unscathed. The other Avengers and the escort force departed from the fleet at 0715, and the strike Corsairs took off shortly after. The strike force ran into a barrier of clouds as they approached the Sumatran coast. Strike Leader Stuart advanced through a gap in the clouds to inspect the target but was unable to locate it. The strike was diverted to the secondary target, Belawan Deli, where the weather was little better. The Avengers bombed the wharves from 1500 feet, while the Corsairs strafed the fuel storage tanks and warehouses in the town. A train was also hit at nearby Kuala Simpang. Two of the Corsairs became lost and strafed a large storage tank at either Pangkalan Brandan or Pangkalan Susu. The defences of Belawan Deli were unprepared: the anti-aircraft artillery was ineffective and no fighters were put in the air, although one Mitsubishi Ki-21 was surprised and downed by a Hellcat. The raid ended in chaos, with complete loss of radio discipline. The strike force and escorts rendezvoused just beneath the clouds. Lieutenant Commander W. J. Mainprice had to form up his squadron (No. 854) and lead them back on his own initiative because of the "radio bedlam". All 55 aircraft returned safely and the four Corsairs landed by 1050, and the force retired. Aftermath On the afternoon of the attack, a Japanese radio message was intercepted: "Am closing down now, will call you later." At the suggestion of Captain C. E. Lambe of Illustrious, eight of his Corsairs and eight Hellcats from Indomitable were dispatched for a low-level sweep over the airfields at Sabang and Oleelhoe, the port of Kota Raja. No Japanese aircraft were spotted, either on the ground or in the air. Force 67 had returned to Trincomalee by 22 December. Despite the lack of opposition met, Operation Robson was considered a failure on account of the bad weather and the lack of radio discipline. The subsequent operations of Outflank—Lentil and Meridian—engendered a much greater response from the Japanese and concomitant British losses. Notes Sources External links Operation Robson Codenames : Operation of WW2 Fleet Air Arm World War II operations and battles of the Southeast Asia Theatre World War II aerial operations and battles of the Pacific theatre Aerial operations and battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom Naval battles and operations of World War II involving the United Kingdom