BATTLE OF RUSSIA: Chickens that Got Home

As a German plane, obviously crippled and unable to climb, fluttered past a British destroyer, one of the ship’s smaller guns picked off the raider. Instantly a message flashed from the convoy’s British commander: “Thought it not done to shoot a sitting bird.” Back flashed a reply from the gunner: “Yes, but I wasn’t going to have it perching on my deck.”

Last week the commander, Rear Admiral Edye Kington Boddam-Whetham (pronounced boddom-wettem), proudly told the story himself in Moscow. Weathered, towering (6-ft.-3) Admiral Boddam-Whetham had good reason for proud chuckles: he had just brought safely into Russia’s Arctic ports the biggest convoy in history. A large part of it had come all the way from the Hudson River.

The size and importance of the convoy could be judged from the fact that 75 British warships of various sizes (among them at least one aircraft carrier*) had escorted the merchantmen laden with planes, guns, tanks and ammunition. Much of the convoy was shot to pieces in a six-day running battle north of Norway, but much more of it stayed afloat.

“All he thinks about is getting his chickens home,” said Admiral Boddam-Whetham’s brother, an official in the British fuel ministry (three other brothers died in the army in World War I). “Being a sailor, he fears fog and ice more than any U-boat or Focke-Wulf. He is very reserved and hates to talk about himself.”

When salty, 55-year-old Admiral Boddam-Whetham retired in August 1939, he looked forward to a quiet old age in his Hampshire village, where, in baggy tweeds, basket on arm, he did his own marketing. Behind him were almost 40 years in the navy as commander of various destroyers and of the battleship Queen Elizabeth. Five weeks after retirement he was back in uniform, assigned chiefly to duty on the perilous Arctic convoy route, where his sailor’s fear of fog and ice found ample justification.

Battle Log. His latest & greatest task was an epic, even as tersely logged:

Sept. 9—Enemy aircraft spotted the convoy wallowing north from Britain. No attack came for three days, but in the interim one U-boat was driven off.

Sept. 12.—Aircraft and submarines started shadowing the convoy. Six bombers made a high-level attack. Then 40 to 50 torpedo bombers came down in close formation. Ack-ack got five. Carrier-based planes got five more. Enemy mine layers then appeared, and the convoy’s minesweepers went into action. Later nine more torpedo bombers attacked, but were kept at a safe distance. Two were downed. At dusk came a third contingent of twelve. Six were sent crashing into the icy sea.

Sept. 14—A submarine wolf-pack attacked. Escorting warships scattered to cover the area with depth charges. Apparently some found targets, because debris, even green vegetables, came boiling to the surface. Twice waves of bombers concentrated on the British aircraft carrier, but protecting warships ganged up, drove them off with casualties.

Sept. 15—From 50 to 75 bombers based in Norway attacked at high and low levels. Below low-hanging clouds ack-ack took care of the raiders. Above, fighters from the carrier did the job, spitting fire into the ranks of Junkers-88s and Heinkels.

Only once again, just before the convoy reached Russia, did the enemy attack. Twenty-four dive-bombers tried to finish it. No ships were damaged. Two enemy planes were downed.

Said Admiral Boddam-Whetham: “I won’t complain if the next time they give someone else the chance to make this trip.” The British Admiralty announced the loss of the destroyer Somali and the minesweeper Leda. Admiral Boddam-Whetham said that about twelve out of 40 merchantmen went down.

*For the first time Hurricane fighters, adapted for use from carriers which seldom can be spared for convoy duty, were used successfully to protect a convoy from land-based aircraft.