This change increased the ship's vulnerability to plunging (high-trajectory) shells, as it exposed more of the vulnerable deck armour. The German ships were spotted by two British heavy cruisers (Norfolk and Suffolk) on 23 May, and Holland's ships intercepted Bismarck and her consort, the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, in the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland on 24 May. Roll of Honour who match particular criteria such as rank / rating, age, home town etc. Hood's crew gained their first clue that something was developing at 1939, 23 May when full speed was ordered. Contained here are 1,415 individual memorial pages - one for each man confirmed lost when Hood sank during combat with the German battleship Bismarck in the Denmark Strait on 24th May 1941. Ted Briggs was the last survivor of the battle cruiser HMS Hood, sunk by the German warship Bismarck in the North Atlantic during the Second World War. Before being installed on the battlecruiser, the bell was inscribed around its base with the words: "This bell was preserved from HMS Hood battleship 18911914 by the late Rear Admiral, The Honourable Sir Horace Hood KCB, DSO, MVO killed at Jutland on 31st May 1916. May 2016 is the 75th anniversary of Hood's sinking. Of the known surviving pieces, one is privately held and another was given by the Hood family to the Hood Association in 2006. Roll of Honour & Crew Memorials In 1941, 'The Mighty Hood' and the battleship Prince of Wales were ordered to intercept the . Ratings & officers known to have served in Hood, Crew Complements This was 66 feet (20.1m) longer and 14 feet (4.3m) wider than the older ships. [68], Prince of Wales was forced to disengage by a combination of damage from German hits and mechanical failures in her guns and turrets after Hood was sunk. The development of effective time-delay shells at the end of the First World War made this scheme much less effective, as the intact shell would penetrate layers of weak armour and explode deep inside the ship. Hood Association Facebook Page At 0925 hours, when the Ohio, . The HMS Hood, originally launched in 1918, . The discovery of the ship's wreck in 2001 confirmed the conclusion of both boards, although the exact reason the magazines detonated is likely to remain unknown since that portion of the ship was obliterated in the explosion. The main deck was 3 inches (76mm) thick over the magazines and 1 inch (25mm) elsewhere, except for the 2-inch-thick slope that met the bottom of the main belt. [12], The Ascension Island guns saw action only once, on 9 December 1941, when they fired on the German submarineU-124,[105] as it approached Georgetown on the surface to shell the cable station or sink any ships at anchor. After the sinking of Hood, seven large caliber shells hit Prince of Wales forcing the battleship to disengaged under a smokescreen and joined HMS Suffolk and HMS Norfolk. 24-03-2018. This explosion broke the back of Hood, and the last sight of the ship, which sank in only three minutes, was her bow, nearly vertical in the water. Later that year, her crew participated in the Invergordon Mutiny over pay cuts for the sailors. It is worth pointing out that in any warship at Action Stations, the vast majority of the ship's compa. But, three survivedWilliam Dundass, Bob Tilburn, and Ted Briggs. The ship was laid down on 1st September 1916 and was launched on 22nd August 1918 as the 3rd RN ship to carry this, introduced in 1859 and previously used in 1891 for a battleship sunk as a blockship in 1918. The starboard side of the amidships section is missing down to the inner wall of the fuel tanks and the plates of the hull are curling outward; this has been interpreted as indicating the path of the explosion through the starboard fuel tanks. [90] In 2015, the same team attempted a second recovery operation and Hood's bell was finally retrieved on 7 August 2015. Writing in 1979, the naval historian, The ship was blown up by her own guns. At the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 HMS Queen Mary , HMS Indefatigable, and the unfortunately named HMS Invincible. [14] When they detonated, the rockets shot out lengths of cable that were kept aloft by parachutes; the cable was intended to snag aircraft and draw up the small aerial mine that would destroy the aircraft. [49], While en route to Gibraltar for a Mediterranean cruise, Hood was rammed in the port side quarterdeck by the battlecruiser Renown on 23 January 1935. Despite the appearance of newer and more modern ships, Hood remained the largest warship in the world for 20 years after her commissioning, and her prestige was reflected in her nickname, "The Mighty Hood". To make room in the shipyard for merchant construction, Hood sailed for Rosyth to complete her fitting-out on 9 January 1920. HMS Hood was the pride of the British fleet and the Bismarck ended her existence. One of these hits contaminated a good portion of the ship's fuel supply and subsequently caused her to steer for safety in occupied France where she could be repaired. Anecdotes and remembrances concerning Hood, Hood's Mascots The upper belt was 5 inches thick amidships and extended forward to 'A' barbette, with a short 4-inch extension aft. Many men - particularly those who formed the crews of the late 1930s and early 1940s - fall outside the publicly available records. It is estimated that as many as 15,000 men may have served in her from 1920-1941. [103] A third piece was found in Glasgow, where Hood was built. Here you will find our attempt at creating such a listing. On May 24, 1941, HMS Hood engaged the German Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and the battleship Bismarck. A catapult would have been fitted across the deck and the remaining torpedo tubes removed. [52] Hood was refitted at Malta in November and December 1937, and had her submerged torpedo tubes removed. Two quadruple mountings for the Vickers 0.5-inch (12.7mm) Mk III machine gun were added in 1933 with two more mountings added in 1937. The captains of both ships were court-martialled, as was the squadron commander, Rear Admiral Sidney Bailey. Organisation of the search was complicated by the presence on board of a documentary team and their film equipment, along with a television journalist who made live news reports via satellite during the search. In May 1941, Hood and the battleship Prince of Wales were ordered to intercept the German battleshipBismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, which were en route to the Atlantic, where they were to attack convoys. H.M.S. HMS Barham Crew List; . The names can be accessed by clicking on the links at right (alphabetical by surname or a listing of all names). But, even in the case of those for whom records are available, relatives often hold far more information about individuals than can be gleaned from the necessarily impersonal nature of their official records. Captain Harold Reinold relieved Captain im Thurn on 30 April 1925 and was relieved in turn by Captain Wilfred French on 21 May 1927. Captain Ralph Kerr assumed command during the refit, and Hood was ordered to sea in an attempt to intercept the German battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst upon the refit's completion in mid-March. [29], Hood was initially fitted with flying-off platforms mounted on top of 'B' and 'X' turrets, from which Fairey Flycatchers could launch. He joined HMS Copra on the 7th of November 1943 and was lent three times to HMS Dundonald. Hood's wreck lies on the seabed in pieces among two debris fields at a depth of about 2,800 metres (9,200 feet). [51] On 23 April 1937, the ship escorted three British merchantmen into Bilbao harbour despite the presence of the Nationalist cruiser Almirante Cervera that attempted to blockade the port. Despite the official explanation, some historians continued to believe that the torpedoes caused the ship's loss, while others proposed an accidental explosion inside one of the ship's gun turrets that reached down into the magazine. Crew & Dockyard Workers Lost Prior to the Sinking (Sept 1916 - May 1941) HMS Hood broke in two and sank in a mere matter of minutes. HMS Hood (pennant number 51) was the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. [88], After footage of Bismarck was collected, Mearns and the search team began scanning a 600-square-nautical-mile (2,100km2) search box for Hood; completely covering the area was estimated to take six days. The same deflagration would have collapsed the bulkhead separating the 4-inch and 15-inch magazines, resulting very quickly in a catastrophic explosion similar to those previously witnessed at Jutland. At this point, the order to abandon ship was given. Hood Association. She was also the largest warship afloat when she was commissioned, and retained that distinction for the next 20 years. Basil O'Neill. Although this can be ascertained by tracing his next ship, this is a prohibitively time consuming process. [67] The three were rescued about two hours after the sinking by the destroyer Electra, which spotted substantial debris but no bodies. Joseph Steward. [4] The ship's secondary armament consisted of twelve BL 5.5-inch (140mm) Mk I guns, each with 200 rounds. Hood Crew Information- H.M.S. The catapult and crane were removed in 1932, along with the flying-off platform on 'B' turret. HMS Hood: Crew, History, Status. [60], In January 1941, the ship began a refit that lasted until March; even after the refit she was still in poor condition, but the threat from the German capital ships was such that she could not be taken into dock for a major overhaul until more of the King George V-class battleships came into service. The memorials were assembled by blending official records with public casualty listings. Below are just some of our members who have served at HMS Royal Arthur. [41] After her sea trials, she was commissioned on 15 May 1920, under Captain Wilfred Tompkinson. [37], The scale of Hood's protection, though adequate for the Jutland era, was at best marginal against the new generation of 16-inch (406mm) gunned capital ships that emerged soon after her completion in 1920, typified by the American Colorado-class and the Japanese Nagato-class battleships. [12], The ship's original anti-aircraft armament consisted of four QF 4-inch Mk V guns on single mounts. This theory was ultimately adopted by the board. The crew was safe and later returned to HMS Ark Royal. You can learn more about these men here. Hood Crew Information Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. [21], For protection against torpedoes, she was given a 7.5-foot (2.3m)[27] deep torpedo bulge that ran the length of the ship between the fore and aft barbettes. The guns were restored by the RAF in 1984. Hood Crew Information- H.M.S. Over 40.000 pages on the officers, the boats, technology and the Allied efforts to counter the U-boat threat. [90] The eastern field includes the small piece of the stern that survived the magazine explosion, as well as the surviving section of the bow and some smaller remains such as the propellers. HMS Hood, battlecruiser, lost two men in 1935 - one drowned, one to illness (Maritime Quest, click to enlarge) on to 1936 or return to inter-war casualties, 1918-1939 . This was to be used for a major event documentary to be aired on the 60th anniversary of the ships' battle. This crew list was last updated on Saturday, 25 February 2023, 13:17 and contains 1105 names (Index of Ship Interest Groups) - (Index . Illustrious, H.M.S. Late in her career, Hood was outclassed by the armour and protective arrangement of Second World War-era fast battleships, but few of the RN's available "big gun" vessels could match Bismarck's speed. Other historians have concentrated on the cause of the magazine explosion. Despite these problems, she had hit Bismarck three times. Draft: 32 ft. If you have information about a man who served in the ship please contact William Sutherland by e-mail at crewsubs@hmshood.org.uk In the first instance if would help if you include in your e-mail the following information relating to the crew man: When he is able, William will reply to your e-mail so that we can draw it together into a page for the man concerned. A look at the animal sailors who made up a special part of Hood's crew, Sport & Athletics Hood Crew List -H.M.S. Hood was the first of the planned four Admiral-class battlecruisers to be built during the First World War.Already under construction when the Battle of Jutland occurred in mid-1916, that battle revealed serious flaws in her design despite drastic revisions before she was completed four years later. She had cost 6,025,000 to build. [4], The additional armour added during construction increased her draught by about 4 feet (1.2m) at deep load, which reduced her freeboard and made her very wet. Beam: 104 ft. 2 in. HMS Hood was a battlecruiser not a battleship, a flawed concept from the Edwardian age that sacrificed armour for speed in the mistaken belief the latter would protect her when under fire from 'heavy' opponents. The Admiral-class battlecruisers were designed in response to the German Mackensen-class battlecruisers, which were reported to be more heavily armed and armoured than the latest British battlecruisers of the Renown and the Courageous classes. It remains possible that a door or trunk could have been opened up by an enemy shell, admitting flames to the magazine. Hood was hit by a 250kg (550lb) bomb from a Junkers Ju 88 bomber that damaged her port torpedo bulge and her condensers. The hit split the ship in two and it sank in three minutes! For other ships of the same name, see, According to the testimony of Captain Leach, "between one and two seconds after I formed that impression [of a hit on, Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 14:06, destruction of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, destruction of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kbir, National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth, "ADM 220/76: Reports of Performance in H.M.S. [28] As completed, Hood remained susceptible to plunging shells and bombs. When war with Germany was declared, Hood was operating in the area around Iceland, and she spent the next several months hunting for German commerce raiders and blockade runners between Iceland and the Norwegian Sea. . [55] The ship's near-constant active service, resulting from her status as the Royal Navy's most battle-worthy fast capital ship, meant that her material condition gradually deteriorated, and by the mid-1930s, she was in need of a lengthy overhaul. She was the most powerful warship afloat during the interwar. At the second board, eyewitnesses reported unusual types of discharge from the 15-inch guns of, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 14:06. One of four Admiral-class battlecruisers ordered in mid-1916, Hood had serious design limitations, though her design was drastically revised after the Battle of Jutland and improved while she was under construction. Aboard HMS Lapwing (U 62) when hit on 20 Mar 1945 This work is still very much in development but we have about one-third of the people who died already listed. The British opened fire at 05:52 with Hood engaging Prinz Eugen, the lead ship in the German formation, and the Germans returned fire at 05:55, both ships concentrating on Hood. The exact cause of the loss of Hood remains a subject of debate. CREWMAN Served from 1942 - 1941 Served in HMS Rodney. Here you will find our attempt at creating such a listing. The Special Service Squadron are on a tour around the world. They returned home 10 months later in September 1924, having visited South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and some smaller colonies and dependencies, and the United States. List of crew killed in action aboard HMS Prince of Wales on December 10, 1941. Evidence given to the second board indicated that the doors for the 4-inch ammunition supply trunks were closed throughout the action. When the Battle of Jutland broke out in mid-1916, that battle revealed serious flaws in its design, before it ended four years later. There are 757 crew members registered for the USS Mount Hood (AE 29). It is estimated that as many as 18,000 men, perhaps more, served aboard the "Mighty Hood" during the operational portion of her 21 year career. This included the standard-use 1,920lb Common Pointed Capped (CPC) shell and the equal . HMS Hood was the pride of the Royal Navy. THE only three British sailors to have survived the sinking of HMS Hood after an attack by the Nazis have spoken about their terrifying ordeal the day after the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The 4-inch fire-control director lies in the western debris field. Shipwreck The lower deck was 3inches thick over the propeller shafts, 2inches thick over the magazines and 1inch elsewhere. These were joined in early 1939 by four twin mounts for the QF 4-inch Mark XVI dual-purpose gun. The Bismarck took some beatings from the best battleships in the British navy. Three ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Hood after several members of the Hood family, who were notable naval officers: HMS Hood (1859), a 91-gun second-rate ship of the line, originally laid down as HMS Edgar, but renamed in 1848 and launched in 1859. By this time, advances in naval gunnery had reduced Hood's usefulness. On 25 September 1939, the Home Fleet sortied into the central North Sea to cover the return of the damaged submarine Spearfish. It was introduced in Update "Danger Zone" . The other was fitted in the spotting top above the tripod foremast and equipped with a 15-foot (4.6m) rangefinder. They were and are the very heart and soul of the ship. Unlike Tiger, the armour was angled outwards 12 from the waterline to increase its relative thickness in relation to flat-trajectory shells. Hood Crew Information- This position shows the rudder locked into a 20 port turn, confirming that orders had been given (just prior to the aft magazines detonating) to change the ship's heading and bring the aft turrets 'X' and 'Y' to bear on the German ships. HMS Hood (pennant number 51) was a battlecruiser of the Royal Navy (RN). Unsuccessful, she was ordered to patrol the Bay of Biscay against any breakout attempt by the German ships from Brest, France. The container and its contents were subsequently lost, but its lid survived and was eventually presented to the Royal Navy shore establishment HMS Centurion in 1981.[103][104]. [8], The Admirals were powered by four Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by 24 Yarrow boilers. . Additional information on the service of individual officers is contained in the ADM196 series of records which are available on Ancestry (subscription required) or The National Archives (free if registered). In addition to the above, submissions by individuals remains a valuable contribution to the database. HMS Ledbury saved some of her crew out of the blazing sea. Three torpedo-control towers were fitted, each with a 15-foot (4.6m) rangefinder. Two years later, the "pom-pom" directors were moved to the rear corners of the bridge to get them out of the funnel gases. [94], The forward section lies on its port side, with the amidships section keel up. [93] Bill Jurens points out that there was no magazine of any kind at the location of the break and that the location of the break just forward of the forward transverse armoured bulkhead suggests that the ship's structure failed there as a result of stresses inflicted when the bow was lifted into the vertical position by the sinking stern section. As a battlecruiser, Hood was similar in size and had the offensive capability of. In the heat of the Bismarck battle, HMS Hood was placed out of commission by the KMS Prinz Eugen, leaving the Prince of Wales to defend herself against the two German ships. It has also been supplemented with a great deal of in-depth information from other researchers, most notably Don Kindell, Mary Mckeown, Mary Mochan and the Director of Naval Personnel (Disclosure Cell), Navy Command HQ, to whom we are eternally grateful. -H.M.S. Only three men from her 1,418-man crew survived. The fire on the boat deck penetrated to a magazine. AB Served from 1946 - 1955 Served in HMS Duke Of York. Hood Crew List Updated 06-Jun-2022 It is estimated that as many as 18,000 men, perhaps more, served aboard the "Mighty Hood" during the operational portion of her 21 year career. A large fragment of the wooden transom from one of Hood's boats was washed up in Norway after her loss and is preserved in the National Maritime Museum in London. Albert Edward Pryke "Ted" Briggs was the last survivor of the battle cruiser HMS Hood, sunk by the German warship Bismarck in the North Atlantic during the Second World War. Hood, H.M.S. In January 1941 Janus assisted with convoy operations between Malta and Piraeus. HMS Warspite bombarding defensive positions off Normandy, 6 June 1944. [4] About 28 torpedoes were carried. Hood Crew List Updated 01-Jan-2020. [43] Her size and powerful armament earned her the nickname of "Mighty Hood" and she came to symbolise the might of the British Empire itself. These memorials are dedicated to those who died whilst building and serving aboard Hood. [7] The ship's complement varied widely over her career; in 1919, she was authorised 1,433 men as a squadron flagship; in 1934, she had 81 officers and 1,244 ratings aboard. To save construction time, this was accomplished by thickening the existing armour, rather than redesigning the entire ship. No hits were scored, but the submarine crash-dived and retreated. . [59], Hood was relieved as flagship of Force H by Renown on 10 August, after returning to Scapa Flow. 19 rare photos of HMS Hood - the Royal Navy's final battlecruiser First launched more than 100 years ago, HMS Hood was one of the greatest warships ever built by the Royal Navy. Patrick Drennan. Unfortunately, there is no surviving official single listing of ALL men who served in her. While Type 279 used two aerials, a transmitter and a receiver, the Type 279M used only a single transceiver aerial. Its main conclusion is that the loss was almost certainly precipitated by the explosion of a 4-inch magazine, but that there are several ways this could have been initiated, although he rules out the boat deck fire or the detonation of her torpedoes as probable causes. PETTY OFFICER Served from 1942 - 1946 Served in HMS Rodney. [65] A note on a survivor's sketch in the RN Historical Branch Archives gives .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}6320N 3150W / 63.333N 31.833W / 63.333; -31.833 as the position of the sinking.
