The War at Sea

On 2nd August 1956, a Royal proclamation announced the call up of all reservists and the retention of all troops due for discharge. All carriers at sea were recalled to port and Bulwark embarked her air group of three squadrons of Sea Hawks. The training carrier Theseus and Ocean were pressed into service as troopships, sailing at the end of July. Albion was dispatched to the Mediterranean on September 15th, with No.800 (Sea Hawk), 809 (Sea Venom), 802 (Sea Hawk) and 849C (Skyraider) NAS embarked.

Theseus and Ocean had, in the meantime, returned home and were being equipped with more permanent accommodation for troops, Ocean also being fitted out with an operating theatre and extensive hospital facilities. The amphibious forces had been found to be totally inadequate for the projected amphibious assault. Only 2 tank-landing ships were actually in service out of a total of 32, the remainder having being mothballed, and only 12 could be made ready in time. The original target was Alexandria, but a political decision on 10th September changed this to Port Said. The plan was to achieve total air superiority before carrying out an airborne assault to secure initial objectives. This would be followed by a seaborne invasion to consolidate and secure a beachhead for the main assault. Troops and materiel would land under cover of naval gunfire support. The landings were scheduled to take place on 15th September, after two weeks of air strikes. The decision of changing the objective also postponed the landings to 1st October and then to an undetermined date.

Before Theseus and Ocean's conversion were completed, their role was changed to helicopter carriers. This enabled the initial assault to transport enough troops ashore in the first few hours to secure the beachhead. After carrying out exercises with their embarked helicopter units they sailed for the Mediterranean in mid-October.

On 29th October, the Israelis attacked the Egyptians in the Sinai and the British-French ultimatum was issued. HMS Ocean embarked No.45 Commando at Malta, while LST Lofoften took on board their equipment and heavy stores. On 2nd November the two ships with an escort of destroyers and frigates headed out into the Mediterranean. Hostilities commenced on 31st October.

The only 'action' that occurred at sea during Operation Musketeer was the following incident involving H.M.S. Newfoundland, a Fiji Class cruiser on 31st October;

While patrolling the Red Sea south of Suez, H.M.S. Newfoundland encountered the Egyptian frigate Domiat and signaled her to heave to. The Egyptian captain ignored this instruction and as the Newfoundland closed to 1,500 yards, the order was given to open fire. Despite the heavy weight of fire from the British warship, the Egyptians bravely returned fire until their vessel capsized. Aboard the Newfoundland, the Royal Marines were serving the 6-inch guns. Sergeant Evan and Marine Waite were among those wounded by two 4-inch shells from the Egyptian frigate that hit the Newfoundland while 69 of the Domiat's crew were rescued. The Newfoundland destroyed the Domiat's bridge and wheelhouse. The Domiat was finished off by HMS Diana, a daring class destroyer when it was thought the Domiat was trying to ram her.

The second incident involved H.M.S. Crane, which was attacked by four Israeli aircraft and in the ensuing gunfight, shot down one of the jets. The task force at the time in the Gulf of Suez consisted of HMS Newfoundland, HMS Crane, HMS Modeste and two French Ships (The La Perouse and the Gazelle). Prior to the engagement with the Jets, we were supposed to be relieved of the duty of patrol by the La Parouse, but both French ships refused to leave their Djibouti base.

RAF raids began on the same night, which were followed by carrier aircraft raids on the morning of 1st November against Egyptian airfields by Wyverns, Sea Hawks and Sea Venoms. By nightfall on the 2nd November, the Egyptian air force had ceased to exist, and on 5th November the first paratroops landed at Gamil. Whirlwind helicopters from Albion and Bulwark landed with urgent supplies and ferried out wounded troops. Pre-assault bombardment began the next day and as the landing craft left their mother ships, the helicopters were back in the air with more troops aboard.

The LVTs landed Centurion tanks to support the Commandos as they fanned out across the beaches. More waves of helicopters followed landing troops and ferrying out wounded men. The helicopters returned to the carriers to reload, taking only one minute to get the marines aboard, refuelling after every second trip. The LVTs continued their unloading as troopships in the harbour unloaded more troops.

Following UN intervention and threats from America, a ceasefire came into effect at 2345 on 6th November, and the evacuation of British troops began on 7th December with the last troops leaving on 22nd December.