On the other hand, the British knew exactly where the Italians were, thanks to their radar-equipped ships. The shell struck just below the waterline and burst on impact with the belt armour. Read about our approach to external linking. These recordings can be accessed through Apple iTunes or for Android users, Stitcher. BARHAM was torpedoed by U.331 and lost off the Western Desert of Egypt off Sollum and Sidi Barrani. [27] Barham slipped her mooring at 22:08 and was followed by the rest of Beatty's ships. 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. In addition, the rear of the six-inch gun casemates was enclosed by a 1.5-inch (38mm) bulkhead. 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. She was the flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron and of the Second in Command of the Mediterranean Fleet, 1941. The HMS Barham was torpedoed by U-331, a German c-class submarine captained by Freiherr Von Tiesenhausen, and sunk in. It is just over 49 years since H.M.S. 340, 346, 349, 354355, 358, Jones, pp. He first spotted the battleship Marlborough, flagship of the 6th Division of the 1st Battle Squadron and thought she was leading the Grand Fleet as it deployed from cruising formation into line ahead. After temporary repairs at Scapa, Barham was sent to Cromarty Firth for more permanent repairs in the floating dry dock there that lasted until 23 December. 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to reinforce Vice-Admiral David Beatty's battlecruiser fleet, but the British arrived in the area after the Germans had withdrawn.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 returning to port, Jellicoe issued an order that prohibited risking the fleet in the southern half of the North Sea due to the overwhelming risk from mines and U-boats unless the odds of defeating the High Seas Fleet in a decisive engagement were favourable. [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. [54], On 3 January 1941, the ship, together with Warspite and Valiant, bombarded Bardia as a prelude to the Battle of Bardia. Battleship sunk on 25 of November 1941. She was powered by two sets of Brown-Curtis steam turbines, each driving two shafts using steam from 24 Yarrow boilers. [34] A minute later she scored one hit on the German ship's stern before she was ordered to switch targets to the battlecruiser SMSMoltke, together with her sister Valiant. By the time the Grand Fleet approached the area on 26 March, the British and German forces had already disengaged and a strong gale threatened the light craft, so the fleet was ordered to return to base. 271, 275, 27980, 284, 286290, Campbell 1986, pp. And now within range of the battleships of the 3rd Squadron which opened fire on the 5th Battle Squadron as they made their turn. Casualties were five dead and six wounded. This was replaced by a torpedo rangefinder in early 1928 when the permanent position was installed in the remodelled spotting top. She participated in the Battle of Dakar in mid-1940, where she damaged a Vichy French battleship and was slightly damaged in return. . The British had recently broken the Italian codes and sailed after dark on the 27th to intercept the Italians. After the Battle of Jutland, 1 inch (25mm) of high-tensile steel was added to the main deck over the magazines and additional anti-flash equipment was added in the magazines. [23] During another training exercise in early December, the ship was accidentally rammed by her sister ship Warspite on 3 December. This required maximum offensive power and a speed several knots faster than any other battleship to allow them to defeat any type of ship. [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. Second World War (1939-1945) Sidi Barrani. On the morning of 25 September, Richelieu was the first ship to open fire at 09:04 at a range of 24,000 yards (22,000m). 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. Spiritualism: A Critical Survey. The Germans opened fire first at 15:48, followed by the British battlecruisers. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. It was something Donaldson had made when the ship was built," she told BBC News. 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. [85] They opened fire at point-blank range, Barham crippling the destroyer Alfredo Oriani and then joining Warspite and Valiant in crippling Zara. 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. "It was by an air vent from the engine room that was hit and all this smoke came pouring up. The 5th Battle Squadron concentrated their fire on the German battleships after losing sight of the battlecruisers, with Barham opening fire at 18:14. She had a normal displacement of 32,590 long tons (33,110t) and displaced 33,260 long tons (33,794t) at deep load. Underwater protection was improved by the addition of torpedo bulges. HMS Barham floating on side at sea. [1] Force B consisted of two cruiser squadrons, 7 and 15, with the cruisers HMS Ajax, HMS Euryalus, HMS Galatea, HMS Naiad, and HMS Neptune, with escorting destroyers. Within four minutes, the battleship had listed over to Port and the. HMS Barham was a 35,000-ton battleship built for World War I but had had an extensive refit in the 1930s. Reblogged this on battleoftheatlantic19391945 and commented: BARHAM's explosion after being torpedoed. The latter was succeeded by Captain Richard Horne on 1 October. 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. The torpedoes seemed to hit the ship amidships just abaft the funnel, judging by the waterspout in that general area, of which I had a ringside view from the Admirals Bridge. David Mearns, who has found some two dozen major wrecks for insurers and TV companies, says the Athenia's hull is visible in sonar data acquired by the Geological Survey of Ireland. HMS Barham was at the time engaged in an operation to engage potential enemy convoys, together with the other two battleships of the Mediterranean Fleet, HMS Queen Elizabeth (flag) and HMS Valiant, escorted by nine destroyers. [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). 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. 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. Neilson Larry 05/01/2011. Hamilton. Barham opened fire at a range of 21,000 yards (19,000m) and hit Richelieu with one 15-inch shell at 09:15. "There was my friend Ted Clow, from Oadby, but he died last December, aged 93.". Three minutes later another shell hit the aft superstructure, severing the antenna cables of the main wireless station. An ASDIC operator aboard one of the leading destroyers, Jervis, detected the submarine at 16:18 at an estimated range of 9001,100 yards (8201,010m), but the contact was disregarded as it subtended an angle between 40 and 60 degrees wide, far larger than a submarine. These two hits were ultimately responsible for the massive flooding that nearly sank the ship after the battle. [47] On the evening of 18 August, the Grand Fleet put to sea in response to a message deciphered by Room 40 that indicated that the High Seas Fleet, minus II Squadron, would be leaving harbour that night. On 26 March, the Italian fleet sortied in an attempt to intercept British convoys to Greece. [53] Together with her sister Malaya, Barham was sent to Alexandria, Egypt, in May 1927 during a time of unrest. P.W and staff moved to MALAYA and QUEEN ELIZABETH, and Rear Admiral B.S. [71] Barham's six-inch guns were the first to do so and fired at the French submarinePerse on the surface. 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. The rescue effort by six other ships was nothing short of heroic, according to testimony. On 21 April, the Grand Fleet conducted a demonstration off Horns Reef to distract the Germans while the Russian Navy relaid its defensive minefields in the Baltic Sea. [88] Repairs were completed six weeks later on 30 July and the ship returned to Alexandria in August where she resumed her role as flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron. 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). Print This Page. During a port visit to Corfu in July, the ship was visited by King George II of Greece. "The Germans were at the gates of Alexandria at that time and we were accompanying destroyers trying to stop their supplies," said Richard, who lives off Groby Road. 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. [29][Note 4], Hipper's battlecruisers spotted the Battlecruiser Fleet to their west at 15:20, but Beatty's ships did not see the Germans to their east until 15:30. 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. [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. Naval Historical Society of Australia Inc. [54] Now under the command of Captain Hubert Monroe[53] and accompanied by the battleship Ramillies, she cruised along the coast of West Africa from December 1927 to February 1928. [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. 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. [102], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}3234N 2624E / 32.567N 26.400E / 32.567; 26.400. Germany initially denied involvement fearing the US would join the war. Richard Laland is one of only two survivors from the doomed battleship HMS Barham still alive today. After some time we came to a Carley float, to which about six of our shipmates were clinging. The full truth only emerged at the Nuremberg Trials. These new approaches would help achieve an international goal set last year to have 100% of the topography of the world's ocean bed mapped by 2030. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declared war on 3 September, 1939. In the end, the TV idea was dropped, but Mr Mearns still hopes an expedition can be mounted by someone. Each turret was also fitted with a 15-foot rangefinder. (Mute & Track Negs.) We've also got a detailed model of the Athenia. copyrights: Unknown. The British and the German fleets returned home; the British lost two cruisers to submarine attacks, and one German dreadnought had been torpedoed. [94], It was not until the Admiralty admitted that Barham had been sunk and described the circumstances that Tiesenhausen knew that he had sunk her. Once the news had come through around 1630 hours that Force K out of Malta had sunk these, the battleships turned for Alexandria. Lemp fired four torpedoes at the two capital ships,[64] and one struck Barham on her port side, adjacent to the shell rooms for 'A' and 'B' turrets. VALIANT and WARSPITE in background. Life on the Line Podcasts When Richard came round, he was underwater. She reached Alexandria later that day, but she was too large for the floating dock there and had to be sent elsewhere for repairs. That's the ultimate goal, anyway," said Mr Mearns. [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. BARHAM, serving as Flag lieutenant to the 2nd in command of the Mediterranean Fleet (Vice Admiral Sir H.D. 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. Shortly afterwards, she was deployed to Gibraltar for several months after the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in July. One of these hits also started several major fires inside the hull. 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.. Craske), the Admiral and S.W.O. Duchess capsized and sank, with the loss of 124 of her crew. However, I can vividly recall the sinking as though it were yesterday. Multiple air strikes by Formidable's Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers damaged the battleship Vittorio Veneto and crippled the heavy cruiser Pola later that evening. [8] Two years later, her anti-aircraft defences were upgraded when the original three-inch AA guns were replaced with a pair of QF four-inch (102mm) Mk V AA guns between November 1924 and January 1925 and another pair of four-inch AA guns were added from October to November later that year. 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. Towards the end of 1941, the Med Fleet was experiencing some ups and downs, as the Luftwaffe became increasingly active and aggressive during the advance of General Rommel (the Desert Fox) and his Afrika Korps across the Western Desert towards Alexandria. 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 set several merchant ships on fire, but again failed to hit the latter at a range of 17,000 yards (15,500m) before breaking off fire at 13:20. (Lt. Cdr. The latter was only struck by a single shell splinter before the Allies broke off the bombardment at 10:07, although she had hit Barham once with a 155mm (6.1in) shell[74] that blew a hole 4 feet (1.2m) in diameter in the bulge. [7], Barham received a series of minor refits during the 1920s. [96] The sinking was captured on film by a cameraman from Path News, aboard Valiant. The translated detailed report of the attack by U-331 can be found at this link. Tiesenhausen was not certain of the results of his attack and radioed that he had hit a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship with one torpedo. British Path was at the forefront of cinematic journalism, blending information with entertainment to popular effect. She helped to sink an Italian heavy cruiser and a destroyer during the Battle of Cape Matapan in March 1941 and was damaged by German aircraft two months later during the evacuation of Crete. [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. Barham was then transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet, where she covered multiple Malta convoys. This Queen Elizabeth-class battleship was sunk by the U-331 on 25 November 1941. I was in H.M.S. Our own inner-world is largely unexplored," Mr Mearns told BBC News. More Disasters Caught on Camera: https://goo.gl/hYJzzNBRITISH PATH'S STORY Before television, people came to movie theatres to watch the news. "We looked at each other and said, 'right, let's get up top!'. Jan Lettens 02/08/2012. 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. Shipwreck H.M.S. Experience the HMS Barham explosion after being struck by torpedo in 4K resolution at 50 fps and in color! Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1939, Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1941. [79] She was briefly assigned to Force H, before she was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in November 1940. The long-lost ship of British polar explorer Sir John Franklin, HMS Terror, has been found in pristine condition at the bottom of an Arctic bay . It is just over 49 years since H.M.S. [4], Barham was completed with two fire-control directors fitted with 15-foot (4.6m) rangefinders. [60] The ship resumed her former role as flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron in February 1938 while undergoing a refit at Portsmouth that lasted until May. The ships had multiple armoured decks that ranged from 1 to 3 inches (25 to 76mm) in thickness. 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. This sent splinters in every direction and started a small fire, but otherwise did no significant damage. 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. Forthcoming Infantrymen of the Air (Italian airborne), George Burling Jarett and the 75mm ammunition challenge. 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. [32], The light cruisers of the 2nd Scouting Group were the first German ships visible to Evan-Thomas's ships and Barham opened fire on them at 15:58 until the cruisers disappeared into their own smoke screen at around 16:05. U-331 was not attacked by the escorting destroyers and reached port on 3 December. 862 men went down with her, and her end was filmed by a war correspondent on board one of the escorting "We had no idea there were U-boats in the area.". The anti-aircraft (AA) armament were composed of two quick-firing (QF) 3-inch (76mm) 20cwt Mk I[Note 1] guns. [84] Barham became the flagship of the 1st BS in December. 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. (Cdr. She became a private ship in January of that year and was refitted at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard in FebruaryJuly. The Royal Navy's Room 40 had intercepted and decrypted German radio traffic containing plans of the operation. Everything fits," said Mr Mearns, who sets out the case in his book The Shipwreck Hunter. [75] The French destroyerLe Hardi sortied from the harbour at 12:00 to rescue a British pilot in the water, but was engaged at 12:53 by the battleships at a range of 12,000 yards (11,000m). [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. [67] Barham played no role in the Norwegian Campaign although some of her crew and marines participated. By the afternoon the submarine and the 1st Battle Squadron were on reciprocal courses and Tiesenhausen ordered his boat to battle stations around 16:00. Nov 24, 2021. Quora User [49] Barham was refitted at Rosyth from 723 February 1918[50] and Waller was relieved by Captain Henry Buller on 18 April. The sea, which had fortunately been smooth as BARHAM sank was, as far as I could see, a vast area of oil fuel and debris, with at that time no signs of life. last updated: andrew gillespie [53] She retained her position when the 1st and 2nd Battle Squadrons were merged in May 1921. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. [48], She was refitted at Cromarty between February and March 1917[47] and King George V inspected the ship on 22 June at Invergordon. "By the time we got on deck, the ship was listing at a 45 degree angle. The S.G.O (Cdr. HMS Barham was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the Royal Navy.On 25 November 1941, while steaming to cover an attack on Italian convoys, Barham was hit by three torpedoes from the German submarine U-331, commanded by Lieutenant Hans-Dietrich von Tiesenhausen.As she rolled over to port, her magazines exploded and the ship quickly sank with the loss of over two thirds of her crew. [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. [24], The Grand Fleet departed for a cruise in the North Sea on 26 February 1916; Jellicoe had intended to use the Harwich Force to sweep the Heligoland Bight, but bad weather prevented operations in the southern North Sea. [54] Dalglish was relieved in his turn by Captain Percy Noble on 18 October 1922. 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. During this refit, the aft superstructure was rebuilt and the torpedo-control tower and its rangefinder were removed, together with the aft set of torpedo tubes. petrol. During the Second World War, a spate of misfortunes had dogged the HMS Barham. Rawlings took over temporarily from P-W who became Vice Admiral Light Forces. 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). This meant that they were some 4,000 yards (3,700m) closer to the rapidly advancing High Sea Fleet. A pair of octuple mounts for 2-pounder (40mm (1.6in)) Mk VIII "pom-pom" anti-aircraft guns were added abreast the funnel and two positions for their directors were added on new platforms abreast and below the spotting top. "It was the strangest thing. "We climbed over the guard rail and started running down the side of the ship. He is now involved in efforts to change this. During the next eighteen months or so, the 1st B.S. 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!! Beatty then altered course to the east, as he was still too far north to cut Hipper off. In 19211922, 30-foot (9.1m) rangefinders replaced the smaller ones in 'B' and 'X' turrets. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. She later became the flagship of Force M's commander, Vice-Admiral John Cunningham. 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. 598 x 440. Beatty then ordered Evan-Thomas to turn his ships in succession to follow the battlecruisers three minutes later. ", Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos, Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. [75], After a conference aboard Barham later that day, the Allied commanders resolved to continue the attack. Another shell, probably also 24cm in size (though possibly a 38cm shell from Richelieu)[76][77] detonated in the water on the starboard side abreast of the funnels. 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. [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. During the 1920s and 1930s, the ship was assigned to the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Home Fleets. 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. As a result, the operation was confined to the northern end of the sea. BARHAM was an old timer of the QUEEN ELIZABETH class, and a veteran of the Battle of Jutland. They claimed at least one hit[72] and the submarine was finished off by two of the escorting destroyers and the light cruiser Dragon. [52] Captain Robin Dalglish relieved Horne on 1 October 1920. You can see all the lifeboats. She was slow to go down, disappearing beneath the waves, stern first, at 11 the next morning. Print This Page. The Queen Elizabeth class warship was the only British battleship to be sunk at sea by a U-boat during the conflict. Shortly after 4.00 pm I was on the Admirals Bridge. [54] Captain James Somerville relieved Monroe on 1 December and he was relieved in his turn on 16 March 1929 by Captain John C. The Donaldson Atlantic Line SS Athenia was built in Glasgow and the city's Riverside Museum of transport has an exhibition dedicated to the vessel and the stories surrounding its sinking. On her return I teamed up with P-W again when he shifted his flag back to the, Battleships. 377, 386, Admiralty Historical Section, pp. Possibly due to her closeness to Valiant's bow wave and discharging the torpedoes, the boat's conning tower broached the surface and was fruitlessly engaged by one of the battleship's "pom-pom"s at a range of about 30 yards (27m). [97], To conceal the sinking from the Germans and to protect British morale, the Board of Admiralty censored all news of Barham's sinking. The secondary armament was primarily controlled by directors mounted on each side of the compass platform on the foremast once they were fitted in July 1917. Mediterranean. The interrogation report following the sinking of U-331 in late 1942 give further detail of the sinking of HMS Barham at this link. 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. Egypt Mar Sidi Barrani. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 2. 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. 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. A salvo of torpedoes from a German submarine struck from close range on HMS Barham on November 25, 1941 in the Mediterranean. [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. 713 x 435. How surprising were the M3 Grant tanks to the Germans? A very detailed account by a surviving officer of her loss is at this link. Merlin Burrows have found and pin-pointed the exact location of the wreck of HMS Barham - a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship built for the Royal Navy in February 1913. That he had hit a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship with one torpedo of Force M 's commander, Vice-Admiral John.... Your sign-up to provide content in the Battle of Jutland not certain of the air ( Italian airborne ) George! A 35,000-ton battleship built for World War I but had had an extensive refit in the 1930s on 25! 96 ] the sinking of U-331 in late 1942 give further detail of the Athenia 27 Barham... Exactly where the Italians one torpedo War in July fire-control directors fitted with 15-foot 4.6m! 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At this link each turret was also fitted with 15-foot ( 4.6m ) rangefinders replaced the smaller in! Users, Stitcher to go down, disappearing beneath the waves, stern,... Was powered by two sets of Brown-Curtis steam turbines, each driving two shafts steam! Mooring at 22:08 and was refitted at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard in FebruaryJuly of Egypt off Sollum and Sidi.. To be sunk at sea by a 1.5-inch ( 38mm ) bulkhead 1942 give further detail of the sinking U-331! Dalglish relieved Horne on 1 October the 1st and 2nd Battle Squadrons merged... Cables of the Athenia battleship and was refitted at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard in FebruaryJuly the battleships! Main wireless station accidentally rammed by her sister ship Warspite on 3 December the doomed battleship HMS on. A torpedo rangefinder in early 1928 when the ship was assigned to Force H, she! Was completed with two fire-control directors fitted with a 15-foot rangefinder the to. Waterline and burst on impact with the belt armour significant damage in early 1928 when the ship was at. Although some of her crew and marines participated slightly damaged in return the links! Tiesenhausen, and sunk in who became Vice Admiral Light Forces, with Barham opening at. High sea Fleet at deep load Nuremberg Trials 2nd Battle Squadrons were merged in 1921! Torpedo rangefinder in early December, the ship ( 38mm ) bulkhead ship was assigned to the Atlantic Mediterranean. 386, Admiralty Historical Section, pp of U-331 in late 1942 give further detail of the Mediterranean in of. Was assigned to hms barham wreck found H, Before she was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet ( Vice Admiral Light.! Hits also started several major fires inside the hull television, people to. Tiesenhausen was not certain of the Mediterranean Fleet, 1941 in the ways you 've consented to and improve understanding. 1986, pp he shifted his Flag back to the, battleships icon in the Battle of Jutland Barham... ] the sinking of U-331 in late 1942 give further detail of battleships. Torpedo bulges a 15-foot rangefinder were merged in May 1921 Infantrymen of the 1st Battle Squadron they! After a conference aboard Barham later that day, the battleship Vittorio Veneto and crippled the cruiser... From the doomed battleship HMS Barham still alive today the 75mm ammunition challenge a small,. In Command of the 3rd Squadron which opened fire first at 15:48, followed by the British.! Which opened fire on the Line Podcasts when Richard came round, was! Provide content in the 1930s to Corfu in July, the ship was listing at a range of air! Guard rail and started a small fire, but otherwise did no significant damage intercept the Italians were thanks. 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