.jpg/300px-HMS_Achates_(H12).jpg) |
|
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | 6 March 1928 |
| Laid down: | 11 September 1928 |
| Launched: | 4 October 1929 |
| Commissioned: | 27 March 1930 |
| Motto: | Fidus Achates (Latin: "Faithful Achates") |
| Fate: | Sunk, Battle of the Barents Sea 31 December 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 1,350 tons |
| Length: | 312 ft (95 m) between perpendiculars 323 ft (98 m) overall |
| Beam: | 32 ft 3 in |
| Draught: | 8 ft 6 in |
| Propulsion: | 2 shaft geared turbines 34,000 shp |
| Complement: | 138 (194 in war) |
| Armament: | 2 X 4. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Battle of the Barents Sea took place on December 31, 1942 between British ships escorting Convoy JW 51B to Kola Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A turbine is a rotary Engine that extracts Energy from a Fluid flow 7 in. 2 pom-pom 2 pdr. (2X1) 4 X 20 mm. Oerlikons (4X1) guns 4 x 21 in. The term " Oerlikon 20 mm cannon " refers to a series of Autocannons based on an original designed by Reinhold Becker during World War I, and torpedo tubes (3 x 21 in. torpedo, 1 x 21 in. depth charge) A. Depth Charge is a character in the Beast Wars: Transformers universe T. W. (Ahead Thrown Weapon) known as a hedgehog, in place of "A" Gun , "y" gun was removed and depth charges stowed, 4 depth charge throwers were fitted |
HMS Achates (Lt. For the area denial weapon see Czech hedgehog. The Hedgehog was an Anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy Cdr. A. H. T. Johns, R. N. , DSO+) was an A-class destroyer of the Royal Navy launched on 4 October 1929 and commissioned on 27 March 1930. Design The A class were an Admiralty standard design based on the 1926 prototypes ''Amazon'' and ''Ambuscade''. In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Events 610 - Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She was sunk on 31 December 1942 in the Battle of the Barents Sea. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Battle of the Barents Sea took place on December 31, 1942 between British ships escorting Convoy JW 51B to Kola
Contents |
The Hood Episode
In early May 1941, the British Admiralty was on the alert that the German battleship Bismarck may attempt to break out into the North Atlantic, so Achates was ordered to Scapa Flow for possible deployment against the Germans. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Background Design of the ship started in the early 1930s following on from Germany's development of the ''Deutschland'' class cruisers and the ''Scharnhorst'' class Scapa Flow ( Old Norse: Skalpaflói) is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands On 22 May, just after midnight, Achates sailed along with the destroyers Electra, Antelope, Anthony, Echo, and Icarus, escorting the Hood and Prince Of Wales to cover the northern approaches. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Service First Deployment Upon commissioning in 1934 she was attached to the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet, along with the rest of her E-class History Construction Construction of Hood began at the John Brown & Company shipyards in Clydebank, Scotland, on 1 September Naming The Admiralty ordered construction of two new ''King George V''-class Battleships on 29 July 1936 (the other became HMS ''King George V'') The intention was that the force would refuel in Hvalfjord, Iceland, and then sail again to watch the Denmark Strait. Hvalfjörður (Icelandic Whale - Fjord) is situated in the west of Iceland between Mosfellsbær and Akranes. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland (
On the evening of 23 May, weather started getting bad. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne At 2055 hrs. , Admiral Lancelot Holland aboard the Hood signaled the destroyers "If you are unable to maintain this speed I will have to go on without you. Lancelot Ernest Holland, CB ( September 13, 1887 &ndash May 24, 1941) was an admiral who commanded the British force in the You should follow at your best speed. " At 0215 on the morning of 24 May, the destroyers were ordered to spread out at 15 mile intervals to search to the north. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned At about 0535, the German forces were sighted by the Hood, and shortly after, the Germans sighted the British ships. Firing commenced at 0552. At 0601, Hood took a 38 cm (15 inch) shell from Bismarck in the after magazine, which caused a massive explosion, sinking the ship within two minutes.
Electra and other destroyers were about 60 miles away at the time. Upon hearing that the Hood had sunk, Electra raced to the area, arriving about two hours after the Hood went down. They were expecting to find many survivors, and rigged scrambling nets and heaving lines, and placed life belts on the deck where they could be quickly thrown in. From the 94 officers and 1321 enlisted men who were aboard the Hood, only three survivors were found. Electra rescued these survivors, and continued searching. Shortly thereafter, Icarus and Anthony joined in and the three ships searched the area for more survivors. No more were found, only driftwood, debris, and a desk drawer filled with documents. After several hours searching, they left the area.
Kirkenes and Torch
In July 1941, while taking position in the screen of carriers preparing for the disastrous air strike against Kirkenes/Petsamo, Achates was mined and severely damaged, but managed to make port for repairs. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ( Finnish: Kirkkoniemi, Sámi: Girkonjárga) is the centre of the municipality of Sør-Varanger in Finnmark county Norway
On 8 November 1942, while deployed off Oran, Algeria for operation "Torch", Achates and Westcott detected, attacked and sank the Vichy French submarine Argonaute, which had sortied to contest the Allied landings in the area. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Oran ( Arabic:ar وهران pronounced Wahran; also transliterated as Ouahran, Spanish: Orán. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Operation Torch (initially called Operation Gymnast) was the British - American invasion of French North Africa in World War II Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944
Battle of the Barents Sea
On 31 December 1942, Achates was on escort duty protecting the Russian convoy JW 51B en route from Loch Ewe to Murmansk when she was sunk in the Barents Sea
The German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, pocket battleship Lützow and six large destroyers had been ordered to attack and destroy the convoy. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending A convoy is a group of Vehicles (of any type but usually motor vehicles or ships traveling together for mutual support The Arctic Convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and the United States to the northern ports of the Soviet Loch Ewe ( Scottish Gaelic: Loch Iùbh) is a sea Loch on the west coast of the Ross and Cromarty district in the Northwest Highlands Murmansk (Му́рманск Murmanska Muurman is a city and Seaport in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, 12 km The Battle of the Barents Sea took place on December 31, 1942 between British ships escorting Convoy JW 51B to Kola The heavy cruiser was a type of Cruiser, a naval Warship designed for long range high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 8in in calibre History Admiral Hipper took part in the German invasion of Norway ( Operation Weserübung) Description German capital ships were restricted by the Treaty of Versailles to a displacement of 10000 tons for "armoured ships" Description Their size and characteristics were severely limited by the Treaty of Versailles, which limited Germany to ships of no more than 10000 tons displacement Despite being heavily outgunned the escort, under the command of Captain R. St. Vincent Sherbrooke, beat off the attack and not one merchant vessel was lost. Robert St Vincent Sherbrooke VC CB DSO ( Oxton 8 January 1901 - Oxton 13 June 1972) was
At 11:15, Achates was laying smoke to protect the convoy when she was hit by gunfire from the Hipper, killing the commanding officer, Lt Cdr Johns, and forty crew. History Admiral Hipper took part in the German invasion of Norway ( Operation Weserübung) The First Lieutenant, Lt L. E. Peyton-Jones, took over command and, despite having sustained severe damage in the shelling, Achates continued her smoke screen operation. At 13:30 she went down 135nm ESE of Bear Island. Bjørnøya, Bear Island in Norwegian is a common name for Norwegian islands Bear Island (Norway in the Svalbard Archipelago, in 113 seamen were lost and 80 were rescued.
Awards
Following the battle, the following awards for gallantry were made to men on Achates:
D.S.O.: Lt L. The Distinguished Service Order ( DSO) is a Military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries awarded for E. Peyton-Jones D. S. C.
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal: ERA H. See also Pingat Gagah Perkasa for Conspicuous Gallantry Medal of Singapore The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM was until 1993 a military decoration awarded Hawksworth.
D.S.C.: Gunner (T) G. The Distinguished Service Cross ( DSC) is the third level Military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993 ratings of the Royal Navy and formerly W. Davies.
D.S.M.: Stoker J. The Distinguished Service Medal was (until 1993 a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Navy and members of the other services, and formerly also Colley; Able Seaman C. Brightmore; Able Seaman H. Platt; CPO D. Hall; Stoker E. Drummond; Stoker L. Meacock; Yeoman of Signals A. W. Taylor.
Mentioned in Despatches: Chief Stoker W. Mentioned in Despatches (MID is a Military award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service Brown, D. S. M. ; Leading Seaman R. C. Wells; PO F. Batchelor; Telegraphist E. J. Dickinson; Stoker W. Wilkinson.
Posthumously Mentioned in Despatches: Lt Cdr A. H. T. Johns; Lt (E) P. A. Wright, R. N. R. ; Surgeon-Lt J. L. MacFarlane; Stoker PO R. Bell; Supply PO R. Bell; Supply PO J. R. Cole; Able Seaman K. MacIver; Able Seaman C. W. Coe; PO Telegraphist W. Bartripp; Officers Steward A. Jones; Canteen Manager G. Drummond; PO B. C. Carpenter.
Seaman Kenneth MacIver RNR was posthumously awarded the Oak Leaf and mentioned in despatches. Mentioned in Despatches (MID is a Military award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service He put himself at risk to rescue comrades in a rapidly flooding cabin, then made trips across the deck while under heavy fire to take over the ships wheel. With the aid of just a ships compass he continued to steer the stricken ship and maintain the laying down of smoke screen. Unfortunately, as the survivors were being picked up the wheelhouse was totally destroyed by further shelling and Seaman MacIver lost his life.
References
- 73 North by Dudley Pope; a full account of the Battle of the Barents Sea
External links
- Coxswain in the Northern Convoys by S. Dudley Bernard Egerton Pope ( 29 December 1925 - 25 April 1997) was a British Writer of both Nautical fiction The Battle of the Barents Sea took place on December 31, 1942 between British ships escorting Convoy JW 51B to Kola A. Kerslake; an ex-fisherman's account of convoy JW51B and the sinking of the Achates
- Royal Navy and Maritime Book Reviews: HMS Achates by Rob Jerrard
- The Last Commission of HMS Achates by H. J. Scott-Douglas; on the BBC "WW2 People's War" Archive
- Obituary: Commander Loftus Peyton-Jones, Daily Telegraph 9 January 2001
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic