On th night 14/15 Dec 1941 Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Galatea was sunk just outside Alexandria by German submarine U-557. 469 men went down with her, in another catastrophic loss in terms of crew numbers, following HMS Barham.
#navalhistory #maritimehistory
#navalhistory #maritimehistory
Large Naval Unit Losses and Damage during CRUSADER
A number of large naval units on both sides in the Mediterranean were either lost or severely damaged during the timeframe of the Crusader battle. I believe this list is complete, but if not, corre…
rommelsriposte.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:19 AM
On th night 14/15 Dec 1941 Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Galatea was sunk just outside Alexandria by German submarine U-557. 469 men went down with her, in another catastrophic loss in terms of crew numbers, following HMS Barham.
#navalhistory #maritimehistory
#navalhistory #maritimehistory
Cracking shot of Italian light cruiser RInc Eugenio di Savoia (Prince Eugene) from the excellent Archivio Venus page.
Ferraris of the seas. Very unusual design, great speed of 36.5knots, for ships of this size and capability.
#navalhistory
#maritimehistory
Ferraris of the seas. Very unusual design, great speed of 36.5knots, for ships of this size and capability.
#navalhistory
#maritimehistory
December 13, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Cracking shot of Italian light cruiser RInc Eugenio di Savoia (Prince Eugene) from the excellent Archivio Venus page.
Ferraris of the seas. Very unusual design, great speed of 36.5knots, for ships of this size and capability.
#navalhistory
#maritimehistory
Ferraris of the seas. Very unusual design, great speed of 36.5knots, for ships of this size and capability.
#navalhistory
#maritimehistory
#otd 1939 the Graf Spee engaged by HMS Ajax, Exeter and HMNZS Achilles off the River Plate.
Critically the Graf Spee also suffered damage which limited her seaworthiness and she was forced to put in to Montevideo for repairs. From that moment on she was doomed.
#history #ww2 #navalhistory
Critically the Graf Spee also suffered damage which limited her seaworthiness and she was forced to put in to Montevideo for repairs. From that moment on she was doomed.
#history #ww2 #navalhistory
December 13, 2025 at 9:27 PM
#otd 1939 the Graf Spee engaged by HMS Ajax, Exeter and HMNZS Achilles off the River Plate.
Critically the Graf Spee also suffered damage which limited her seaworthiness and she was forced to put in to Montevideo for repairs. From that moment on she was doomed.
#history #ww2 #navalhistory
Critically the Graf Spee also suffered damage which limited her seaworthiness and she was forced to put in to Montevideo for repairs. From that moment on she was doomed.
#history #ww2 #navalhistory
First post of 2026 is already written... The opening stages of the Naval assualt on the Dardanelles Straits from 1914 - January 1915, why the Royal Navy were going in, what London was planning, who was planning it and what ships were going...
Out on general release 3 January
#ww1 #navalhistory
Out on general release 3 January
#ww1 #navalhistory
December 13, 2025 at 10:49 PM
First post of 2026 is already written... The opening stages of the Naval assualt on the Dardanelles Straits from 1914 - January 1915, why the Royal Navy were going in, what London was planning, who was planning it and what ships were going...
Out on general release 3 January
#ww1 #navalhistory
Out on general release 3 January
#ww1 #navalhistory
⚓ An Ottoman Göke Ship from 15th Century #NavalHistory
December 11, 2025 at 11:16 PM
⚓ An Ottoman Göke Ship from 15th Century #NavalHistory
One day I will stop confusing HMS Vengeance and Venerable when it coms to the Daradanelles...
Spent an hour sorting out screenshots of a diary for HMS Vengeance's gunnery officer to find the battle date I wanted 19/2/15 only to find "Geneal Quarters" - he was on Venerable...
#Navalhistory #ww1
Spent an hour sorting out screenshots of a diary for HMS Vengeance's gunnery officer to find the battle date I wanted 19/2/15 only to find "Geneal Quarters" - he was on Venerable...
#Navalhistory #ww1
December 16, 2025 at 4:47 PM
One day I will stop confusing HMS Vengeance and Venerable when it coms to the Daradanelles...
Spent an hour sorting out screenshots of a diary for HMS Vengeance's gunnery officer to find the battle date I wanted 19/2/15 only to find "Geneal Quarters" - he was on Venerable...
#Navalhistory #ww1
Spent an hour sorting out screenshots of a diary for HMS Vengeance's gunnery officer to find the battle date I wanted 19/2/15 only to find "Geneal Quarters" - he was on Venerable...
#Navalhistory #ww1
On this date in 1939 Commodore Henry Harwood's three cruisers, Exeter, Ajax, and Achilles engage the German heavy cruiser Graf Spee at the Battle of the River Plate, inflicting sufficient damage on the German ship to drive her into Montevideo, Uruguay.
#NavalHistory
#NavalHistory
December 13, 2025 at 8:34 PM
On this date in 1939 Commodore Henry Harwood's three cruisers, Exeter, Ajax, and Achilles engage the German heavy cruiser Graf Spee at the Battle of the River Plate, inflicting sufficient damage on the German ship to drive her into Montevideo, Uruguay.
#NavalHistory
#NavalHistory
As seen from the HMS Revenge, the 1st Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet during gunnery practice outside Scapa Flow.
#revenge #hms #battlesquadron #grandfleet #royalnavy #rn #ww1 #worldwar1 #navalhistory #history #warship #ship #snapshot #photography
#revenge #hms #battlesquadron #grandfleet #royalnavy #rn #ww1 #worldwar1 #navalhistory #history #warship #ship #snapshot #photography
December 14, 2025 at 5:46 PM
As seen from the HMS Revenge, the 1st Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet during gunnery practice outside Scapa Flow.
#revenge #hms #battlesquadron #grandfleet #royalnavy #rn #ww1 #worldwar1 #navalhistory #history #warship #ship #snapshot #photography
#revenge #hms #battlesquadron #grandfleet #royalnavy #rn #ww1 #worldwar1 #navalhistory #history #warship #ship #snapshot #photography
Further north, HM/Sub Truant torpedoed RTp Alcione, forcing her to be beached on Crete where she became a constructive total loss. #navalhistory #maritimehistory
Small/Auxiliary naval unit losses and damage
Background The constant convoy battles either on the Italy/Greece to Libya or the Alexandria to Tobruk routes took a severe toll on smaller units on both sides. This list is probably not complete &…
rommelsriposte.com
December 14, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Further north, HM/Sub Truant torpedoed RTp Alcione, forcing her to be beached on Crete where she became a constructive total loss. #navalhistory #maritimehistory
Common mistake (I also got it wrong in the beginning):
You either say HMS Erebus or the Erebus. It's never "the HMS (His/Her Majesty's Ship)".
[Image not of Erebus, but ships drawn by Secret FitzUncle.] #NavalHistory
You either say HMS Erebus or the Erebus. It's never "the HMS (His/Her Majesty's Ship)".
[Image not of Erebus, but ships drawn by Secret FitzUncle.] #NavalHistory
December 15, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Common mistake (I also got it wrong in the beginning):
You either say HMS Erebus or the Erebus. It's never "the HMS (His/Her Majesty's Ship)".
[Image not of Erebus, but ships drawn by Secret FitzUncle.] #NavalHistory
You either say HMS Erebus or the Erebus. It's never "the HMS (His/Her Majesty's Ship)".
[Image not of Erebus, but ships drawn by Secret FitzUncle.] #NavalHistory
Image: an early 19th-century painting by an unidentified artist of a naval engagement between a British frigate and several French frigates, believed to depict the capture of HMS Junon off Guadeloupe on 13 December 1809 (Wikimedia Commons). [6/6] #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory
December 13, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Image: an early 19th-century painting by an unidentified artist of a naval engagement between a British frigate and several French frigates, believed to depict the capture of HMS Junon off Guadeloupe on 13 December 1809 (Wikimedia Commons). [6/6] #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory
Only 12 survivors were rescued from 113 on board. Many died when the ship suddenly and very rapidly sank while the lifeboats were being lowered, dragging the boats and their occupants down with her. Image: postcard of the ship from 1910-13 (Wikimedia Commons). [2/2] #RoyalNavy #WW1 #NavalHistory
December 13, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Only 12 survivors were rescued from 113 on board. Many died when the ship suddenly and very rapidly sank while the lifeboats were being lowered, dragging the boats and their occupants down with her. Image: postcard of the ship from 1910-13 (Wikimedia Commons). [2/2] #RoyalNavy #WW1 #NavalHistory
13 Dec 1941 // Auxiliary patrol vessel HMS Tung Wo was abandoned at George Town, Penang, after being damaged, with one man killed, in Japanese bombing raids. She was later salvaged by the Japanese and repaired at Singapore, where she was used as a transport. #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
December 13, 2025 at 1:13 PM
13 Dec 1941 // Auxiliary patrol vessel HMS Tung Wo was abandoned at George Town, Penang, after being damaged, with one man killed, in Japanese bombing raids. She was later salvaged by the Japanese and repaired at Singapore, where she was used as a transport. #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
Many Royal Navy ships had an animal mascot on board, in this case a dog named Pluto, who was no doubt a Very Good Boy (and very well looked after!). The original caption states he served on board both during the Altmark incident and at Narvik.
📷 IWM A 1599
🧵 5/5
#NavalHistory
📷 IWM A 1599
🧵 5/5
#NavalHistory
December 16, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Many Royal Navy ships had an animal mascot on board, in this case a dog named Pluto, who was no doubt a Very Good Boy (and very well looked after!). The original caption states he served on board both during the Altmark incident and at Narvik.
📷 IWM A 1599
🧵 5/5
#NavalHistory
📷 IWM A 1599
🧵 5/5
#NavalHistory
12 Dec 1942 // Submarine HMS P.222 disappeared with all 48 crew off Naples, cause unconfirmed, but Italian destroyer escort Fortunale sank a submarine with depth charges SE of Capri on this date, and this is likely to have been P.222. (Imperial War Museum FL 23027) #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
December 12, 2025 at 1:14 PM
12 Dec 1942 // Submarine HMS P.222 disappeared with all 48 crew off Naples, cause unconfirmed, but Italian destroyer escort Fortunale sank a submarine with depth charges SE of Capri on this date, and this is likely to have been P.222. (Imperial War Museum FL 23027) #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
All four escort trawlers, Commander Fullerton, Livingstone, Lord Alverstone, and Tokio, were sunk by gunfire from the German ships (reports of their casualties are very confused) as were all six merchant ships of the convoy, leaving HMS Pellew the only survivor. [3/3] #RoyalNavy #WW1 #NavalHistory
December 12, 2025 at 1:10 PM
All four escort trawlers, Commander Fullerton, Livingstone, Lord Alverstone, and Tokio, were sunk by gunfire from the German ships (reports of their casualties are very confused) as were all six merchant ships of the convoy, leaving HMS Pellew the only survivor. [3/3] #RoyalNavy #WW1 #NavalHistory
Photographs above of the two destroyers sunk by U.593 on 12 Dec 1943 (Imperial War Museum): HMS Tynedale L96 (FL 1676) and HMS Holcombe L56 (FL 13926). U.593 was sunk shortly afterwards by USS Wainwright and HMS Calpe. All her crew were picked up by Allied ships. [2/2] #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
December 12, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Photographs above of the two destroyers sunk by U.593 on 12 Dec 1943 (Imperial War Museum): HMS Tynedale L96 (FL 1676) and HMS Holcombe L56 (FL 13926). U.593 was sunk shortly afterwards by USS Wainwright and HMS Calpe. All her crew were picked up by Allied ships. [2/2] #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
12 Dec 1779 // 16-gun sloop HMS North was wrecked on rocks at Sambro Head while trying to reach Halifax harbour to shelter from bad weather. Distress guns were heard at 1.30am but the conditions were too bad for assistance to be sent and she was lost with all hands. #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory
December 12, 2025 at 1:02 PM
12 Dec 1779 // 16-gun sloop HMS North was wrecked on rocks at Sambro Head while trying to reach Halifax harbour to shelter from bad weather. Distress guns were heard at 1.30am but the conditions were too bad for assistance to be sent and she was lost with all hands. #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory
11 Dec 1942 // Destroyer HMS Blean was torpedoed and sunk with 89 dead by German submarine U.443 off Oran, Algeria, while escorting a convoy. Blean was commissioned in August 1942: her career was the shortest of any Hunt-class destroyer. (Imperial War Museum FL 2359) #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
December 11, 2025 at 5:28 PM
11 Dec 1942 // Destroyer HMS Blean was torpedoed and sunk with 89 dead by German submarine U.443 off Oran, Algeria, while escorting a convoy. Blean was commissioned in August 1942: her career was the shortest of any Hunt-class destroyer. (Imperial War Museum FL 2359) #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
12 Dec 1744 (O.S.) // 8-gun fireship HMS Mercury vanished during the night of 12/13 Dec while sailing from Spithead to Deptford. High winds and heavy snow affected the area at that time, and it was presumed that the ship had foundered with all hands in the bad weather. #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory
December 12, 2025 at 1:01 PM
12 Dec 1744 (O.S.) // 8-gun fireship HMS Mercury vanished during the night of 12/13 Dec while sailing from Spithead to Deptford. High winds and heavy snow affected the area at that time, and it was presumed that the ship had foundered with all hands in the bad weather. #RoyalNavy #NavalHistory
12 Dec 1917 // Destroyer HMS Wolverine sank with two men lost after colliding with minesweeper HMS Rosemary northwest of Ireland. She was with other warships preparing to rendezvous with a convoy when confusion over a change of course resulted in the collision. #RoyalNavy #WW1 #NavalHistory
December 12, 2025 at 1:11 PM
12 Dec 1917 // Destroyer HMS Wolverine sank with two men lost after colliding with minesweeper HMS Rosemary northwest of Ireland. She was with other warships preparing to rendezvous with a convoy when confusion over a change of course resulted in the collision. #RoyalNavy #WW1 #NavalHistory
11 Dec 1943 // Frigate HMS Cuckmere, part of the escort for a Gibraltar-Port Said convoy, was hit by a torpedo fired by U.223 off Algiers. 16 members of her crew were killed. She remained afloat and was towed into Algiers but was declared a total loss. #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
December 11, 2025 at 5:29 PM
11 Dec 1943 // Frigate HMS Cuckmere, part of the escort for a Gibraltar-Port Said convoy, was hit by a torpedo fired by U.223 off Algiers. 16 members of her crew were killed. She remained afloat and was towed into Algiers but was declared a total loss. #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
11 Dec 1941 // U-boat U.374, having sunk HMT Lady Shirley with all 33 crew in the Straits of Gibraltar, was still in the area shortly afterwards when armed patrol yacht HMS Rosabelle appeared on a night patrol, and sank her too. From 44 on board there were 12 survivors. #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
December 11, 2025 at 5:26 PM
11 Dec 1941 // U-boat U.374, having sunk HMT Lady Shirley with all 33 crew in the Straits of Gibraltar, was still in the area shortly afterwards when armed patrol yacht HMS Rosabelle appeared on a night patrol, and sank her too. From 44 on board there were 12 survivors. #RoyalNavy #WW2 #NavalHistory
We're pleased to announce that Admiral Rodney is published today! Don't miss Donald Macintyre's biography of one of the Royal Navy's greatest commanders, best known for his role in the American Wars of Independence. Get it here: getbook.at/AdmiralRodney
#AdmiralRodney #NavalHistory #MilitaryHistory
#AdmiralRodney #NavalHistory #MilitaryHistory
December 15, 2025 at 10:26 AM
We're pleased to announce that Admiral Rodney is published today! Don't miss Donald Macintyre's biography of one of the Royal Navy's greatest commanders, best known for his role in the American Wars of Independence. Get it here: getbook.at/AdmiralRodney
#AdmiralRodney #NavalHistory #MilitaryHistory
#AdmiralRodney #NavalHistory #MilitaryHistory