Naval-History.net Background

Dedications

This site is partly dedicated to my father, Ordnance Artificer George Smith (above 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.

Charybdis Stamp 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.

Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net, 1998

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.

Background & Comments

Naval-History.Net started in 1998 with books written by Gordon Smith:

Book War at Sea 'an invaluable reference book on the war at sea .... as well as an informative guide to naval strategy', Lloyds List - see Royal, Dominion & Allied Navies in World War 2, Month-by-Month across all Theatres

Falkland's Book 'contributed tremendously to my knowledge of the war', Francois Heisbourg, Director, International Institute for Strategic Studies, London - see Battle Atlas of the Falklands War 1982 by Land, Sea and Air

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

'arguably the best military history site currently online .....' - BBC family history magazine Who Do You Think You Are

'having visited the site I am aware first hand of its quality ..... Chris Page, Head of my Naval Historical Branch is hugely impressed ..... Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, then First Sea Lord

Naval History Adviser to the Zooniverse Citizen Science 'Old Weather' Project

Associated with the National Museum of the Royal Navy

Archived by British Library, US Library of Congress, Bavarian State Library

Since its early days, Naval-History.Net has been considerably enlarged and enriched by the researches of Don Kindell from the United States, the late Lt-Cdr Geoff Mason RN, Dr Graham Watson and other contributors whose names will be found on the pages they helped make available. Over the 30 or more years, Don and Geoff 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 on One Site

Note on Naval-History.Net sources , the late Lt-Cdr Geoff Mason RN and researcher Don Kindell

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

Naval-History.Net-related Books

Based on British and Other Navies Day-by-Day 1939-1942, Ship Movements, Actions and Losses by Don Kindell

The multi-volume WORLD WAR II SEA WAR by Don Bertke, Don Kindell, Gordon Smith. Starting with the already voluminous researches of Don Kindell, Don Bertke has compiled and further enlarged the work to present a highly detailed account of the War at Sea, Day-by-Day across all theatres. As of 2015, Don Bertke has completed eight volumes.

Volume 1: The Nazis Strike First, August 1939 to March 1940

Volume 2: France Falls, Britain Stands Alone, April to September 1940

Volume 3: The Royal Navy is Bloodied in the Mediterranean, October 1940 to May 1941

Volume 4: Germany Sends Russia to the Allies, June to November 1941

Volume 5 .....

From Royal & Dominion Navy Casualties 1914-2008 by Name and Date/Ship, compiled by Don Kindell using Admiralty Death Ledgers, Admiralty Communiqués, and other Official sources

Foreword by Capt Christopher Page RN Rtd, ex-Head, Naval Historical Branch, MOD