Taff Jones, a sailor’s sailor.
Idwal Morris Jones, was born 22 September 1924, the son of Janet and John Morris Jones of Treddafydd Isaf, Bodorgan. Educated at Gwalchmai and Llangefni County schools. This is his story:
I joined the RN as a Boy Seaman in January 1940. If the war had not started my ambition was to be an architect, but the calling to serve my country became a priority.
After training at HMS St George on the Isle of Man I was part of the commissioning crew of the newly-built aircraft carrier HMS Victorious. Her first action, just two weeks after commissioning and with one quarter of her aircraft embarked, was when her aircraft intercepted the German battleship Bismark, scoring one vital torpedo hit that slowed her down sufficiently to be finally sunk by other naval forces.
HMS Victorious R-38, seen here in October 1941 was the second of the Illustrious class of Fleet Carriers, and was commissioned in May 1941. Displacing 35,500 tons full load, the flight deck measured 238 x 29 metres (781 x 95 feet) and the carrier drew 8.5 metres (28 feet). Six boilers and three Parsons geared tubines delivered a total of 111,000 shp to three shafts, which gave a top speed of 30.5 knots. Aircraft numbers in WW II varied considerably, from 33 up to 60 with an American-style deck park. With a full air group embarked, Victorious might carry 2200 personnel. Armament initially included 16 x 114 mm (4.5 inch) guns and 48 two-pounder pom poms.
Operation Pedestal
Victorious was heavily involved in Operation Pedestal, the effort to resupply Malta that began 10 August 1942. Two battleships, Rodney and Nelson, four aircraft carriers, Victorious, Eagle, Indomitable and Furious, together with 39 cruisers and destroyers, were deployed to escort 14 merchant ships.
Operation Pedestal’s SS Ohio, decks awash, engines dead,entering Malta Harbour 15 August 1942 after severe damage by an Italian submarine torpedo and many bombs including numerous near misses. Ohio was launched 20 April 1940, displaced 9,263 tons and had a trials speed of 19 knots.
Operation Torch
This was an important turning point in the Allies regaining control of the Mediterranean. Victorious then participated in support of the Allied landings in North Africa, which eventually brought about the defeat of the German and Italian armies in North Africa, and paved the way for Allied landings on Italian soil.
After supporting Operation Torch in late 1942, HMS Victorious refitted at Norfolk Navy Yard, then joined the US Pacific Fleet as the Robin (her voice callsign) on loan to the USN until relieved by the brand new USS Essex towards the end of 1943.
USN VF-6 and RN 832 SQN
Victorious sailed from Norfolk for Pearl Harbor, joining Saratoga’s Task Force 14 in Noumea around 17 May 1943. With embarked USN (VF-6 Wildcat) and RN (832 Squadron Wildcat) aircraft and aircrew, Saratoga and Victorious swept the Solomon Islands. Saratoga hosted the strike squadrons, including the RN’s TBF Grumman Avenger element of 832 Squadron, while Victorious typically operated 60 RN and USN Grumman 4F4 Wildcat fighters.
In May/June 1943, Saratoga and Victorious supported the invasions of Munda, New Georgia, and Bougainville. The two carriers sailed 27 June, took up position and in the next few days put up 600 sorties against little opposition. The aircraft were reassigned to their parent carriers on 24 July, and the force returned to Noumea the next day.
Victorious returned to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow towards the end of 1943 and in early 1944 her aircraft participated in the attack on the Tirpitz.
Operation Tungsten
On 2 April 1944 Victorious joined Anson, Duke of York, Emperor, Fencer, Furious, Pursuer, and Searcher, along with numerous cruisers and destroyers, launching a devastating attack (Operation Tungsten) on Tirpitz. A total of 29 Barracudas in two waves hit the battleship 14 times, putting Tirpitz out of action for six weeks. During the operation, Victorious became the first RN aircraft carrier to employ the F4U Corsair fighter in operations. The Task Force returned to Scapa Flow after this relative success three days later.
The German battleship Tirpitz was damaged by Barracudas from Victorious and Furious in Operation Tungsten.
D-Day
Victorious then undertook a number of diversionary operations around the UK, leading up to the Normandy landings. After the Allied landing in Normandy was seen to be successful and the German armies were retreating, Victorious was deployed to the Indian Ocean and had a small refit on the way in Bombay (Mumbai) India.
After her Bombay refit Victorious sailed to Trincomalee in Ceylon, to join a large British fleet being assembled as the vanguard of an even larger British fleet to be based in Sydney, Australia. On their voyage to Sydney, aircraft of the carrier force attacked Japanese targets on the Nicobar Islands and oil fuel installations in Sumatra. A number of Japanese aircraft tried to attack the fleet, but all were shot down.
BPF
The fleet arrived in Australia in November 1944 for shore leave and recreation. During this stay in Sydney I met my future wife. The British Pacific Fleet, or the BPF as it was now called, sailed from Sydney early in 1945 to attack Japanese-held islands as directed by the Commander-In-Chief, Pacific. The fleet’s main attack force were the aircraft carriers HMS Victorious, Illustrious, Implacable, Indefatigable and Indomitable, together with supporting escorts of cruisers and destroyers from the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
This fleet was continuously at sea, being replenished at intervals of about four days from a large task force of oilers and store ships. These vessels supplied oil, food, spares and especially bombs and gun ammunition to the attacking fleet. In the initial stages, the BPF’s main targets were Japanese forces in their occupied islands, especially Formosa (now Taiwan.)
The Japanese by now had incurred heavy losses to their navy and were unable to retaliate on the Allied fleets with seagoing forces. In this state of desperation they introduced “kamikaze” bombers. These frequently obsolescent aircraft were fitted with bombs and flown by pilots who dedicated their lives to fly directly into Allied ships, especially the aircraft carriers, whose aircraft were inflicting so much damage on their forces.
HMS Formidable, sister ship to Victorious, cleans up after a kamikaze hit on the base of the island, 4 May 1945.
Wooden flight decks
These kamikaze bombers did inflict some heavy damage to USN aircraft carriers because of their wooden flight decks. They inflicted some damage and flight deck personnel casualties in the British carriers but because our flight decks were heavily armoured the damage to our ships was negligible. Our carriers were able to remain operational.
(Ed.note: But see Naval Officers Club Newsletter 73 June 2008 p.8-13 and Armoured decks for a wooden vs armoured deck discussion.)
Victorious received three kamikaze hits in one day and it was distressing to see 59 of my flight deck and guns crew shipmates killed. Luckily, I received only minor flesh wounds but the sight of blood made them seem much worse. Many of these kamikazes were shot dawn by our own protective fighter aircraft, but those few that got through the many layers of defence were capable of inflicting severe damage.
Our aircraft lost in these actions were quickly replaced from the smaller support carriers that sailed with the replenishment ships. The organisation administering to the needs of the fighting fleet was indeed of the highest order. Towards the middle of 1945, US and British forces were being prepared for direct operations against the Japanese mainland, but the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought about an early Japanese surrender.
Wedding bells
By 1 September 1945, Victorious had returned to Sydney, where I proposed to my future wife, Dora, before going back to the UK in the carrier for leave and to see my parents. I returned to Australia in January 1946 and married Dora on 2 February 1946. After a three-day honeymoon I was posted to HMS Swiftsure, (11,000 tons six-inch cruiser) heading for Hong Kong and Shanghai to oversee the withdrawal of Japanese forces. In July 1946 I was posted to Australia and transferred to HMS Euralyus, which was returning to Sydney. During this voyage the light cruiser encountered a typhoon which, despite tumultuous seas, was successfully negotiated. This same typhoon sank four USN destroyers.
I was luckily stationed in Sydney until 1950 and returned to the UK with my wife Dora in March 1950. Not having previously had much ambition to further my career beyond my present rank of Leading Seaman, I decided to do something about rectifying this state of affairs. I started a number of promotional courses in my chosen profession, Underwater Submarine Detection, Torpedoes (TAS), Explosives and Diving, and in January 1951 was promoted to Commissioned Gunner (T).
Taff Jones (front row, far left) graduates as a “bootlace” (Commissioned Gunner [T]) in January 1951.
HMS Decoy
Posted to HMS Decoy to gain experience as an officer, I served in her as she voyaged to the Mediterranean as part of a very substantial British fleet. Our chief base was Malta, but during this period Decoy served some time in the Suez Canal. The Egyptians were not happy with the number of British land forces based on their soil and were making signs that they wanted full control of the canal.
After visits to Istanbul, Algiers and some Italian ports, Decoy completed her tour of duty and returned to the UK. We then became part of an RN group that visited the Russian port of Leningrad. At the same time, part of the Soviet fleet visited Portsmouth. This Russian visit was a memorable occasion. It gave those of us who were lucky enough to be part of this group a most illuminating view of life in the Soviet Union.
Mine clearance
In August 1956 I was part of a RN contingent sent to Aden, whose task was to convert a number of commandeered ships into minesweepers and stores carriers to be employed to clear the mines that the Egyptians had laid in the southern end of the Suez Canal. British and French forces had landed in the northern end but the Egyptians had sunk a large number of merchant ships, effectively blocking the canal. The invasion was soon brought to a halt by US and Russian intervention. The canal was returned to Egyptian control and the clearing of the canal was undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations. Our Aden group was not deemed necessary and we flew back to the UK in February 1957.
HMAS Tobruk was a Battle Class destroyer, 114 x 12.5 x 3.9 metres(379 x 41 x 12.75 feet) displacing 3450 tons (full load). The main armament was four 114 mm (4.5 inch) guns, 12 x 40 mm Bofors, 10 x 533mm (21 inches) torpedo tubes and a single three-barrelled ASW Mortar.
HMAS Quickmatch was an ASW frigate converted from a Q class WW II destroyer. Displacing 2,020 tons, from a 109 x 10.9 x 2.9 metres (358.75 x 35.75 x 9.5 feet) hull, the engines developed 40,000 shp that drove the frigate at 31 knots. The complement was 220 and armament included two 102 mm (four-inch) guns, two 40 mm Bofors and two three-barrel ASW mortars.
Trials unit
From September 1970 until January 1974 I was in charge of the RAN’s TAS Trials Unit. Our task was to ensure that all the relevant equipment was in a functioning state before ships were ready for sea deployment. In February 1974 I was posted as second in command of HMAS Stalwart, the RAN’s seagoing repair and depot ship. In December 1974, together with my wife and 10-year-old daughter Julie-Ann, I joined the staff of the Naval Attache at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC. We returned to Australia in March 1977, where I was promoted to Commander and I became the Naval Representative on a Special Projects Design Team of civilian specialists. This task was completed in August 1979 and then followed my final appointment as Director of Naval Safety at Navy Office, Canberra, until my retirement in September 1981.
Epilogue: by Ron Osborn
Taff recorded this story primarily for his family. After retiring from the RAN, Taff worked as the administrative officer of Bankers Trust (Australia). As BT expanded its activities in Australia, Taff’s organising abilities helped to smooth the path acquiring, staffing and equipping new office space. He was held in high regard by the financial group.
Poor health dogged Taff over the last decade of his life, but he always remained his old cheerful self and enjoyed getting together with his mates to have a chat.