Operation Cattle (i)

'Cattle' (i) was a British carrierborne air attack within 'Sunfish' (i) on targets on the island of Sumatra in the Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies by elements of Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Power’s East Indies Fleet (12/16 April 1945).

In this undertaking, aircraft of the escort carriers Emperor and Khedive, which were two of the Escort Carrier Squadron’s (soon 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron’s) eventual total of six escort carriers, undertook photographic reconnaissance operations over Sumatra, attacked coastal targets, damaged a 4,000-ton freighter off Emmahaven, and shot down at least three Japanese aircraft.

The other ships of Vice Admiral H. T. C. Walker’s Task Force 63 during this operation were the battleships Queen Elizabeth and French Richelieu, the heavy cruisers Cumberland and London, and the destroyers Saumarez, Venus, Verulam, Vigilant and Virago.