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Excerpt from the journal "A BUNTINGS SOJOURN"
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As naval bases in India and Ceylon could become untenable due to Japanese air attacks and shortage of defence fighters, it was realized that if the Japanese got a foothold in Madagascar (French) the supply lines to the Middle East could be cut. Operation Ironclad was mounted to forestall this under the overall command of a South African, Rear Admiral E.N. Syfret, who had relieved Vice Admiral Somerville as S.O. Force H at Gibraltar. He flew his flag in Ramillies with Major General R. Sturges, R.M., in command of land forces. A slow convoy of Ministry of Transport ships forming the Cape Town section joined up with the Durban section on April 25th and proceeded north escorted by 8 inch cruiser Devonshire, three destroyers, three corvettes and four minesweepers. A fast convoy sailed from Durban on April 28th escorted by Ramillies, Illustrious, Hermione and six destroyers, to rendezvous late evening on May 4th west of Diego Suarez and now joined by Indomitable, the whole becoming Force F. In foul weather on morning of May 5th landing craft began to put commandos and other troops ashore, who made steady progress across the island, and the airfield was bombed by carrier aircraft. French S/M Heros escaped to sea and was sunk on 6th by aircraft from H.M.S. Illustrious. Corvette H.M.S. Auricula was damaged by a mine in Courrier Bay on 5th and sank on 6th. |
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