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| − | '''HMS ''Royal Oak''''' was a [[Revenge Class (1914)|''Revenge''-class]] [[battleship]] of the British [[Royal Navy]], torpedoed in [[Scapa Flow]] by the German submarine ''U-47'' on [[14 October]], [[1939]]. Launched in 1914 and completed in 1916, ''Royal Oak'' first saw action at the [[Battle of Jutland]]. In peacetime, she served in the [[BritishAtlantic Fleet|Atlantic]], [[Home Fleet|Home]] and [[Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom)|Mediterranean]] fleets, coming under accidental attack on more than one occasion. The ship became the centre of worldwide attention in 1928 when her senior officers were controversially [[court-martial]]led. During a twenty-five year career, attempts to modernise ''Royal Oak'' could not address her fundamental lack of speed, and by the start of the [[Second World War]], she was no longer suited to front-line duty. | + | <div name=fredbot:career>{{ShipCareer|fullname=H.M.S. ''Royal Oak'' (1914)|fate2=by U-47 in Scapa Flow |
| | + | |comm=1 May, 1916{{NLJan21|p. 858}} |
| | + | |fatedate=14 Oct, 1939{{DittColl|p. 34}} |
| | + | |order=1913 Programme{{Conways1906|p. 35}} |
| | + | |name=Royal Oak |
| | + | |launch=17 Nov, 1914{{DittColl|p. 34}} |
| | + | |builder=[[Devonport Royal Dockyard]]{{DittColl|p. 34}} |
| | + | |laid=15 Jan, 1914{{Conways1906|p. 35}} |
| | + | |fate=Torpedoed |
| | + | |pend=67 (Aug 1914)<br>4A (Jan 1918)<br>38 (Apr 1918){{DittColl|p. 34}} |
| | + | |fg=white|bg=crimson}}</div name=fredbot:career> |
| | + | '''H.M.S. ''Royal Oak''''' was a [[Revenge Class Battleship (1914)|''Revenge'' class]] [[dreadnought]] [[battleship]] of the British [[Royal Navy]], torpedoed in [[Scapa Flow]] by the German submarine ''U-47'' on 14 October, 1939. Launched in 1914 and completed in 1916, ''Royal Oak'' first saw action at the [[Battle of Jutland]] with the [[Grand Fleet]]. In peacetime, she served in the [[Atlantic Fleet (Royal Navy)|Atlantic]], [[Home Fleet (Royal Navy)|Home]] and [[Mediterranean Station|Mediterranean]] fleets, coming under accidental attack on more than one occasion. The ship became the centre of worldwide attention in 1928 when her Captain and Commander were Court Martialled for petulant grievances. |
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| − | ''Royal Oak'' was anchored at Scapa Flow in [[Orkney]], [[Scotland]] when she became the first of the five Royal Navy battleships and [[battlecruisers]] sunk in the Second World War. The loss of life was heavy: of ''Royal Oak''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s complement of 1,234 men, 833 were killed that night or died later of their wounds. The numerical superiority enjoyed by the British navy and its [[Allies of World War II|allies]] meant that the loss of the obsolete veteran of the [[First World War]] made little difference to the naval balance of power, but the effect on wartime morale was considerable. The U-boat commander, [[Günther Prien]], became an immediate celebrity and [[war hero]]; on returning to Germany he was awarded the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]], the first ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'' officer to be so honoured. To the British, the raid demonstrated that the Germans were capable of bringing the naval war to their home waters, and resulted in rapidly-arranged changes to dockland security.
| + | ==Construction & Service== |
| | + | The keel plate was laid on 15 January, 1914, in a cerrmony performed by Mrs. Hockaday, wife of Mr. W. T. Hockaday, Manager of the Constructive Department.<ref>"Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). ''The Times''. Friday, 16 January, 1914. Issue '''40422''', col E, p. 54.</ref> |
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| − | Now lying upside-down in 30 m of water with her hull 5 m beneath the surface, ''Royal Oak'' is a designated [[war grave]]. In an annual ceremony to mark the loss of the ship, Royal Navy divers place a [[White Ensign]] at her stern. Unauthorised divers are prohibited from approaching the wreck at any time.
| + | Though the ship was still two years from completion, in July 1914, the ship was appropriated 42-foot motor launch No. 252, though the boat was not yet delivered from the contractor.{{AWO1914|122 of 10 July, 1914}} |
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| − | ==Construction==
| + | In March, 1915, [[Open Director Sight]]s were ordered for all{{INF}} her turrets. They were likely in place by her completion.<ref>''The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in H.M. Ships''. p. 18.</ref> |
| − | The ''Revenge'' class to which ''Royal Oak'' belonged was ordered in the 1913–14 [[Estimates]] to be a cheaper—but smaller and slower—coal-fired version of the earlier [[Queen Elizabeth class battleship|''Queen Elizabeth''-class]] [[Battleship#The "Super Dreadnoughts"|super-dreadnoughts]].<ref>{{cite book | last = McKee| title = Black Saturday| pages = p12}}</ref> The design, seemingly a technological step backwards, was partly a response to fears that a dependence upon fuel oil—all of which had to be imported—could leave the class crippled in the event of a successful maritime blockade.<ref name="Watts">{{cite book | last=Watts | title=The Royal Navy: An Illustrated History | pages=pp86-87}}</ref> High-quality coal, on the other hand, was in plentiful supply, and homeland supplies could be guaranteed.<ref name="Watts"/> Furthermore, in contrast to the "Fast Squadron" ''Queen Elizabeths'', the ''Revenge'' class were intended to be the heaviest-gunned vessels in the line of battle proper.<ref>{{cite book | last = Preston| title = Battleships of World War I | pages = p152}}</ref> ''Royal Oak'' and her sisters were the first major vessels for the Royal Navy whose design was supervised by the newly-appointed [[Director of Naval Construction]], Sir [[Eustace Tennyson-D'Eyncourt]].
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| − | [[Image:Royal Oak.jpg|thumb|220px|left|''Royal Oak'' in line astern]]
| + | ===Jutland=== |
| − | ''Royal Oak'' was laid down at [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]] on [[15 January]] [[1914]], the fourth of her class.<ref>The fourth equal of the class to be laid down: ''Royal Sovereign'' began construction the same day. Design changes to the class meant ''Royal Oak'' was the second to commission.</ref> Concerned over the performance limitations of coal, and having secured new oil supplies with a contract agreed with the [[Anglo-Persian Oil Company]], [[First Sea Lord]] [[Jackie Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher|Jackie Fisher]] rescinded the decision on coal in October 1914.<ref name="Watts"/> While under construction, ''Royal Oak'' was redesigned to employ eighteen oil-fired [[Yarrow Shipbuilders|Yarrow]] boilers supplying four [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] [[steam turbine]]s each driving a single [[Propeller|screw]]. The battleship was launched on [[17 November]] of that year, and after fitting-out, was commissioned on [[1 May]] [[1916]] at a final cost of [[GBP|£]]2,468,269.<ref>{{cite book | last = Parkes & Prendergast (ed.) | title = Jane's Fighting Ships, 1939}}</ref> Named after the [[Royal Oak|oak tree]] in which [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] hid following his defeat at the 1651 [[Battle of Worcester]], she was the eighth Royal Navy vessel to bear [[HMS Royal Oak|the name]], replacing a [[pre-dreadnought]] scrapped in 1914. While building she was temporarily assigned the [[pendant number]] ''67''.<ref>{{cite book | last = Colledge & Dittmar| title = British Warships 1914–1919 | pages = p34}}</ref>
| + | {{Main|H.M.S. Royal Oak at the Battle of Jutland}} |
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| − | ''Royal Oak'' was refitted between 1922 and 1924, when her anti-aircraft defences were upgraded by replacing the original 3-inch AA guns with 4-inch high-angle mounts.<ref name="scapa_wrecks">{{cite book | last = Smith| title = The Naval Wrecks of Scapa Flow | pages = pp89-95}}</ref> [[Fire-control system]]s and [[rangefinder]]s for main and secondary batteries were modernised, and underwater protection improved by 'bulging' the ship.<ref name="scapa_wrecks"/><ref>{{citation| last = Admiralty |title = ADM1/9244: ''Royal Oak: Reconstruction | publisher = HMSO | date = 1923}}</ref> The watertight chambers, attached to either side of the hull, were designed to reduce the effect of torpedo blasts and improve stability, but at the same time widened the ship's beam by over 4 meters.<ref name="conways_1922-46">{{cite book | last = Chesneau | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946 | pages = p23}}</ref>
| + | {{UK-Revenge}} and ''Royal Oak'' were the only two ships in the class to fight at Jutland. ''Royal Oak'' was so newly placed into service that she fought in the {{UK-BS|4}}, a formation she was never listed under in the Navy List. |
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| − | A brief refit in the spring of 1927 saw the addition of two more 4-inch high-angle AA guns and the removal of the two 6-inch guns from the shelter deck.<ref name="scapa_wrecks"/> The ship received a final refit between 1934 and 1936, when her deck armour was increased to 5 inches (12.7 cm) over the [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]] and to 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) over the engine rooms. In addition to a general modernisation of the ship's systems, a catapult for a spotter [[float plane]] was installed above ''X''–turret, and anti-aircraft defences were strengthened by doubling up each of the 4-inch AA guns and adding a pair of [[QF_2_pounder_naval_gun#QF_2-pounder_Mark_VIII|octuple Mark VIII pompom]] guns to [[sponson]]s abreast the funnel.<ref name="scapa_wrecks"/><ref name="conways_1922-46"/> The [[mainmast]] was reconstructed as a tripod to support the weight of a [[Radio direction finder|radio-direction finding]] office and a second [[HACS|High-angle Control Station]].<ref name="scapa_wrecks"/> The extra armour and equipment made ''Royal Oak'' one of the best equipped of the ''Revenge'' class, but the additional weight caused her to sit lower in the water, lowering her top speed by several [[Knot (speed)|knots]].<ref name="scapa_wrecks"/>
| + | In June, 1916, she was placed into the {{UK-BS|1}} alongside sister ''Revenge'', acting for her first three months as the squadron flagship. She remained in the First until at least July 1919.<ref>See {{UK-BS|1}} for citations.</ref> |
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| − | ==Career==
| + | ''Royal Oak'' received her secondary battery directors in March, 1917.<ref>''The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in H.M. Ships''. p. 16.</ref> |
| − | ===First World War===
| + | |
| − | The [[First World War]] had been under way for almost two years when ''Royal Oak'' was commissioned. She was assigned to the Third Division of the [[British 4th Battle Squadron|Fourth Battle Squadron]] of the [[British Grand Fleet]], and within the month was ordered, along with most of the fleet, to engage the German [[High Seas Fleet]] in the [[Battle of Jutland]]. Under the command of Captain Crawford Maclachlan,<ref>{{cite web | title = Battle of Jutland:Order of Battle | publisher = Bill Schlielauf | url = http://www.gwpda.org/naval/jutob.htm| accessdate = 2007-02-22}}</ref> ''Royal Oak'' left Scapa Flow on the evening of [[30 May]] in the company of the battleships [[HMS Superb (1907)|''Superb'']], [[HMS Canada (1913)|''Canada'']] and [[John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|Admiral Jellicoe's]] flagship [[HMS Iron Duke|''Iron Duke'']].<ref>{{Citation| last = Admiralty| title = ADM53/58646: Ship's Log: HMS Royal Oak, May 1916 | publisher = HMSO }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Dreadnoughts and Jutland | publisher = Royal Navy | url = http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.1775/changeNav/3533| accessdate = 2006-12-26}}</ref> The next day's indecisive battle saw ''Royal Oak'' fire a total of thirty-eight 15-inch and eighty-four 6-inch shells,<ref>{{cite book | last = Campbell| title = Jutland | pages = pp346-358}}</ref> claiming three hits on the battlecruiser [[SMS Derfflinger|''Derfflinger'']], putting one of its turrets out of action, and a hit on the cruiser ''[[SMS Wiesbaden (1915)|Wiesbaden]]''. She avoided damage herself, despite being straddled by shellfire on one occasion.<ref>{{cite book | last = Campbell| title = Jutland | pages = pp152–157}}</ref>
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| − | Following the battle, ''Royal Oak'' was reassigned to the [[British 1st Battle Squadron|First Battle Squadron]]. On [[5 November]] [[1918]]—the final week of the First World War—she was anchored off [[Burntisland]] in the [[Firth of Forth]] accompanied by the [[aircraft carrier]] [[HMS Campania (1914)|''Campania'']] and [[battlecruiser]] [[HMS Glorious (77)|''Glorious'']]. A sudden [[Beaufort scale|Force 10]] squall caused ''Campania'' to drag her anchor, collide with ''Royal Oak'' and then with the 22,000-ton ''Glorious''. Both ''Royal Oak'' and ''Glorious'' suffered only minor damage; ''Campania'', however, was holed by her initial collision with ''Royal Oak''. Her engine rooms flooded, and she sank five hours later, without loss of life.<ref>{{citation| last = Admiralty |title = ADM156/90: Board of Enquiry into sinking of HMS Campania | publisher = HMSO | date = 1918}}</ref>
| + | ===Post-War=== |
| | + | ''Royal Oak'' was re-commissioned at Portsmouth on 29 April, 1924 for service with the {{UK-BS|2}}, Atlantic Fleet.{{NLApr25|pp. 265''a'', 266}} |
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| − | At the end of the First World War ''Royal Oak'' escorted several vessels of the surrendering German High Seas Fleet from the [[Firth of Forth]] to their internment in [[Scapa Flow]],<ref>{{Citation| last = Admiralty| title = ADM53/58676: Ship's Log: HMS Royal Oak, November 1918 | publisher = HMSO }}</ref> and was present at a ceremony in [[Pentland Firth]] to greet other ships as they followed.
| + | She was re-commissioned at Devonport on 1 April, 1927 for service with the {{UK-BS|1}} in the Mediterranean.{{NLFeb29|pp. 265-6}} |
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| − | ===Between the wars===
| + | She was re-commissioned at Portsmouth on 27 November, 1929 for service with the {{UK-BS|1}} in the Mediterranean.{{NLJul31|p. 266}} |
| − | [[Image:Kenneth Dewar.jpg|thumb|130px|left|Capt. Kenneth Dewar, court-martialled in 1928]]
| + | |
| − | The peacetime reorganisation of the Royal Navy assigned the ''Royal Oak'' to the Second Battleship Squadron of the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]]. Modernised by the 1922–24 refit, she was transferred in 1926 to the [[Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom)|Mediterranean Fleet]], based in [[Gibraltar]] and [[Grand Harbour]], [[Malta]]. In early 1928, this duty saw the notorious incident the contemporary press dubbed the "Royal Oak Mutiny".<ref>{{cite news|title = Admiral's Oaths| work = Time |date = [[1928-04-09]] | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,787085,00.html}}</ref> What began as a simple disagreement between Rear-Admiral Bernard Collard and ''Royal Oak''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s two senior officers Captain Kenneth Dewar and Commander Henry Daniel over the band at the ship's [[wardroom]] dance,<ref>{{cite book | last = Glenton| title = The Royal Oak Affair |pages=pp28–34}} The irascible Collard famously called Marine Bandmaster Percy Barnacle "a bugger", and that he had "never heard such a bloody noise".</ref> descended into a bitter personal feud that spanned several months.<ref>{{cite news|title = Trial by Oaths| work = Time |date = [[1928-04-16]] | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,786821,00.html}}</ref> Dewar and Daniel accused Collard of "vindictive fault-finding" and openly humiliating and insulting them before their crew; Collard accused the two of not following orders and treating him "worse than a midshipman".<ref>{{cite book | last = Glenton| title = The Royal Oak Affair |pages=pp177–183}}</ref> When Dewar and Daniel wrote letters of complaint to Collard's superior, Vice-Admiral John Kelly, he immediately passed them on to the Commander-in-Chief [[Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes|Admiral Sir Roger Keyes]]. On realising that the relationship between the two and their flag admiral had irretrievably broken down, Keyes removed all three from their posts and sent them back to England, postponing a major naval exercise.<ref>{{cite book | last = Gardiner| title = The Royal Oak Courts Martial |pages=pp132–134}}</ref> The press picked up on the story worldwide, describing the affair—with some hyperbole—as a "mutiny".<ref name="time280326">{{cite news|title = Royal Oak| work = Time |date = [[1928-03-26]] | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,787012,00.html}}</ref> Public attention reached such proportions as to raise the concerns of the [[George V of the United Kingdom|King]], who summoned [[First Lord of the Admiralty]] [[William Clive Bridgeman|William Bridgeman]] for an explanation.<ref name="time280326"/>
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| − | {{-}} | + | |
| − | {{Externalimages
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| − | |align=right | + | |
| − | |image1=[http://opal.kent.ac.uk/cartoonx-cgi/image/standard/LSE0371 "Syncopated discipline recital on the ''Royal Oak''"]<br />The "Mutiny" court-martial was criticised—and satirised—in the press, as exemplified by this ''[[Evening Standard]]'' cartoon by [[David Low]]
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| − | }} | + | |
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| − | For their letters of complaint, Dewar and Daniel were controversially charged with writing subversive documents.<ref>{{cite book | last = Gardiner| title = The Royal Oak Courts Martial |pages=p176}}</ref> In a pair of
| + | She re-commissioned at Devonport on 22 June, 1932.{{NLJan33|p. 269}} |
| − | highly publicised [[court-martial|courts-martial]], both were found guilty and severely reprimanded, upon which Daniel resigned almost immediately from the Royal Navy. Collard himself was criticised for his conduct by the press and in Parliament, and on being denounced by Bridgeman as "unfitted to hold further high command", was forcibly retired from service.<ref>{{cite book | last = Glenton| title = The Royal Oak Affair |pages=p162}}</ref> A consequence of the affair was an undertaking from the Admiralty to review the means by which naval officers might bring complaints against the conduct of their superiors.
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| − | ===Spanish Civil War===
| + | Commissioned on 21 August, 1936 for service with the {{UK-BS|2}}.{{NLJul37|p. 270}} |
| − | During the [[Spanish Civil War]], ''Royal Oak'' was tasked with conducting 'non-intervention patrols' of the Iberian Peninsula. On such a patrol and steaming some 30 nautical miles east of [[Gibraltar]] on [[2 February]] [[1937]], she came under aerial attack by three aircraft of the [[Spanish State|Spanish Government]] forces. They dropped three bombs (two of which exploded) within 3 [[cable length|cables]] (555 m) of the starboard bow, though causing no damage.<ref name="RO_Log_Feb_1937">{{Citation| last = Admiralty| title = ADM53/105583: Ship's Log: HMS Royal Oak, February 1937 | publisher = HMSO }}</ref> The British [[chargé d'affaires]] protested the incident to the Spanish Government, which admitted its error and apologised for the attack.<ref>{{cite news |title = Incident near Gibraltar| work = The Scotsman |date = [[4 February]] [[1937]]}} (Subscription required)</ref><ref>{{cite paper| title = Bombing Attack on HMS Royal Oak | version = ''Attacks on HM Ships August 1936–September 1937'' | date = 1937| publisher = HMSO}}</ref> Later that same month, while stationed offshore of [[Valencia, Spain|Valencia]] on [[23 February]] [[1937]] during an aerial bombardment by the [[Spanish State|Nationalists]], she was accidentally struck by an anti-aircraft shell fired from a [[Second Spanish Republic|Republican]] position.<ref name="RO_Log_Feb_1937"/> Five men were injured, including the ''Royal Oak''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s captain, T.B. Drew.<ref>{{cite news |title = Shell falls on the Royal Oak| work = The Scotsman |date = [[25 February]] [[1937]]}} (Subscription required)</ref> On this occasion however the British elected not to protest to the Republicans, deeming the incident "an [[Act of God]]".<ref>{{cite news |title = Shell hurts five on ship| work = Washington Post |date = [[24 February]] [[1937]]}} (Subscription required)</ref>
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| − | ===Second World War=== | + | ==Captains== |
| − | In 1938, ''Royal Oak'' returned to the [[Home Fleet]] and was made the [[flagship]] of the Second Battleship Squadron based in [[HMNB Portsmouth|Portsmouth]]. She recommissioned in June 1939, and in the late summer embarked on a short training cruise in the [[English Channel]] in preparation for another 30-month tour of the Mediterranean. As hostilities loomed, she was instead despatched to [[Scapa Flow]], and was at anchor there when war was declared on [[3 September]].<ref>{{cite book | last = McKee | title = Black Saturday | pages = p17}}</ref>
| + | Dates of appointment are provided when known. |
| | + | <div name=fredbot:officeCapt otitle="Captain of H.M.S. ''Royal Oak''"> |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Crawford Maclachlan|nick=Crawford Maclachlan|appt=25 January, 1916{{NLDec18|p. 899}}|end=January, 1919{{NLDec18|p. 899}}{{NLAug19|p. 899}}|precBy=New Command}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Frederic Aubrey Whitehead|nick=Frederic A. Whitehead|appt=19 January, 1919<ref>Whitehead Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/43/453.|D7602771}} f. 504.</ref>{{NLAug19|p. 899}}|end=12 January, 1921<ref>Whitehead Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/43/453.|D7602771}} f. 504.</ref>}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Percival Henry Hall Thompson|nick=Percival H. H. Thompson|appt=12 January, 1921|end=}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Charles Andrew Fountaine|nick=Charles A. Fountaine|appt=29 April, 1924{{NLJul24|p. 265}}|end=8 September, 1925}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Claude Seymour|nick=Claude Seymour|appt=8 September, 1925{{NLFeb26|p. 265''a''}}<ref>Seymour Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/44/177.}} f. 198.</ref>|end=August, 1926<ref>Seymour Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/44/177.}} f. 198.</ref>}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Arthur Charles Strutt|nick=Arthur C. Strutt|appt=25 July, 1926{{NLJul27|p. 265}}|end=}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Kenneth Gilbert Balmain Dewar|nick=Kenneth G. B. Dewar|appt=15 October, 1927<ref>Dewar Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/45}}. f. 59.</ref>|end=1 March, 1928<ref>Dewar Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/45}}. f. 59.</ref>|note=dismissed from ship pending court martial<ref>Dewar Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/45}}. f. 59. Typed sheet N.L. 1187/28 inserted.</ref>}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Edward Oliver Brudenell Seymour Osborne|nick=Edward O. B. S. Osborne|appt=11 March, 1928|end=9 April, 1928|note=temporarily, by C-in-C Med}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Hugh Dundas Hamilton|nick=Hugh D. Hamilton|appt=23 March, 1928<ref>Hamilton Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/47.|D7603875}} f. 375.</ref>|end=21 October, 1929<ref>Hamilton Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/47.|D7603875}} f. 375.</ref>|note=and as Flag Captain to Kerr, then to [[Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax|Drax]], temporarily, c. 12 April, 1929}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Wilbraham Tennyson Randle Ford|nick=Wilbraham T. R. Ford|appt=8 May, 1929<ref>Ford Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/45.|}} f. 180.</ref>|end=30 May, 1930<ref>Ford Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/45.|}} f. 180.</ref>}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Henry George Thursfield|nick=Henry G. Thursfield|appt=23 May, 1930{{NLJul31|p. 266}}<ref>Thursfield Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/47.|}} f. 276.</ref>|end=February, 1931<ref>Thursfield Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/47.|}} f. 276.</ref>|ass=30 May, 1930<ref>Predecessor superseded that day. Ford Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/45.|}} f. 180.</ref>}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Charles Gordon Ramsey|nick=Charles G. Ramsey|appt=4 December, 1931{{NLJan33|p. 268}}<ref>Ramsey Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/47.}} f. 327.</ref>|end=26 April, 1934<ref>Ramsey Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/47.}} f. 327.</ref>}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Leonard Fosbrooke Potter|nick=Leonard F. Potter|appt=26 April, 1934|end=7 August, 1934|note=after reducing, for passage to Devonport}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank={{CommRN}}|name=Allan Thomas George Cumberland Peachey|nick=Allan T. G. C. Peachey|appt=28 May, 1936|end=11 June, 1936<ref>This is inferred. Peachey's Service Record implies 18 July, 1938, but this seems unsupported by language that he was to oversee only her trials upon re-commissioning and the clarity of Drew's Service Record.</ref>}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Thomas Bernard Drew|nick=Thomas B. Drew|appt=11 June, 1936|end=10 August, 1938}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Colin Cantlie|nick=Colin Cantlie|appt=10 August, 1938<ref>Cantlie Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/51/263.|D7605018}} f. 278.</ref>|end=7 July, 1939<ref>Cantlie Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/51/263.|D7605018}} f. 278.</ref>}} |
| | + | {{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=William Gordon Benn|nick=William G. Benn|appt=7 July, 1939<ref>Benn Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/52/66.|D7605153}} f. 424.</ref>|end=14 October, 1939|note=vessel lost under his command|succBy=Vessel Lost}} |
| | + | </div name=fredbot:officeCapt> |
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| − | In October, ''Royal Oak'' joined the search for the German [[battleship]] [[German battlecruiser Gneisenau|''Gneisenau'']]. The ''Gneisenau'' had been ordered into the North Sea as a diversion for the [[commerce raiding|commerce-raiding]] [[pocket battleships]] [[German pocket battleship Deutschland|''Deutschland'']] and [[German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee|''Graf Spee'']].<ref name="mckee_p23_24">{{cite book | last = McKee | title = Black Saturday | pages = pp23–24}}</ref> The search was ultimately fruitless, particularly for ''Royal Oak'', whose then top speed of less than 20 knots was inadequate to keep up with the rest of the fleet. On [[12 October]], ''Royal Oak'' returned to the defences of Scapa Flow in poor shape, battered by the North Atlantic storms: many of her Carley [[liferaft]]s had been smashed and several of the smaller calibre guns rendered inoperable.<ref name="mckee_p23_24"/><ref name="weaver_p29_30">{{cite book | last = Weaver | title = Nightmare at Scapa Flow | pages = pp29-30}}</ref> The mission had underlined the obsolescence of the twenty-five year old warship.<ref name="mckee_p23_24"/> Concerned that a recent overflight by German reconnaissance aircraft heralded an imminent air attack upon Scapa Flow, Admiral of the Home Fleet [[Charles Forbes (Admiral)|Charles Forbes]] ordered most of the fleet to disperse to safer ports. The ''Royal Oak'' however remained behind, her [[anti-aircraft]] guns still deemed a useful addition to Scapa's air defences.<ref name="weaver_p29_30"/>
| + | ==See also== |
| | + | {{refbegin}} |
| | + | *[http://www.argyllcommunities.org/STACHURHALL/index.asp?pageID=385 Strachur and District Community] |
| | + | {{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Royal_Oak_(1914)}} |
| | + | {{refend}} |
| | | | |
| − | ==Loss== | + | ==Footnotes== |
| − | ===Scapa Flow===
| + | {{reflist}} |
| − | {{main|Scapa Flow}} | + | |
| − | [[Image:Scapa Flow(RLH).gif|thumb|280px|Scapa Flow]]
| + | |
| − | Scapa Flow made a near-ideal anchorage. Situated at the centre of the [[Orkney]] Islands off the north coast of Scotland, the natural harbour, large enough to contain the entire Grand Fleet,<ref>{{cite book | last = Miller| title = Scapa| pages = p15}}</ref> was surrounded by a ring of islands separated by shallow channels subject to fast-racing [[tide]]s. The threat from U-boats had long been realised, and a series of countermeasures were installed during the early years of the First World War.<ref name= "ADM199_158">{{citation| last = Admiralty |title = ADM199/158: Board of Enquiry into sinking of HMS Royal Oak | publisher = HMSO |date = October 1939}}</ref> [[Blockship]]s were sunk at critical points, and floating [[boom]]s deployed to block the three widest channels. Operated by tugboats to allow the passage of friendly shipping, it was considered possible—but highly unlikely—that a daring U-boat commander could attempt to race through undetected before the boom was closed.<ref name= "ADM199_158"/> Two submarines that had attempted infiltration during the war had met unfortunate fates: on [[23 November]] [[1914]] [[Unterseeboot 18 (1912)|''UB-18'']] was rammed twice before running aground with the capture of her crew,<ref>{{cite book | last = Miller| title = Scapa| pages = p51}}</ref> and [[Unterseeboot 116|''UB-116'']] was detected by [[hydrophone]] and destroyed on [[28 October]] [[1918]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Miller| title = Scapa| pages = pp24–25 }}</ref>
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| | | | |
| − | Scapa Flow provided the main anchorage for the [[British Grand Fleet]] throughout most of the First World War, but in the interwar period this passed to the more conveniently located [[Rosyth]] in the [[Firth of Forth]].<ref name= "ADM199_158"/><ref>{{cite web | title = Scapa Flow | publisher = firstworldwar.com | date = [[2002-12-22]] | url = http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/scapaflow.htm | accessdate = 2006-12-24 }}</ref> Scapa Flow was however reactivated with the advent of the Second World War, becoming base to the [[British Home Fleet]].<ref name= "ADM199_158"/> Its natural and man-made defences, while still strong, were recognised as in need of improvement, and in the early weeks of the war were in the process of being strengthened by the provision of additional blockships.<ref>{{cite news|title = Lord's Admissions| work = Time |date = [[1939-11-20]] | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,762806,00.html}}</ref>
| + | ==Bibliography== |
| | + | {{refbegin}} |
| | + | *{{DirectorH}} |
| | + | *{{DreyerH}} |
| | + | *{{DittColl}} |
| | + | *{{FCHMShips}} |
| | + | {{refend}} |
| | | | |
| − | ===''Special Operation P'': the raid by ''U-47''===
| + | {{Footer Revenge Class Battleship (1914)}} |
| − | [[Image:U-47 raid.svg|right|350px|thumb|Infiltration of Scapa Flow by ''U-47'']]
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| | | | |
| − | ''Kriegsmarine'' Commander of Submarines [[Karl Dönitz]] devised a plan to attack Scapa Flow by submarine within days of the outbreak of war.<ref name="doenitz">{{cite book | last = Dönitz| title = Ten Years and Twenty Days| pages = pp67–69}}</ref> Its goal would be twofold: firstly, that displacing the Home Fleet from Scapa Flow would slacken the British [[North Sea]] blockade and grant Germany greater freedom to attack the Atlantic convoys; secondly, the blow would be a symbolic act of vengeance, striking at the same location where the German [[High Seas Fleet]] had surrendered and [[Scuttling#German fleet at Scapa Flow (1919)|scuttled]] itself following Germany's defeat in the First World War. Dönitz hand-picked ''[[Kapitänleutnant]]'' [[Günther Prien]] for the task,<ref>Dönitz, ''Ten Years and Twenty Days'', p69: "He, in my opinion, possessed all the personal qualities and the professional ability required. I handed over to him the whole file on the subject and left him free to accept the task or not, as he saw fit."</ref> scheduling the raid for the night of 13/14 October, when the tides would be high and the night moonless.<ref name="doenitz"/>
| + | {{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Oak}} |
| | | | |
| − | Dönitz directed Prien to enter Scapa Flow from its east via Kirk Sound, passing to the north of [[Lamb Holm]], a small low-lying island between [[Burray]] and [[The Mainland, Orkney|Mainland]].<ref name="u47_log">U-47: Log</ref> Prien initially mistook the more southerly Skerry Sound for the chosen route and his sudden realisation that ''U-47'' was heading for the shallow blocked passage forced him to order a rapid turn to the northeast.<ref>{{cite book | last = Snyder| title = The Royal Oak Disaster| pages = p86}}</ref> Illuminated by a bright display of the [[aurora borealis]],<ref>{{cite book | last = Prien | title = Mein Weg nach Scapa Flow |pages= p152}}</ref> the submarine threaded between the sunken [[blockship]]s ''Seriano'' and ''Numidian'', grounding itself temporarily on ''Seriano'''s anchor chain.<ref name="u47_log"/> It was briefly caught in the headlights of a taxi onshore, but the driver raised no alarm.<ref>{{cite book | last = Weaver| title = Nightmare in Scapa Flow| pages = Chapter 3: ''The Car on the Shore''}}The taxi driver's name was Robbie Tullock.</ref> On entering the harbour proper at 00:27 on [[14 October]], Prien entered a triumphant ''Wir sind in Scapa Flow!!!''<ref>{{lang-de|"We are in Scapa Flow!"}}</ref> in the log and set a south-westerly course for several kilometres before reversing direction.<ref name="u47_log"/> To his surprise, the anchorage appeared to be almost empty; unknown to him, Forbes' order to disperse the fleet had removed some of the biggest targets. ''U-47'' had been heading directly towards four warships, including the newly commissioned heavy cruiser [[HMS Belfast (C35)|''Belfast'']], anchored offshore of [[Flotta]] and [[Hoy]] 8 km distant, but Prien gave no indication that he had seen them.<ref>{{cite book | last = Weaver| title = Nightmare at Scapa Flow| pages = p101}}</ref>
| + | {{CatShipDreadnought|UK}} |
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| − | On the reverse course, a lookout on the bridge spotted ''Royal Oak'' lying approximately 4,000 m to the north, correctly identified as a battleship of the [[Revenge class battleship|''Revenge'' class]]. Mostly hidden behind her was a second ship, only the bow of which was visible to ''U-47''. Prien mistook it to be a battlecruiser of the [[Renown class battlecruiser|''Renown'' class]], German intelligence later labelling it [[HMS Repulse (1916)|''Repulse'']].<ref name="u47_log"/> It was in fact the World War I [[seaplane tender]] [[HMS Pegasus (1934)|''Pegasus'']].<ref>{{cite book | last = Snyder | title = The Royal Oak Disaster | pages = p91 }}</ref>
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| − | | + | |
| − | [[Image:Scapa Flow from Gaitnip cliffs small.jpg|left|220px|thumb|Site of attack on ''Royal Oak'']]
| + | |
| − | At 00:58 ''U-47'' fired a salvo of three [[torpedo]]es from its bow tubes, two at ''Royal Oak'', and one at ''Pegasus''. Two failed to find a target, but a single torpedo struck the bow of ''Royal Oak'' at 01:04, shaking the ship and waking the crew.<ref name="snyder_p95">{{cite book | last = Snyder| title = The Royal Oak Disaster| pages = p95}}</ref> Little visible damage was received, though the starboard anchor chain was severed, clattering noisily down through its slips. Initially, it was suspected that there had been an explosion in the ship's forward inflammable store, used to store materials such as kerosene. Mindful of the unexplained explosion that had destroyed [[HMS Vanguard (1909)|HMS ''Vanguard'']] in Scapa Flow in 1917,<ref>{{cite book | last = Miller| title = Scapa| pages = p51}} Cdr R.F. Nichols, ''Royal Oak''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s second-in-command, had narrowly escaped death 22 years earlier as a junior officer of ''Vanguard'' when he had been away from the ship the night it exploded.</ref> an announcement was made over the ''Royal Oak''<nowiki></nowiki>'s [[tannoy]] system to check the magazine temperatures,<ref>[[Cordite]], used for propelling the shells, was prone to explode if allowed to overheat.</ref> but many sailors returned to their bunks, seemingly unaware that the ship was under attack.<ref name="snyder_p95"/><ref>{{cite book | last = McKee| title = Black Saturday| pages = p39}}</ref>
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| − | Prien turned his submarine and attempted another shot via his stern tube, but this too failed to strike. Reloading his bow tubes, he doubled back and fired a salvo of three torpedoes, all at ''Royal Oak'',<ref name="u47_log"/> and this time he was successful: at 01:16 all three struck the battleship in quick succession at her amidships.<ref>{{cite book | last = McKee| title = Black Saturday| pages = p42}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Weaver| title = Nightmare at Scapa Flow| pages = p118}}</ref>
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| − | A series of explosions ran through the ship, followed by an inrush of seawater. The ship immediately listed some 15°, sufficient to push the open starboard-side portholes below the waterline.<ref>The portholes were not, in fact, fully open, but were covered with light excluders, designed to provide ventilation while maintaining blackout. Crucially, they were not watertight.</ref> She soon rolled further onto her side to 45°, hanging there for several minutes before disappearing beneath the surface at 01:29, 13 minutes after Prien's second strike.<ref>{{cite book | last = Snyder| title = The Royal Oak Disaster| pages = p121}}</ref> 833 men died with the ship, including Rear-Admiral Henry Blagrove, commander of the Second Battleship Division. The admiral's wooden [[Captain's Gig|gig]], moored alongside, was dragged down with ''Royal Oak''.
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| − | | + | |
| − | ===Rescue efforts===
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| − | <div style="font-size: 85%">
| + | |
| − | {| class="wikitable" align="right" style="margin:0em 0em 1em 1em;"
| + | |
| − | |+Excerpts of signals between the Admiralty (ADMY) and<br />Admiral Commanding Orkney and Shetland (ACOS)<ref>{{cite book | last = Weaver| title = Nightmare at Scapa Flow| pages = pp80–83}}</ref>
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| − | |-
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| − | !colspan="1" align=center bgcolor="#EFEFEF" width="40" | TIME
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| − | !colspan="1" align=center bgcolor="#EFEFEF" width="40" | FROM
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| − | !colspan="1" align=center bgcolor="#EFEFEF" width="40" | TO
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| − | !colspan="1" align=center bgcolor="#EFEFEF" width="250" | MESSAGE
| + | |
| − | |-
| + | |
| − | ! valign=top bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 02:00
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| − | | valign=top align=center | ACOS || valign=top align=center | ADMY || width="250" valign=top |ROYAL OAK SUNK IN SCAPA FLOW, SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS.
| + | |
| − | |-
| + | |
| − | ! valign=top bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 02:11
| + | |
| − | | valign=top align=center | ACOS || valign=top align=center | ADMY || width="250" valign=top |NO DETAILS YET AVAILABLE.
| + | |
| − | |-
| + | |
| − | ! valign=top bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 05:06
| + | |
| − | | valign=top align=center | ADMY || valign=top align=center | ACOS || width="250" valign=top |CAN IT BE DEFINITELY STATED THAT SINKING NOT DUE TO ENEMY AIRCRAFT?
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| − | |-
| + | |
| − | ! valign=top bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 06:20
| + | |
| − | | valign=top align=center | ACOS || valign=top align=center | ADMY || width="250" valign=top |YES.
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| − | |-
| + | |
| − | ! valign=top bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 07:04
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| − | | valign=top align=center | ADMY || valign=top align=center | ACOS || width="250" valign=top |NO REFERENCE TO ROYAL OAK TO BE MADE IN PLAIN LANGUAGE UNTIL FURTHER ORDERS. THIS INCLUDES LIST OF SURVIVORS.
| + | |
| − | |}
| + | |
| − | </div>
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The [[Ship's tender|tender]] ''Daisy 2'', skippered by John Gatt [[Royal Naval Reserve|RNR]], had been tied up for the night to ''Royal Oak''<nowiki></nowiki>'s port side. As the sinking battleship began to list to starboard, Gatt ordered ''Daisy 2'' to be cut loose, the vessel becoming briefly caught on ''Royal Oak''<nowiki></nowiki>'s rising anti-torpedo bulge and lifted from the sea before freeing herself.<ref>{{cite book | last = Weaver | title = Nightmare at Scapa Flow | pages = Chapter 5: ''Daisy, Daisy''}}</ref>
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| − | | + | |
| − | Many of ''Royal Oak''<nowiki></nowiki>'s crew that had managed to jump from the sinking ship were dressed in little more than their nightclothes and were unprepared for the chilling water. A thick layer of fuel oil coated the surface, filling men's lungs and stomachs and hampering their efforts to swim. Of those who attempted the 800-metre swim to the nearest shore, only a handful survived.<ref name="Snyder_p135-139">{{cite book | last = Snyder| title = The Royal Oak Disaster| pages = pp135–139}}</ref> Gatt lit the lights of ''Daisy 2'', and he and his crew managed to pull 386 men from the water, including ''Royal Oak''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s commander, Captain William Benn.<ref>{{cite news |title = Royal Navy's Loss| work = The Scotsman |date = [[16 October]] [[1939]]}} (Subscription required)</ref> The rescue efforts continued for another two and a half hours until nearly 4:00 am, when Gatt abandoned the search for more survivors and took those he had to ''Pegasus''. Although aided by boats from ''Pegasus'' and the harbour,<ref>{{Citation| last = Admiralty| title = ADM53/110029: Ship's Log: HMS Pegasus, October 1939 | publisher = HMSO }}</ref> he was responsible for rescuing almost all the survivors, an act for which he would be awarded the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Service Cross]],<ref>{{cite news | title = Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood | publisher = Supplement to London Gazette | date = [[1940-01-01]]}}</ref> the only military award made by the British in connection with the disaster.<ref>{{cite book | last = McKee | title = Black Saturday | pages = ''Dedication''}}</ref>
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| − | | + | |
| − | ==Aftermath==
| + | |
| − | [[Image:U-47s.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The crew of ''Scharnhorst'' saluting ''U-47'' on its return]]
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| − | The British were initially confused as to the cause of the sinking, suspecting either an on-board explosion or aerial attack.<ref name= "ADM199_158"/> Once it was realised that a submarine attack was the most likely explanation, steps were rapidly made to seal the anchorage, but ''U-47'' had already escaped and was on its way back to Germany. The [[BBC]] released news of the sinking by late morning on [[14 October]], and its broadcasts were received by the German listening services and by ''U-47'' itself. [[Surface supplied diving|Divers]] sent down on the morning after the explosion discovered remnants of a German torpedo, confirming the means of attack. On the [[17 October]] [[First Lord of the Admiralty]] [[Winston Churchill]] officially announced the loss of ''Royal Oak'' to the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], first conceding that the raid had been "a remarkable exploit of professional skill and daring", but then declaring that the loss would not materially affect the naval balance of power.<ref>{{cite journal | title = U-Boat Warfare | journal = Hansard Parliamentary Debates, [[1939-10-17]]}}</ref> An Admiralty Board of Inquiry convened between 18 and 24 October to establish the circumstances under which the anchorage had been penetrated. In the meantime, the Home Fleet was ordered to remain at safer ports until security issues at Scapa could be addressed.<ref>{{cite book | last = Weaver| title = Nightmare at Scapa Flow | pages = pp112–128. Chapter 8: ''Flowers for a Fallen Hero''}}</ref>
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| − | | + | |
| − | The Nazi [[Propagandaministerium|Propaganda Ministry]] was quick to capitalise on the successful raid,<ref name="scapa_wrecks"/><ref>{{cite news |title = German claims| work = The Scotsman |date = [[17 October]] [[1939]]}} (Subscription required)</ref> and radio broadcasts by the popular journalist [[Hans Fritzsche]] displayed the triumph felt throughout Germany.<ref>{{cite web | title = Two Broadcasts by Hans Fritzsche | url = http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/hf1.htm | accessdate = 2007-01-01}}</ref> Prien and his crew reached [[Wilhelmshaven]] at 11:44 on [[17 October]] and were immediately greeted as heroes, learning that Prien had been awarded the [[Iron Cross]] First Class, and each man of the crew the Iron Cross Second Class.<ref name="Snyder_p179-180">{{cite book | last = Snyder| title = The Royal Oak Disaster | pages = p174}}</ref> Hitler sent his personal plane to bring the crew to [[Berlin]], where he further invested Prien with the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]. This decoration, made for the first time to a German naval officer, later became the customary decoration for successful U-Boat commanders. Dönitz was rewarded by promotion from Commodore to Rear-Admiral and was made [[Flag Officer]] of U-Boats.
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| − | Prien was nick-named "The Bull of Scapa Flow" and his crew decorated ''U-47''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s conning tower with a snorting bull mascot, later adopted as the emblem of the 7th U-boat Flotilla. He found himself in demand for radio and newspaper interviews, and his 'autobiography' was published the following year, titled ''Mein Weg nach Scapa Flow''. Ghost-written by a German journalist, in the post-war years certain of its claims relating to the events of October, 1939 were brought into question.
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| − | The British Admiralty's official report into the disaster condemned the defences at Scapa Flow, and censured Sir Wilfred French, Admiral Commanding Orkney and Shetland, for their unprepared state. French was placed on the retired list, despite having warned the previous summer of Scapa Flow's deficient anti-submarine defences, and volunteering to bring a small ship or submarine himself past the blockships to prove his point. On Churchill's orders, the eastern approaches to Scapa Flow were sealed with concrete causeways linking Lamb Holm, Glimp Holm, Burray and South Ronaldsay to the Orkney Mainland. Constructed largely by Italian prisoners of war, the Churchill Barriers, as they became known, were essentially complete by September 1944, though they were not opened officially until just after VE Day in May 1945. They now form part of the transport infrastructure of the Orkneys, carrying the A961 road between the islands.
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| − | | + | |
| − | In the years that followed, a rumour circulated that Prien had been guided into Scapa by one Alfred Wehring, a German agent living in Orkney in the guise of a Swiss watchmaker named Albert Oertel. Following the attack, 'Oertel' escaped with the submarine—named ''B-06''—back to Germany. This account of events originated as an article by the journalist Curt Riess in the [[16 May]], [[1942]] issue of the American magazine ''Saturday Evening Post'' and was later embellished by other authors. Searches through German and Orcadian archives have however failed to find any evidence for the existence of either Oertel, Wehring or a submarine named ''B-06'', and the story is now held to be wholly fictitious.
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| − | | + | |
| − | ==Wreck==
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| − | ===Status as war grave===
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| − | Despite the relatively shallow water in which she sank, the majority of bodies could not be recovered from ''Royal Oak''. The wreck has been designated a war grave and all diving or other unauthorised forms of exploration are prohibited under the [[Protection of Military Remains Act 1986]]. In clear water conditions, the upturned hull can be seen reaching to within 5 m of the surface. The ''Royal Oak''<nowiki></nowiki>'s loss is commemorated in an annual ceremony in which Royal Navy divers place the [[White Ensign]] at her stern. A memorial at St Magnus' Cathedral in nearby Kirkwall displays a plaque dedicated to those who lost their lives; beneath which a book of remembrance lists their names. The ship's bell was recovered in the 1970s and after being restored was added to the memorial in St Magnus'.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ===Environmental concerns===
| + | |
| − | ''Royal Oak'' sank with up to 3,000 tons of fuel oil aboard. The oil leaked from the corroded hull at an increased rate during the 1990s and concerns about the environmental impact led the Ministry of Defence to consider plans for extracting it. ''Royal Oak''<nowiki></nowiki>'s status as a war grave required that surveys and any proposed techniques for removing the oil be handled sensitively. Poorly-managed efforts could destabilise the wreck, resulting in a mass release of the remaining oil; the ship moreover containing many tons of unexploded ordnance.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | The MOD commissioned the specialist Archaeological Dive Unit Survey team based jointly at the Universities of St Andrews and Dundee to carry out a series of [[Side-scan sonar|multi-beam sonar]] surveys to image the wreck and appraise its condition. The high-resolution sonograms showed ''Royal Oak'' to be lying almost upside down with her top works forced into the seabed. The tip of the bow had been blown off by Prien's first torpedo and a gaping hole on the starboard flank was the result of the triple strike from his second successful salvo. Following several years of delays, the task of pumping off the remaining oil has begun and as of 2006, all double bottom tanks have been cleared. A test scheme to remove oil from the inner wing tanks was successful and the MOD plans to remove the bulk of remaining oil in the summer of 2007.
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| − | ==See also==
| + | |
| − | [[List of those lost on HMS Royal Oak (1914)|List of those lost on ''Royal Oak'']]
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| − | {{Template:HMS Revenge Class (1914)}}
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| − | [[Category:Ship|Royal Oak (1914), HMS]]
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| − | [[Category:Ship of the Royal Navy|Royal Oak (1914), HMS]]
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| − | ==External Links==
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| − | *[http://www.argyllcommunities.org/STACHURHALL/index.asp?pageID=385 Strachur and District Community]
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The keel plate was laid on 15 January, 1914, in a cerrmony performed by Mrs. Hockaday, wife of Mr. W. T. Hockaday, Manager of the Constructive Department.[8]
Though the ship was still two years from completion, in July 1914, the ship was appropriated 42-foot motor launch No. 252, though the boat was not yet delivered from the contractor.[9]
