#torpedoed

On January 21st 1940 HMS Exmouth was sunk by a U-Boat in the Moray Firth with the loss of 189 lives.

The Exmouth sank as it was escorting the Cyprian Prince, a merchant vessel loaded with supplies for building wartime.

When the destroyer was hit, the skipper of the Cyprian Prince approached to try to recover survivors but, after just three minutes, was forced to move on., a torpedo had already missed the ship before it withdrew.  Admiralty orders specifically stated that ships must not stop to recover survivors. Several Scots, including Lewis islanders and an Edinburgh doctor, were believed to have gone down with the Exmouth.

The Exmouth was struck by a torpedo on her starboard side in the early hours of the morning and sank with the loss of 190 officers and men. 

Six bodies were washed up near Wick, with another nine found on the coast 12 miles away. Wreckage, including a piece of a small boat with the name Exmouth on it, was discovered too. It was thought a number of the men might have managed to get away from the destroyer before she sank and got into lifeboats and rafts, but it seems they perished before any vessel sighted them. All the bodies that were found were taken to a local mortuary.

It was decided the sailors should be buried at Wick cemetery with full military honours. A service was attended by naval, army and air force representatives. Also present were the provost, magistrates and officials of the town as well as representatives from Caithness County Council.

A Church of Scotland minister, a Church of England minister and a Roman Catholic priest took part in the service, representing the various denominations to which the deceased men belonged.

The Exmouth wreck was not discovered until 2001, one of the divers described it as "an underwater garden of stunning beauty, covered with bright hydroids, anemones and starfish." and that he have never seen so much sea life on any other wreck in the world, he went on ""It is most fitting that the site has been transformed from one of death and destruction to a scene of tranquillity and life." The diving team discovered that the ship had been "blown apart" by the impact of the torpedo and that it was obvious from the survey the destroyer sank immediately.

"Large quantities of live munitions were strewn over the vessel."

Oct 28 1917 in WWI

Allied cargo ship's last moments after being torpedoed by an Imperial German U-Boat on Oct 28 1917. Imperial German Navy sunk 6 Allied ships #OnThisDay October 28 1917.  Possible identities are:

United Kingdom cargo ship Baron Balfour sunk by SM U-46. Crew survived.

United Kingdom cargo ship Baron Garioch sunk by SM UC-63. With the loss of two of her crew.  (50°36′N 1°43′W)

United Kingdom cargo ship Ferrona scuttled in the Mediterranean by SM U-64 with the loss of a crew member.  (39°28′N 0°10′W)

United Kingdom Redesmere collier sunk by SM UB-40 with the loss of nineteen of her crew.

French cargo ship Marc Fraissinet sunk in the Mediterranean by SM UB-50 with the loss of a crew member.  (37°01′N 8°37′E)

On September 17, 1940, the SS City of Benares, a passenger ship traveling from England to Canada with one hundred children on board, was struck by a torpedo fired from a German submarine. It was 10:00 pm, in a raging storm. Within thirty minutes the ship sank, leaving passengers struggling to survive until rescue arrived. For some that would be late the next day; for others, not for more than a week. For many, help did not arrive in time.

In Torpedoed, award-winning author Deborah Heiligman provides a deeply moving and true account of the attack and sinking of “The Children’s Ship,” for middle-grade readers. On the anniversary of the sinking we’re remembering the lives lost and shining light on this often overlooked tragic event from WWII history.

A note from the author:

A few years ago, my editor showed me a photograph of a custom-made child’s life jacket, bright red silk. Do you want to look into this story, she asked? I did! And what a story it turned out to be--one full of drama and despair, triumph and joy. It’s a tale of people who survive against the odds. The stories of heroism, bravery, altruism and community astonished and inspired me. Everything is true—culled from interviews, reports, letters, autobiographies. I even met and interviewed the last two remaining survivors.

Although this is a story of war, I hope readers will find it life-affirming. And I pray my telling it will lead to less war and more peace.

Learn more about Torpedoed by Deborah Heiligman here.