HMS Warspite - A Personal Account - Historic UK

The motto on the ship's crest “Belli dura despicio” means “I despise the hardships of war.” Warspite took part in 15 major engagements, from Jutland in ... Homepage HistoryMagazine HistoryUK HistoryofBritain HMSWarspite–APersonalAccount byDickJones THERoyalNavy’s“GrandOldLady,”thefamousbattleshipHMSWarspite,wasdrivenbyastormontoCornwall’srockson12thApril1947whilebeingtowedtoaship-breakers’yardontheRiverClyde. Althoughgreatlysaddenedtolearnabouthisformership’signoblefateafterithadsurvivedtwoworldwars,mylatefather,Lt.FredJones,whowasaproudmemberofhercrewformorethanfouryears,commented:“ShewaseventuallybrokenupwhereshelaybyBritishworkmendoingwhattheenemyfailedtodo.” Commissionedin1915,the32000-tonWarspitewastheseventhshiptobearthename,whichdatesfromthereignofQueenElizabethIandEngland’swarswithSpain.Themottoontheship’screst“Belliduradespicio”means“Idespisethehardshipsofwar.” Warspitetookpartin15majorengagements,fromJutlandinWorldWar1to14actionsinWorldWar2.TheseincludedtheAtlanticconvoys,Narvik,Norway,Calabria,theMediterranean,theMaltaconvoys,Matapan,Crete,Sicily,Salerno,theEnglishChannel,NormandyandtheBayofBiscay. ShefiredhergunsforthelasttimewhilstbombardingGermanstrongholdsonWalcherenIslandintheScheldtEstuaryinNovember1944,earningthemostbattlehonourseverawardedtoonewarship. FredJones MyfatherFredJonesjoinedWarspiteinMay1937afterthe24-year-oldshiphadundergoneafull-scalere-fitinPortsmouthdockyard.Hermainmachineryhadbeenentirelyrenewed,oneoftheoriginaltwofunnelswasremovedtomakewayformoreanti-aircraftarmament,andtheeight15-inchgunswereelevatedto30degreestoincreasetheirrangeto32,000yards(16miles). Theanti-aircraftdefencearmamenthadbeenboostedtofour4-inchtwinmountings,twoeight-barrelled2-pounderpom-poms(nicknamed“ChicagoPianos”bythecrew)andtwinOerlikons.Ahangarwasplacedbehindthefunneltohousetwoseaplanesthatcouldbecatapultedoffandhoistedbackonboardbyacrane. Hercrewnumbered1284,includingChiefPettyOfficer/Gunner’sMateFredJones,whowascaptainof“B”turret. LeavingPortsmouth,HMSWarspitesailedfortheMediterraneantobecometheflagshipofAdmiralSirDudleyPound.ShewasbasedinAlexandriawhich,withwarimminent,wastobethefleet’sbase. On3September1939AdmiralPoundreceivedasignalfromtheAdmiraltythatread:“CommencehostilitiesatoncewithGermany,”andWarspitewassenttoescort30merchantshipsinconvoyacrosstheAtlanticfromCanadatoBritain. WhenthearmedmerchantcruiserRawalpindiwassunkbytheScharnhorstintheNorthSea,WarspitejoinedasearchfortheGermanbattle-cruiser,butsheslippedawayinthefoggyIcelandicweather. HerfirstmajoractionwastheBattleofNarvik,foughton13April1940topreventtheshipmentofironorefromtheNorwegianporttoGermany.WarspiteandninedestroyersleftScapaFlowandenteredOfotFiordtoattackGermanshipsandshoredefences.TheSwordfishaircraftwascatapultedoff,bombedandsankaGermansubmarineatitsmoorings,andreportedthepositionandstrengthofthedefenders. AlthoughWarspitewasbows-ontothetargetsandcouldfireonlythefourforwardguns,nineGermandestroyersweresunkandtheportfacilitieswerebadlydamaged. Writinghismemoirsafterthewar,myfatherdescribedthebattleshetookpartinandexplainedhowthehuge15-inchguns(inturrets“A”and“B”forwardand“X”and“Y”aft)wereloadedandfired. TurretsAandB Eachturretweighedabout700tons.Thegunswere54feetlongandweighed100tons.Theyconsistedofarifledtubeoverwhichwasshrunktheouterjacket.Agun’s“life”endedafterfiring335roundsanditthenhadtobere-lined. Aturret’shydraulicmachineryraisedtheammunitionlyingsome50feetbelowinthemagazine.Eachshellweighedalmostatonandaslickcrewcouldloadone-shell-a-minute.Normalpracticewastofirefour-gunsalvoesfromtherightgunsofallturrets,followedbyasimilarsalvofromtheleftguns. Toastranger,theincessantandoverwhelmingnoiseinsidetheturretaseverymemberofthe70-mancrewdidhisjobwithsplit-secondprecisionwasequalledonlybytheunnervingblindingflashandstunningconcussionofthefiring.Buttothemenwhocontrolledandworkedthegreatgunsitallbecamesecondnature. FredJonestakesupthestory: “Forus,theBattleofNarvikbeginswiththeorder“Actionstations.”TheguncrewstakeuptheirpositionsandtheturretcaptainreportstoControl.Wethenhear“Allgunsload”andupcomethegun-loadingcageswithathudandoutgotherammers. TheControllerbarks“Salvoes”andtherightgunisbroughttotheready.Then“Enemyinsight”andthesight-setterschantouttherange,bywhichtimebothgunsarealmosthorizontalbecauseofthecloserange. Thefiregongsounds“Dingding,”therightgunfiresandrecoilsasa“woof”rockstheturret.Theleftgunisbroughttothereadyastherightgunre-loads. Sixteenroundshavebeenfiredinthefiordandthetargetseithersinkorblowup.Controlissuestheorder“Checkfire”andtheguncrewsclamberthroughthemanholeatthetopoftheturrettoseethedamage.” HMSWarspiteinaction TheGermanHighCommandrevealedlaterthatasecondsubmarineorderedtotorpedotheBritishbattleshipranagroundwhilstsubmergedandtooknofurtherpartinthebattle. AfterafurtherbombardmentofNarvikport,WarspitesailedforAlexandriaandarrivedon10May1940tobecometheflagshipofAdmiralSirAndrewCunningham. WhenItalyenteredthewarinJune,Cunningham’sfleetcarriedoutasweepofthecentralMediterranean,guardedconvoystakingammoandstoresforWavell’scampaigninEgyptanddodgedhigh-levelbombingbyItalianaircraft. FindingthebattleshipGiulioCesareofftheportofCalabria,Warspitescoredadirecthitatarangeof26,000yards.Itwasthelongest-rangegunneryhitonamovingtargeteverrecordedandtheItalianshipwasputoutofactionfortherestofthewar.TheotherItalianwarshipswithherturnedtailandspedaway. The“GrandOldLady”(whowasgivenhernicknamebyAdmiralCunningham)nextsupportedtheEighthArmybyshellingenemyfortificationsalongthecoastatBardia,FortCapuzzoandTripoli. Byearly1941theNazisrealisedthattheItaliansnolongerhadthehearttofightandsenttheirownairandgroundforcestotheMediterranean.ButnotbeforetheItalianNavywascaughtatnightbyCunningham’sfleetofftheGreekcoastatCapeMatapan.Duringtheaction,threeItalianheavycruisersandtwodestroyersweresunkinabarragelastinglessthanfiveminutes. ChiefPettyOfficerJonesreports: 22.25.30EnemyinsightonWarspite’sstarboardside. 22.27.15Turretsloaded,readyandontarget. 22.27.55Weopenfirewithbroadsides. 22.28.00Hitssecuredonfirstcruiser,whichburstsintoflamesalongitsfull length. 22.28.40Secondbroadsidefiredonsametarget,nowsinking. 22.29.18Thirdeight-gunbroadsidefiresatnextcruiser,whichalsobursts intoflames. SuchwerethefruitsoftheRoyalNavy’sgunnersconstantlypractisingnight-fightingduringpeacetime. On21stApril1941Warspiteopenedfirewithher15-inchand8-inchbatteriesonthequaysandshipsinTripoliharbour,causinggreatdamage.ShewasthenengagedinconvoyworkandsurvivedheavyattacksbytheLuftwaffeduetotheterrificanti-aircraftbarrageputupbythefleet–butshewasnotsoluckywhencoveringtheevacuationofBritishtroopswhentheGermansattackedCrete. Cunningham’sentirefleetwasagainbombedandmachine-gunnedbyGermanplanes,andWarspitewashitbya500lbarmour-piercingbombonthestarboardsideforwardwhereC.P.O.Joneshadbeenstandingoneminutebeforewhilehewasrepairingajammedack-ackgun. The4-inchgunsandallthegunnerswereblownoverboardandtheexplosionstartedafirethatputallfour6-inchgunsoutofaction.Oneboiler-roomhadtobeabandonedandtheship’sspeedwasconsiderablyreduced. Anofficerand37menwerekilledand31otherswounded.Myfathercommented:“HadInotbeenorderedbacktomyturrettoloadupIwouldcertainlyhavebeenamongthecasualties.” Hewasmentionedindispatches“forgallantandmeritoriousactioninthefaceoftheenemy”andawardedoakleavesthatweresewnonhismedalribbon. WarspitelimpedbacktoAlexandriaandwaspatchedupbeforesailingtohavemajorrepairsdoneattheBremertonNavyYardinSeattle,USA,wheremyfatherandothercrewmembersleftherandwerepostedtootherships.HeservedinHMSResolutionuntilOctober1941andthenreturnedtothehomeandfamilyhehadnotseenforfouryearsandfourmonths. “That’stheluckoftheNavy,”heobserved.“ButatleastIgotbackalive.” Althoughservinginotherships,hefollowedWarspite’sfortunesuntilthewarended.ShewasrepairedandreadyforserviceagainbyJanuary1942,bywhichtimeAmericawasinthewar.AftertakingpartintheSiciliancampaigninJanuary1943,ItalysurrenderedandsheledthesurvivingshipsoftheItalianfleetintocaptivityinMalta. AdmiralCunninghamaddressingtheship’scompanyofHMSWarspiteintheMediterranean,August1943 WarspitewasbombedagaininSalernoand,aftermorerepairs,wasinactiononD-Dayon8June1944,thenseveralotheractionsofftheFrenchcoast. WhenGermanysurrenderedinMay1945theAdmiraltydecidedthatthe“GrandOldLady”shouldbescrappedafter30yearsinservice. Itwasironicalthaton19April1947,whilebeingtowedbytwotugstoanignominiousendintheScottishship-breakers’yard,amightystormaroseandaturbulentseafreedtheproudoldwarriorfromhercaptors. AnoldCornishmanwhowitnessedtheendofthebattleshipdescribedthescene:“Aye,theoldWarspitedolietherepointingtowardsPrussiaCove.Imindthenightshecamein,broadside-onandterribletosee.Therewasahighwindandpowerfulseas,andnonecouldholdher.Shetookthegroundclosebyandthen,onthenexthightide,sheliftedagainandwasdrivenontotherocksinthecove.” Theremainingpartsofherhulldisappearedforeverin1955andamemorialstonewasunveiledin1992nearherfinalrestingplace. WarrantOfficerFredJoneswasdischargedfromtheRoyalNavyattheendofthewarandleftEnglandwithhiswifeandthreesonsin1946tobecomeLt.Jones,gunneryinstructoroftheSouthAfricanNavy,basedinCapeTown. The“OldSalt”whowasaged36whenhesurvivedtheGermanbombingofWarspitein1941diedofpneumoniainGrey’sHospital,Pietermaritzburg,justthreeweeksbeforehis91stbirthdayinAugust1996. DickJones,nowaged86,isaformernighteditorof“TheNatalWitness”. Searchfor: Search Popularsearches CastleHotels CoastalCottages CottageswithPools KingsandQueens ContactUs