ten minute standby on the hanger deck, however.”

“Yet nothing on the flight deck?”

“No sir.”

Tovey raised an eyebrow at that. “Well then…It’s fairly clear how you came to be under the guns on this one. I’ve read the weather log for the day-clear and unlimited visibility, yet that works both ways, for friend and foe alike. A carrier with light escort and destroyers improperly posted, no air cover, no mainmast watch, six boilers down and no planes ready for immediate launch is a recipe for disaster, and that is what we nearly had there. Were it not for the gallantry of Lieutenant Commander Barker aboard Ardent, and your timely arrival on the bridge after that first hit was scored, we might have lost a very valuable ship and a good many lives. How was it you came to the bridge at that moment?”

“Sir, I saw that smoke on the horizon and was concerned. No alarm was raised, though Ardent saw it too and was making challenge with her search light. I thought I would see what might be done on the bridge.”

“What might be done? Do you mean to say you went there on your own initiative? You were not a scheduled watch stander?”

“No sir, I was not posted at the time, but with no action stations sounded I became concerned.”

“I see…Did you see the Captain before the action opened and the bridge was struck?”

“I did, sir. He was ordering 823 Squadron up when I arrived on the Bridge, and then immediately ordered me get to the main W/T room and report the sighting.”

“As he should have.”

“Correct, sir. It was just by chance that I was off the bridge when they took that hit.”

Yes, thought Tovey, by chance or fate, a glint in his eye. It was just as it had happened to him aboard King Alfred. “Do go on, Lieutenant Commander.”

“Well sir, I passed on the sighting information, then started back to the bridge, arriving to find virtually every man down and the whole bridge enveloped in smoke. It was then I saw Mister Louvell, and he urged me to take command.”

“What was your order then, if I may ask?”

“Sir? Well the bridge crew was pretty badly shaken up, Admiral. I could see that our only chance was to make a run for it. The Captain had been steering 220, but the ship was at 180 from what I could see. I gave the order to steer 120 and ahead full.”

“Away from the German ships?”

“Yes, sir, by the most direct route possible. Acasta was out in front laying a good smoke screen and I wanted to take every advantage of that. The wind would also be at our backs with that turn, so the smoke would ride with us as well, and I thought we might make a go of it.”

“Thank god the helm answered smartly, Mister Wells.”

“Actually…No one answered that order, Admiral. The Helmsman was down, so I took the wheel myself.”

Just as I did, thought Tovey…yes…Well this is a man I can use. He looked at Wells for some moments, then put the folder he had been reviewing down on the desk.

“Mister Wells,” he began. “You are not carrier man by training. In fact your file shows you to be well schooled in cruiser operations.”

“Yes sir. I was only just posted to Glorious three weeks ago to relieve a man down with illness.”

“I see you’ve tested well in gunnery, and even trained on the new Type 279 and 284 Radars.”

“Yes sir.”

“Glorious is going to be in repair for some time, but I have need of good men at sea right now. I should like to transfer you to HMS Invincible, unless you have objection.”

“Objection? Why…No sir. None at all.” This was not the time for a moment’s hesitation. “I should be honored to serve in any capacity.” Wells was elated. A battleship! Not just any battleship. This was HMS Invincible, the finest ship in the fleet and truly one of a kind.

“Good then. We’ll see how you train out in surface operations. You may report to Captain Bennett aboard Invincible tomorrow morning. I understand you and other officers aboard Glorious were awaiting leave, and if this upsets any plans you may have had…” He raised an eyebrow, waiting.

“I am entirely at your service, Admiral.”

“Good. Good. Mister Brind will see to the paperwork. Good day, Mister Wells. That will be all.”

* * *

The fleet left Scapa Flow the next day on the 14th of June with the battlecruiser squadron in the van. Admiral Tovey led the way aboard HMS Invincible. They would sail all day to reach a point south of Iceland by dawn on the 15th, and there Tovey hovered while he waited on other fleet elements to catch up. Ark Royal had refueled at Scapa Flow and was hastening out to join him, and Admiral Holland had roused Hood from its nap at Liverpool and got her out to sea with Repulse, and was still some 300 miles to the south. The slower battleships Nelson and Rodney were not with the fleet. Instead they were to assume patrol duty east of the Faeroes.

Tovey had seen to it that the young Lieutenant Commander Wells was included in his Flag Staff for seasoning. “Watch and learn,” he had told him, “but like any good officer, feel free to speak your mind if you have one. Don’t be bothered by these stripes, or even the raw temper I have at times, Mister Wells. I want officers who can take initiative and keep cool, yet critical minds under pressure.”

Wells promised he would do his very best, but to be there on the bridge of the flagship of the fleet, with the Admiral of that fleet ever present, was an eye opener for him at the outset. He soon saw that Admiral Tovey’s command style was much different than that of Captain D’Oyly-Hughes. Where Hughes had been somewhat irascible and prone to hound the officers and crew, Tovey exhibited that same calm, professional manner that he expected of all those around him.

He was assigned to work with the Flag Lieutenant, an honorary title given to Commander James Villers, a new man on Tovey’s hastily assembled staff.

“Ready to flog the sea a bit, Mister Wells?” said Villers.

“I am, sir, and lucky to be here.”

Villers was a dark haired, blue-eyed man, tall and aristocratic in bearing, with a stiff posture and a penchant for folding his arms behind his back, as many senior officers often did. Wells never adopted the habit, though his old friend Woodfield said it was a good way to avoid putting one’s hands into his pockets, which was frowned upon.

“Good show aboard Glorious,” said Villers. “The fleet needs every ship we have now, what with Italy jumping in, the French sitting on the fence, and now Jerry rattling swords again up north. So we’ll go and have a look to see if they really want to mix thing up with the Royal Navy.”

“They’ll be sorry if they do, sir.”

“That they will, Wells. That’s the spirit, and you’ll be right in the thick of things here. You’re to be my messenger to the Admiral.”

“Admiral Tovey, sir?”

“There’s only one aboard, Mister Wells.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Yes, well I’ll be spending a good deal of time in the plotting room pouring over charts and maps. You’ll be my voice to the bridge and also serve as my liaison to the W/T room.”

That brought back the memory of that day on Glorious just before she was hit. Wells had been sent as a messenger to the W/T room with the Captain’s sighting order, and that order saved not only his life, but by extension, the life of the ship itself. He hoped nothing of the sort would repeat itself here, though the thought that he would take the wheel of HMS Invincible and lead her in battle briefly crossed his mind. He was wise enough to know that he had a good deal to learn before he should ever contemplate a thing like that, and this was a posting any Lieutenant Commander would lust for, right on the bridge level and in the know. He would see how the ship was maneuvered, and why. He would be privy to every signal and contact made. It was going to be grand.

“There’s been a good deal of rumor circulating round the mess decks, Wells,” said Villers. “In your position you learn more than most on this ship, but I wouldn’t throw logs on any of those fires, or even set yourself to quash them. The business of the Flag Bridge should be kept under your hat.”

“I understand, sir.”

“We’ll be making a rendezvous with Ark Royal shortly with Admiral Wells. Any relation?”

“No sir, it’s just coincidence.”

“Well perhaps you’ll make Admiral one day yourself. Let’s step into the Flag Plot Room.”

The two men moved aft to the open hatch where several charts were pinned to the walls and a large central table held a general map depicting the region from Scapa Flow to Greenland. They were surprised to see Admiral Tovey present.

“Good day, Admiral. I wasn’t aware you were here yet, sir.”

Villers saluted, with Wells following suit, and Tovey looked up from the chart he had been studying. “A bit musty below in the wardroom, Mister Villers. Ah, I see you have our young Lieutenant Commander there. Step over here, Mister Wells, and we’ll have a look at our situation.”

“I was just going to brief Mister Wells, sir.”

“I’ll do the honors.” Tovey handed his Flag Lieutenant an Admiralty message decrypt. “Have a look at that, if you please.”

Villers read the message quickly, raising a single eyebrow as he did. “The Twins, sir? Out to sea from Trondheim…Well I can’t say as it surprises me.”

“And the Germans will know that we are out to sea as well the next time they have a look at the Flow. So, gentlemen, here’s where things stand. I’m posting Nelson and Rodney as you see here.” He pointed to the situation map where two small wooden models indicated the battleships, held in place on the metal tabletop with embedded magnets.

“Rodney will watch the passage between the Flow and the Faeroes. Nelson to backstop the cruiser patrol in the Iceland-Faeroes Gap. That leaves us with the Battlecruiser division, the fast hounds. I intend to take up a position here about 200 kilometers south of Reykjavik. From there we can move to interdict the Denmark Strait easily enough, or return to the Iceland-Faeroes passage is needed.”

“This message doesn’t indicate any sailing date for Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, sir.”

“It does not, and that means the we cannot yet plot their farthest on. Unless we back-date to their last known sighting, and I’m afraid that was over 48 hours ago. So this is where Ark Royal will come in handy. It was set to pay a visit to Trondheim, but I recalled it two days ago. The carrier should join us in 48 hours.” He looked at the Lieutenant Commander now. “Where would you post your air search, Mister Wells?”

Stepping up to the table, Wells took a long look. “If I recall correctly, sir, Ark Royal will be carrying a mix of Swordfish and Blackburn Skuas. I’d want planes in the air an hour before we reached our expected cruising station and flying a twelve plane fan approximately here, sir.” He indicated a section of the Denmark Strait as it approached the ragged icy coast of Greenland. “The ice floes peaked in April and have been thinning for weeks now. That gives the Germans a decent channel.”

“A reasonable deployment, Mister Wells. We shall have to see what your namesake on the Ark Royal decides, but I may just pass along the recommendation.” He gave Wells a wink, turning to receive another dispatch from the W/T room.

“It seems the Admiralty is wanting to keep me well read today,” said Tovey. “Carry on, gentlemen. I mean to visit Captain Bennett for a moment.”

The two men saluted, and the Admiral did indeed pass on a suggestion to Ark Royal on the search pattern Wells had chosen. As it happened the advice of his new staff officer was in accord with that of the Vice Admiral, Fleet Aircraft Carriers, and this particular search was going to troll up much more in the net than any of them expected.