- Author
- Lyons, Rex
- Subjects
- Biographies and personal histories, Ship histories and stories, WWII operations
- Tags
- RAN Ships
- HMAS Quiberon
- Publication
- September 1997 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Total bag for the night three destroyers and four merchant vessels, two of which were troopships.
At 0627 at dawn a torpedo bomber attacked Force “Q” and H.M.S Quentin was torpedoed. H.M.A.S. Quiberon circled Quentin and eventually decided that as Quentin was sinking we should endeavour to “cut our losses”. I went alongside H.M.S. Quentin and removed 8 officers and 174 ratings. During the time alongside I was bombed and cannoned. H.M.A.S. Quiberon got clear just as a stick of bombs fell where she had been; the explosions were under my forecastle. Ship went on to 33 knots and was attacked six more times by L.L.B., D/B and one abortive attempt by T/B aircraft. Sticks of bombs all fell fairly close but thanks to good gunnery and high speed I was able to alter course as necessary after seeing the bombs begin to fall.
H.M.A.S. Quiberon arrived Bone at 0930 and secured alongside H.M.S. Sirius who took over care of Quentin’s survivors.
Force “Q” sailed for Algiers at 1645.
Thursday 3rd December
Arrived Algiers without incident, fuelled and secured to Princess Beatrix* in harbour.
Hugh Browning
Commander RN