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HMS Charybdis, AA cruiser, lost1943

(Navy Photos)

  NAVAL-HISTORY.NET 1998-2012

Archived by British Library, US Library of Congress, and Bavarian State Library
W
orking with the Citizen Science Alliance Zooniverse Project/University of Oxford

"Knowledge not shared is lost" - with thanks to Don Kindell

 RN & RM Casualties  1914-2008 US Navy & USMC Casualties WW1 World War 1 Inter-War World War 2 Royal Navy Ships - Convoy escorts  Naval-Military Campaigns Naval Events - War Diaries  Royal Navy in World War 2 Post-War Falklands War Ships &
Seas
Links &
Contact
 
 

10,000's of Royal Navy log book pages from the World War 1 era are now being made available

 

80 ships are online with another 200 to follow

 

This is a result of the University of Oxford's unique Zooniverse programme. To find out more go to OldWeather.org. To take part in the final editing - a fascinating voyage in time and space - and become the named editor, please visit  From Transcriptions to Ship Histories.

 

see also write-up in "Scientific American"

 
 
 

It is with great sadness that I have heard of the death of Jo Hinds, Richmond, Va, friend and colleague. He contributed so much to naval art and the history of torpedo craft - please see Torpedo Craft Through the Art of Joe Hinds

 

 

SUGGESTED STARTING POINT

TYPE IN MEN, SHIPS, BATTLES, DATES  etc

Google Custom Search

 

 

Dedicated to the many families across the world,  American, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, South African and others, who shared their homes with the men and women of the Royal Navy throughout World War 2

 


When HMS Rodney was being refitted in Boston in mid-1941, members of the crew were entertained by local families. This includes Bill Patterson, Louie and Reggie Pope  (all above) staying with the great grandmother of Deb Cruse - with thanks to Deb, 14 Feb 2012

 


 

HMS NIGER and ships of QP13, lost 5 July 1942

Peter Johnston is travelling to Iceland to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of their loss. For information, email peterjohnston230@btinternet.com

 


 

New

 

Capt Albert Williamson OBE, DSC, MN, HMS Kia Wo, & the Wanhsien Incident, 1926

 

Contemporary World War 1 Accounts - The Navy in Mesopotamia, by Conrad Gato - fact and fiction, and amusing

 

Lt Charles F Paul RN and loss of HM Tug St Genny, 1930

 

Harry Russell, later OBE, Executive Chef of the Cunard Line and his service on HMS Caronia, 1914-16

 

 
 
Dedications
 

This site is partly dedicated to my father, Ordnance Artificer George Smith (left, at Gibraltar in 1942, before Malta convoy Operation 'Pedestal'), lost in the sinking of HMS Charybdis off the Brittany coast on 23rd October 1943. Few men survived and just a handful of bodies were washed ashore on Guernsey. When they were buried by the German authorities, thousand's of Channel Islander's attended, and ever since, Guernsey has commemorated the cruiser's loss, usually with a Royal Navy guardship present - an unusual honour given the thousands of British warships and auxiliaries sunk in two World Wars alone.

 

In 2003, Guernsey Post issued this stamp (©Guernsey Post Limited 2003) bearing a painting of HMS Charybdis as well as Hunt-class escort destroyer HMS Limbourne, torpedoed at the same time (by T-type small destroyers, not E-boats as often described). I am grateful to Guernsey Post for permission to reproduce this rather beautiful stamp.

 

Naval-History.Net is also dedicated to my grandfather, Chief Yeoman of Signals George Smith DSM. He joined the Royal Navy in 1904, and was sunk twice in World War 1 - destroyer HMS Medusa and cruiser HMS Cassandra. Post-war, he served with the North Russian Expeditionary Force 1919, cruised the Baltic in 1921, served on HMS Curlew on the America & West Indies Station 1922-25 and HMS Durban on the China Station in 1926-28. He joined the Royal Naval Shore Signal Service in 1928 and served as a Chief Officer through World War 2 and on to 1948.

 

He was an early and avid photographer, and perhaps because of his experiences as a Signalman, a natural communicator. A lovely man, I am proud to make all his work available on the Internet. He would have appreciated and understood the value of the Web.

 
 
Site information
 

Use of material - please acknowledge www.naval-history.net

 

Archives - can be found at British Library/WebArchive and Internet Archive/Wayback Machine

 

Copyright 1998-2012, updated March 2012

 

see also J B Phillips New Testament & Background by Gordon Smith

 
 
Background & Comments
 
Naval-History.Net started in 1998 with books written by Gordon Smith:
 
'an invaluable reference book on the war at sea (in World War 2) .... as well as an informative guide to naval strategy', Lloyds List
 
'contributed tremendously to my knowledge of the war', Francois Heisbourg, Director, International Institute for Strategic Studies, London
 

'excellent source for naval history of the First and Second World Wars, campaign summaries and more.' - Imperial War Museum (London)

 

'arguable the best military history site currently online .....' - BBC family history magazine Who Do You Think You Are, June 2008

 


 

Since its early days, Naval-History.Net has been considerably enlarged and enriched by the researches of  Don Kindell from the United States, Lieutenant-Commander Geoff Mason RN (Rtd), and other contributors whose names will be found on the pages they helped make available. Over the last 30 or more years, Don and Geoff have produced an estimated total of 15,000 pages of work, most of which is now online. You can find out more in:

 

Naval History and the Internet - the Story of One Site

 

Note on major Naval-History.Net sources

the late Lt Cdr Geoff Mason RN Rtd - Don Kindell

 
 
Notices
 
 

Read online - support the Royal Navy

 
 
An excellent read
 
 

 
 

Challenge Wales - round-the-world racing yacht dedicated to working with young people

 

 
 
 
 
     

NAVAL and MARINE CORPS CASUALTY LISTS

 

 

 

ROYAL NAVY & DOMINION CASUALTIES, 1914-2008
by Name and Date/Ship, including Royal Marines, over 125,000 names

by Don Kindell, US Researcher

also World War 2 period - Royal Australian Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Indian Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, South African Naval Force, Royal Norwegian Navy

Royal Navy Casualties - Monthly and Yearly Totals (being added)

 

 

UNITED STATES NAVY, COAST GUARD
& MARINE CORPS CASUALTIES

World War 1

by Name, Date/Ship, Branches

 

WORLD WAR 1, 1914-18

 

BACKGROUND

  ROAD TO WAR, Franco-Prussian War to Sarajevo, 1871-1914

EXPANSION and ORGANISATION of the IMPERIAL GERMAN NAVY 1897-1918 - A Note

Rise of the Dreadnought Battleship, 1906 to 1914

World War 1 - A MARITIME WAR

World War 1 Documentaries & Films, 1914 to 2008

     

MEN who served

 

CASUALTY LISTS

Royal Navy and Dominion Navies, 1914-1918  by Don Kindell

United States Navy, Marine Corps & Coast Guard, 1917-18

French Navy - 25 Sailors commemorated in a New York Cemetery

__________

 

Royal Navy - Warships and Auxiliary Crew Numbers

Royal Navy - Badges of Rank for Officers, Men and Boys

United States Navy - Badges of Rank for Officers and Enlisted Men

 

Some of the Men who served:

Louis Bechennec, Fireman/Stoker, French Navy, including Serbian Evacuation

Thomas Crisp VC, DSC, Skipper RNR, HM Q-ship Nelson & the Hales Naval Family

Samuel R Hitchin, First Mate, SS Highland Brae, POW on German Kronprinz Wilhelm

John R Hunter, Lieutenant RNVR, Canadian Motor Launch skipper, photographic record

William T G Jones, Seaman, lost with collier SS Mersario, 1 October 1917

Beresford Richards, Surgeon Sub-Lt, RNVR, HMS Zubian and Dover Patrol, 1918

Harry Russell, later OBE, Executive Chef of the Cunard Line and his service on HMS Caronia, 1914-16

George W Smith (upper left) DSM, Chief Yeoman of Signals, 1888-1977, his service record

     

SHIPS

 

1914 and most of 1915 currently available

 

BRITISH VESSELS LOST and DAMAGED AT SEA
in WORLD WAR 1

by Gordon Smith

 

an enlarged and corrected version of the original

HMSO "British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-1918"
 

 

 

 

World War 1-era Royal Navy Warships and Auxiliaries - summaries and images. See also OldWeather.org

 

TRIBUTE to BRITISH SHIPBUILDING and REPAIR INDUSTRIES 1914-18
including Royal Naval Dockyards and Research Establishments

 

British Vessels Lost at Sea including Naval, Merchant Ships and Fishing Vessels, from "British Vessels Lost at Sea, 1914-18", HMSO

 

HMS Zubian, destroyer, in 1918

Elco-built Motor Launches for the Royal Navy

HMS Cheery, Admiralty drifter

 

British Shipbreaking Industry

     
ROYAL NAVY

Victoria Cross  fishing
smack HMS Nelson
 
Battle Honours and Single-Ship Actions, 1914-1918 with links to despatches, casualties and honours/awards
 
Statistical Tables Relating to the War (included in the Royal Navy Estimates 1919-20)
 

 

from the London Gazette - August 1914 to December 1920

 

ROYAL NAVY DESPATCHES

ARMY DESPATCHES
including those with accounts of Naval operations and roles


 

ROYAL NAVY HONOURS and

GALLANTRY AWARDS

 


Royal Navy Ships Receiving Naval Salvage and Prize Bounty Money
 

     

OTHER NAVIES

 

Austro-Hungarian Navy

French Navy

Royal Hellenic or Greek Navy

Imperial Japanese Navy

Turkish or Ottoman Navy

United States Navy, also

     Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Casualties

     Officers and Enlisted Ranks
     Medal of Honor
1915-18

     US Marine Corps in the World War

     Chronology of US Marine Corps in the World War

     
EVENTS and ....
  North Sea in outline 1914-18
Eastern Front
and
Baltic Sea 1914-18
Mediterranean, including Turkish Waters & Black Sea, 1914-18

 

     
.... NAVAL CAMPAIGNS, BATTLES and ACTIONS - London Gazette Despatches, Casualties, Awards etc
   

 

Achilles & Dundee v Leopard Action, March 1917

BELGIAN COAST OPERATIONS, 1914-1918

British East Coast Raid & Minesweeping Operations, December 1914

CAMEROONS CAMPAIGN, 1914

Carmania v Cap Trafalgar Action, September 1914

Coronel, Battle of, November 1914

DARDANELLES & GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGNS, 1915-1916 (in 5 Parts)

Dogger Bank, Battle of, January 1915

Falklands, Battle of the, December 1914

Heligoland Bight, Battle of, August 1914

JUTLAND, BATTLE OF, 31May/1June 1916 (in 4 Parts)

Königsberg Action, July 1915

MESOPOTAMIAN CAMPAIGN, 1914-1918

Suez Canal, Defence of the  1915

Sydney v Emden Action, November 1914

ZEEBRUGGE & OSTEND RAIDS, April & May 1918

     

MEDALS

 

Victoria Cross at Sea, including RN Division 1914-19
Albert Medal at Sea, including Merchant Navy  1915-19
Medal of Honor, US Navy and Marine Corps 1915-18

Pour le Merité, the "Blue Max", Imperial German Navy including naval aviation

     
CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTS
 

The Navy Everywhere, by Conrad Gato -  the RN in Africa,  E. Europe, Middle East

 

The Navy in Mesopotamia, also by Conrad Gato - fact and fiction, and amusing

 

On the Coast of France: United States Naval Forces in French Waters by Joseph Husband, Ensign, USNRF

The United States Marine Corps in the World War by Edwin N. McClellan,  Major, U. S. Marines

   
     

INTER-WAR, 1918-39

 

MEN who served

 

CASUALTY LISTS of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies, 1918-1939 by Don Kindell

 

Lt Charles F Paul RN and loss of HM Tug St Genny, 1930

Capt Albert Williamson OBE, DSC, MN, HMS Kia Wo, & the Wanhsien Incident, 1926

 

Post-World War 1 service of George W Smith DSM:

North Russian Expeditionary Force 1919

HMS Vanquisher, Baltic Sea Cruise 1921

HMS Curlew, America & West Indies Station 1922-25

HMS Durban, China Station 1926-28

Royal Naval Shore Signal Service 1929-48

     

SHIPS

 

Royal Navy WARSHIP SERVICE Summaries by Lt Cdr G Mason

 

Cox's Navy, Salvaging the German High Seas Fleet by Tony Booth

Loss of HM Tug St Genny, January 1930

     
ROYAL NAVY
    Royal Navy Estimates 1919-20 and Summary of Naval Activities since the Armistice
     
 

EVENTS

 

Versailles Treaty to Polish Blitzkrieg 1919-39

Russian Civil War 1919
Point Honda Disaster of the US Navy 1923

Wanhsien Incident, China 1926

   
     

WORLD WAR 2, 1939-45

 

MEN who served

 

CASUALTY LISTS of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies, 1939-1945  by Don Kindell

 

Some of the Men who served:
Horace Carswell DSM, MM, BEM, Chief Steward
, and Russian Convoy PQ.17

Sidney Kerslake RNR, Leading Seaman, 1920-99, Norway and Russian Convoys
Edward Palmer BEM, Coxswain, attack on HMS Foyle Bank July 1940
Harold Siddall, Stoker, 1916-97, from Scapa Flow to Crete, and on to a German Stalag
George Smith (left), Ordnance Artificer, 1916-43, HMS Charybdis

Henry Sutton, Petty Officer, HMS Blackpool, and his Letter from Normandy, June 1944
Frank Taylor, Able Seaman, HMS Scarab, Mediterranean service 1943-44
Roderick Timms, Lt Cdr, RD*, RNR and Coastal Forces, 1941-45 (external site)

Maurice Whiteing, Leading Air Mechanic, HMS Indomitable, Far East, 1944-1945

Basil Woolf, MID, Petty Officer, the Battle for Walcheren, 1st November 1944

     

SHIPS

 

 

 

SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2
including Class Information

by Lieutenant Commander Geoffrey Mason, RN (Rtd)

 

also

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of ROYAL and DOMINION NAVY VESSELS by Don Kindell

 

 

Major BRITISH WARSHIP LOSSES  with commanding officers, loss locations and casualties - Capital ships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers & escort destroyers, submarines, including X-craft

British Naval Losses  by Name, Date, Theatre, Type of ship, from "British Vessels Lost at Sea, 1939-45", HMSO

 

HMS Indomitable in the Far East 1944-45, a photographic record

HMS Charybdis:

     All in a Day's Work - Her Career by 'Rocky' Royle

     Her Loss and Commemoration, by the Charybdis Association  

     Account of Her Loss from Captured German Archives

Capture of British Yard Minesweeper BYMS-72, 1943 Aegean Campaign, by Cdr Bruhn USN

HM Harbour Defence Motor Launch No.1001, RN and later career

Thames Lighters at War, off the British & US Normandy beaches

     

ROYAL NAVY

 

Royal Navy at Beginning and End of World War 2

Royal Navy, Royal Marine, Single-Ship Battle Honours 1939-45, with links to Campaigns

 

Naval Life and Customs by Lt-Cdr John Irving RN, a gem of a book
Ranks, Trades, Pay & Allowances, Badges of Rank 1942

 

Naval-related Code Names - Alphabetically - Chronologically

Royal Navy Minelaying Operations

Warrant Officers in the Royal Navy - a history
Officer/Rating Relationships in the Royal Navy 1941-1972

Pennant Numbers - with Addendum on the Pacific 1944-45, all by Lt Cdr G Mason

Naval Parties of the Royal Navy, World War 2 by Lt Cdr Ben Warlow

     
DOMINION and ALLLIED NAVIES
under Royal Navy control
 

Royal Australian Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Indian Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, South African Naval Force - ship histories, convoy movements, casualties 1939-47 plus links

South African Naval Nomenclature for Navy & Ships by Vice Adm Alan Grose RN (Rtd)

Royal Norwegian Navy - ship histories, convoy movements, casualties 1940-45 plus links

     

EVENTS

 


NAVAL and MILITARY CAMPAIGN SUMMARIES
by Type of Warfare, Navies, Theatres
by Gordon Smith

 

 

 

BRITISH and OTHER NAVIES DAY-BY-DAY 1939-42
Ship Movements, Actions, Losses

by Don Kindell

 


 

ADMIRALTY WAR DIARIES and REPORTS

transcribed by Don Kindell

 

Latest

 

North Atlantic Command, Gibraltar, April-December 1942
West Africa Command, Freetown, April-December 1942, January-April 1943

South Africa, South Atlantic Command, Capetown, January-December 1941, January-February 1942
Mediterranean Fleet, April-December 1942
Malta Command, April-December 1942

 

HMS Khartoum - Loss due to defective air vessel, 23rd June 1940

 

 


ROYAL, DOMINION & ALLIED NAVIES
in WORLD WAR 2

 Month-by-Month across all Theatres
 
by Gordon Smith

 

     

CONVOYS

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of ROYAL and DOMINION NAVY VESSELS by Don Kindell 

 

THE SUPPLY OF MALTA 1940-1942, including the Malta Convoys

ROUTE TO THE EAST - the WS (Winston’s Special) Convoys, both by the late Arnold Hague

 

RUSSIAN CONVOYS including Russian Front Summary Maps

 

Allied Convoy Codes, courtesy HyperWar Foundation

ConvoyWeb - convoy lists and more (external site)

     

MEDALS

 

Victoria Cross at Sea, 1940-45

George Cross & Albert Medal at Sea, 1939-45

Medal of Honor at Sea, 1941-45

 

Imperial Japanese Navy and Order of the Golden Kite - A Note

     
TECHNICAL
 

Allied Anti-Submarine Weapons - A Note

High Frequency Radio Direction Finding - HF/DF or Huff Duff

New Zealand's Contribution to Radar Development

Hydrographic Survey Work in the RN up to the 1980's, all by Lt Cdr G Mason

The Early Days of Wireless at Sea by Louis C. Kleber

     

MAPS, etc

 

Campaign and Battle Maps, World Wars 1 & 2, Falklands War

Posters of the Royal Navy in World War 2

Service Magazines of the World's Forces

Victory Celebrations in London, June 1946

 

   

POST-WAR, 1945-present

 

MEN who served

 

CASUALTY LISTS of the Royal Navy 1945-present  by Don Kindell

 

David Hamilton, Commander [F}, RN, his seagoing and flying career, 1939-1968

James Summerlee, Lieutenant Commander, MID, RN (Rtd), FAA, Korea and Suez SAR

     

SHIPS & ESTABLISHMENTS

 

Royal Navy WARSHIP SERVICE Summaries

 

Loch-class Frigates in the Dutch East Indies 1945-1946

Salvage Operations by RN Frigates 1950-1964

Modernisation of Town and Colony-class Light Cruisers, all by Lt Cdr G Mason

Naval Parties of the Royal Navy, Postwar by Lt Cdr Ben Warlow

Navy-Mad in the Nineteen Fifties by Gordon Smith

     

EVENTS

 

Royal Navy Chronology - 1946-1950 - 1951-1960 - 1961-1970 by Lt Cdr G Mason

 


BATTLE ATLAS of the FALKLANDS WAR 1982
by Land, Sea and Air

by Gordon Smith

 


Passing Through Ascension - Photographic record of Ascension Island during the War

 

Missiles in the Malouines/Falklands - the Art of Daniel Bechennec

     
     
    Excellent coverage of Post-War period (external site)
     
SHIPS and SEAS
 
 

 

 

Torpedo Craft Through the Art of Joe Hinds, including the amazing planned German Type 5B

 

Ship and Naval Base Crests, from "Empire to Commonwealth" by Father Anthony Hathaway-Taylor, also RN and RCN Badges by Ed Buscall (external sites)

 

Sailing in the Bristol Channel by Gordon Smith

 

British Pathé Newsreel Archives 1897-1970 - Naval history footage (external site)

     

revised 31/3/12


 

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