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The Destruction of HMS Indefatigable

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The Destruction of HMS Indefatigable The Destruction of HMS Indefatigable Rear Admiral Pakenham in the New Zealand , reported that two or three shells falling together hit the Indefatigabl e about the outer edge of the upper deck in line with `X' turret. A small explosion followed and she swung out of the line sinking by the stern. She was hit again almost instantly near ‘A’ turret by another salvo, listed heavily to port, turned over and disappeared.. He was on the New Zealand ’s upper bridge during the battle, but it is not clear how much of the sinking of the Indefatigable was actually observed by him. The Navigating Officer of the New Zealand , Commander Creighton, who was stationed in the conning tower, stated that the Torpedo Officer’s attention was drawn to the Indefatigable by the Admiral’s Secretary, both of whom were also in the conning tower. The Torpedo Officer, Lieutenant- Commander Lovett-Cameron, crossed to the starboard side of the conning tower, and observed her through his glasses. She had been hit aft, apparently by the mainmast, and a good deal of smoke was coming from the superstructure aft, but there were no flames visible, and Lovett-Cameron thought that the smoke came from her boom boats. The New Zealand was turning to port at the time, and the Indefatigable ’s steering gear seemed to be damaged, as she did not follow round, but held on until she was about 500yds on the New Zealand ’s starboard quarter, and in full view from the conning tower. While Lovett-Cameron still had his glasses on her, the Indefatigable was hit by two shells, one on the forecastle, and the other on ‘A’ turret. Both shells appeared to explode on impact. There was then an appreciable interval, said to be about 30 seconds, during which there was no sign of fire, flame or smoke, except the little amount formed by the shell-bursts. At the end of this interval, the Indefatigable completely blew up, apparently beginning from forward. The main explosion started with sheets of flame, followed immediately by dense, dark smoke, hiding the ship from view, while many objects were blown high in the air. The Von der Tann’ s gunnery report states that four salvos straddled the Indefatigable , and she then began firing 5.9in in addition. After a further seven salvos, several heavy explosions occurred amidships and aft. The Indefatigable was enveloped in dense smoke for some time, and when this had dispersed, she had disappeared. It was observed from the Von der Tann that the great cloud of black smoke was twice the height of the Indefatigable' s masts. B98 , which was some distance on the Von der Tann ’s port quarter, observed a hit at 1602, and immediately afterwards a second hit. There was a high column of flame, two heavy explosion clouds far above the masts and also jets of flame. B97 reported three heavy explosions following one another, while V30 , ahead of the Lutzow , noted a serious fire at 1602, and 2 minutes later a high column of fire. The famous photograph of the sinking ship was taken by Captain W Carne who was then a midshipman in the New Zealand's after torpedo control station. This was taken just before the final explosion in the Indefatigable , and shows her sinking by the stern to port with the whole after part of the ship to near the middle funnel already under water. Whatever the cause of the final explosion in her, the loss of the Indefatigable was due to an initial explosion in ‘X’ magazines, probably from a shell striking ‘X’ barbette below the upper deck, and this could 1 not have been seen from the New Zealand’s conning tower as the view astern was very restricted. THE ROLL OF HONOUR – HMS INDEFATIGABLE Captain Charles F. Sowerby Commander Henry E. D. H. Willoughby. Lieutenant Commander John S. Wilson. Leonard H. Lindner. Granville Murray-Browne. Lieutenant Douglas B. Bucham Brown. Henry G. S. Laing. Claude de N. Lucas. Harold O. Master, R.N.R. Engineer Commander Hubert J. Clegg. Engineer Lieutenant Commander Patrick J. King. Engineer Lieutenant Stanley N. de Quetteville, R.C.N Samuel A. Adams. Captain Percy M. C. Wilde, R.M.A. Chaplain The Reverend Guy Arnott Browning, M.A. Fleet Surgeon Hugh Leigh Norris. Fleet Paymaster Ernest Humphrey McArthur Dyer. Surgeon Sidney Punch. Archibald A. Morison. 2 Sub-Lieut. Cecil R. de V. Law. Naval Instructor Harry Wallis. Acting Sub-Lieut. Henry S. King. Sub-Lieut. Eynon L. Jones, R.N.R. Eng.-Sub-Lieut. Charles P. Tanner. Mate Thomas W. Steggles. Mate (E) Cyril B. Hopkins. Assistant Paymaster Maurice D. Dymocke. Harold V. Coombes, R.N.R. Chief Gunner William G. Jones. Chief Art. Eng. John E. Gifford. Gunner George Barratt. Acting Gunner Albert T. Walker. Gunner Stephen Munnelly. Boatswain Thomas J. Eustis. Joseph Crabb. John Gray. Sig.-Boatswain James Crook. 3 R.M. Gunner George H. Field. Carpenter William J. Pearne. Acting Art. Engineer Michael J. Lambe. Warrant Electrician Arthur Beales. Midshipman Robert Roxburgh. Charles R. Longley. Henry J. Tuson. William F. R. A. Cooper. Denzil C. Tudball. Edwin R. Bates. William N. Eden. Herbert A. Snead-Cox. Richard B. Croft. Richard F. Durlacher. William L. Griffith. Cyril H. G. Summers. Stuart B. N. Bolton. Harold F. Guest, R.N.R. Eric J. Davis, R.N.R. Assistant Clerk Arthur C. Palk. Abraham, Charles, Gnr. Ackrill, John Joseph, Mech. Agate, James William, A.B. R.M.A. Agnew, James, Ld. Sto. Ahern, John, Sea., R.N.R. Ahern, William, Blacksmith. Anderson, John Alexander, Andrews, Joseph Charles, Alder, Kenneth, Boy 1. C.C. Sto. 2. Atrobus, Harry J., Bugler, Antill, Thomas, Sto. 1. Applegate, Wm. John, Sto. 1. R.M.L.I. Armstrong,. Percy, A.B. Armstrong, Walt. Jas., Act. Arnold, Frank, Ld. Sto. (R.N.V.R.) Ld. Sto. 4 Ash, Fredk. Arthur. Act. Ld. Atkins, Arthur C., Sergt., Atherton, James Alex.. Sto. 1. Sto. R.M.A. Atkinson, William, A.B. Auton, Joshua, Cook's Mate. Avery, George Henry, A.B. Ayres, Wm. Harold Jury, Avery, William, A.B. Babbage, Frank. Of. Std 3. E.R.A. 5. Bailey, Albert Arthur, Ld. Bailey, Joseph. Sto. 2. Baker, Ernest, Act. Ld. Sto. Sea. Baker, Francis Geo. Bakewell, Horace James, Baldwin, Henry Victor, A.B. Autridge. A.B. A.B. Ball, Reginald Walter. Boy Bannister, George. Act. Ld. Barber, John, Pte.. R.M.L.I. 1. Sto. Barnard, Victor Ernest Barham, Gerald J., Band. 1, Barlow, Granville. Boy 1. Alfred, Ord. R.M.A. Sea. Barnett, William James, Sto. Barrow, Arch. Wm., Sto. Barnes, Henry, A.B. 1. R.N.R. Bartlett. Fredk.. Richard, Sto. Bateman, Stanley William, Bates, Joseph, Sto. 1. 1 Ld. Sto Batters, Fredk. Thomas, Sto. Bazley, Alfred George, Ch. Baynton, Thos. Henry, A.B. 1. E.R.A. 1 Beach, Wm. George, Ld. Beagley, Harry John. Thos., Beadle, Charles Thos., Boy 1. Sea. Sto. 2. Beckerleg, Edward George, Beaton. William, Sto. 1 Beaver, Harold. Pte. R.M.L.I. Sto. P.O Beesley, William, Pte. Beeston, Stanley A. A.. Gnr. Begley, Patrick, Sto. R.N.R. R.M.L.I. R.M. Bellamy, Charles Edwin, Bell, William, Boy 1 Bennett, John, A.B. P.O. Bent, James Arthur Craik, Bennett, Walter, A.B Berry, Alfred, Sto. 2. Boy 1. Berry, Algernon Dudley, Boy Besant, Samuel John, Act. Betts, John, A.B. (R.N.V.R.) 1. Ld. Sto Birch, Charles, Sto. 1. Birch, Samuel, Sto 1. Birks, John, A.B. Bisset, Rowland Joseph, Blackwell, Arthur J., Pte. Blakley, Thomas Henry. Sig. Wireman 2. R.M.L.I. Boy. Blank, William John, Ld. Bloodworth, Reg. George., Blaney, John Joseph, Ld. Sto. Sea. Ord. Sea. 5 Blythe, Sidney, Ld. Sto Bodle, Albert, Sto 1. Boles, John, Boy 1. Bond, Frederick William, Boughton, Harold Lewis, Ld. Booth, John Joseph. Sig Boy. A.B Sea. Bourne, Edward George, Sto. Bowers, Wilfred, A.B. Bowes, Patrick, Sto., R.N.R 1. Bowker, Edward, Act. Ld. Bowman, John George, Sto. Bovey, Alfred James, Mech. Sto. R.N.R. Boyce, Alfred John, Boy 1 Boyle, William, Boy 1. Boyton, Francis Henry. A.B. Brammall, Alfred Robinson, Brain, William Henry, Boy 1. Breze, Frederick, A.B A.B. Brewster, Fredk. Charles. Bridges. Alfred Wm., Sh. Brickley, William, Ord. Sea. P.O. Cpl. 1. Brimble, Chas. Fredk. Jacob, Brinton, William John, Sto. Broadridge, Allan, Gnr., A.B. P.O. R.M.A. Brockhurst, James, Pte. Brown, Benjamin Victor, Brooks, Richard, A.B. R.M.L.I. Ord. Sea. Brown, James Jefferies Brown, Fredk. James, C.A. Brown, George, Sto. R.N.R. Golledge Vaughan, Sto. 1. Bruce, Alexander, A.B. Crown, Thomas, A.B. Brownhill, Thomas, Sto. 1. (R.N.V.R.) Buchan, Edward, Sig. Bryant, Robert, Painter 2. Bryans, George, Sto. 1. (R.N.V.R.) Buckingham, Edwin, Bugg, Stanley Arthur, Act. Musician. Buckley, Timothy. Sto. 1. E.R.A. 4. R.M.B. Bull, Fredk. Herbert, Ld. Sea. Burke, Edward James, Boy 1. Burns, James, A.B. Burrows, Stanley, Cpl. Burton, Owen Edgar, E.R.A. Burton, George, Sto. 1. R.M.L.I. 1. Butcher, Arthur William, Burton, Robert, Sto 1. Butter, William, Sto. R.N.R. A.B. Cagney, Thomas, Musician, Buttress, William John, A.B. Byrne, Hugh, Sto. R.N.R. R.M.B. Cahill, Patrick. Ld. Sto. Caine, Arthur Edward, Ord. Cahalane, John, Sto. 1. R.N.R. Sea. Callaghan, William George, Capp, John Edward, Boy 1. Carmichael. Thomas, Sto. 1. Boy 1. 6 Carne, Fredk. James Carney, Edgar Francis, Sto. Vaughan, Act. Carpenter, Charles. Ld. Sto. 1. E.R.A.
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