(Mute & Track Negs.) 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!! Anniversary Cruise: Sydney under Japanese Attack, Garden Island Northern Hill and Garden Tour, Night of the midget subs Sydney under attack, D-Day commando on Sword Beach by Commander Jim Speed DSC, RAN Part 1, D-Day commando on Sword Beach by Commander Jim Speed DSC, RAN Part 2, D-Day commando on Sword Beach by Commander Jim Speed DSC, RAN Part 3. "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. 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. In response the Admiralty ordered the Grand Fleet, totalling some 28 dreadnoughts and 9 battlecruisers, to sortie the night before to cut off and destroy the High Seas Fleet. Realising their mistake, the Germans changed course for home. [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. Together they had two children, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. [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. (1966). At the going down of the SUN, AND in the MORNING; WE WILL REMEMBER THEM, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM!! A few months later, now under the command of Captain Richard Hill,[53] the ship again retained her position as the 1st Battle Squadron was split in two and the Queen Elizabeths of the new 1st Battle Squadron were transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet on 1 November 1924. 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. Casualties: 861. 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. [5], The waterline belt of the Queen Elizabeth class consisted of Krupp cemented armour (KC) that was 13 inches (330mm) thick over the ships' vitals. Spiritualism: A Critical Survey. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Fungus case forces Jack Daniels to halt construction, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists. BARHAM's explosion after being torpedoed. 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. He eventually lost his life in a confrontation in 1941 when his U-110 boat was forced to the surface after being damaged by depth charges. 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. Your email address will not be published. Underwater protection was improved by the addition of torpedo bulges. Your email address will not be published. BARHAM, on November 25, 1941!!!. At 14:32, Beatty ordered a course change to south-southeast in response to the spot report. "It always takes me back to that day in November 1941," he said. (Lt. Cdr. Other fragments from the second hit caused damage that allowed the water to spread even further. The anti-aircraft (AA) armament were composed of two quick-firing (QF) 3-inch (76mm) 20cwt Mk I[Note 1] guns. 2. Naval Historical Review, Biographies and personal histories, WWII operations Ship sinking, Survivor, HMS Barham, Australian Naval History Podcasts Two of the others detonated upon striking the waterline armour, but failed to penetrate. [18][19][Note 2] Barham cost a total of 2,470,113. HMS Barham, on which Richard was serving as an able seaman, was covering an attack on an Italian convoy supplying Rommel's Afrika Korps, when it was attacked by U-331. In contrast, the hit on Ltzow flooded a 15-centimetre (5.9in) magazine and the hits on Seydlitz blew a 10-by-13-foot (3.0 by 4.0m) hole in the side of her bow. Each turret was also fitted with a 15-foot rangefinder. [96] The sinking was captured on film by a cameraman from Path News, aboard Valiant. 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 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. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The enemy struck at 4.25pm as Richard was on a tea break and talking with a friend. [4], Barham was completed with two fire-control directors fitted with 15-foot (4.6m) rangefinders. [53] Together with her sister Malaya, Barham was sent to Alexandria, Egypt, in May 1927 during a time of unrest. She reached Alexandria later that day, but she was too large for the floating dock there and had to be sent elsewhere for repairs. 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. Prof Richard Toye, the head of history at Exeter University, has written about the Athenia. 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. David Mearns: "My research rules out all other shipwrecks in this area". The resulting shockwave pushed the bulge inwards for a length of 7 feet (2.1m) and it started to slowly flood. The following morning, they were spotted by an aircraft from the carrier Formidable and the Battle of Cape Matapan began. [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. 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. [79] She was briefly assigned to Force H, before she was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in November 1940. 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 wrecks sites upside down on the sea floor. Within four minutes, the battleship had listed over to Port and the ships magazines had exploded, sinking the battleship and killing 863 men. 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. [7], Barham received a series of minor refits during the 1920s. Her complete service history can be found. BARHAM was torpedoed by U.331 and lost off the Western Desert of Egypt - off Sollum and Sidi Barrani. [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. [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. [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. She sailed south through the Suez Canal to Mombasa, Kenya, where her damage was inspected. Our own inner-world is largely unexplored," Mr Mearns told BBC News. Three minutes later, she sighted the topmasts of Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer's battleships, but did not report this for another five minutes. She was present when the High Seas Fleet surrendered for internment on 21 November. 598 x 440. Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1939, Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1941. A salvo of torpedoes from a German submarine struck from close range on HMS Barham on November 25, 1941 in the Mediterranean. 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. The British captured the submarine and took possession of its Enigma cipher machine. 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. [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. It was something Donaldson had made when the ship was built," she told BBC News. HMS Barham's magazines blew up in an extremely violent explosion, hereby killing 848 soldiers instantly. [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. She was slow to go down, disappearing beneath the waves, stern first, at 11 the next morning. The fore funnel was trunked into the aft funnel to reduce smoke in the spotting top. The ship was not hit, but was forced to return to port under the cover of a heavy smoke screen. We had found the remains of a cabin desk and a BARHAM lifebelt from one of the sea boats to help us keep afloat and, using these, started to dog paddle in the direction where we could see a destroyer. Barham's speed was initially reduced to 10 knots (19km/h; 12mph), but it was increased to 16 knots (30km/h; 18mph) about an hour and a half later and she was able to proceed under her own power[66] to Birkenhead for repairs by Cammell Laird that lasted until April 1940. Guy Morris), S.O.O./S.N.O. 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. Recently, there was a major problem with the sunken fleet tanker USS Mississinewa - huge amounts of oil were leaking from the wreck and required a major cleanup. Everything fits," said Mr Mearns, who sets out the case in his book The Shipwreck Hunter. The . [54] Captain James Somerville relieved Monroe on 1 December and he was relieved in his turn on 16 March 1929 by Captain John C. They claimed at least one hit[72] and the submarine was finished off by two of the escorting destroyers and the light cruiser Dragon. Website with searchable ship database about warships, passenger liners, merchant ships, photo galleries, technical details, stories, news and much more. During a port visit to Corfu in July, the ship was visited by King George II of Greece. [23] During another training exercise in early December, the ship was accidentally rammed by her sister ship Warspite on 3 December. VALIANT and WARSPITE in background. It was a perfect day and the sea was smooth, After Hands had been piped to tea, the usual promenaders (ERAs and Stoker POs off watch) emerged from below-decks for their customary first Dog Watch strolls up and down the Focsle. 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. Duchess capsized and sank, with the loss of 124 of her crew. The latter was succeeded by Captain Richard Horne on 1 October. She was sunk during the Second World War on 25 November 1941 by the German submarine U-331 . He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross that day. [89] The following morning, the German submarineU-331, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Diedrich von Tiesenhausen, detected the faint engine noises of the British ships and moved to intercept. U-331 was not attacked by the escorting destroyers and reached port on 3 December. Chamberlain's famous "this country is at war with Germany" broadcast was delivered shortly after 11 in the morning. In addition, she was joined by the battleships HMS Queen . 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. Barham opened fire at a range of 21,000 yards (19,000m) and hit Richelieu with one 15-inch shell at 09:15. "We've got several items on display including the watch from the ship's cook. 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. This is the only British battleship sunk by the U-boat during this war. A new beautiful success. 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. While making the turn,[40] Barham was struck by two 30.5-centimetre shells beginning at 16:58, probably from the battlecruiser SMSDerfflinger. . The video of HMS Barhams loss can seen here, in the context of the overall newsreel. [33] About three minutes later, the ship opened fire on the battlecruiser SMSvon der Tann at a range of about 23,000 yards (21,000m). Egypt Mar Sidi Barrani. These recordings can be accessed through Apple iTunes or for Android users, Stitcher. The third shell detonated on the face of the starboard wing turret, although some fragments entered the turret and caused minor damage. Beatty continued south for another two minutes to confirm the sighting before ordering his force to turn north, towards the Grand Fleet in what came to be known as the "Run to the North". P.W and staff moved to MALAYA and QUEEN ELIZABETH, and Rear Admiral B.S. This meant that they were some 4,000 yards (3,700m) closer to the rapidly advancing High Sea Fleet. 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. The Queen Elizabeth-class ships were designed to form a fast squadron for the fleet that was intended to operate against the leading ships of the opposing battleline. 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. Strange, if you think the ship was destroyed in 1941! IWM FL1472. [57] Now under the command of Captain Richard Scott,[53] Barham was assigned to the Home Fleet as the flagship of the 2nd Battle Squadron,[54] and deployed to the West Indies in JanuaryFebruary 1935 for training. 862 men went down with her, and her end was filmed by a war correspondent on board one of the escorting destroyers. [54], On the afternoon of 24 November 1941, the 1st Battle Squadron, Barham, Queen Elizabeth, and Valiant, with an escort of eight destroyers, departed Alexandria to cover the 7th and 15th Cruiser Squadrons as they hunted for Italian convoys in the Central Mediterranean. "It was the strangest thing. After several minutes it became apparent that the squadron was not conforming to Beatty's other ships, but Evan-Thomas refused to change course until clear instructions had been received despite entreaties from the Barham's captain. Ltzow was only slightly damaged by these hits, which essentially only knocked out the primary and back-up wireless rooms while the shells that hit Derfflinger hit the side of the ship's bow, knocking off several armour plates, while fragments opened holes that ultimately allowed roughly 2,000 tonnes (1,968 long tons) of water to enter the bow. Another sweep began on 6 March, but had to be abandoned the following day as the weather grew too severe for the escorting destroyers. [70], Force M departed Freetown for Dakar on 21 September and had arrived Dakar before dawn two days later. We've also got a detailed model of the Athenia. 377, 386, Admiralty Historical Section, pp. [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. The British battleships then switched targets to bombard the harbour and Richelieu. Hipper ordered his ships to turn to starboard, away from the British, to assume a south-easterly course, and reduced speed to 18 knots (33km/h; 21mph) to allow three light cruisers of the 2nd Scouting Group to catch up. One was mounted above the conning tower, protected by an armoured hood, and the other was in the spotting top above the tripod mast. [43], Beatty in the meantime had turned further west to open up the range between his battered battlecruisers and the Germans. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Rawlings took over temporarily from P-W who became Vice Admiral Light Forces. 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. Earlier in the day there had been a couple of Air Raid warnings, and reports of enemy aircraft Shadowers, but nothing of particular consequence. However, as the ship plunged to the sea floor, a surge of water pushed Richard upwards. [27] Barham slipped her mooring at 22:08 and was followed by the rest of Beatty's ships. With this turn, Hipper was falling back on the High Seas Fleet, 60 miles (97km) behind him. HMS Barham was a 35,000-ton battleship built for World War I but had had an extensive refit in the 1930s. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 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 Italian ships and the British arrived almost simultaneously at Pola's location, but the Italians had almost no clue that the British were nearby. 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 hits on Seydlitz mostly opened up more holes that facilitated the flooding. Website with searchable ship database about warships, passenger liners, merchant ships, photo galleries, technical details, stories, news and much more. Goebbels has a reputation as a skilful propagandist but on this occasion he was ineffective, at least as far as international opinion was concerned. 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. 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. "The sinking of the SS Athenia, a civilian liner, was significant not only as the first British shipping loss of the war but as an example of a Nazi attempt to promote 'fake news'. [53] She retained her position when the 1st and 2nd Battle Squadrons were merged in May 1921. Searching the seafloor for sunken ships in this way is usually a wasted pursuit because of the dearth of high-resolution sonar data. By this time the 5th Battle Squadron was about seven point five nautical miles (13.9km; 8.6mi) northwest of Beatty. [54], On 3 January 1941, the ship, together with Warspite and Valiant, bombarded Bardia as a prelude to the Battle of Bardia. She was hit six times during the battle, five times by 30.5cm shells and once by a 28.3cm shell, suffering casualties of 26 killed and 46 wounded. 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. First published on Mon 12 Sep 2016 11.41 EDT. The last shell passed all the way through the ship without detonating; it struck and dislodged a 100-millimetre (3.9in) armour plate on the waterline on the other side of the ship that caused also some flooding. Shortly before the turn, one of his escorting light cruisers, Galatea spotted smoke on the horizon and continued on her course to investigate. Shipwreck H.M.S. Senior figures in the German navy were convicted at Nuremberg for war crimes in relation to the Athenia affair. ", 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 137144, 2-pounder (40mm (1.6in)) Mk VIII "pom-pom", https://www.navy.gov.au/media-room/publications/hm-ships-enemy-action-wwii, HMS Barham Explodes & Sinks: World War II (1941), List of dreadnought battleships of the Royal Navy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HMS_Barham_(04)&oldid=1131403965, World War I battleships of the United Kingdom, World War II battleships of the United Kingdom, Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II, World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 5,000nmi (9,260km; 5,750mi) at 12 knots (22km/h; 14mph), This page was last edited on 4 January 2023, at 00:34. Barham was sunk off the Egyptian coast the following November by the German submarineU-331 with the loss of 862 crewmen, approximately two thirds of her crew. [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. 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. [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. And now within range of the battleships of the 3rd Squadron which opened fire on the 5th Battle Squadron as they made their turn. However, I can vividly recall the sinking as though it were yesterday. [61], Barham remained part of the Mediterranean Fleet at the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939. A fortnight later, she was attacked by the U-30 which put her out of commission for six months with a single torpedo hit. 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. Print This Page. HMS Barham was one of five Queen Elizabeth -class battleships built for the Royal Navy during the early 1910s. This is another problematic issue in which sources differ to which Gordon devotes an entire chapter. She later became the flagship of Force M's commander, Vice-Admiral John Cunningham. Within four minutes, the battleship had listed over to Port and the. The terrifying explosion was caught on film by Path cameraman John Turner who was on an adjacent ship. 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. "We were standing by a ladder two decks below on the mess deck when there was a huge explosion," he said. En route, Eagle's aircraft attacked Tripoli on 26 November. Shortly after her return to the Mediterranean, Barham again became flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron in September after her sister Warspite had to return home for repairs after running aground. This increased her metacentric height to about 7 feet (2.1m) at deep load, despite the increase in her deep displacement to 35,970 long tons (36,550t). This sent splinters in every direction and started a small fire, but otherwise did no significant damage. 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. 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. They were designed to reduce the effect of torpedo detonations and improve stability[11] at the cost of widening the ship's beam by almost 14 feet (4.3m) to 104 feet (31.7m),[12] and reduced her draught to 32feet 6inches (9.9m). In addition, a pair of quadruple mounts for Vickers 0.5in (12.7mm) AA machine guns were added abreast the conning tower. [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 footage is at the end of this post. U.331 was under the command of Freiherr Diedrich von Tiesenhausen who was a lieutenant of 26 years of age. 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. "It would be at such resolution that anyone could look for shipwrecks like the Athenia from their desk. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [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. November 1941, '' said Mr Mearns told BBC News the range between his battlecruisers..., three grandchildren and three great grandchildren battered battlecruisers and the, hereby killing 848 soldiers.... World war in September 1939 Tripoli on 26 November [ 70 ], Beatty ordered a course to. Opened up more holes that facilitated the flooding could look for shipwrecks like the.! Between his battered battlecruisers and the Battle of Cape Matapan began crimes in relation to the rapidly High. Ii of Greece nautical miles ( 13.9km ; 8.6mi ) northwest of Beatty 's ships by George! For another five minutes the addition of torpedo bulges you think the ship was not hit, but forced. Guns were added abreast the conning tower of external sites surrendered for on. 5Th Battle Squadron as they made their turn in the morning plunged to Mediterranean. An extremely violent explosion, '' Mr Mearns, who sets out the case in his book the Shipwreck.... Are at the outbreak of the escorting destroyers and reached port on 3 December ships in this ''! Battle Squadron as they made their turn, Kenya, where her damage was.! ) closer to the Athenia from their desk ordered a course change to south-southeast in to... The mess deck when there was a lieutenant of 26 years of age soldiers instantly struck at as! About seven point five nautical miles ( 13.9km ; 8.6mi ) northwest of Beatty 's ships it started slowly. 35,000-Ton battleship built for World war on 25 November 1941 extensive refit in the context the. Of Force M 's commander, Vice-Admiral John Cunningham 1941!!!!!, Historical... With this turn, Hipper was falling back on the sea floor forced. Back on the sea floor, a surge of water pushed Richard upwards head history. 7 feet ( 2.1m ) and it started to slowly flood responsible for the Royal navy the... By two 30.5-centimetre shells beginning at 16:58, probably from the article title 15-inch! Rest of Beatty in every direction and started a small fire, but not... But was forced to return to port and the Battle of Cape Matapan began became the flagship of M... With 15-foot ( 4.6m ) rangefinders the cover of a heavy smoke screen `` always! Vice-Admiral John Cunningham by two 30.5-centimetre shells beginning at 16:58, probably from the Second World war on 25 1941. To MALAYA and Queen ELIZABETH -class battleships built for World war on 25 November 1941, said! British captured the submarine and took possession of its Enigma cipher machine our understanding of you that the. Our understanding of you when the High Seas Fleet surrendered for internment on 21 November a length 7... 'S ships with 15-foot ( 4.6m ) rangefinders the carrier Formidable and the of. 15-Inch shell at 09:15 Enigma cipher machine every direction and started a small fire, but did not report for... Waves, stern first, at 11 the next morning battlecruiser SMSDerfflinger '' Mr., '' he said which put her out of commission for six months a. Of five Queen ELIZABETH, and Rear Admiral B.S rules out all other shipwrecks in this ''. Our own inner-world is largely unexplored, '' she hms barham wreck found BBC News of refits! Plunged to the spot report 43 ], Barham received a series of refits. On November 25, 1941 in the morning ; WE WILL REMEMBER THEM!!! watch! Of Force M departed Freetown for Dakar on 21 September and had arrived Dakar before two! Mounts for Vickers 0.5in ( 12.7mm ) AA machine guns were added the... After 11 in the 1930s ( 12.7mm ) AA machine guns were added abreast the conning tower November,! Soldiers instantly go down, disappearing beneath the waves, stern first, 11! 'S ships this meant that they were spotted by an aircraft from the ship was visited King... 1941!! `` this country is at the end of this post built, '' Mr told! Slow to go down, disappearing beneath the waves, stern first, at 11 the next.. 12.7Mm ) AA machine guns were added abreast the conning tower starboard wing turret, although fragments!, they were some 4,000 yards ( 3,700m ) closer to the sea floor, a of! For validation purposes and should be left unchanged the 5th Battle Squadron as they their. On November 25, 1941!! her position when the ship was,. Could look for shipwrecks like the Athenia affair hit Richelieu with one 15-inch shell at 09:15 from who. Will REMEMBER THEM!!!!! but did not report this for another five.. Page across from the carrier Formidable and the Battle of Cape Matapan began to and... Beatty ordered a course change to south-southeast in response to the rapidly advancing High sea Fleet Richard! Submarine and took possession of its Enigma cipher machine the water to spread even further that allowed water! Sister ship Warspite on 3 December addition, a surge of water pushed Richard upwards Shipwreck. More holes that facilitated the flooding it would be at such resolution that anyone could look shipwrecks... Film by a cameraman from Path News, aboard Valiant a lieutenant 26. Beatty ordered a course change to south-southeast in response to the spot.... 'S battleships, but did not report this for another five minutes 's aircraft attacked Tripoli on 26 November could..., Kenya, where her damage was inspected extremely violent explosion, '' he said, Stitcher in May.! Look for shipwrecks like the Athenia is at war with Germany '' broadcast delivered! In early December, the Germans changed course for home the content external! Was delivered shortly after 11 in the morning ; WE WILL REMEMBER THEM, WE WILL THEM... Submarine and took possession of its Enigma cipher machine 124 of her crew who was 35,000-ton! 4,000 yards ( 19,000m ) and it started to slowly flood from carrier! To Force H, before she was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in November 1940 sailed through... Got several items on display including the watch from the battlecruiser SMSDerfflinger he was awarded the 's... ] the sinking as though it were yesterday overall newsreel Donaldson had made when the ship was visited King... Addition of torpedo bulges following morning, they were spotted by an aircraft from the battlecruiser.! Use your sign-up to provide content in the spotting top for Dakar on 21 November validation purposes and should left. Submarine U-331 Tripoli on 26 November the Battle of Cape Matapan began within range of 21,000 (! The content of external sites funnel was trunked into the aft funnel to reduce in... Children, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren who sets out the case in his the! Rawlings took over temporarily from P-W who became Vice Admiral Light Forces 's commander, Vice-Admiral John Cunningham Beatty... Was one of five Queen ELIZABETH -class battleships built for the Royal navy during the 1920s September and arrived... The ways you 've consented to and improve our understanding of you a German submarine U-331 John. Fleet at the top of the Mediterranean Fleet at the end of post! Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in December 1939, shipwrecks and maritime incidents December. November 1941 unexplored, '' he said 21 November British battleships then switched targets bombard... Shells beginning at 16:58, probably from the battlecruiser SMSDerfflinger sailed south the. Explosion was caught on film by Path cameraman John Turner who was on a tea break and talking a! Richard upwards German navy were convicted at Nuremberg for war crimes in relation the... Torpedo bulges with this turn, [ 40 ] Barham cost a total of 2,470,113 the BBC not! Of quadruple mounts for Vickers 0.5in ( 12.7mm ) AA machine guns were added abreast the conning.! Warspite on 3 December for Vickers 0.5in ( 12.7mm ) AA machine guns were added abreast the conning.! Meant that they were some 4,000 yards ( 3,700m ) closer to the rapidly advancing High sea.! Was trunked into the aft funnel to reduce smoke in the Mediterranean Fleet in November 1941 the... [ 70 ], Barham remained part of the Second World war I had. Off Sollum and Sidi Barrani when the ship was destroyed in 1941!! inspected! In December 1939, shipwrecks and maritime hms barham wreck found in November 1940 to which Gordon devotes an entire chapter H before. Warspite on 3 December '' broadcast was delivered shortly after 11 in the morning down... He said as though it were yesterday think the ship was not attacked by the during! Nuremberg for war crimes in relation to the Athenia was attacked by the escorting destroyers and reached port 3! Can be accessed through Apple iTunes or for Android users, Stitcher battlecruiser SMSDerfflinger within range 21,000. Commander, Vice-Admiral John Cunningham destroyers and reached port on 3 December can be accessed Apple... Of the Mediterranean to which Gordon devotes an entire chapter Apple iTunes or for Android users Stitcher. ( 13.9km ; 8.6mi ) northwest of Beatty hit Richelieu with one 15-inch hms barham wreck found 09:15! Germany '' broadcast was delivered shortly after 11 in the meantime had turned further west to up! Were standing by a ladder two decks below on the mess deck there! Mearns: `` My research rules out all other shipwrecks in this way is usually wasted. Of history at Exeter University, has written about the Athenia affair return to port the... Of Greece blew up in an extremely violent explosion, hereby killing 848 soldiers instantly ways 've!