- Author
- Buxton, Ian
- Subjects
- History - WW2
- Tags
- None noted.
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- March 1979 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
The attack was launched on 9 December with British, Australian and Indian troops, which soon forced the Italians back into Libya. Terror and the gunboats Aphis and Ladybird found easy targets along the coast and the only road. The defended port of Bardia was attacked on the 14th after Terror had re-ammunitioned at Alexandria. The Australian destroyers Vendetta and Voyager gave useful support with their 4.7-inch guns.
Terror and the various smaller ships were then formed into an Inshore Squadron, now including Stuart and Vampire, to give close support and to ferry stores to the rapidly advancing Army. Tobruk was heavily bombarded on 21 January 1941 before its capture by the 6th Australian Division. By this time Terror’s 15-inch were less effective than usual, owing to the shortage of spotting aircraft and well-worn guns. She had fired 660 rounds in only six weeks, with each gun having fired 600 rounds since new, as they had previously been installed in the battleship Revenge. The normal life of a 15- inch was about 300 rounds with full charges, but this was extended by using three-quarter charges whenever possible.
In February, Terror moved to Benghazi as guardship, but encountered heavy air attacks. The Luftwaffe had appeared in North Africa while at the same time, Allied forces were being withdrawn to fight in Greece. Lacking proper air cover and radar, Terror was caught by dive-bombers off Derna on 23 February, badly damaged and sank during the following night.
Terror had put up such a good performance off North Africa that a new monitor was immediately ordered to replace here, to become the second Abercrombie when completed in 1943. A new monitor, Roberts, was already under construction, to take Marshall Soult’s turret, as the latter’s hull and machinery were beyond reconstruction. Thus Erebus was the only monitor in commission during most of 1941, being retained to help defend UK shores. Late in 1941, she and the newly completed Roberts set off via the Cape to support further operations of the Eighth Army off North Africa. However the Japanese Indian Ocean offensive caused them to be diverted, Erebus to Ceylon, Roberts to become AA guardship at Suez, as the Allied forces were now very much on the defensive against Rommel in Egypt.
When the Eastern Fleet was withdrawn to Kilin-dini in May 1942, Erebus went with them. She supported the September landings in north-west Madagascar, but otherwise was used mainly on training duties based at Durban.
Roberts returned via the Cape to support the Allied landings in North West Africa in November, where she was badly damaged in German air attacks. By July 1943, all three large monitors, Roberts, Abercrombie and Erebus, were available to provide bombardment capability at the Sicilian landings with British, American and Canadian troops, and also at the subsequent landing on the mainland of Italy.
Erebus went home for a badly needed refit, but both Roberts and Abercrombie supported the Salerno landings in September. The latter had the bad luck to hit a mine which put her out of action for nearly a year. The value of coast bombardment vessels was fully recognised for assaults on heavily defended enemy territory. New spotting techniques were developed to improve accuracy, the most effective being to use fighter aircraft, R/T links and co-ordinating HQ ships. Erebus and Roberts were both present at the Normandy landings, but Abercrombie had no sooner completed repairs in August 1944 than she hit another mine off Malta.
Following VE-day, the two newer monitors were available to support operations against the Japanese in Malaya, but Erebus was worn out. Roberts and Abercrombie therefore sailed for the Indian Ocean in July 1945 to support Operation ‘Mailfist’, the assault on Singapore. This was planned to follow ‘Zipper’, the assault on Port Dickson scheduled for September. However by the time the monitors had passed Aden, the Japanese had surrendered after the A-bombs had been dropped.
Once again the monitors’ work was done, so both Roberts and Abercrombie returned to the UK to join the Reserve Fleet. Roberts survived as a base ship at Devonport until 1965, but all the other monitors had been scrapped by 1957. For the Royal Navy there would be no more need of heavy artillery, although the US Navy recommissioned the battleship New Jersey for coast bombardment operations of Vietnam in 1968. Now aircraft and precision guided missiles provide the long range striking capability, although medium calibre guns of 4 to 5 inches calibre on modern destroyers and frigates can be used for close gunfire support if required.