[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. During the next eighteen months or so, the 1st B.S. 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. The Grand Fleet sailed with 29 dreadnoughts and 6 battlecruisers while the Germans mustered 18 dreadnoughts and 2 battlecruisers. Three minutes later, she sighted the topmasts of Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer's battleships, but did not report this for another five minutes. Your email address will not be published. Richard will be reading the Royal British Legion epitaph, "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old", at Buckminster Road Baptist Church on Sunday, during the act of remembrance. 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. The fleet sailed in concert with Rear Admiral Franz von Hipper's five battlecruisers and supporting cruisers and torpedo boats. last updated: andrew gillespie [62] On 12 December, she accidentally rammed one of her escorts, the destroyer Duchess, in thick fog nine miles (14km) west of the Mull of Kintyre. Naval Historical Society of Australia Inc. The Board of Enquiry into the sinking ascribed the final explosion to a fire in the 4-inch magazines outboard of the main 15-inch magazines, which would have then spread to and detonated the contents of the main magazines. But barring a photograph I can say in my expert opinion there's a very, very high probability that that's Athenia. Realising their mistake, the Germans changed course for home. She became the flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet on 9 June until relieved by Warspite on 8 February 1938. Fragments from this hit caused flooding that spread throughout the bow, while the ship's speed caused water to enter directly through the hole in the side. More Disasters Caught on Camera: https://goo.gl/hYJzzNBRITISH PATH'S STORY Before television, people came to movie theatres to watch the news. As a result, the operation was confined to the northern end of the sea. All interested parties are warmly in. [83] As part of Operation Collar in late November, Barham, Malaya and the carrier HMSEagle covered the forces rendezvousing with a convoy coming from Gibraltar. Forthcoming Infantrymen of the Air (Italian airborne), George Burling Jarett and the 75mm ammunition challenge. A salvo of torpedoes from a German submarine struck from close range on HMS Barham on November 25, 1941 in the Mediterranean. 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. HMS Barham was a Queen Elizabeth -class battleship of the Royal Navy named after Admiral Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham, built at the John Brown shipyards in Clydebank, Scotland, and launched in 1914. search wreck . Completed in 1915, she was often used as a flagship and participated in the Battle of Jutland during the First World War as part of the Grand Fleet. 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. The BdU (Commander Submarines) noted in his war diary the rather jubilant: U331 1 battleship torpedoed in the Mediterranean. 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. [97], To conceal the sinking from the Germans and to protect British morale, the Board of Admiralty censored all news of Barham's sinking. On her return I teamed up with P-W again when he shifted his flag back to the, Battleships. [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. [18][19][Note 2] Barham cost a total of 2,470,113. "We've got several items on display including the watch from the ship's cook. Her complete service history can be found at this link. She was present when the High Seas Fleet surrendered for internment on 21 November. The HMS Barham was torpedoed by U-331, a German c-class submarine captained by Freiherr Von Tiesenhausen, and sunk in. One of these hits also started several major fires inside the hull. Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1939, Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1941. They even attempted to blame the sinking on Winston Churchill, who on that very day - 3 September, 1939 - was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. She departed Scapa Flow that day, escorted by four destroyers,[68] and rendezvoused with the troop convoy en route to Gibraltar[69] where she arrived on 2 September. [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. No hits were observed and the ships stopped firing after making their turn north, but Barham opened fire for a short time when they fell in line with the Grand Fleet a few minutes later, probably without making any hits. She was the flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron and of the Second in Command of the Mediterranean Fleet, 1941. He went on to serve as a gun range finder aboard HMS Nelson, involved in bombarding German defences in Normandy on D-Day. En route, Eagle's aircraft attacked Tripoli on 26 November. The ships had multiple armoured decks that ranged from 1 to 3 inches (25 to 76mm) in thickness. She participated in the Battle of Dakar in mid-1940, where she damaged a Vichy French battleship and was slightly damaged in return. When VE Day arrived, he was escorting an Arctic convoy north of Norway. [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. Her main guns targeted the port and the battleship Richelieu. This meant that they were some 4,000 yards (3,700m) closer to the rapidly advancing High Sea Fleet. Now considered to be the finest newsreel archive in the world, British Path is a treasure trove of 85,000 films unrivalled in their historical and cultural significance.British Path also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. U-331 was not attacked by the escorting destroyers and reached port on 3 December. "We looked at each other and said, 'right, let's get up top!'. [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. 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 Queen Elizabeth class warship was the only British battleship to be sunk at sea by a U-boat during the conflict. "I shot to the surface," he said. Evan-Thomas turned northeast at around 18:06 and then made a slow turn to the southeast once he spotted the Grand Fleet. It is split in the aft section where the torpedo hit, but otherwise is sitting proud of the sediment and looks to be in reasonable shape. This took some time and his ships had to slow down to 1218 knots (2233km/h; 1421mph) to avoid overrunning the 6th Division and blocking its fire. "I'm one of only two survivors from the ship left," he said. 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. Curiously, Preston, Silverstone, and Parkes all give a launch date of 31 October; Gordon devotes a whole chapter to this issue as the various accounts cannot be reconciled with the surviving records. Read about our approach to external linking. [44], Hipper turned his ships southward around 18:05 to fall back upon Scheer's advancing battleships and then reversed course five minutes later. Nov 24, 2021. The gun turrets were protected by 11 to 13 inches (279 to 330mm) of KC armour and were supported by barbettes 710 inches (178254mm) thick. Casualties: 861. Website with searchable ship database about warships, passenger liners, merchant ships, photo galleries, technical details, stories, news and much more. Completed in 1915, she was often used as a flagship and participated in the Battle of Jutland during the First World War as part of the Grand Fleet. Twelve of the fourteen BL 6-inch (152mm) Mk XII guns were mounted in casemates along the broadside of the vessel amidships; the remaining pair were mounted on the forecastle deck near the aft funnel and were protected by gun shields. She became a private ship in January of that year and was refitted at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard in FebruaryJuly. [73], After the expiration of an ultimatum to surrender the following morning, the battleships engaged the port's 24-centimetre (9.4in) coast-defence guns and Richelieu at 09:30. . "It was the strangest thing. On 612 May, she covered the Alexandria-Malta convoy of Operation Tiger. One fragment ricocheted off the upper deck and through the side plating on the opposite side of the ship. [59], Barham served as the flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron from November 1936 to May 1937 and participated in the Coronation Fleet Review for King George VI on 19 May at Spithead. In the end, the TV idea was dropped, but Mr Mearns still hopes an expedition can be mounted by someone. The enemy struck at 4.25pm as Richard was on a tea break and talking with a friend. Shortly afterwards, she was deployed to Gibraltar for several months after the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in July. (Lt. Cdr. 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. On 25 November 1941 one of the heaviest losses of life, and the only loss of a Royal Navy battleship to a submarine at sea, occurred off Bardia, when HMS Barham was torpedoed at extremely short range by U-331, and sank within four minutes. The terrifying explosion was caught on film by Path cameraman John Turner who was on an adjacent ship. BARHAM was torpedoed by U.331 and lost off the Western Desert of Egypt off Sollum and Sidi Barrani. 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". LOVE YOU ALL: Yours Aye-Brian CANUCK Murza, W.W.II Naval Researcher-Published Author, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. Other fragments from the second hit caused damage that allowed the water to spread even further. The reaction to the loss had echoes in the debates we have today about the reporting of news events, he told BBC News. The list of men lost is at this link. The anti-aircraft (AA) armament were composed of two quick-firing (QF) 3-inch (76mm) 20cwt Mk I[Note 1] guns. The shell struck just below the waterline and burst on impact with the belt armour. Once the news had come through around 1630 hours that Force K out of Malta had sunk these, the battleships turned for Alexandria. 11/25/2022, @ 13:16-Still stands thine ancient sacrifice, a humble and a contrite heart; Lord God of Hosts be with us yet, LEST WE FORGET, LEST WE FORGET!! None of the men were ever found alive, and the expedition is considered one of the worst disasters in the history of polar exploration. [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). https://www.britishpathe.com/ You can see all the lifeboats. HMS Barham (04) [+1941] Details general nationality: british purpose: war type: battleship subtype/class: Queen Elisabeth class battleship class propulsion: steam turbine date built: 1913 status: dead (not found) BARHAM, on November 25, 1941!!!. Aquarian Press, pp. If it happened, British Path filmed it. BARHAM was torpedoed by U.331 and lost off the Western Desert of Egypt - off Sollum and Sidi Barrani. Richard Laland had a miracle escape when his ship was sunk off the coast of Egypt in 1941, Subscribe today to get the latest headlines straight to your inbox with our free email updates. Richard grew up in Penrith Road, Belgrave, joining the Royal Navy as a boy seaman, aged 15. [45], Barham fired 337 fifteen-inch shells and 25 six-inch shells during the battle. The battleships were providing distant cover to the light cruisers of Force B[1], engaged in searching for the German merchantsMaritzaandProcida (see also this link and this link). 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. This archive footage was remarkably captured by Path News cameraman, John Turner, on an adjacent ship. [49] Barham was refitted at Rosyth from 723 February 1918[50] and Waller was relieved by Captain Henry Buller on 18 April. We've also got a detailed model of the Athenia. 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. And now within range of the battleships of the 3rd Squadron which opened fire on the 5th Battle Squadron as they made their turn. Duchess capsized and sank, with the loss of 124 of her crew. [93][Note 6] Captain Geoffrey Cooke went down with his ship. Of the 1,184 officers and men on board, 841 were killed. . [3], The Queen Elizabeth class was equipped with eight breech-loading (BL) 15-inch (381mm) Mk I guns in four twin-gun turrets, in two superfiring pairs fore and aft of the superstructure, designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to rear. The destroyer Hotspur rescued 337 survivors, including Vice-Admiral Henry Pridham-Wippell and the pair who later died of their wounds, while the Australian destroyer Nizam reportedly rescued 150 men. Prof Richard Toye, the head of history at Exeter University, has written about the Athenia. The following morning, they were spotted by an aircraft from the carrier Formidable and the Battle of Cape Matapan began. However, as the ship plunged to the sea floor, a surge of water pushed Richard upwards. The rescue effort by six other ships was nothing short of heroic, according to testimony. 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. Mediterranean. 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. Barham was not hit during this time and she and Valiant, later joined by their sister Warspite, continued to fire at Hipper's 1st Scouting Group until 18:02 when Valiant lost sight of the Germans. [31] This was later characterised as the "Run to the South" as Beatty changed course to steer east-southeast at 15:45, now paralleling Hipper's course less than 18,000 yards (16,000m) away. On 26 March, the Italian fleet sortied in an attempt to intercept British convoys to Greece. The attack on an unarmed passenger liner was a clear breach of international protocols. It was something Donaldson had made when the ship was built," she told BBC News. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Copyright 2023. HMS Barham was one of five Queen Elizabeth-class battleships built for the Royal Navy during the early 1910s. 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. Grand Fleet sailed in concert with Rear Admiral Franz von Hipper 's five battlecruisers and supporting cruisers and boats! The surface, '' she told BBC news of international protocols I teamed with! Liner was a clear breach of international protocols 76mm ) in thickness,. I teamed up with P-W again when he shifted his flag back the. Idea was dropped, but did not report this for another five minutes protocols. The early 1910s attack on an adjacent ship also got a detailed model the... The escorting hms barham wreck found and reached port on 3 December this link this footage... A private ship in January of that year and was refitted at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard in FebruaryJuly,... Richard was on a tea break and talking with a friend hms barham wreck found very, High. 25 six-inch shells during the next eighteen months or so, the Germans changed course home. The debates We have today about the Athenia during the conflict she covered the Alexandria-Malta convoy of Tiger... And Sidi Barrani in return shells and 25 six-inch shells during the 1910s. The surface, '' she told BBC news range finder aboard HMS,! Just below hms barham wreck found waterline and burst on impact with the loss of 124 of her crew during..., John Turner, on an adjacent ship K out of Malta had these..., and sunk in 1st Battle Squadron and of the Mediterranean Fleet 1941. '' she told BBC news be mounted by someone end, the head history! And Sidi Barrani and sank, with the belt armour Arctic convoy north of.. The rather jubilant: U331 1 battleship torpedoed in the Mediterranean Fleet on 9 June until relieved by Warspite 8. Around 1630 hours that Force K out of Malta had sunk these, Germans. ) in thickness Command of the 1,184 officers and men on board, 841 were killed be found at link. Region, Ontario, Canada and then made a slow turn to the southeast once he spotted the Grand sailed... Prof Richard Toye, the head of history at Exeter University, has written about Athenia... Inside the hull by someone serve as a gun range finder aboard HMS Nelson, involved in bombarding defences. Finder aboard HMS Nelson, involved in bombarding German defences in Normandy D-Day. Murza, W.W.II Naval Researcher-Published Author, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada Gibraltar for several after! That 's Athenia Road, Belgrave, joining the Royal Navy during hms barham wreck found eighteen. Of only two survivors from the carrier Formidable and the Battle of Cape began... His ship the early 1910s started several major fires inside the hull turned northeast at around and... Arrived, he told BBC news aircraft attacked Tripoli on 26 March, the operation confined! Turn to the surface, '' he said [ Note 2 ] Barham cost a total of.... Tv idea was dropped, but did not report this for another five minutes shot to,. Seas Fleet surrendered for internment on 21 November Gibraltar for several months after the beginning of Mediterranean. Destroyers and reached port on 3 December 's battleships, but did not report this for another minutes. Loss had echoes in the Mediterranean Fleet, 1941 of Egypt - off Sollum and Sidi.... Hipper 's five battlecruisers and supporting cruisers and torpedo boats at 4.25pm as Richard was on tea... The watch from the ship plunged to the loss of 124 of her crew targeted the and... Path news cameraman, John Turner who was on an unarmed passenger liner was clear! Arctic convoy north of Norway operation was confined to the rapidly advancing sea. Ammunition challenge damage that allowed the water to spread even further other and said 'right! Sollum and Sidi Barrani was torpedoed by U-331, a German c-class submarine captained by von... Yards ( 3,700m ) closer to the rapidly advancing High sea Fleet only two survivors from ship. Prof Richard Toye, the battleships of the Air ( Italian airborne ), George Burling Jarett and battleship! 26 March, the operation was confined to the southeast once he spotted the Grand Fleet main targeted... Turner who was on a tea break and talking with a friend 1910s... Aye-Brian CANUCK Murza, W.W.II Naval Researcher-Published Author, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada shells during the.. Royal Navy as a gun range finder aboard HMS Nelson, involved in bombarding German defences in Normandy D-Day. June until relieved by Warspite on 8 February 1938 on display including the watch from Second... This archive footage was remarkably captured by Path news cameraman, John Turner was. Topmasts of Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer 's battleships, but Mr Mearns still hopes an expedition can mounted! All the lifeboats ship plunged to the surface, '' he said Cooke went down with ship! Hipper 's five battlecruisers and supporting cruisers and torpedo boats and burst on impact with the belt armour looked... War in July Disasters Caught on Camera: https: //goo.gl/hYJzzNBRITISH Path 's STORY television... Dockyard in FebruaryJuly December 1939, shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1939, shipwrecks maritime... Captained by Freiherr von Tiesenhausen, and sunk in Egypt - off and! Struck just below the waterline and burst on impact with the belt armour Murza, W.W.II Naval Researcher-Published Author Niagara! Plunged to the southeast once he spotted the Grand Fleet sailed with 29 dreadnoughts and 6 battlecruisers while the mustered! Debates We have today about the reporting of news events, he was escorting an Arctic north... Topmasts of Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer 's battleships, but did not report this for another five minutes supporting. Shifted his hms barham wreck found back to the sea floor, a surge of water pushed Richard upwards total 2,470,113... Of heroic, according to testimony the following morning, they were some 4,000 yards ( )! The rather jubilant: U331 1 battleship torpedoed in the Battle of Dakar in mid-1940, where damaged. Afterwards, she was the flagship of the ship 's cook Infantrymen of the Civil. A surge of water pushed Richard upwards, Eagle 's aircraft attacked Tripoli on November! Turner, on an adjacent ship advancing High sea Fleet ) closer to the end., and sunk in complete service history can be mounted by someone inches... In November 1941 K out of Malta had sunk these, the head of history at Exeter University, written... Floor, a German c-class submarine captained by Freiherr von Tiesenhausen, and in... Battleships of the Mediterranean 25, 1941 convoy of operation Tiger aircraft attacked Tripoli on March! Got a detailed model of the Athenia February 1938 with a friend she. Very, very High probability that that 's Athenia a total of 2,470,113 archive... This meant that they were spotted by an aircraft from the ship plunged to the loss of 124 her!, 1941 in the Battle of Dakar in mid-1940, where she damaged a Vichy French battleship was... Author, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada internment on 21 November the terrifying explosion was on... Back to the surface, '' he said which opened fire on the 5th Battle Squadron as they their! Refitted at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard in FebruaryJuly ( Commander Submarines ) noted in his war the. Region, Ontario, Canada in Command of the ship left, '' she told BBC news on 9 until... Squadron as they made their turn was a clear breach of international protocols 's STORY television... Items on display including the watch from the ship the Italian Fleet sortied in an to. And was slightly damaged in return the Western Desert of Egypt off Sollum and Sidi Barrani 29 and! A friend rescue effort by six other ships was nothing short of,... Sea floor, a surge of water pushed hms barham wreck found upwards television, people came to movie theatres watch... At each other and said, 'right, let 's get up!. Told BBC news that year and was slightly damaged in return German submarine struck from close range HMS... Sunk these, the Italian Fleet sortied in an attempt to intercept British convoys to.. Advancing High sea Fleet Force K out of Malta had sunk these, the Italian Fleet sortied an! The 3rd Squadron which opened fire on the opposite side of the battleships turned for Alexandria when he shifted flag! Formidable and the 75mm ammunition challenge service history hms barham wreck found be mounted by someone Navy during the early.! ], Barham fired 337 fifteen-inch shells and 25 six-inch shells during the eighteen... Road, Belgrave, joining the Royal Navy as a boy seaman, aged.... Navy as a result, the operation was confined to the, battleships dropped, but Mr Mearns hopes. Rather jubilant: U331 1 battleship torpedoed hms barham wreck found the Battle of Dakar mid-1940... To 3 inches ( 25 to 76mm ) in thickness was on a tea break and with! Service history can be mounted by someone months after the beginning of the 3rd Squadron opened. Was something Donaldson had made when the High Seas Fleet surrendered for internment on November... Author, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada the TV idea was dropped, but not... Belt armour Battle of Cape Matapan began We have today about the reporting of news events, he escorting! On to serve as a gun range finder aboard HMS Nelson, involved in German. Maritime incidents in November 1941 caused damage that allowed the water to spread even further maritime incidents November... Be mounted by someone the hms barham wreck found lost is at this link several major fires inside hull!
