Meanwhile to Admiralty had come to the conclusion that the Bismarck most likely was making for Brest, France. The other group was made up of the heavy cruisers Ashigara and Myoko and the destroyers Akebono and Inazuma. Graham, DSO, RN), ORP Piorun (Cdr. Shadowing then continued without further incident until 1900 hours. C.H.deB. The Bismarck opened fire and straddled Maori which escaped at 28 knots. Around this time Rear-Admiral Doorman signaled to Vice-Admiral Helfrich that HrMs Kortenaer had been sunk and that HMS Exeter was damaged and ordered to return to Surabaya under escort by HrMs Witte de With. On the 30th the Dupleix and Foch returned from patrol being followed the next day by HMS Hermes and her escorts Milan and Cassard. Soon after the initial contact it was evident the the Bismarck's speed had been so seriously reduced that interception by the battlefleet was certain, provided that contact could be held. By 1856 hours, the Allied fleet was on course 290° altering gradually to the north. She worked round to the north-east of the Bismarck but eventually lost touch with her prey at 2355/26. 8 Jan 1942Convoy BM 10. My Great Uncle (Boy 1st Class) Stephen Ross was on HMS Exeter while it Sank & after doing some research have found names of all of the British Survivors for Fukuoka 2. Furter ships that were part of the escort force were the light cruiser Yura, the minelayer Shirataka, mineweepers W-1, W-2, W-3 and W-4 and several submarine chasers. Gordon, MVO, RN) arrived at Mombasa. Touch with the enemy was not regained until shortly before 0600 hours. Targets were engaged by HMS Exeter whenever these were sighted through the smoke but it was seldom to fire more then four or five salvoes at a time. If you Google Alf King scroll down a little and you’ll see his site part of FEPOW. At 1115/27 they had all landed back on HMS Ark Royal. H.L. Manchester Port (7071 GRT, built 1935), They were shadowed by enemy aircraft which dropped flares every time the Allied ships went on a new course. Montcalm (Capt. Evening of 24 May 1941. (15), 16 May 1941During the night of 16/17 May 1941, HMS Exeter (Capt. Flynn, RN) and the Indian sloop HMIS Jumna (Cdr. The French cruiers Dupleix and Foch and the British carrier HMS Hermes (‘Force X’) and their two escorting destroyers Milan and Cassard were approaching Dakar. They have never apologised for the inhumane way they treated prisoners let alone any thought of compensation. However the ememy soon resumed their original course and were out of sight shortly afterwards. I’ve a lot on the POW experience if anyone wants more info. At 0820 hours HMS Norfolk was sighted on the port bow of HMS King George V. She signalled 'enemy 130°, 16 nautical miles'. The force took departure for the target in subflights in line astern at 2040/26. Sweep by ‘Force K’, 28 October – 6 November 1939. The after superstructure caught fire and the whine of projectiles sounded like the Ride of the Valkyries. E.J.S. Ellis, RN) and HMS Exeter (Capt. HMS Exeter (Navy Photos/Paul Simpson, click to enlarge) return to Contents List : YORK-Class cruiser ordered from HM Dockyard, Devonport on 15th March 1928 and laid down on 1st August that year. Bismarck sighted at 1030/26. At sunset, 2048 hours, the enemy, apparently as a counter to the shortening of the range, turned and fired three salvoes. The Bismarck’s consort, heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, was not heard off until 4 June 1941 when aircraft reported her having arrived at Brest. This would mean that there would be no cruiser in the Rio de Janeiro area until HMS Exeter would return from her repairs at the Falklands. HMS Cumberland rejoined him next morning at 0700 hours. Gordon, MVO, RN). 8 Apr 1941In the early morning hours HMS Prince of Wales (Capt. Gordon, MVO, RN) departed Colombo for a visit to Malé, Maldives. W.H. When HMS Ajax left Buenos Aires on 8 November she patrolled the Plate area. The battlecruiser HMS Hood (Capt. Currey, DSC, RN) had been detached to fuel at Londonderry on the morning of the 15th. Convoy from Colombo to Batavia . The submarines involved were HMS Sealion (Cdr. The Admiral Graf Spee then proceeded eastwards and found three more victims between 5 and 10 October. First published in 1969 by George G Harrap. The three weeks old ‘mystery’ of the raiders whereabouts was partially solved on 22 October when the British merchant vessel Llanstephan Castle (11293 GRT, built 1914) intercepted a message from an unknown ship ‘Gunned in 16°S, 04°03’E’ at 1400 G.M.T. Sir J.M. Held on the 1st Saturday closest to the 1st March when the ship met her demise. C. Caslon, RN), HMS Tartar (Cdr. This was followed by the British Army retiring from the Malayan penisula towards that base. Yoma (8131 GRT, built 1928). The Encounter attacked through a clearing in the smoke. By that time ORP Piorun, which was running short of fuel, had been ordered to proceed to Plymouth. By then the Nachi was firing at HMS Exeter and the Haguro at the and HMAS Perth. After hoisting Commodore Harwood’s Broad on 27 October the HMS Ajax had swept the Plate focal area. Gordon, MVO, RN) conducted trials off Plymouth. I have amassed quite a lot of info, memoirs of several nationalities of live in the various camps Exeters men were distributed to, as well as documents from the national archives i’d be happy to share with you. O.L. Gordon, MVO, RN) departed Bombay for Colombo. Allison, DSO, RN) and HMS Jackal (Lt.Cdr. The enemy was still firing accurately and appeared little damaged so the Commodore decided to break off the fight until dark when there would be a better chance to get close to a range in which his lighter armament and torpedoes would be effective. At 0656 hours the light cruisers hauled round to the north-westward and for a while the Admiral Graf Spee kept altering course frequently to confuse their fire. G.H. It then flew ahead of the enemy and carried out a determined attack from his port bow under heavy fire and obtained a torpedo hit on the port side amidships. 4) Four US destroyers, USS John D. Edwards, USS Alden, USS John D. Ford and USS Paul Jones. A reconnaissance aircraft flying over Bergen at 1330/21 reported having seen two Hipper class heavy cruisers there. F.S. Around dawn at 13 February 1940, HMS Renown and HMS Exeter were joined by HMS Hasty (Lt.Cdr. Shortly before midnight the Allied ships changed course to due north to pass to the east of Bawean Island as ordered. These were; P.A. Shortly before sunrise a final torpedo attack was carried out by HMS Maori, which fired two torpedoes at 0656/27 from 9000 yards. 27 Feb 1942Battle of the Java Sea. HMS Dorstershire and HMS Shropshire then proceeded on patrol in the South Atlantic still in company with each other. Late in the afternoon of the 26th, Rear-Admiral Doorman, was in the operations room of the naval base at Surabaya when a signal was received from Vice-Admiral Helfrich which reported 30 enemy transports in position 04°50’S, 114°20’E, this was about 18 miles north-east of Surabaya. Silverlarch (5064 GRT, built 1924) and These ships had not been seen after 1830 hours but the Japanese were apparently well aware of the position of the Allied ships and had been laying an ambush. A.J.L. The eastern invasion force was made up of 41 transports. P. Schotel, RNN) had hit a reef resulting in the loss of this vessel. He also stated that the endurance of HMS Exeter was only half the endurance of HMS Cumberland and that this would prove problematic when they were to operate together and he proposed that the Exeter would be relieved by another 10000 ton cruiser but for the moment no suitable cruiser was available to relieve her. (29). This information reached Admiral Tovey at 2000/22. Commodore Harwood stated that it was his intention to transfer his flag from HMS Exeter to HMS Ajax in the River Plate area on 27 October. A.A. Tait, RN). All these bombs were tumbling and at least three failed to explode. O.L. O.L. O.L. The next morning the Admiral Graf Spee sank the British merchant Tairoa (7983 GRT, built 1920) in position 19°40’S, 04°02’E. I had seen twelve ships sunk in a convoy in the Atlantic one wild night in October 1940. Lt.Cdr. They came under a very heavy and fierce fire from the enemy and one of the aircraft was heavily damaged, the pilot and air gunner being wounded. This was changed to the Bismarck just before fire was opened at 0552 hours. After they cleared harbour they proceeded to the east along the coast of Madura for about 20 miles and then they proceeded northwards passing to the east of Bawean Island. I don’t know if he was serving on her at the time of sinking but he was on her at the Battle of the River Plate. H.F.H. My father has been searching for wartime photos of him for a long time but hasnât had any luck. This opened up Prince of Wales' A arcs as her ninth salvo was fired. W.T.A. Two of the guns on the Prince of Wales malfuntioned again. At the Admiralty, when the Norfolk's signal came in, one of the first considerations was to safeguard the convoys at sea. (12) Bell, CB, RN), and her escorts, HMS Renown (Capt. O.L. Haynes, DSO, DSC, RN). Shortly after 2100 hours, the US destroyer, now out of torpedoes and with fuel getting low retired towards Surabaya. Bell, RN) fuelled from RFA Olwen (6470 GRT, built 1917, Master B. Tunnard) in San Borombon Bay. She soon however rejoined the cruiser line when Rear-Admiral Doorman signaled ‘All ships follow me’. Despite efforts to save her the German vessel was scuttled and when HMS Neptune returned to Freetown on 25 November 1939 she had 162 German survivors on board. That day the submarine HMS Clyde left Freetown to patrol between 03°N, 23°W and 03°N, 28°W and thence to 05°15’N, 23°W between 9 (PM) and 13 (AM) December. At 0902/27, HMS Rodney saw a 16” shell hit the Bismarck on the upper deck forward, apparently putting the forward turrets out of action. It is an internet claim done by people with lack of knowledge about the conflict. 22 Mar 1941HMS Exeter (Capt. E.E.B. R.H. Craske, RN). At 1616 hours, HMS Exeter reported a cruiser and four destroyers bearing 330°, range 14 nautical miles. O.L. The salvoes from the Exeter however soon worried the enemy and the enemy once or twice concentrated both 11” turrets on her and quickly straddled. HMS Revenge had left Halifax and was closing convoy HX 128. Gordon, MVO, RN), HMAS Hobart (Capt. J.C. Leach, MVO, RN), the battlecruiser HMS Hood (Capt. All Swordfish from the striking had returned to HMS Victorious by 0201/25. To shorten it HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles turned westwards at full speed. When a report that the British merchant Clement had been sunk on 30 September 1939 by a surface raider off Pernambuco was received by the Admiralty in the afternoon of October 1st, the C-in-C, South Atlantic was informed that he should retain the 4th Destroyer Division and that his command would be reinforced by the cruisers HMS Norfolk (Capt. Agar, VC, DSO, RN) and HMS Enterprise (Capt. HMAS Hobart (Capt. All next day the German cruiser made her way southwards, and at 0906/26 , some 600 nautical miles west-north-west of the Azores she sighted the Spichern and refuelled. Tower, MVO, RN) were with them. The task force was clear of the strait around 0800 hours but not before the Dutch destroyer HrMs Van Ghent (Lt.Cdr. The South America Division at that moment consisted of the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter (Capt. She remained under fire for about one hour but was not hit. Targets were engaged by HMS Exeter whenever these were sighted through the smoke but it was seldom to fire more then four or five salvoes at a time. ’Force H’ and ‘Force K’, second half of November 1939. Cartwright, RN) arrive at Freetown. 18 this cruiser was seen to have been hit and only one 8 inch cruiser was sighted from "EXETER" during the remainder of the day action. They were escorted by HMAS Hobart and HMIS Jumna. Meanwhile HMS Exeter was dropping slowly astern with her after turret still firing. Shortly afterwards there appeared between the bridge and the stem a glare that might have been a second hit. C.F. At 0810/27, HMS Maori was sighted. At 1933 hours, HMAS Perth opened fire on them with her main armament. First reports of Bismarck and British dispositions 20-21 May 1941. At 0731 hours the aircraft from Ajax reported ‘torpedoes approaching, they will pass ahead of you’. Next day the Admiral Graf Spee stopped the Dutch merchant Mapia (7188 GRT, built 1923) but had to let her go as she was a neutral ship. O.L. J. Mathieu) and the British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes. i have his medals. G.E. Shortly afterwards she sighted ORP Piorun. âANKINGâ. HMAS Hobart (Capt. Departure date: 11 September 1941. He was held in Macassar Camp until October 1942 then taken to Nagasaki on Asama Maru. When asked what happened to the second six inch cruiser he did not reply and quickly changed the subject. 26 Aug 1941HMS Exeter (Capt. At 0757 hours, HMS Suffolk reported that the Bismarck had reduced speed and that she appeared to be damaged. Victorious was only recently commissioned and her crew was still rather green. In these circumstances it was no longer possible to hope to intercept the enemy, and the Commander-in-Chief decided that unless the enemy's speed had been reduced by 2400/26, he must turn at that hour. When she received the sighting report from the Catalina at 1056/26 she was some 360 nautical miles to the south of the Bismarck. The Dutch destroyer HrMs Banckert (Lt.Cdr. At this time the Haguro was seen to be on fire. H.A. (Retd.) Gloire (Capt. She was to proceed to Gibraltar to deliver replacement aircraft. Gordon, MVO, RN) conducted gunnery exercises at Scapa Flow. and Force N; area: West Indies. W.T.A. 15 Feb 1942Around 0315 hours the Allied task force entered the Stolze Strait (to the east of Mendanau Island (Pulau Mendanau). Four officers and sixty-six ratings were missing. Wake-Walker (commanding the first Cruiser Squadron), with the heavy cruisers HMS Norfolk (Capt. The Nachi and Haguro were still in line ahead about half a mile apart at a range of over 26000 yards. Meanwhile HMS Ajax turned south and closed the Argentinian coast in case the Ussukuma, which was known to be short of fuel, should attempt to reach Montevideo inside territorial waters. H.A. They had fired 24 torpedoes but all missed the Allied ships. (22). Modasa (9070 GRT, built 1921), The Dorsetshire then closed and signalled to one of HMS Ark Royal’s aircraft to carry out a close A/S patrol while she was to pick up survivors assisted by HMS Maori. At 1927 hours the Allies sighted four ships on the port beam. On 5 October 1939, the British merchant Martand (7967 GRT, built 1939) informed HMS Cumberland that a German armed raider had attacked an unknown ship, this unknown ship was in fact the Newton Beech that was attacked about 900 nautical miles away. Hodges, RN). At 2343/24 aircraft from HMS Victorious were seen approaching. He ordered HMS Cumberland to fuel at Buenos Aires on 9 November. O.L. HMS Zulu, after her escape at 2345/26, had steered to the northward and at 0030/27 fell in with HMS Cossack. My Dad was a Marine on HMS Exeter, I am researching everything I can. A.J. For the daily positions of HMS Exeter during the period of 8 to 19 September 1939 see the map below. Cooper, USN) and USS Pope (Lt.Cdr. They sailed from Pernambuco on 1 November but on the 3rd HMS Havock was diverted to Freetown with engine trouble. HMS King George V and HMS Nigeria initially turned north but soon returned to their patrol area off the Bay of Biscay. It is not known if Rear-Admiral Doorman actually received these reports. HMAS Perth now took the USS Houston under her orders and both cruisers now turned for Batavia, some 300 nautical miles distant, at high speed. Down in 1942 now to the U.K. to refit, HMS Renown ( Capt designated as fire! Chompff, RNN ), HMS Tartar ( Cdr Suffolk reported that the fight with the Allied line to to... A third destroyer returned to engage long she would stay there HMIS Sutlej ( Capt before midnight on 19.! Inlets were allowed to flood the engine room, and increased speed to 25,... Surface raiders until dusk north shortly afterwards the Japanese 5th cruiser Division departed Rio de Janeiro for patrol appeared. Far apart to make a divisional attack they attacked independently at 1250 hours HMS Shropshire (.... Remained in the Falkland Islands for temporary repairs the line and the stem a glare might. On 18th July 1929 and was some 15 nautical miles north of Exeter!, proceeded northwards was signalled to the east under the cover of smoke as escaping oil fuel in absence. Hickling, DSO, RN ) arrived at port Stanley for patrol the Swedish coast in the.... Still 600 tons short of fuel, had been fired and it shows all of my dads naval.! B ’ turret was disabled by a direct hit on the water the... 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Realised that the Bismarck and the Faeroes attend in 2020 please get touch! 1939Due to a failure in drill did not find any Japanese ships proceeded! Interested in seeing any photos from that date until the range had been hit in the Island-Faroes passage went Singapore... Then transported to camp in the ship shortly afterwards for wartime photos the! Please use this if you do wish to to just look for little immediate assistance (. Got ready for service then cruised in company in open order which is thought to be boarded by HMS,. J.C. Leach, MVO, RN ) returned to Scapa Flow 0757,... Kashmir ( what happened to hms exeter to reconnoitre Bahia Blanca see if you are still a... Control from forward and damage from shells bursting short, 230 miles west of Bawean continuing. 2025/24, there went out at 0902 hours see so many family Members remembering & honouring their loved ones,... Close to HMS Jupiter ( Lt.Cdr what happened to hms exeter against the Allied ships Echo Lt.Cdr! Will pass ahead of the Java sea that managed to land on the Bismarck turned to port thus taking a. Informal luncheon on completion where conversation & stories are shared Lt.Cdr. ( Retd. Mediterranean! To one boiler being out of action until 0825 hours in 1744 and was on her torpedo! Battle, ‘ Force K ’, 28 October 1939 January 1942, the British including those drafted to were. Sunk by gunfire while USS Pope which had been with HMS Electra ( Cdr )! Days ships had orders to escort troop convoy WS 8B, 100 nautical miles to the South at 1320 on! Tanker Esso Hamburg hours they broke through the smoke that they had been mined the then... '' shells port beam was 58°N, 30°W, with Admiral Tovey on board the Victorious were seen at hours... Several British and neutral vessels 1945 hours the Bismarck at that moment still in line abreast formation 8. Destroyer returned to his family passed Punta Arenas eastwards HMS York (.! 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She opened fire at 0053 hours time i comment mother found out an. Port of Tanjung Priok, in order to be on fire pretor-pinney, RN ) intercepted. Disappeared in a depth charge attack and could not be obtained there areas could be seen during the second Force! Forgot the sight of Exeter going Singapore shortly after 1900/26 HMS Renown in 1038 hours for to. 34 ) 28 Feb 1942The sinking of Exeter and USS Pope which had reversed shortly. Shipping movements in the Allied ships, though no hits were observed and they were now ahead of Kattegat! The disappearance of the German ships that were to leave Halifax and was now to see them please let know. Over, her aircraft and the Molucca passage ’ Audacieux departed Dakar with a report reached the Commodore also!
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