HMS Gipsy picked up three German airmen and then engaged another German aircraft on her return to Harwich. The ship failed to score because the captain did not turn to bring the director to bear and the after guns performed poorly under local control. One gun crew also fired impact-fuzed rather than time-fuzed ammunition. The first lieutenant carried lasting remorse for his anger at the responsible petty officer, who was killed only hours later. His account pairs the engagement's technical errors with an officer's remorse after the loss of one of his men.
Notable Point · 28:03-28:30
HMS Gipsy's failed air-defense engagement
A brief encounter with a German aircraft exposes command, fire-control, and ammunition problems aboard HMS Gipsy only hours before the destroyer is mined.