As it made its way to Rosyth in order to change its guns, it hit a magnetic mine and after short repairs it resumed service off Normandy. Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named Warspite. [2][3], Warspite 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). When received these records were divided into two groups - those prior to 1952 and those post 1952. [39] Warspite finally entered Grand Harbour, in Malta, on 14 January 1938 and continued gunnery practice and training. Many do not survive at all whilst significant proportions of those that do survive are held . from the vessel, which was at the time lying at Prussia Cove with a rock piercing her hull. A storm in April 1947 sank it in Mount Bay and, despite multiple efforts to refloat it, its wreck remained there until 1950. The latest HMS Warspite was the third of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the second (and final) of the Valiant class. For this and other reasons, Warspite gained the nickname the "Grand Old Lady" after a comment made by Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham in 1943 while she was his flagship. Initially, Warspite was based in Ceylon, forming a fast group with the aircraft carriers Formidable and Indomitable, four cruisers and six destroyers. [4], The Queen Elizabeth class was equipped with eight breech-loading (BL) 15-inch (381mm) Mk I guns in four twin-gun turrets, in two superfiring pairs fore and aft of the superstructure, designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to rear. In April of 1940 HMS Warspite took part in the Second Battle of Navarik and her reconnaissance aircraft bombed and sank German submarine U-64. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Over 125 aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica attacked the ships over the next three hours but caused no damage. The Italian cruisers turned away under a smoke screen while the battleships Giulio Cesare and Conte di Cavour closed on Warspite before Malaya and Royal Sovereign could catch up.[54]. Division One and Two rendezvoused in the Gulf of Sirte on 9 July and covered the assembling convoys. Layman, RN), HMS Havock (Lt.Cdr. October 1, 1926: HMS Warspite firing the finishing gun at the Stokers Cutter race during the Fleet Regatta at Volo, Greece. The ship had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,260km; 5,754mi) at a cruising speed of 12 knots (22.2km/h; 13.8mph). Seeing that they were under pressure, Cunningham took Warspite ahead to assist his cruisers. At 1936 hours, HMS Formidable's aircraft returned, joined by land-based aircraft from Crete, Greece, putting cruiser Pola out of action, but failed to catch Vittorio Veneto as she had received temporary repairs and was already en route back to Taranto, Italy. The resolve of the Italian Government had already been wavering by the time of the Allies victory in North Africa; the invasion of Sicily and aerial attacks on mainland Italy encouraged negotiations. [83] On 17 July, she bombarded Catania in support of an unsuccessful attack by the 8th Army, although her steering problem temporarily delayed her taking up position. The ship was laid down on 31st October 1912 and launched on 26th November 1913. When she left the shipyard on the Pacific coast, it was decided that she would join the British Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean to counter the new enemy power, Japan. 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). After arriving off Salerno on 15 September, Warspite bombarded an ammunition dump and other positions around Altavilla Silentina, demoralising the German forces and providing time for Allied reinforcements to arrive. [103] The stone was unveiled by Admiral Sir Charles Madden and prayers were read by a former crew member. However, the new "fast battleships" proved to be an outstanding success during the First World War. ww2dbaseWarspite was among a WW1-era battleship class whose existance had much to do with the influences of First Sea Lord Admiral Sir John "Jackie" Fisher and First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill. Diether von Roeder had to be scuttled while Erich Giese was sunk in conjunction with destroyers. [84] She covered the landings at Mahajanga and Tamatave during the Battle of Madagascar an Allied invasion, in September. [34], Between March 1934 and March 1937, she underwent a major reconstruction in Portsmouth at a cost of 2,363,000. On the advice of the salvage firm, all hopes of taking HMS Warspite to the breakers yard were abandoned. Courage, RN), HMS Hyperion (Cdr. The salvage boat Barnet, standing guard overnight under the Warspites bows was holed in the engine room, towed off and eventually drifted ashore at Long Rock, a few miles to the west. [80] She joined the Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee in March 1942. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events, All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated. ww2dbaseIn Jun 1943, Warspite once again returned to the Mediterranean and joined Force H at Gibraltar. Apparently he was known as Geordie. [85], She underwent a short refit in May in another attempt to fix her steering problem, then joined Force H at Scapa Flow, departing on 9 June for Gibraltar in company with five other battleships, two carriers and twelve destroyers. On March 27, 1941, it took part in the battle of Cape Matapan and engaged several Italian buildings which were severely hit and destroyed. Shortly after, HMS Gloucester (722 killed) and HMS Fiji (257 killed) were also sunk. Meanwhile a search up and down the country was on-going for pumps, compressors, generators, cranes and steel air-lines and by April, 3 months after taking over, The Wolverhampton Metal Company Ltd were contemplating their first major attempt to refloat HMS Warspite. Let us know. She was the sixth RN warship to bear this name which was introduced in 1759 for a . The fleet consisted of battleship HMS Warspite, battleship HMS Valiant, battleship HMS Malaya, battleship HMS Ramillies, aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, 12 cruisers, 16 destroyers, and 6 submarines; they escorted four British transport ships. She was at sea when the crews of a number of warships mutinied at Invergordon in September 1931, although three sailors were later dismissed from the ship. [1]:10 Until 1919 a woodpecker was used as the ships' crest; the official badge was a cannon, although the woodpecker continued to be used on the ships' tompions or gun muzzle plugs. Our HMS Warspite (S103) was a Valiant -class nuclear-powered submarine launched in 1965 and decommissioned in 1991. This information will help us make improvements to the website. She ran aground off Dunbar on 17 September 1915, which necessitated repairs until 20 November. ON 10 Sep, she was among the British ships escorting the surrendering ships of the Italian Navy to Malta. Renovated from 1934 to 1937, the Warspite became the flagship of the British fleet in the Mediterranean. [81], Warspite joined the Eastern Fleet as flagship of Admiral Sir James Somerville, who had commanded her in 1927. At the Battle of Calabria on 9 July 1940, she hit the Italian flagship, Guilio Cesare, at the range of 21 kilometers. At Rosyth, Warspite's 6-inch guns were removed and plated in, and a concrete caisson covered the hole left by the German missile. [16], The 5th Battle Squadron then headed north, exchanging fire with both Hipper's battlecruiser force and the leading elements of Scheer's battleships, damaging Markgraf. Lava's technical capabilities. Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project. 1000/1/3 - Records of the The Wolverhampton Metal Company Ltd, Wednesfield, and its subsidiary companies. However, time had taken its toll and more modern ships were required to continue the war in the Far East. 24. Later refloating herself she went hard aground a few yards away in Prussia Cove. Stanley Braithwaite HMS Warspite, L.Sea. In the aftermath of the Battle of Normandy, HMS Warspite supported allied land forces from 9 to 11 June, operating for the benefit of the Americans before cruising off Gold Beach to support the British. [10] In early December, Warspite was involved in another incident when, during an exercise, she collided with her sister ship Barham, which caused considerable damage to Warspite's bow. The main conning tower was protected by 13 inches of armour. D-Day and Battle of Normandy media library: archives photos and videos, Souvenir shop featuring t-shirts, caps, mugs, models or posters inspired by D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, D-Day Overlord - Marc Laurenceau 2003-2023. She repeated this process on 12 September for her opponent from the Battle of Calabria, Giulio Cesare. [26], Upon the completion of her repairs, Warspite rejoined the 5th Battle Squadron. The time is 9 PM approx. Warspite destroyed the heavily damaged Z13 Erich Koellner with broadsides, while damaging Z17 Diether von Roeder and Z12 Erich Giese. Her tripod mast was removed and a distinctive armoured citadel built up to enclose the bridge and to provide space for her to operate as a flagship. Warspite was detached to refuel at Malta on 12 July, the first visit by a British battleship since December 1940. Her ship's wheel was given by King George VI to King Haakon VII of Norway in 1947, who later gave it to the City of Narvik. Stkr1. HMS Warspite Crew List Page Discussion English Read View source View history More Read View source View history From Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project (Index of Ship Interest Groups)- (Index of Crew List Photographs)- (Index of Crew Lists) Last updated on: Hi guys just wondering if any of you armed forces experts could point me in the right direction. At 2100 hours, when the Commander-in-Chief was in position . [31] In 1927, under the command of Captain James Somerville, she struck an uncharted rock in the Aegean and was ordered to return to Portsmouth for repairs. Between 8 and 9 September, Force H, covering the landings at Salerno, came under fierce German air-attack and narrowly avoided being torpedoed. Launched in 1913, the battleship HMS Warspite saw extensive service during both world wars. During this time the diver - Mr Jim Craig - was repairing and sealing where necessary. Thomas Greenwood HMS Warspite Royal Navy, Gnr. Results were unsatisfactory and expenses too high and so The Wolverhampton Metal Company Ltd directly took over on Jan 25th 1952 [see last letter in file 2 (insurance)]. At 1200 hours, HMS Greyhound was sunk (76 killed) and HMS Warspite was damaged (43 killed). In Jun 1939, Vice Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham came abroad as the new commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet. Also off Norway, Warspite's Swordfish biplane torpedo bomber sunk German submarine U-64, making it the first U-boat sinking by aircraft in WW2. In 1934, she underwent a complete modernization, radically altering her superstructure and adding an aircraft hangar. Message Board. [19], The crew regained control of Warspite after two full circles. Further misfortune struck soon afterwards, when she collided with Valiant after a night-shooting exercise, necessitating more repair work at Rosyth. Somerville's fleet was outnumbered and outclassed but he hoped to get close enough to launch a night-time torpedo bomber attack. After dark, British battleships HMS Barham, HMS Valiant, and HMS Warspite moved in within 3.5 kilometers of the Italian cruisers undetected, opening fire at 2330 hours on the unsuspecting Italians. It was towed to Gibraltar before finalizing the repairs to Rosyth in Great Britain in March 1944. Cunningham hoped to draw the Regia Marina into battle by sailing towards the "toe" of Italy to cut them off from their base at Taranto. The fleets did not meet; Warspite withdrew to Addu Atoll and then to Kilindini on the East African coast to protect the convoy routes. 1. In 1943 she was badly damaged by an early guided missile, demonstrated how far naval warfare had changed since she was laid down in 1912. . Launched. H.F.H. On March 27, 1941, it took part in the battle of Cape Matapan and engaged several Italian buildings which were severely hit and destroyed. She was towed to Gibraltar for temporary repairs and then fully repaired at Rosyth in March 1944. Churchill was present when she conducted her first gunnery trials in 1915. 70.00 + 2.75 Postage. Dennis Spencer. The gun turrets were protected by 11 to 13 inches (279 to 330mm) of KC armour and were supported by barbettes 710 inches (178254mm) thick. Despite the use of 24 compressor tanks pumping air into her tanks, the salvage failed. Captain Philpotts avoided reprimand on this occasion, but was moved to a shore-based job as Naval Assistant to the new First Sea Lord, Admiral Jellicoe. During this long episode we will discuss the entire life of the ship, from the design of the Queen Elizabeth class battleships that would be launched in 1915, through the First World War and Jutland, the great unknown of the interwar years, the refits of the 1920s and 1930s, into war once again in 1939, and then finally to Warspite's final . [108], This Warspite earned 15 of the 25 battle honours awarded to Royal Navy ships of this name.[109]. Unfortunately the hawser fouled the tug's propellers and she went aground again in an exposed position. I have a photo of him and his hat has HMS Warspite on it. There is no question when the old lady lifts her skirts she can run. British battleships HMS Valiant and HMS Warspite shelled Italian defensive positions at Vlor, Albania overnight in support of Greek advances. Heath, Fredrick Charles - Acting Armourer's Mate The Warspite was damaged during the Battle of Crete during a German air attack. In storm force conditions, Warspite dropped one of her anchors in Mount's Bay, which did not hold, and the storm drove her onto Mount Mopus Ledge near Cudden Point. [60] On 28 March, the British cruisers encountered the Italian fleet and were forced to turn away by the heavy guns of Vittorio Veneto. [5], Warspite was completed with two fire-control directors fitted with 15-foot (4.6m) rangefinders. HMS Warspite was a Queen Elizabeth class battleship that served in both world wars, taking part in the battle of Jutland in 1916 and the battle of Matapan in 1941. In 1916 it was engaged at the battle of Jutland in the 5th Fighter Wing, during which it received fifteen shots at the goal. Meanwhile four destroyers from the 4th Destroyer Division, Mediterranean Fleet, the HMS Hotspur (Cdr. H.St.L. Repaired throughout the First World War after various additional incidents, it was engaged in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean during the Interwar period. RMMMR0FD - A commemorative plaque to the crew of HMS Warspite which capsized and sank breaking up on the rocks in mounts bay near Penzance in 1947. Subsequent air attacks damaged the battleship and the cruiser Pola, slowing the former and crippling the latter. The crew was picked up by HMS Jervis. Battleship HMS Warspite, battleship HMS Barham, battleship HMS Valiant, carrier HMS Formidable, and nine destroyers of the British Mediterranean Fleet departed Alexandria, Egypt to hunt for an Italian fleet known to have departed bases in Italy. She made it back to Scapa Flow and from there to Devonport for more repair work, rejoining the fleet on Christmas Eve 1915. HTML tags are not allowed. H MS Warspite, 1944, Normandy (Maritime Quest, click to enlarge) return to Contents List QUEEN ELIZABETH-Class battleship ordered from HM Dockyard, Portsmouth after approval of design in June 1912. Draught: 9,4 m. Share a testimony from a relative or a friend, veteran or civilian, resistance member, ally or German, actor or witness of History. On her return, Admiral Cunningham inadvertently coined the nickname by which she would be known thereafter when he signalled: "Operation well carried out. Captain Packer was mentioned in despatches for his actions bringing the ship to Malta,[92] the second time he had limped into port on board a heavily damaged Warspite. The ships were fitted with four submerged 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, two on each broadside. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. 1000 - Records of IMI [Imperial Metal Industries] PLC and subsidiary companies. Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1943, Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1947, naval arms race between Britain and Germany, "Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2", "HMS Warspite in the Second World War 1939-1945 - The Wartime Memories Project -", Troels W. Hansen, design details and model reconstructions of HMS Warspite, Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project - HMS Warspite Crew List, List of dreadnought battleships of the Royal Navy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HMS_Warspite_(03)&oldid=1135852657, World War I battleships of the United Kingdom, World War II battleships of the United Kingdom, Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Italian-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 7,579nmi (14,036km; 8,722mi) at 12kn (22km/h; 14mph), 36,450 long tons (37,030t) (Extra-deep load), This page was last edited on 27 January 2023, at 07:12. Warspite carries the most battle honours of any ship in the Royal Navy, with the sixth Warspite being awarded fifteen of them. George Douglas Blake HMS Warspite, Cmmd.Boatswain. As the light faded the Grand Fleet crossed ahead of the German battle line and opened fire, forcing the High Seas Fleet to retreat and allowing Warspite to slip away. [59], In March 1941, to support the planned German invasion of the Balkans, Vice Admiral Angelo Iachino's Italian fleet, led by the battleship Vittorio Veneto, sailed to intercept Allied convoys between Egypt and Greece. The British Royal Navy battleships HMS Warspite and HMS Valiant bombarded Reggio Calabria at the southern tip of Italy, eliminating a six gun battery. On closer inspection these dates do overlap but this original order has been maintained. Three days later, Warspite met and led elements of the Italian Fleet, including Vittorio Veneto and Italia, into internment at Malta. April, but these proved ineffectual and she returned to Scapa Flow prior to being redeployed to the Mediterranean on 28 April. Admiral Cunningham's Mediterranean Fleet, consisted of battleship HMS Warspite, battlesip HMS Valiant, aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, and 7 destroyers departed Alexandria, Egypt, to meet the Excess convoy. [40] At the end of one anti-aircraft exercise, a junior midshipman independently discharged his pom-pom gun after a towing aircraft flew low overhead to display its attached target to the crew. It was finally demolished the same year. During Operation Neptune, it anchored off, In the aftermath of the Battle of Normandy, HMS Warspite supported allied land forces from 9 to 11 June, operating for the benefit of the Americans before cruising off. [8], Warspite, the sixth warship of the Royal Navy to carry the name, was laid down on 21 October 1912 at Devonport Royal Dockyard, launched on 26 November 1913, and completed in April 1915[9] under the command of Captain Edward Phillpotts. site is two fold. Uncertain how severe the damage was, Campioni ordered his battleships to turn away in the face of superior British numbers and they disengaged behind a smoke screen laid by Italian destroyers. to help with the costs of keeping the site running. In August, it patrolled along the Channel and bombarded the cities of Brest, Le Havre and Walcheren. Creator/User: Britain Warspite was launched on November 26, 1913, and entered service on March 8, 1915. [63] Pola was also sunk once her crew had been taken off. HMS Warspite was one of five Queen Elizabeth-class battleships built for the Royal Navy during the early 1910s. [77] Repairs and modifications began in August, including the replacement of her deteriorated 15in guns, the addition of more anti-aircraft weapons, improvements to the bridge, and new surface and anti-aircraft radar. [97], On 19 April 1947, Warspite departed Portsmouth for scrapping at Faslane, on the River Clyde. On Sat July 29th, 1950, the salvage firm had a success; they floated the ship and began to tow her away from Prussia Cove. [98] Her skeleton crew of seven was saved by the Penlee Lifeboat W. & S. There were several attempts to refloat her but the hull was badly damaged. Arnold Thomas Charles. He is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. In the Mediterranean Sea, Italian bombers attacked British battleship HMS Warspite and cruiser HMS Liverpool between 0850 and 1150 hours. This richly illustrated book chronologically describes the course of Operation Overlord through 357 specific events. [83] On 12 June, she returned to Portsmouth to rearm, but her guns were worn out so she was ordered to sail to Rosyth via the Straits of Dover, the first British battleship to have done so since the war began. Admiral Cunningham took the fleet to sea on 7 July to meet two convoys travelling from Malta to Alexandria, knowing that part of the Italian fleet was escorting its own convoy to Tripoli. [33] In March 1933, she was rammed in fog by a Romanian passenger ship off Portugal, but did not require major repairs. VALIANT. [14] On 31 May, Warspite was deployed with the squadron to fight in the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval encounter between Britain and Germany during the war. The British Mediterranean Fleet departed Alexandria, Egypt to escort a supply convoy to Malta. HMS Warspite Crew List Home Page Jutland Crew Lists The Navy Lists Research Status Ship Interest Groups Crew List (Photographs) Directory of Names Jutland Memorial Warspite H.M.S. . Following a signalling error, the battleships were left trailing Beatty's fast ships during the battlecruiser action, and the 5th Battle Squadron was exposed to heavy fire from the German High Seas Fleet as the force turned away to the north,[15] although Warspite was able to score her first hit on the battlecruiser Von der Tann. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He and 18 naval ratings killed in action were committed to the deep at 20.00 hours (Latitude 35 degrees 50', Longitude 22 degrees 17'). [88], On 14 September, Force H was recalled to the UK to begin preparations for the invasion of France, but Warspite and Valiant were detached to provide support for Allied forces at Salerno. There was insufficient depth of water to float her clear of the reef in a rising south westerly gale. The main armament could be controlled by 'B' turret as well. It was repaired in the United States and later deployed to the Indian Ocean before returning to the Mediterranean in June 1943 in order to participate in the H force in Operation Husky in Sicily and Operation Avalanche Before Salerno. [10] Warspite joined the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet following a number of acceptance trials,[11] including gunnery trials, which saw Churchill present when she fired her 15-inch (381mm) guns. Sponsored. The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers and the free to access part of the website is funded by donations from our visitors. This required maximum offensive power and a speed several knots faster than any other battleship to allow them to defeat any type of ship. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. On January 1, 1945, after good and loyal services, HMS Warspite was placed in reserve and then definitively retired from service. 26 . Us that the great assault was at last to take place and . In May 1941, she was damaged off Crete by German dive bombers. Gebirsgger Division troops repulsed the attack. ww2dbaseWarspite served mostly in the Mediterranean Sea in the years following WW1. During the Second World War, Warspite was involved in the Norwegian Campaign in early 1940 and was transferred to the Mediterranean later that year where the ship participated in fleet actions against the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) while also escorting convoys and bombarding Italian troops ashore.
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