World War II: The water carrier (107 GRT) was scuttled at Lorient, France. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (1,256 GRT) was scuttled at Brest, France. People were jumping. Those who survived the incident were instructed not to speak about their experience. DOyly-Hughes ordered the destroyer Ardent to turn about and visually investigate the sighting, while nonchalantly maintaining his westward course at cruising speed. But he couldnt. The German battlecruisers then hastily left the scene without picking up survivors. Fateful: The S.S City of Benares, passenger ship is launched in 1936 and would later be sunk while carrying 90 children aged five to 15. Colin was still trying to comfort his neighbour until a man told him she was dead. As it grew lighter, he could see corpses floating around each lifeboat. The only comfort came from urinating in the water: for a few brief seconds, he could feel the warmth swirling around his legs. The D-notice, or Defence Notice, also called DA-notice (Defence Advisory Notice), was a unique British government instruction devised in 1912. This left Colin sitting up to his chest in water with only the lifeboats buoyancy tanks preventing the boat from vanishing beneath the waves. In the Hotel Berlin, the Gestapo is searching for underground leader Martin Richter. In fact, the Northampton was secretly evacuating the Norweigian royal family to the UK, and commanding Vice Admiral John Cunningham had strict orders to maintain radio silence, and thus neither intervened nor relayed the message. Under the Official Secrets Act, the report on the Lancastria cannot be published until the year 2040. You must stay awake., Safe: Survivors of the torpedoed S.S City of Benares passenger ship huddle together on one of the life rafts awaiting rescue. 8 was the first to be lowered. It was the first time Id really been able to grieve, he says. Like many boys of his era, Colin had been circumcised, and they knew that if the Germans invaded, he risked being wrongly identified as a Jew. Scharnhorst limped home, listing at five degrees, and would spend the next six months in Trondheim, Norway undergoing repairs. I was just waiting for someone to say: What are you doing in your pyjamas at this time in the morning? But no one even looked at me.. The Royal Navy apparently remained unaware of the battle and made no rescue effort, only learning what happened after Germany announced the victory. WHAT WAS THE MAIN SHIP? Its first two torpedoes missed, but the third scored a bulls eye, hitting the City of Benares. Ships starting with Ba", "The History of the Eastbourne Lifeboat Station", "Norwegian merchant ships 1939 - 1945, Ships starting with N", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_shipwrecks_in_March_1940&oldid=1118868228, World War II: The cargo ship (2,390 GRT, 1922) was intercepted off, World War II: The cargo ship (1,388 GRT, 1909) was bombed and sunk in the North Sea 12 nautical miles (22km) east by south of, World War II: The cargo ship (6,530 GRT, 1925) was intercepted in the, World War II: The cargo ship (2,818 GRT, 1929) was shelled and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (695 GRT, 1937) was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off. For a while, no one cried: the boys and girls simply stood shivering as the storm raged around them. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . A history of Tyne shipbuilders and the ships they built", "Norwegian Homefleet - WW II, Ships starting with So through S", Egypt Red Sea Shipwrecks - The Umbria, A Veritable Time Bomb at 30 metres, Ned Middleton, alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (C), "Kriegsverluste Italienischer Handelsschiffe 1940-1943: Verluste Italienischer Handelsschiffe 1940", "British Admiralty War Diary, 11 June 1940", "Naval Events, June 1940, Part 3 of 4, Saturday 15th - Friday 21st", "HNLMS O 13 of the Royal Netherlands Navy", "Naval Events, June 1940, Part 4 of 4, Saturday 22nd - Sunday 30th". Two chapters briefly detail the extraction of Allied forces from Europe in Operations Cycle (Le Havre, France), Operation Dynamo (Dunkirk); and Operation Aerial (St. Nazaire, Nantes, Cherbourg, and seven other French ports). The ship was among twenty others that participated in the evacuation of 2,653 British, French, and Polish troops from Norway when Operation Alphabet began on May 24,1940. World War II: The cargo ship (810 GRT, 1933) was scuttled at Dieppe, France. World War II: The cargo ship (1,684 GRT, 1920) was bombed and sunk in the English Channel off Le Havre, France by Luftwaffe aircraft. Couple find note in chimney that reveals their 290,000 house was 100 times cheaper 50 years ago. World War II: The tug (239 GRT) struck a mine in the North Sea and sank. you see substantial portions of this page on the Internet or in published material Armed Guard Casualties As yet more lifeboats were overwhelmed by the icy-cold water, there seemed little hope of anyone surviving. Afterwards, he turned his attention to the woman beside him. As it hovered over the waves, it suddenly lurched, then one end jerked downwards and was smashed by a wall of water. As the night progressed, body temperatures began to fall. Oxford University-trained historian and author of more than a dozen books Jonathan Fenby stated that 1,738 perished (Fenby 2005, p. 247), but as there are no official figures published, there are great discrepancies in the numbers calculated by a variety of authors, and other estimates range from 2,000 to 9,000. On 1 July 1940, the SS Arandora Star began its final, fateful voyage, transporting internees from Liverpool to camps in Canada. The SS Goslar, a steamboat, was at port in Suriname when Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940, causing the country (then a colony of the Netherlands) to begin to intern German men living in the . The only sound was from a ball bearing hed placed in his bedside drawer, which was sliding ever more frantically from side to side. Merchant ship movement card (catalogue reference: BT 389) In the top left corner of the record is the ship's name. Id got deep-vein thrombosis.. Of the 38 people in his boat, only 14 remained. You could see people running around on the decks. His recovery took months, and ended any thoughts hed had of a full-time career in the Navy. Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents. World War II: The cargo ship (2,155 GRT, 1902) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (6,694 GRT, 1917) was bombed and damaged in the English Channel off. By then the crippled Glorious was listing and turning in circles while being relentlessly pounded by German guns. World War II: The tanker (2,454 GRT, 1888) was sunk as a block ship at Dieppe, France. Estimates of the loss range between 3,000 and 5,800 fatalities. Though the Royal Navy claimed the transmission was too garbled to be understood, her crew later testified to the contrary. Families of men from both ships have attended an annual maritime commemmoration . While the British sighted the ships fifteen minutes later, Captain DOyly didnt call action stations and begin having Swordfish bombers lifted to the flight deck until 4:20 p.m.. Crucially, the German battlecruisers were fastbut Glorious could nearly match their speed at thirty knots, once her boilers built up enough steam. Empire Morn killed 26th April 1943 after his ship hit a mine. My late uncle Richard Gleasure, an aircraft technician, was due to be on the SS Lancastria, rescue ship , but as his air force colleges were leaving with a full aircraft, several yelled to him to RUN, Quick,, as they then pulled him onto an already taxing plane through the floor door, he was saved. The cargo ship (1,537 GRT, 1938) sank off West Point, The cargo ship (1,314 GRT, 1913) ran aground in the, World War II: The cargo ship (4,512 GRT, 1911) struck a mine and sank in the, The trawler (162 GRT, 1897) sank after a collision with the trawler. Naval Institute is maintaining and preserving the former Naval Historical Foundation website so readers and former NHF members can still access past issues of Pull Together and other content. I stayed on board the ship in 2011 and have always found the history of the ship to be fascinating. It was like sitting in a giant bathtub full of freezing water, he recalls. York rescued 42 survivors but three more died aboard her. World War II: The ocean liner (28,124 GRT, 1932) struck a mine in the, World War II: The cargo ship (3,651 GRT, 1912) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,147 GRT, 1912) was bombed and sunk in the, World War II: The tug was scuttled at Brest, France. The wording was puzzling: at 11, hed obviously never served in the Merchant Navy. Under the command of Captain HL Upton, she . Meanwhile, Lifeboat 5 was making an uneven descent. Five minutes later, in one of the longest-range hits in naval history, the Scharnhorsts third volley screamed over fifteen miles to slam straight into the Gloriouss flight deck, blasting open a huge hole that rendered it unusable and knocking two Swordfish bombers into the water. On September 12, the children assembled at the dockside in Liverpool clutching small suitcases and their gas masks. After being pulled up by a rope to the Hurricane, Colin was still so cold he could feel nothing below the waist. You may not use more than a few lines without permission. I knew that if I fell asleep, Id die. Chronological List of U.S. She simply said: Theres your ship. The site of the sinking is not an official War Grave safeguarded by The Protection of Military Remains Act of 1986 because the British have no jurisdiction over the French territorial waters where Lancastrias wreck lies, but the French government has provided an appropriate level of protection to the site, prohibiting diving on the wreck, for example. The carrier sank in about fifteen minutes after being hit by two torpedoes from a salvo of three fired from the U-boat. Lifeboat No. The SS Andrea Doria was a flagship of the Italian Line. He then struck out to rescue another child but both disappeared in the swirling seas. Details of the British ships sunk during July - December 1940. When sent to newspapers or other publications it prevented particular information from being made public for reasons of state security. useful bibliography and discussion. Also he was going to join the Navy in UK, would like to get the facts from the Navy about him signing into the Navy, also his father, my Great Grandfather, signed the India Shipping documents in Belfast, Ireland in 1921, claims, can I make claim for Great Great Grandfathers son, William George Ellason Myers he was born 1899, he lost his things and what else damages stress, we were also Banker, looking for documents to support the opening of the Bank of England, Ireland and Scotland and all Y.M.C.A., in America we were Bank Starter for all Great West Permanent Loans and Savings company of Canada, and I believe London Life and all Permanent Buildings, we were amazing, last known residence in his WILL, residing in the Union Theology College of British Columbia/United Church of Canada, Esquire, Banker and Methodist Minister, named after 4 priests. Taking Vitamin D each day could cut your chances of getting dementia, study claims. World War II: The naval tug (100 GRT) was scuttled at Lorient, France. Only extraordinary circumstancesparticularly the lack of Combat Air Patrolmade the ambush of the Glorious possible by two large capital ships on a clear day. The Glorious first saw action in World War II providing air cover for the Allied expeditionary force seeking to support Norways resistance to Nazi invasion in April 1940, her Sea Gladiators shooting down several German bombers. The ship was built by William Beardmore and Company of Dalmuir on the River Clyde and launched in 1920 as Royal Mail Steamship (RMS) Tyrrhenia for the Anchor Line, a subsidiary of the better-known Cunard Line. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. On No. From the 90 whod set out from Liverpool, there were only 13 survivors. I felt responsible for losing them and a totally ridiculous guilt came over me., For a few days, reporters made a big fuss of the heroic boy who had helped others in his lifeboat to survive. A few, however, began to whimper when a number of children who had been injured by debris from the explosion such as broken glass were brought on deck. Meanwhile, hail and rain continued to fall. Franconia was assigned to Lorient while Lancastria continued toward St. Nazaire but because of the tidal channel on the Loire estuary Lancastria had to anchor in the Charpentier Roads about 5 nm (nautical miles) southwest of the actual port. On the 8th June 1940, she was sunk 300 miles West of Narvik, by the . A2477018. Ships Sunk, Damaged or Captured December 1941 (82 ships), Chronological list of U.S. ships sunk or damaged, Geographical list of U.S. ships sunk or damaged, Alphabetical list of U.S. ships sunk or damaged, Merchant Marine Casualties This is the story of Michael McShane and how he survived the sinking of the SS Athenia, the first ship torpedoed by a U-boat in World War II. At first, he thought the Benares must have collided with another ship. Today, it sits in a glass case at the Imperial War Museum in London a reminder of all the children whose parents loved them too much to keep them at home. On December 19, 1940, the 'Isolda' was bombed by German plane and sunk three miles south of the Saltee Island. World War II: The ocean liner (9,345 GRT, 1906) was bombed and sunk at Le Havre, France by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of six crew. Charles C. Kolb, PhD, is a USNI Golden Life Member. 2012 Sean Longden. But the battlecruisers retaliatory fire was devastating, and the Acastas blazing wrecked dipped stern-first into the water after 6 p.m. By then, the starboard-listing Glorious had also sunk. NHF has decommissioned and is no longer accepting new members or donations. Buried Ben M' Sik European Cemetery, Morocco, Plot 59A. There, he attended a local school until it was evacuated to Cornwall. The kindness of strangers: A LITTLE GIRL'S WAR BY WENDY Did U.S. university plan to create an intellectually King Charles hosts von der Leyen at Windsor Castle, AFA president gives passionate rant speaking about student debt, Gabor Mat: No Jewish state without oppressing local population, Amplified jet stream could lead to 'disruptive snow in places', Dashcam captures moment two cars collide on a roundabout, Putin orders intelligence service to find 'scum' who oppose him, Putin spy plane before being 'destroyed by pro-Ukraine Belarus group', Police search allotment sheds for Constance Marten's missing baby, Huge urgent police search for missing baby of Constance Marten, Moment police swooped to arrest Constance Marten's boyfriend, Police: Constance and lover arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, Moment supermarket cashier is attacked at work in New York. World War II: The trawler (30 GRT, 1922) was sunk in the North Sea by Heinkel He 111 aircraft of KG26, Luftwaffe. A young man on another boat descended into madness, screaming and threatening his fellow passengers. World War II: The cargo ship (4,499 GRT) was scuttled at Brest, France. The ship, built in 1940 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding in Quincy, Massachusetts, was one of eight sister ships built for the United States Maritime Commission on behalf of American Export Lines. Chris Pleasance explains how Do not sell or share my personal information. Kenneth and Raymond Lewis are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London on Panel 49. The comments below have not been moderated. World War II: The cargo ship (1,522 GRT, 1923) was torpedoed and damaged in the, World War II: The cargo ship (3,554 GRT, 1920) was damaged and abandoned at Brest, France. Warships, submarines, tankers, cargo, passenger, troopships and so on. A4103056. At Customs, they asked: Where are your passports? We laughed. World War II: The cargo ship (1,525 GRT, 1920) was scuttled as a blockship at Dieppe, France. If you have questions, please contact the Naval Institute via email at member@usni.org or by phone at 800-233-8764. (RIN SS) is sometimes credited with sinking Rainbow on Oct. 15. Published: 00:26 GMT, 10 March 2012 | Updated: 00:27 GMT, 10 March 2012. Once his infection had cleared, he was told to get out of bed. The loss of the LANCASTRIA was also the most . At 3:45 p.m., crew on the German capital ships spotted the funnel smoke of the British warships and surged forward to close the distance. Sold for scrap in August 1954 at Blyth. I could see people dying around me. 1,596 Royal Navy and Air Force personnel died, many freezing to death awaiting rescue. by Norwegian commandos 11/03/39, Sent from Gibraltar to Marseilles; Released She was requisitioned as an accommodation ship in 1940, but was briefly removed from service in 1942 so she could play the part of the Titanic in a crude German propaganda film about the sinking of the famous vessel. Others tried desperately to tread water before surrendering to the deep. But a carrier could deploy over a hundred airplanes that could strike targets hundreds of miles away with torpedoes and bombs.