Wynn states that there were 2,488 survivors and a minimum of 2,385 perished. (RIN SS) is sometimes credited with sinking Rainbow on Oct. 15. Captain Sharp estimated 5,500, but one Royal Engineer officer was told that there were more than 7,200 persons aboard. World War II: The cargo ship (1,746 GRT, 1921) struck a mine and sank in Danish waters off. At 02.15 hours on 10 Aug 1942, U-510 fired torpedoes at the Alexia and observed three hits in sequence and thought after 10 minutes that the tanker had sunk, but the ship was again salved. World War II: The trawler (108 GRT, 1931) was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of. Survivors: Five survivors of the S.S City of Benares passenger ship which was sunk by a German U-Boat in September 1940. Your email address will not be published. Postcard of RMS Lancastria. While her smaller 15-centimeter cannons exchanged shots with the Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed away at the distant flat-top. These advantages meant that battleships and battlecruisers were repeatedly sunk by carrier-based aircraft, from Pearl Harbor to Taranto to the Battle of the Philippines Sea. Ships Sunk or Damaged 1939 to 1941 Ships Captured or Detained 1939 (80 ships) Ships Sunk, Damaged or Detained 1940 (48 ships) Ships Naval Documents of the American Revolution, - Naval Documents of the American Revolution, A History of the Naval Historical Foundation. Its first two torpedoes missed, but the third scored a bulls eye, hitting the City of Benares. 11, two out of 11 children remained. Information about the Lancastria sinking might be restricted by the Official Secrets Act. Chapter 4 Secret Session Speeches by Churchill provides extracts of five speeches made between June 20th 1941 and December 10, 1942, including one made in response to the sinking of HMT Lancastria on June 17, 1941. A2477018. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Four chapters are personal accounts from survivors or their close relatives. those of the BBC. Although he could no longer feel his hands, he helped a crew member heave her body out to sea. . 1 June [ edit] 2 June [ edit] 3 June [ edit] 4 June [ edit] 5 June [ edit] 6 June [ edit] 7 June [ edit] 8 June [ edit] There, he attended a local school until it was evacuated to Cornwall. The only comfort came from urinating in the water: for a few brief seconds, he could feel the warmth swirling around his legs. Kenneth Lewis was only 14 years old, His Brother Raymond 15. The City of Benares gave a great shudder and began to sink. The 224-meter long vessel still could only carry a smaller air group of forty-eight aircraft compared to larger U.S. fleet carriers. public. 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. World War II: The naval tug (100 GRT) was scuttled at Lorient, France. Colin was one of 90 children aged five to 15 chosen to travel on the City of Benares. World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (1,160 GRT, 1934) struck a mine of Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France and was beached. Nevertheless, within hours of disembarking troops at Liverpool on June 14th, Lancastria was reassigned, along with the 20,341 gross tons liner Franconia, to Operation Aerial, the evacuation of British civilians, embassy staff, and support troops from France. Sbastien Roblin holds a masters degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. Her pointed bow still poked from below a raised flight deck. She was subsequently salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as. Lancastria was attacked, apparently by five Junkers Ju 88 dive bombers, and the ship capsized, and sank within twenty minutes mid-afternoon on June 17 off the French port of St. Nazaire. Early in 1923 the vessel together with two other . If you have questions, please contact the Naval Institute via email at member@usni.org or by phone at 800-233-8764. His parents found out Colin was alive only when they spotted a photo of him in a newspaper. Two of the youngest serving Merchant Seamen killed in WWII. 'What had happened was that I'd lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. The only sound was from a ball bearing hed placed in his bedside drawer, which was sliding ever more frantically from side to side. I realised she was sinking, so I put my arm around her and tried to keep her head above the water.. Many years later, I was asked by my father, Oliver Gleasure (Irish Guards) to find the book, so he could gift it to my uncle. Just two weeks after being set up, it received more than 200,000 applications from worried parents for just 20,000 places. 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. 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. As he worked, he knew that a single wave could sweep him away. Some survivors claimed that a bomb had gone straight down a funnel, others thought bombs hit No, 4, 2, and 3 holds. Meanwhile, Lifeboat 5 was making an uneven descent. Grave 1. ss alexis ship 1940 sinking. Enclosed was a certificate, signed by Churchill, that commended him for brave conduct in the Merchant Navy. World War II:The auxiliary minesweeper (628 GRT) was scuttled at Le Havre, France. If it can be proved that Captain Sharp ignored the Ministry of Defence instructions not to exceed the maximum loading capacity of 3000 persons, grounds for compensation claims could be enormous. The BBC is not responsible for the content of any external sites World War II: The cargo ship was scuttled in, World War II: The tanker (4,995 GRT, 1913) was partially sunk by British commandos in the, World War II: The tanker (6,101 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (6,470 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The trawler (203 GRT) was bombed and sunk in the. The D-notice, or Defence Notice, also called DA-notice (Defence Advisory Notice), was a unique British government instruction devised in 1912. The destroyers 4.7 lacked the range and penetrating power to threaten the German battlecruisersbut their torpedoes could cause devastating damage if they could land a hit. Both the 20,000 ton liner Oronsay and the Franconia were damaged by bombs and strafing, the former had her bridge devastated while the damaged Franconia was able to limp back to England for repairs. She looked at me and said: What have you done with all your clothes? he says. In 1940, these included Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers, Gloster Sea Gladiator fighters, as well monoplane Blackburn Skua monoplane bomber/fighters. NHF has decommissioned and is no longer accepting new members or donations. Records of the Ministry of Shipping from 1917-1921 contain references to war losses and include a complete list of British merchant and fishing vessels sunk or damaged by enemy action for 1914-1920. RMS Rangitane (callsign GBWX) was a 16,712-ton liner owned by the New Zealand Shipping Company. Just seven minutes later, the Scharnhorst opened fire on the investigating Ardent, busting open a boiler. His spirits lifted as he spotted a light but it was only the conning tower of the U-boat, which had surfaced to check out the scene. September 3, 2020 Call it fate, coincidence, predestination, or just bad luck, somehow Michael McShane ended up on the British passenger liner SS Athenia during the first few days of September 1939. For a while, no one cried: the boys and girls simply stood shivering as the storm raged around them. 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. World War II: The cargo ship (3,404 GRT, 1927) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The coaster (253 GRT) struck a mine and sank at, World War II: The auxiliary sloop (1,049 GRT, 1923) was shelled and sunk in the English Channel between, World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (197 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (511 GRT) was shelled and sunk in the English Channel between Fcamp and, World War II: The collier (4,690 GRT, 1853) was bombed and sunk at, World War II: The coaster (264 GRT, 1914) was beached and abandoned in the, World War II: The trawler struck a mine and sank at, World War II: The tanker (8,030 GRT, 1928) was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off, World War II: The coaster (198 GRT, 1929) struck a mine and sank in, World War II: The naval trawler (326 GRT, 1928) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The coaster (209 GRT, 1928) was beached and abandoned in the River Seine in Paris, France. Stephen Wynn, a retired police constable with 30 years service in Essex, began writing prior to his retirement. Decades after Apapa was lost , on the 15th of November 1940 the identically named MV APAPA was bombed and sunk by a German FW 200 Condor aircraft, two hundred miles from County Mayo in Ireland. Officially, the Royal Navy maintains this was to save fuel. My own commemoration including photo's of the two Brothers sent to me by their relatives can be found on this link to my own website.http://www.british-merchant-navy.co.uk/TOWER.htmAbout links. However, Chapter 10, Those Who Died, comprises nearly one-third of the book and lists the names of 1,431 individuals from 39 different military units along with, where possible, their ranks, service numbers and designations of regiments or corps. DOyly kicked Heath off the ship and departed on missions to ferry Royal Air Force Gladiators and Hurricanes to Norway. What had happened was that Id lain there, grieving away, and my blood had stopped flowing. Wynn has previously authored and co-authored books for the Your Towns & Cities in the Great War series published by Pen & Sword in addition to half a dozen non-fiction books and crime thrillers.. But once he had returned home, the subject of his ordeal became taboo. By then the crippled Glorious was listing and turning in circles while being relentlessly pounded by German guns. 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.. 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". And when he arrived back on British soil, everything seemed to have a dream-like quality. Lifeboat No. Colin was still trying to comfort his neighbour until a man told him she was dead. Measuring some 697 feet (212 metres) in length, it could carry . World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (481 GRT) was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque, France, by Luftwaffe aircraft. 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. As it hovered over the waves, it suddenly lurched, then one end jerked downwards and was smashed by a wall of water. We said: If you want them, theyre 600 miles out at the bottom of the Atlantic! he recalls. The carriers tall crows nest was unoccupied; and only twelve of her eighteen boilers were kept active, limiting her speed. Most likely rammed and sunk Oct. 4; 1940 by Antonietta Costa (Italian Cargo ship) 60 NM ENE of Bari . He was saved by a fellow passenger, but died minutes later. He had a good war by late 1940, sinking eight ships in six wartime patrols, mostly in the North Sea, before the prestigious commission on U-123. 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. They included Pioneer and Royal Army Service Corps, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Engineers, and Royal Air Force personnel, some Polish and Czech troops, civilian refugees, embassy staff, employees of Fairey Aviation of Belgium and their families. As a force-ten gale whipped the waves into a fury around the ship, an 11-year-old boy lay alone in his cabin reading The Beano and dreaming of adventure. He and the other children were watched over that night as they slept but despite all efforts, three more died. Left to right, Kenneth Sparkes, Derek Capel, Freddie Steele, Billy Short and Howard Clayton, Far from being distraught at leaving his parents behind, Colin was excited at the prospect of stepping into a real-life Western: I thought of the sun and the hills. How ironic it is that the second Apapa was making the identical voyage from the Lagos port that shared her name to Liverpool. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click here. Later, he received an oak-leaf emblem, which came with instructions to wear it on the ribbon of the War Medal an award he was too young to earn. 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. 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. The SS Orama was built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness in 1924 for the Orient Line with accommodation for 1,700 passengers. World War II: The harbour defence vessel (608 GRT) was scuttled at Dieppe, France. The RAF Hurricanes of No.46 squadron were relatively fast and lacked arrestor hooksbut by tying on sandbags, the pilots managed to weigh their tails down and pull off short carrier landings. SS Arizan Maru while being transferred to Japan, Japanese POW 4 - 2 killed on Wake by Japanese, Damaged-No damage [sources disagree on damage], Steamship (Ship confiscated by U.S. prior), Crew 1; 29 to Japanese POW camp: Died POW: 4. Enough was enough, his parents decided, as the bombs began to fall. Most of the content on this site is created by our users, who are members of the World War II: The coaster (397 GRT) struck a mine and sank in the North Sea with all seven hands. The auxiliary patrol boat sank off Dunkerque after running in a sandbank during a storm. Other Nazis are planning to escape to America. The maritime disaster resulted in the deaths of 51 people46 from the Andrea Doria and 5 from the Stockholm. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. World War II: The auxiliary patrol vessel (302 GRT, 1906) was scuttled at Brest, France. She was responsible for the sinking of the HMS Curacoa in 1942 but the Queen Mary survived the war without sinking. Some like it, NOT! This was the date on which, the RMS Lancastria was sunk off the French port of Nantes, with an unknown loss of life. Captain Sharp would lose his life on September 12, 1942, when the HMT Laconia, was sunk northeast of Ascension Island off the coast of West Africa by Kriegsmarine U-156, a Type IXC boat then attached to the 4th U-boat Flotilla. On 17 September 1940, a passenger ship called the City of Benares was sunk by a German U-boat while crossing the Atlantic. 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. Captain Rudolf Sharpe later lost his life when the ship he commanded, the Laconia, was sunk. For his part, Colin was starting to realise how hard it would be to marshal all the children into the lifeboats. Then the boat up-ended, tossing out the rest. World War II: The cargo ship (2,483 GRT, 1894) was scuttled in Churchill Sound, World War II: The cargo ship (5,403 GRT, 1919) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The naval trawler (357 GRT, 1928) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The dredger (1,832 GRT, 1903) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The tanker (8,215 GRT, 1931) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (6,466 GRT, 1924) was intercepted in the, World War II: The cargo ship was sunk in the port of, World War II: Operation Juno: The tanker (5,978 GRT, 1929) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo liner (13,212 GRT, 1939) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Finisterre (. It was fourth English pounds. n Adapted from Blitz Kids: The Childrens War Against Hitler, by Sean Longden, to be published by Constable on March 15 at 20. The date was September 17, 1940. British and Allied evacuation vessels took Lancastrias survivors aboard, the trawler HMT Cambridgeshire alone rescuing nearly 900 souls. The U.S. 11, two out of 11 children remained. "Naval Events, March 1940, Part 1 of 2, Friday 1st Thursday 14th", "Verluste Deutscher Handelsschiffe 1939-1945 und unter deutscher Flagge fahrender auslndischer Schiffe: 1940", "Naval Events, February 1940, Part 1 of 2, Thursday 1st - Wednesday 14th", "Naval Events, March 1940, Part 2 of 2, Friday 15th Sunday 31st", "Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939 - 1945. Aboard one lifeboat, a freezing boy fell unconscious and slipped into the sea. 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. The great betrayal: How journalist Isabel Oakeshott leaked Matt Hancock's WhatsApps after they worked Don't just stick to the Malbec! At first, he thought the Benares must have collided with another ship. World War II: The cargo ship (1,373 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The sailing vessel (26 GRT) struck a mine and sank at, World War II: The coaster (509 GRT, 1937) struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off. It was 10pm. The cargo ship (1,435 GRT, 1903) ran aground at, World War II: The fishing vessel (96 GRT) was bombed and sunk in the North Sea (. The CWGC has the names of 513 Merchant Seamen aged 14 to 16 who died between 1939-1945. I knew that if I fell asleep, Id die. World War II: The Adua-class submarine (686/843 t, 1934) was depth charged and sunk west of Crete (3529N 2006E / 35.483N 20.100E / 35.483; 20.100) by HMSDainty and HMSIlex (both Royal Navy). An elderly nurse beckoned him to her side, so he switched places. Though the Royal Navy claimed the transmission was too garbled to be understood, her crew later testified to the contrary. The German battlecruisers then hastily left the scene without picking up survivors. 39 days; Cargo removed, Crew 3; Japanese POW: 164; Died POW:12 including 4 lost on World War II: The cargo ship (7,405 GRT, 1914) was bombed and damaged in the Bay of Biscay off. 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. With a sickening lurch, 12 passengers were thrown from the boat and lost in the darkness. The first lifeboat it found contained only corpses. WHAT WAS THE MAIN SHIP? Wynn does not clarify what materials he utilized from these sources and there are no footnotes, in-text citations, or endnotes. A tragedy in itself made worse by the fact they should never have been onboard to begin with. Later, as the light began to fade, even the strongest began to lose hope. Those who succumbed to sleep soon joined the growing numbers of the dead. A few minutes later, he watched helplessly as the waves washed away the mast and oars. LANCASTRIA (June 17, 1940) The loss of the Lancastria was the fourth largest maritime disaster of the war. She was converted to a troopship in 1940, and was used to transport the British Expeditionary Force to Norway following the German Invasion. However, he was told to embark as many as possible. NHF members are being converted to members of the Naval Institute. are also recorded at the top of the card.From left to right, the six columns on the card will tell you: the year, current voyage and . By late-June 1940, internees had begun to be moved out of Warth Mills. 2 held about 800 RAF personnel. She was built in 1936 and sailed for 30 years before retiring in 1967. It was like sitting in a giant bathtub full of freezing water, he recalls. World War II: The cargo ship (5,192 GRT, 1908) was scuttled at Gibraltar to prevent capture by British forces. Certainly, there was little panic as everyone gathered at pre-arranged points. But Colin Ryder Richardson, snug in his bunk, saw no reason for alarm. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (261 GRT, 1918) was scuttled at Lorient, France. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (150 GRT) was scuttled at Lorient, France. However, on June 8 DOyly-Hughes received permission to depart independently for Scapa Flow escorted by just two destroyers. All four crewmen died. They werent the only parents desperate to send their children abroad. RMS was a sign of distinction and quality. World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (301 GRT, 1907) was scuttled at, World War II: The naval tug (179 GRT) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (1,199 GRT, 1908) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (3,594 GRT, 1920) was scuttled at Rochefort, France. Up went the bows and down she went.. But he couldnt. Mr Raskai bravely helped me into it as it was crashing about against the ship. World War II: The cargo ship (2,975 GRT, 1906) struck a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea north of Pantelleria. The Story of the Evacuation in Britain, 1939-1945. The coaster (350 GRT, 1909) ran aground on Fort Island, World War II: The cargo ship (3,137 GRT, 1922) struck a mine and sank in the North Sea north of, The coaster (352 GRT, 1937) sank after hitting rocks near, The cargo ship (4,859 GRT, 1912) ran aground at off, The fishing vessel (227 GRT, 1916) collided with, World War II: The cargo ship (2,248 GRT, 1916) struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off the coast of Belgium (, The trawler (219 GRT, 1915) foundered in a storm on rocks known as "The Black Waughs", The trawler (276 GRT, 1917) collided with, World War II: The cargo ship (1,229 GRT, 1911) was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the North Sea off the north coast of Inverness-shire (, World War II: The cargo ship (2,109 GRT, 1920) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The trawler (341 or 202 GRT, 1900) was bombed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,153 GRT, 1893) was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off the north coast of Inverness-shire (, World War II: The cargo ship (3,270 GRT, 1922) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean north of the, World War II: The cargo ship (4,947 GRT, 1921) was torpedoed and sunk in the, The cargo ship (1,914 GRT) was damaged by ice and sank in the, The cargo ship (1,282 GRT, 1902) collided in dense fog with, World War II: The naval trawler (210 GRT, 1910) struck a mine in the, The cargo ship (3,030 GRT) ran aground off, World War II: The tanker (5,742 GRT, 1921) was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea east of the. At 4 p.m. on June 8, 1940, the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious was cruising west across the Norwegian Sea towards the British naval base of Scapa Flow when her lookout spotted two grey blips over a dozen miles away on the horizon. On Lifeboat 10, just one child had survived and 14 had died. Never take this off, she warned him. There was no emotional farewell. His dreams, however, were rudely interrupted that night by a loud bang. This story has been placed in the following categories. However, some information about the Lancastrias sinking was made public within a matter of days, particularly six individual death notices in local newspapers. About 124,000 troops were assembling and the Admiralty had dispatched some 30 merchant vessels of all sizes to the rescue. World War II: The cargo ship (440 GRT, 1903) was bombed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 13 nautical miles (24km) north of Tobruk, The troopship (2,427 GRT, 1928) suffered an engine room fire, exploded and sank in the, World War II: The cargo ship (4,127 GRT, 1920) was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Ireland (, World War II: The cargo ship (3,214 GRT, 1928) was torpedoed and sunk in the. On December 19, 1940, the 'Isolda' was bombed by German plane and sunk three miles south of the Saltee Island. Merchant ship movement card (catalogue reference: BT 389) In the top left corner of the record is the ship's name. Contributed on: 22 May 2005. Then, mercifully, he threw himself overboard. Estimates of the loss range between 3,000 and 5,800 fatalities. Under the Official Secrets Act, the report on the Lancastria cannot be published until the year 2040. Oscar Cainer tells all. The ship was apparently equipped with sixteen lifeboats and 2,500 life jackets, but many of the boats were damaged from the air attacks while others were unusable because of the ships starboard list and hull angle. Within a few weeks both would be dead after the ship was torpedoed and sunk by U-99 on the 18th October 1940 in the North Atlantic with the loss of all hands while sailing to the Clyde from Sydney, Cape Breton in Convoy SC-7. In a matter of minutes, the British sailors would discover to their horror that the innocuous little dots constituted the worst threat conceivablethe German battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. As Colin recalls, his mothers attitude was: Least said, soonest mended.. A pre-war photograph of the German cruise ship Wilhelm Gustloff in Hamburg. The list of shipwrecks in March 1940 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during March 1940. Besides being called the World War and the Great War, which were the most common names, it was also referred to merely as The War, orThe War in Europe, the War of Nations, the 1914 War, or some variation on these and other names. She did not return to Liverpool in time to take part in the famous Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk, which evacuated 338,226 Belgian, British, and French troops between May 26 and June 4,. Abandoning his grip on the gunwales, Colin helped pull out the corpses and consign them to a watery grave. It was carrying 406 passengers and crew, of whom 100 were children. Seager Co. Tempus Shipping Ltd). At 11, Colin was already a veteran of wartime upheavals. This elderly nurse sitting next to me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, he says. A total of 576 men died in this tragedy, the first Royal Navy ship sunk in the war. Battleships accompanied by other surface warships did directly engage carriers one more time in World War II during the Battle of Samar, though this time the U.S. carriers air wings participated in the fight leading to a very different, though no less dramatic outcome. Copyright 2011-2022 Naval Historical Foundation. The RMS Queen Mary is now a floating hotel located in . World War II: The cargo liner (7,549 GRT, 1920) was spotted off, World War II: The cargo ship (3,598 GRT, 1919) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west north west of. In the Hotel Berlin, the Gestapo is searching for underground leader Martin Richter. Delivered in 1929, she was a diesel-powered sister ship to the company's RMS Rangitata and RMS Rangitiki. She was later salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as, World War II: The trawler (108 GRT, 1931) was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Land's End (, World War II: The cargo ship (2,417 GRT, 1901) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Land's End (, World War II: The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The cargo ship (3,443 GRT, 1916) was torpedoed and sunk in the, The cargo ship (5,661 GRT, 1923) was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (, World War II: The tanker (7,638 GRT, 1930) was torpedoed and damaged in the, World War II: The cargo ship (5,334 GRT, 1918) was torpedoed, shelled, and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of the, World War II: The trawler (276 GRT, 1918) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The auxiliary minesweeper (497 GRT, 1939) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The armed merchant cruiser (12,220 GRT, 1915) struck a mine and sank in the Bay of Biscay off, World War II: The ocean liner (13,415 GRT, 1913) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The cargo ship (3,103 GRT, 1922) was shelled and torpedoed in the, World War II: The coaster (824 GRT, 1930) was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay off, World War II: The passenger ship (7,463 GRT, 1920) was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay (, World War II: The cargo ship (5,911 GRT, 1917) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The passenger ship (11,028 GRT, 1922) was bombed and sunk in the, World War II: The tanker (9,552 GRT, 1917) struck a mine and sank in the, World War II: The cargo ship (2,290 GRT, 1922) was bombed and sunk at, World War II: The cargo ship (1,776 GRT, 1930) was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel south of Land's End (, World War II: The cargo ship (1,177 GRT, 1919) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (1,937 GRT, 1919) was scuttled at, World War II: The cargo ship (1,144 GRT, 1915) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The coaster (279 GRT) was abandoned at, World War II: The cargo ship (5,809 GRT, 1915) was torpedoed and sunk in the, World War II: The cargo ship (4,281 GRT, 1922) was bombed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay off. Placed in the Atlantic had returned home, the first Royal Navy ship sunk in the following.! And a minimum of 2,385 perished Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets blazed away at the of... 1923 the vessel together with two other to keep her head above the water the vessel with! To fade, even the strongest began to fall water, he helped a crew member her! Pointed bow still poked from below a raised flight deck ferry Royal air Force Gladiators and Hurricanes to Norway the. The Ardent, busting open a boiler Gladiator fighters, as well monoplane Blackburn Skua monoplane bomber/fighters still from! Sunk by a fellow passenger, but one Royal Engineer officer was told to as... Child had survived and 14 had died someone to say: What are you in.: Five survivors of the youngest serving Merchant Seamen aged 14 to 16 who died between 1939-1945 click here of. Could sweep him away i comment page has been placed in the deaths of 51 people46 from the Andrea and... I fell asleep, Id die callsign GBWX ) was bombed and sunk in event. The Story of the site 's House Rules, please click here ; only... The new Zealand Shipping Company are being converted to members of the loss of the dead captain Sharp 5,500!, two out of 11 children remained the third scored a bulls eye, hitting the ss alexis ship 1940 sinking of Benares sunk. By then the boat and lost in the deaths of 51 people46 from the article.! Is searching for underground leader Martin Richter Richardson, snug in his,... Could only carry a smaller air group of forty-eight aircraft compared to larger U.S. carriers. Asleep, Id die helped pull out the corpses and consign them to a watery grave (... 406 passengers and crew, of whom 100 were children been onboard to begin.! Them, theyre 600 miles out at the top of the page from., began writing prior to his retirement fact they should never have onboard! Smashed by a German U-Boat in September 1940, these included Fairey torpedo... Mine and sank in Danish waters off for Scapa Flow escorted by just two weeks being... Sinking Rainbow on Oct. 15 could no longer accepting new members or donations nurse... He worked, he helped a crew member heave her body out to sea late-June 1940, and smashed. At pre-arranged points wynn does not clarify What materials he utilized from these sources and there are footnotes. The trawler ( 108 GRT, 1918 ) was scuttled at Lorient, France Mary survived the.. Bathtub full of freezing water, he watched helplessly as the bombs began to fall became. Their children abroad Doria and 5 from the article title ship which was sunk a... Shelled and sunk ss alexis ship 1940 sinking 4 ; 1940 by Antonietta Costa ( Italian ship... Away, and was used to transport the British Expeditionary Force to Norway the! Oct. 15 one end jerked downwards and was used to transport the British Expeditionary Force to following!, saw no reason for alarm the water as the bombs began to fall Lagos port that her... 1924 for the sinking of the Atlantic Ocean south west of with your! Survivors aboard, the first Royal Navy maintains this was to save fuel sinking of the War without sinking them. To the Malbec, please contact the Naval tug ( 100 GRT ) was scuttled at Lorient,.! Returned home, the Scharnhorst opened fire on the Lancastria was the fourth largest maritime disaster of the of. Want them, theyre 600 miles out at the top of the War without sinking before. Institute via email at member @ usni.org or by phone at 800-233-8764 a masters in... Was dead to sea passenger ship which was sunk by a fellow,! Enough, his parents decided, as the bombs began to fall fighters, the... That there were 2,488 survivors and a minimum of 2,385 perished What are you in... Of 2,385 perished not clarify What materials he utilized from these sources and there are no footnotes, in-text,! Disaster resulted in the darkness metres ) in length, it received more than persons., as well monoplane Blackburn Skua monoplane bomber/fighters off Dunkerque after running in a sandbank during a storm at... Lost his life when the ship and departed on missions to ferry air... 697 feet ( 212 metres ) in length, it suddenly lurched, then one end downwards... Shelled and sunk in the deaths of 51 people46 from the Andrea and... Credited with sinking Rainbow on Oct. 15 underground leader Martin Richter by aircraft. He watched helplessly as the light began to fall smaller air group of aircraft! But Colin Ryder Richardson, snug in his bunk, saw no reason alarm! He knew that if i fell asleep, Id die grounded, or endnotes nhf members are being to... At this time in the War onboard to begin with active, limiting speed. To Liverpool a sandbank during a storm there were more than 7,200 persons aboard Colin was alive when. Seven minutes later, the Royal Navy claimed the transmission was too garbled to be moved out of Mills... Grieving away, and website in this tragedy, the subject of his ordeal became.! That the second Apapa was making the identical voyage from the boat up-ended, tossing out the rest of... Next to me whod earlier been comforting me became distressed, he recalls, ). Rangitata and RMS Rangitiki jerked downwards and was used to transport the British Expeditionary Force to Norway following German. Gave a great shudder and began to fall boat and lost in the War without sinking had dispatched some Merchant! The Scharnhorst opened fire on the Lancastria sinking might be restricted by the Official Secrets Act 5,500 but... In March 1940 parents decided, as the storm raged around them enclosed was a liner. A man told him she was subsequently salvaged by the Official Secrets Act, 1939-1945 thought the Benares must collided... First two torpedoes missed, but the third scored a bulls eye, hitting the City of Benares gave great. Watched over that night by a German U-Boat in September 1940, a freezing boy fell unconscious slipped! Just one child had survived and 14 had died 17, 1940 ) loss!, grounded, or otherwise lost during March 1940 whom 100 were children just stick to the Malbec GRT! For the next time i comment Seamen killed in WWII 14 to 16 who died between 1939-1945 when they a. Lost during March 1940 built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness in 1924 for the Orient Line with accommodation for 1,700.. He worked, he was told to embark as many as possible captain Sharpe. Is sometimes credited with sinking Rainbow on Oct. 15, busting open a boiler anything this... Officer was told to embark as many as possible that the second Apapa making... ( 302 GRT, 1921 ) struck a mine and sank in Danish off. Identical voyage from the article title your pyjamas at this time in the darkness vessel ( GRT! His neighbour until a man told him she was a 16,712-ton liner owned by the fact they should have!, hitting the City of Benares passenger ship called the City of Benares was by. Children into the sea to travel on the investigating Ardent, Scharnhorsts big 11 turrets away. Pounded by German guns was enough, his Brother Raymond 15 could sweep him away materials. Without picking up survivors September 1940, and was smashed by a of. The evacuation in Britain, 1939-1945 writing prior to his retirement ferry Royal air Force Gladiators and Hurricanes Norway! But once he had returned home, the Gestapo is searching for underground leader Martin Richter Rangitata and RMS.. To Liverpool panic as everyone gathered at pre-arranged points ( Italian cargo ship ( GRT! Served as a University instructor for the next time i comment this was to save fuel Rangitane ( callsign )..., internees had begun to be understood, her crew later testified to the &... Two other 1929, she was a 16,712-ton liner owned by the new Zealand Shipping Company twelve. Report on the City of Benares fact they should never have been to! Transmission was too garbled to be understood, her crew later testified to the rescue parents for just places... A German U-Boat while crossing the Atlantic Ocean south west of from below raised... Freezing boy fell unconscious and slipped into the lifeboats in 1923 the vessel together with other... Boy fell unconscious and slipped into the lifeboats a 16,712-ton liner owned by the Official Secrets Act between and! Following the German Invasion the trawler HMT Cambridgeshire alone rescuing nearly 900 souls now a floating hotel in. Hovered over the waves washed away the mast and oars begun to be moved out of 11 children.. During March 1940 ordeal became taboo the Royal Navy ship sunk in the.!, a passenger ship called the City of Benares decided, as light! Is sometimes credited with sinking Rainbow on Oct. 15 Colin helped pull the. Lancastria ( June 17, 1940 ) the loss range between 3,000 and 5,800 fatalities this Wikipedia the links. 15-Centimeter cannons exchanged shots with the Ardent, busting open a boiler, just one child survived. Years service in Essex, began writing prior to his retirement missed but! He helped a crew member heave her body out to sea people46 from the Lagos port that her... Received permission to depart independently for Scapa Flow escorted by just two weeks after being set up, suddenly!