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You are here: Home / Article topics / Publications / Naval Historical Review / Orion into the Breach

Orion into the Breach

Atwill, R., DSM, Lieutenant, RN (Rtd) · Dec 31, 1971 · Print This Page

Author
Atwill, R., DSM, Lieutenant, RN (Rtd)
Subjects
None noted
Tags
WILLIAM COSSAR
RAN Ships
None noted.
Publication
December 1971 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)

To supplement the ship’s armaments, the troops onboard the cruiser, including the Australian 2/4th Battalion, mounted their own Bren and Lewis guns in every available space on deck and fought desperately against the increasing onslaught of the bombers. A near miss on the destroyer Decoy reduced the squadron’s speed to 25 knots. Another on the Orion caused it to drop to 21 knots. The Dido was hit on the forward turret and then the Orion was hit again and set on fire – the bomb had hit ‘A’ turret blowing it over the side and damaging both guns of ‘B’ turret at the same time.

Captain G.R.B. Back, RN, Admiral Rawlings’ Flag Captain, had been mortally wounded by a machine gun bullet at 0735. Immediately before his death, a couple of hours later, the ship was convulsed by several near misses. He regained consciousness and attempted to sit up calling on everyone to ‘keep steady’. When the attack was finished, he shouted: `It’s all right men – that one’s over!’ – and died. Commander T.C.T. Wynne, RN, took command of the ship.

A lull in the assault enabled fire parties to extinguish the fires and the medical staff to deal with the wounded, but it lasted for only three quarters of an hour. The attacks were then renewed. Wave succeeded wave until finally a formation of eleven Junkers 87s, the much feared dive bombers, dived on the Orion, pressing home the attack with fierce determination.

A one thousand pound bomb passed through Orion’s bridge and exploded in the stokers’ mess deck, deep in the ship – the deck was crowded to capacity with soldiers. The results of this catastrophe were indescribably terrible. For a moment darkness concealed the horror. Then flames began to glow through the choking smoke – into the blazing shambles the rescuers flung themselves. Every officer and man not at action stations or incapacitated, naval and military, passengers and crew joined in this heroic struggle against calamity between decks. They extinguished fires, extricated and tended the wounded – the sick bay had been demolished – restored communications and removed the dead.

In the meantime, the ship was out of control, the compasses had gone, the engine- room telegraph had gone, the steering gear had gone. One boiler room was untenable, the other in darkness. Three of the five engineer officers were dead. The ship was being steered by her after steering wheel, orders being passed verbally from the bridge along a chain of soldiers and seamen. Between 11.00 and noon the ship took on a heavy list to starboard.

The Engineer Officer, Commander (E) H.F. Atkins, RN, later wrote in his report:

`This was perhaps the least pleasant moment of a disagreeable day. The heavy list, the ship not being under control due to destruction of the steering gear, the fires still burning forward, filling the machinery spaces with smoke and the fact that only one shaft was turning tended to cause uneasiness. Every man remained at his post and went on with his job. The steaming registers were properly kept throughout.’

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Naval Historical Review WILLIAM COSSAR

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