Able Seaman Michael Healy

Born:

1922

Pupil:

1934

Parents:

James Joseph and Betty Healy

Address:

R.A. Mess, Woolwich

School Details:

Boarder in Raleigh House.

"Our Record" No 105 Form IIIB 24/27

"Our Record" No 106 Form IIIB 13/20

"Our Record" No 107 Form IIIA 4/28.

"Our Record" No 108 Form IIIA 1/29.

"Our Record" No 109 Form IVB M 19/26.

"Our Record" No 110 Form IVB 17/24.

"Our Record" No 112 "In Athletics Healey gained some valuable points".

Military Details:

See below

Memorial:

Portsmouth Naval Memorial

Hampshire

Panel 64 Column 1

HMS Worcester and the ‘Channel Dash’

The Channel Dash (officially known as Operation Cerberus) was one of those moments when a lack of vigilance by the British and good planning by the Germans led to a humiliating moment in the Second World War. In that same week in February 1942, Singapore had fallen.

The German battleships the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau went to Brest, where they were joined by the Prinz Eugen after the sinking of the Bismarck at the end of May 1941. Holed up in the harbour, they presented a huge threat to Allied shipping. British bombers attacked them several times and there was a torpedo raid on Brest. More than 1 DC British aircraft were lost during these attacks.

The German operation to get the ships out was simple. At about midnight on 11 February, in appalling weather, they simply sailed out with an escort of destroyers and motor torpedo boats and with the Luftwaffe providing air cover. They were not spotted at first and by mid morning, after sailing for 12 hours, the 21 ships had reached the Straits of Dover unchallenged. By the time Bomber Command had carried out its first attacks, it was early afternoon and the German ships were through the Straits of Dover, RAF planes were joined by Fleet Air Arm Swordfish aircraft and then by a cruiser, destroyers and motor torpedo boats.

The 16th Destroyer Flotilla, of which HMS Worcester was part, was based at Harwich. She was small, elderly, slow and lightly armed (four 4.7-inch guns, three torpedo tubes). When the call came, she headed for the River Maas area where she would meet the German flotilla.

Her main task was to try to stop one or other of the ships using torpedoes. She would get in relatively close, turn side on and then fire. She got in very close, 2.000 yards or so, well within the range of the enemy 11-inch guns. The Worcester was badly hit. Twenty-seven people were killed and 60 injured. The above-deck structure of the ship was badly damaged and two of the three boilers were put out of action. Despite the boiler rooms being flooded, the engine room team eventually managed to make repairs and get up steam and the ship limped back to Harwich, talking 16 hours to return. As they arrived they were saluted and cheered by ships and a crowd gathered at the harbour to welcome them home. At the same time, the German flotilla was arriving at its home ports.

The Worcester had fought valiantly, but serious questions had to be asked of British communications and reconnaissance systems. How had they missed the German ships for so long when they were virtually under their noses? The British had not expected a daylight attempt and were unprepared. Even then, though, the response was slow and ineffective. Six hundred British aircraft attacked the German fleet without success. Of these, 49 aircraft were lost . The Times the next day said that the German escape was the biggest affront to British sea power since 1666.

A board of enquiry, which did not publish its findings until after the war was over, was equally critical. The historian Correlli Barnett describes the whole episode as a complete indictment of the way Britain had developed air power for the purposes of war at sea since 1918.

Those telling the story were, from HMS Worcester, Vic Green, Doug Jordan, John Wedge and Harold Barnett. and shorebased former Wren, Pamela Timms. Vic Green’s son, also Vic, who is documenting the history of the ship, contributed to the discussion.