Operation Tripe

[Jordi Comas]

Hi all!

On 26/11/40, 8 Swordfish from carrier Eagle attacked Tripoli. 1 Italian cargo was damaged or lost. Do you know which one?

Also, do you know what ships were screening Eagle during the attack? It seems that battleships Barham and Malaya, light cruisers Ajax and Sydney and some destroyers were with her.

Thank you very much

[Platon Alexiades]

Hi Jordi,

Despite the claims by the Swordfish pilots, there were no damages inflicted to vessels in Tripoli harbour.

The "Tripe" force included:
Aircraft carrier HMS Eagle
Heavy cruiser HMS Berwick
Light cruisers HMS Ajax, HMS Orion and HMAS Sydney
[no battleships involved]

I do not know the exact composition of the destroyer screen but possibly:
HMS Hyperion, HMS Ilex, HMS Gallant, HMS Hero, HMS Hereward, HMS Havock and HMS Hasty.
I stress that this is only a guess.

Best regards,

Platon

[Jordi Comas]

Thank you Platon!

Do you know if BB Barham took part in Operation MB.9 in late November 1940? I think not, but she was in Alexandria. So I don't know why she didn't take part in the operation.

Thank you again

[t-geronimo]

Hi Jordi,

Despite the claims by the Swordfish pilots, there were no damages inflicted to vessels in Tripoli harbour.

The "Tripe" force included:
Aircraft carrier HMS Eagle
Heavy cruiser HMS Berwick
Light cruisers HMS Ajax, HMS Orion and HMAS Sydney
[no battleships involved]

I do not know the exact composition of the destroyer screen but possibly:
HMS Hyperion, HMS Ilex, HMS Gallant, HMS Hero, HMS Hereward, HMS Havock and HMS Hasty.
I stress that this is only a guess.

Best regards,

Platon

Hello Platon!

What is your source for the information that no battleship was involved?

http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono ... Barham.htm
Here (usually very reliable website) it is sad:

"26th - Deployed with battleship MALAYA to provide cover for aircraft carrier EAGLE during air operations on Tripoli. (Note: This was part of coincident Operation C)"

So when Eagle belonged to the Tripe Force at least partially then the battleships would be with her?

[Jordi Comas]

Hi Thorsten,

Perhaps Barham and Malaya continued escorting the convoy while Eagle with some escorts were detached to make the attack on Tripoli.

Regards

[Platon Alexiades]

Hi Jordi and Thorsten,

1. HMS Barham was at Alexandria during the whole operation as she required repairs due to a serious feed tank leak. Sources: ADM199/387 and log ADM53/111552 (log).

2. The Naval-History-net is obviously in error. There was no Operation C, the operation's name was TRIPE and it was carried out by Force C (Vive-Admiral Pridham-Wippell, commanding Light Forces, Mediterranean, flag on HMS Orion). His report of the operation is in ADM199/797. Initially Force C included the battleships HMS Malaya and HMS Ramillies (the latter limited to a speed of 18 knots) but during the sortie HMS Malaya developed defects limiting her to a speed of 15 knots so the decision was made to detach both battleships screened by the destroyers HMS Dainty, HMS Diamond, HMS Defender and HMS Gallant to join Force D with convoy M.W.4 proceeding to Malta.

Force C now with HMS Orion (F), HMS Eagle,HMS Berwick, HMS Ajax and HMAS Sydney proceeded toward Tripoli for operation TRIPE screened by HMS Hyperion, HMS Hasty, HMS Havock and HMS Ilex. They were later joined by HMS Hero and HMS Hereward which had sailed from Malta (correction on my previous post: HMS Gallant was not with them).

Note: the log of HMS Ramillies, refers to the detached portion to Malta as Force C and that the squadron which was sent to attack Tripoli was Force I. There is no basis for this as Pridham-Wippell continues to refer to his own force during Operation TRIPE as Force C.

Best regards,

Platon

[Jordi Comas]

Hi Platon,
Thank you one more time

This clarifies all my question

Regards

[t-geronimo]

Thanks!

[Darius]

Some data on HMS BARHAM:
https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4058.html


Regards

Darius