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. 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. Her main guns targeted the port and the battleship Richelieu. 2 six-inch gun. 201202, Edmunds, Simeon. 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 third shell detonated on the face of the starboard wing turret, although some fragments entered the turret and caused minor damage. The Germans said he had ordered a British submarine to fire on the Athenia as part of a plot to force Washington's hand. 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. A salvo of torpedoes from a German submarine struck from close range on HMS Barham on November 25, 1941 in the Mediterranean. 2. 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. You can see all the lifeboats. The . Read about our approach to external linking. Casualties were five dead and six wounded. On 24 May, the fleet conducted another demonstration off Horns Reef to keep German attention focused on the North Sea. The marine scientist first got involved in the search for the wreck in a commission from the BBC. The terrifying explosion was caught on film by Path cameraman John Turner who was on an adjacent ship. However, I can vividly recall the sinking as though it were yesterday. 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. Her crew numbered 1,016 officers and ratings in 1916. HMS Barham's magazines blew up in an extremely violent explosion, hereby killing 848 soldiers instantly. British Path was at the forefront of cinematic journalism, blending information with entertainment to popular effect. [Note 5], Evan-Thomas continued his turn until his ships were steering due north, which interposed the 5th Battle Squadron between Hipper's battlecruisers,[38] which had reversed course around 16:48 to follow Beatty north,[39] and Beatty's ships. "There was my friend Ted Clow, from Oadby, but he died last December, aged 93.". U-331 thus passed through the screen and was in a position to fire her torpedoes after the leading ship, Queen Elizabeth, had passed her by and the second ship, Barham, was closing rapidly. (Mute & Track Negs.) [56], Between January 1931 and January 1934, Barham underwent a major refit. 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. Sinking of Royal Navy Battleship HMS Barham.A legendary battleship with a history at Jutland, during World War 2 HMS Barham was stationed with the Royal Navy's Eastern Mediterranean fleet in Egypt.. On the afternoon of the 24th November of 1941, HMS Barham, sailed to provide cover for the 7th and 15th Royal Navy Cruiser Squadrons. "We had no idea there were U-boats in the area.". On 612 May, she covered the Alexandria-Malta convoy of Operation Tiger. The torpedo from U-30 struck the Athenia at 7:38 that evening. 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). [71] Barham's six-inch guns were the first to do so and fired at the French submarinePerse on the surface. The list of men lost is at this link. [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. "We climbed over the guard rail and started running down the side of the ship. 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The resulting shockwave pushed the bulge inwards for a length of 7 feet (2.1m) and it started to slowly flood. 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. A new beautiful success. In addition, a pair of quadruple mounts for Vickers 0.5in (12.7mm) AA machine guns were added abreast the conning tower. [54] Captain James Somerville relieved Monroe on 1 December and he was relieved in his turn on 16 March 1929 by Captain John C. With this turn, Hipper was falling back on the High Seas Fleet, 60 miles (97km) behind him. HMS Barham underway off Devonport in WW2. Over the course of a century, it documented everything from major armed conflicts and seismic political crises to the curious hobbies and eccentric lives of ordinary people. The loss of the crew was sensational news in the mid-19th . 101102, 108110, 115116, 134142, Campbell 1986, pp. It proved to be worse than expected and Barham had to be repaired at Durban, South Africa, as she was unfit to make the trans-Atlantic crossing for repair in the United States. 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. Our C. in C. (Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham) ordered the 7th and 15th Cruiser Squadrons to sea to attempt to intercept and destroy these convoys. The 5th Battle Squadron concentrated their fire on the German battleships after losing sight of the battlecruisers, with Barham opening fire at 18:14. [97], To conceal the sinking from the Germans and to protect British morale, the Board of Admiralty censored all news of Barham's sinking. At 17:45 he turned eastwards to take his position in front of the Grand Fleet and re-engage Hipper's ships. 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. [85] They opened fire at point-blank range, Barham crippling the destroyer Alfredo Oriani and then joining Warspite and Valiant in crippling Zara. 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. She was sunk during the Second World War on 25 November 1941 by the German submarine U-331 . It is just over 49 years since H.M.S. Read more The damage allowed over 1,000 long tons (1,016t) of water to flood the stern and nearly knocked out the ship's steering gear. At 14:32, Beatty ordered a course change to south-southeast in response to the spot report. [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. After the battle fleet left Alexandria all was uneventful, and during the early afternoon of 25th November, course was reversed, and the Force proceeded back towards Alex. The battleship and the other ships of Force F were tasked to ferry troops to Malta, before continuing on to Alexandria. Mediterranean. They claimed at least one hit[72] and the submarine was finished off by two of the escorting destroyers and the light cruiser Dragon. HMS Barham was a 35,000-ton battleship built for World War I but had had an extensive refit in the 1930s. No. Print This Page. [65] Most of the adjacent compartments flooded and the ship took on a 7 degree list that was countered by transferring fuel oil to starboard. The translated detailed report of the attack by U-331 can be found at this link. Website with searchable ship database about warships, passenger liners, merchant ships, photo galleries, technical details, stories, news and much more. [61], Barham remained part of the Mediterranean Fleet at the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939. Shortly before the turn, one of his escorting light cruisers, Galatea spotted smoke on the horizon and continued on her course to investigate. [52] Captain Robin Dalglish relieved Horne on 1 October 1920. 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. [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. 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