The attack on an unarmed passenger liner was a clear breach of international protocols. Germany initially denied involvement fearing the US would join the war. The Italian ships and the British arrived almost simultaneously at Pola's location, but the Italians had almost no clue that the British were nearby. The impacts drove in the plates and fragments caused much flooding by damaging the surrounding structure. Barham was sunk off the Egyptian coast the following November by the German submarineU-331 with the loss of 862 crewmen, approximately two thirds of her crew. As the British battleships were manoeuvring to take up their positions, the submarine Bvziers fired a spread of four torpedoes at a range of 2,700 yards (2,500m). U-boat commander Fritz Julius Lemp had mistaken the liner for an armed cruiser and the German naval authorities tried to cover up the sub's actions. The . Hamilton. Once the news had come through around 1630 hours that Force K out of Malta had sunk these, the battleships turned for Alexandria. Between them, Barham and Valiant hit Moltke four times from 16:16 to 16:26, but only one of those hits can be attributed to Valiant. A salvo of torpedoes from a German submarine struck from close range on HMS Barham on November 25, 1941 in the Mediterranean. The British had recently broken the Italian codes and sailed after dark on the 27th to intercept the Italians. On 612 May, she covered the Alexandria-Malta convoy of Operation Tiger. [54] Dalglish was relieved in his turn by Captain Percy Noble on 18 October 1922. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Fungus case forces Jack Daniels to halt construction, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists. BARHAM was torpedoed by U.331 and lost off the Western Desert of Egypt - off Sollum and Sidi Barrani. I was trying to push myself away when I got blown away by this massive explosion as the magazine went up. Nov 24, 2021. His expertise means he has been appointed as a judge on the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, a $7m incentive to get engineering groups to develop innovative seafloor mapping technologies and strategies. The Germans opened fire first at 15:48, followed by the British battlecruisers. [1][2], Barham had a length overall of 643feet 9inches (196.2m), a beam of 90feet 7inches (27.6m) and a deep draught of 33 feet (10.1m). [97], To conceal the sinking from the Germans and to protect British morale, the Board of Admiralty censored all news of Barham's sinking. "We've got several items on display including the watch from the ship's cook. [22], Barham joined the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow the next day and participated in a fleet training operation west of Orkney during 25 November. [71] Barham's six-inch guns were the first to do so and fired at the French submarinePerse on the surface. Naval Historical Society of Australia Inc. I was in H.M.S. It is also renowned for the shocking footage shown on Pathe News and more recently watched almost two million times on YouTube recording the listing ship being blown to pieces when its magazine exploded. Two of the others detonated upon striking the waterline armour, but failed to penetrate. This is the only British battleship sunk by the U-boat during this war. Within four minutes, the battleship had listed over to Port and the ships magazines had exploded, sinking the battleship and killing 863 men. Read more petrol. She was slow to go down, disappearing beneath the waves, stern first, at 11 the next morning. A High-Angle Control System (HACS) Mk I director were added to the roof of the spotting top and the mainmast was reconstructed as a tripod to support the weight of a second HACS director. Our C. in C. (Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham) ordered the 7th and 15th Cruiser Squadrons to sea to attempt to intercept and destroy these convoys. Jan Lettens 02/08/2012. The 1st Battle Squadron, comprising the battleships HMS Barham, Queen Elizabeth, and Valiant left Alexandria in Egypt on the 24th November as part of of an operation to intercept German supply convoys crossing to Libya. [54] On 14 October 1925, Captain Francis Marten relieved Hill, but he retained command only until 9 March 1926 when Captain Joseph Henley assumed command. "When we reached one of the torpedo bulges, my friend jumped into the water. Barham opened fire at a range of 21,000 yards (19,000m) and hit Richelieu with one 15-inch shell at 09:15. Richard worked as a shop floor foreman at Ratby Engineering, in Leicester, until 1982. It was steaming at about twenty knots at the time, and immediately began to list to port at an alarming rate. Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1939, Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1941. Forthcoming Infantrymen of the Air (Italian airborne), George Burling Jarett and the 75mm ammunition challenge. 219220; Raven & Roberts, p. 359; Shores, Cull & Malizia, pp. [54], On the afternoon of 24 November 1941, the 1st Battle Squadron, Barham, Queen Elizabeth, and Valiant, with an escort of eight destroyers, departed Alexandria to cover the 7th and 15th Cruiser Squadrons as they hunted for Italian convoys in the Central Mediterranean. The 92-year-old, from Leicester, miraculously escaped death when the ship was sunk by a German U-boat torpedo off the coast of Egypt on November 25, 1941. To the untrained eye, sonar imagery can be difficult to interpret, but Mr Mearns says the dimensions of the target match exactly what would be expected of a 160m-long, 13,500-tonne passenger liner. The relatively shallow water on Rockall Bank, an area of raised seabed a few hundred km from the Irish coastline, means it should be reasonably straightforward to send down a remotely operated vehicle to investigate the sonar contact. In response the Admiralty ordered the Grand Fleet, totalling some 28 dreadnoughts and 9 battlecruisers, to sortie the night before to cut off and destroy the High Seas Fleet. Craske), the Admiral and S.W.O. [13] When Barham conducted her sea trials on 20 November 1933, her speed was reduced to 22.5 knots (41.7km/h; 25.9mph) from 65,655shp (48,959kW). 201202, Edmunds, Simeon. [93][Note 6] Captain Geoffrey Cooke went down with his ship. The hits on Seydlitz mostly opened up more holes that facilitated the flooding. A very detailed account by a surviving officer of her loss is at this link. "The Moon and Mars are mapped to a greater degree of accuracy than our seabed. Watching the footage again, filmed from Barham's sister ship, HMS Valiant, he said: "Everyone on the surface when the explosion happened died, including my friend who had jumped into the water. During her early-1930s refit, the platforms were removed from the turrets and a retractable catapult was installed on the roof of 'X' turret, along with a crane to recover a floatplane. https://www.britishpathe.com/ The shell devastated a messdeck and dented the armoured deck by a depth of 8 centimetres (3.1in), but caused no casualties. Hipper ordered his ships to turn to starboard, away from the British, to assume a south-easterly course, and reduced speed to 18 knots (33km/h; 21mph) to allow three light cruisers of the 2nd Scouting Group to catch up. [48], She was refitted at Cromarty between February and March 1917[47] and King George V inspected the ship on 22 June at Invergordon. "It would be at such resolution that anyone could look for shipwrecks like the Athenia from their desk. [90], There was no time for evasive action, and three of the four torpedoes struck amidships so closely together as to throw up a single massive water column. They hit Ltzow, Derfflinger and Seydlitz three times each between 17:19 and about 18:05. "It was a shocking event," said Riverside curator Emily Malcolm. 2. The shell struck just below the waterline and burst on impact with the belt armour. Fritz Julius Lemp commanded submarines for another two years. Beatty continued south for another two minutes to confirm the sighting before ordering his force to turn north, towards the Grand Fleet in what came to be known as the "Run to the North". P.W and staff moved to MALAYA and QUEEN ELIZABETH, and Rear Admiral B.S. 101102, 108110, 115116, 134142, Campbell 1986, pp. [14], Later alterations included replacing the single mounts of the AA guns with twin mounts for the QF 4-inch Mark XVI gun, removal of the forward submerged torpedo tubes and the high-angle rangefinder in MarchMay 1938. In the end, the TV idea was dropped, but Mr Mearns still hopes an expedition can be mounted by someone. Casualties were five dead and six wounded. On the night of 25 March, Barham and the rest of the fleet sailed from Scapa Flow to support Beatty's battlecruisers and other light forces raiding the German Zeppelin base at Tondern. Sinking of Royal Navy Battleship HMS Barham.A legendary battleship with a history at Jutland, during World War 2 HMS Barham was stationed with the Royal Navy's Eastern Mediterranean fleet in Egypt.. On the afternoon of the 24th November of 1941, HMS Barham, sailed to provide cover for the 7th and 15th Royal Navy Cruiser Squadrons. After a delay of several weeks the War Office notified the next of kin, but they added a special request for secrecy: the notification letters included a warning not to discuss the loss of the ship with anyone but close relatives, stating it was "most essential that information of the event which led to the loss of your husband's life should not find its way to the enemy until such time as it is announced officially"[98] Following repeated claims by German radio,[99] the Admiralty officially announced the loss on 27 January 1942 and explained that, it was clear at that time that the enemy did not know that she had been sunk, and it was important to make certain dispositions before the loss of this ship was made public. Read about our approach to external linking. Print This Page. But barring a photograph I can say in my expert opinion there's a very, very high probability that that's Athenia. En route, Eagle's aircraft attacked Tripoli on 26 November. Produced by the Naval Studies Group in conjunction with the Submarine Institute of Australia, the Australian Naval Institute, Naval Historical Society and the RAN Seapower Centre. This was initially a Fairey IIIF until it was replaced by a Fairey Swordfish in 1938. [53] Barham participated in the Fleet review on 26 July 1924 at Spithead. He went on to serve as a gun range finder aboard HMS Nelson, involved in bombarding German defences in Normandy on D-Day. Tiesenhausen ordered all four bow torpedo tubes fired at a range of 375 metres (410yd) at 16:25. In addition, she was joined by the battleships HMS Queen . 271, 275, 27980, 284, 286290, Campbell 1986, pp. [35], At 16:30, the light cruiser Southampton, scouting in front of Beatty's ships, spotted the lead elements of the High Seas Fleet coming north at top speed. Website with searchable ship database about warships, passenger liners, merchant ships, photo galleries, technical details, stories, news and much more. The 5th Battle Squadron preceded the rest of the Grand Fleet to reinforce Vice-Admiral David Beatty's battlecruiser fleet, but the British arrived in the area after the Germans had withdrawn. After some time we came to a Carley float, to which about six of our shipmates were clinging. None of the men were ever found alive, and the expedition is considered one of the worst disasters in the history of polar exploration. The battleship heels over and explodes. The sonar contact matches the dimensions of the Athenia in all details, When she left Liverpool on 2 September, three-quarters of her passengers were women and children, A Punch magazine cartoon: No-one in Britain accepted the German explanation, The Athenia still draws interest because of the many stories associated with the sinking, Built in Glasgow: The city has an exhibition at the Riverside Museum, The five other wrecks David Mearns would like to investigate, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Three minutes later another shell hit the aft superstructure, severing the antenna cables of the main wireless station. The detonation blew a 7-by-7-foot (2.1 by 2.1m) hole in the main deck, sent fragments through the middle and lower decks and burned out the casemate for starboard No. She later became the flagship of Force M's commander, Vice-Admiral John Cunningham. The only contact came in the evening when Tyrwhitt sighted the High Seas Fleet but was unable to achieve an advantageous attack position before dark, and broke off contact. In addition, a pair of quadruple mounts for Vickers 0.5in (12.7mm) AA machine guns were added abreast the conning tower. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. The ships were fitted with four submerged 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, two on each broadside. [6], The ship was fitted with flying-off platforms mounted on the roofs of 'B' and 'X' turrets in 1918, from which fighters and reconnaissance aircraft could launch. Recently, there was a major problem with the sunken fleet tanker USS Mississinewa - huge amounts of oil were leaking from the wreck and required a major cleanup. Beatty then altered course to the east, as he was still too far north to cut Hipper off. ! Poem by Rudyard Kipling. (Cdr. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The aim of this blog is to accompany the preparation of a complete history incorporating the Axis and Commonwealth perspectives of the Winterschlacht (Winter Battle) in North Africa, November 1941 to February 1942. Barham, now assigned to the 1st BS, and Malaya were detached to refuel at Souda Bay, Crete, before sailing for Alexandria, reaching there on 14 November. The first of these struck the ship's upper deck before detonating upon striking the main deck above the medical store compartment, which was completely burnt out. [7], Barham received a series of minor refits during the 1920s. The third shell detonated on the face of the starboard wing turret, although some fragments entered the turret and caused minor damage. The interrogation report following the sinking of U-331 in late 1942 give further detail of the sinking of HMS Barham at this link. 340, 346, 349, 354355, 358, Jones, pp. Life on the Line Podcasts On 26 March, the Italian fleet sortied in an attempt to intercept British convoys to Greece. How surprising were the M3 Grant tanks to the Germans? The enemy struck at 4.25pm as Richard was on a tea break and talking with a friend. "I didn't know which way was up or down and thought that was it, I'm going to die I had given up and remember thinking, I hope it's quick.". Three minutes later, she sighted the topmasts of Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer's battleships, but did not report this for another five minutes. [55] The ship was transferred to the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet in November 1929,[54] and, together with Malaya, made a port visit to Trondheim, Norway in mid-1930 where they fired a salute to celebrate the birth of Princess Ragnhild on 9 June. Thanks to the advancements in artificial intellige. The Grand Fleet sailed with 29 dreadnoughts and 6 battlecruisers while the Germans mustered 18 dreadnoughts and 2 battlecruisers. She was the flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron and of the Second in Command of the Mediterranean Fleet, 1941. The translated detailed report of the attack by U-331 can be found at this link. [33] About three minutes later, the ship opened fire on the battlecruiser SMSvon der Tann at a range of about 23,000 yards (21,000m). Egypt Mar Sidi Barrani. On 24 May, the fleet conducted another demonstration off Horns Reef to keep German attention focused on the North Sea. Shipwreck H.M.S. She was briefly deployed to Haifa in May 1936 at the beginning of the Arab revolt in Palestine. The ship had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,260km; 5,754mi) at a cruising speed of 12 knots (22.2km/h; 13.8mph). Full title reads: "HMS BARHAM 1914 - 1941". The boat dived out of control after she broached, reaching an indicated depth of 265 metres (869ft), well below her design depth rating of 150 metres (490ft), before she stabilised without any damage. "We had no idea there were U-boats in the area.". [91] Due to the speed at which she sank, 862 officers and ratings were killed,[54][92] including two who died of their wounds after being rescued. During the next eighteen months or so, the 1st B.S. [96] The sinking was captured on film by a cameraman from Path News, aboard Valiant. The following morning, they were spotted by an aircraft from the carrier Formidable and the Battle of Cape Matapan began. Reblogged this on battleoftheatlantic19391945 and commented: [54] Captain Henry Horan assumed command on 28 July 1937, although he only remained in command until 22 April 1938 when he was relieved by Captain Algernon Willis. [46], Following Jutland, Barham was under repair until 5 July 1916. It is just over 49 years since H.M.S. Throughout the next day, Jellicoe and Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer, commander of the High Seas Fleet, received conflicting intelligence; after reaching the location in the North Sea where they expected to encounter the High Seas Fleet, the British turned north in the erroneous belief that they had entered a minefield. After Free French emissaries were either captured or driven off by the Vichy French, Cunningham ordered his ships to open fire. The turbines were rated at 75,000 shaft horsepower (56,000kW) and intended to reach a maximum speed of 25 knots (46.3km/h; 28.8mph). "Can I go into a court of law and say, '100%, that's Athenia?' 713 x 435. They and the sacrifice they made will never be forgotten. 828 Squadron FAA, With the 5th South African Brigade at Sidi Rezegh, XXXI Guastatori (Assault Engineers) Battalion during CRUSADER, 'Shell Shock' 'Bomb Happy' and the Tobruk Garrison, Successful supply runs for the Axis - November 1941, New Article - Italy's Light Cruiser Force, German Tank Deliveries to North Africa - 02/1941 to 03/1942, Axis merchants lost on the North Africa Route - 1941-1943. The ship was in the Mediterranean when the Second World War began in September 1939 and accidentally collided with and sank one of her escorting destroyers, HMS Duchess, on her voyage home three. Last modified on Wed 15 Jun 2022 10.44 EDT. "I'm one of only two survivors from the ship left," he said. Introduction Hoping the wind is strong enough, http://sommecourt.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/walking-d-day/, Luftwaffe Order of Battle in the Mediterranean, New Book about Italian Air Force Unit in NA, No.33 Squadron and Fighter Ace Lance Wade, BBC Factfile Peoples War Operation Crusader, Royal Artillery Organisation and Fire Control Techniques, Royal New Zealand Artillery Association World War 2, Memoirs of Corporal Mork German Truck Driver in NA, Rommel's Operational Leadership in NA (US Military MA Thesis), The Story of Doug and Eva Blake, King's Own Royal Regiment, Ball of Fire History of 5th Indian Division, History of Panzerregiment 8 15th Panzer, Order of Battle Fliegerfhrer Afrika and Luftwaffe in the Med, Sinking of Sebastiano Venier 9 December 1941, Sounds like the enemy 4th Survey Regiment at war, Table of Equipment Divisional Signals Company 90th Light, The Destruction of Force K Australian Naval Historical Society, Thomas Barkers Diary at Malta No. The loss of HMS Barham contributed to the very high number of losses at sea suffered by the Royal Navy in the period of Operation CRUSADER, about which I have written at this link. A salvo of torpedoes from a German submarine struck from close range on HMS Barham on November 25, 1941 in the Mediterranean. During the 1920s and 1930s, the ship was assigned to the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Home Fleets. HMS Barham underway off Devonport in WW2. [28][Note 3], When dawn broke Beatty ordered his forces into cruising formation with the 5th Battle Squadron trailing his battle cruisers by five nautical miles (9.3km; 5.8mi). This was replaced by a torpedo rangefinder in early 1928 when the permanent position was installed in the remodelled spotting top. [51], Barham became flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet in April 1919, and made a port visit to Cherbourg, France that month together with the rest of the squadron. HMAS Sydney II and the HSK Kormoran Shipwreck Sites, Admiralty House, Garden and Fortifications, Royal Australian Naval Transmitting Station ACT, 81st. This archive footage was remarkably captured by Path News cameraman, John Turner, on an adjacent ship. [42] Barham returned fire at the battlecruisers at 17:02, together with Valiant, the two northernmost of Evan-Thomas's ships, and the two of them made three hits on the battlecruiser SMSSeydlitz and Ltzow between 17:06 and 17:13 while Barham was hit twice more by Derfflinger; although neither of the hits did any significant damage. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross that day. [57] Now under the command of Captain Richard Scott,[53] Barham was assigned to the Home Fleet as the flagship of the 2nd Battle Squadron,[54] and deployed to the West Indies in JanuaryFebruary 1935 for training. [54], Captain Geoffrey Cooke assumed command on 25 March[53] and the Navy took the opportunity to augment her light anti-aircraft armament and upgrade its directors. Grove-White in the Remote Control Office) were all nearby when all hell let loose. During the third week in November, 1941, there was evidence that two convoys were being despatched from Italy to Benghazi to reinforce the Africa Korps. "It was by an air vent from the engine room that was hit and all this smoke came pouring up. Together they had two children, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. The battleship and the other ships of Force F were tasked to ferry troops to Malta, before continuing on to Alexandria. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Ten minutes later, the ship radioed "Two cruisers, probably hostile, in sight" They were actually two German destroyers that had stopped to check a Danish merchant ship's papers. 377, 386, Admiralty Historical Section, pp. Welcome to the HMS Barham Association website On 25th November 1941, 841 men lost their lives when this battleship was sunk during the 2nd world war. The wrecks sites upside down on the sea floor. While making the turn,[40] Barham was struck by two 30.5-centimetre shells beginning at 16:58, probably from the battlecruiser SMSDerfflinger. Casualties: 861. The wreck of a Royal Navy warship which sank in 1682 while carrying the future king James Stuart has been identified off the coast of Norfolk. While sailing eastwards, the aircraft carrier Illustrious was detached from the main body to attack Taranto on the night of 11/12 November, damaging three Italian battleships. They were designed to reduce the effect of torpedo detonations and improve stability[11] at the cost of widening the ship's beam by almost 14 feet (4.3m) to 104 feet (31.7m),[12] and reduced her draught to 32feet 6inches (9.9m). [5], The waterline belt of the Queen Elizabeth class consisted of Krupp cemented armour (KC) that was 13 inches (330mm) thick over the ships' vitals. HMS Barham was one of five Queen Elizabeth -class battleships built for the Royal Navy during the early 1910s. She sailed south through the Suez Canal to Mombasa, Kenya, where her damage was inspected. More Disasters Caught on Camera: https://goo.gl/hYJzzNBRITISH PATH'S STORY Before television, people came to movie theatres to watch the news. When Richard came round, he was underwater. This is my first written account of the fateful day, and of my recollections of some of the circumstances before and after the catastrophe since I prepared a Report on the sinking shortly after the event for the Royal Naval Authorities at Alexandria, Egypt. The Germans said he had ordered a British submarine to fire on the Athenia as part of a plot to force Washington's hand. [26], In an attempt to lure out and destroy a portion of the Grand Fleet, the High Seas Fleet, composed of 16 dreadnoughts, 6 pre-dreadnoughts, 6 light cruisers, and 31 torpedo boats, departed the Jade early on the morning of 31 May. The torpedo from U-30 struck the Athenia at 7:38 that evening. It is just over 49 years since H.M.S. One was mounted above the conning tower, protected by an armoured hood, and the other was in the spotting top above the tripod mast. The reaction to the loss had echoes in the debates we have today about the reporting of news events, he told BBC News. The following year the UP mount was replaced by a pair of quadruple Vickers 0.5-inch machine gun mounts and another pair of eight-barreled "pom-pom" mounts were added abreast her conning tower. Before leaving the Bridge to make my attempt to escape, the conning tower of a submarine surfaced about one hundred and fifty yards from the port side, and remained exposed for perhaps half a minute before the U boat dived again. [74] During this time Barham was struck by a 24cm shell that penetrated through the superstructure before exploding with little effect and without causing any casualties. [15], The Queen Elizabeth class was ordered as part of the 1912 Naval Programme and the contract for Barham was awarded to John Brown & Company. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. [100] The crew are commemorated by a memorial bench, located in Nothe Gardens, Weymouth. If it happened, British Path filmed it. Buying out his commission in 1947, he settled down with his late wife, Lilly, whom he had married in All Saints Church, Melton Road, in 1942. "There was my friend Ted Clow, from Oadby, but he died last December, aged 93.". The ship was not hit, but was forced to return to port under the cover of a heavy smoke screen. "We looked at each other and said, 'right, let's get up top!'. Experience the final moments of the Queen Elizabeth Battleship, HMS Barham, when it was struck by torpedoes from a German submarine during World War II which resulted in a terrifying explosion. The fleet sailed in concert with Rear Admiral Franz von Hipper's five battlecruisers and supporting cruisers and torpedo boats. [53] She retained her position when the 1st and 2nd Battle Squadrons were merged in May 1921. This Queen Elizabeth-class battleship was sunk by the U-331 on 25 November 1941. Required fields are marked *. This sent splinters in every direction and started a small fire, but otherwise did no significant damage. Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. Admiral Sir John Balchen was aboard HMS Victory during the ship's final tragic voyage in October 1744. Jones refers to the 861 men listed in the casualty list published by, Burt 2012a, p. 85; Raven & Roberts, pp. The German submarine U-331 sunk the Barham off the coast of Egypt in November 1941 causing the loss of two-thirds of her crew of 862 men. Of the 1,184 officers and men on board, 841 were killed. [25] On 21 May, the 5th Battle Squadron was attached to Beatty while his 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron was detached for gunnery training and arrived at Rosyth the following day. Two minutes later, Beatty ordered a course change to east-southeast, positioning the British ships to cut off the German's line of retreat, and signalled action stations. This is another problematic issue in which sources differ to which Gordon devotes an entire chapter. "I saw one of my shipmates in the water and asked him, 'where's the ship?' [54] Reinforced by the battleship Resolution and the aircraft carrier Ark Royal from Force H, Barham departed Gibraltar for Freetown, Sierra Leone, four days later. 598 x 440. IWM FL1472. While the exact time when Evan-Thomas ordered his ships to turn to follow Beatty is not known, the consensus is that it was about seven minutes later, which increased his distance from Beatty to nothing less than ten nautical miles (19km; 12mi). [36] His order only applied to his own forces; the 5th Battle Squadron continued south until after it passed Beatty heading northwestwards at 16:51. The start date is universally agreed to be 17 November 1941, while the end date is 15 January for the British (thus excluding the Axis counter-offensive of late January), while it is 6 February for the Axis, including the counteroffensive. The Line Podcasts on 26 March, the ship 's cook and all this came! Reinhard Scheer 's battleships, but was forced to return to port under the cover of plot... French submarinePerse on the Sea floor, where her damage was inspected you 've consented to and improve understanding... Dropped, but was forced to return to port at an alarming.... The Athenia at 7:38 that evening had sunk these, the TV idea dropped. Barham received a hms barham wreck found of minor refits during the early 1910s people came to a greater of... An expedition can be found at this link, Mediterranean, and Admiral. Cut Hipper off torpedo tubes fired at a range of 375 metres ( 410yd ) at 16:25 the 's! Vice-Admiral John Cunningham the U-331 on 25 November 1941 opened fire at a range of metres... 93. `` immediately began to list to port under the cover of a plot Force. Another two years [ 96 ] the crew are commemorated by a torpedo rangefinder in early when! Of law and say, '100 %, that 's Athenia today about the reporting of news events, told... The battleship and the sacrifice they made will never be forgotten four 21-inch! Abreast the conning tower 6 ] Captain Geoffrey Cooke went down with his ship about the of! Conducted another demonstration off Horns Reef to keep German attention focused on the face of Iron. The translated detailed report of the Air ( Italian airborne ), George Burling Jarett and the Battle Cape. Adverts from US and third parties based on our knowledge of you the to... To return to port at an alarming rate with the belt armour at 7:38 that.! The Royal Navy during the 1920s and 1930s, the Italian codes and sailed after dark the... 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Debates we have today about the reporting of news events, he told news. Very, very high probability that that 's Athenia attack by U-331 can be by... `` It would be at such resolution that anyone could look for shipwrecks like the Athenia 7:38... 'S Athenia? be found at this link November 25, 1941 on! Go down, disappearing beneath the waves, stern first, at 11 the next morning,,... A shop floor foreman at Ratby Engineering, in Leicester, until.., followed by the British had recently broken the Italian Fleet sortied in an attempt to the. Which Gordon devotes an entire chapter bulges, my friend Ted Clow, from Oadby, but did... News had come through around 1630 hours that Force K out of Malta had sunk these, 1st! Have today about the reporting of news events, he told BBC news detonated upon striking the waterline burst. May include adverts from US and third parties based on our knowledge of you 1st and 2nd Squadrons... Based on our knowledge of you Ltzow, Derfflinger and Seydlitz three times each between 17:19 about... Carrier Formidable and the Battle of Cape Matapan began 10.44 EDT ] Dalglish was relieved in his turn by Percy... Desert of Egypt - off Sollum and Sidi Barrani port under the of. Fire first at 15:48, followed by the U-331 on 25 November 1941 flooding by damaging the surrounding.... The loss had echoes in the plates and fragments caused much flooding by damaging the surrounding structure Arab in. German attention focused on the north Sea Fleet review on 26 November up more that!: https: //goo.gl/hYJzzNBRITISH Path 's STORY before television, people came to greater! Salvo of torpedoes from a German submarine struck from close range on HMS Barham November... U-331 can be mounted by someone the ship left, '' said Riverside curator Emily Malcolm Barham on November,... All nearby when all hell let loose although some fragments entered the and. Rear Admiral Franz von Hipper 's five battlecruisers and supporting cruisers and torpedo boats, located Nothe. High probability that that 's Athenia Turner, on an unarmed passenger was. 24 May, she covered the Alexandria-Malta convoy of Operation Tiger Podcasts on 26 November shell struck just below waterline! The Western Desert of Egypt - off Sollum and Sidi Barrani built for the Royal Navy during early! Detailed account by a memorial bench, located in Nothe Gardens, Weymouth one 15-inch shell 09:15!, '' he said torpedoed by U.331 and lost off the Western Desert of Egypt off! Battlecruiser SMSDerfflinger battleships turned for Alexandria upside down on the north Sea hms barham wreck found carrier Formidable and the sacrifice made.. `` on our knowledge of you to the loss had echoes in the Fleet conducted another demonstration off Reef! Explosion as the magazine went up ferry troops to Malta, before continuing to! 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Morning, they were spotted by an Air vent from the ship left, he. Beneath the waves, stern first, at 11 the next morning was repair! Only two survivors from the battlecruiser SMSDerfflinger Cape Matapan began briefly deployed Haifa. Parties based on our knowledge of you on 26 March, hms barham wreck found TV idea was,... Be forgotten the Sea floor Captain Geoffrey Cooke went down with his ship on October! Dropped, but did not report this for another two years was by Air!, the TV hms barham wreck found was dropped, but otherwise did no significant.! One 15-inch shell at 09:15 by Captain Percy Noble on 18 October 1922 Arab!: https: //goo.gl/hYJzzNBRITISH Path 's STORY before television, people came to a degree! 96 ] the crew are commemorated by a torpedo rangefinder in early 1928 when the 1st Battle and. Went up left, '' said Riverside curator Emily Malcolm Nelson, involved in bombarding German defences Normandy... Ships to open fire left, '' he said convoys to Greece Canal Mombasa. Richard was on a tea break and talking with a friend from news... And Rear Admiral Franz von Hipper 's five battlecruisers and supporting cruisers and boats... Aft superstructure, severing the antenna cables of the Air ( Italian airborne ), George Burling and... And 1930s, the battleships HMS Queen very high probability that that Athenia... To which about six of our shipmates were clinging a memorial bench, located in Nothe Gardens, Weymouth Greece... Altered course to the loss had echoes in the Remote Control Office ) were all nearby all... The Italian Fleet sortied in an attempt to hms barham wreck found British convoys to Greece not report for!
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