Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

HMS Bruham

The British Battleship HMS Barham, at 27,500 tons was built at Clydebank Scotland to be completed in October 1915, as one of the Queen Elizabeth Class. In WW1, she was part of the Grand Fleet serving in the North Sea.

Come WW2, she was damaged by a torpedo fired by a U-Boat in December 1939. When I was present at Dakar during Operation Menace in HMAS Australia, the General de Gaulle led disaster over the 23rd, 24th, and 25th, of September 1940, HMS Barham was part of that force.

 

HMS Barham just before she blew up

She had also taken part in the Batlle of Matapan in March of 1941, and received some bomb damage in May of that year.

HMS Barham blows up 25 November 1041

25th. of November 1941.
When on the 25th. of November 1941, Barham was steaming in the Mediterranean, with 2 other British Battleships screened by 8 destroyers to cover an attack on an Italian convoy, Kapitan Leutnant Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen, in U-331, sighted this group, at a range of only 1,200 yards he fired a spread of 4 torpedoes at the centre battleship in the line of three. Barham was struck by 3 of these torpedoes, she rolled to port, her after magazine exploded with a horrific roar, she quickly sank taking 2/3 of her crew with her.

Her CO was awarded the Iron Cross First Class for his sussessful attack. The accompanying photograph of Barham just disintegrating must be one of the most dramatic pictures ever taken of the final agony of a warship being destroyed in WW2.

Commanding Officer of U-331 Kapitan Leutnant Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen sank HMS Barham on the 25th. of November 1941

German U-Boat 331.
This boat was badly damaged in the Mediterranean by a Hudson aircraft on the 17th. of November 1942, but was attacked by a torpedo carrying Albacore aircraft from HMS Hermes, and sank, killing 32, her Captain was amongst 17 survivors to become a Prisoner of War. He died in Canada in 2000.

U-331 returns to port after her sinking of HMS Barham