Page 38 - The Cormorant Issue 14

Taranto Night Dinner 2010 The Ends, Ways and Means
Lt Cdr Mark Scott RN
The Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, flying a small number of Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers from HMS Illustrious in the Mediterranean Sea. The attack struck the Ital- ian Navy’s battle fleet at anchor in the harbor of Taranto utilizing aerial torpedoes despite the shallow depth of the harbor. The devastation wreaked by the British carrier-launched aircraft on the large Italian warships was the beginning of the rise of the power of naval aviation.
ACSC 14 was only 10 weeks old but visits to Portsmouth Dock- yard, RAF Waddington and a ride in a tank on Salisbury Plain chasing a little blue box had given the script writers enough joint material (or was it materiel, we will never know) to adapt the story line. Historically, the Taranto Dinner has always been set as close to the 10/11th of November as possible, this year was no different and so over 200 people sat down to eat a sumptuous meal of seared swordfish starter, sautéed chicken breast and pistachio mousseline on Wednesday 10th November 2010.
The guest of Honour was Rear Admiral Tom Cunningham Royal Navy, the head of the Fleet Air Arm, but no relation to Admiral SirAndrewCunninghamwhocommandedtheMediterranean Fleet onboard HMS ILLUSTRIOUS in 1940. A full account of the historic event that was used as the blue print for the attack on Pearl Harbour can be found at http://militaryhistory.about.com/ od/worldwari1/p/taranto.htm.
In the finest traditions of a Navy SODs Opera, the sketch loosely followed the original story line. The three Service Chiefs set the scene with Cdr Chris Godwin as Chief of the Naval Staff, Cdr Steve Moorhouse played the RAF Chief with inspiration from a Group Captain at RAF Waddington (answers on a postcard
please). Steve said after the sketch, “I was surprised how easy it was to play an RAF Gp Capt, I needed very little training”. However, Cdr Phil Nash stole the lime light with his near perfect impersonation of ends (pause for effect), ways (pause for more effect) and means (pause for applause). If it hadn’t been for the Strategy and Policy essay he would have been snapped up by Andrew Lloyd Webber for his next show.
Other notable performances were from panto Dame Bangkok Betty, played by Lt Cdr Jeff Bell who was reported to have been removing ping-pong balls for days after the show. Cdr Nial “Griff” Griffin received maximum Routine Assessment points for organising the motley crew that put this event together but he will be remembered more for his pink tights and diamante high heel shoes! The whole evening was compèred by Lt Cdr Al Haigh, his dry wit and X-factor style voice-over built the story line to a crescendo for the thunder flashes and smoke bomb special effects that complemented the near-CGI quality little cardboard aeroplanes on bits of string that sank the Italian Fleet. The dinner finished with a mighty roar as RFA Largs Bay sailed into view and was ceremoniously sunk by a rogue thunderflash. A signed copy of the limited edition commemorative menu, designed by Lt Cdr Nick Gibbons and Lt Cdr Steve Lynch, along
the lines of a Purple essential reader, went on eBay where it remained unsold.
Hor-aagh to the Men of Taranto, long live their memories and may we never forget their bravery.
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