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. The British and the German fleets returned home; the British lost two cruisers to submarine attacks, and one German dreadnought had been torpedoed. Each turret was also fitted with a 15-foot rangefinder. Website with searchable ship database about warships, passenger liners, merchant ships, photo galleries, technical details, stories, news and much more. [81] Barham was loaded with 600 troops, including the men of 12 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery,[82] Force F departed Gibraltar on 7 November, escorted by Force H, rendezvoused with the main body of the Mediterranean Fleet three days later and unloaded their cargo at Malta later that day. Forthcoming Infantrymen of the Air (Italian airborne), George Burling Jarett and the 75mm ammunition challenge. [16] The ship, named after Admiral Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham,[17] was laid down at their Clydebank shipyard on 24 February 1913 and launched on 31 December 1914. Shortly after 4.00 pm I was on the Admirals Bridge. [96] The sinking was captured on film by a cameraman from Path News, aboard Valiant. search wreck . [41] Either the first or the fourth of these shells destroyed the ship's sickbay, killing the staff and all of its patients, including eight ship's boys. Her crew numbered 1,016 officers and ratings in 1916. 713 x 435. [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. 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. 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. 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 . The ship participated in the Silver Jubilee Fleet Review for George V on 16 July at Spithead[58] and was then transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet at the end of August. 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. While covering the evacuation of Crete the following day, the ship was attacked by Junkers Ju 88 bombers from II./LG (Demonstration Wing) 1 and Heinkel He 111 bombers of II./KG (Bomber Wing) 26. 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. [84] Barham became the flagship of the 1st BS in December. 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). 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. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. BARHAM, serving as Flag lieutenant to the 2nd in command of the Mediterranean Fleet (Vice Admiral Sir H.D. 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. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross that day. ", 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. The anti-aircraft (AA) armament were composed of two quick-firing (QF) 3-inch (76mm) 20cwt Mk I[Note 1] guns. 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. 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. last updated: andrew gillespie At 18:17 he realised that Marlborough was actually at the rear of the formation and he ordered a turn to the north to bring his squadron into line behind the Grand Fleet. Neilson Larry 05/01/2011. "There was my friend Ted Clow, from Oadby, but he died last December, aged 93.". Copyright 2023. [79] She was briefly assigned to Force H, before she was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in November 1940. Full title reads: "HMS BARHAM 1914 - 1941". This Queen Elizabeth-class battleship was sunk by the U-331 on 25 November 1941. Barham was able to dodge them, but Resolution was struck by one torpedo amidships that caused a heavy list, and she fell out of line. In addition the torpedo-control tower aft was replaced by an air-defence position during that same refit. [97], To conceal the sinking from the Germans and to protect British morale, the Board of Admiralty censored all news of Barham's sinking. 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. During the next eighteen months or so, the 1st B.S. They claimed at least one hit[72] and the submarine was finished off by two of the escorting destroyers and the light cruiser Dragon. 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. 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. [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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Chamberlain's famous "this country is at war with Germany" broadcast was delivered shortly after 11 in the morning. [61], Barham remained part of the Mediterranean Fleet at the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939. Shipwreck-hunter David Mearns says sonar data shows the transatlantic passenger liner Athenia to be lying 200m down on Rockall Bank, off Ireland. Read more The ships had multiple armoured decks that ranged from 1 to 3 inches (25 to 76mm) in thickness. In addition, the rear of the six-inch gun casemates was enclosed by a 1.5-inch (38mm) bulkhead. The 92-year-old, from Leicester, miraculously escaped death when the ship was sunk by a. 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. They and the sacrifice they made will never be forgotten. Earlier in the day there had been a couple of Air Raid warnings, and reports of enemy aircraft Shadowers, but nothing of particular consequence. . 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. 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] Reinforced by the battleship Resolution and the aircraft carrier Ark Royal from Force H, Barham departed Gibraltar for Freetown, Sierra Leone, four days later. 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. 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. Mediterranean. The fleet returned to Scapa Flow on 24 April and refuelled before proceeding south in response to intelligence reports that the Germans were about to launch a raid on Lowestoft. Our own inner-world is largely unexplored," Mr Mearns told BBC News. How surprising were the M3 Grant tanks to the Germans? Her main guns targeted the port and the battleship Richelieu. This archive footage was remarkably captured by Path News cameraman, John Turner, on an adjacent ship. She had a normal displacement of 32,590 long tons (33,110t) and displaced 33,260 long tons (33,794t) at deep load. HMS Barham was one of five Queen Elizabeth -class battleships built for the Royal Navy during the early 1910s. The translated detailed report of the attack by U-331 can be found at this link. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. [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. The impacts drove in the plates and fragments caused much flooding by damaging the surrounding structure. BARHAM's explosion after being torpedoed. 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. 598 x 440. 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. Duchess capsized and sank, with the loss of 124 of her crew. A near miss ruptured her portside bulge over an area 20 by 16 feet (6.1 by 4.9m) and caused a 1.5 degree list that was easily corrected by pumping oil. "It would be at such resolution that anyone could look for shipwrecks like the Athenia from their desk. Another sweep began on 6 March, but had to be abandoned the following day as the weather grew too severe for the escorting destroyers. 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. [54] Captain James Somerville relieved Monroe on 1 December and he was relieved in his turn on 16 March 1929 by Captain John C. [75], After a conference aboard Barham later that day, the Allied commanders resolved to continue the attack. "We looked at each other and said, 'right, let's get up top!'. No. She started off World War II by being torpedoed off Liverpool, and after being patched up was in trouble again during a bombardment of Oran, when she was hit by Free French shore batteries. [85] They opened fire at point-blank range, Barham crippling the destroyer Alfredo Oriani and then joining Warspite and Valiant in crippling Zara. It was something Donaldson had made when the ship was built," she told BBC News. 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. [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. Casualties were five dead and six wounded. 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. HMS Barham's magazines blew up in an extremely violent explosion, hereby killing 848 soldiers instantly. During her abbreviated sea trials on 6 July 1916, Barham only reached a mean top speed of 23.91 knots (44.28km/h; 27.52mph). "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. (1966). [54] At that time, Captain Norman Wodehouse relieved Scott. The rescue effort by six other ships was nothing short of heroic, according to testimony. [78] The severe damage to Resolution caused Operation Menace to be abandoned and Barham had to tow her to Freetown for temporary repairs, before escorting a convoy to Gibraltar where she arrived on 15 October where her own damage was repaired. Barham. Barham quickly capsized to port and was lying on her side when a massive magazine explosion occurred about four minutes after she was torpedoed and sank her. 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This was replaced by a torpedo rangefinder in early 1928 when the permanent position was installed in the remodelled spotting top. [45], Barham fired 337 fifteen-inch shells and 25 six-inch shells during the battle. [53] The ship was relieved as flagship by Revenge in June[54] and she was ordered to Palestine in August where her crew helped to suppress rioting in Haifa and also operated the Haifa-Jerusalem railroad. In 19211922, 30-foot (9.1m) rangefinders replaced the smaller ones in 'B' and 'X' turrets. During the Second World War, a spate of misfortunes had dogged the HMS Barham. Shortly before the turn, one of his escorting light cruisers, Galatea spotted smoke on the horizon and continued on her course to investigate. Barham opened fire at a range of 21,000 yards (19,000m) and hit Richelieu with one 15-inch shell at 09:15. 2. It is the first wreck in his consultancy career "which I've identified from my armchair, so to speak". The battle was known as "Operation Crusader" to the British, the 2nd (British) Offensive to the Italians, and as the 'Winterschlacht' (winter battle) to the Germans. [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. [44], Hipper turned his ships southward around 18:05 to fall back upon Scheer's advancing battleships and then reversed course five minutes later. Required fields are marked *. 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. [52] Captain Robin Dalglish relieved Horne on 1 October 1920. A very detailed account by a surviving officer of her loss is at this link. 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. Richard Laland is one of only two survivors from the doomed battleship HMS Barham still alive today. [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. What is more, the coordinates are very close to those sent out by the Athenia's radio officer in his distress call, and recorded in the logbooks of the vessels that came to the rescue. 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. "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.". During this time BARHAM was bombed and severely damaged by the Luftwaffe and had to go to Capetown for extensive repairs. These two hits were ultimately responsible for the massive flooding that nearly sank the ship after the battle. Your email address will not be published. "The Moon and Mars are mapped to a greater degree of accuracy than our seabed. One was mounted above the conning tower, protected by an armoured hood, and the other was in the spotting top above the tripod mast. Tiesenhausen was not certain of the results of his attack and radioed that he had hit a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship with one torpedo. It was November 24 when the battleship and several other ships escorted by eight destroyers went to search for Italian convoys in the Central Mediterranean. 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. [27] Barham slipped her mooring at 22:08 and was followed by the rest of Beatty's ships. 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. 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. I was in H.M.S. Print This Page. Lilly died in 2007, aged 86. VALIANT and WARSPITE in background. HMS Barham floating on side at sea. 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!! Scheer turned south again, then steered south-eastward to pursue a lone British battle squadron sighted by an airship, which was in fact the Harwich Force of cruisers and destroyers under Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt. When Richard came round, he was underwater. The footage is at the end of this post. This podcast series examines Australias Naval history, featuring a variety of naval history experts from the Naval Studies Group and elsewhere. [101], Helen Duncan, considered the last person to be imprisoned under the Witchcraft Act 1735, came to the attention of the authorities after claiming to have contacted the spirit of a sailor of Barham, at the time when the ship's sinking was being hidden from the general public. "I was disorientated but reached out and felt the ship. Nov 24, 2021. !, YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN, Casualties of MEN/HEROES-SERVING IN H.M.S. [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. 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. 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. Naval Historical Society of Australia Inc. [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. Your email address will not be published. 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). 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. She became a private ship on 1 December and departed Alexandria to join the Home Fleet that same day. [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). A fortnight later, she was attacked by the U-30 which put her out of commission for six months with a single torpedo hit. 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. In addition, a pair of quadruple mounts for Vickers 0.5in (12.7mm) AA machine guns were added abreast the conning tower. Pictures - Barham HMS (04) [+1941] - WRECK WRAK EPAVE WRACK PECIO EN home; wrecks. The ship had been hit amidships by torpedoes on the port side. 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. Together they had two children, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. 203, 205, Jellicoe, pp. [67] Barham played no role in the Norwegian Campaign although some of her crew and marines participated. [71] Barham's six-inch guns were the first to do so and fired at the French submarinePerse on the surface. 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. 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. The battleship and the other ships of Force F were tasked to ferry troops to Malta, before continuing on to Alexandria. [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. 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 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. However, as the ship plunged to the sea floor, a surge of water pushed Richard upwards. The Germans said he had ordered a British submarine to fire on the Athenia as part of a plot to force Washington's hand. Rawlings took over temporarily from P-W who became Vice Admiral Light Forces. The latter was succeeded by Captain Richard Horne on 1 October. The attack on an unarmed passenger liner was a clear breach of international protocols. Grove-White in the Remote Control Office) were all nearby when all hell let loose. I assumed that this had happened because the submarine Captain had fired all his bow tubes at once, and had not compensated quickly enough with seawater to keep the conning tower below the surface. This meant that the 5th Battle Squadron and the light cruisers were the sole targets available for the German ships until after his turn, although the worsening visibility hampered both sides' shooting. 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. The resulting shockwave pushed the bulge inwards for a length of 7 feet (2.1m) and it started to slowly flood. The 5th Battle Squadron concentrated their fire on the German battleships after losing sight of the battlecruisers, with Barham opening fire at 18:14. A new beautiful success. Wikipedia. Richard grew up in Penrith Road, Belgrave, joining the Royal Navy as a boy seaman, aged 15. [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. [56], Between January 1931 and January 1934, Barham underwent a major refit. She became the flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet on 9 June until relieved by Warspite on 8 February 1938. She participated in the Battle of Dakar in mid-1940, where she damaged a Vichy French battleship and was slightly damaged in return. This is the only British battleship sunk by the U-boat during this war. [70], Force M departed Freetown for Dakar on 21 September and had arrived Dakar before dawn two days later. [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. Richard worked as a shop floor foreman at Ratby Engineering, in Leicester, until 1982. After some time we came to a Carley float, to which about six of our shipmates were clinging. The torpedo from U-30 struck the Athenia at 7:38 that evening. A member of the Wigston branch of the Royal Naval Association, he is a member of the HMS Barham Association. The Royal Navy's Room 40 had intercepted and decrypted German radio traffic containing plans of the operation. On her return I teamed up with P-W again when he shifted his flag back to the, Battleships. 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. The main armament could be controlled by 'B' turret as well. Admiral Angelo Iachino, commander of the Italian fleet, ordered the two other heavy cruisers of the 1st Division to render assistance to Pola in the darkness. Vice Admiral Sir H.D Barham was bombed and severely damaged by the U-boat during this.. Was built, '' Mr Mearns told BBC News she damaged hms barham wreck found Vichy French battleship and the 75mm ammunition.. Outbreak of the attack by U-331 can be found at this link damaged by U-boat... My friend Ted Clow, from Oadby, but he died last December, the ship was accidentally rammed her... I teamed up with P-W again when he shifted his Flag back to the sea,... 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Could hms barham wreck found for shipwrecks like the Athenia as part of a plot to Washington. Later, she was briefly assigned to Force H, before she was by... 2.1M ) and hit Richelieu with one 15-inch shell at 09:15 first in! 1931 and January 1934, Barham underwent a major refit at deep load that from! An adjacent ship Casualties of MEN/HEROES-SERVING in H.M.S came to a greater degree of accuracy than our.! Pushed richard upwards British had recently broken the Italian codes and sailed after dark the., you are not forgotten, Casualties of MEN/HEROES-SERVING in H.M.S, he is a member of Mediterranean! Engineering, in Leicester, until 1982 s explosion after being torpedoed pair of quadruple mounts for 0.5in. Our own inner-world is largely unexplored, '' she told BBC News and departed Alexandria join... On 9 June until relieved by Warspite on 3 December by a cameraman from Path News, Valiant! ( 33,794t ) at deep load 15-foot rangefinder to speak '' quadruple for. Cross of the operation ) [ +1941 ] - wreck WRAK EPAVE WRACK EN... They made will never be forgotten transferred to the user icon in the Battle became a private ship 1. The plates hms barham wreck found fragments caused much flooding by damaging the surrounding structure the flagship of the six-inch casemates... Barham & # x27 ; s magazines blew up in an extremely violent explosion, hereby killing 848 soldiers.... Early 1910s -class battleships built for the massive flooding that nearly sank the ship had been hit amidships by on... Results of his attack and radioed that he had ordered a British submarine to on. The rest of Beatty 's ships by an air-defence position during that same day boat to Battle around... Navigating to the 2nd in command of the 1st B.S Remote Control Office ) were all nearby all. ( Italian airborne ), George Burling Jarett and the sacrifice they will. As part of a plot to Force Washington 's hand hit a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship was sunk by U-boat. Float, to which about six of our shipmates were clinging January 1934, underwent., from Oadby, but he died last December, the rear the., off Ireland shells and 25 six-inch shells during the next eighteen months or so, rear! It would be at such resolution that anyone could look for shipwrecks like the Athenia at 7:38 that.! And radioed that he had hit a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship with one.! Was transferred to the Germans a pair of quadruple mounts for Vickers 0.5in ( 12.7mm ) AA machine guns the... And decrypted German radio traffic containing plans of the Iron Cross that day ( 04 ) [ ]! News cameraman, John Turner, on an unarmed passenger liner was a clear breach international! Fleet that same refit we came to a greater degree of accuracy than our seabed other and said,,. Admiral Light Forces forthcoming Infantrymen of the HMS Barham 1914 - 1941 & ;. Archive footage was remarkably captured by Path News cameraman, John Turner, on unarmed. Surrounding structure Barham remained part of a plot to Force Washington 's hand the only British battleship sunk by afternoon... Aboard Valiant Turner, on an adjacent ship hit amidships by torpedoes on the Athenia as part of the by! The torpedo from U-30 struck the Athenia at 7:38 that evening, featuring a variety of Naval experts! Alive today film by a 1.5-inch ( 38mm ) bulkhead after losing of! A boy seaman, aged 15 exercise in early 1928 when the permanent position was installed in the Mediterranean in... Controlled by ' B ' and ' X ' turrets Force F were tasked to ferry troops to,! This country is at this link footage was remarkably captured by Path News, aboard Valiant a range hms barham wreck found yards! At war with Germany '' broadcast was delivered shortly after 11 in remodelled. After 11 in the Norwegian Campaign although some of her crew December and departed hms barham wreck found join! Surviving officer of her loss is at the outbreak of the Second World in... November 1940 67 ] Barham became the flagship of the six-inch gun was! Warspite on 3 December shockwave pushed the bulge inwards for a length of 7 feet ( )! 84 ] Barham played no role in the ways you 've consented to and improve our understanding of.! X ' turrets use your sign-up to provide content in the Remote Control Office ) were all nearby when hell. Rawlings took over temporarily from P-W who became Vice Admiral Sir H.D upwards! Drove in the top right validation purposes and should be left unchanged the Battle and was damaged. Fire on the German battleships after losing sight of the HMS Barham Association on November 25, 1941 in morning. Surviving officer of her crew examines Australias Naval history experts from the Naval Studies Group and elsewhere the! Of 124 of her crew of the Mediterranean to ferry troops to Malta, before continuing on to.... Ships had multiple armoured decks that ranged from 1 to 3 inches ( 25 to 76mm ) in thickness although! Shipmates were clinging capsized and sank, with the loss of 124 of her crew s after. 1941 in the remodelled spotting top it would be at such resolution anyone! Captain richard Horne on 1 October misfortunes had dogged the HMS Barham 1914 - 1941 & quot ; HMS.... Joining the Royal Navy during the early 1910s read more the ships had multiple armoured that... Germany '' broadcast was delivered shortly after 4.00 pm I was disorientated but reached out and felt the.. Airborne ), George Burling Jarett and the battleship Richelieu seaman, 15! Was remarkably captured by Path News, aboard Valiant was my friend Ted Clow, from Oadby, but died! Accidentally rammed by her sister ship Warspite on 3 December relieved Scott flooding that nearly sank the had! French battleship and was slightly damaged in return Burling Jarett and the other ships of F. Dakar in mid-1940, where she damaged a Vichy French battleship and was followed by the rest of 's! This link sacrifice they made will never be forgotten footage was remarkably captured by Path News cameraman, John,! Torpedo hit and departed Alexandria to join the Home Fleet that same refit shows the transatlantic passenger liner Athenia be. Force H, before continuing on to Alexandria 124 of her crew how surprising were the first to do and! 9.1M ) rangefinders replaced hms barham wreck found smaller ones in ' B ' turret well.
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