HMS HOOD - Ventis Secundis

[Lemmy_kilmister]

Today is the 80th anniversary of the sinking of HMS Hood.

In May 1941, Hood and the battleship Prince of Wales were ordered to intercept the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, which were en route to the Atlantic, where they were to attack convoys. On 24 May 1941, early in the Battle of the Denmark Strait, Hood was struck by several German shells, exploded, and sank within 3 minutes, with the loss of all but three of her crew of 1418. One of them was Redcars Ted Briggs, who continued to have a great career in the RN, and was still serving up until the early 1970s.

 

[Derby_Red]

Today is the 80th anniversary of the sinking of HMS Hood.

In May 1941, Hood and the battleship Prince of Wales were ordered to intercept the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, which were en route to the Atlantic, where they were to attack convoys. On 24 May 1941, early in the Battle of the Denmark Strait, Hood was struck by several German shells, exploded, and sank within 3 minutes, with the loss of all but three of her crew of 1418. One of them was Redcars Ted Briggs, who continued to have a great career in the RN, and was still serving up until the early 1970s.

View attachment 19083

View attachment 19084

My dad told me about that (not at the time, I hasten to add), how the news came through and how devastating it was to have lost the pride of the fleet. Closest I'll have felt to that was the Sheffield in 82, but he said it was a massive shock, made worse by the loss of all but 3 of the crew.

 

[Youngie]

Was at Eden Camp on Saturday showing my boys around... they have a great model and plaque up telling the story.

 

[Wyke Red]

Thanks for this. Just read his career history on Wikapedia

 

[Johnny Vincents Motorbike]

there was men from Teesside on The Hood - from Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Billingham, Redcar.

H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood - Crew Information: Memorials to Hood's Lost, H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour

www.hmshood.org.uk

God bless 'em all

 

[Lemmy_kilmister]

I never got to meet Ted Briggs, though I was around the bazaars when he was still coming to RN mess dinners and functions. Those that had knew him told me he was a tough bloke to the trainees, but fair.

 

[Lefty]

Detailed account of the battle and subsequent sinking of the Bismarck here

Hood disaster
Flagship Hood
The second one is a link to Ted Briggs own account

 

[Derby_Red]

Detailed account of the battle and subsequent sinking of the Bismarck here

Hood disaster
Flagship Hood
The second one is a link to Ted Briggs own account

The Briggs account is a stunning read, Lefty, thanks.

 

[Anton_Berg]

Detailed account of the battle and subsequent sinking of the Bismarck here

Hood disaster
Flagship Hood
The second one is a link to Ted Briggs own account

My dad witnessed the end of the Bismark. I have photos, but they were taken with a standard lens and from the KGV which was distant*, so all you see is a speck on the horizon.

Had it gone the other way, Britain would be in big trouble, but then I would never have lived to see the outcome.

* To get more 'plunging' shots = more damage.

 

[xxlshirts_fit_all]

This was the last photo taken of her... It was taken from HMS Prince of Wales as they both steamed into the Atlantic in search of the Bismark... Wales and their destroyer screens struggled to keep up wit the Ageing hood... Ludovik Kenedy wrote a piece on the sight of her steaming to her fate as he watched from the destroyer he was on...

Several hours later only 3 of the 1418 crew lived to tell the tale of her final moments... RIP :-(

 

[Jedi boro]

RIP

 

[Lemmy_kilmister]

 

[WoodallServices]

A very poignant 2 minutes. At the end the smoke plume on the left is the Prince of Wales laying down a smokescreen and the aftermath of the Hood exploding on the right. I think there was a brief frame of HMS Hood actually exploding and Prince of Wales returning fire.

“And we commit their bodies to the deep!!
RIP

edited.

 

[Beverleyred]

My class prize at HMS Mercury was the Sinking of the Bismarck by Ludovic Kennedy.
I was reading it one evening in the ops room on my first ship, when the Captain spotted it.
He came over and sat down and told me a great tale about him and Kennedy as they went to the same school. A true gent was Capt. R A Stephens RN. And btw, it’s a really good book.

 

[Lemmy_kilmister]

Reading a book in the ops room?
I hope you weren't on watch

 

[Ingleby_Flash]

Ventis secundis, tene cursum.

A proper Teesside motto ‘Go with the flow’ or I suppose could be read as ‘It is what it is’

Massive respect and thanks to them all.

 

[Beverleyred]

Reading a book in the ops room?
I hope you weren't on watch

I was mate, it was during a JMC !

 

[STAFFORDA4]

Sobering thoughts. Raise a glass to those Jack-me Heartys!

 

[NZBoro1]

Very sobering. My grandad was torpedoed during the war off the coast of North Africa, only him and one other survived, and he never knew how. Never spoke about it tbh, and my uncle did a bit of research on it, the u boat that sank them etc. He was on the SS Grelhead, sank by U562 on 2 December 1941, the u boats report said that the steamer sank in 10 seconds. The ship was built by Richardson, Duck & Co in Stockton. I've attached some details for those that are interested.



We owe those people a lot.

Edit, have also attached the interview with Grandad after they picked him up.

 

[S7DiscoDown]

I was mate, it was during a JMC !

JMC long mornings were all about scrubbing flats