DOCSLIB.ORG

Hms Sheffield Commission 1975

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Hms Sheffield Commission 1975 'During the night the British destroyers appeared once more, coming in close to deliver their torpedoes again and again, but the Bismarck's gunnery was so effective that none of them was able to deliver a hit. But around 08.45 hours a strongly united attack opened, and the last fight of the Bismarck began. Two minutes later, Bismarck replied, and her third volley straddled the Rodney, but this accuracy could not be maintained because of the continual battle against the sea, and, attacked now from three sides, Bismarck's fire was soon to deteriorate. Shortly after the battle commenced a shell hit the combat mast and the fire control post in the foremast broke Gerhard Junack, Lt Cdr (Eng), away. At 09.02 hours, both forward heavy gun turrets were put out of action. Bismarck, writing in Purnell's ' A further hit wrecked the forward control post: the rear control post was History of the Second World War' wrecked soon afterwards... and that was the end of the fighting instruments. For some time the rear turrets fired singly, but by about 10.00 hours all the guns of the Bismarck were silent' SINK the Bismarck' 1 Desperately fighting the U-boat war and was on fire — but she continued to steam to the picture of the Duchess of Kent in a fearful lest the Scharnhorst and the south west. number of places. That picture was left Gneisenau might attempt to break out in its battered condition for the re- from Brest, the Royal Navy had cause for It was imperative that the BISMARCK be mainder of SHEFFIELD'S war service. concern in late May, 1941. Air sunk before reaching harbour. The air- reconnaissance had detected the new craft carrier Victorious; the battleships Facing the enemy was dangerous enough, German battleship BISMARCK and the Rodney and Ramilles; the battle cruiser but when aircraft from the Ark Royal cruiser Prinze Eugen in an unfrequented Renown and the cruiser SHEFFIELD, made a further sortie, poor visibility Norwegian fjiord near Bergen. There was were all ordered into the Atlantic. The resulted in a torpedo attack being made little doubt that, sooner or later, they aircraft carrier Ark Royal; the cruisers on the SHEFFIELD by mistake. Luckily would make a dash for the Atlantic. The Edinburgh, Norfolk and Suffolk, and a for her the newly-adopted magnetic stage was being set for the most dramatic destroyer force... all these were moving pistols failed to explode. A further attack sea chase of World War II. in remorselessly to block the with better torpedoes was made on the BISMARCK'S route to France. BISMARCK later and she was hit. BIS- Early information of the sailing of the MARCK was then seen to turn two German ships was of vital importance to Hanging on relentlessly, Suffolk and Nor- circles and when she resumed her course Admiral Sir John Tovey, Commander-in- folk reported that the enemy had slightly it was clear that she was partially crip- Chief of the Fleet based at Scapa Flow. reduced speed. A Coastal Command air- pled and that her speed had been much He could not keep his patrol cruisers con- craft reported oil showing in the reduced. stantly at sea; he did need his ships to be BISMARCK'S wake and, on the evening ready to intercept once the break-out had of 24th May, HMS Prince of Wales made That night it was the turn of Captain PL been made. contact. After a short exchange of broad- Vian and his Tribal Class destroyers By 22nd May the weather was deterior- sides the BISMARCK turned away and Cossack, Maori, Sikh and Zulu to attack. ating fast. The Commanding Officer of a altered course. That night, torpedo Cossack, by coincidence, had been build- naval air station in the Orkneys, aware of carrying aircraft launched by the Vic- ing at Walker Naval Yard when the urgency of the situation, called for torious made a long distance attack and SHEFFIELD was launched, and SHEF- volunteers to man an aircraft to fly over scored one hit. FIELD was there shadowing the enemy Bergen. Four men volunteered at once when Cossack and Maori each obtained a and, despite the 'impossible' meteor- At 3 a.m. on 25th May the shadowing hit with torpedoes. An hour later HMS ological forecasts, flew close to the sur- cruisers lost contact for the first time. The SHEFFIELD reported that BISMARCK face all the way to Norway, only to find BISMARCK was then 350 miles SSE of was stopped, 400 miles west of Brest and the fjiord empty. The hunt was on. Greenland. An extensive air search was 1750 miles from the position in which the organised, but it was not until 10.30 a.m. first sea contact had been made. HM ships Suffolk and Norfolk were on 26th May that the German was found ordered to patrol the Denmark Strait; the heading east and about 550 miles west of The ship was still fighting. The shadowing battleship Prince of Wales — so new that Lands End. The Prince Eugen had parted destroyers and the cruiser Norfolk were she had not really completed her accep- company with her and was not sighted fired on at daylight on 27th May. About 9 tance trials — and the battlecruiser Hood again. At 11.15 a.m. aircraft from the Ark a.m. that day, the King George V and the were ordered to take up a strategical Royal sighted BISMARCK, and HMS Rodney, who had awaited full daylight, position west of the Strait. Admiral Tovey SHEFFIELD was ordered by Admiral opened fire. BISMARCK was hit and himself put to sea with the battleship King Somerville to make contact and shadow. silenced and the cruiser Dorsetshire was George V. On the evening of 23rd May, The same afternoon, aircraft from the ordered in to sink her. At 11 a.m. on 27th Suffolk and Norfolk sighted the enemy carrier made an unsuccessful sortie. May, the BISMARCK action was over. ships and, despite bad visibility, shadowed Shortly after 5.30 p.m. SHEFFIELD More than 100 officers and men were them throughout the night. As a result the contacted the BISMARCK and proceeded picked up from the sunken ship. Prince of Wales and Hood made contact to shadow her, under fire. It was in this early on 24th May and at once attacked. action that the ship received her most The whole epic story — the story of a The Hood was blown up when a broadside treasured battle scar. Straddled by a salvo strategical and tactical triumph — is now hit her magazine; the Prince of Wales was from the BISMARCK, the cruiser was hit written in one word among the battle slightly damaged and the BISMARCK was by splinters. Some passed through the side honours of HMS SHEFFIELD... BIS- hit — and at one time of the wardroom piercing MARCK, 1941. Sheffield was the first warship to carry 6" guns mounted in triple turrets, two forward and two aft. She was capable of maintaining a succession of 23- gun broadsides with a total out- put of 96 rounds per minute. The ship with a charmed life here can be no doubt that the first SHEFFIELD bore a charmed life. Certainly her crew swore by her as a lucky ship. TShe had, for instance,captured the German merchant ship Gloria in October 1939; had landed her Marines at Namsos to secure the harbour and road bridges and permit a large British force to land; she had taken part in a bombardment of Genoa and shadowed the Bismarck. By the end of 1941, six of her battle honours had been hard earned with no serious damage. Rejoining the Home Fleet, HMS more. Driving spray brought visibility 1942, SHEFFIELD suffered a head-on SHEFFIELD found herself on that most down to less than 200 yards and so great collision with another ship at a com- onerous of wartime naval duties was the pressure of the wind on the ship bined speed of 30 knots. The fatal escorting convoys to Russia. Making a that she was compelled to heave to, her casualties were few and those aboard the turn in darkness, and in a rising gale engines running at a minimum speed to ship that day had cause to be thankful to North East of Iceland, she struck a give steerage way. The seas stove in the the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors floating mine which blew a hole in her starboard whaler, submerged the forward who had designed her, and Vickers- port quarter, 40 feet long and 20 feet gun turret and swept part of the turret Armstrong who had built her. deep. She was 1 000 miles from the roof overboard. HMS SHEFFIELD rode nearest repair base and the story of her out that storm for three days before For three months between September and successful return was an epic in itself. being able to set course for port. In December 1942, there were no convoys to another gale there was further damage by Russia. The landings in North Africa had On two other occasions the ship was heavy seas and the ship was hove to for drained the Home Fleet of ships and there damaged by heavy weather in the Arctic. 17 hours. At the end of that time she had been a certain anxiety as to the safety During terrific storms in February 1943, found herself 40 miles further of Arctic convoys after the mauling given the wind reached hurricane force and the downwind than when the gale first to PQ-17 in June 1942.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Volume 7, Issue 2, July 2021 Introduction: New Researchers and the Bright Future of Military History
    www.bjmh.org.uk British Journal for Military History Volume 7, Issue 2, July 2021 Cover picture: Royal Navy destroyers visiting Derry, Northern Ireland, 11 June 1933. Photo © Imperial War Museum, HU 111339 www.bjmh.org.uk BRITISH JOURNAL FOR MILITARY HISTORY EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD The Editorial Team gratefully acknowledges the support of the British Journal for Military History’s Editorial Advisory Board the membership of which is as follows: Chair: Prof Alexander Watson (Goldsmiths, University of London, UK) Dr Laura Aguiar (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland / Nerve Centre, UK) Dr Andrew Ayton (Keele University, UK) Prof Tarak Barkawi (London School of Economics, UK) Prof Ian Beckett (University of Kent, UK) Dr Huw Bennett (University of Cardiff, UK) Prof Martyn Bennett (Nottingham Trent University, UK) Dr Matthew Bennett (University of Winchester, UK) Prof Brian Bond (King’s College London, UK) Dr Timothy Bowman (University of Kent, UK; Member BCMH, UK) Ian Brewer (Treasurer, BCMH, UK) Dr Ambrogio Caiani (University of Kent, UK) Prof Antoine Capet (University of Rouen, France) Dr Erica Charters (University of Oxford, UK) Sqn Ldr (Ret) Rana TS Chhina (United Service Institution of India, India) Dr Gemma Clark (University of Exeter, UK) Dr Marie Coleman (Queens University Belfast, UK) Prof Mark Connelly (University of Kent, UK) Seb Cox (Air Historical Branch, UK) Dr Selena Daly (Royal Holloway, University of London, UK) Dr Susan Edgington (Queen Mary University of London, UK) Prof Catharine Edwards (Birkbeck, University of London,
    [Show full text]
  • Reginald James Morry's Memoirs of WWII
    THE MORRY FAMILY WEBSITE -- HTTP://WEB.NCF.CA/fr307/ World War II Memoirs of Reginald James Morry Including an eyewitness account of the sinking of the German battleship “Bismarck”. Reginald James Morry 10/6/2007 Edited by C. J. Morry Following long standing Newfoundland maritime tradition, when hostilities broke out at the beginning of WWII, Reginald James Morry chose to serve in the “Senior Service”, the Royal Navy. This is his personal account of those momentous years, including one of the most crucial naval battles of the war, the sinking of the German battleship “Bismarck”. © Reginald James Morry; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; 2007 World War II Memoirs of Reginald James Morry (then Able Seaman R. Morry P/SSX 31753) Including an eyewitness account of the sinking of the German battleship “Bismarck”. Newfoundland’s Military Legacy Newfoundland participated in both World Wars. Even though the province is small, it produced a famous Regiment of Infantry that fought in Gallipolis and from there to France. They lost quite a few men in Turkey and were decimated twice in France, once in Beaumont Hamel and again at Arras and other areas on the Somme. Total casualties (fatal) were 1305, and at sea 179 lost their lives. Of those that returned, many died of wounds, stress, and worn out hearts. They were given the title “Royal” for their role in the defence of Masnieres (the Battle for Cambrai) by King George VI, the reigning Monarch of the time. World War II is practically dead history, especially since some anti-Royals disbanded the regiment in 2002, as it's territorial section, according to the present army regime in HQ Ottawa, did not measure up!! During WWII the British changed the regiment over to Artillery so they became known as The Royal Newfoundland Light Artillery to lessen the chances of heavy losses.
    [Show full text]
  • The British Commonwealth and Allied Naval Forces' Operation with the Anti
    THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AND ALLIED NAVAL FORCES’ OPERATION WITH THE ANTI-COMMUNIST GUERRILLAS IN THE KOREAN WAR: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE OPERATION ON THE WEST COAST By INSEUNG KIM A dissertation submitted to The University of Birmingham For the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of History and Cultures College of Arts and Law The University of Birmingham May 2018 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis examines the British Commonwealth and Allied Naval forces operation on the west coast during the final two and a half years of the Korean War, particularly focused on their co- operation with the anti-Communist guerrillas. The purpose of this study is to present a more realistic picture of the United Nations (UN) naval forces operation in the west, which has been largely neglected, by analysing their activities in relation to the large number of irregular forces. This thesis shows that, even though it was often difficult and frustrating, working with the irregular groups was both strategically and operationally essential to the conduct of the war, and this naval-guerrilla relationship was of major importance during the latter part of the naval campaign.
    [Show full text]
  • The Colours of the Fleet
    THE COLOURS OF THE FLEET TCOF BRITISH & BRITISH DERIVED ENSIGNS ~ THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE WORLDWIDE LIST OF ALL FLAGS AND ENSIGNS, PAST AND PRESENT, WHICH BEAR THE UNION FLAG IN THE CANTON “Build up the highway clear it of stones lift up an ensign over the peoples” Isaiah 62 vv 10 Created and compiled by Malcolm Farrow OBE President of the Flag Institute Edited and updated by David Prothero 15 January 2015 © 1 CONTENTS Chapter 1 Page 3 Introduction Page 5 Definition of an Ensign Page 6 The Development of Modern Ensigns Page 10 Union Flags, Flagstaffs and Crowns Page 13 A Brief Summary Page 13 Reference Sources Page 14 Chronology Page 17 Numerical Summary of Ensigns Chapter 2 British Ensigns and Related Flags in Current Use Page 18 White Ensigns Page 25 Blue Ensigns Page 37 Red Ensigns Page 42 Sky Blue Ensigns Page 43 Ensigns of Other Colours Page 45 Old Flags in Current Use Chapter 3 Special Ensigns of Yacht Clubs and Sailing Associations Page 48 Introduction Page 50 Current Page 62 Obsolete Chapter 4 Obsolete Ensigns and Related Flags Page 68 British Isles Page 81 Commonwealth and Empire Page 112 Unidentified Flags Page 112 Hypothetical Flags Chapter 5 Exclusions. Page 114 Flags similar to Ensigns and Unofficial Ensigns Chapter 6 Proclamations Page 121 A Proclamation Amending Proclamation dated 1st January 1801 declaring what Ensign or Colours shall be borne at sea by Merchant Ships. Page 122 Proclamation dated January 1, 1801 declaring what ensign or colours shall be borne at sea by merchant ships. 2 CHAPTER 1 Introduction The Colours of The Fleet 2013 attempts to fill a gap in the constitutional and historic records of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth by seeking to list all British and British derived ensigns which have ever existed.
    [Show full text]
  • A Historical Assessment of Amphibious Operations from 1941 to the Present
    CRM D0006297.A2/ Final July 2002 Charting the Pathway to OMFTS: A Historical Assessment of Amphibious Operations From 1941 to the Present Carter A. Malkasian 4825 Mark Center Drive • Alexandria, Virginia 22311-1850 Approved for distribution: July 2002 c.. Expedit'onaryyystems & Support Team Integrated Systems and Operations Division This document represents the best opinion of CNA at the time of issue. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of the Department of the Navy. Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited. Specific authority: N0014-00-D-0700. For copies of this document call: CNA Document Control and Distribution Section at 703-824-2123. Copyright 0 2002 The CNA Corporation Contents Summary . 1 Introduction . 5 Methodology . 6 The U.S. Marine Corps’ new concept for forcible entry . 9 What is the purpose of amphibious warfare? . 15 Amphibious warfare and the strategic level of war . 15 Amphibious warfare and the operational level of war . 17 Historical changes in amphibious warfare . 19 Amphibious warfare in World War II . 19 The strategic environment . 19 Operational doctrine development and refinement . 21 World War II assault and area denial tactics. 26 Amphibious warfare during the Cold War . 28 Changes to the strategic context . 29 New operational approaches to amphibious warfare . 33 Cold war assault and area denial tactics . 35 Amphibious warfare, 1983–2002 . 42 Changes in the strategic, operational, and tactical context of warfare. 42 Post-cold war amphibious tactics . 44 Conclusion . 46 Key factors in the success of OMFTS. 49 Operational pause . 49 The causes of operational pause . 49 i Overcoming enemy resistance and the supply buildup.
    [Show full text]
  • De-Ranged Global Power and Air Mobility for the New Millennium
    De-Ranged Global Power and Air Mobility for the New Millennium ROBERT A. COLELLA, Lt Col, USAF School of Advanced Airpower Studies THESIS PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF ADVANCED AIRPOWER STUDIES, MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA, FOR COMPLETION OF GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, ACADEMIC YEAR 2000–2001. Air University Press Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 36112-6615 July 2002 This School of Advanced Airpower Studies thesis is available electronically at the Air University Research Web site http://research. maxwell.af.mil under “Research Papers” then “Special Collections.” Disclaimer Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Air University, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any other US government agency. Cleared for public release: dis- tribution unlimited. ii Contents Chapter Page DISCLAIMER . ii ABSTRACT . v ABOUT THE AUTHOR . vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . ix 1 GLOBAL POWER FOR AMERICA . 1 2 WORLD WAR II ORIGINS AND COLD WAR MATURITY . 5 3 GLOBAL POWER––POST–COLD WAR: ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE . 21 4 CASE STUDIES IN GLOBAL POWER . 45 5 EVALUATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS . 75 6 CONCLUSIONS . 89 Illustrations Figure 1 Operation Black Buck Refueling Plan . 57 Table 1 Tanker Off-load Capabilities . 81 2 Case Study Tanker Usage . 81 Maps Operation Nickel Grass Routing . 47 Routing through the Mediterranean . 50 Falkland Islands War Global Distances . 54 Operation Eldorado Canyon Overview . 64 iii Abstract This is a story of long-range airpower, from Gen Henry H. “Hap” Arnold’s vi- sion of a global mission to the Global Strike Task Force and expeditionary air forces of the year 2001.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Introduction
    Notes 1 Introduction 1. Donald Macintyre, Narvik (London: Evans, 1959), p. 15. 2. See Olav Riste, The Neutral Ally: Norway’s Relations with Belligerent Powers in the First World War (London: Allen and Unwin, 1965). 3. Reflections of the C-in-C Navy on the Outbreak of War, 3 September 1939, The Fuehrer Conferences on Naval Affairs, 1939–45 (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1990), pp. 37–38. 4. Report of the C-in-C Navy to the Fuehrer, 10 October 1939, in ibid. p. 47. 5. Report of the C-in-C Navy to the Fuehrer, 8 December 1939, Minutes of a Conference with Herr Hauglin and Herr Quisling on 11 December 1939 and Report of the C-in-C Navy, 12 December 1939 in ibid. pp. 63–67. 6. MGFA, Nichols Bohemia, n 172/14, H. W. Schmidt to Admiral Bohemia, 31 January 1955 cited by Francois Kersaudy, Norway, 1940 (London: Arrow, 1990), p. 42. 7. See Andrew Lambert, ‘Seapower 1939–40: Churchill and the Strategic Origins of the Battle of the Atlantic, Journal of Strategic Studies, vol. 17, no. 1 (1994), pp. 86–108. 8. For the importance of Swedish iron ore see Thomas Munch-Petersen, The Strategy of Phoney War (Stockholm: Militärhistoriska Förlaget, 1981). 9. Churchill, The Second World War, I, p. 463. 10. See Richard Wiggan, Hunt the Altmark (London: Hale, 1982). 11. TMI, Tome XV, Déposition de l’amiral Raeder, 17 May 1946 cited by Kersaudy, p. 44. 12. Kersaudy, p. 81. 13. Johannes Andenæs, Olav Riste and Magne Skodvin, Norway and the Second World War (Oslo: Aschehoug, 1966), p.
    [Show full text]
  • Archaeological Assessment of HM Submarine A7 Project Proposal
    Archaeological Assessment of HM Submarine A7 Project Proposal ProMare 2014 Rev. 2 Assessment of HM Submarine A7: Project Proposal Prepared by: Peter Holt BEng., Project Manager, The SHIPS Project Mike Williams, Consultant, The SHIPS Project 3H Consulting Ltd., 6 Honcray, Plymouth, PL9 7RP, UK [email protected] Prepared for: The Ministry of Defence © Copyright ProMare 2014 All images copyright ProMare unless otherwise stated. Cover image: Virtual reality model of HMS/M A7 (University of Birmingham, HITT) Title Archaeological Assessment of HM Submarine A7 - Project Proposal Author(s) Peter Holt, Mike Williams Origination Date 01 October 2013 Reviser(s) Peter Holt, Mike Williams, Robert Stone Version Date 27 January 2014 Version 2.0 Status Release Circulation Ministry of Defence Subject Project proposal for the archaeological assessment of HM Submarine A7 Coverage Country – UK, Period - 20th C Publisher ProMare, The SHIPS Project Copyright ProMare Language English Resource Type Document Format MS Word, Portable Document Format (PDF) File Name A7_Project_Proposal_ProMare.doc, .pdf Acknowledgements Information about the A7 submarine and advice about methods used to investigate it have been provided by a number of people including: Adam Bush, Mark Beattie-Edwards at the NAS, Jeff Crawford, Mark Dunkley at English Heritage, Tony Hillgrove, Andy Liddell at MOD Salvage & Marine Operations, Innes McCartney, Peter Mitchell, David Peake, Mark Prior, Peter Sieniewicz, David Smith and Ken Snailham. © ProMare 2014 2 Assessment of HM Submarine A7: Project
    [Show full text]
  • Lessons in Undersea and Surface Warfare from the Falkland Islands Conflict
    Beyond the General Belgrano and Sheffield: Lessons in Undersea and Surface Warfare from the Falkland Islands Conflict MIDN 4/C Swartz Naval Science 2—Research Paper Instructor: CDR McComas 8 April 1998 1 Beyond the General Belgrano and Sheffield: Lessons in Undersea and Surface Warfare from the Falkland Islands Conflict 425 miles off the coast of Argentina lie the Falkland Islands, a string of sparsely inhabited shores home to about 1500 people and far more sheep. The Falklands (or the Malvinas, as the Argentineans call them) had been in dispute long before Charles Darwin incubated his theory of evolution while observing its flora and fauna. Spain, France, Britain, and Argentina each laid claim to the islands at some point; ever since 1833, the Falklands have been a British colony, although ever since 1833, the Argentineans have protested the British “occupation.” In April of 1982, an Argentine military dictatorship made these protests substantial with a full-scale invasion of the islands. The British retaliated, eventually winning back the islands by July. Militarily, this entirely unexpected war was heralded as the first “modern” war—a post- World War II clash of forces over a territorial dispute. “Here at last was a kind of war [military planners] recognized”; unlike Vietnam, this was “a clean, traditional war, with a proper battlefield, recognizable opponents in recognizable uniforms and positions, and no messy, scattered civil populations or guerrilla groups to complicate the situation.”1 Here, the “smart” weapons developed over 40 years of Cold War could finally be brought to bear against real targets. Likewise, the conflict provided one of the first opportunities to use nuclear submarines in real combat.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Scapa Flow - Timeline of Events
    HISTORY OF SCAPA FLOW - TIMELINE OF EVENTS [1812] Maritime Surveyor to the Admiralty, Graeme Spence, recommended Scapa Flow as a Royal Naval anchorage. [1909] The Royal Navy first use Scapa Flow in large numbers. [1916] On the 31st May the Grand Fleet and the High Seas Fleet finally met in the Battle of Jutland. [1917] On the 9th July HMS Vanguard, a 19,560 ton St Vincent class battleship, blew up at anchor off Flotta in Scapa Flow. At 23.20 hours the anchorage was rocked by a huge explosion which showered neighbouring ships with wreckage and human remains. HMS Vanguard had not been lost to enemy action, as was first thought, but to unstable cordite in one of the ship’s magazines, which overheated and caused the catastrophic explosion. [1917] On the 2nd August, South African born Squadron Commander Edwin Harris Dunning, DSC, RNAS, made naval history by being the first pilot to land an aeroplane on a moving ship, HMS Furious. [1918] On the evening of the 28th October the German U-boat UB 116, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Hans Joachim Emsmann, attempted to penetrate the defences at Scapa Flow and sink as many ships as possible. At 23.30 the UB 116 was sighted when it came up to periscope depth to check its position. A button was pressed which detonated the mines and sank the UB 116. [1918] On the 11th November Germany signed an Armistice with the Allies which brought World War I to an end. Kaiser Wilhelm II had been forced to abdicate on the 9th November and was given exile in the Netherlands.
    [Show full text]
  • Operation Musketeer – the 1956 Suez Crisis, RAN Members’ Involvement
    OCCASIONAL PAPER 84 Call the Hands Issue No. 43 July 2020 Operation Musketeer – the 1956 Suez Crisis, RAN Members’ Involvement This paper was written by Society volunteer, Commander Martin Linsley RAN Rtd. Its genesis was a list of the RAN participants in the Suez Crisis compiled by Mike Fogarty a former RAN officer and diplomat. Contributions were also received from participants; Commodore Kelvin Gulliver AM RAN Rtd and Captain Nick Bailey RAN Rtd who were served as junior officers in HMS Newfoundland at the time. One chronicler called it ‘the shortest and silliest war in history’i, but Operation Musketeer, better known as the 1956 Suez Crisis, signified the end of an era and the beginning of a new world order. The conflict focused on the Egyptian owned Suez Canal, and involving a conspiracy orchestrated by France, the UK and Israel. At least 13 members of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) were involved.ii Following the end of WWII, the RAN maintained close links with the UK’s Royal Navy (RN), its parent service. It was common for RAN members, particularly officers, to be posted to the RN for ‘service, training and promotion courses’. The posting was welcomed by many. It began and ended with a 4/5 week’s sea passage travelling first class on a passenger liner. The overseas allowances were good and RAN personnel were the envy of their RN contemporaries. More than one young officer found his future wife during his time in the UK. Four other RAN members serving with the RN in 1956 had been commissioned from the ranks.
    [Show full text]
  • HMS Exmouth: the Past and the Present Reunited
    HMS Exmouth: The Past and the Present Reunited During a Special Meeting in 2001 with Former Crew Member the late James Gordon French Following the broadcast of a brief TV newsclip on remembrance Sunday, featuring HMS Exmouth, a remarkable discovery was made. Sitting at home, watching his television that day was ex-Leading Seaman L.T.O. James Gordon French – affectionately known as ‘Froggy’ by everybody on board the Exmouth throughout the 3 ½ years he served aboard her. His is an exceptional story, as two weeks prior to Exmouth’s loss with all hands, Gordon can still recall being put ashore “somewhere in Scotland” to return to Portsmouth for his PO’s course and waving goodbye to his mates on board as the ship cast off. There was the affectionate exchange of banter that can only be brought about by sharing both the trials and tribulations of life onboard a warship – “See you in Pompey, Froggy!” Words that even today, 61 years later, reduce this James Gordon French incredible man to tears as he believes that he was cheated of aka “Froggy” the fate that befell his shipmates. This was not to be the only emotionally charged moment of time spent in the company of one of life’s survivors and a living link to the men we all remember with such affection. So it was on Saturday 24th November that Sue Eastwood and I made the journey to Froggy’s home in the New Forest in Hampshire. It was with some trepidation, mixed with an air of expectation, that we rang the bell at the drive to his home that sunny autumn morning.
    [Show full text]