On this day in history 7 June 1917, the Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyer HMS Zubian was placed in commission.
Zubian was constructed at Chatham from the forward end of HMS Zulu (damaged by mine in November 1916) and the rear and mid sections of HMS Nubian (damaged by torpedo in October 1916). The name “Zubian” is a portmanteau of Zulu and Nubian.
Onboard Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyer HMS Cossack, 1940. Petty Officer Scott with “Pluto”, the destroyer’s mascot. Pluto has been in all the ship’s battles including Narvik and Altmark episode.© IWM (A 1597)
On 16 February, 1940, Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyer HMS Cossack (Capt. Philip Vian, RN) pursued the German prison ship Altmark into Jøssingfjord, Norway, and freed 299 prisoners of war.
The orders to enter neutral Norwegian waters had been approved personally by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill. If Capt. Vian was unable to secure the cooperation of the Norwegian authorities to search the Altmark – which herself was in violation of Norwegian neutrality – then he was ordered to board the Nazi vessel regardless, as a copy of the Admiralty signal to Vian shows:
Signal from Admiralty to Captain (D) 4th Flotilla sent 16th February 1940.
The official Norwegian inspection of Altmark when she entered territorial waters had, on three separate occasions, failed to discover the 299 prisoners held in the ship’s hold. How thorough were these inspections? To what extent was Adm. Carsten Tank-Nielsen complicit in letting the German’s continue their deception? Where the Norwegians attempting to curry favour Germany? These are questions worthy of debate at another time.
Vian was unable to secure the co-operation of the Norwegian authorities, beyond yet another assurance that the were no prisoners held on the Altmark. At 22:20 on the night of 16th February 1940, Vian brought HMS Cossack alongside the Altmark and sent a boarding party. After a bloody struggle, the armed German guards were overpowered and the prisoners were located.
“Any Englishmen here?”
“Yes! We are all British!”
“Well, the Navy’s here!”
The boarding party from HMS Cossack tackled the Altmark’s German guards in hand-to-hand fighting with fixed bayonets and cutlasses. It was the last recorded use of the cutlass in a boarding action by the Royal Navy.
Cutlass, 1900 Pattern. From the Canadian War Museum.
Concluding the action, Capt. Vian signalled the Admiralty with news of his success, as this copy of his signal shows:
Capt. Vian’s signal to the Admiralty sent on the morning of 17 February 1940.
HMS Cossack left Jøssingfjord unmolested by Norwegian ships, although official protests were lodged through diplomatic channels. She arrived at Leith where she landed the rescued merchant seamen. Vian was awarded the DSO for his actions on the night of 16th/17th February and the phrase, “The Navy’s here!” would enter the history books.
HMS ‘Cossack’ and the prison ship ‘Altmark’, 16 February 1940, by Norman Wilkinson. Painting in collection of National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Copyright Norman Wilkinson Estate.
A short newsreel from British Pathé.
Marry this with an archived 1963 edition of Flight International highlighting the new missile system.
One of a series of damage control posters produced by the Royal Navy.
HMS Cossack damage control poster S 1581 (11)
HMCS Haida, a Tribal Class destroyer built in England, was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy in 1943, serving in many theatres of operation through the Second World War. After a post-war refit, Haida continued in service through Korean War and Cold War situations, until she was decommissioned in 1963. The ship was acquired by the Province of Ontario and moved to Ontario Place (Toronto) in 1971. The ship was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984 by the federal government, and ownership was transferred to Parks Canada in 2002. HMCS Haida arrived at Pier 9 in Hamilton Harbour on August 30, 2003, the 60th anniversary of her commissioning.
HMS Ashanti (F117)
built: Yarrow & Co Ltd, Glasgow
laid down: 15 January 1958
launched: 9 March 1959
commissioned: 23 November 1961
fate: sunk as target 1988
HMS Nubian (F131)
built: HM Dockyard, Portsmouth
laid down: 7 September 1959
launched: 6 September 1960
commissioned: 9 October 1962
fate: sunk as target 1987
HMS Gurkha (F122)
built: JI Thornycroft & Co Ltd, Southampton
laid down: 3 November 1958
launched: 11 July 1960
commissioned: 13 February 1963
fate: sold to Indonesia as ‘Wilhelmus Zakarias Yohannes’ in 1984
HMS Eskimo (F119)
built: JS White & Co Ltd, Cowes, Isle of Wight
laid down: 22 October 1958
launched: 20 March 1960
commissioned: 21 February 1963
fate: sunk as target 1986
HMS Tartar (F133)
built: HM Dockyard, Devonport
laid down: 22 October 1959
launched: 19 September 1960
commissioned: 26 February 1962
fate: sold to Indonesia as ‘Hasanuddin’ 1984
HMS Mohawk (F125)
built: Vickers-Armstrongs (Shipbuilders) Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness
laid down: 23 December 1960
launched: 5 April 1962
commissioned: 29 December 1963
fate: sold for scrap 1982
HMS Zulu (F124)
built: Alex Stephen & Sons, Ltd, Linthouse, Glasgow
laid down: 13 December 1960
launched: 3 July 1962
commissioned: 17 April 1964
fate: sold to Indonesia as ‘Martha Khristina Tiyahahu’ 1984
‘Were I to die at this moment “want of frigates” would be found stamped on my heart.’ Horatio Nelson, 1798.
In 1983, 30-years ago (which scarcely seems credible to this old fart), in the midst of the it-seemed-hot-enough-at-the-time Cold War, in the immediate aftermath of the Falklands Conflict, the Royal Navy planned for a force of 50 frigates and destroyers (HC Deb 28 November 1983 vol 49 cc661-737).
HMS Achilles (F12) Leander-class frigate at HMNB Portsmouth, 1983.
In 1993, post Cold War, already in draw down and reaping the so-called peace dividend, the Royal Navy was facing reductions to a force of 40 frigates and destroyers (HC Deb 25 February 1993 vol 219 c717W).
HMS Amazon (F169) Type 21 frigate sold to Pakistan as PNS Babur (D182) in 1993.
By 2003, in the midst of the Global War on Terror and with the Iraq War coming to the fore, the force had been reduced to 31 frigates and destroyers… of which only 26 were operational (HC Deb 12 May 2003 vol 405 cc47-50W).
HMS Glasgow (D88) Type 42 destroyer at HMNB Portsmouth, 2003. Copyright Kev Slade.
Today, 2013, realpolitik, Spain rattles its sabres over Gibraltar, Argentina remains bellicose over the Falklands, there is continued instability in Libya, Syria and Egypt, there are standing demands for counter-narcotics patrols in the Caribbean and counter-piracy patrols off the coast of East Africa, and the war of terror continues, and there is always the need for a Fleet Ready Escort… well… we’re down to just 19 frigates and destroyers (13 surviving Type 23, 5 Type 45 in commission, 1 Type 45 undergoing sea trials).
HMS Dragon (D35) Type 45 destroyer, off Gibraltar, 2013. Crown copyright.
Just 19. And not a single Type 26 on order. Talked about, but not ordered. Spec’d, but not ordered. Number to be purchased undecided.
Type 26 Global Combat Ship. (Copyright © 2013 BAE Systems)
I don’t want to think about how things will be in 2023.
On this day in history…
19th July 1943 was a yet another good day for HM Submarines…
HMS Safari (Lt. R.B. Lakin, DSO, DSC, RN) sank the German barges Maria, Paula and the Italian armed yacht Margherita (88 GRT) with gunfire in the port of Favone, Corsica, France.
HMS Sickle (Lt. J.R. Drummond, DSC, RN) sank the Italian auxiliary minesweeper V 131/Amgiola Maria C. (65 GRT) with gunfire off Porto Vecchio, Italy.
And a good day for US Navy submarines…
USS Porpoise (Lt. Cdr. C.L. Bennett, USN) torpedoed and sank the Japanese troop transport Mikage Maru Nr.20 (2718 GRT) south of Wake Island.
And a good day for the Soviets…
Soviet submarine S-56 torpedoed and sank the German auxiliary patrol vessel NKi 09 / Alane (466 GRT) off the Tanafjord near Gamvik, Norway. (Incidentally, S-56 is preserved as a museum ship in Vladivostok if you’re ever out that way.)
Also on this day…
The Tribal class destroyer HMCS Huron (G24) was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy under command of Lt. Cdr. H. S. Rayner, DSC, RN.
The River class frigate HMS Inver (K302) was commissioned into the Royal Navy under command of Lt. F. H. Gray, RNR.
The Edsall class destroyer escort USS Keith (DE 241) was commissioned into the United States Navy under command of Lt. D. Cochran, USN.
Naval Matters 