Photos Navies Of All Nations
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RN:
The sinking of the escort carrier HMS Audacity by Michael Turner
Convoy HG 76 sailed from Gibraltar on 14 December. Audacity had only four Martlet aircraft serviceable. The convoy came under attack from 12 U-boats. Martlets from Audacity shot down two Condors; U-131 was attacked on 17 December. U-131 shot down a Martlet, but was unable to dive after the attack, and was scuttled by her crew, who were taken prisoner.
As Audacity left the convoy on the night of 21 December, one of the merchantmen fired a "snowflake" flare which revealed her in silhouette to the German U-boats. The submarines had been given specific orders to sink her as she had caused a lot of trouble for the Germans both at sea and in the air. The first torpedo fired by U-751 under Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Bigalk hit her in the engine room and she began to settle by the stern. The next two torpedoes caused an explosion of the aviation fuel blowing off her bow. Audacity sank some 500 mi (430 nmi; 800 km) west of Cape Finisterre at 43°45′N 19°54′W. She sank in 70 minutes. 73 of her crew were killed. Her survivors were picked up by the corvettes Convolvulus, Marigold and Pentstemon, one of the survivors being pilot Eric Brown. The German commander had confused her with a 23,000 long tons (23,000 t) Illustrious-class aircraft carrier, the sinking of which was announced by Nazi propaganda sources. In reality Audacity was an escort carrier of 11,000 long tons (11,000 t).
Audacity had been operating outside the convoy, a procedure that was later prohibited by the Admiralty as too risky
The sinking of the escort carrier HMS Audacity by Michael Turner
Convoy HG 76 sailed from Gibraltar on 14 December. Audacity had only four Martlet aircraft serviceable. The convoy came under attack from 12 U-boats. Martlets from Audacity shot down two Condors; U-131 was attacked on 17 December. U-131 shot down a Martlet, but was unable to dive after the attack, and was scuttled by her crew, who were taken prisoner.
As Audacity left the convoy on the night of 21 December, one of the merchantmen fired a "snowflake" flare which revealed her in silhouette to the German U-boats. The submarines had been given specific orders to sink her as she had caused a lot of trouble for the Germans both at sea and in the air. The first torpedo fired by U-751 under Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Bigalk hit her in the engine room and she began to settle by the stern. The next two torpedoes caused an explosion of the aviation fuel blowing off her bow. Audacity sank some 500 mi (430 nmi; 800 km) west of Cape Finisterre at 43°45′N 19°54′W. She sank in 70 minutes. 73 of her crew were killed. Her survivors were picked up by the corvettes Convolvulus, Marigold and Pentstemon, one of the survivors being pilot Eric Brown. The German commander had confused her with a 23,000 long tons (23,000 t) Illustrious-class aircraft carrier, the sinking of which was announced by Nazi propaganda sources. In reality Audacity was an escort carrier of 11,000 long tons (11,000 t).
Audacity had been operating outside the convoy, a procedure that was later prohibited by the Admiralty as too risky
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USN:
Porter-class destroyer USS Selfridge (DD-357) in San Francisco Bay, California, with the Bay Bridge in the background, on 10 April 1944
Heavy cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31) in Plymouth, England, July 1944.
Porter-class destroyer USS Selfridge (DD-357) in San Francisco Bay, California, with the Bay Bridge in the background, on 10 April 1944
Heavy cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31) in Plymouth, England, July 1944.
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USN:
Virginia class pre-dreadnought battleship USS Rhode Island (BB-17). At anchor, circa mid-1910, after she had been refitted with two "cage masts". Note gun aiming practice devices fitted to her turrets.
Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
USS New Jersey, firing her forward turret's guns during short-range gunnery practice, circa 1913.
Photographed by Sargent.
From the album of Francis Sargent; Courtesy of Commander John Condon, 1986.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
The old pre-dreadnought USS Oregon in Guam stripped of her guns and superstructure and repurposed as a floating ammunition depot until 1956.
Virginia class pre-dreadnought battleship USS Rhode Island (BB-17). At anchor, circa mid-1910, after she had been refitted with two "cage masts". Note gun aiming practice devices fitted to her turrets.
Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
USS New Jersey, firing her forward turret's guns during short-range gunnery practice, circa 1913.
Photographed by Sargent.
From the album of Francis Sargent; Courtesy of Commander John Condon, 1986.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
The old pre-dreadnought USS Oregon in Guam stripped of her guns and superstructure and repurposed as a floating ammunition depot until 1956.
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USN:
Museum ship, Gearing class destroyer USS Orleck (DD-886) under tow to the Gulf Copper Central Yard in Port Arthur, Texas for a much-needed drydocking. She's preparing to be moved to Jacksonville. Dec 2021
Museum ship, Gearing class destroyer USS Orleck (DD-886) under tow to the Gulf Copper Central Yard in Port Arthur, Texas for a much-needed drydocking. She's preparing to be moved to Jacksonville. Dec 2021
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Italy:
Soldati class destroyer Aviere 1940-42
On 16 December 1942 she sailed from Naples together with sister ship Camicia Nera, escorting the German freighter Ankara towards Bizerta; at 11:15 on the following day, the submarine HMS Splendid attacked the convoy and torpedoed Aviere, which blew up, broke in two and quickly sank in 38°00' N, 10°05' E. About one hundred of Aviere's 250 crew survived the initial sinking, but only 30 could be eventually rescued by the torpedo boats Calliope and Perseo on that afternoon, the rest having perished. 220 men were lost, among them the commanding officer of Aviere and DesDiv 11, Captain Ignazio Castrogiovanni, who was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valor
Gunners on deck of submarine Enrico Tazzoli, Atlantic Ocean, 1940-1943
This is how Christmas of 1942 was celebrated onboard Tazzoli, then on patrol in the southern Atlantic (translated from Antonio Maronari’s memoir book Un sommergibile non è rientrato alla base):
"…the commander, rather satisfied for the three ships we have sunk, wants Christmas Eve to be solemnly celebrated. (Eve, so to speak, since over here, when it will be midnight in Italy, it will still be daytime). We clear the auxiliary engine room of any encumbrance and we decorate it with multicolor signal flags. A broom covered with straw intertwined with iron wire, which is supposed to be a Christmas tree, a few stars cut out of a can of hardtacks and a few figures made of cardboard and wood, complete the illusion. In order to prevent misunderstandings involving the broom, Passon hungs a sign on it: “I am the Christmas tree”. At nine o’clock, as a munificent present by a sea fairy, a martial parade of champagne bottles comes out and they are lined up on the bunk of torpedoman sergeant Gelli, at our complete disposal. Next to the bottles are our frail-looking chalices… that is, empty tin cans.
After singing and playing instruments, at the stroke of midnight, in a meaningful silence, the commander rises his glass and addressing us, Jim [the young survivor of a British ship sunk by Tazzoli four days earlier, SS Queen City] and the two Dutchmen [the captain and chief engineer of a Dutch ship sunk by Tazzoli thirteen days earlier, SS Ombilin] who are attending with perhaps even wetter eyes than us, toasts to the happy return of everyone to their homes.
The Dutch captain asks for permission to say something to the men of the submarine who, abiding by the laws of war, have deprived him of his beautiful ship. In English, with a hushed voice that fails to conceal a deep emotion, he thanks for having invited him and his mate to this celebration, “so simple”, solemn and divine in the fiery atmosphere of the senseless hatred that is shaking all the peoples of the world. He says that, staying among us, he has truly understood the deepest, humble and unacknowledged sacrifices of the war and the most sincere desire for a serene peace. He adds that the rumors of machine-gunning of survivors had initially led him to fear for his crew and for himself: now he feels heart-broken for having believed in such cruelty by such a chivalrous enemy, “so good fellows”, as he now knows us. He concludes praying the Almighty, “our Lord”, so that these massacres will soon end, so that this “damn war” will end soon, and he steps back, blushing, behind the massive bulk of his engineer, who is noisily blowing his nose.
The wine and the champagne warm up the room and drive away all melancholy thoughts; we start singing and… dancing".
Soldati class destroyer Aviere 1940-42
On 16 December 1942 she sailed from Naples together with sister ship Camicia Nera, escorting the German freighter Ankara towards Bizerta; at 11:15 on the following day, the submarine HMS Splendid attacked the convoy and torpedoed Aviere, which blew up, broke in two and quickly sank in 38°00' N, 10°05' E. About one hundred of Aviere's 250 crew survived the initial sinking, but only 30 could be eventually rescued by the torpedo boats Calliope and Perseo on that afternoon, the rest having perished. 220 men were lost, among them the commanding officer of Aviere and DesDiv 11, Captain Ignazio Castrogiovanni, who was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valor
Gunners on deck of submarine Enrico Tazzoli, Atlantic Ocean, 1940-1943
This is how Christmas of 1942 was celebrated onboard Tazzoli, then on patrol in the southern Atlantic (translated from Antonio Maronari’s memoir book Un sommergibile non è rientrato alla base):
"…the commander, rather satisfied for the three ships we have sunk, wants Christmas Eve to be solemnly celebrated. (Eve, so to speak, since over here, when it will be midnight in Italy, it will still be daytime). We clear the auxiliary engine room of any encumbrance and we decorate it with multicolor signal flags. A broom covered with straw intertwined with iron wire, which is supposed to be a Christmas tree, a few stars cut out of a can of hardtacks and a few figures made of cardboard and wood, complete the illusion. In order to prevent misunderstandings involving the broom, Passon hungs a sign on it: “I am the Christmas tree”. At nine o’clock, as a munificent present by a sea fairy, a martial parade of champagne bottles comes out and they are lined up on the bunk of torpedoman sergeant Gelli, at our complete disposal. Next to the bottles are our frail-looking chalices… that is, empty tin cans.
After singing and playing instruments, at the stroke of midnight, in a meaningful silence, the commander rises his glass and addressing us, Jim [the young survivor of a British ship sunk by Tazzoli four days earlier, SS Queen City] and the two Dutchmen [the captain and chief engineer of a Dutch ship sunk by Tazzoli thirteen days earlier, SS Ombilin] who are attending with perhaps even wetter eyes than us, toasts to the happy return of everyone to their homes.
The Dutch captain asks for permission to say something to the men of the submarine who, abiding by the laws of war, have deprived him of his beautiful ship. In English, with a hushed voice that fails to conceal a deep emotion, he thanks for having invited him and his mate to this celebration, “so simple”, solemn and divine in the fiery atmosphere of the senseless hatred that is shaking all the peoples of the world. He says that, staying among us, he has truly understood the deepest, humble and unacknowledged sacrifices of the war and the most sincere desire for a serene peace. He adds that the rumors of machine-gunning of survivors had initially led him to fear for his crew and for himself: now he feels heart-broken for having believed in such cruelty by such a chivalrous enemy, “so good fellows”, as he now knows us. He concludes praying the Almighty, “our Lord”, so that these massacres will soon end, so that this “damn war” will end soon, and he steps back, blushing, behind the massive bulk of his engineer, who is noisily blowing his nose.
The wine and the champagne warm up the room and drive away all melancholy thoughts; we start singing and… dancing".
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Warships from throughout Europe and the rest of the World gather in Portsmouth Naval Base, UK to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, and the death of Lord Nelson, 2005. Ships at the event ranged from Turkey to The Netherlands, and Russia to France
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