[Håkan]

Hello everybody,


According to Italian sources, Swordfishes from 813 Squadron from HMS Eagle attacked Tobruk harbour in the morning on 5 July 1940.
At 10:30 in the morning a group of six (nine according to some sources) Fairey Swordfishes of 813 Squadron took off from HMS Eagle and reached Tobruk harbour at 12:40, taking the Italian defences completely off guard. Nobody discovered HMS Eagle’s aircraft until they arrived over the harbour from a north-western direction. In a copy-book attack, which lasted seven minutes the Swordfishes sank five Italian ships.
At 12:41, the aircraft of Lieutenant P. R. Halloway, Sub Lieutenant A. J. Owen and Sub Lieutenant A. J. Torrence hit Manzoni, which quickly capsized and sank.
At 12:42, the aircraft of Sub Lieutenant G. L. Cooper, Sub Lieutenant A. A. O’Hara and Sub Lieutenant P. R. Swift hit the side of the destroyer Zeffiro, which sank half an hour later.
The aircraft of Petty Officer A. T. Cullinan, Sub Lieutenant S. T. Tracy and Petty Officer Taylor hit the destroyer Euro, which was beached and was used as a stationary flak ship for the rest of the campaign.
The aircraft of Lieutenant D. S. Brent, Sub Lieutenant A. L. Giuliani and Petty Officer A. R. Finney hit the 15000 ton liner Liguria, which was beached.
The aircraft of Sub Lieutenant P. O. Stone, Sub Lieutenant C. G. Blackburn and Midshipman K. M. Flint hit Serenitas, which was beached.
The British formation lost one Swordfish when the aircraft of Sub Lieutenant A. J. Bell, Petty Officer N. C. Grant and Petty Officer F. A. Crowne was shot down by flak before it was able to release its torpedo. The complete lack of aerial opposition helped the British attackers to limit the losses to a minimum.

My problem is that I can’t verify the loss of Bell, Grant and Crowne with the Commonwealth War Grave Commission.

Is there anyone on this forum that can help me with this question?

Best wishes/Håkan Gustavsson