Word: vian
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...total loss. Even if they could keep the South China Sea open for supply ships and tankers for a few more weeks, they had already lost heavily on the fuel front: aircraft from four British carriers, commanded by dashing, slashing (but nonflying) Rear Admiral Sir Philip Louis Vian, had bombed the Palembang refineries on Sumatra, cutting by an estimated 75% their high-octane-gasoline output...
Battleships, cruisers, destroyers stood off the coast, wrapped themselves in smoke screens and hurled steel from 640 guns. They arrived in two divisions. On the east they were British and Canadian vessels under the command of Rear Admiral Sir Philip Vian. On the west they were U.S., under the command of Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk. Never before, not at Tarawa or Kwajalein or Salerno, had a target been subjected to such overwhelming bombardment from...
...cruisers reported to Admiral Vian's flagship: "Four suspicious vessels to the starboard." The A.P.'s Preston Grover raised his field glasses, saw the Italian fleet on the horizon. Said he to the Chicago Daily News's Richard Mowrer: "Well, it's been nice knowing you." Mowrer's throat was too dry for reply; he nodded, and admired a British captain calmly ramming tobacco into his pipe...
...Littorio), with 15-in. guns; the Trento and the Trieste, heavy cruisers with 8-in. guns; three or four light, 6-in.-gun cruisers of the Condottieri class, and a destroyer screen. None of the British light cruisers could match the Trento or Trieste, much less the battleship. Admiral Vian invoked the tactics which dogged the Graf Spee to suicide in 1939. His light force laid down an intricate smokescreen, then peppered and confused the heavier enemy with darting attacks and withdrawals...
...British cruiser, damaged 19 ships in all. Berlin said that German dive-bombers had sunk three merchant ships and damaged three others. Correspondents Grover and Mowrer confirmed the British reports that one supply ship was sunk, that a cruiser and three destroyers were hit but made port. Able Admiral Vian had earned the thanks of Winston Churchill, the praise of his captains. Said one of them: "Our Admiral has fought one of the most brilliant actions against greatly superior forces ever successfully brought...